Chapter 145

Nüwa Valley.

After passing a watchtower more symbolic than useful, rounding a sharp bend, the view ahead suddenly opened up: Nüwa Valley lay before them.

A False Sun hung high in the ceiling, its warm light bathing the whole Nüwa Valley.

What met the eye was a stretch of intoxicating green. Yes, green—on the cliffs surrounding Wa Valley, vines and small trees grew abundantly, the vines covered in tiny flowers, the small trees straining to spread their branches.

The green, brimming with vital energy, was so dazzling that Wu Tie and the others froze at first sight.

Apart from Tie Da Jian, who had once been to Wa Valley, Wu Tie and the others were shocked by the lush, vigorous, almost overflowing green. It was a yearning and a moving sensation born of life's instinct, and Wu Tie, Shi Fei, and others instantly had their eye sockets fill with tears.

Even the Demon Chapter King was shocked by the sight of all that green.

He came from Three Linked City, an immensely powerful force, yet even its top nobility could not indulge in such extravagant greenery.

Especially those vines—the Demon Chapter King could, at a glance, distinguish over twenty different types of vines varying in size and color that filled his field of view.

And the myriad strange little trees were even more numerous in variety; given the Demon Chapter King's education in Three Linked City, he could only identify three or five kinds of extremely high‑value primordial fruit trees—all of them sixth‑grade or higher primordial fruit, extremely valuable.

On the cliffs blanketed in green, winding mine tunnels stretched out toward distant mine entrances, where tiny stone dwarves could be seen going in and out, and a faint tapping sound came on the wind.

At its widest Wa Valley spans thirty‑odd li, at its longest a hundred fifty li—not large; rows of orderly stone houses stand in the valley, some stone buildings grand enough to be called magnificent, not inferior to the huge structures of Dragon City.

In a more remote spot, at the base of a cliff, there was a long row of stone houses from which loud clamor could be faintly heard.

Wa Qing'er crossed her arms before her chest and asked Wu Tie proudly, 'This is Wa Valley—how do you feel? The vines on the cliffs and those primordial fruit trees are all decorations carefully cultivated and planted after meticulous planning.'

Wu Tie glanced at the neat stone houses in Wa Valley and exclaimed in astonishment, 'No farmland?'

Wa Qing'er blinked, shrugged her shoulders, and smiled dismissively: 'Wa Valley doesn't need farmland; its territory is far more than what you see before you—elsewhere there are several stone caverns devoted to growing various crops.'

She lifted her head, gave a proud smile, narrowed her eyes, and said triumphantly, 'Wa Valley doesn't need farmland… even without those stone caverns, the tribute of luggage and wealth sent each year by the consort clans would be enough for everyone in Wa Palace, high and low, to live in comfort.'

【Consort clans】, 【tribute of luggage and wealth】…

Wu Tie recalled the words that Wu Zhan had once complained about to his brothers that night.

He suddenly understood many things; Wa Valley's mode of survival was actually quite novel.

Lao Bai stared fixedly at the row of stone houses in the distance where the noise came from, mustered his courage, and asked Wa Qing'er, 'Over there, is that Wa Valley's tavern?'

Wa Qing'er gave Lao Bai a surprised look, nodded, and said, 'Exactly, that is Wa Valley's only tavern…… a place where low‑status men indulge in revelry…… the Elders dislike noise, so the tavern has been flung far away……'

Wa Qing'er twisted her mouth and laughed softly, 'They have requested many times to get more land to expand the tavern, but the Third Aunt rejected each request…… Such a den of filth—letting them keep it open is already tolerant enough, yet they dare to ask for more……'

Wa Qing'er waved her right hand, making a motion as if to whip someone.

But as she swung her right hand, she realized her whip had been destroyed by Wu Tie; her face darkened instantly and she snorted coldly, 'Wu Tie, younger brother, that place isn't anything good—you're not allowed to go there……'

Wu Tie also glanced at the tavern.

He already knew the full story; Wa Valley had a well‑informed rat‑people information broker named Jinbi, who, through the rat people's special channels, had spread the news of Wu Jin seeking him, and Lao Bai had received the corresponding information from those same channels.

Jinbi usually hung around in Wa Valley's tavern.

Lao Bai looked toward the tavern, presumably intending to go find Jinbi to demand his gold……

Wu Tie knocked on Lao Bai's head with a finger, then casually tossed him a gold ingot, saying, 'Lao Bai, once we've settled down, go look for your kin…… don't keep obsessing over that bounty gold they've put out……'

Shaking his head, Wu Tie felt no need to go see Jinbi.

