Part 1: The Legend of the Zhu Family

In the kingdom of Zhuzi, a legend persisted through generations: no matter how many kings came and went, the Zhu family of the official dyeing and weaving bureau never relocated. It was said that they could weave a fabric called "Xiangzhen Silk," as radiant as moonlight and as ethereal as clouds. Nobles and wealthy families coveted this exquisite cloth, and for years, local weavers had been envious yet unable to replicate it. Rumors spread that the Zhu family owed their skill to a magical jade shuttle gifted by the Red-Clad Fairy.

One ambitious weaver, convinced that possessing the jade shuttle would lead to his fortune, decided to infiltrate the Zhu family's fabric shop late one night. The shop, sprawling over a hundred miles, was eerily quiet. As he wandered through the dimly lit area, a beam of luminous white light suddenly illuminated the center of the fabric yard. The moonlight faded, and the surroundings fell into darkness, save for the radiant column connecting heaven and earth.

The weaver stumbled toward the light, discovering that it was composed of countless threads. Two enormous silkworms were weaving cocoons from the threads, using their hooked legs to pass the jade shuttle to one another, creating beautiful fabric. Blinded by greed, the weaver charged for the shuttle, oblivious to the danger. The silkworms reacted swiftly, their sharp hooks piercing him repeatedly. In his final moments, he saw the great silkworms approaching, lifting him into the light and wrapping him in a lustrous cocoon.

朱紫国有个传闻：不论国王换了几代，官营染织署的朱家从不挪窝。据说，朱家能织出一种名唤降真纱的布料，如月华般莹润，如堆云般缥缈，贵胄富户都十分喜爱。城中织户们眼红许久，可从未有人能仿制出降真纱。渐渐地，大家都说朱家能织出这种布料，全靠红衣仙姥赏赐的一柄玉梭。

有个织户深信只要弄到玉梭，他也能发家致富。于是，在某个天交二鼓的深夜，他翻入了朱家在城外的布庄。

朱家阔绰，布庄有百里之大，此时夜深，四下里更无半个人影。织户独自在晒布场的垂纱间穿行，一道沁白的光华，骤然落在晒布场的中心。月色黯然，四周陷入浓黑，仅有那道光柱连接天地。

织户跌跌撞撞地奔过去，瞧见那光柱竟是无数垂落的丝线而成，有两条巨大的蚕虫，将垂丝做成虫茧来，吊在晒布架上。那些虫茧向外伸出带钩的腿足，钩住丝线并将一柄玉梭互相传递，织出华美的布匹。织户分不清是真是幻，他一心只记得冲向梭子，认为拥有它，便能拥有这般术法。不想，大茧们舞起腿足，比比划划地打来，锋利的勾刺几下就将织户捅穿了。将死之际，织户看见大蚕朝他爬来。它们将他驮到光柱中，将他包成了莹润的虫茧。

Part 2: The Vow of Revenge

In a hidden cave known as the Silk Cave, a young boy had taken refuge. He was a local from Zhuzi, and his family had been in the textile trade. One day, his father vanished while searching for the jade shuttle, and his mother, convinced he had abandoned them for the Zhu family, wept endlessly. The boy, determined to avenge his father, vowed to kill the fairy who had ensnared him.

One day, he overheard travelers discussing the Zhu family’s estate, where beautiful maidens resided. Fueled by anger, he set out to confront them. However, upon entering the mountains, he was captured by a small fairy. Just as he felt hopeless, a girl in a yellow dress intervened, saving him. She was around ten years old, innocent and cheerful, a stark contrast to the malicious beings he sought to destroy.

The girl, longing for companionship, took him to her cave to play. Despite his internal conflict, the boy found himself enjoying her company. Each night, he reminded himself of his vow to avenge his father. One evening, a tiny bee flew into his room and overheard his thoughts, though he remained oblivious to its presence.

The next day, instead of the girl, a fierce woman in green arrived, flanked by insect guards. An experienced wasp fairy rummaged through the boy’s belongings, uncovering his escape money and a dagger meant for revenge. The green-clad fairy addressed him sternly, explaining that the Silk Cave did not harbor the living, but they spared him for the sake of the girl. However, his vengeful intent could not go unpunished. Without further ado, they dragged him away and tossed him into a deep pit, leaving him to his fate.

