White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 92 A Dreamlike World
Bai Wuxiang, holding the white fox, laughed comfortingly:
"Don't be afraid, ghosts are the least worthy of fear in this world."

The underworld official, holding a brush, shouted sternly, "What kind of demon are you? Night Wanderer, seize him!"

The two towering Night Wanderers waved their hands in unison, their slender claws like tentacles reaching out to lock onto him.

Bai Wuxiang's lips curled up slightly as he turned to face the rather grand procession.

Suddenly, everything around fell silent, as if in death; the wind and snow were silent, and even the ghosts stopped moving.

Whether it was the wandering deity leading the way, the ox-headed and horse-faced demons carrying the cart, or the ghost messengers at the rear of the procession, none of them moved an inch.

The snow falling from mid-air is like fragments frozen in mid-air.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, as if time had stood still.

only...

Standing before them, Bai Wuxiang held the little white fox in his arms, stroking its soft, glossy white fur.

This group of ghostly spirits and messengers seemed to have become a painting; they were part of the scenery within the painting, while Bai Wuxiang admired the scenery from outside the painting.

"click~"

An aged hand reached out from the carriage and flicked the beads hanging in front of the curtain, making a crisp clinking sound.

Qi Chenghuang stepped out from the carriage, looking down at the fierce ghost before him. He dragged his long beard, his face dignified, giving people a sense of awe without anger.

"Are you the one who is Wuxiang?"

Although she was asking him, her eyes already revealed a look of confirmation.

"Indeed, but I wonder which deity happened to pass by my remote and desolate Myriad Manifestations Mountain?"

Bai Wuxiang asked with a soft laugh, showing no fear whatsoever of ordinary demons and ghosts encountering a god. Instead, he exuded a calm and composed air, as if he were not afraid of him at all.

Qi Chenghuang raised his thick, dark eyebrows. This demon in front of him was able to subdue many of his underworld servants in an instant. Even if it was because he was too far from the divine realm, it was still clear that his strength was not weak.

"I am no longer a mortal, and I should not concern myself with this matter."

As a demon, you are quite powerful and should know the ways of the world. So why are you interfering in the affairs of human dynasties?

Do you not know that even supernatural powers cannot defy fate, and magic cannot overcome destiny?

"What do you mean by that, Divine Lord?" Bai Wuxiang asked in surprise. "Could it be that you came from Shenzhou City?"

“Indeed. You have achieved your current level of cultivation only after enduring countless tribulations. You should stay in the mountains and cultivate in seclusion, and refrain from interfering in matters of dynastic change.” Qi Chenghuang advised.

Bai Wuxiang said with amusement, "Could it be that you've come to the wrong person, Your Majesty? I've been cultivating in the mountains all along; how could I possibly get involved in the power struggles of the mortal world?"

"Isn't the Wuxiang Shangjiao sect in Shenzhou your doing? If you say this sect has nothing to do with you, who in the world would believe you?" Qi Chenghuang asked with a rather unpleasant expression.

"I said I've never interfered in the power struggles of the mortal world. These people from the Wuxiang Sect just happened to use my name. How could a mere demon spirit like me dare to approach someone with the destiny of being blessed by ten thousand people?" Bai Wuxiang laughed nonchalantly. "If the God has the leisure, he might as well destroy this sect."

Whether the Formless Supreme Sect dies or perishes, I will have no opinion whatsoever.

"A charlatan!"

Qi Chenghuang's expression turned colder, and he continued, "If it weren't for your sorcery, how could this commoner, who betrayed the sect, have the power to seize an entire prefecture? If it weren't for your demonic influence, how could hundreds of thousands of law-abiding citizens have turned into bandits and wreaks of war?"

Bai Wuxiang narrowed his eyes slightly, and a gust of cold wind rose from the ground around him. The white fox trembled but leaned even closer into his arms.

"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. Since the deity wants to interfere, then go and use your divine powers to destroy this sect. What's the point of arguing with a lowly mountain demon like me?"

Qi Chenghuang frowned and said, "So it seems you're unwilling to let the Wuxiang Sect withdraw its troops?"

"Withdraw your troops?" Bai Wuxiang couldn't help but laugh out loud. "What do worldly affairs have to do with me? I'm hiding in the deep mountains, only wanting to cultivate my Dao and spread my Dharma. How could I get involved in the affairs of the dynasty?"
Whether or not this sect retreats its troops is not a decision that a mere demon like myself can make.

"What a stubborn monster! Well then, I will capture and suppress you. Let's see if you can still cry foul then!"

Qi Chenghuang waved his hand, and a faint golden light spread out, releasing the ghosts who had been frozen in place and restoring them to normal.

He then placed one hand behind his back and said indifferently from above, "All officials and demons, heed my command: seize this demon!"

The ghost messengers all agreed. With the City God's intervention, they no longer felt the feeling of being frozen in place, and immediately obeyed orders to use their supernatural powers.

The Night Wanderer, carrying a lantern that glowed with an eerie light, wielded his hands like giant cleavers, slashing at the shadow behind Bai Wuxiang.