He had already gotten the word, he had already arrived in Wa Valley, so the remaining matters had little to do with Jinbi.

'Settle down…' Wa Qing'er muttered hesitantly from the side.

'Sister Qing'er, what's wrong?' Wu Tie perceived Wa Qing'er's hesitation.

'Well… what identity are you planning to use?' Wa Qing'er frowned at Wu Tie: 'Um… anyway, you're so rich, I suggest you settle down as a normal guest…… Of course, you could also go directly to Wa Palace to seek an audience using the identity of a Wa clan consort-clan male…… but then……'

Wu Tie watched Wa Qing'er's troubled expression, and his own face darkened as well.

It seemed the Wa clan's attitude toward the consort clans was not good.

He quickly thought of Wu Jin.

No matter how Wu Jin came to Wa Valley, consider that on the day the Wu family was raided, Wu Jin had no money on him—or rather, the entire Wu family's wealth was not substantial.

When Wu Jin arrived in Wa Valley, one can imagine what sort of plight he faced.

Even though Wu Tie and Wu Jin's mother is the current Lord of Wa Valley…… perhaps that is precisely why Wu Jin's ordeal would be all the more unbearable, right?

'I am certainly…… a consort clan member.' Wu Tie smiled again, like a figure in a painting, his smile utterly hollow, as empty as a paper effigy used at a grave—his grin could be poked to pieces with a single finger.

'Elder Sister Qing'er, I will go to Wa Palace using the identity of a Wa clan consort-clan male to seek an audience with my Mother…… and…… my older brother Wu Jin!' Wu Tie's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpricks, two points of firelight flickered in his eyes, and his eye sockets seemed to spit out flames.

The 'Dazzling Light Fire Eye' divine ability is not strong; its help to Wu Tie is merely to improve his vision manyfold, but the visual effect of eyes spewing fire is very good at intimidating people—especially Wa Qing'er, who was startled by Wu Tie's gaze and took a couple of steps back, looking flustered.

'We're relatives, so don't act so distant—what's a "normal guest"? Kin, kin, Elder Sister Qing'er, do you know what "kin" means?' Wu Tie laughed brightly, and a strange piece of information suddenly flashed through his mind.

This is a relatively obscure piece of knowledge from Lao Tie's teachings.

Wu Tie blurted out: 'In ancient times, if one were to exterminate the nine clans, the entire Wa clan would have to be bound along with me…… therefore, we are the closest of kin.'

Wu Tie didn't have time to judge whether the example of 'exterminating the nine clans' fit here; anyway, he just said it.

He also chuckled 'hehehe' a few times, indicating he was really just joking.

The faces of several girls behind Wa Qing'er grew increasingly grim.

Wa Valley has a unique inheritance, and its knowledge transmission is fairly complete; they happened to know what 'exterminate the nine clans' meant. They looked at Wu Tie with a little annoyance—'Ignorant and uncultured, stop spouting nonsense—do you find this funny?'

Only Wa Qing'er keenly sensed a chill that made her skin crawl lurking in Wu Tie's smile and laughter.

She shuddered suddenly, gooseflesh rose all over her body, and Cold Qi kept spewing from her pores. Her bloodline‑inherited innate ability told her that Wu Tie might be an extreme danger to the entire Wa Valley.

But…… Wa Qing'er carefully sensed Wu Tie's aura—first level of the Chonglou Realm, right?

How could such a little child possibly pose a threat to the whole Wa Valley?

Wa Qing'er drew a deep breath, reached out to pat the dust off Wu Tie's shoulders, then firmly brushed his chest, and said in a low voice, 'All right, I'll take you to see the Third Aunt…… but remember, if you encounter Wa Yao and the others, you…… and your followers, must not act rashly.'

Wu Tie nodded with a smile, and Shi Fei, the Demon Chapter King, and the others also nodded while smiling.

Only Tie Da Jian, feeling the hilt of the heavy sword he had seized from the three Ge Luo Jin behind his back, exhaled a breath and gently shook his head.

He had seen much of the world, yet he could clearly tell that Wu Tie harbored killing intent.

He likewise saw that Wa Qing'er also sensed Wu Tie's malice.

Wa Qinger actually could still treat Wu Tie with such an attitude……

Tie Dajian looked at Wa Qinger in surprise—this girl, I'd estimate she's the rare good‑tempered one among these Wa Valley women, right? You know, the most widespread thing about Wa Valley is that these women turn on people and don't recognize anyone, even their own relatives, at the drop of a hat!

