Chapter 109: Little ones, follow this great king back to the mountain

Qi is the foundation and root of all things.

The white bone manifested from it appears illusory and intangible, yet the power it emits is mysteriously unfathomable.

But unfortunately, it ultimately falls short of the One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones technique; thus, whether in power or miraculousness, it is vastly inferior, and moreover this technique is limited in time, dissipating after a brief moment.

However, this is the first technique Ye Qin has developed through his cultivation so far, and one cannot be overly ambitious.

It is not ruled out that, with future increases in cultivation level, he could simultaneously manifest three white bones via technique, becoming a true One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones.

Of course, saying this now is still rather far off.

Ye Qin looked at the white bone condensed from qi, he still felt quite satisfied; calculating the time, he had been out for several days, and it was time to return.

Staying longer would bring no progress, and there was no need to waste time here; after realizing this, Ye Qin set out on the road back.

With his departure, the thick mist here quickly dissipated, as if such a heavy fog had never appeared.

Coming without a trace, leaving without a mark, unfathomable.

Mountain waves and surging peaks, layered upon layered, under the reflection of the azure sky, extend into undulating arcs; the mountains overlap, revealing countless verdant plants thriving here, growing into a vast green canopy.

Upon entering these deep mountains, Ye Qin finally felt a sense of homecoming; having been away only a short while, he actually felt a bit of longing.

A faint rustling came from ahead, as if some creature were rushing over; only a small yellow-orange head popped up, and upon seeing Ye Qin, it seemed to have spotted a relative.

It turned out to be a yellow weasel.

Ye Qin also recognized it, after all it had stayed by his side for quite a while.

The yellow weasel stood upright on its hind legs like a human, making various strange motions, while its forepaws kept waving, as if gesturing something.

Ye Qin divided a few strands of mental energy, quickly establishing a weak connection with the yellow weasel.

These animals, influenced by him, have developed a faint spiritual awareness, differing from ordinary mundane beasts; simple communication is still possible.

"You mean that after I left, humans came here?"

The yellow weasel nodded vigorously; through its portrayal, there was also spiritual communication, and Ye Qin finally understood the full context of the matter.

It turned out that those people not only took the books, but also captured several animals.

"Could it be that they came for the ancient tomb?"

This could absolutely not have been done by the villagers at the mountain base; they revere me greatly and would never dare such an act; it must be outsiders.

But ordinary people would hardly know that a tomb exists here, after all the archaeological team and police have done a decent job of keeping it secret.

Even if the villagers had been greeted, they wouldn't gossip, and besides this place is remote with few outsiders, leaving only one possibility.

"Could these people be accomplices of tomb robbers?"

Ye Qin's serpent pupils narrowed into a vertical line; the cold gleam within made one's heart shudder, his serpent tongue flicked back and forth in the air, and even his serpent tail slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up much dust.

"To deceive a serpent is going too far!"

I never expected this gang to dare come here, act lawlessly on his territory, utterly reckless; if he were to swallow this anger, all his long cultivation would be in vain.

After all, others have come right to his doorstep to cause trouble, and moreover they captured several of his capable aides; how could Ye Qin possibly remain indifferent?

He soon detected the aura belonging to that group.

His gaze fell upon the northeastern position.

"It seems that group headed in this direction."

……

On the Pan Mountain Road, a car was speeding along; Zhao Ge and the others sat inside, while those several animals were placed in the trunk.

Earlier they still struggled, but after being beaten a few times they became much more obedient.

The road wound onward; soon a sign appeared not far ahead, bearing the large characters "Yunling City," and the car raced forward, kicking up countless dust.

After formally entering the jurisdiction of Yunling City, the originally open view gradually narrowed, from the suburbs into the bustling city, with surrounding building heights continually increasing.

The car twisted and turned through the urban district, finally arriving at a narrow hutong alley.