盘丝洞里曾住过一位少年，你道他为何住在妖精洞中？原来，他本是朱紫国人士，家中以纺织为业。某日，他父亲要去寻一柄玉梭，自此没了音讯。他母亲几次寻访，都说他父亲抛妻弃儿，入赘了朱家。母亲成日哭泣，说他父亲是被妖精迷了心窍。于是，少年自幼时起，便立誓要杀妖精报仇。

一日，他听闻过山的商旅，谈及盘丝岭上的朱家大院，说那里的女子各个花容月貌，便独自去岭上寻仇。不想，他刚一入山就被小妖所获。正在他害怕无措之时，有个穿黄衣裳的小姑娘喝止众人，救下了他。这小姑娘十岁上下的年纪，粉面可爱，与“迷人心窍”相差甚远，少年一时竟不知如何是好。

未料，这小姑娘娇憨烂漫，许是极少有同龄的玩伴，一见少年便将他领到洞中玩耍去了。少年在洞中暂时住下，小姑娘时常来找他解闷，他内心很是矛盾，就夜夜对着油灯告诫自己，明日定要杀了妖精报仇。某夜，恰巧有只细小的蜂儿飞入他屋内，将他说的话全都听了去，少年却全没在意。

次日，小姑娘没来，却来了位身着青衣的女子。她盘着髻，一脸凶相，异常美艳。女子身后有一队虫豸侍卫。其中有只蚂蜂精，熟练地从少年的衣箱里，翻出了逃跑用的盘缠，从瓷枕里搜出了刺杀用的匕首，并将少年对油灯念的复仇之话复述了一遍。

青衣仙子对少年道：“盘丝洞本不留活人，但念幼妹没有玩伴，所以我们未曾伤你，如今你却想着要害她。不过，你也是为父报仇，情有可原。那就让虫窟来决定你的命途罢。”言罢，侍卫们将少年一下押住，将他拖了出去，扔入深穴之中，没人再管他死活了。

Part 3: Trials in the Insect Pit

Once in the pit, the boy landed on a pile of decaying insect bodies. Despite breaking his leg, he survived. In agony, he cried out for help, only to realize he was surrounded by skeletons and corpses. As despair settled in, a giant centipede bit him, tearing away flesh. In a panic, he grabbed a nearby rock and smashed the creature, only to discover he was holding a human skull.

After the chaos, he found that the pain in his leg had subsided. Applying the centipede's venomous fluid to his wounds, he discovered it numbed his pain. Inspired, he began to gather silk threads from the cocoons around him and fashioned a splint using two leg bones he found, binding his broken leg.

As he caught his breath, he heard rustling sounds echoing in the pit. Suddenly, a massive white ball fell from above, bouncing before unfurling into a giant centipede. The boy, fearing for his life, rolled into a ball to mimic the creature. The centipede, unable to distinguish friend from foe, hesitated.

At that moment, more sounds echoed through the pit as food scraps were tossed down. A swarm of tiny centipedes emerged, eager to feast. Each time they passed the boy, they accepted him as one of their own. He seized this opportunity to observe their behavior, learning their ways. For days, he mimicked them, surviving on the scraps until he finally escaped the Silk Cave.

Emerging into the light, he realized that to truly live, one must not be shackled by the past. He returned to his hometown, determined to start anew, but his experience in the Zhu family estate had caught the attention of the local weavers, who gathered outside his home, demanding he lead them back to seek the mythical jade shuttle. He found himself once again entangled in their desires, unable to find peace.

昔年，有个到盘丝洞寻仇的少年，他大仇尚未得报，就被妖怪捉住，扔进了虫窟之中。他跌落深穴，摔在一团肉虫的尸体上，虽是摔折了腿，却活了下来。少年疼得嗷嗷大叫，支起上身，欲要求救，放眼望去，虫窟之中除了骷髅与尸骸，再无他物。

少年万念俱灰，忽感腿上钻心一疼，有只一人长短的百足之虫，咬了他一口，还生生扯下块皮肉来吃。少年大惊，急忙从身旁摸起块硬石，疯狂砸在虫子身上，直将其砸得爆裂开来，才怔怔停手。低头一看，手里拿的竟是块人头骨，赶紧将其甩了出去。

一番周旋后，少年发现受伤的腿竟然不疼了。他沾了沾虫尸淌出的浓汁，涂在擦伤的手臂上，竟也不疼了，想是它的毒液起了麻痹的效果。这给了少年不小的启发，他环视一周，从深穴边的虫茧上，抽下坚韧的丝线，又捡了两根不知是谁的腿骨，用它们将自己摔折的腿扎了起来。

处理完伤处，少年精疲力竭，可当他安静下来，立时听见些窸窸窣窣的声响。他抬头到处张望，去寻声音的源头，可那响动陡然而停，天上随即砸下来个白色的巨球。那球弹了几下，伸展开来，原也是只百足虫，却比先前那只大上数百倍。少年不敢迟疑，扑身躲到一旁，可他本就折了一条腿，如何能比百足虫还快？他灵机一动，将自己也抱成个球，在地上翻滚起来。那百足虫见少年这般作为，分不清敌我，双方对峙了起来。