Two underworld officials, each holding a writing brush, stood together and began to write. Countless tiny golden characters, like golden butterflies, flew out.

Following the chariot, Gan and Liu, the two generals, released beams of soul-capturing demonic light from their divine banners and rushed forward.

……

Bai Wuxiang neither dodged nor avoided these complex and varied demonic techniques; they simply passed right by him as if they were touching thin air.

It was as if the figure standing before the ghosts did not exist.

The ghosts all looked surprised. They were all yin and ghostly beings, not easily deceived by ordinary people. However, the scene before them was indeed eerie.

Bai Wuxiang's handsome eyes sparkled with a smile, "Since the Divine Lord has traveled hundreds of miles to my Wanxiang Mountain, I invite all of your servants to enjoy a good show."

Having said that, he lowered his head slightly, took a step back while holding the white fox, and his entire body disappeared into a rolling mist.

The official in charge of writing was surprised for a moment before saying, "This demon is playing tricks. I urge you, sir, to personally subdue this demon!"

Standing atop the carriage, the City God Qi gazed at the ever-growing fog and sighed:
"This demon is quite strange, unlike ordinary demons. If I were to take action without using my Yuanzhen divine power, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to subdue it."

"But we have traveled thousands of miles day and night to get here. If you, sir, do not take action, wouldn't we have made a wasted trip?" asked the two generals, Gan and Liu, behind him.

"So be it, the debts of the previous dynasty must eventually be repaid." Qi Chenghuang shook his head, pointed his finger, and golden light burst forth in mid-air. A huge golden divine seal appeared, and the dazzling golden light dispersed the mist blocking his way.

However, after the fog dissipated, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly arose, and a grand procession marched towards us.

This scene left the ghost messengers in awe and uncertainty, all staring intently at the figure within the mist.

As those figures approached and revealed their shapes, they sent chills down the spines of all the ghosts.

Because the procession of demons in the mist was exactly the same as themselves.

Amidst a deafening clamor of gongs and drums, a chariot was lifted up by the ox-headed and horse-faced guardians, and a figure emerged from within it.

Qi Chenghuang was stunned for a moment, and then saw a familiar figure emerge from the carriage. He had a long beard, was holding his official robe with one hand, and walked backwards.

He sneered, "What a 'Formless One,' daring to use a joke to represent the gods and imply that I am a treacherous minister who acts against the natural order!"
"

"Tai! Qi Siyi! You are the Grand Tutor of the court, how dare you abuse your power and harbor evildoers?" The "City God Qi" who appeared from the mist pointed at him and shouted:

"You have acted wickedly and corruptly, bending the law for personal gain. Under the guise of repairing rivers and controlling floods, you have actually embezzled millions. As a result, the Central Plains were flooded, countless people were affected by disasters, and rebellions were rampant. How could the downfall of the Great Zhao Dynasty be without the contribution of a treacherous minister like you?"

"Snapped!"

With a sudden thud of the gavel, all the ghosts trembled violently.

"Guards! Throw this treacherous minister into the imperial prison, confiscate the property of his entire clan and exile them, and have Qi Siyi executed by being torn apart by five horses!"

"Insolence!" Qi Chenghuang was suddenly enraged. He pointed at the golden divine seal and shouted angrily, "How dare you, a lowly mountain demon, judge my faults?"

I was going to spare your life, but now it seems that's no longer necessary!

This scene stirred up memories of his past life in his heart. It was the first time that Qi Chenghuang had been cursed to his face like this, with such words that slandered his past as an official.

As soon as he finished speaking, the golden seal on his head transformed into a magnificent temple with towering eaves and standing statues of gods—it was a temple dedicated to the City God.

The temple collapsed, instantly shattering the procession of a hundred demons into dust, turning it into a cloud of murky mist.

Before a smile could even appear on his face, another procession of honor walked in through the misty fog, just like his own.

That "Qi Chenghuang" still looked like a treacherous minister who acted against the natural order, yet he still sternly rebuked him.

Seeing this, the underworld officials felt a sense of unease. Could this ghostly image appear a second time, or even a third? Could it just keep repeating itself?
Enraged, Qi Chenghuang once again used the Golden Seal to suppress the ghostly image before him.

But as the sound of gongs and drums rang out, the ghostly procession, identical to them, emerged once again from the mist.

The underworld official holding the brush couldn't help but speak up, advising, "My lord! You must cherish your divine power!"

Upon hearing this, he suddenly came to his senses. He had already severed all ties with the mortal world and was now a carefree deity in the divine realm. However, if he were to use his Yuanzhen divine power repeatedly in the mortal world, it would be tantamount to killing himself!

Because the deities who have severed their ties with the mortal world will no longer receive offerings, they will live forever in the divine realm.

However, if one's divine power is exhausted, one cannot remain in the divine realm and will fall into the underworld to be reincarnated.

Why did I act so impulsively?

Qi Chenghuang was surprised for a moment, then realized that he had been agitated by the formless demon, which led him to make such an impulsive move.

After being awakened by the Yin official beside him, he finally came to his senses and felt a sense of lingering fear.

