I am a fairy in Journey to the West

In the Cloud Silkworm Cave, the Heavenly Silkworm King took out a sandalwood box from his cave and presented it to Liang Nu.

"Fellow Daoist Zhaoyan, this is the treasure I wish to present," said the Heavenly Silkworm King.

Liang Nu looked at the sandalwood box with slight surprise and asked, "Fellow Daoist Tiancan, what treasures are inside?"

The Heavenly Silkworm King unlocked the box and slowly opened it. A beam of jade-white spiritual light instantly emanated from the box, illuminating the entire cave hall.

Both Liang Nu and Liu Chenxiang couldn't help but look at the treasure in the box, which was a bundle of white jade silk. Each strand of the white jade silk was as thin as a hair and as clear as crystal. Roughly estimated, this bundle of silk, which was as thick as an arm, contained more than ten thousand strands.

"This..." Liang looked up at the Heavenly Silkworm King and asked, "Is this silk?"

The Heavenly Silkworm King said with a smile, "Indeed, Fellow Daoist Zhaoyan, this silk is called 'Ice Jade Heavenly Silkworm Silk.' It was made by our ancestors using their life essence to spin cocoons when they transformed into butterflies. After our ancestors transformed into butterflies, we descendants will extract the silk and collect these Ice Jade Heavenly Silkworm Silks."

Liang said, "Then these silkworm threads belong to you, fellow Daoist."

“Grandfather,” said the Heavenly Silkworm King, “it was left by my grandfather. My grandmother and parents never transformed into butterflies; their lifespans were exhausted before they could transform.”

"I see." Liang nodded, then said, "Since this item was left by your grandfather, I cannot take it by force. You should keep it for yourself."

The Heavenly Silkworm King hurriedly asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhaoyan, do you look down on me?"

Liang asked, "What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist?"

The Heavenly Silkworm King said, "Fellow Daoist, I, as a demon, should repay your life-saving grace. Now you offer me your family heirloom, yet you refuse to accept it. Isn't this looking down on me?"

"Absolutely not!" Liang hurriedly denied, "It's not that I look down on you, but this item is a family heirloom. How could I possibly take it by force?"

"This is my voluntary offering, how can it be considered as you forcibly taking it from me? This is to express my gratitude for your life. If you refuse to accept it, then I will have no choice but to commit suicide here to repay your great kindness," the Heavenly Silkworm King said with a firm expression.

Upon hearing this, Ms. Liang hesitated for a moment, but she still felt embarrassed.

Seeing Liang Nu's actions, the crane behind her proactively extended its red beak, picked up the sandalwood box, and delivered it to Liang Nu's hands.

Upon seeing this, the Heavenly Silkworm King hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you, Immortal Cai, for making this possible."

Looking at the treasure box in her hand and hearing Xiao Cai's clear cry in her ear, Liang Nu immediately put the wooden box away without hesitation and said to the Heavenly Silkworm King, "Then I will accept it."

The Heavenly Silkworm King laughed heartily, "That's how it should be."

After everyone sat down again, the Heavenly Silkworm King turned to Liu Chenxiang and said, "Brother Liu, you said your home is at the foot of Lingtai Mountain, so why did you come here all by yourself?"

Liu Chenxiang sighed, and then spoke of what was on her mind.

Unexpectedly, after listening to Liu Chenxiang's story, the Heavenly Silkworm King exclaimed in astonishment, "So, Brother Liu, you are the son of the Third Holy Mother?"

Liu Chenxiang was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Brother, do you know my mother?"

The Heavenly Silkworm King said, "The Third Holy Mother descended to the mortal realm, violated the heavenly rules, and was suppressed—such a serious matter, who didn't know about it back then?"

Liu Chenxian quickly got up and knelt down in front of the Heavenly Silkworm King, saying, "Please tell me where my mother is, brother. I will be eternally grateful and will repay you even if it means serving you like a slave."

