White Bone Demon Trail

Chapter 79 The Pink Skull
In the distance, in Tokyo, the capital of Pingzhou.

The towering pavilions and high towers stretch for over ten miles, with willows and painted bridges, wind-blown curtains and emerald screens, and a hundred thousand households in a staggered array.

Hua Yi, who was standing in the city, looked up and saw the dazzling fireworks bloom in his eyes.

"The prosperity of Tokyo is truly dazzling."

Standing by the roadside, even though it was already night, the streets were bustling with people. There were vendors pushing wheelbarrows selling sugar figurines and sweet drinks, women strolling with their relatives and friends to watch lanterns and solve riddles, and some high-ranking officials and nobles leisurely strolling along the long street with their entourage.

"Selling sweet soup! Selling sweet soup!"

"Ginger tea! Ginger tea brewed for an hour! Drinking it will make you feel refreshed and warm all over!"

"A leather drum opera performance! There's a leather drum opera performance at No. 3, Bing, Changming Street at 3:45 PM! Everyone should go and see!"

……

Various hawking cries rose and fell, and some children wandered among the passersby, hawking their wares and spreading news of acrobatic performances.

Hua Yi followed the noisy crowd, and he couldn't help but sigh. This Tokyo City was the most prosperous and wealthy city in the north of Nanzhao, even surpassing the capital city of Luoyang.

Various goods from the Western Regions, as well as grains produced in the Central Plains, silk and porcelain transported north from the south via the Grand Canal, and even foreign goods brought in by sea, all converged here.

Since Luodu was besieged for three months by an army of 200,000 from the Great Yuan Kingdom more than ten years ago, many wealthy merchants and powerful figures have dared not stay in Luodu for long.

As a result, people from all directions migrated to Tokyo, and the integration of various ethnic groups and the interaction of cultures led to the economic prosperity of the area.

Hua Yi was not in a hurry to return to the mountain. He had been training in the mortal world, and he needed to overcome the trials of the mortal world and cleanse himself of all impurities before he could return to the mountain to cultivate.

He looked at all sorts of novel things he had never seen before, and before he knew it, he had arrived at a riverbank. Beautiful women of all kinds were either riding in small boats or on the opposite bank, their charming smiles captivating the men on this side of the river.

Unfortunately, many people are short of money and have lustful desires but no money to rely on.

Hua Yi's lips curled up slightly. In his youth, he had also frequented such places of pleasure. Now, after years of cultivation, his composure was no longer what it used to be, and even if he entered such places again, he would not be disturbed in the slightest.

Now, revisiting this place of romance, he calmly stepped onto the flower bridge.

On the flower bridge, various women smiled and solicited customers. He looked at the beautiful women and thought back to his youth, when he was young, wearing a light spring dress and riding a horse by the bridge, surrounded by red sleeves beckoning him.

"Oh my, distinguished guest, I can tell from your appearance that you are no ordinary person. Since you've come to our Spring Breeze Street, you must come to our Drunken Snow Pavilion!" A slender and beautiful woman subtly took his arm with her soft, boneless wrist and beckoned him with a smile.

Hua Yi chuckled lightly, "Oh? If none of the girls in your building suit my taste, then things won't be so easy!"

"My lord, you can rest assured! We just got a top courtesan a few days ago. She's eighteen years old, incredibly beautiful, and exceptionally talented. I guarantee you'll be satisfied!" The beautiful woman smiled, took his arm, and led him into her building.

Hua Yi followed them inside and found himself in a spacious, open hall. On the stage, more than ten beautiful women were swaying their hips to the music. Their fair skin, partially exposed, was even more alluring to the men who had been drinking.

Hua Yi casually took out a piece of broken gold, which made the beautiful woman's eyes jump. She hurriedly called the girl to come forward and serve him.

The beautiful woman smiled and said, "Honorable guest, please wait a moment, our Lady Shen will be here soon."

Hua Yi nodded, casually sat down, and half-reclined in the arms of a beautiful woman, who watched him drink and eat.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, many of the candles in the entire hall went out, leaving only a small flame in the center of the stage.

A chorus of surprise and astonishment arose from all around.

Suddenly, the sounds of silk and bamboo instruments rang out. The melodious strings of the guzheng filled the air, and the flutes and xiao played together. Spring flowers scattered all over the building. A woman dressed in colorful brocade descended from the sky, her bare feet touching the ground. The firelight illuminated the woman's head full of jewels and jade, her fair wrists like snow, and she held a pipa with gold and kingfisher feathers in her hands.

The woman's eyes were smiling, yet they carried a hint of coldness and unfamiliarity, like a goddess descending from heaven to earth.

Hua Yi glanced at her once, then abruptly stood up from the woman's embrace, his eyes fixed on the woman on the stage.

A waitress smiled and said, "Honored guest, this is our brothel's top courtesan, Lady Shen, the Pipa Player."

