White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 42 Scattered Dreams
Bai Wuxiang was still pondering in the cave. The snake demon from Wulong Village had not only not left Yunze Mountain, but had also harmed an entire village at the foot of the mountain. In addition, the monks in Yuanjue Temple had broken through the limits of snakes and transformed from a python into a dragon.

"wrong!"

Bai Wuxiang was startled. He could see this dragon in the illusion, which meant that Dinghe must have seen it before. Why did the black dragon let the monk go and risk exposing itself?

Moreover, given the immense power of that mountain lord, it's impossible that he didn't discover this matter. Why then did he allow this dragon to run rampant?
His doubts grew, and these confusions could no longer be resolved by staying confined to one place.

Of those who forced Wu to flee back then, only Cang and himself were among them.

Now that Cang is dead, the only thing that can make it seek revenge is to come after me.

Furthermore, Cang's remains are still on Skull Mountain.

Bai Wuxiang stood up and walked out of the White Bone Cave. A gust of cold wind swept through and into the temple.

He pointed to Dinghe, who was lying unconscious on the ground. The broken bones in Dinghe's skull began to heal, saving his life. However, Dinghe's memory would inevitably be somewhat confused.

Outside the hall, Ah Liu, who had been waiting for a long time, saw that there was no sound from inside the hall. Curious, he pushed open the door to take a look.

But to his surprise, he saw a figure standing beside the unconscious Ding.

Ah Liu felt a jolt of fear and immediately kowtowed, saying, "This humble one greets Lord Wuxiang!"

Bai Wuxiang ignored him and simply transformed into a gust of yin wind and disappeared.

A cold wind passed through Ah Liu's body, blowing his robes.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead until, after a long while, an instruction came to his mind, telling him to take good care of Dinghe and keep him in the temple.

On the rooftop of Black Stone Village, You Junzi was writing something with a pen when a gust of cold wind swept up the withered leaves on the ground, causing him to suddenly stop writing.

"Welcome, Lord Wuxiang!"

He stood up and bowed.

Wuxiang appeared beside him, and the water from the melting snow around them froze into frost.

"Brother You are too kind."

Bai Wuxiang, with a smile on his face, sat down on the other side of the stone table. "Brother You, please sit down. I've come today to ask you something."

"I wouldn't dare accept that. Please feel free to ask me anything, sir."

You Junzi did not refuse and sat down opposite him with a smile, showing no sign of awkwardness.

"Brother You, your ancestors were a family of demon hunters. You must be very knowledgeable and know something about snakes, pythons, and dragons, right?"

"Well... to be honest, I do know some things, but I've never seen them with my own eyes. It's all just hearsay from my ancestors, so I can't confirm whether it's true or not."

Bai Wuxiang's eyes flickered slightly. "Brother You, please speak freely. This matter involves the giant python of Wulong Village."

"What?" You Junzi was no ordinary person. As soon as Bai Wuxiang asked this question, he guessed what was going on and exclaimed, "Could it be that the disappearance of the village at the foot of the mountain and the monks in the temple are related to that black snake demon?"

"Indeed, I glimpsed a great demon resembling both a dragon and a python in the memories of that monk Dinghe! Its supernatural powers and magic probably far surpass mine!"

However, upon closer inspection, it bears a striking resemblance to the black python.

Therefore, I have come today specifically to inquire about this matter, otherwise how could this demon have transformed from a python into a dragon in such a short time! Bai Wuxiang did not hide anything and spoke directly.

After hearing these words, You Junzi's face darkened considerably. After all, if what the other party said was true, then Black Stone Village would be the most dangerous place!
After all, Wuxiang is a demon, so he could have simply left.

How could the mortals of Black Stone Village possibly hide from such a powerful demon?

He pondered for a long time before answering: "According to my ancestors' records, snakes and pythons need to go through many tribulations to transform into dragons. These tribulations include not only human tribulations, heavenly tribulations, but also life-and-death tribulations, before they can break free from their snake and python demon bodies and transform into the legendary dragons!"

Although the black serpent demon was powerful, it was not only severely injured during its tribulation, but it also failed to pass the Heavenly Tribulation.

It hasn't even been a year... Logically speaking, there's absolutely no possibility of it transforming into a dragon.

"What if it has dragon scales to help it?" Bai Wuxiang pressed.

"Dragon scales?" You Junzi exclaimed in shock, "Impossible, most true dragons in the world have become extinct."

Bai Wuxiang was surprised, but still asked, "What if the other party found the dragon's corpse?"

"This... is indeed possible." You Junzi exclaimed in surprise, "That's right, this python has swallowed more than two or three hundred people and used their blood and energy to transform into a monstrous dragon, it's really quite possible!"

Legend has it that a true dragon, transformed from an evil spirit, is called the Evil Dragon. Every time it appears, it causes chaos and devastation to the world.

