White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 76 The Crow of Resentment
On the battlefield, the wind and snow buried the crimson blood and corpses. The banner of Nanzhao fell from the city wall, spun in mid-air, and then landed on the snow.

The banner of the Wuxiang Shangjiao sect was planted on the city wall of Zhangyang, with black and white cloud banners fluttering in the wind.

Li Xiangzhi, his clothes slightly stained with blood, stood atop this ancient city with eleven sworn brothers. He gazed northward and pointed to the north, saying to them:

"See that? Go a hundred miles ahead, that direction leads to Xi County."

Three cities further ahead lies Shencheng, the capital of Shenzhou. Once we capture Shencheng, this vast and fertile land of Shenzhou will be ours, brothers!

They will be granted titles of kings, marquises, generals, and ministers, and their families will be established in lavish households. You and I, brothers, will then enjoy endless wealth and glory!

The eleven men were filled with fervor upon hearing this. Liu Dazhu bowed deeply and said, "Brother, we eleven men will surely assist you in establishing unparalleled achievements! We swear to follow you to the death!"

"I swear to follow my elder brother to the death!"

Everyone knelt down in unison.

Li Xiangzhi smiled and helped them up, saying, "Please get up, everyone. I would never be where I am today if you had helped me so much."

Great achievements cannot be accomplished by one person or in a short time! As long as you brothers unite with me and overcome all difficulties together, we will have no obstacles on our path!

"Master! The magistrate of Zhangyang County has surrendered. As you instructed, our followers have taken control of the four city gates. Only entry is permitted, no exit is allowed."

At that moment, a messenger rushed in to report.

"Hehe, brothers, let's go, come with me to see this magistrate of Zhangyang County!" Li Xiangzhi laughed and led the group down to the city walls.

In the city's government office, Magistrate Qiao Yunsheng was bound hand and foot and thrown to the ground in a disheveled state, with several followers guarding him around him.

A series of footsteps approached, and a large group of people walked in.

Qiao Yunsheng opened his eyes and looked around. His pupils contracted. It was that cult leader.

"Hey, what are you doing? How dare you mistreat the magistrate like this? Guards, untie the magistrate at once!"

As soon as Li Xiangzhi walked in, he shouted loudly.

The church members nearby rushed forward and untied Qiao Yunsheng's ropes.

"Hehe, I'm sorry to have wronged Lord Qiao." Li Xiangzhi quickly walked to his side, bent down and helped him up.

Qiao Yunsheng frowned and said, "Traitor, don't try to win people's hearts!"

"Lord Qiao, I'm not trying to win people over, I'm doing this to save you!" Li Xiangzhi replied with a smile.

"Save me? Hmph, I've fallen to this state today, isn't it all thanks to you?" Qiao Yunsheng said angrily.

"Heh, there's no need to dwell on what's already happened. Lord Qiao, you should think about your family, your career, and even your life!" Li Xiangzhi turned around and sighed, "No matter what you do, Lord Qiao, losing the county is a capital offense, punishable by death, and could even lead to the confiscation of your property and the extermination of your entire clan!"

"Traitor, you! I..." Qiao Yunsheng then realized the consequences of his actions and was speechless for a moment.

“I have a plan that can not only save your entire family’s lives, but also promote you to a higher rank and title! Would you be willing to give it a try?” Li Xiangzhi smiled, stroked his short beard, and turned to look at him.

"What? What good intentions could a traitor like you have?" Qiao Yunsheng frowned.

"Hehe, sir, you wrote an urgent official document stating that several thousand bandits were causing trouble in Zhangyang, and with the city's garrison commander and powerful clans colluding from within and without, you were unable to hold them off alone. You had no choice but to use a strategy of inducing surrender, bravely capturing the enemy leader, and quelling the rebellion in Zhangyang. Your merit is truly outstanding!" Li Xiangzhi said with a smile, "In this way, your reputation will surely spread far and wide!"

"Hmph, even if Zhangyang City falls, these tens of thousands of people aren't blind! The imperial court isn't so easily fooled!" Qiao Yunsheng sneered.

"What's so difficult about that?" Li Xiangzhi said with a smile. "From now on, Lord Qiao, you will still be the magistrate of Zhangyang County. Just govern as you normally would."

We, the Wuxiang Shangjiao, are not traitors or rebels; we are merely resting and recuperating here.

Lord Qiao, don't you despise these landlords and powerful clans? If you find any one you don't like, we'll kill that blind fool for you!

In this way, with the mountains high and the emperor far away, Lord Qiao became the undisputed local tyrant of Zhangyang County!

"You...you...how dare you!" Qiao Yunsheng couldn't help but gasp.

"Does Lord Qiao agree?" Li Xiangzhi smiled and drew the long sword hanging from the waist of his brother behind him. He brought the sword close to the brother's neck and said softly, "Lord Qiao, choose between enjoying wealth and honor and becoming a criminal subject, dying and exiling your entire clan."