Countless wealthy young men in Tokyo are completely infatuated with her.

Hua Yi's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't that he was attracted to the woman's beauty, but rather that she bore a striking resemblance to the woman he had met in his youth.

In the dim candlelight, their deep gazes met for a moment, and Madam Shen's eyes showed a brief moment of panic, but she skillfully concealed it.

Seeing this scene, Hua Yi was even more astonished. He had once made a vow to a girl to redeem her from her servitude and save her from the fire when she turned twenty.

Unfortunately, his family suffered a misfortune and had to move. On the way, they were attacked by bandits and his entire family was killed. He managed to escape with his life, but he was disheartened and went up the mountain to cultivate Taoism. He was valued by his master and began his spiritual practice.

He waved away the maids who were accompanying him and muttered to himself, "What kind of coincidence is this?"
"Hua Yi, oh Hua Yi, you've long forgotten her. There's a difference between immortals and mortals; don't create unnecessary trouble for yourself."

Just as he was comforting himself, Lady Shen on the stage began to dance gracefully, her colorful silk ribbons fluttering in the wind. A ribbon flew past him, and a sweet fragrance wafted towards him. Hua Yi's mind wavered slightly. He remembered the fragrance; it was hers!
Hua Yi suddenly stood up and walked step by step across the seats in front of him, his eyes fixed on the woman on the stage. The people around the table were quite dissatisfied, but he ignored them and just stared at the woman without blinking as he walked to the front of the stage.

Madam Shen lowered her almond-shaped eyes and looked down at him.

Hua Yi looked up at the woman whose face was so similar to his in the dim candlelight. The woman who had always looked at him with a pure smile seemed to be right in front of him.

After her dance, Madam Shen bowed slightly and turned to leave.

A cheer erupted from below, and Hua Yi couldn't help but quickly follow, silently walking up to the pavilion.

He slowly pushed open the door. Inside, Madam Shen, who was taking off her earrings, heard the noise and asked as if it were common practice, "Mama Zhao, has another young master come looking for us?"

She asked the question, but received no response.

Madam Shen turned her head to look and saw a strange man. She was startled, but after she saw what he looked like, she hurriedly turned her head away.

"Sir, how dare you trespass into my private quarters?"

"Luan Jing, is that you?" Hua Yi parted the beaded curtain hanging in front of him and asked softly.

"What mirror? Have you had too much to drink, sir? My name is Shen Mengqin." Madam Shen turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

"You're lying to me! Luan Jing! When you lie to me, you never look me in the eye, you always turn your back." Hua Yi took a few steps forward instead and said, "Luan Jing, it's me, Hua Ming! Li Hua Ming, have you forgotten?"

"Impossible!" Luan Jing suddenly turned around and exclaimed in surprise, "Forty or fifty years have passed, he should have died long ago, how could it be you!"

“I really am Hua Ming!” Hua Yi said urgently. “When my family suffered a disaster, I went up the mountain to cultivate Taoism. Fortunately, I was able to become a disciple of a Taoist master and was given the Taoist name Hua Yi. That’s why I was able to live for over a hundred years. My appearance has only changed slightly.”

"Pay homage to the immortal master? How hateful that you once said you would come to redeem me and marry me when I turned twenty. So I wasted the best three years of my life."

What are you doing here looking for me, you heartless man?

"Luan Jing, let me explain!" Hua Yi felt extremely guilty and said urgently, "Back then, to avoid murder and disaster, my family had no choice but to flee Yongcheng overnight."

"My entire family of eighteen people, and I'm the only one left alive." "What?" Madam Shen exclaimed in surprise, "So it was this dangerous."

Why didn't you even bother to contact me afterwards? I've been living a miserable life in this building, my youth fading, my honors gone, and I'm utterly alone ever since!

“Luan Jing, I was wrong. But when I went down the mountain to look for you, I heard that you had passed away more than ten years ago.”

"How come you are like this now... and your appearance hasn't even aged..." Hua Yi asked, puzzled.

"Why? Hahaha..."

Madam Shen laughed loudly, walked up to him, and gently stroked his face with her soft fingers, lingering on his brow and smoothing it out little by little. She looked at him with her deep eyes and tears in her eyes and said, "Don't frown, you don't look good when you frown."

Hua Yi raised his head, and their eyes met. He murmured, "You always said the same thing to me back then."

He reached out and grasped her wrist, but her entire body was icy cold.

"You... are you no longer an ordinary person?" Hua Yi asked softly, his voice filled with sorrow.

"Heh, yes. If I were still an ordinary woman, I would have been turned to dust by now." She smiled sadly.

"No, you're not Luan Jing! Who are you?" Hua Yi suddenly stood up, grabbed her wrist, and the terrifying force caused a few cracks to appear on her wrist.

