Chapter 639: The true hinterland
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
Materials that resemble cement weren’t actually rare. In ancient China, there was even a method of constructing city walls that involved blending chicken blood, glutinous rice and clay. Although that method wasn’t feasible for large-scale projects due to its high costs, the city walls it held weren’t inferior to present era cement. Hence, such a material being employed by these Ndipaya aborigines wasn’t an exceptionally peculiar scene.
Instead, Sheyan wasn’t amazed by the material of that sandbox, but its contents.
The outer perimeter of the sandbox exhibited a dried purplish-brown colour, of which 7-8 sporadically separated and slightly elevated regions were demarcated out.
With one look, Sheyan could tell that dry purplish brown regions represented the outer reaches of the Kijuju Marshland.
Amongst those 7-8 slightly elevated regions, miniature huts crafted with straw and wood could be seen. Evidently, those represented the villages of the exiled Ndipaya barbarians.
Recalling his memories, Sheyan could figure out the few villages where he swept through. However, remaining few villages were all located towards the other side, and right now, Sheyan could vividly observe that those villages were far beyond his reach.
A partitioned region laid between the inner and outer reaches of the Kijuju Marshland and looked approximately to be 20 kilometres wide. A dull red shade of sand was used to indicate that partitioned region, which could also indicate extreme danger. Moreover, the sandbox also revealed 2-3 secret passageways.
Causing him to be speechless with shock, the Ndipaya inner reaches was actually a tremendous highland. Looking from afar, it was as though a massive platform was floating on the Kijuju Marshland!
Except, the miasma of mist and fog enshrouding this highland was outrageously saturated and malicious. It would never disperse, and thus, it was impossible to observe this highland from afar.
The recent dangers Sheyan encountered in the inner core reaches all happened atop this highland, distinctively indicated by this sandbox.
Sheyan could see a total of 11 villages on this highland, and the largest one amongst them was the exact place where Sheyan and Mbenga had been pursued by that boss Licker.
Furthermore, a clear pocket-sized serpent sculpture could be seen as well.
However, the immense shocker was….their current location wasn’t the uttermost core of this Kijuju Marshland!!
It could at most be considered as the inner core reaches.
According to this sandbox, this wasn’t the ultimate nucleus zone yet. The true hinterland, the genuine innermost core reaches, was actually at the highland’s……..
All of a sudden, a clear ‘ding~ling~ling ding~ling~ling’ jingling drifted it from outside.
Sheyan was jolted out from his thoughts as he spun around, and immediately snatched a blazingly lighted torch from the wall beside. Instead, he noticed a stone door ahead.
Pulling open the door, under the irradiation of the torch, Sheyan could observe a flickering gold radiance within the dark passageway ahead. Bending his back, Sheyan picked up a thumb-sized golden bell.
The pendulum of this golden bell appeared extremely dainty and delicate. It was forged with thin gold, where a grimacing devil face had been carved at the front; its teeth, nose and ears were exceptionally distinct. Even the vein lines across its face were imitated to perfection, and its neck swelled slightly. Upon closer inspection, seven golden pearls were imbued and swaying within, as the bell emitted sweet-sounding jingles.
In spite of all these, the golden bell’s top was smeared with fresh blood. When Sheyan picked it up, the blood had been dripping, droplet by droplet, from the golden bell’s surface. As Sheyan examined this bell, he marvelled at the wonderful craftsmanship, that would surely cause present era artisans to gasp in amazement; an illusion of an artwork dropped from heaven.
Logically speaking, within the primitive and barbaric Ndipaya tribe, it was absolutely impossible for them to possess such incredibly splendid craftsmanship. However, if linked with everything that Sheyan witnessed so far, then it could be roughly accepted.
As he continued advancing for a dozen plus metres, Sheyan noticed a severed limb lying on the floor. It was a human’s right arm, with a tattoo inscribed on its sturdy muscles.
At present, the arm was still reflexively twitching, where the hand remained tightly gripping onto a strange saber.
Only after exerting some strength, did Sheyan manage to free the saber shaft from that hand. One could tell how tight the hand was gripping before it got severed.
Sheyan continued along this passageway and discovered many corpses littered along the way. These corpses adorned the attire of the Ndipaya tribe, where their faces had been tattooed with clear serpent patterns. Although they had perished, their ferocious and vicious auras remained vividly portrayed, causing one to be intimidated at first glance. They either died from a spear to their heart or a saber slash across their neck. Yet strangely, these corpses unexpectedly didn’t display signs of struggling.
Suddenly, a silhouette filtered through the passageway ahead, that appeared rather identical to Mbenga. Sheyan immediately gave chase with large strides.
Yet after a short span of seconds, Sheyan arrived at a split road ahead. His pupils instantly contracted as he realized that silhouette had vanished!
