White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 45 Dragon Veins
Days passed by outside the mountains, and before they knew it, the Lantern Festival was over. Then, another heavy snow fell in the mountains, which caused the plum blossoms to fall, the pine branches to break, and blocked the mountain and the road.

The bone-chilling cold was unbearable, and even the wild animals in the mountains dared not leave their dens to forage for food.

Such heavy snow and freezing weather have caused great concern among the villagers of Heishizhai. The snow on the mountains has already crushed fields of wheat, and the snow on the roads is difficult to clear.

Many villagers came to pray to the gods, for they were powerless to resist the calamity from heaven and could only place their hopes on the gods.

Hearing their repeated calls and prostrations, Bai Wuxiang remained unmoved in the cave.

After all, the ability to change the seasons and weather of the world is not something a mere White Bone Demon could possess.

He can't blow this snow away, and he can't ask it to leave.

The winter snow of the thirty-eighth year of Nanzhao was a blizzard that was rare in a century. The southern foothills of the mountain were relatively unscathed, but the area north of the northern foothills suffered even more disasters.

The frozen bones by the roadside were covered by heavy snow; they slept soundly in the pure white snow, never to feel the cold or heat again.

Within the high walls of grand mansions, the wealthy simply found the snow adding a touch of elegance to their lives. Gathering around a fireplace to watch the snow fall, sipping tea and reciting poetry, they lived a life of unparalleled bliss, like immortals in heaven.

The suffering in the world seems to be manifested only in those who are unfortunate.

In this heavy snow, what's colder than the ice and snow is the human heart.

Outside the mountains, the chaos of the human world is like a demonic dance, while the true demons are quietly cultivating the Great Dao deep in the mountains.

The mountain road was blocked, separating the inside and outside of the mountain into two worlds. Therefore, Bai Wuxiang never paid attention to what was happening down the mountain. He patiently refined his dragon whiskers, day after day, night after night.

The snow finally stopped on the 25th day of the first lunar month.

Meanwhile, in Black Stone Village, a group of men wearing thick cotton armor and coats followed You Junzi into the deep mountains.

No one mentioned it. The children asked curiously where their fathers had gone, and their mothers would say that their fathers had gone into the mountains to hunt.

Even Bai Wuxiang in the cave was completely unaware. If he hadn't sensed that the number of people in the village had decreased significantly the next day, he would still have been unaware.

Bai Wuxiang awoke from the tempering of the dragon whiskers. His figure vanished in a flash, and when he reappeared, he was standing above Black Stone Village.

He closed his eyes and sensed the Black Stone Stronghold; the unsettling feeling that had been lingering within him vanished.

"Brother You, you have quite a few secrets."

Bai Wuxiang chuckled as he gazed into the distance. The ten protective jade pieces he had given to the mountain stronghold were still there, and You Junzi hadn't taken a single one with him.

With his mortal body, he dared to venture deep into the snowy wilderness, unafraid of demons and monsters. Based on this, Bai Wuxiang guessed what had happened.

He thought for a moment and decided not to pursue the matter. Since the other party didn't want him to know, he would just pretend he didn't know.

Bai Wuxiang stood atop Skull Mountain, with a vast expanse of white mountains beneath his feet, and the various energies of heaven and earth manifesting in his eyes.

In the mountains filled with demonic energy, a faint wisp of mysterious yellow energy was hidden among the various energies.

"This is... the aura of a royal dragon's mandate?"

Bai Wuxiang asked in a low voice with doubt, "Could it be... a dragon vein?"
Yes, You Junzi's feng shui skills are quite high, and he is proficient in various arts. Only Guo Zhi could be so talented as to be willing to hide in the deep mountains and abandon his family feud.

Legend has it that in ancient times there were feng shui masters who used their skills to establish dragon veins and prolong the dynasty's fortune. I never imagined that such a master would be right beside me.

Bai Wuxiang sighed for a moment, then looked at the surrounding energy outside the mountain and lamented, "But this dynasty is so corrupt, the great building is about to collapse, the mandate of heaven is gone, how can human power overcome heaven? And how much can we prolong the life of Nanzhao?"

Perhaps You Junzi understood what he was doing better than he did, but to do something knowing it was impossible—the courage of a gentleman and the loyalty of a patriot—was something Bai Wuxiang, now a demon spirit, could not comprehend.

On the second day of the second lunar month, thunder rumbled and torrential rain poured down.

In the mountains, all kinds of insects thrive, and all things revive.

As the stars shifted in the eastern sky, a wisp of purple aura landed on a majestic peak in the Yunze Mountains.

In the deep cave at the bottom of the mountain, a row of men dressed in cotton armor stood upright on both sides, holding torches in their hands. They quietly watched You Junzi sitting cross-legged on a high platform at the deepest part of the cave. Nine ancient stalactite pillars stood in the deep pool, and an old gold seal lay in the mud and sand at the bottom of the dim pool. Nine iron locks connected the nine directions.