The Heavenly Silkworm King quickly helped Liu Chenxiang up and said, "Brother, if you are the son of the Third Holy Mother, then I cannot accept such a grand gesture from you."

At this point, the Heavenly Silkworm King said to Liu Chenxiang, "Brother, your mother, the Third Holy Mother, is suppressed under Tao Mountain."

"Taoshan?!" Upon hearing this, Liu Chenxiang exclaimed excitedly, "Where is Taoshan? Is it far from here?"

The Heavenly Silkworm King calculated for a moment, then said, "Taoshan is about 60,000 li away from here. If we ride the clouds, it will only take a few days. If we ride the wind, it will only take a little over a month. If we rely on our iron feet, it will take at least half a year."

Liu Chenxiang burst into tears instantly and bowed to the Heavenly Silkworm King, saying, "Thank you for telling me, brother. As long as I know where my mother is, I will go even if she is far away."

Seeing Liu Chenxiang's determination, the Heavenly Silkworm King suddenly made a decision and said, "Brother, I admire your filial piety. Here's what we'll do: after I've settled things in the cave, I'll escort you to Taoshan to see your mother."

Upon hearing this, Liu Chenxiang was taken aback at first, then her face lit up with surprise and delight. "Really? Brother, you're willing to help me go to Taoshan?"

The Heavenly Silkworm King laughed and said, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Brother, your home is at the foot of Lingtai Mountain, right? Well then, I'll take you home first, and you can go back and prepare. Then I'll come back to pick you up to set off."

Upon hearing this, Liu Chenxiang said, "Alright, it just so happens that I came out without my father's knowledge. I'll say goodbye to him first when I get back."

The Heavenly Silkworm King's expression changed in surprise. He asked, "You ran away from home without your father's knowledge?"

“Yes.” Liu Chenxiang nodded and said, “He refused to tell me about my mother, so I had a fight with him and then left.”

The Heavenly Silkworm King paused for a moment, then looked at Liang Nu beside him.

Liang placed a fruit pit in her hand on the plate, then smiled and said, "I'm full. Thank you for your hospitality, Fellow Daoist Tiancan."

As she spoke, Liang asked the Heavenly Silkworm King, "Fellow Daoist Heavenly Silkworm, do you have the Heavenly Profound Jade Talisman?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" the Heavenly Silkworm King hurriedly said, "Now everyone in Xiniu Hezhou has a Heavenly Profound Jade Talisman." As he spoke, he took out his own Heavenly Profound Jade Talisman.

Afterwards, Liang Nu and the Heavenly Silkworm King exchanged talismans, and then Liang Nu stood up and said, "Then I shall take my leave. If Fellow Daoist Heavenly Silkworm needs anything in the future, you can contact me with the Heavenly Profound Jade Talisman."

The Heavenly Silkworm King's expression turned serious, and he stood up, saying, "Very well, then I will not keep Fellow Daoist Liang any longer."

After saying this, the Heavenly Silkworm King and Liu Chenxiang escorted Liang Nu out of the cave and watched her ride away on a crane before returning.

As predicted, the Heavenly Silkworm King first sent Liu Chenxiang back to his home at the foot of Lingtai Mountain.

Meanwhile, Liu Yanchang had been searching for Liu Chenxiang for half a month. When he saw Liu Chenxiang suddenly return, Liu Yanchang's haggard expression first showed excitement, and then anger.

Needless to say, Liu Chenxiang was met with a severe beating from his father, Liu Yanchang.

The Heavenly Silkworm King naturally couldn't interfere in family affairs, so he could only stand outside and listen to Liu Chenxiang's screams and Liu Yanchang's roars for a full incense stick's time before they finally subsided.

But Liu Chenxiang was very stubborn. No matter how much Liu Yanchang hit her, she refused to admit her mistake or fight back. Instead, she cried out in pain and insisted on going to find her mother.

