White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 52 Impermanence
Inside the cave, Bai Wuxiang's skin and bones exploded, and an instinctive panic arose in his heart.

"escape!"

"escape!"

"Run away!"

He heard two light footsteps approaching from somewhere, accompanied by the swaying of iron chains.

Bai Wuxiang suppressed his fear. It was Bai Gu's subconscious instinct urging him to flee, a reaction that only a wild beast would have when its life was in grave danger.

He looked around, but everything on Skull Mountain remained the same in the dead of night, and he saw no one.

"I'm afraid they're... from the underworld!"

Bai Wuxiang sat cross-legged on the stone platform in the cave, suppressing the trembling of his bones and body. He could not leave.

Where could he find a more suitable place after leaving Skull Mountain? He still has some yin energy to protect him in his own cave. If he leaves the cave, he will lose the advantage of location and people, and he will probably be in an even more passive position!

The little white fox, who was fast asleep, seemed to sense something and opened its sleepy eyes.

Bai Wuxiang flicked his sleeve, and a cold wind blew up. The little white fox's eyelids, which had just opened, closed heavily again.

He stood up and walked out of the cave.

The bright moonlight illuminated the mountain scenery with a cold and desolate atmosphere. For the first time, Bai Wuxiang felt a bone-chilling coldness, and wisps of mist drifted along the path in front of the cave.

Bai Wuxiang shook his head, his eyes fixed on the road beneath his feet, when two blurry figures appeared at the other end of the road.

One tall and one short, swaying figures appeared a dozen feet in front of them in a few leaps, having traveled from a hundred feet away.

Only then did Bai Wuxiang see clearly that the newcomers were one in black and one in white, one tall and one short, with long, scarlet tongues sticking out in front of their waists, dead faces, and droopy eyes, all wearing official hats.

These are the Black and White Impermanence, the legendary figures in folklore who capture and guide souls!
White Impermanence glanced at the ghost and sneered, "So it's just a little devil. Yama even personally gave the order, saying it was a decree from heaven."

Black Impermanence chuckled, "Then let's save ourselves the trouble and take him back to the underworld as soon as possible."

Having said that, he raised the Soul-Hooking Chain in his hand and tossed it into the air. It instantly landed on Bai Wuxiang's neck, the chain moving like a serpent and tightly binding his neck.

But unexpectedly, Bai Wuxiang's body suddenly went limp, as soft as paper, and the soul-hooking chains naturally missed their mark.

Black Impermanence sneered, "So it's someone who can dress up in human skin, and it seems to be quite intelligent. Perfect, I'll capture it and use it for hard labor."

Upon hearing this, Bai Wuchang laughed and said, "That's a good thing. Let's see how I force him to reveal his ghost form!"

He raised the mourning staff in his hand and waved it in the air. A white light spread out, and the yin energy in all directions receded.

A mournful ghostly howl suddenly pierced the night sky, and under the moonlight, on the top of Skull Mountain, a skeleton stood up shakily.

Bai Wuxiang shed his human skin and escaped the soul-snatching lock. He stared coldly at the two figures beneath him, his dark blue flame pupils flashing.

From Skull Mountain, a series of creaking sounds came, and the skeletons that had been sleeping on the mountain stood up.

Thousands of skeletons stood up, standing there blankly and helplessly.

Bai Wuxiang coldly said, "Two Yin Gods, I have been diligently cultivating and pursuing the Dao, and have not caused any chaos in the mortal world. Why do you want to capture me?"

Black Impermanence sneered, "The spirits of the underworld are the souls of the mortal realm. Yin and Yang are distinct. If you remain in the mortal realm, you are going against Yin and Yang and disregarding the laws of the underworld."

"We are two righteous gods of the underworld, how could we not capture you?"

"Is that so? Then you two righteous gods are welcome to take it."

Bai Wuxiang's eyes, glowing with ghostly fire, suddenly flashed, and the eyes of the thousands of skeletons behind him lit up with a ghostly light, rushing towards Hei Bai Wuchang and Bai Wuchang like hyenas in the mountains.

A look of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Black and White Impermanence. They immediately formed a hand seal, and the Mourning Staff and Soul-Hooking Lock released a mysterious light, repelling the skeletons.

But the skeletons are fearless and even when broken, they twist and reassemble themselves into human bones.

White Impermanence frowned and said, "This ghost is indeed extraordinary. It seems I must ask my divine intervention!"

"Alright, we still need to capture this ghost, lest we incur the wrath of King Yama."

The two Impermanent Ones waved their hands again and began to chant:
"The three realms are yin and yang, the ten directions are impermanent. The other shore flower blooms, and the River of Oblivion is crossed."

Impermanence reigns through countless ages, a thousand spells are cast!

Standing atop the mountain, Bai Wuxiang watched the two summoning something. Without further delay, he activated the Vengeful Spirit Pearl, pointed his hand into the air, and a divine power of faith suddenly exploded like a blazing sun. The two Impermanent Ones cried out in alarm and, without having time to use their abilities, hurriedly jumped and fled back to the underworld.

