White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 72 Black Feather
On the western side of Fuyun City, there are low, dilapidated houses everywhere. The chaos of last night has frightened away the beggars and homeless people who lived there.

Soldiers clad in armor moved back and forth through the streets, searching for any trace of demons.

The officials, gentry, and wealthy families in the city breathed a sigh of relief and held banquets to entertain the master who had vanquished the formless demon, asking him to set up exorcism and demon-avoidance rituals in their homes.

When asking someone for a favor, one shouldn't leave them empty-handed. So, in just a few days, Liu Fangyun acquired wealth he had never seen before in his life. He immediately bought a large mansion in the east of the city and hired many servants to serve him.

The formless demon seemed to have truly vanished from this city.

On a long street in Xicheng District, Cui Laoqi looked at his son who could stand up. He was so excited that he couldn't say a word. He just stared at his son who had stood up and kept nodding.

"Good! Good! Good!" Old Cui could only manage to utter one word, "good," his wrinkled face contorted in pain as he tried to laugh but tears streamed down his face.

Seeing his father's condition, Cui Yongqi understood how much suffering his father had endured over the years in seeking medical treatment for him.

He knelt down and said, "Father, I've made you suffer all these years. Now that I can walk again, you won't have to work as hard as before."

"Silly child, as long as you're alright, your father is at ease." Old Cui reached out and wiped away the tears on his face, smiling as he helped him up.

"After a while, I'll find you a good family. Only when I see you settled down and established in your career will I be completely at ease."

Cui Yongqi's face flushed slightly; he hadn't even touched a woman's hand in seventeen years. He turned his head and said, "I'm able to stand up thanks to that benefactor. May I ask where Father found this benefactor?"

"This..." Old Cui's heart skipped a beat, and he made up a lie, saying, "He's a wandering doctor who comes and goes without a trace. We'll just keep this kindness in our hearts and repay him properly if we meet him again in the future!"

“Yes, Father is right. May I ask what this doctor’s name is?” Cui Yongqi asked.

"Well... I haven't really inquired about it." Old Cui didn't dare to say it out loud. At this moment, the whole city was busy catching demons and exterminating ghosts. If others found out, it might cause trouble.

That night, the father and son drank to their hearts' content, but Cui Yongqi, unable to hold his liquor, fell asleep after a few drinks.

Having lived for so many years, Cui Laoqi had an extremely high alcohol tolerance. Taking advantage of his son's drunkenness, he went to a small corner of the yard, parted a pile of firewood, and saw something hidden in the weeds at the corner of the wall.

He parted the haystack and found a faceless clay sculpture with no eyes or mouth, only a little over a foot tall.

Old Cui lit three incense sticks and stuck them in the soil in front of the statue. Then he bowed and knelt down, saying, "Lord Wuxiang, Immortal Wuxiang, I will always remember your great kindness and virtue!"

Although you may be dead, and people outside call you a demon, in my heart, you will always be the benefactor of the Cui family and a god in my heart!
When Qi'er gets married and starts his own family, I will take him away from here and find a secluded place to rebuild your statue! I only ask that you bless my son with a peaceful life!
He's suffered so much in his life, it's time that God has finally granted him a normal life...

In the dead of night, from the corner of the wall, came the whispers of an old man. He prayed softly to the statue of a god, and wisps of smoke rose up and dissipated with the night wind.

Cui Laoqi was not the only one in Fuyun City to do this; many poor people had a statue of a god without facial features enshrined in their homes.

To the officials, gentry, and powerful families, Wuxiang was a ruthless demon who killed without blinking an eye. But to the poor people who suffered oppression from the officials and gentry but were powerless to resist, even if Wuxiang really was a demon, they were willing to worship him.

They harbored resentment and hatred, and when human power could not resolve the issue, the power of ghosts and gods became their only hope.

The Wuxiang Demon's statement caused a great uproar in the city. More than ten officials, gentry, and local bullies had died overnight. Whether the Wuxiang Demon had a spirit or not, their eyes were naturally discerning.

Half a month later, Fuyun City returned to its former tranquility, and Liu Fangyun was no longer a popular figure, gradually falling out of favor.