In front of You Junzi were a geomantic map, a compass, a hundred counting rods, and more than a dozen other items.

His usual ease was gone, replaced by a haggard look. Strands of white hair had appeared in his hair. He was fidgeting with his fingers, calculating something, until a sudden clap of thunder outside the cave illuminated it. You Junzi's eyes narrowed sharply, and he shouted, "Light the fire!"

Immediately, the men lit the torches in their hands on some special red stone by the pool.

As soon as these red stones were ignited, a raging fire broke out in the cave, turning the nine stone pillars crimson red as well.

The nine chains at the bottom of the stone pool also turned crimson in a strange way, pointing in nine directions.

Crossing the great river and connecting the mountain passes, in the deep mountains of the nine directions of the Yunze Mountains, there are buried ancient bronze tripods, nine-foot heavy swords, ten bushels of bright pearls, jade compasses, scriptures from a hundred schools of thought, glass lamps, ancient coins from ten dynasties, and imperial sacrificial texts.

The last direction is precisely the direction of Black Stone Village.

If you follow the direction the nine pillars point to, or more accurately, to Skull Mountain and the Cave of Bones.

……

In Tiger King's Stronghold, the mountain lord, who was meditating cross-legged, suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze revealing a chilling light. The raccoon dog that had been dozing on the ground beside him scrambled to its feet and asked in a low voice, "Your Majesty, what has angered you so much?"

"Heh~, how dare they tamper with the fortune of Yunze Mountain." The mountain lord's tiger-like eyes revealed a cold smile. "Dynastic changes are common occurrences in this world. To think that someone would dare to use the fortune of Yunze to prolong the fate of Nanzhao, what audacity!"

"What? Who is so bold?" The raccoon was also shocked. "Even those beings from the Thousand Buddha Temple on Mount Sanqing wouldn't dare to have such a thought."

Could it be...?

"Most of those old Taoist practitioners don't have the guts to offend the Heavenly Demon. Instead, they are ignorant and fearless, and most of them are geomancers who are skilled in feng shui and numerology among those ignorant mortals."

The mountain spirit came to a stone wall in the cave. Staring at the smooth, seamless stone, he asked, "Do you have the art of severing fate?"

An ancient voice echoed from the stone wall, replying without a trace of emotion: "The entanglements of fate are fickle and unpredictable. As the guardian deity of the Yunze Holy Land, you have made this grave mistake and are now caught in the trap."

To disrupt the flow of fortune, one must intercept and utilize it to fulfill the king's mandate!

"By order of King Cheng?" The mountain lord pondered for a long time upon hearing this. "No matter who is behind this scheme, since Yunze is involved, I will not stand idly by."

The raccoon demon asked obsequiously, "Your Majesty, shall I find this feng shui master and capture him?"

"No need. The destiny has already been taken, and it cannot be broken by one person or one force alone. Moreover, this person has practiced this heaven-defying forbidden technique, and will surely be punished by heaven. There is no need to care about such an insignificant person."

"You possess the ability to sense qi; go down the mountain and find for me a person of extraordinary destiny."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the raccoon immediately obeyed, but then remembered something and asked, "But Your Majesty, what should we do with that black python?"

The mountain lord scoffed, "Heh, let's not worry about that."

"With the king's mandate entering the game, there will inevitably be a struggle between the python and the dragon. How can a false dragon possibly contend with the king's tiger?"

In mid-February, You Junzi and his group of over fifty people finally returned to the village.

However, more than ten people had to be carried back.

With You Junzi's return, the village was filled with white mourning clothes and the sound of weeping never ceased.

You Junzi personally took care of the funeral arrangements for more than ten deceased people. When he heard the cries of those widowed women who had lost their husbands, his heart ached as well.

Neither Li Yiguang nor Zhao Lengxiang blamed him, because they knew the burden on You Junzi's shoulders.

Death is inevitable.

The funeral procession stretched out in a long line, carrying the remains into Skull Mountain.

The sound of the suona horn, accompanied by the cries of loved ones, entered the White Bone Cave. New graves were erected, burying the longing of loved ones for them.

After the funeral procession had all left, You Junzi remained standing there, gazing at the rows of graves, the feelings in his heart known only to himself.

A black crow landed on the new grave, cawing loudly that echoed across the fields.

You Junzi was awakened from his reverie, turned his head to look at Xuan Ya, and a bitter smile appeared on his face. "Xuan Ya, Xuan Ya, I really wish I could be a crow like you, without worries, without anxieties, without understanding human reason. How wonderful that would be."

"Boom~"

Thunder rumbled in the mountains, spring rain fell incessantly, and spring had arrived once again.

You Junzi strolled in the rain, letting the rain soak his clothes. He walked from the grave back to his house and lay down to sleep.

