White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 85 The White Crane Boy
As soon as this ghost appeared in the world, the sky in all directions turned as if night had fallen. Eerie black clouds covered the sky and stretched for thousands of feet, revealing a touch of scarlet in the inky black sky.

The five-headed demon statue grinned and punched the light shield formed by the treasure talisman. Instantly, a shocking dent appeared at the top of the light shield, and fine, spiderweb-like patterns spread out from it.

This scene terrified the Zhang family members, who fled in panic or cried out incessantly.

Through the golden light shield in front of him, Zhang Ji struggled to raise his head, his hunched back revealing the image of the Five-Headed Ghost King reflected in his cloudy eyes. He sighed and said, "Old woman, light some incense."

"You absolutely cannot use the incantation spell on your body anymore!" the old woman advised. "You can't use it anymore!"

"If I don't use it, I'm afraid all the younger generation of the Zhang family will die today."

"What's the point of my old life?" The old man shook his head and sighed, "But in that case, I'm afraid I won't be able to stay by your side anymore."

"It seems you can't keep your word after all." The old woman looked at him calmly. The affection of a lifetime of companionship and understanding allowed them to understand each other's thoughts with just a glance.

She took out three incense sticks from her gray sleeves. This time, instead of using a tinderbox, she offered the incense with both hands and blew on it, causing it to ignite spontaneously.

Smoke rose slowly as the old woman raised incense and bowed three times to the four directions, while the old man stood with his feet on a square platform, bending over. The old woman placed three incense sticks on his head and then silently withdrew.

The old man shook his head and shouted loudly, straightening his body. In a long, melodious voice, he proclaimed, "This disciple respectfully requests that Generals Zeng and Sun descend to the world to subdue demons and evil spirits!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the five-headed ghost kings shattered the protective barrier formed by the precious talisman with a single blow.

Suddenly, three beams of dark golden light flashed out from the three wisps of incense smoke on the old man's head, and then transformed into three figures in front of everyone: one with a blue face and fangs, the other with a blue face and long mane, and the other with a red face and gold decorations.

As soon as the three divine figures appeared, the old woman exclaimed in surprise, "These are Generals Zeng and Sun! Two Dharma protectors under Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva!"

As soon as the three statues appeared, they grew larger in the wind, transforming into giants hundreds of feet tall, descending to the mortal world like three demon gods. Blue, green, and red lights intertwined and flashed, and they held divine tridents, fire tokens, tiger tokens, soul-hooking locks, and other items, all of which were thrown at the five-headed evil spirits.

Seeing the overwhelming killing intent of the two, Zeng and Sun, sweeping towards them, the Five-Headed Asura also spat out five elements of blood light and rushed towards the three.

General Zeng sneered, holding the tiger-shaped token, and pointed it at him, saying, "Demon! Surrender at once!"

The tiger-shaped plaque, adorned with a golden tiger image, emitted rays of light that caused the five-headed ghost statues to roar in anger and scream as they tried to flee.

Through the crack in the window, Xiao Le and Mei Ying peered out the window, watching the scene unfold before them in shock. These two generals, Zeng and Sun, were actually two guardians under Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. They were originally two fierce ghosts and demons who were later subdued by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, reformed, and transformed into three righteous gods, known for killing but not saving.

Three sticks of incense for asking the way, feet treading the steps of the Heavenly Gang, face brushed with divine teeth to suppress the four directions, only killing the heads of officials and generals who do not cross the river.

Just as these three deities appeared, the hunchbacked old man suddenly straightened up, turned his head, his pupils became vertical, and even black and white lines appeared on his face. He wore a feathered crown, his forehead resembled a crane, and his black and white face stared straight ahead.

The five-headed Asuras screamed and howled in agony when glared at by the black and white tattooed face, and half of their bodies turned into green smoke.

The black-and-white tattooed "god" stood with one hand behind his back, while the three generals stepped forward and beheaded the remaining three heads of the demon, which then dissipated into black mist.

Through the window, Xiao Le and Mei Ying were watching the breathtaking scene outside. After the three generals subdued the demons, they turned into a golden light and disappeared.

The old woman murmured in shock, "How come they even invited the White Crane Boy?"

Xiao Le, inside the room, was filled with curiosity and wanted to see more clearly, so he moved even closer to the window crack.

But the next moment, that black-and-white painted face with piercing eyes suddenly appeared in front of the window crack, and those pupils, which were completely different from those of ordinary people, stared straight into Xiao Le's eyes.

Xiao Le was stunned for a moment, her body stiffened so much that she forgot to breathe.

Phantom immediately realized something was wrong; they were treating him as an evil spirit and trying to eliminate him!

The White Crane Boy's eyes suddenly fixed on the phantom in the room through the window crack. He let out a sharp shout like thunder, and the whole kitchen echoed with ghostly wails.