As the two impermanent beings departed, the skeletons in the mountains returned to normal, and Bai Wuxiang retrieved the human skin and put it back on.

It seems his prediction was correct. Even though Black and White Impermanence are the righteous gods of the underworld, they still fear the power of incense and divine power in the human world, which are of the yang nature.

Moreover, this pair of impermanent spirits did not seem to use their full strength; they were able to subdue most of the ghosts in the mortal realm simply by relying on the restraint of the magical artifacts in their hands against the ghosts.

If they really manage to summon that underworld deity, I'm afraid I'll be in real trouble.

He pondered why the other party would suddenly come to subdue him. If the impermanent were truly selfless, then perhaps all vengeful ghosts and evil spirits would be captured and taken back to the underworld as soon as they were born.

To be honest, Bai Wuxiang himself wasn't quite sure whether he should be considered a ghost or a demon.

If it were truly a ghost or spirit, then he should be unable to escape the Black Impermanence's soul-snatching chains; but if it weren't, he wouldn't feel any instinctive fear.

Half demon, half ghost, half god, half human—I really am a monster.

……

In the dark wilderness of the underworld, a flash of mysterious light appeared, and the Black and White Impermanence fell out in a sorry state, startling the wandering souls nearby into scattering and fleeing.

The White Impermanence, his face still showing shock, asked, "How can this ghost use the power of incense and fire?"
Isn't he a ghost or spirit?

"This...did you notice the skeletons all over the mountain?" Black Impermanence asked uncertainly. "I remember that the Judge's records mention a kind of being that is half corpse and half spirit, somewhere between the dead and the living."

And this ghostly creature is most likely the legendary White Bone Corpse Demon!

"A corpse demon?" Bai Wuchang couldn't help but stick out his drooping bloody tongue. "This thing is a corpse demon?"
That's true, otherwise how could he break free from our ghost-suppressing artifacts? Well, that's none of our business.

Let the judges and kings of hell deal with it.

Black Impermanence frowned and said, "So we've made a wasted trip? We didn't even catch a little devil who does hard labor."

How about we go back to the mortal realm and find a few little ghosts? I've been so tired lately."

"Forget it, the energy in the human world is in complete chaos right now. Those old Taoist priests and treacherous demon kings are scheming all along."

Since we don't have underworld officials to protect us, it's best to avoid going to the mortal realm.

Otherwise, if we two Impermanent Ones were captured, the original wouldn't even bother looking for us. After all, we're Impermanent Ones incarnates; if we don't do the hard work, who will?

Bai Wuchang sighed helplessly and said resignedly.

……

The next day, it was another rainy day in the mountains. A continuous drizzle fell, and the distant mountains were shrouded in mist.

Bai Wuxiang emerged from the cave, leaving Skull Mountain and arriving at Hundred Flowers Village.

Standing before the former temple, it is no longer possible to tell that this was once the abode of the Azure God.

The temple is covered with flowers and plants, and bees and butterflies flit among the flowers in the rain.

Bai Wuxiang stood in front of the tightly closed temple gate, slightly raised his hand and said, "Wuxiang has come to request an audience with the Flower Goddess."

The temple gate slowly opened, and two yellow butterflies flew out and landed as two beautiful female attendants, who respectfully welcomed him into the temple.

Bai Wuxiang glanced at the female servant and realized it was an illusion, a technique that could be blinded by the naked eye.

He passed through the temple and came to the main hall, where he saw a female deity statue placed where the former statue of the Azure God had been. The statue was colorful and very beautiful.

A ray of spiritual light descended from the statue, transforming into the image of the Flower Goddess, adorned with a hairpin and a flowing cloud-patterned dress, who said with a light smile, "What brings the Formless God to my Hundred Flowers Village?"

Bai Wuxiang didn't presume, and cupped his hands, saying, "The Flower Goddess has cultivated for a long time, so her Taoist arts must be more profound than mine."

I've been puzzled lately, so I've shamelessly come to ask for your advice.

"Oh? The Formless God is no ordinary demon spirit. What could possibly trouble or perplex you?" the Flower Goddess asked with a curious smile.

“Last night, a righteous god from the underworld came to arrest me, but fortunately, he was intimidated by my words and did not make a move.”

"I only heard that it was a decree from heaven, but can a heavenly official really command the underworld gods?" Bai Wuxiang told her about what happened last night, half-truthfully and half-jokingly.

The Flower Goddess was surprised for a moment upon hearing this, but still spoke up: "I never expected the Formless God to be so capable. The Underworld God said it was a decree from Heaven. I wonder which Underworld department came from?"

"They are two impermanent deities."

"That must be it. It seems that the Yin energy of the God of No Form is too heavy, which may have attracted the attention of some heavenly official, so the message was sent to the underworld to dispatch a righteous god to arrest him."

The decrees of Heaven must be obeyed, and the gods on Earth must give them face. As for the extent to which they are carried out, that's uncertain.” The Flower Goddess explained meaningfully, “If the God of Fate doesn't understand, just go and see for yourself in the mortal realm and you'll understand.”