He fell ill after that one sleep.

The affairs of the village cannot be managed without You Junzi, and when he fell ill, the village fell into chaos.

During the busy farming season, arguments arise between households: your family sent one less person, my family sent one more laborer; you slacked off today, I worked myself to the bone all day...

The villagers' arguments never concern major issues, but rather the trivialities of daily life.

Zhao Lengxiang could barely keep the farming going under everyone's control, but she had no interest in reclaiming wasteland at all.

The conflicts among the villagers became increasingly intense. Even the smallest things, over time, would breed hatred.

Several families in the village had already started fighting, arguing about who had more able-bodied men and who was stronger in combat.

People's hearts and minds have begun to crumble.

Zhao Lengxiang was getting anxious. If you let her fight, she naturally wouldn't be afraid of anything.

But dealing with family matters, maintaining fairness, and appeasing everyone involved was incredibly taxing on her.

Just then, Ah Liu came out of the temple.

He summoned all the villagers to the council hall, and when the quarreling villagers saw the jade staff that was shining with divine light, they all shut their mouths.

You Junzi was bedridden, and Li Yiguang was also in poor health, so only Zhao Lengxiang was present among the three leaders.

More than three hundred villagers watched him as Ah Liu, holding the divine jade staff, sat in the main seat for the first time!
Ah Liu's ego swelled to an extreme degree; he was intoxicated by the thrill of power.

It wasn't until Zhao Lengxiang spoke up from the side that she said, "High Priest, everyone is still waiting for your instructions!"

The slightly cold voice jolted Ah Liu awake. He coughed lightly before speaking seriously:

Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby announce to the villagers by divine decree of the Great Manifestation that from now on all the fields in the village belong to Black Stone Village and will no longer belong to any individual.

Everyone farmed collectively, and when the harvest came, the grain was distributed according to the number of people in each family.

If anyone is found to be dishonest or cunning, they must repent before the statue of the Great Man of No Form.

Those who are sincere and hardworking can receive the protection of the Great Man of No Form.

Those who are not sincere and those who do little will not be protected by the Great Man of No Form.

You may be able to deceive the leaders, and you may be able to deceive my eyes, but Lord Wuxiang is a god, a god among mortals.

Your actions cannot be hidden from Lord Wuxiang!
"If you offend Lord Wuxiang, you will not be received by a spirit messenger after death, and may even fall into hell to be punished."

Upon hearing this, many of the villagers present knelt down in fear and immediately prayed to Lord Wuxiang.

In their minds, Lord Wuxiang was a true god, omnipotent!

Zhao Lengxiang, who was watching Ah Liu preaching about gods and fooling the villagers, felt extremely uncomfortable, but she did not say anything to stop him.

Since the other party has the means to manage the entire village and ensure that the villagers are well-fed and clothed, the methods used are no longer important.

Ah Liu looked at the devout crowd with satisfaction. He knew that from this moment on, he had truly become the power holder of this village!
After this incident, the villagers threw themselves into farming. Several horses and mules laboriously plowed the fields, and men, women, and children all went up the mountain, armed with sickles and axes, to reclaim wasteland once again.

When people are engrossed in their work, sadness will gradually fade away because they have no free time.

At the end of February, Dinghe left Black Stone Village and embarked on a long journey.

Some of the villagers who came to the mountain to seek refuge couldn't bear to leave their homeland and weren't used to life in the mountain village, so they returned to their village at the foot of the mountain.

In the Black Stone Village in the mountains, there is a formless deity who protects the villagers, and thus the people below the mountain also know about him.

Some villagers even commissioned a small statue of Wuxiang to be enshrined in their homes, offering incense and prayers at the middle and end of each month.

In the misty rain of the mountains, farmers wearing straw raincoats bend over, burying their heads among the green seedlings. Their backs face the blue sky, and the barren mountains are transformed into fertile fields at their feet. The wild wilderness is transformed into civilization under the watering of their sweat.

Under the peach tree in the rain, Qingyin, with three little foxes, squatted among the branches, watching the farmers working in the distance.

Her alluring eyes held a deep contemplation she had never shown before. Qing Yin thought that being a person was so tiring, that not everyone in the world could live a life of pleasure and indulgence, and that life wasn't as romantic as the Great Fox Master described.

The little fox played at her feet, and Qingyin was unaware that she had learned to think like a human.

In the White Bone Cave of Skull Mountain, Bai Wuxiang diligently cultivated his skills day after day. He quietly watched the villagers of Black Stone Village go through the four seasons in this continuous mountain range, observing their good and evil, their hatred and resentment, their joys and sorrows.

Such peaceful days are a rare treat.

If life could remain peaceful and serene, that would be wonderful.

Bai Wuxiang, inside the cave, thought to himself.

(End of this chapter)