Standing in the secret room of the Liu family mansion, filled with precious objects, Liu Fangyun looked at everything in front of him and sighed in his heart: "It turns out that wealthy families need silver everywhere. This little bit of silver is not enough for my retirement. It will be gone in two or three years at most."

It's time to find a way to make money.

He pondered for a long time and realized that he had no real skills; the only thing that was somewhat useful was his old profession.

But the city is now peaceful and quiet, so what use is he, a demon hunter?
He pondered this until the wee hours of the morning, still unable to come up with a solution. Frustrated, he got up and began searching through the old demon-catching artifacts passed down through his lineage.

"Pap~"

A voice sounded.

Liu Fangyun glanced to the side, but accidentally knocked over a painting, which fell to the ground.

He picked up the painting and slowly unfolded it.

The temple in the painting is simple and lifelike, with a strange statue enshrined in the main hall, and behind the temple is a mountain of skeletons piled up.

The stark white bones were horrifying, like something out of hell, making him break out in a cold sweat.

"This Wuxiang Demon's magical artifact is too evil."

He muttered something to himself and was about to quickly put the painting away.

But then he suddenly remembered something and, as if possessed, opened the Wuxiang Diagram again. "The real Wuxiang Demon is dead, but there might be a fake Wuxiang Demon!"
If this diagram could be used by me, wouldn't that be...?

Thinking of this, Liu Fangyun had an idea and tried to use his meager magic power to connect with the picture. Instantly, the skeletons in the picture seemed to come alive and started moving, shaking their heads and swaying in the painting.

He suppressed his fear, pointed his finger, and shouted, "Skulls and bones, heed my command!"

The next moment, several skeletal ghostly figures actually flew out of the picture, darting back and forth in the house, some lying on the beams, some climbing the pillars, and some flying left and right.

Upon seeing that these skeletons obeyed his commands, Liu Fangyun was overjoyed. Then, as if remembering something, he sneered, "From now on, let's see who in Fuyun City dares to disrespect me!"

He thought of several fellow demon hunters who harbored resentment towards him and often slandered him in public. A smile crept onto Liu Fangyun's lips. He pointed and said, "Go! Kill them!"

The skeletons instantly transformed into a gust of cold wind and drifted away, guided by Liu Fangyun's mind to a guest room in an inn.

Inside the guest room, two middle-aged men with long beards, dressed in their undergarments, were fast asleep. The two men, who were short of money but had a good relationship with each other, had decided to share a room to save money.

Several skeletal ghostly figures silently crawled out from the crack in the door, then stretched out their claws and pounced on the two people on the bed.

Unexpectedly, a clear, ringing sound of bells suddenly came from one of the people's arms, startling the skeleton away.

The noise woke the two of them up. They opened their eyes groggily, only to be terrified by the scene before them.

"A skeleton demon! Where did this skeleton demon come from?" The two hurriedly grabbed their eating utensils, peach wood sword, ghost-scarring bell, and exorcism talisman...

However, the two were just charlatans who swindled people. They had no real skills and no lineage of masters. These artifacts only frightened the skeleton and then became useless.

The two were pounced on by the skeleton demon, which devoured their souls and essence. Within a dozen breaths, they were lifeless, their souls drained and their lives lost.

After several skeletal ghosts returned to the Liu residence, they disappeared into the painting. Liu Fangyun exclaimed with ecstasy, "What a treasure! What a treasure!"

Those two deserve to die! From now on, anyone who dares to mess with me won't be able to hold back!

As he spoke, he looked at the Formless Diagram in front of him with a somewhat manic expression, holding it in his hand with great affection.

On the Skull Mountain in the picture, a group of white bones have hollow pupils that seem to be silently gazing at the man in front of the picture who is insane.

The next day, when the innkeeper's servant came to urge the guests to check out, he discovered two corpses. He was so frightened that his legs went weak and he immediately reported it to the authorities.

The two corpses showed no signs of poisoning, sword wounds, suffocation, or fractures, leaving the coroners baffled.

Rumors spread like wildfire throughout Fuyun City that the Faceless Demon was still alive.