Madam Shen sneered and tried to break free, but Hua Yi quickly took out a talisman and imprinted it on her forehead.

She screamed in terror, a burst of demonic energy rising from her body, and a ghostly laugh echoed, "Your Luan Jing, even with her hair all white before she died, was still thinking about a man named Li Huaming. So it was you."

How could such a beautiful human body be taken away by the cruel passage of time? So I preserved this human skin for her.

She also said she was afraid that when she saw you again, she would be an old woman with a face full of wrinkles. So, she asked me to possess her body and take her human skin.

Hahaha, the one who really killed her is you, you heartless man who kept saying you loved her!
He professed love, yet was hypocritical and selfish, single-mindedly pursuing immortality, wasting a woman's best years in vain. In the end, he became a high and mighty immortal cultivator, while she became a demon despised by everyone!

"You bullshit!"

Enraged, Hua Yi drew his sword and slashed, but the demonic energy retreated back into the skin, looking aggrieved, and said, "Kill me, Hua Ming, kill me! I am no longer worthy to be a human and to keep the promise I made to you back then!"

"Bang~"

The woman who had once captivated him was right before him. Hua Yi paused, his raised sword halting as he gazed at her with hesitation.

"Hua Ming, we can't be together anymore, just kill me! Kill me! Kill me! Kill me!..."

A series of sounds echoed in his ears, and Hua Yi finally brought his raised sword down.

"Clang!"

The demon-slaying sword, forged by a master from Qianyuan Cave, rolled onto the ground, the dust it stirred up making the sword smooth and dull.

Hua Yi knelt down dejectedly, "Luan Jing, you're right. I was hypocritical and selfish. I let you down!"
just kill me! "

Upon hearing this, tears streamed down Luan Jing's beautiful face. She stretched out her slender fingers, cupped Hua Yi's face, and smiled through her tears, saying, "Hua Ming, how could I possibly lay a hand on you?"

Hua Ming, no matter what kind of person you are, you are the only one in my heart.

Would you be willing to rekindle our romance?

"I...will."

"Alright, regardless of life or death, whether we are demons or monsters, we will be together in life and death!"

"Regardless of life or death, whether we are demons or monsters, we are together in life and death."

Hua Yi also raised his hand and pulled Luan Jing into his arms. Black energy flowed around the two of them, and dark patterns appeared at the corners of Hua Yi's eyes. The powerful magic energy on his body was also turning into demonic energy.

Inside the room, on the sword that had rolled to the side, a layer of rust was visible to the naked eye, gradually spreading from the tip to the hilt.

Outside the house where the two were embracing, "Qinghe" slowly walked away, softly reciting: "Fine rain dampens the flowing light, fragrant grasses grow year after year with sorrow. Smoke locks the phoenix tower, endless affairs, vast and boundless. The mirror and the mandarin duck quilt are both broken."

My soul wanders freely in dreams, waking to find my embroidered bed strewn with willow catkins. My unfaithful lover does not come; the door is half-closed, the setting sun casts its glow. I have failed you in this waning spring, tears streaming down my face.

……

In the ancient Taoist temple on Qianyuan Mountain, wisps of smoke curled from the incense burner. Master Yigeng, who was meditating with his hands clasped together, raised an eyebrow and frowned, saying:
"Foolish child, foolish child! All my efforts have been wasted, and you have ultimately gone astray."

A confidante? A beautiful woman with erotic undertones?
Have you not heard of the saying, "A beautiful woman becomes a skeleton"?

Blood, flesh, filth, and long hair.

Once dressed, one can have a hundred thousand different appearances.

Strip away the skin, and you're left with nothing but two hundred and six bones.

Seeing a beautiful woman as if she were a skeleton makes your heart devoid of desire.

Seeing white bones as beautiful as a woman makes your heart fearless.

"Without desire or fear, your Daoist heart will be perfected!"

His words traveled through mountains and rivers, echoing in Hua Yi's ears.

Qinghe, who was about to leave, paused, then chuckled and replied:

Without desire or fear, this can be described as: the true nature of all beings!
All forms of sentient beings are illusory; even forms can be formless.

There is no self, no person, no sentient being, and no life span!

"Formlessness is non-form; all forms are illusory!"

Bai Wuxiang's light laughter, accompanied by the four sounds he uttered, connected with the mind of the divinely inspired Master Yigeng.

The expression on the face of the Immortal Yi Geng, far away on Qian Yuan Mountain, changed drastically. A huge skull image appeared above his head. He hardened his heart and shouted, "Slay!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the dusty sword in the distant city of Tokyo suddenly shot into the sky and pierced Hua Yi's heart.

Master Yigeng on Qianyuan Mountain finally breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes were full of anger. "Wuxiang...once the Five Turbid Tribulations are over, I will personally descend the mountain and annihilate your soul!"

(End of this chapter)