Because Li Keer had yet to select her silkworm, the silkworm battles were still being postponed. That went on long enough for the star tree to experience another bug invasion. It hadn't been very long since the beetles had last been cleared, though, so Han knew that there wouldn't be many of them in the swarm. He left the rock giant and the other King xenogeneics near the star tree to safeguard it. Once he was assured of the tree's safety, he went back to Underworld Lake to practice and fish to his heart's content.
"Huh? Why am I not getting any more yellow sheets of paper?" A month later, when Han Sen was reeling in his next catch, he noticed that he had brought up a broken shield instead of the usual piece of parchment.
That shield was old and broken. It was caked in rust. Han Sen gripped it with his hand, and even a tiny portion of his strength was enough to crush it.
