White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 23 Visitors in the Rain
That night in Yunze Mountain was especially long.

Inside a cave, the dim yellow light of a fire faintly illuminated the wet ground beside the cave, where a few climbing vines lay limply on the ground, washed away by the heavy rain.

The sounds of men talking and laughing, along with faint snoring, drifted from inside the cave, mingling with the incessant mountain rain and creating a tranquil atmosphere.

A tiny spider, no bigger than a fingernail, burrowed into a crevice in the rock to escape the rain, crawling deeper into the cave in search of warmth.

"Hehe, sir, you are indeed very knowledgeable. I admire you!" A handsome young man chuckled, cupping his hands in greeting. He sat by the fire wearing his undergarments, with his wet outer garment draped over the torch.

Yao Zhengze couldn't help but praise the interesting story the other party told him. He was a rather rare painter who wanted to go to the capital. On the way, he wanted to find some beautiful scenery to paint, so he planned to pass through the rarely visited Yunze Mountain to find some beautiful scenery to paint.

I happened to be seeking shelter from the rain in the mountains today when I found this group of mountain porters, so I accompanied them to this cave to take shelter from the rain.

The man praised by him laughed and said, "Young brother, you are a scholar, which we mountain travelers cannot compare to. We only earn a meager living by doing manual labor for others, and we spend our whole lives wandering around in and out of these mountains."

Upon hearing this, Yao Zhengze burst into laughter, saying, "The world is in such a chaotic state these days that many people can't even find a peaceful life. It's truly enviable that Brother Xu can live in these mountains."

"I'm just a scholar, utterly useless in every way. If I hadn't met you all, I'm afraid I wouldn't even know where to find shelter from the rain tonight."

Xu Dabai looked away from the other person's expensive clothes and suppressed his greed, saying, "Actually, it's not difficult. We specialize in transporting goods for others and are familiar with the mountains."

In addition, they had some connections with these bandit strongholds and were familiar with the routes, so there was no danger.

As for danger, as long as you don't provoke the creatures in the mountains, nothing serious will usually happen.

"Oh? Brother, have you encountered any other strange things? Could you tell me about them? I'm quite interested in these kinds of things," Yao Zhengze asked with a smile, perking up.

"Haha, let me go relieve myself first, then we can have a proper chat." Xu Dabai stood up, saw that the eight people traveling with him were all fast asleep, and then turned around and swaggered out of the cave.

He arrived at the cave entrance, unbuckled his belt, and leisurely poured water into his trousers. Casually glancing up into the distance, he vaguely noticed something moving.

Xu Dabai squinted and looked closely. Just then, a figure walked closer and what he saw was a skeleton standing in mid-air, walking through the low bushes.

He was so frightened that his legs went weak, and forgetting that he was urinating, he turned around and ran back into the cave.

Hearing hurried footsteps, Yao Zheng turned around and saw Xu Dabai, with his penis erect, walking straight towards him.

He looked somewhat embarrassed, wondering to himself if people in the mountains were really so unrestrained and bold.

Xu Dabai plopped down beside the fire. The warmth of the flames eased the chill in his heart, and he then felt a coolness in his crotch. He quickly fastened his belt, his face flushed, and said, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, brother."

"Uh, it's alright, it's alright." Yao Zhengze smiled and waved his hand. "I'm going outside for some fresh air too."

"do not go!"

Unexpectedly, Xu Dabai grabbed him and shouted to stop him.

"What's wrong?" Yao Zhengze asked, puzzled.

"This..." A thought flashed through Xu Dabai's mind: if the other person died outside, all their belongings would belong to him. But he still spoke up to remind him:

"Young man, you'd better not go out. There are things outside the cave that we shouldn't see."

"Oh? Now that you mention it, Brother Xu, I'm even more eager to go out and take a look." Yao Zhengze became interested and walked out of the cave with a smile.

He stared at the tiny point of light just a few feet in front of him and the enormous, dark shadow of the distant, continuous green mountains, but saw nothing unusual.

Yao Zheng was puzzled and was about to ask a question when a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by a thunderous roar that illuminated the darkness of the rainy night.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he saw countless white figures in the distance, traversing mountains and valleys, traveling through the rainy night.

Those figures were nothing but piles of white bones!
Like a living person, they walk upright in the mountains and fields.

The darkness of the night concealed their figures, and the torrential summer rain drowned out the sounds of their movements. These skeletons, like a crowd, traversed mountains and valleys!
The flash of lightning was only brief, but it allowed Yao Zhengze to witness a mysterious and magnificent scene on this mountain!
At that moment, he was thinking about how many secrets, unknown to the world, were hidden in the magnificent Yunze Mountains, which stretch for eight hundred miles.
Yao Zhengze stared at the deep shadow of the giant mountain that he could no longer see in the darkness. The scene just now was deeply engraved in his mind and would never be forgotten.