“I…I…” Qiao Yunsheng’s eyes flickered, but he finally reached out and grabbed Li Xiangzhi’s robe. “I, I am willing to listen to the leader’s plan.”

"Haha, that's excellent! From now on, Lord Qiao will be the protector of our Wuxiang Sect!" Li Xiangzhi smiled, clearly very pleased.

After the group left, Liu Dazhu couldn't help but ask, "Brother, aren't you afraid that this corrupt official will tip you off?"

"Hehe, this Magistrate Qiao is not a gentleman of great integrity. If he really leaked the information, the lightest punishment he would face afterward would be the court's confiscation of his property and exile."

The reason I kept him alive and allowed Zhangyang County to return to normal is because our current strength is too weak, and we need a stable foundation.

Zhangyang County is surrounded by thousands of acres of fertile land to the north and is backed by natural mountains to the south, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover, it can hide deep in the mountains at any time, making it an excellent place to establish a foothold.

Moreover, the reason I chose to attack the city in early winter is because once winter arrives, heavy snow will block the roads, and even if the news reaches the court, they can only send troops to suppress it next spring.

We, on the other hand, have several months to recuperate, expand our organization, recruit followers, repair our city walls, stockpile grain, train our troops, and deploy our forces. We have plenty of time. Haven't you heard that the talent of a single county is enough to bring peace to the whole country?
All the capable people in Zhangyang County can be used by us!

"Brother, you're amazing!"

"Brother, could it be that the 'divine fire' we used during the siege was also your doing?" Liu Dazhu asked.

"Hahaha, not bad. This is the art of flint and steel. My ancestors made a living from this and left behind many techniques. I also know a little about many of the wonders of firecrackers and fireworks." Li Xiangzhi laughed smugly. "Let's go, brothers, let's go kill a few powerful families first, find some delicious food, wine, and beautiful women, and have a good time!"

……

Outside the city, a group of believers were dealing with the battlefield. A thin man was dragging a corpse toward a large burial pit outside the city.

A gust of cold wind blew by, causing him to sneeze. He stopped and put his hands to his mouth to warm them by breathing on them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the corpse on the ground and vaguely saw what looked like a bird, all black, flapping its wings and flying into the denser snow and disappearing without a trace.

He rubbed his eyes, but he never saw the bird again.

"Ugh, this is really weird. Am I seeing things?" he muttered, then continued dragging the corpse into the deep pit.

"Touch~"

Corpses fell heavily to the bottom of the pit, piled up one after another. Humanity's killing was merciless, and the falling snow covered the bones of the dead.

Black smoke emerged from the hundreds of corpses, transforming into black crows that flapped their wings and flew into the wind and snow, disappearing from sight.

The black crow flew over mountains and ridges, passing over the Yunze Mountains, and landed on the summit of Wanxiang Mountain.

One after another, the black crows burrowed into Bai Wuxiang's body and disappeared.

These deathly energies flew in the form of black crows, merging into his body. Although much of it dissipated along the way, it was still the deathly energy of hundreds of people. Amidst the swirling snow, the mountains and rivers were pure white. Bai Wuxiang's face transformed between a handsome, refined man's face and a terrifying skull, constantly shifting back and forth.

He refined the wisps of death energy, merging them into the bones and transforming them into demonic power.

He closed his eyes and fell into a semi-sleep state.

His mind was connected to Fuyun City in Qingzhou, a thousand miles away.

After absorbing a significant amount of Yin energy from this place, Bai Wuxiang's demonic body reached the peak of the Great Transformation Realm, as described by Xuanmen cultivators, and was only a hair's breadth away from the Yuanzhen Realm.

He gazed at the falling snow in the north, which was much colder than the snow in the heart of the Central Plains, each snowflake cutting into his face like a knife.

Therefore, most people in the Qingzhou area would dig cave dwellings in the mountains to protect themselves from the cold winter winds.

Only Fuyun City, being close to the border, had to be built and garrisoned.

Bai Wuxiang stretched out his slender five fingers, sensed the surrounding energy, and suddenly a pair of huge, shiny black wings unfolded behind him. With a flap of his wings, he flew into the wind and snow and disappeared without a trace.

He flew through the wind and snow and entered an abandoned mine.

At this moment, torches hang in the pit, illuminating the surroundings.

As Cui Laoqi was explaining the formless deity to over a hundred followers, suddenly, enormous wings swept over their heads, and a figure landed on the high platform. The wings folded, and the demon god Bai Wuxiang appeared before everyone's eyes.

Upon seeing this, Cui Laoqi was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed, saying, "Welcome, God of No Form!"

Upon hearing Cui Laoqi's call, everyone bowed down and joined in calling out the god's name.

Bai Wuxiang's lips curled up slightly. These people all possessed considerable resentment, and each of them had a story to tell.

"Recite my name, and the covenant is made with enmity; once the covenant is established, your wish will be fulfilled!"

A magnificent, enchanting sound rang out, reaching the ears of these people, and their minds began to stir.