Nearby there are many such hutong alleys, belonging to the central urban area, crisscrossing like a maze; an unfamiliar person coming here could easily get lost.

Because the big and small alleys look much alike, surrounded by old, small residential buildings piled densely into rectangular blocks, forming the alleys' sections.

Looking up through the alley, one feels dazed, as if even the sky were squeezed into a thin slit.

When they arrived, it was already evening; in the afterglow of the setting sun, the old houses were coated with a faint light, making them appear less dilapidated.

The car finally stopped at the doorway of a civilian house; this is their lodging.

As the saying goes, the greatest concealment lies in the city; the more dangerous the place, the safer it is.

And within the hutong alleys, here fish and dragons mingle, with all sorts of people residing, which instead becomes their best cover.

Even if they engage in some illicit trade, it does not attract attention.

Zhao Ge has already made contact with the people above; someone will come tomorrow to discuss matters.

After hanging up the phone, one of them spoke up worriedly:

"Did the Big Boss say anything? We didn't find anything this time; will he blame us?"

Zhao Ge exhaled a smoke ring, shook off the ash, and said, "The Big Boss seems somewhat displeased, but he hasn't flown into a rage."

Although they didn't find what the Big Boss wanted, at least they didn't return empty-handed; those ancient scriptures can be considered a modest explanation.

Everyone's hearts also relaxed.

"Right, take those beasts out, give them some water, lest they suffocate in the car."

Several people lifted the animals from the car; these animals had neither drunk nor eaten, having previously been beaten a few times and now suffocating in the cramped space.

At this moment they drooped their heads, looking listless.

Seeing these animals, Zhao Ge instantly flared with anger; though the wound on his wrist had been bandaged, it still throbbed faintly.

Without thinking, he jabbed the lit cigarette butt onto the animal; instantly the creature squealed in pain, and the air filled with the smell of scorched fur.

Originally smooth fur now also bore a patch of blackened scorch.

Zhao Ge, however, laughed openly, saying, "Who made that yellow weasel bite me? Since I can't catch it, I'll take out my anger on you beasts."

If it weren't for worrying that the fur would get scorched and look ugly, Zhao Ge would definitely have poked a few more holes in them, waved his hand, and locked them in the storage room in the corner.

As night fell, the hutong also lit up; the dim streetlights seemed to be in disrepair from years of neglect, and a faint, continuous buzzing of electricity could be heard.

Even the light bulbs flickered on and off, appearing to have a poor connection.

The night grew darker and darker, the city sank into sleep, traffic on the streets gradually dwindled, and finally only a few vehicles remained.

Without the honking, it could be said that all sounds had ceased; let alone the alley beside it, which was eerily quiet.

……

At this moment, Ye Qin had already arrived in Cloud Ridge City; the area around Wu Du was mountainous with decent greenery, but Cloud Ridge was different.

Because the city is relatively small, land planning is very compact, and the greenery has consequently been reduced.

But fortunately it is already late at night, so it doesn't draw attention; however, if one were to swagger in like that, it would be easy to be caught by those electronic eyes.

"Need to conceal oneself for now; still cannot be exposed."

Ye Qin narrowed his serpentine eyes, knowing himself still not strong enough; against many modern thermal weapons he could not resist, utterly no match.

Therefore, to avoid being targeted, one must still be cautious and careful.

The Qi Pill within his body began to turn slowly, carrying a faint Dao resonance; he exerted the ability of the Qi Pill Realm, and soon a considerable amount of gas gathered around, coiling in the vicinity.

From afar, it looked just like a mass of mist.

With the mist as cover, even if discovered, the risk of exposure would be less; anyone seeing it would only wonder why there is a strange patch of mist here.

At some point the light grew hazy, giving the feeling of seeing flowers through fog; upon closer look, a thin mist had actually formed, drifting through the alley as if searching for something.

Even the surrounding temperature dropped considerably, like the yin qi people often speak of.