He walked back into the cave somewhat absentmindedly. Seeing his dazed look, Xu Dabai couldn't help but ask, "Young brother, were you frightened?"

Yao Zheng shook his head, his mind still immersed in the scene in his mind, sitting there blankly as if he had lost his soul.

Seeing his appearance, Xu Dabai thought that the boy was easily frightened and needed some time to calm down.

He himself wasn't too afraid. Having traveled through deep mountains and valleys for many years, he had seen many strange things and had even gotten used to it. Most spirits wouldn't bother him unless he actively provoked them.

With no one to talk to, he could only lie down and prepare to sleep.

"Boom~"

Just as Xu Dabai lay down, the rumbling thunder outside the cave sounded again, making him somewhat irritable. So he turned over to face the fire not far away.

He glanced at the heat and light of the fire, estimating that he could last until the night, and closed his eyes with peace of mind.

But just before he closed his eyes, he vaguely saw that the color of the fire was a little off.

Xu Dabai opened his eyes again and found that the dim yellow light on the fire looked increasingly strange. The dazzling bright yellow flames had somehow turned into eerie dark blue flames!
He could hear the rapid beating of his own heart in his chest. Xu Dabai's fear grew stronger. The others were still fast asleep. The only ones in the cave were himself and the terrified boy.

No, people usually get up in the middle of the night, but why hasn't anyone woken up this time? Even with such loud thunder, it didn't wake them up?
The more Xu Dabai thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. The chill in his heart gradually made him feel cold as well, and he could no longer feel the warmth of the summer night.

"Whoo~"

A night breeze blew into the cave, causing the eerie blue flames to flicker and cast Yao Zhengze's shadow on the mountain wall, making it look like a demon baring its fangs and claws.

Xu Dabai felt even more frightened. He could only clutch the amulet on his chest, which he had specially obtained from a Buddhist temple at the foot of the mountain. The Zen master said it had the effect of warding off evil and disasters, but it cost him a full five taels of silver!

Thinking of this, he felt a little calmer, closed his eyes, and prepared to ignore everything and fall asleep until dawn.

"squeak~"

A sound came from the cave entrance, which was very clear to Xu Dabai's ears. He felt even colder, and his hand holding the amulet trembled uncontrollably.

"squeak~"

The sound grew closer, as if something was coming from the cave entrance into the cave.

"Creak~" The increasingly close sound made Xu Dabai's heart jump into his throat. He silently prayed for divine protection and dared not open his eyes.

"My friend, have you ever heard of a temple?"

A clear voice rang out in the cave, sounding somewhat ethereal, yet it made Xu Dabai feel a sudden sense of relief. He boldly opened his eyes, peeking through a crack.

But then a man dressed in white finery appeared, smiling as he asked Yao Zhengze, who was sitting by the campfire.

Yao Zhengze, who was lost in thought, was jolted back to reality by these words. He stood up in surprise, looked at the man in front of him with great astonishment, and asked, "What did you just say, young master?"

Bai Wuxiang stepped forward and asked again, "May I ask, brother, have you ever heard of a temple in the mountains?"

"Temple? What temple?"

Yao Zhengze suddenly realized that the air around him seemed to have become much colder, and even the fire beside him had turned into an eerie dark blue color. The man who was talking to him walked out of the cave, and despite the heavy rain, he was completely dry, which was very strange.

The other party is very likely not human!
Bai Wuxiang smiled and said, "In this mountain, there is a stronghold called Black Stone Stronghold."

About ten miles behind Black Stone Village, there is a temple called the Temple of No Form.

"Black Stone Village?"

Xu Dabai, who was pretending to be asleep, was startled. Not long ago, the people of Black Stone Village had told him that they had invited a god to their village and built a temple, which seemed to be some kind of Wuxiang Temple.

Yao Zhengze felt a mixture of fear, trepidation, and excitement. He replied, "This..."

I am just an outsider and I am unfamiliar with the customs and traditions of this place.

However, these people are all mountain porters who travel through the mountains year-round, so they should know this.

Brother Xu, Brother Xu, are you asleep?

Xu Dabai, who was pretending to be asleep, secretly groaned in his heart and even cursed the kid for being so stupid. He could only close his eyes tightly and dare not answer.