With a shrill cry, the phantom transformed into countless ghostly black shadows that drifted in all directions.

But the White Crane Boy reached out again, stepping on the square platform, and grabbed the phantom's body with the force of heaven and earth.

The White Crane Boy reached out and tightly grasped the dark figure. Sharp, ghostly howls and screams pierced the ears, filling the hearts of everyone in the mansion with terror.

Even if the phantom is strange, it is still just a strange spirit that has not yet reached the Yuanzhen realm. How could it be a match for the manifestation of the White Crane Boy?

He let out a miserable scream and threw the treasure mirror in his arms to Xiao Le. He only had time to tell Xiao Le to hide the mirror well before the White Crane Boy with the Patterned Divine Eyes grabbed it and put it in front of his eyes. Two golden beams of light shone from his pupils, piercing through the phantom's body and turning into a gust of cold wind that blew in all directions.

After doing all this, the White Crane Boy came to his senses and left. Zhang Ji's aura also disappeared, and the patterns on his face and the drooping eyes returned to a human face, but he became a silent corpse.

Upon seeing this scene, the old woman walked forward without showing any joy or sorrow, and began to tidy up Zhang Ji's remains.

Her junior brother sacrificed himself to become a ghost, and when the ghost was killed, he naturally died as well.

When members of the Zhang family came to invite her, the old woman only said, "From now on, there will be no one in the clan who will have any connection with me. The old man's past karma has also been cleared."

Just live your lives as ordinary people.

As she spoke, she took a string of copper bells from her waist and gently dangled them a few times in front of the old man's forehead. Then she stood up and said, "Old man, let me take you back to the old temple. Then I will bury you with you in front of Master's grave, and we can listen to Master preach and chant the Dharma just like before."

After saying that, she shook the bell in her hand, and Zhang Ji's corpse moved, stiffly standing up and hopping away behind her.

……

In the distant Wanxiang Mountain, inside the White Bone Cave, the figure on the stone platform swayed, and eerie wails and screams echoed from the cave.

A huge black shadow floated above Bai Wuxiang's head, roaring furiously, "Kill it! Kill it!"

Unmoved, Bai Wuxiang said, "He is a righteous god of the underworld, a guide and protector under Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the White Crane Boy."

How could I possibly be a match for them? You'd better just come back quietly.

After saying that, Bai Wuxiang waved his hand, and the demonic thoughts of the phantom were absorbed into his body.

Bai Wuxiang also opened his eyes and woke up from his meditation. He sighed. It seems that things in this world are not always as one wishes. With the White Crane Boy appearing in the mortal world, it would be strange if his resentment and yin energy were not regarded as a ghost or evil thing.

In the South, there is a lot of folk religion, and many deities have their own lineages. I'd better avoid going there too often.

Although his demonic body would not completely perish, every time his demonic body was destroyed, it was his original spirit that suffered the most.

Both times the demonic thoughts were destroyed by the gods manifesting in the world, Bai Wuxiang did not gain nothing. He could sense that part of the power of these gods was the connection established between the spirit and energy of the person who performed the invocation and the god's true form through incense, which enabled them to manifest in the human world.

Another part of their power comes from their control over the forces of heaven and earth. In other words, these deities, in addition to their own divine power, can also command the power of heaven and earth!

Bai Wuxiang himself can be called a god in a certain sense, after all, the body of the demon god was once called the ancient god.

Since these deities can borrow the power of heaven and earth, they should be even more able to borrow and mobilize the power of heaven and earth!

However, they are righteous gods after all, while Bai Wuxiang is a demon god, so their methods of borrowing the power of heaven and earth should be different.

"The power of heaven and earth is nothing more than the eight extremes of the Bagua formation, mountains and rivers, the sun, moon and stars, plants, insects and fish, and all living things."

Although I can transform into countless forms through the Four Formless Principles and possess an immortal soul, I am ultimately still lacking something compared to those gods!

Bai Wuxiang pondered deeply, lost in thought.

……

Outside the cave, night falls, and before you know it, it's the end of another year. Outside the cave, the world is bustling and noisy, but inside the cave, everything is silent.

As in previous years, You Junzi came to the cave to pay his respects, but he only saw the white fox at the cave entrance.

The little white fox leaped onto the rock and said, "The cave master is currently cultivating and is afraid he will not be able to see you today."

You Junzi was surprised for a moment before saying, "You little fox, you've actually learned to talk?"

"Hehe, not only have I learned to speak human language, but I can also understand bird language," the little white fox said proudly in a somewhat childish girl's voice.

Foxes are indeed more gifted than other demons in learning to speak and understand language. Although the little white fox is pitifully weak now, it is still more intelligent than some old demons.