Bai Wuxiang pressed further, "I see, thank you for your enlightenment, Flower Goddess. But I wonder how the celestial officials could possibly notice demons and monsters in the mortal realm?"

"That's hard to say." The Flower Goddess pondered for a moment. "Perhaps one day the Heavenly Lord is in a bad mood and looks down to the mortal realm, only to find that the creatures of the mortal realm are suffering."

Some of the priests were rather impatient, and they would personally intervene, acting as if they were gods descending to earth to subdue demons, thus gaining widespread fame. Many illustrated legends in the human world originated from this practice.

Some high-ranking celestial officials would casually give an order: if it is a demon, then the esoteric and Buddhist sects should be ordered to capture it. If it is a ghost, then the matter should be reported to the underworld, just like your situation, Wuxiang Shen.

Besides these capricious celestial officials and deities, there are also many deities and star lords who travel around the heavens to bestow blessings upon humankind during festivals and birthdays.

Therefore, we mountain spirits must also remember the human calendar, lest we clash with it.

"So there's such a way to do it," Bai Wuxiang exclaimed in surprise. "So there are connections between heaven and earth."

"Hehe, I once listened to the teachings under the Mountain Lord, so I naturally know some of the real secrets." The Flower Goddess whispered, "Our Mountain Lord is someone that even some gods in heaven dare not offend. Therefore, although the Yunze Mountains are not the Three Mountains and Six Caves, they can still remain safe and sound deep in the heart of the human world."

This flower goddess speaks fluently about common sense and all sorts of things, but if you talk to her about Taoist practices and cultivation, she will abruptly stop and change the subject.

Bai Wuxiang also understood that each demon's own cultivation method was extremely precious, and even those of the same bloodline might not be taught it personally, let alone those who were just neighbors.

He didn't ask about the other person's cultivation, but only talked about some common knowledge about cultivation.

As the sun set, Bai Wuxiang prepared to take his leave.

The Flower Goddess then smiled and said, "God of No Form, speaking of which, I also have a request to make. I wonder if you could help me?"

"I wonder what this is about?" Bai Wuxiang was not surprised. He knew that there was no such thing as taking something for nothing, since the other party was so generous in explaining.

"As you know, my Baihua Village suffered a great upheaval last year, with many villagers killed or injured."

"Currently, the village is mostly populated by women, lacking men. I wonder if the God of No Form would be willing to cede some men to my Hundred Flowers Village?"

"That... depends on whether the mountain people agree."

Bai Wuxiang pondered for a moment, "Our two villages can agree to intermarriage. Whether they stay or leave is up to them."

In such a chaotic world, under the rule of feudal dynasties, men were the most indispensable element.

From small families to large dynasties, everyone fears the possibility of a shortage of male offspring.

The fact that Black Stone Village was able to unite people from various prefectures and counties was inseparable from You Junzi's governance, and even more so from the group of veterans who were loyal to the three leaders.

Therefore, Bai Wuxiang did not agree to send a certain number of male offspring directly, but instead proposed to support each other through intermarriage.

The Flower Goddess nodded in agreement. In her eyes, as long as the villagers did not die out, she was too lazy to care about anything else.

After all, in her eyes, humans were like ants, not worth her time or effort.

Back in the White Bone Cave, Bai Wuxiang had figured out many things.

His worries lessened considerably, and he no longer feared that any heavenly soldiers or generals would descend to capture him.

Bai Wuxiang also guessed why he had been noticed by the heavens; he must have been noticed when he took the opportunity to absorb the energy of heaven and earth during his youth.

He made a mental note that he must not do such a thing again in the future.

According to the Flower Goddess, some old demons would risk using this method when their lifespan was nearing its end, hoping to take the opportunity to break through their limits.

Even if a master were to come and capture us, there would be no need to take action; bribing him with some treasures would suffice.

This is a consensus among many old demons in the human world and among Taoist and Buddhist sects.

As April fades away, everything in the mountains remains the same.

After the flash flood, Zhangyang County at the foot of the mountain has recovered. Without the threat of the snake demon harming people, the mountains and fields have regained some vitality, and the people have started to cultivate the land.

The belief in the formless god also spread to some remote mountain villages.

Bai Wuxiang in the mountains could naturally sense the wishes of those people, but he ignored them.

After all, every place has its own customs, and every mountain has its own king.

The people of Zhangyang have their own gods, and if he were to interfere rashly, it would be tantamount to taking away their livelihood from the local gods.

Bai Wuxiang, after all, is not a deity who cultivates through incense and faith, so he does not attach much importance to these offerings.

What he wants is still resentment!

In May, the peaceful Black Stone Village was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums. It turned out that a man from Black Stone Village was willing to marry into Hundred Flowers Village.

In Baihua Village, two women are willing to share one husband, and they can even be allocated private land. These conditions made the villagers who joined Heishi Village last winter unable to resist, and they willingly married into the village.

(End of this chapter)