恰巧此时，深穴中又传来坠地之声，少年望过去，有一堆被吃空了的皮囊被扔了下来。其后，坠地声密集而至，扔下来的全是些死物或残骸。许许多多的小百足虫都冲了出来，抢食这些残羹冷炙。它们每每经过抱成球的少年，都将他默认成自己的同类。少年立刻开了窍，他模仿着百足虫的行为，研究百足虫的习性，跟着它们住，跟着它们吃，足足花了一旬的时间，才从盘丝洞里逃到了外面。

当他迎着天光走出来，终于明白了，人若要好好地活着，就不该执迷于过往。他回到故乡打算好好生活，岂料，织户们知他去过朱家大院，便熙熙攘攘聚在他家门首，逼着他重回山中，带他们去找院中的宝贝。少年只好躲着他们，依然没能过上舒心的日子。

Part 4: A New Path

Years ago, a boy had come to the Silk Cave seeking revenge but had instead endured trials that changed him. Though he escaped, he returned to Zhuzi only to find himself pursued by those eager for treasure. Conflicted, he closed his doors to the weavers, but his mother could not understand. She insisted he lead the townsfolk to the Zhu estate to rescue his father.

However, the weavers, driven by greed, were not united in purpose. Their infighting led them to disaster, and ultimately, they were all annihilated by a great blue spider—a figure he recognized as the green-clad fairy from the cave. Disillusioned with humanity, the boy fell to his knees, weeping. In his sorrow, he pleaded with the spider to take him in and teach him the ways of the supernatural.

The spider scolded him, sending him away from the estate. Alone, the boy wandered to a nearby desolate village, where tales of his adventures had spread among the insect folk. A dragonfly fairy introduced him to her master, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, at the Yellow Flower Temple.

Inside the temple, the masked disciples taught him that to achieve enlightenment, one must sever ties with worldly affairs and don a stone mask to escape human desires. The boy hesitated, torn between his past and his newfound path.

Then, a group of beautiful fairies, including the green-clad one and the yellow-dressed girl, arrived at the temple. During a feast, he witnessed the dark reality of the fairies' nature—they feasted on humans, consuming their flesh without remorse. The stench was unbearable, and he felt a profound sense of isolation.

That night, under the moonlight, he played a melancholic tune from his hometown, reflecting on how he had arrived at this moment. After much contemplation, he resolved to pursue the path of cultivation, recognizing that he could not change the world but could choose to adapt to it.

With newfound determination, he approached the Demon Lord, seeking knowledge on how to become a being of power. The Demon Lord revealed that a rare insect, the Qintai Mantis, could grant him the ability to ascend to a new existence if consumed.

Thus, the boy embarked on a new journey, one that would lead him away from vengeance and towards a destiny intertwined with the supernatural—a path filled with both challenges and possibilities.

昔年，有位少年独自来盘丝岭寻仇。不料，他被妖怪所擒，困在洞中历尽艰险磨难，侥幸脱身。待他返回朱紫国，众织户纷纷上门，希望他能引领大家，前往岭上的朱家大院，寻找传说中的玉梭。

少年心中杂乱，闭门谢客，但他的母亲却无法理解他，逼他率众去岭上除妖救父。可人心何其难测，各怀鬼胎的织户们并未在险境中团结一致，他们内斗不断，最终在朱家大院里，被只青色大蜘蛛悉数剿灭。

那少年匍匐在地，十分害怕，不想那蜘蛛化出人形，原是洞中，有一面之缘的青衣仙女。少年已对凡人厌倦不已，他痛哭流涕，求仙女留他在岭上修行。青衣仙女痛骂了他一场，将他从院里赶了出去。

少年流落至岭上的荒村里住下，虫妖们对他多有耳闻，蜻蜓精见他这般凄苦，便引荐他去黄花观，见了自己的师父百眼魔君。

黄花观中的道士们，皆戴着石质面具，魔君告诉少年，若想修行，就必须断绝世俗因果，戴上石面，了却尘缘。少年犹豫不定，在观中逡巡。

不料，有位红衣老太，正带着一群花容月貌的仙子们来观中拜访。其中，正有那青衣仙女和黄衣少女。

其后，观中设宴，请众仙子入座，少年在旁偷看，就见那桌上摆了好些菜肴，有人油炒炼，人肉鲜煮鲜烹，人脑煎作的豆腐块，人肉馅包的荤馍馍。他闻着腥臭，只能看着众妖食人。

魔君见他撞到这等场面，只淡淡道：“妖怪食人乃天性。凡人寿数有限，即便被我们吃了，也不过是少了十几年寿数，眨眼之间而已。”

是夜，少年感到无比孤独寂寞，他在月下吹出家乡的小调。他细细反思，问自己究竟是如何走到了今时今日。他哭了很久，最终决定拜师学艺，既然无法改变，那就只能加入他们。

他彻夜未眠，痛下决心在修行的路上一往无前。他询师父成妖捷径，魔君告诉他：“紫云山中有种异虫，名琴螂。生食其卵，便可飞升成妖……”