As a result, Liu Fangyun was once again given importance and was even granted considerable power by the prefect, who was specifically tasked with investigating the harm caused by demons.

Once he gained power, he began to pretend to search for demons, but in reality, he was secretly amassing wealth. If no money was found, he would claim that evil spirits were haunting the house, and would either verbally threaten the person or, in more serious cases, search their home and cause chaos.

For several days in a row, people died after their souls were devoured by the demon, but he gained nothing, which caused many people to complain.

It wasn't until the prefect gave him an ultimatum that Liu Fangyun stopped his plans to continue embezzling money and hurriedly tried to find a scapegoat.

He quickly identified his target and chose a scapegoat from among the many strange tales he had collected.

On this day, Cui Laoqi, who was telling his gang about important events in the martial arts world on the long street, suddenly felt his right eyelid twitch.
After speaking for a while, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, if there's nothing else going on, just stay in your respective streets and alleys and beg for food. Don't get involved in the affairs of those high-ranking officials and nobles." "Yes! Elder, don't worry!"

Everyone agreed with smiles.

Cui Laoqi then dusted off his clothes and turned to go home.

But then a black crow flew in from nowhere and landed on the street where he was going home, cawing incessantly.

Cui Laoqi felt a tightness in his chest, and as if sensing something, he ran home.

Before they even arrived, two beggars came running up, shouting in alarm, "Elder, something terrible has happened! A whole bunch of soldiers have stormed into your house and taken Yongqi away!"

"What? How could this happen?" Old Cui exclaimed in shock and anger, "How could this happen?"

"They...they say Yongqi is the Formless Demon! He is the Formless Demon in disguise!"

A beggar whispered.

"Nonsense! How could my son be a demon without form?" Old Cui shouted angrily, his face flushed red.

"But, but even demon hunters have made him reveal himself! I saw that Yongqi's body was half gone, just like that skeleton demon, it was terrifying!"

"You bastard!" Old Cui kicked him to the ground in a fit of rage and hurriedly ordered, "Go, gather all the brothers in the gang, and come with me to the government office to hold a demonstration!"

Without taking a break, he ran towards the government office.

A crowd of people had already gathered in front of the government office.

Liu Fangyun, dressed in a Celestial Master's robe and holding a peach wood sword, addressed the crowd: "Recently, the Wuxiang Demon has come to cause trouble and harm people again. This demon is extremely cunning and treacherous. Fortunately, I am more skilled and have captured this demon."

Please take a look, everyone!

As he spoke, he pointed to Cui Yongqi, who was pinned to a wooden stake. Cui Yongqi's body was covered with talismans, his limbs were bound by iron chains, and his mouth was covered with a wad of coarse cloth, making it impossible for him to speak.

He shook his head, sweating profusely, struggling with disheveled hair, but no one could save him.

A member of the public couldn't help but ask, "Is this the Formless Demon? How come I can't tell?"

"Yes, isn't this just a normal person?"

Everyone discussed in low voices.

"You heretic! Don't spout nonsense! This is my son, how could he be some kind of demon?" At this moment, Cui Laoqi shouted angrily, standing in front of the stage, and everyone stepped back.

When Cui Yongqi saw his father on the stage, he struggled even more desperately, making muffled noises as if trying to speak.

"You're his father? Alas, it's a pity your son was already eaten by the Formless Demon." Liu Fangyun sighed, "The Formless Demon is most skilled at transformation and bewitching people's hearts."

"You've been bewitched by Wuxiang, old man. This demon is merely disguised as your son."

"Nonsense! You demon! Do you think I don't know whether he's my son or not? Besides, if he were truly a demon without form, how could you have captured him so easily?"

"In my opinion, you just want to slander my son and find a scapegoat who died unjustly!" Old Seven Cui shouted angrily. "Even if I, Old Seven Cui, am no better, I am still an elder of the Beggars' Sect, and I am also a five-bag elder."

Where are all the members of the Fuyun City gang?

"A disciple of the Beggars' Sect greets the Elder!"

