Ch 544: The Hinterlands

Jiang Nanyu chased the Wooden Staff to the edge of a Cliff. She looked around; there wasn’t a place to hide. A bit of terror surfaced: “You wouldn’t have me jump down, would you?”

The Wooden Staff remained as aloof as ever, replying only with a single word: “Mm.”

Jiang Nanyu: “…”

She would be crazy to jump down!

Outside, she was at least an Early Transcendent Realm expert, but in the Netherworld Barrier, she was merely flesh and blood; a fall would undoubtedly kill her!

Jiang Nanyu turned to leave, but the Wooden Staff “whooshed” in front of her, blocking her path.

“Jump.”

“What’s down there?” Jiang Nanyu asked.

“I don’t know.”

“…You don’t know, and you want me to jump?” Jiang Nanyu’s face turned green.

“Jump, and you have a chance to live; don’t jump, and you die.” The Wooden Staff said in a muffled voice, “The Netherworld Barrier’s space is different from the outside.”

Boom!

Another gust of wind slashed down towards Jiang Nanyu’s head.

Jiang Nanyu quickly dodged. Looking back, a black figure stood vaguely in the Miasma Storm. She narrowed her eyes, but couldn’t see the figure’s face clearly.

“Is that a person?” Jiang Nanyu asked, looking at the shadow that resembled a human figure.

The Wooden Staff didn’t answer Jiang Nanyu’s question but continued to urge her to jump.

“Shu Shu, you need to decide quickly.” Little Sixteen the Feather whispered, “That thing clearly has bad intentions and is after you.”

The black shadow, carried by the Miasma Storm, steadily approached Jiang Nanyu. Its attacks grew more frequent, forcing Jiang Nanyu to grit her teeth, close her eyes, and jump off the cliff!

A violent wind whipped across Jiang Nanyu’s cheeks, preventing her from opening her eyes. She endured the weightlessness.

Jiang Nanyu silently counted the seconds, until the nineteenth.

Splash!

The novel trope of finding a Water Pool after a cliff jump didn’t happen. Jiang Nanyu landed on a Giant Tree, then fell from the tree, landing hard on her bottom.

Jiang Nanyu wanted to die. Tears instantly streamed down her face!

Pain!

So much pain!!

Jiang Nanyu couldn’t recover for a long time. She clutched her bottom, silent but grimacing in pain.

“Shu Shu, are you alright?”

“Shu Shu, Shu Shu…”

Jiang Nanyu’s Treasures from her Burden popped out one by one, bouncing before her, their voices full of worry.

Jiang Nanyu was in too much pain to speak, only able to wave her hand weakly.

Unlike the barren surroundings outside the Mountain Cave, towering Giant Trees stood here. Eerily, their Tree Leaves were black.

Jiang Nanyu picked up a fallen Tree Leaf and smelled it. A faint Bloody Scent entered her nostrils.

Upon closer inspection, the leaves weren’t black but dark red, like the color of blood oxidized after prolonged soaking. Examining the roots protruding from the ground, a chill ran down Jiang Nanyu’s spine…

If she wasn’t mistaken, these Giant Trees were nourished by Flesh and Blood.

“What place is this?” Jiang Nanyu asked in a low voice, her scalp tingling.

“The heart of the Netherworld Barrier.” Before the Wooden Staff could answer, the small Incense Burner spoke, “Those who live here are terrifyingly powerful Spirit Tools. They are capricious and violent, and love to bully the weak!”

Jiang Nanyu’s thoughts stirred: “So, that painting is here?”

Perhaps the Karmic Flame Lotus Diagram’s power was too strong; at the mention of the painting, the small objects all fell silent.

Only the Wooden Staff appeared, its muffled voice unchanged: “That painting is in the deepest Mountain Cave. To find it, you need to cross a Forest; this Forest is very dangerous.”

Jiang Nanyu stroked her chin, eyeing the Wooden Staff floating in mid-air: “Why do you know so much?”

The Wooden Staff didn’t answer.

“Taciturn Wooden Head, how do you know? Have you been here before?” Little Sixteen, equally curious, floated before it, poking the staff with a Feather.

The Wooden Staff said nothing, feigning ignorance.

At that moment, a timid voice came from a corner: “Little Sixteen?”

A dusty Feather emerged from beneath a pile of dead Tree Leaves.

“Little Ten?”

“It’s really you, Little Sixteen, Waaaaah, I thought I was hallucinating.” The dusty Feather trembled as it flew to Little Sixteen, instantly bursting into tears.

Little Sixteen, now with backing, felt much bolder. It comforted its sibling, showing no disdain for its dirty appearance.

The second Feather.

Jiang Nanyu thought her luck was pretty good; she’d found the second Feather so quickly.

If, as the little ones said, she found the Karmic Flame Lotus Diagram, wouldn’t she rule the Netherworld Barrier?

“Let’s leave here,” a Spirit Tool worriedly said, “Let’s go into Shu Shu’s Backpack; you can catch up later.”

“Yes, yes!” Little Sixteen immediately pulled Little Ten into Jiang Nanyu’s Burden.

The other Spirit Tools followed suit. Only the Wooden Staff stubbornly remained suspended in the air, quietly watching Jiang Nanyu.

Jiang Nanyu tidied her Burden, confirming none were missing, before grabbing the Wooden Staff again.

After walking a while, Jiang Nanyu suddenly asked: “Isn’t your Owner’s Dharma Name ‘Nuojia’?”

Jiang Nanyu increasingly suspected a connection between the Wooden Staff and the Old Lama.

Unexpectedly, the Wooden Staff answered Jiang Nanyu’s question, but the answer surprised her.

Because the Wooden Staff asked her: “Nuojia? Who is that?”