Chapter 149: Thump Thump

"Xia Shijie, why bother arguing with people who have nothing to do with us." Jiang Yu knew well that some people, once you didn't act according to their wishes, you had already offended them.

They always look for a chance to set a trap for you, only then will they feel satisfied.

"Brother Min, it is said that on the East Continent the Dao demons cooperate frequently; do disciples of your East Continent Daoist sect keep pills such as Mihun, Menghan, Soft Bone, etc., when venturing out?"

"Once our spiritual energy recovers, I would like to purchase a few from you." Deng Yuanwu's body could not move, but his mind was quick.

Their Crimson Dragon Valley had some incompatibility with Jiang Yu; that was an internal sect dispute, yet they were inexplicably attacked by outsiders, and as a direct disciple of the Grand Void Sect, he had to protect his fellow sect members.

Min Chi Yuan immediately said, "No, no.

Sorry, I was thinking that Brother Jiang even has such a strange Tear‑inducing Pill, so perhaps…."

"Enough, let's split up." Xia Bing was too lazy to listen to his nonsense any longer.

Cheng Zigui glanced at Min Chi Yuan, signaling him to stop flapping his mouth, and then, with a bow to Jiang Yu and the others, said, "Brother Xia, calm down; given that we are all in trouble together, scattering is truly detrimental to us."

He also didn't know whether Min Bu Yuan's mind was clouded; in front of a Heavenly Primordial cultivator who had more mobility than our side, he insisted on provoking the other party, making them displeased.

Then he clasped his fists to Jiang Yu and said, "Just now, thanks to Brother Jiang's generosity, my teammates were able to awaken."

Moreover, two years ago, without Brother Jiang's help, our senior brother and sister might not have survived; this time the junior sister also entered the cave heaven, and if she sees Brother Jiang, she will surely thank him in person."

"It's a trivial matter, not worth mentioning." Jiang Yu didn't care about others' opinions, but instead steered the conversation back to everyone's safety point.

At this moment, Xing Shixiong spoke, "Instead of finding a place to settle us, we should imprison all the villagers."

No need for any hypnotic or soul‑bewildering pills; just press the sleep acupoint.

I believe that, since you all have practiced martial arts to some degree, you can manage it."

"That's also a method, but the whole village has several hundred people, and quite a few know martial arts."

Relying only on the few of us, we're afraid we can't finish before dawn." Cheng Zigui also didn't think it was a good plan.

Jiang Yu then pulled Xia Bing aside and said, "Senior sister, you mentioned those people in the ancient city—will there still be anyone else falling nearby?"

It's not false that we rescued people, but now it's clear they've trapped themselves."

Xia Bing also felt a bit regretful, "The people are already awake; we can't just move them back, can we?"

You, you wouldn't be thinking of sending them back to the villagers' homes again, would you?"

Jiang Yu entertained that thought; they shouldn't be bound hand and foot, "Several haven't taken the Awakening Orifice Pill; sending them back would let us better survey the village layout.

For those who have awakened, we can find another place to settle them."

Xia Bing pondered for a moment, about how to unify opinions, when Guo Jue ran over.

He raised a handful of green grass and said, "Look, there's Resting Grass; used as a guiding incense, it can make one slumber for three days."

Jiang Yu sighed silently, "Without spiritual energy, how can you dry it into powdered incense within fifteen minutes?"

Guo Jue's expression froze, his hand lowering slowly, "Then we can only use Jiang Yu's Tear‑inducing Pill as defense; if the villagers don't come it's fine, but if they come to seize people, we strike first."

Jiang Yu neither confirmed nor denied; she listened to her senior sister and Guo Jue discuss tactics, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings in search of a safe spot.

She very much wanted to ask Jiang Tu to help watch the village, but the Dragon Pearl was locked, preventing normal communication with it.

Each time they communicated via a soul contract, it drained the still‑weak souls of both parties.

Is there a solution that satisfies both sides? If we delay further, a great calamity will ensue.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Zigui arrived and also suggested sending back a portion of those who hadn't taken the Awakening Orifice Pill.

If so, there's no need for further discussion; we act immediately.

Just then, as Jiang Yu was sending a female cultivator back and about to slip away from the house, she suddenly heard a woman in another room say, "I passed by the Heaven King Temple yesterday and saw that the iron tree there was in bloom."

Another male voice replied, "Nonsense, it's been centuries; the iron tree has never bloomed."

"But my ancestors' legend says that every three hundred years the tree blooms when an immortal appears."

"Yesterday those fighting outsiders battered the iron head; they cried for half an hour—could that be an immortal?"

"Tch, where do immortals come from? They don't even know which village the youths are from; if you can't sleep, go make me some dry rations early."

"Going to San Shui Village again?"

"Hmm, the lake has been restless lately; afraid water monsters might harm people."

"Alright, I'll make extra for you."

Jiang Yu listened a while longer, saw no further exchange between the two, and silently slipped out of the house.

Then, while searching the village for the Heaven King Temple, Xia Bing, who was carrying a person, came upon a spot, and after a brief discussion, the senior sister agreed to let her look for the temple.

The village was said to be neither large nor small; Jiang Yu spent over an hour before finding a temple with a modest doorway.

But upon entering, she immediately realized the layout was set according to a Nine‑Palace Spirit‑Binding Formation.

Front, back, left and right, each tree was precisely planted on a formation node, and these trees were quite old.

Yet they weren't the iron trees she had heard of, but the legendary Immortal Trees—there were nine of them in total.

As she followed the dispelling method and reached the third tree, her spiritual energy was instantly unsealed.

She immediately transferred the pills and other items from her storage bag into her hands.

"Jiang Yu, here you go." Jiang Tu, being very supportive, instantly handed her a Storage Ring.

Inside were plenty of food and pills, as well as sword and knife talisman papers.

Fortunately it was delivered quickly; her spiritual energy was only unsealed for twenty breaths before being sealed again.

Even if she retreated and walked the same route again, it remained immobile.

"Jiang Tu, what exactly is this place?" Knowing she wouldn't hear an answer, Jiang Yu still asked aloud, and carefully packed all the supplies into the Storage Ring.

Because she couldn't project her divine sense outward, each item had to be placed by pressing the ring to her forehead—a real hassle.

Jiang Tu could hear her speak, but his reply she couldn't hear; he could only watch her step toward the central hall.

Jiang Yu, one hand holding a sword and the other gripping a Moonlight Stone, gently pushed the door; in the dim dawn, four towering statues each bearing a magical implement came into view amid the flickering candlelight.

There were no hidden weapons, nor any formation attacks.

She took a deep breath, bowed before stepping over the threshold, then entered the hall to light incense in reverence.

She looked around, found no one, and quietly withdrew, thinking of going behind the hall to check the layout so she could properly settle the people waiting to be sent here.

Unexpectedly, as she stepped back to the doorway, the temple gate behind her slammed shut with a clang, and the four Heavenly Kings' artifacts suddenly burst into a great flash.

With a whoosh, a beam shot straight at her; without any spiritual power, Jiang Yu dared not hesitate to block it, so she sprang forward and leapt behind the statue.

The flash vanished at the same moment, leaving only Jiang Yu's thudding heartbeat.

A soft voice sounded, "Huh, why don't you run now?"

Jiang Yu heard it, her whole body's hair standing up, yet she looked left and right and saw no living creature.