Finally, Liu Yanchang had no choice but to stop and said to Liu Chenxiang, "It seems you really have grown up."

"Father, I'm eighteen!" Liu Chenxiang said, wiping away tears. "I've been a motherless child for eighteen years!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yanchang's eyes reddened, but he didn't cry. He simply pointed to the Heavenly Silkworm King outside and asked, "Is that your friend?"

Liu Chenxiang quickly said, "Father, that's my sworn brother. He brought me back and saved my life." Upon hearing this, Liu Yanchang hurriedly stepped forward to invite the Heavenly Silkworm King into the house and served him tea and water.

"Uh... Liu..." The Heavenly Silkworm King was momentarily at a loss for words.

Liu Yanchang laughed and said, "Since you and my son Chenxiang are brothers, then you can call me uncle."

"Okay, okay, Uncle Liu, please sit down, no need to be so polite," the Heavenly Silkworm King quickly replied.

At this moment, the Heavenly Silkworm King was secretly delighted. If Liu Chenxiang was really the son of the Third Holy Mother, wouldn't he have become a relative of the Heavenly Family?

The Third Holy Mother was the daughter of the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain. Although she was suppressed for violating heavenly rules, the Great Emperor of the Western Mountain did not sever his father-daughter relationship with her.

It seems my decision was incredibly wise. As long as I send Liu Chenxiang to Taoshan and call the "Third Holy Mother" "Auntie," tsk, how many benefits could I possibly get?

Just as the Heavenly Silkworm King was happily daydreaming, Liu Yanchang brought out a bundle from the house.

Looking at the bundle in Liu Yanchang's hand, Liu Chenxiang asked with some confusion, "Father, what is this?"

Liu Yanchang did not speak, but slowly opened the bundle. Soon, an extremely exquisite lotus lantern with eight treasures appeared before Liu Chenxiang and the Heavenly Silkworm King.

"Chenxiang, kneel down," Liu Yanchang said sternly.

Looking at the lotus lamp, Liu Chenxiang immediately realized that it must be related to his mother, because he had never seen the lamp before, which meant that Liu Yanchang had been hiding it there all along.

Liu Chenxiang knelt down with a thud and looked up at the lotus lantern.

Liu Yanchang then handed the lotus lamp to Liu Chenxiang, saying, "This lamp is called the 'Precious Lotus Lamp,' a magical artifact that your mother used to use."

Liu Chenxiang's expression shifted, and as she looked at the beautiful lamp, tears welled up in her eyes.

“You’ve grown up now, and I can’t hide these things from you anymore. Your mother was indeed imprisoned under Tao Mountain; she broke the heavenly law for me.”

“Chenxiang, I kept this from you before because I was afraid you would act impulsively after learning about your mother. But now it seems that the bond between mother and child is the most irreplaceable emotion in the world.”

"But I want to tell you that once you take this lamp and step out to find your mother, there is no turning back."

Hearing this, Liu Chenxiang asked, puzzled, "Father, I'm just going to find my mother, why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

Liu Yanchang said, "Because your mother violated the heavenly rules, she was suppressed under Tao Mountain. Even if you go to Tao Mountain, you won't be able to see her; at most, you can only hear her voice."

"Then why didn't you destroy Taoshan and rescue my mother?!" Liu Chenxiang said angrily.

Liu Yanchang said, "I am a mortal and cannot do this. You... you inherited your mother's destiny to become an immortal, and perhaps you can do it in the future, but do you know what you will face?"

"What?" Liu Chenxiang was still a little confused.

The Heavenly Silkworm King, who was standing to the side, understood and said to Liu Chenxiang, "Brother, what your uncle means is that if you want to rescue your aunt, it's the same as breaking her out of prison, breaking out of the Heavenly Court's prison."

Liu Chenxiang remained fearless after hearing this and said, "As long as my mother can be rescued, I'm not afraid of anything, not even a prison break or a bunch of gods and Buddhas!"