I once heard my ancestors say that hundreds of years ago, before the Great Zhao Kingdom was even established, a wicked dragon appeared in the south, causing chaos and splitting the Great Qi Kingdom into pieces. This allowed the Great Zhao Kingdom to rise to power, and after fifty years, it pacified six prefectures and established the Great Zhao Dynasty.

That wicked dragon was only slain by the intervention of several immortals.

"Immortals? Are there really immortals in this world?" Bai Wuxiang asked curiously.

"I'm not quite sure. My ancestors said that our You family originated from the Kunlun Immortal Mountain and received teachings from immortals. But that was hundreds of years ago, and there's no way to verify whether it's true or not," You Junzi said with a shake of his head and a sigh.

"Kunlun... Brother You, do you know which immortal mountains and famous Taoists exist in this world?" Bai Wuxiang asked with a smile.

"Well, I am just an ordinary mortal, and I have only heard that the immortal sects of this world, especially Sanqing Mountain, are the leaders of the Xuanmen."

"I don't know anything else," You Junzi replied.

Sanqing Mountain... No wonder the Mountain Lord released those Sanqing Mountain disciples that day; he was probably afraid that if the younger ones were beaten, the older ones would come after.

After asking a few questions, Bai Wuxiang returned to his cave. His current strength was definitely no match for the legendary dragons.

However, there are ways to deal with this potential crisis.

He waited quietly until late at night, then pointed at the black crow, and demonic energy entered its body. The black crow knew his intention, spread its wings, and flew into the sky.

A black crow flew across the snowy forest in the dead of night.

An owl hunting in the jungle glanced over and silently followed the black crow.

The black crow sensed the presence behind it, landed on a treetop, and turned to stare at the owl.

Black mist rose from its body, transforming into a gigantic phantom of a black raven. With a shriek, it frightened the owl away.

The black crow then continued its journey, passing through numerous mountains and heading north until it reached the foot of the mountain.

It continued flying north and finally saw an ancient city surrounded by walls.

However, the city was bustling with activity, and many powerful auras were hidden within, so Xuan Ya did not go in.

It circled around the outskirts of the city and discovered a small town.

The black crow landed outside the town, spread its wings and cried out strangely, startling the chickens and dogs in the town.

Then, a wisp of black energy rose from its body, and the yin energy from all directions gathered on the black crow.

At this very moment, Bai Wuxiang, far away in Black Stone Village and Skull Mountain, sensed something and immediately activated his demonic magic, transmitting his thoughts:
"Through countless mountains and winding paths, my spirit gathers amidst the dark night's shadows!"

The next moment, more than two hundred miles away outside the town, a cold wind swept in, and the heavy black aura around Xuan Ya twisted eerily. A ghostly wail resounded, followed by a strange, sinister laugh. The mist gathered and transformed into a figure. This figure was none other than Bai Wuxiang!

Bai Wuxiang examined the Yin avatar; the Yin energy within it was pitifully thin, probably unable to even see the sun.

This is a divine thought he unleashed using the sorcery of "spirit communication." As long as there is a medium, it can manifest a spiritual body even from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

However, his strength is pitifully weak. Moreover, with the amount of resentment Bai Wuxiang has accumulated, he cannot exert himself over very long distances.

As for the medium, besides physical objects like the black crow, there is also thought.

For example, in faith, if someone is devoutly believe, they can manifest a spiritual body through the medium of corpses.

Unfortunately, Bai Wuxiang couldn't sense any faith medium outside Black Stone Village, so he had no choice but to use the Black Crow as a medium.

The black crow was afraid of the crowds in the city, so it could only choose to stay outside this small town.

However, that's enough.

Bai Wuxiang looked around the town and saw that there were no powerful demon cultivators.

He searched around and came to a place with a heavy yin energy, a mass grave.

The cemetery was silent at this moment, except for a few small animals.

Bai Wuxiang gently opened his mouth and inhaled deeply. Instantly, wisps of yin energy rose from the graves and merged into his body.

His aura was also rising steadily, and Bai Wuxiang stopped after several dozen breaths.

He sensed the yin energy within his body before smiling and walking back to the town.

At the entrance of the town, a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) mirror hangs on a street sign.

As soon as Bai Wuxiang stepped in, the mirror emitted a beam of white light, enveloping both Bai Wuxiang and Xuan Ya within it.

Under the light, Bai Wuxiang cast no shadow, only the shadow of Xuan Ya.

He chuckled and said, "It seems this town also has common methods for suppressing demons. Since the main road won't let me go, then I'll go somewhere else."

As he spoke, Bai Wuxiang pushed with both hands, and black energy surged to block the white mirror, allowing him to take the opportunity to leave.

Such tricks are only suitable for ordinary wandering ghosts or minor demons with low cultivation.

These things don't have much intelligence; they're just stubborn and will actually stick to this right path.

Bai Wuxiang transformed into a gust of cold wind and drifted into a butcher's house in the small town.

Half a freshly slaughtered carcass was hanging in the butcher's yard, and the black crow couldn't resist its craving and flew down to peck at it.