After pausing for a long while at this split road, Sheyan attempted to identify the direction. Pondering a little, he then knelt and inspected the orientation of the ground, before heading off into one of the passageways.
After trudging 20-30 metres into this passageway, he noticed a series of collaborations and crushed rocks. Another stretch of distance later, numerous deep sinkholes and a random pile of rubble appeared.
All these weren’t caused by fights but clearly worn out crumbling after years of non-repair.
Soon after, Sheyan was trekking through puddle clumps, which diffused out a rotting yet frosty stench. Each step into the puddles resulted in bone piercing chills, whereas the depth of these puddles varied. Some places were knee deep, while some were waist deep.
Abruptly, without warning, Sheyan halted his footsteps to listen.
He could hear incomparably distinct waddling sounds approaching. Evidently, a group of individuals were waddling towards here.
As he listened, he realized they didn’t seem to be pursuing but rather, searching for something.
Sheyan dared not to make a single move. Mbenga wasn’t travelling in a group, therefore what remains, should inevitably be the guards of this place. If Sheyan didn’t guess wrong, the strength of those guards ought to be above the foes he faced earlier.
Having reapplied the herb medicine previously, Sheyan still didn’t dare to be too careless. He retreated several steps before locating one of the puddles. Then, he crouched within the waist deep water.
Soon after, those few enemies surfaced before Sheyan’s sight. Through the rippling and muddy waters, Sheyan attempted to probe them. After two consecutive probing tries, he finally obtained their name.
[ Ndipaya Kingdom Guardians ]
The other information was all question marks.
Those Ndipaya guardians suddenly appeared to have noticed something vital, as they hurriedly marched towards this passageway, that was filled with accumulated stagnant water.
Upon reaching a crossroad, they glanced around as though seeking out something, but not being able to find it.
Yet all of a sudden, those 3 Ndipaya Kingdom Guardians abruptly lost their footing and crashed into the waist-deep muddy waters. They were obviously extremely elite trained warriors. Not panicking or scrambling, a ruthlessness flashed on their faces as they pulled out their weapons and slashed away within the puddle sump.
Clank! Clank! They seemed to have struck against something solid.
Shua la! A black figure suddenly lunged out of the water with his arms outstretched. The figure’s back looked exactly like Mbenga, where his muscles swelled sturdily; appearing as hard as steel, dawning terror on all! His vigour was at its maximum, and within a flurry, he surprisingly forced the 3 Ndipaya Kingdom Guardians deep into another channel.
Not too long later, decapitated limbs, heads and blood spilling intestines were spewed everywhere. Living beings a moment ago, they were reduced to a dismembered mess of grievances within an instant. Such an oppressive sight truly left an immense shadow over the hearts of all who witnessed it.
Presently, Sheyan’s facial muscles were trembling.
“What the hell happened to Mbenga?”
As he uttered his sentence, the veins were bulging on his forehead and his hands were tightly clutching onto a saber shaft. His voice seemed to have been squeezed through the gaps of his teeth!
Suddenly, Mbenga pranced out from that channel. Entirely soaked in fresh blood, a long chain-like item was strapped across his waist. It was dripping with blood.
Upon close inspection, Sheyan realized it was astoundingly a long string of human ears! It appeared extraordinarily brutal and malevolent.
As Mbenga gazed at Sheyan, his blood-thirsty eyes flickered before turning into utter perplexment. He then charged towards Sheyan and caught his hand while exclaiming.
“Hurry, go!”
Very quickly, Sheyan could hear the clamorous swooshing sounds of trampling in the water. His scalp instantly tingled!
Just from hearing the swooshing sounds, he could guess a minimum amount of 7-8 guardians were fiercely charging over. If he didn’t run, would he just stay here and wait for death?
Although the effects of Sheyan’s herb medicine was out of the ordinary, bear this in mind, it could only be effective more than 3 metres away. Everything would be revealed within a 3 metres radius. Moreover, this channel passageway was merely 4-5 metres broad…..which meant, once those guardians could catch up to them in this passageway, the chances of being discovered would be hundred percent.
Therefore, under the leadership of Mbenga, Sheyan sprinted speedily through this maze-like passage channels. While sprinting crazily, Mbenga constantly whacked his weapon against the walls; causing cave-ins and rumbles wherever he passed, leaving his enraged pursuers furiously hollering.
Mbenga seemed to be extremely familiar with the routes here, as he shuttled through lefts and rights. Occasionally, he even triggered hidden mechanisms, transforming dead ends into paths of life.
Eventually, a twinkling light greeted their sight ahead, a glaring ray of light!
They both squinted their eyes as they charged out from this tunnel exit. Even though Sheyan had already speculated this from the sandbox earlier, he couldn’t help gasping for a chilling breath!!