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Silkworm King suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. "Oh no! I was so focused on currying favor with the Third Holy Mother that I didn't realize there was this connection. Will I die on this trip?!"

Then, Liu Chenxiang reached out and caught the Lotus Lantern, saying, "Father, don't worry, I will definitely rescue Mother."

Liu Yanchang sighed and said, "Child, your father is old and has no affinity with immortality. I am just a mortal and cannot help you. Everything depends on yourself."

"Yes!" Liu Chenxiang nodded solemnly.

Upon seeing Zhuang Yanzhao's image appear before her, Liang Nu quickly bowed and said, "Disciple greets Master."

"No need for formalities," Zhuang Yan said with a smile. "Is there something you don't understand about your cultivation?"

Liang shook her head, took out the ice jade silkworm silk that the Heavenly Silkworm King had presented, and after explaining the origin of the item to Zhuang Yan, said, "This disciple wishes to present this item to my master."

Zhuang Yan glanced at the ice jade silkworm silk, then smiled and said, "This thing is useless to me, but it is of some use to you."

Upon hearing this, Liang was taken aback for a moment, and then said, "But this disciple only wants to offer it to Master."

Zhuang Yan smiled faintly, raised his hand and pointed, and the silkworm threads in the treasure box immediately flew up, turning into more than 10,000 silkworm threads arranged neatly in the air, which was quite a sight.

Then Zhuang Yan pointed again, activating the 'Creation of All Things' function. A divine light shot out and collected all the silkworm threads.

Just three breaths later, a beam of icy immortal light suddenly shone from the divine light. Then the divine light receded, and a 'Ice Soul Immortal Silk' rose up with wisps of icy mist and flew to Liang Nu's front.

“This ‘Ice Soul Immortal Silk’ is made from the silkworm silk we just saw. It is a celestial treasure. You should use it for self-defense,” Zhuang Yan said.

Upon hearing this, Liang Nu immediately reached out and caught the pure and elegant fairy silk, feeling its cool and silky texture.

The next moment, the Ice Soul Immortal Silk automatically flew from her hand, went straight into her dantian between her eyebrows.

With a thought, the Ice Soul Immortal Silk reappeared in Liang Nu's hand. Liang Nu was filled with surprise, and her eyes revealed a strong sense of astonishment and novelty.

A moment later, Liang Nu put the Ice Soul Immortal Silk back into her dantian, then bowed to Zhuang Yan and said, "Thank you, Master, for bestowing this treasure upon me."

Zhuang Yan smiled and nodded, then asked, "Did anything else happen to you?"

Suddenly remembering something, Liang told Zhuang Yan about Liu Chenxiang.

After listening, Zhuang Yan simply nodded without saying anything more. Liang Nu, however, asked, "Master, you said you worked at the Dust Realm Jade Palace on Buzhou Mountain? You must know the Divine Firmament Emperor, right?"

"I know him. I'm quite familiar with him," Zhuang Yan said with a smile. "What? You also want to become a celestial official?"

Liang Nu quickly shook her head and said, "From now on, I only want to live a secluded life in the mountains and have no desire to be bound by power anymore. Master, could you please advise the Divine Emperor to release the Third Holy Mother and reunite her with Liu Chenxiang's family? Even if the Third Holy Mother has committed a great sin, she should not sever the bond between mother and son."

Zhuang Yan smiled and then said, "Alright, I will go back and give my advice to Emperor Shenxiao. However, I cannot guarantee whether Emperor Shenxiao will take it into consideration."

Liang Nu's face lit up with joy, and she quickly bowed to Zhuang Yan, saying, "Thank you, Master. You are so kind."

Zhuang Yan smiled and nodded, then his figure slowly disappeared onto the Heavenly Profound Jade Talisman. After seeing Zhuang Yan off, Liang Nu put away the Heavenly Profound Jade Talisman and began to study the Ice Soul Immortal Silk again. (End of this chapter)