Bai Wuxiang didn't care. He just stood on the house and gently exhaled streams of yin energy. This yin energy spread into each household and entered the bodies of the people who were fast asleep.

The townspeople all dreamed of the same scene: in Yuanjue Temple, a giant snake coiled on the image of a deity, with a conspicuous horn growing from its head.

On the ground were skeletons.

This one scene is enough.

Bai Wuxiang smiled and withdrew his demonic magic. The lives lost in a village and a Buddhist temple were enough to warrant the attention of the human authorities.

It would also surely alarm the City God who receives incense offerings within the city.

They could pretend not to know before and cover it up. But now Bai Wuxiang has told the people the truth: those who went missing were all eaten by the snake demon!
Although Bai Wuxiang's demonic power was weak and he could not conjure a dragon, he could still conjure a strange snake with horns on its head.

These ignorant people will surely say it's a dragon or a serpent.

Then naturally, demon hunters, demon exorcists, and even cultivators will come to investigate.

He refused to believe that this python could be so lucky, repeatedly devouring living beings without incurring any karmic consequences or suffering.

Bai Wuxiang left with Xuan Ya and arrived at another village, where he used the same method to transmit dreams.

This kind of thing is enough if it's just a dream; it has to involve interests! The villagers in the villages outside the city are the ones who are most afraid!

Because a village and a temple have already disappeared, and another village has been completely relocated, no one knows which village will disappear next.

After the surrounding people are filled with fear, they will inevitably riot. This will affect the land taxes of the local landlords and the interests of the county magistrate and other officials in the coming year.

They had no choice but to seek out a master from all over to get rid of this python.

Although Bai Wuxiang's strength is insufficient, he has the ability to occupy the world and force back the demons and humans who are hiding in the deep mountains. He has plenty of ways to deal with such a serpent that is causing havoc on the human world!

As dawn broke, Bai Wuxiang's avatar vanished into the morning breeze, and Xuan Ya, like an ordinary crow, flew over the mountains back to Black Stone Village.

But in the villages at the foot of the northern slope of Yunze Mountain, everyone was talking about it. The strange dream they had yesterday had terrified them, and what was even more frightening was that many people had the same dream.

As a result, news of a man-eating dragon in the north of Yunze Mountain began to spread everywhere, and many people outside the city were so frightened that they even tried to bring their families into the city to hide.

At the foot of the northern slope, within the territory of Shenzhou, there is indeed a city called Zhangyang City, which is a county.

At this very moment, in the dead of winter, the county magistrate, who was enjoying a peaceful and intimate time in his own mansion, was greeted by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"My lord! My lord! Something terrible has happened! The village elders and heads of nine villages outside the city have all come begging to see you!" the clerk replied anxiously.

"What? Nine villages? What's going on?" Upon hearing this, Magistrate Qiao Yunsheng was immediately startled and quickly got off his concubine to get dressed and wash up.

He was no hotheaded magistrate. These villages were ostensibly farmers, obedient servants, but in reality, they were all inhabited by powerful local families. They only obeyed the orders of these powerful families. In Zhangyang City, his five-year term as magistrate was nothing more than a seemingly imposing county magistrate.

The combined population of these nine villages is over a thousand. If a civil uprising were to break out, it would be no small matter!

No wonder he was nervous, because Nanzhao is currently in turmoil everywhere, with various mutinies and banditry frequently reported from different regions, and the imperial court has lost control of many places.

After hastily dressing and straightening his hat, Qiao Yunsheng rushed to the front hall. Looking at the hall full of old people, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

As soon as the court proceedings began, he asked, "What brings you all to the county government so early in the morning? Is there anything I can do for you?"

Immediately, an elderly man who seemed to be the leader stepped forward and said, "Reporting to the magistrate, we have come to ask you to capture the demon!"

"Catch a demon?" Qiao Yunsheng was taken aback. "Catch what kind of demon?"

"It's the man-eating snake demon that all the people of Zhangyang are talking about now!" the old man replied with a laugh. "I hope the magistrate can find a capable person as soon as possible to capture this snake demon and put our people's minds at ease!"

"Where did this snake demon come from?" Qiao Yunsheng asked, still confused.

His advisor said awkwardly in a low voice, "Master, these past two days, the whole of Zhangyang has been talking about a snake demon that eats people. Some even say that the people of Baitu Village and Yuanjue Temple were eaten by this snake demon!"

"What?" Fu Yunsheng was immediately shocked. Yuanjue Temple was a local government temple, and he had been trying to keep the news under wraps. But he didn't expect these troublemakers to spread the news throughout the city before informing him. If he didn't quell the matter immediately, not only would the people's anger be hard to quell, but more importantly, those powerful clans would all file complaints with higher authorities.

He was also a quick-witted man, and immediately slammed his gavel, shouting loudly, "How dare this audacious snake demon commit evil deeds in my Zhangyang County! I will immediately post notices to find capable and extraordinary individuals to capture this snake demon!"

(End of this chapter)