The other party is just a minor demon who has not yet reached the Yuanzhen realm. How could he have the ability to bewitch people's minds?
If it were just bewitching mortals and fooling the masses, that would be one thing, but what's terrifying is that even as a city god, he himself could not avoid such bizarre sorcery.

"This Wuxiang is most likely the work of a great celestial being; we must not provoke him!"

Thinking of this, he flicked his sleeve, rolled up the ceremonial guards, and turned into a gust of cold wind before retreating.

A cold wind rose, and the group traveled a thousand miles under the cover of night to return to the City God Temple.

Grand Tutor Qi returned to the temple, looked up at the weathered statue, and sighed, "Since I have severed my ties with the mortal world, I should not, should not have come back."

The official in charge of writing offered words of comfort: "My lord, you too cannot bear to part with the Great Zhao dynasty."

"Heh, the Great Zhao Dynasty? Three hundred years of Great Zhao, how many capable generals and ministers, heroes of the world, have all turned to dust."

What am I, a mere Grand Tutor, to amount to? I can only eke out a living in the Divine Realm.

"Let's go, come back to the realm of the gods. This time, we will never return to the mortal world, even if it means becoming a villainous figure in history."

Grand Tutor Qi shook his head and sighed, then waved his hand, and the statues in the main hall collapsed with a crash.

Smoke and dust billowed, and gravel scattered everywhere.

One of the pebbles landed at his feet and came to rest quietly on the ground.

Just as Grand Tutor Qi was about to turn and leave, his expression suddenly changed, and he shouted sharply, "Something's not right!"

"My lord, what is this great pair?" The officials holding the brush and the officials holding the book hurriedly stepped forward to ask.

"In the mortal world, I am a spirit. How could a stone falling to the ground possibly touch me?" Grand Tutor Qi said with a grim expression.

"This... perhaps the statue has acquired its divine power due to the long-term exposure to incense offerings. That's why it encountered you, sir?" The scribe pondered.

"No, no, something must be wrong." Grand Tutor Qi frowned and asked, "Why have we come to this mortal world?"

The Yin official immediately replied, "We were dispatched by you, sir, from the realm of gods to the mortal world to find the formless demon that is causing chaos."

"The formless demon? The formless..."

Grand Tutor Qi murmured in a low voice, "Wu Xiang... Wu Xiang, that prefect said that the Wu Xiang sect might be the work of the Wu Xiang demon."

What is the Formless Demon most skilled at?

The Yin official holding the book immediately replied, "The formless demon is most adept at bewitching people's hearts."

"To bewitch people? Heh heh heh~"

Grand Tutor Qi sneered, "We were almost fooled by the illusion of this Formless Demon! I'm afraid we haven't left Mount Wanxiang at all, and we're still standing in front of Mount Wanxiang right now!"

"what?"

"How can this be?"

The ghost messengers stared in shock at their surroundings; it was clearly the City God Temple of Shenzhou.

"What a cunning Wuxiang! He's truly adept at bewitching people's hearts." Grand Tutor Qi sneered, "Now that I've seen through him, why don't you show yourself, Wuxiang?"

However, there was no sound at all.

Fengbi Yin Guan touched the snow on the ground; it was icy cold and incredibly realistic. With a flick of his wrist, snowflakes scattered everywhere, a sensation that couldn't be more real.

He explained, "Sir, this is clearly the City God Temple! Even if it were an illusion, it couldn't be this realistic!"

Grand Tutor Qi glanced back at the snowflakes falling from his hand. "No, we are both spirits, without physical bodies in the mortal realm. How can we sense the coldness?"

"What?" The Yin official was shocked for a moment, and hurriedly touched his body. He clearly had a flesh and blood body, so how could he be a ghost?
He asked in surprise, "Grand Tutor! Didn't we come to pay homage to the City God?"

Grand Tutor Qi, who was closing his eyes, was startled. He looked up and saw a group of officials behind him, some smiling obsequiously at him, others bowing their heads with unease.

"This is……"

A man in a crimson official robe stepped forward and smiled:

"Grand Tutor, what do you think of this City God Temple? This place was originally the site of the City God Xu, appointed by the late Emperor, but his son committed that crime, and the title of City God was revoked as a result."

"Look, we've already toppled that statue. Once your statue is completed, it will stand here. At that time, the entire City God Temple will be extensively renovated, and all the people of the prefecture will worship you!"

Grand Tutor Qi lowered his head and looked at a piece of gravel at his feet. He bent down and picked it up; it still smelled of dirt and dust.

"No, something's not right."

Grand Tutor Qi stared in astonishment at the broken stones in his hand and muttered to himself, "This should be my statue. My statue should be here."

Behind him, the officials said, "Grand Tutor, this place will surely be where your statue is placed in the future!"

"No! No! Shouldn't I be the City God Qi now?" Grand Tutor Qi's mind was filled with chaotic memories. He shook his head and almost fell over.

Fortunately, an official caught him quickly and said with a soft laugh, "Grand Tutor, City God, that title can only be given after your death."

Grand Tutor Qi was startled and suddenly grabbed his hand. "No, no, who are you? Are you Wuxiang? Are you Wuxiang?"

(End of this chapter)