White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 18 Red and White Feuds

"Om~"

A faint, ethereal light emanated from the statue, and a figure appeared in the temple.

Upon seeing this figure, Ah Liu quickly knelt down and said, "Greetings, Lord Wuxiang!"

Bai Wuxiang stretched out his hand and said with a smile, "If you offer your grievances to me, the contract will be formed naturally!"

Without hesitation, the woman in red extended her fingertip, and in the instant that gods and demons intersected, her figure disappeared into Bai Wuxiang's body.

"Let's go, I'll fulfill your wish for you."

Bai Wuxiang smiled and said, the cold aura in the temple slowly disappeared, and his figure sank into the moonlight.

……

Outside Black Stone Village, as the sun began to set, Liu Hong was trimming felled bamboo with a long saw in a bamboo grove. Two villagers returning home from their farm work saw him and greeted him, "Master Liu, it's almost dark, and you're still busy."

Liu Hong stopped what he was doing, looked up and calmly replied, "Well, these are the bamboo tools the boss wants, so naturally I have to finish them as soon as possible."

"Haha, thank you for your hard work, Master Liu." The two villagers said and then left.

A hint of fatigue showed on Liu Hong's dark face. He wiped his hands on his coarse cloth clothes, then took out a gourd pendant from his clothes and wore it on his chest. He carefully opened the lid, put his nose close, and gently smelled the faint fragrance inside, feeling his heart flutter.

His eyes were slightly hazy, and he involuntarily closed them gently, savoring the fragrance, and murmured to himself, "Fu'er, do you know how much your husband misses you?"

A black crow landed in the bamboo forest, folded its wings, and perched on a branch, its pale crow eyes silently watching the man.

Just as the man put the gourd pendant back on, the black crow suddenly spread its wings, pounced, snatched the pendant with its claws, tore the rope, and with a flap of its wings, flung Liu Hong to the ground.

Liu Hong was knocked to the ground by the black crow. Ignoring the pain on his face, he ran desperately to catch up with the crow that had snatched the pendant, cursing, "You beast! Give it back to me! Or I'll kill you!"

As he spoke, he picked up stones from the ground and threw them at the black crows that were moving through the forest. This pendant was all he had for his deceased wife, and he absolutely could not lose it!

Liu Hong chased after Xuan Ya with all his might. No matter how many times he fell along the way, even if he was bleeding from his head and scraped on his knees, he still gritted his teeth and insisted on keeping up.

Before they knew it, the black crow flew to a riverbank, loosened its grip on the pendant, and threw it into the river.

"Puff~"

The river water rippled, and Liu Hong, almost delirious, was about to jump into the river to retrieve the pendant.

But a voice suddenly rang out from the riverbank, bringing him to an abrupt halt.

"Husband..."

Liu Hong suddenly turned his head and saw a pretty woman in red sitting on the riverbank, gazing at him with affectionate eyes.

"Fu'er! Fu'er!"

Liu Hong's eyes widened in disbelief and surprise. "Fu'er! You're back!"

"Yes, my husband, I'm back. Have you been thinking of me?"

Yunfu brushed a stray strand of hair from her temple, her smile as radiant as a flower, her alluring black eyes captivating and mesmerizing.

Liu Hong excitedly ran forward, hugged her tightly, and couldn't help but wail in her arms.

"Fu'er, I miss you day and night, I think of you every moment!" Liu Hong held her tightly, murmuring, "Don't go, don't go, okay?"

"Alright, my husband, this time we won't be apart." Yunfu patted his back, gently lowered her head, and whispered in Liu Hong's ear in the softest of voices:

“My husband, this time not only have I returned, but my sister has also returned.”

"what?"

Liu Hong, who was in a state of joy, suddenly opened his eyes wide, and a sense of fear welled up in his heart. He stood up and looked around. "Fu'er, what are you talking about?"

"A joke? Hehe, my husband, what are you afraid of? Come with me and see." Yunfu laughed and grabbed Liu Hong's collar, pulling him into the river.

The suffocating feeling made him struggle desperately. Liu Hong struggled in the river, but he sank deeper and deeper until he reached the bottom.

Just as his consciousness was fading, he heard a soft, laughing voice again, "Husband, who do you think is more beautiful, me or my sister?"

Liu Hong turned around at the sound, and instantly froze, standing there stunned.

But at the bottom of the deep, clear river, two women were laughing and entwined together. Yun Fu, dressed in alluring red, was embracing Yun Rong, dressed in white, who was as aloof and elegant as jade.

The two embraced and laughed in the dark depths of the water, gazing at him with tender affection.