Following a wide road carved into the rock face, Wu Tie and his party rode their mounts slowly into the interior of Wa Valley.

A jiji sound came from above.

Wu Tie raised his head and saw, among the stone pillars hanging upside down in the Wa Valley sky, countless hunting spiders, wolf spiders, sword spiders, and fang spiders of various sizes hanging there, their either grim‑green or scarlet eyes coldly scanning every moving creature below.

These spiders' aura was far more terrifying than that of the giant wolf spider beneath Wu Tie; obviously they are powerful aberrant species specially bred by Wa Valley.

Following the main road into Wa Valley, Wu Tie and the others headed toward the Wa Palace at the valley's center.

Along the way they saw neat rows of stone houses inhabited by Wa Valley's slaves, servants, attendant warriors, and various other miscellaneous folk.

There were none of the many shops of Long Dragon City, nor any of its strange stores and guilds.

It seemed the whole Wa Valley had only that one tavern; besides that, all the stone houses were for living in.

"No shops." Wu Tie asked Wa Qinger.

"We don't need shops; whatever we need, our in‑laws' families will naturally bring it as tribute."

"No inns." Wu Tie continued asking Wa Qinger.

"We don't need inns; those short‑term stays of three or five days—we don't do that. Look at the biggest stone forts: they're all long‑term rental rooms. Whether you stay or not, you pay ten years' rent up front."

Wu Tie and Wa Qinger exchanged questions and answers, and gradually a group of people arrived before the Wa Palace gate.

Wu Tie finally understood just how extraordinary the Wa people were.

Their extraordinariness left Wu Tie and his companions dumbfounded, completely unsure how to judge them.

The Wa Palace gates stood open, with dozens of heavily armored, scar‑covered warriors standing in a line on each side. On the left side of the gate was a long bench where four or five girls in black robes, long whips coiled around their arms, sat chatting and laughing.

Those warriors stood like wooden statues, silent and dazed, while the girls laughed loudly, their voices full of vigor, their laughter and speech audible from over a hundred meters away.

"Ah, how unlucky." Wa Qinger suddenly sighed.

"Yo, Elder Sister Qinger, you're back?" The gorgeous Wa Yao rose from the bench at the gate, swaying like a willow in the wind, and walked over with a three‑step‑wiggle.

Wa Yao stood in the middle of the gate, blocking Wa Qinger's party's path, she glanced at Wa Qinger with a smiling gaze, then her eyes settled on Wu Tie.

After sizing Wu Tie up and down, Wa Yao slowly smiled and said, "Elder Sister Qinger, who is this?"

Wa Qinger hesitated a moment.

Wu Tie rose from the back of the giant wolf spider, looking down on Wa Yao from above: "Wu Tie… I am Wu Tie, younger brother of Wu Jin… I came to Wa Valley to find Wu Jin."

Wa Yao's eyes widened in shock; as she stared at Wu Tie, a mischievous smile slowly appeared on her bewitching face.

"Yo… you're Wu Jin's brother? So that means you're also one of our Wa Valley in‑laws?" Wa Yao laughed especially brightly.

"You could say that… if I'm not mistaken, my father married…"

Before Wu Tie could finish, Wa Yao lashed a whip at his face: "Impudent! What do you mean by 'married'?"

The whip cracked through the air with a sharp, ear‑splitting snap, arriving instantly before Wu Tie's face.

Wu Tie let out a cold snort, flicked his left index finger just like drawing a gourd, and with a crisp "pop" the whip from tip to handle shattered instantly; Wa Yao's palm emptied, and a handful of black powder fluttered down "shush‑shush."

Wa Yao froze, and the few girls who had just risen from the bench also froze.

The dozens of warriors guarding the gate all let out a muffled grunt, "thud‑thud‑thud," surged forward several steps, each showing expressions of anger, shock, and disbelief.

Tie Dagong drew his sword with a backhand, and Shi Fei and the others also readied their weapons.

Before the Wa Palace gate, swords were drawn and bows tensed; Wa Qinger's face turned cold as she pointed at Wa Yao and shouted sternly, "Wa Yao, what are you doing?"

Wa Yao's bewitching smile likewise drooped, she coldly smirked and said, "What? To lay down a rule for these lowly in‑law men…"

She rolled her eyes, pointed at Wu Tie and shouted angrily, "Seize him!"

That thing, the month's end, the last day—if you have a monthly vote, hurry and cast it for *Record of Opening Heaven*!

Don't keep it to yourself!