In the middle of the night, under a dark sky with no stars, a clay rooster broke the silence of a simple room.
Yu Xuan, awakened by the sharp sound, had a flushed face and a runny nose dripping thick liquid. He had caught a cold—the consequences came less than a day after the incident.
"Get up," he said in an almost inaudible voice. Rising from bed with heavy breaths, he slowly walked toward the silkworm.
Xiao Jin had his eyes open, watching with golden pupils as the young man staggered through the house.
Approaching, Yu Xuan lifted the jar and picked up the golden creature, heading straight outside his dwelling.
Outdoors, he raised his eyes to the sky, watching orange rays being born in the endless darkness—a familiar scene from the past seven days.
Placing Xiao Jin on the ground, he sat by the doorway, resting his head against the edge of the frame.
Blowing his nose, Yu Xuan closed his eyes, his head throbbing.
The cold hadn't caught him by surprise; he had expected it after standing in the rain.
Letting out a cold sigh from his lips, Yu Xuan waited until six o'clock, feeling waves of chill crawl across his skin, freezing every part of his body. It was uncomfortable being there—almost like sitting in the middle of snow.
Crossing his arms and trembling, he waited for the day to swallow the last traces of darkness, marking the start of morning.
In better spirits, he picked up the golden-glowing silkworm and went back inside.
Lying down, Yu Xuan pulled the blanket over his head. Warmth slowly filled him, though it wasn't enough to drive away the cold seeping from within. Still, it was enough to make him feel a little better.
Time passed like that. The sun's rays grew stronger as the world turned.
Above the sick young man's roof, the sun finally rose in full.
The post-rain scenery was beautiful. The trees around the village gleamed deep green; the mountains visible on both sides shone with a vibrant, verdant hue.
A beautiful sight that brought joy to the villagers—and to the birds pecking at the damp earth in search of worms.
Yu Xianan, watching the sky from the warehouse gate, wore a worried expression.
"Did that boy manage to do it?" she murmured to herself, unease filling her heart. She felt certain that Yu Xuan had done something reckless yesterday in that heavy rain.
Unable to bear the restlessness any longer, Yu Xianan shut the gate behind her and took a key from her pocket, turning it in the lock. With a click, the gate was sealed.
After that, she headed toward the back of the village.
Yu Xuan lived in a quiet corner, with no neighbors nearby. His small wooden house stood in a tiny clearing surrounded by trees.
To the south, a hundred meters away, a dirt path connected to the other homes—houses far nicer than his, built with redwood walls and roofs made of resilient stone.
The difference in status was striking.
When Xianan arrived, she looked at the modest home with pity. She began to understand why her younger brother avoided spending money.
With a sigh, Xianan knocked gently on the door beneath the porch.
Knock, knock!
When no one answered, she knocked again several times.
"Yu Xuan!" she called, impatience creeping into her face. Still no response. She decided to enter. The door wasn't locked; a gentle push opened it.
Upon entering, she realized the house had only one room. A yellow light filtered from above. Looking closer, she saw rays seeping through small gaps, and then her gaze fell on a hole a meter deep in the floor.
"What on earth happened here?" she muttered, finally turning her eyes to the bed, where only the shape of a blanket could be seen—with a faint silhouette beneath it.
"Hm…" Yu Xianan exhaled a cold breath through her lips, realizing what was going on. As she suspected, Yu Xuan had done something foolish and caught a cold.
"Reckless little brother," she shook her head in disapproval. Being the good sister she was, she decided to help the boy who seemed to have no regard for his own life. Before leaving, however, she looked around and noticed two jars: one containing a golden silkworm and the other a green butterfly.
"He did it?" She smiled, pleased for him. Yet, her curiosity grew stronger—why did her brother need both a Sun Silkworm and a Nature Butterfly?
Both were rare creatures.
The first appeared only at dawn or dusk. Finding one required incredible luck. The second was just as elusive.
With those two, Yu Xuan could sell them for a high price and end his poverty.
"This little brother of mine has both good and bad luck, huh? Looks like he stood in the rain yesterday and still managed to catch the insect. As for the first one, I have no idea—but it must've been pure coincidence," Xianan thought, convinced of it.
Few mortals knew about the four transmutations of silkworms: Rain, Sun, Earth, and Air.
Xianan, who knew this due to her special nature, smiled faintly. Then, worried for Yu Xuan, she returned to the warehouse and grabbed some medicine from the shelves.
...
Yu Xuan, seeing only darkness, dreamed a pleasant dream in which a sweet liquid filled his taste buds.
In all his sixteen years, he'd only felt that sensation once before—with the medicine his mother used to make. To keep it from tasting bitter, she would add flower essence, turning it into a kind of sweet remedy.
"Is the cold making me hallucinate?" he wondered calmly. It was nice to live in that illusion—so much that he forgot it was a dream and fell asleep again, wrapped in peace.
An unknown time later, Yu Xuan opened his blue eyes, now bright and lively. He felt great.
So great that the cold was completely gone. On the contrary—he felt at the peak of his physical condition.
Rolling his eyes in confusion, Yu Xuan frowned slightly.
"That wasn't a dream! Someone gave me medicine... and an expensive one, judging by how fast I recovered."
Yu Xuan felt many things—gratitude toward the person, a sense of debt, and curiosity about who it was.
"The answer can only be two people: the village chief or Xianan."
He was certain it had been Xianan—the only one who knew he'd been exploring the forest.
With that settled in his mind, Yu Xuan felt even more grateful.
"I'll repay this debt," he promised silently to himself.