Liu Hong was terrified, because he clearly remembered that Yun Rong had died at his hands! Ten years ago, when he was drunk at the foot of the mountain, he couldn't resist his desires and forced himself on Yun Fu's older sister, Yun Rong.

Fearing discovery, he had no choice but to kill Yun Rong and bury her in his own backyard.

But to her surprise, Yunfu still discovered some clues. She wanted to report it to the authorities and seek justice for her sister.

But Liu Hong would never allow such a thing to happen, so he locked his wife in the house. He loved his wife too much and couldn't bear to see her die or leave her.

But after being repeatedly raped by the other party, Yunfu lost all will to die and starved herself to death.

After being devastated, Liu Hong carried Yun Fu's ashes with him at all times, and blended them into a fragrance that he kept by his side.

In the icy water, a woman dressed in red and white danced gracefully with a captivating smile, drawing Liu Hong's heart to the dark depths.

The river soon returned to calm, and a bloated corpse slowly floated up.

The gourd pendant containing the ashes was opened, and the ashes dissolved into the river water. Grayish-white dust surrounded the body, and it slept peacefully in the still water.

On the riverbank, Bai Wuxiang quietly looked at the corpse. A black crow landed on his shoulder, and he asked softly, "Crow, tell me, is love in this world a poison? It rots the heart and destroys the flesh."

It still captivates mortals, making them feel as if they are in a dream.

"Ah~"

The black crow cawed loudly and shook its head. Bai Wuxiang reached out and placed Yun Fu's last lingering attachment onto his garment. This poor woman vanished from the world forever, but her past would be remembered by Bai Wuxiang, and by this garment itself.

Perhaps her husband, Liu Hong, loved her, but human desires are boundless, and a slight misstep can lead to endless sins. But how innocent was her sister, Yun Rong?
That's all, it's all in the past now.

Bai Wuxiang shook his head and returned to the White Bone Cave alone.

……

Black Stone Village was missing a carpenter. The villagers told the village leaders about it. When You Junzi led everyone to the riverbank, Liu Hong's body was already covered with worms.

You Junzi stared at the corpse with a grim expression. He knew that Liu Hong's death was inextricably linked to the person in the temple.

But he held back and did not tell the villagers the truth.

Days passed by like this. On this day, the men in the village got up very early, took their swords, spears, and bows, and went out of the village gate.

On the locust tree of Skull Mountain, the black crow, observing the changes in the atmosphere of the village, curiously took flight and followed.

Zhao Lengxiang led the group to ambush on both sides of a mountain path, patiently waiting for their prey.

When the sun was high in the sky, a caravan finally entered the narrow passage.

Zhao Lengxiang surveyed the caravan before her. Horses carried heavy loads of goods, and donkeys were also used as transport. There were no carriages or sedan chairs. There were a total of seventy or eighty people, but only about ten of them were armed with swords.

Seeing this, she breathed a sigh of relief and put her fingers in her mouth, blowing hard to make a whistle.

"Cuckoo~"

Soon, nearly a hundred people swarmed out from the bushes on both sides of the road, each armed with a weapon, and surrounded the caravan from the front and back.

Such a change immediately startled the horses and donkeys, and the people in the caravan all panicked.

One of the middle-aged martial artists, nearing forty, with a long staff at his waist and a rather imposing presence, stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, "Brothers from which path do you come from?"
We are a merchant caravan from Tingyu Pavilion in Yunzhou. Those who frequent the martial world must have heard of us, right? We hope you won't make things difficult for us!

Zhao Lengxiang leaped out and stood in front of the villagers, sneering, "This mountain path belongs to my Black Stone Village. We don't care what kind of martial arts forces you have. If you want to pass through here, you'll have to pay the toll!"

The middle-aged martial artist was surprised to see that the leader was a woman, but he still smiled and said, "I am Jiang Zhongyun, a protector of the Thunderbolt Hall. It's a pleasure to meet you! May I ask your name, lady?"

"We are nobody, so there's no need to mention us. You'd better pay upfront to avoid a fight and ruining our relationship," Zhao Lengxiang said without changing her expression.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhongyun hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand, and a man came over with a money bag in his hand and handed it to him.

He opened the bag, poured out the gleaming silver, making sure everyone could see it clearly, and then said, "Brothers of the road, take a good look. Here is thirty taels of silver. Our caravan doesn't have it easy either, so we hope you can do us a favor!"

Zhao Lengxiang glanced at the silver and laughed, "This hero is very generous. But we won't be able to use the silver in this desolate wilderness. Why not give us some grain, rice, salt, and cloth so we can have a full stomach?"