"When Lord Wuxiang emerges from seclusion, remember to tell him that I, You, would like to invite him to tea in the spring."

You Junzi smiled and reached out to stroke the fox's fur. The little white fox did not flinch and nodded, saying, "I understand. I will definitely tell the cave master!"

……

In February and March, the snow-covered Wanxiang Mountain melts in the warm spring, and streams converge and flow down to irrigate the farmland.

The elderly people at the foot of the mountain looked up at Wanxiang Mountain and always felt that the mountain seemed to be a bit higher than before.

In fact, Wanxiang Mountain does grow taller year by year, because every year the number of skeletons on the mountain increases, and the bones pile up into a mountain, each zhang higher than the last.

The world below the mountain is becoming increasingly chaotic, and the number of skeletons on Wanxiang Mountain is accumulating.

On this spring night, Bai Wuxiang arrived at the temple amidst the croaking of frogs.

He entered the children's dreams. They had studied diligently for years and read hundreds of books, and now their perception of the world was completely different from before.

Bai Wuxiang vaguely felt that if the Wuxiang Sacrifice were truly completed, it would be a method that would allow him to perceive a completely different realm of heaven and earth.

The eight blind children from back then have grown into teenagers in the past few years, but they don't seem to have much insight into life.

We need to wait patiently a little longer.

Bai Wuxiang is an extremely patient demon; he will not hesitate to wait for years.

Just like bewitching people's hearts, Bai Wuxiang didn't mind spending a few more years bewitching the hearts of everyone in the village, making them believe that they were a god protecting the village, and that even if they turned into bones, they would not be driven away.

Upstairs in the pavilion, Bai Wuxiang and You Junzi, dressed in a green robe, sat facing each other, drinking tea.

The purple clay teapot is filled with winter snow, spring bamboo shoots from the forest, and other herbs, which are boiled in water and simmered for half an hour.

As white smoke billowed and mist rose, the two sat upright on the side of the pavilion, and could see the villagers either carrying hoes to the fields or running back and forth in the village.

You Junzi took a small sip of tea, and only after swallowing it did he let out a long sigh and say:
A light rain and slanting wind bring a chill to the morning; wisps of smoke and sparse willows adorn the sunny beach. The clear Luo River flows gently into the sea. Snowy foam and milky blossoms float in the midday cup; tender bamboo shoots grace the spring platter; the true flavor of life lies in simple pleasures.

Sometimes I really do think that living in seclusion in the mountains is a good place.

Bai Wuxiang laughed upon hearing this and said, "It's a pity that although Brother You is in the mountains, his heart is still in the mortal world and has not yet escaped."

"Alas, the many shackles binding me prevent me from truly enjoying the leisure of being a recluse who can appreciate the scenery and compose poetry." You Junzi shook his head with a wry smile. "I wonder if Lord Wuxiang, with his myriad transformations, also experiences the same sorrows as us humans?"

"Hehe, although there may be, they will be much stronger than people." Bai Wuxiang picked up his teacup, took a sip of the slightly warm tea, and said with a light laugh, "I have also been afraid and worried that one day a master would descend from the sky and kill me through a hole."

At first, I was always on edge, but later, outside Black Stone Village, watching you all grow old, get sick, and die, I felt much more at ease.

I've already died twice, so even if the day of my demise truly comes, I'll have no regrets.

A barely perceptible ripple flickered in You Junzi's eyes as he saw Lord Wuxiang swallow the cup of tea.

The tea is naturally non-toxic, but it seems that Lord Wuxiang is no longer wearing human skin!

Its magical powers seemed to have become much more profound; it could now possess human organs and even consume human breath.

Bai Wuxiang didn't mind the other party's thoughts. As the 206 demonic powers in his body were gradually refined, meridians grew in his bones, giving him human-like characteristics, but he was not a true human.

"I have learned a lot from you," You Junzi said with a smile, refilling his cup of tea.

Bai Wuxiang raised his eyes dismissively, "Brother You, will you raise an army in the future?"

"What do you mean by that, Lord Wuxiang?" You Junzi's heart trembled suddenly, and his wrist holding the teacup trembled involuntarily, spilling a few drops onto the tea table.

"Black Stone Village has been fully developed in terms of land reclamation, farming, mulberry cultivation, education, and law."

It's called a village, but it's actually more like a small mountain kingdom.

"In another two or three years, when the population reaches a thousand, Black Stone Village will no longer be a small village."

Bai Wuxiang smiled and raised his eyebrows, "Outside Yunze Mountain, there is a person who holds up my name, establishes the Wuxiang Sect, and conquers Zhangyang City."

If Brother You possesses such talent and wisdom, and with these thousand men as a base, within three to five years you will be able to expand your territory by a thousand miles and contend with the king for supremacy…”

(End of this chapter)