Immediately, nearly a hundred people in the crowd knelt down on one knee, holding sticks, creating a formidable scene.

This scene caused a flash of anger in Liu Fangyun's eyes, and he replied, "Seventh Brother Cui, your son has been bedridden for seventeen years. If he could be cured, he would have been cured long ago!"
Ironically, the moment the Faceless Demon appeared, your son's leg ailment miraculously disappeared. Moreover, the Faceless Demon first appeared on the long street in your area of ​​the West District.

Cui Laoqi, you've been bewitched by Wuxiang!

"And you too, you've all been deceived by this formless demon's disguise. Today, I, this humble Taoist, will show you the demon's true form!"

As he spoke, he made a hand seal and pointed at Cui Yongqi on the wooden stake. Instantly, a cold wind arose, and Cui Yongqi's body strangely transformed into a skeleton, without skin or flesh, with a terrifying skull on his face.

Its voice also turned into a piercing howl, and its eyes flickered with eerie blue flames. At this moment, it was a skeletal demon!
This scene frightened everyone, and some of the more timid people even collapsed to the ground with their legs going weak.

"Now you all believe me, right? If it weren't for my superior skills, you would all be this demon's food right now!" Liu Fangyun said at the right moment.

"The immortal's supernatural powers are boundless!"

"Yes, Immortal Master, what wonderful methods you have! You have brought great benefits to us common people."

His inside man was already among the crowd below, and he shouted repeatedly.

For a time, even the members of the Beggars' Sect dared not mention saving people anymore.

Old Cui was shocked for a moment, but he still didn't believe it and said, "It must be your sorcery that harmed my son!"

"Hmph, I see you've been completely bewitched by the Faceless Demon! Guards, take him down too and make him kneel on the platform to see for himself whether this is his son or the Faceless Demon!"

Immediately, a group of over a thousand officers and soldiers escorted Cui Laoqi onto the platform.

Liu Fangyun raised his voice, "Now that we've captured this demon, we can't let him off easily. Last time, this demon narrowly escaped from my grasp, but today we can't let him get away!"

I then used the Samadhi True Fire to completely annihilate his soul and spirit!

Having said that, he brandished his longsword, chanted a spell, and then pointed sharply. A burst of crimson flames suddenly rose from Cui Yongqi's body on the wooden stake, enveloping him completely.

Screams rang out, but what reached the ears were human voices.

Cui Laoqi struggled to break free from the soldiers' restraints and ran to the fire. He cried out in anguish, trying to reach out and save his son, but it was too late. The flames were extremely fierce and went out after only a few breaths.

Only a charred corpse remained on the spot.

Old Cui, his eyes bloodshot, held the corpse tightly. The scalding heat from the fire scorched his flesh, giving off a pungent smell of burnt meat.

He felt a surge of heat in his chest, and he roared weakly, glaring fiercely at Liu Fangyun, "You evil Taoist! You harmed my son, I will make you pay with your blood!"

With that, Cui Laoqi, holding his son's body, prepared to leave.

Liu Fangyun felt a chill run down his spine from the glare and said coldly, "It seems this person might also be a remnant of the Wuxiang Demon! Men, seize him as well!"

The officers and soldiers surrounded him in a tense standoff. Cui Laoqi stretched out his hand and looked at his bloodied and mangled palm. He couldn't feel any pain.

"Ah~"

Just then, a noisy cawing of crows came, and the black smoke emanating from Cui Laoqi's body turned into black crow feathers.

Then, countless crow feathers swarmed in all directions, and Cui Laoqi disappeared along with the charred corpse.

"What's going on? Could it be that the Formless Demon really didn't die?" Liu Fangyun swept away the crow feathers in front of him with his sleeve, thinking in shock.

"A demon! It really is a demon! Old Cui is a demon too!" The people below cried out in alarm upon seeing this scene.

Liu Fangyun was lost in thought when, in a daze, he heard a low laugh in his ear again, only this time the laugh was even colder.

"Who? Who's laughing?"

He roared in fear and unease, scanning the crowd below the stage, only to feel that pairs of malevolent eyes were staring intently at him, as if he were a dead man.

(End of this chapter)