Even illiterate farmers are not easily fooled. The fact that these people could willingly join the religion and worship based solely on the name of a formless god can only mean that they harbor resentment and hatred, which is why they were willing to brave the harsh winter to join the religion.

Strands of resentment gathered in Bai Wuxiang's hand, eventually transforming into a black raven. With a loud raven's cry, the black raven flew away, intending to travel thousands of miles to deliver the resentment to Wanxiang Mountain.

Bai Wuxiang chuckled lightly, "Now that the contract is in effect, I should fulfill my vow!"

After saying that, Bai Wuxiang's figure disappeared again.

In Fuyun City, Liu Fangyun, dressed in a warm fur coat and followed by five servants, walked down the street with an air of extravagance, searching for items to buy.

Suddenly a group of soldiers rushed over, grabbed Liu Fangyun's arm, and after comparing him with a portrait, sneered, "So you are Liu Fangyun?"

"What are you doing? I am a Taoist priest, what do you want?" Liu Fangyun said angrily.

"The prefect has ordered your arrest and imprisonment on charges of deceiving the people and defrauding officials of the imperial court. You will be interrogated at a later date." The soldiers said coldly, "Take him away!"

"Yes!"

Several soldiers stepped forward and restrained his arms, while the servants behind him were just hired hands and had no loyalty whatsoever; they took the opportunity to escape.

Seeing this, Liu Fangyun's face hardened, and he said coldly and angrily, "I just want to be a rich man! And you still won't let me go!"

"The Prefect? ​​Hmph, does that damned Prefect think I'm some kind of servant? Use me and then throw me away?"

"Shut up! Insulting an official of the imperial court is an even greater crime!" The soldiers immediately stuffed a coarse cloth into his mouth.

Enraged, Liu Fangyun roared, and the Wuxiang Diagram he carried with him suddenly unfolded, transforming into a strange, dark blue wind that blew the soldiers several feet away.

His eyes blazed with rage as he reached out and took the Formless Diagram, grinning maliciously: "You forced me to do this!"

As he spoke, Liu Fangyun raised the painting, and a strange blue light appeared. The seven or eight soldiers on the ground immediately clutched their heads and screamed in agony. Visibly, their souls were being sucked into the painting.

Their bodies instantly stopped breathing.

Liu Fangyun turned and left the crowd, fleeing back home with a large amount of silver notes and valuables, and then prepared to escape.

It seemed he couldn't stay in Fuyun City any longer, but he wondered why the prefect had to come and arrest him at this particular time.
"Hey, have you heard? There's a sect called the Formless Cult outside the city that claims to have a treasure called something like the Diagram. Whoever gets it will have boundless magical power!"

"What? You actually believe such nonsense?"

"Hey, someone said this picture is the magic weapon of that Nameless Demon from a while ago, and our master got it!"

"Huh? That map is actually in our master's hands? Really?"

"That's what everyone's saying now! Don't disbelieve me, I've seen Taoist priests and sorcerers saying the same thing."

Just as Liu Fangyun was preparing to flee, he heard the whispers of two servants in his own household. His eyes turned cold. It turned out that those fellow martial artists were envious and jealous of him and were maliciously slandering him!

However, how did outsiders know about this diagram without form?
As he was pondering this, he suddenly heard the neighing of horses outside the door. A commotion followed, and it turned out that squads of soldiers had surrounded the entire Liu residence.

Liu Fangyun cursed inwardly, but he knew that escaping was the priority at this moment. He found a pre-prepared escape route, which turned out to be a hidden dog hole.

He crawled out, his back bent, carrying his bag, panting heavily. Then, with a thought, he activated the Formless Diagram, and a burst of blue light descended, transforming Liu Fangyun's appearance into that of a disheveled beggar.

Seeing that no one was around, he strode quickly toward the city gates.

But when they got to the city gate, they found it was closed!

A soldier with an order shouted, "The Prefect has decreed that all eight gates be closed, and no one is allowed to enter or leave. There are demons escaping from the city, and spies from enemy countries have also entered. The city gates will not be opened until tomorrow!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Fangyun cursed inwardly, but helpless, he could only turn around and leave.

In the dead of night, he huddled in a dilapidated and desolate abandoned house, shivering from the cold as the snow fell.

Liu Fangyun opened the Wuxiang Diagram. He stared at the diagram with a fascinated expression and muttered to himself, "Treasure Diagram, treasure diagram, help me manifest my power and kill all of Prefect Xu Zhengchen's entire family according to my will!"
Oh, and that demon hunter from the Fang family of Qishan!

Kill them all! Kill them all!

"Om~"

The image of the formless painting trembled. The skeletons on the painting began to move, crawling out of the picture and transforming into drifting ghostly bones, rushing into the distant night.

Seeing this, Liu Fangyun laughed maniacally, "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill them all! Bao Tu'er, kill them all!"

"roar~"

That night, the snowstorm in Fuyun City suddenly stopped, and countless ghostly blue skeletons floated in the night sky. A sinister mist filled the air, as if the entire city was about to turn into a ghost realm!
(End of this chapter)