In an instant, the caterpillar on the ground charged toward the dozen or so nearby scarecrows, devouring all of their straw until they were picked clean. When the others saw how this inconspicuous caterpillar had effortlessly destroyed the dozen arrogant and seemingly invincible scarecrows, their eyes widened in amazement and they gave a thumbs-up.

The assistant stepped forward, took the caterpillar in her hands, and kissed it. "I used to hate little green bugs like you," she said fondly, "but I never expected you to perform such a great service today." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Lili also gave Zhao Rong a thumbs-up. "Zhao Rong, you’re truly amazing!" she praised. "I just have to know, where did you find this little bug? It’s an absolute professional when it comes to dealing with these scarecrows."

Zhao Rong smiled and said, "Where else could I have gotten it? Of course, I bought it from the Paradise Shopping Cart."

Yu Lan asked curiously, "Zhao Rong, what ever made you think of buying a tiny bug from the Paradise Shopping Cart to eat all the straw off these scarecrows?"

Recalling his unintentional masterstroke, Zhao Rong explained, "You have no idea. At first, I was just trying to buy some kind of weapon from the Paradise Shopping Cart to eliminate the dozen scarecrows in front of us. I never expected that the top-ranked item would be something called a ’Scarecrow-Eating Caterpillar.’ I hesitated before buying it because I truly wasn’t sure if one little caterpillar could destroy a dozen scarecrows that were stronger than reinforced concrete. But, to my surprise, this thing was incredibly effective. You could say it ate all the straw off the scarecrows in an instant, clearing the path for us."

Besides praising him, Xuelian was also curious about the principle behind the caterpillar’s ability. "Zhao Rong," she asked, "can you explain why this little bug could so easily eat the scarecrows when we couldn’t even destroy them with matches, gasoline, or grenades? What’s the science behind it?"

While studying the instruction manual, Zhao Rong explained, "Actually, the reason these scarecrows are so durable—practically indestructible—is because their surfaces are coated with a special hardening glue. Once this glue is applied, the straw binds together tightly, forming an outer membrane that’s even harder than diamond. That membrane is why fire and grenades had no effect on them.

"But the caterpillar in my hand can eat the straw because the saliva it secretes can dissolve that layer of glue. Once the caterpillar’s saliva breaks down that tough membrane, the straw underneath becomes soft and crisp. It’s actually quite satisfyingly crunchy. That’s how this one caterpillar so easily took care of all those indestructible scarecrows."

After hearing Zhao Rong’s explanation, the assistant and the three women had a moment of sudden realization.

The assistant, struck by inspiration, said, "It’s true that for every strength, there’s a weakness. In this world, no matter how formidable the enemy, we can defeat them and keep moving forward as long as we find the right method."

Lili marveled at the vastness and wonder of the world. "The Tao Te Ching says that when things reach an extreme, they revert to their opposite. I think the stronger something is, the more likely it is to be defeated by something fragile. Take these indestructible scarecrows, for example. They were incredibly powerful, yet a tiny, soft-bodied caterpillar that could die so easily was able to destroy them all."

Yu Lan added, inspired, "This place might be called the Field of Death, but we’ve conquered it. So, I hereby rename it the Caterpillar Wheat Field!"

Just then, the wheat that had suddenly grown tall shrank back down, revealing Zhao Rong and his companions from the waist up. They took in the open scenery and the bright sun before turning to the middle-aged man beside them. "Lead the way."

When the middle-aged man saw that Zhao Rong’s group had managed to destroy the seemingly invincible scarecrows, he was filled with absolute admiration for them. He then turned and continued to lead the group forward.

After about an hour, their guide pointed to a well next to the wheat field. "We have to go down into this well now."

Hearing this, the assistant and the three women immediately shook their heads in disagreement. "Are you taking us for fools?" the assistant demanded. "We don’t believe that the villain Hong Ju and her son Zhou Xiaoer would live inside a well."

She then strode forward and slapped the man across the face. Pointing at the rather small well, she sneered, "Have you been watching too much *Journey to the West*? Do you think there’s a Dragon King with a palace down there? You’re just trying to trick us into going down so we’ll drown!"

Lili picked up a stone, dropped it into the well, and timed its descent with her phone. "The depth can be calculated using gravitational acceleration and time," she announced. "My calculation puts this well at a full 1,000 meters deep."

Hearing the well was 1,000 meters deep, Xuelian gasped. "My god! A well that deep? You could probably strike oil with it! You’re asking us to go down there? You’re trying to get us killed!"

Although the assistant and the three women refused, Zhao Rong was resolved. "There’s an Underground Dark River at the bottom of this well," he stated calmly. "Once we reach the bottom, we can take a boat on that river. It will lead us straight to our target—to the palace where the villain Hong Ju and her son Zhou Xiaoer are hiding. Then, we’ll capture them both, find the gold reserves, and complete our mission perfectly."