"This...you..." Jiang Zhongyun's face turned ugly. Just as he was about to speak, a young man from the caravan stepped forward and sneered, "You're being far too greedy! Do you think Tingyu Pavilion is afraid of bandits and mountain thieves like you?"
You've all probably heard of the Thousand Silver Soul-Snatching Umbrella I'm holding, right? If you don't want to die, get out of my way!

The young man held a silver iron umbrella in his hand, stood on horseback, and looked at the crowd with cold eyes.

"The Thousand Silver Soul-Snatching Umbrella? How come there's such a thing?" Zhao Lengxiang frowned. This item was a famous weapon in the martial arts world, made by Wang Chengze, the first master of Tingyu Pavilion. He had used it to kill more than ten top-notch masters in the martial arts world. Even the masters on the martial arts ranking list had to give way to it.

"Here's what we'll do. Yunze Mountain stretches for hundreds of miles, and the mountain roads are complex and rugged. If you don't have a guide to the mountain roads, you might be stuck in the mountains for many days."

"If you are willing to give us some grain, rice, salt, and cloth, our Black Stone Village will guide you."

Hearing Zhao Lengxiang's words, the young man remained unmoved. However, Jiang Zhongyun's expression changed, and he smiled and said, "Young master, why don't you give them something?"

Upon hearing this, the young man closed his silver umbrella, his expression not very pleasant.

Jiang Zhongyun had some rice and salt delivered to them before smiling and saying, "This heroine, please give us some pointers. We passed through a village a few days ago and heard that there was a rabies outbreak not long ago, and the entire village was wiped out. I wonder if things are peaceful in these mountains lately?"

Zhao Lengxiang replied with a smile, "Of course it's peaceful. However, if you take the wrong path, there are many villages in these mountains that eat man-eating sheep, and your safety might be in danger then."

Sanwen, Zhao Jiu, you two go with them and lead the way.

Two men immediately stepped forward and bowed in response.

"I suppose you understand the rules. Our Black Stone Village has always had a good reputation. As long as you follow the rules, we can naturally cooperate for a long time, and there will be no risk on the trade route to the two prefectures," Zhao Lengxiang said meaningfully.

"Hehe, thank you for your guidance, heroine! If we take this mountain path again, we will naturally inform Black Stone Village!" Jiang Zhongyun understood the other party's meaning and smiled as he cupped his hands in greeting.

Zhao Lengxiang waved her hand, and the crowd immediately dispersed, making way for them.

Only after watching the caravan depart did Zhao Lengxiang breathe a sigh of relief and say, "I didn't expect it to go so smoothly this time."

“Yes, Third Boss. Don’t you think our good days are coming if we specialize in this kind of thing from now on?” one of the men said happily.

"What are you thinking? The mountain roads of Yunze Mountain are not easy to travel. The caravans that can get here are not ordinary ones. Let's try not to fight if we can avoid it. Alright, let's hurry back to the village."

The group happily left with their valuables, while the black crow silently watched from a distance.

Inside the cave, Bai Wuxiang pondered. It seemed that Black Stone Village still had a means of contacting the outside world; otherwise, Zhao Lengxiang wouldn't have known in advance when the caravan arrived and whether it could be hijacked.

And then there's You Junzi. He must be hiding some secret. Otherwise, wouldn't it be much more enjoyable for his group to build a village at the foot of the mountain than to build one deep in the mountains?
It's likely that You Junzi's claim of leading everyone to seek refuge and build a fortified village is just a ruse. He's supposedly a subordinate of Prince Yi, and likely has some connection to the imperial court.

"Boom~"

On a summer afternoon, mountain rain comes intermittently.

At the entrance of the White Bone Cave, Bai Wuxiang stepped out of the cave and looked at the lightning in the sky. Each bolt contained a destructive power that made his body tremble.

The dark, heavy clouds stretched for miles, completely obscuring the light of day, making it as dark as night.

The power of heaven and earth carried by the thunder made all the spirits and demons in the mountains tremble with fear.

In a large stronghold less than a hundred miles from Black Stone Village, there is a deep sinkhole. From the sinkhole emerges a thick and terrifying giant python. The python climbs out and looks up at the lightning in the sky with both expectation and fear in its eyes.

For demons, every step of cultivation is incredibly difficult. A great demon like this, who has cultivated for a hundred years, must undergo the trials of heaven and earth. The weak will perish under the might of heaven and earth, while only the strong can break through their limits and reach a higher level of life!
The villagers of Wulong Village knelt in the wind and rain. The witch knelt down devoutly and cried out, "Hui God above! The people of Wulong Village have worshipped you for generations, hoping that you will help us through this calamity!"

(End of this chapter)