"Sigh, they've all fallen asleep." Yao Zhengze tried calling several people in a row but couldn't wake them. He could only say helplessly, "Why don't you wait until dawn and ask them again, young master?"

"Hehe, it's alright." Bai Wuxiang chuckled, then continued, "I'd like to ask you for a favor, brother. Would you be willing?"

Yao Zhengze knew perfectly well that the person before him was not human, yet instead of fear, his eyes gleamed with a hint of excitement. "May I ask what you wish to entrust to me, young master?"

"Brother, you must be a painter?" Bai Wuxiang glanced at the book basket on the ground, which contained many scrolls.

“Indeed, I come from the Yao family of Guanghui Prefecture, Fuzhou. My family has been painters for five generations and we are quite well-known in the area.”

“That’s perfect. I would like to ask you to paint a picture for the Wuxiang Temple.” Bai Wuxiang took out a box from his sleeve and handed it to him, saying, “This is the payment.”

Yao Zhengze took the wooden box; its icy coldness made him shiver involuntarily.

"This is……"

Bai Wuxiang smiled and explained, "Since you are a painter, you need to use the best brushes."

This box contains a paintbrush with bristles made from the hair of a tiger's eye, crafted from 365 hairs taken from its entire body, and polished from the bone of a snake or python. Painting with this brush will naturally capture the spirit and subtlety of the subject.

Upon hearing this, Yao Zheng was amazed and opened the wooden box to take a look. Inside, he saw a long-haired paintbrush with a white jade-colored handle. The tip was sharp yet firm and full, and the body was like white jade. It was thirteen inches long and had never been used for painting. It already gave people the illusion of being very spiritual and charming.

He was overjoyed and quickly prepared to express his gratitude.

"Thank you for your generous gift, young master. I..."

Yao Zheng suddenly realized that there was no one in front of him, and the fire in the cave was glowing with a dim yellow light. He could hear the snoring of others, and the pattering rain outside the cave never stopped.

It was as if what had just happened was just a dream.

But the wooden box in his hand reminded him that what had just happened was indeed true!

Did I encounter a demon or a ghost?

The heavy rain lasted exceptionally long that night, and the daybreak was also very long.

Bai Wuxiang returned to Skull Mountain and stood on the mountaintop. He waited quietly in the rainy night as skeletons came over the mountains and settled on Skull Mountain.

The mountain, which was only a hundred feet high, was shattered by lightning during the day, but on this night, bones from all directions arrived in an endless stream, piling up into a mountain, and making the small mountain a hundred feet high again.

Not only are there the bones of corpses accumulated in Wulongzhai for hundreds of years, but also the fresh white bones of the people of Wulongzhai, as well as the bones of various wild animals from nearly a hundred miles of Yunze Mountain.

The resentful spirit pearl within its body absorbed the resentment of Wulong Village over the past century, receiving a massive boost, and then released two powerful techniques.

One is the Netherworld Fire, which draws the resentment of the dead to form a spiritual fire in the Netherworld. It does not harm the physical body, but only burns the primordial spirit and soul. Being burned by this fire is like being subjected to the torture of hell, and will not stop until the soul is scattered.

One is the ability to control Yin, which allows one to command and subdue all spirits and inanimate objects in the four directions, making them obey one's will. This technique is similar to that of the Black Serpent and the Azure Demon, who are born with the ability to control their own kind.

However, Bai Wuxiang was born without such abilities.

That night, countless skeletons crossed mountains and valleys to reach Skull Mountain, a spell cast by Bai Wuxiang using the Vengeful Spirit Pearl.

However, Bai Wuxiang also realized that the magic of the Vengeful Spirit Pearl had limitations and was not an invincible technique.

This Yin-Controlling Technique can only summon Yin spirits and dead things within a hundred miles at most; it is powerless to do anything beyond that.

There are other powerful techniques, such as Netherworld Fire. If the opponent has pure Yang spiritual fire or a supremely Yang artifact protecting them, then they will be countered.

The resentment within the Resentment Pearl has now gathered into a river, so at least in the short term, he doesn't need to worry about running out of it even if he uses spells continuously.

This also shows how many good people's bones have been buried in Wulongzhai over the past century.

Even with the treasure of a dragon's scales, the black serpent could not withstand the might of the heavenly tribulation. It seems even Heaven does not want such a ferocious and bloodthirsty spirit to rise to a higher level.

Bai Wuxiang gazed at the skeletons beneath his feet. The almost nonexistent death energy attached to these dead objects condensed together in thousands, finally making this Skull Mountain the convergence point of death energy and yin veins in the vicinity.

His future spiritual practice in the mountains will be much more effective!
(End of this chapter)