When the night wind blew, it became even more desolate and chilly.

The mist seemed alive; finally, it slowly drifted to the front of an old house.

The people inside the house noticed nothing; they were still asleep, probably feeling a bit chilly around them and involuntarily shivered.

Outside the house, a pair of beastly eyes suddenly lit up gloomily, endowed with endless chill and cold.

At that moment, the animals inside the house seemed to sense something as well; their gazes snapped toward the door, showing a hint of human-like anticipation and delight.

Yet these animals were perfectly in sync, making no sound or movement; everything appeared as if nothing had happened.

Except for that all-pervasive mist.

"Ding-ling-ling—"

The shrill ringtone of a mobile phone pierced the night sky.

Zhao Ge, half-asleep, vaguely saw a layer of white gas inside the house; upon looking again, however, there was nothing.

He didn't take it to heart, merely thinking he'd just woken up and seen things blurred.

Zhao Ge wore a look of impatience; seeing the caller ID, he immediately switched to a respectful expression.

After hanging up, he immediately shouted to wake the others: "The plan has changed; the big boss's people have been delayed, so we need to hurry and deliver the goods."

The superiors had said as much, leaving them no choice; everyone hurriedly packed up and prepared to get in the car.

"Huh."

Suddenly one of them seemed to have discovered something and stopped walking.

"What's wrong?"

"I feel the streetlight nearby is a bit strange."

Zhao Ge followed his gaze; the streetlight's glow was dim and dull, as if a special halo enveloped it.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes: "I think you're just half-asleep; what's there to be strange about? Hurry up and drive."

With the engine starting, the headlights burst on, a beam of light shot through the darkness—no one noticed that there were other things around that beam.

Everyone had just been dragged out of sleep, yawning profusely, all still not fully awake.

The car drove down the middle of the road, but the headlights grew dimmer and dimmer; the driver couldn't help muttering, "What's going on? Could the headlights be broken?"

The mist was blocking the headlights—that was the culprit behind the dim lighting.

Because the headlights were dim, visibility wasn't clear; moreover, this road was relatively dark with long intervals between streetlights, making them feel like a small boat adrift in a lonely ocean.

The overly dim environment made the driver a bit tense; seeing a vague humanoid shape ahead, he thought someone was there and slammed on the brakes.

"Crack—"

The tires scraped the ground, emitting a piercing sound; due to inertia, everyone's bodies lurched forward.

In an instant, the drowsiness was flung to the clouds.

Zhao Ge's face looked grim: "A Jie you, how are you driving?!"

A Jie swallowed, "Zhao Ge, I think I just hit someone."

Zhao Ge frowned, scanning the surroundings: "What nonsense are you spouting? There's nobody here; you must really not be awake."

Everyone got out to check; there wasn't a person, not even a ghostly shadow.

A Jie recalled the humanoid shape he'd seen earlier; he hadn't seen it clearly either—could it really be that his fatigue and tension made him hallucinate?

"Forget it, let someone else drive—Old Zhang, you take the wheel."

Just as everyone was about to get in the car.

A Jie seemed to have discovered something, couldn't help exclaiming, and suddenly gave the person beside him a fright.

Zhao Ge's expression already showed impatience: "What now? Making a fuss all night."

A Jie gave an embarrassed look: "Zhao Ge, don't be angry—I saw the mist rising."

Only then did everyone realize that, unbeknownst to when, a thick layer of fog had risen, enveloping them so that they could hardly see the surroundings.

Everything was swallowed up, leaving only faint outlines indistinguishable in the night; even the streetlights' glow was blocked and invisible.

They were like trapped in a encirclement, the fog spreading all around; besides the people nearby and the car beside them, everything else remained only a vague shadow, then vanished, disappearing into the mist.

"How did such a thick fog suddenly appear."

Looking at the thick fog all around, Zhao Ge and the others felt somewhat doubtful; after all, everything had been fine when they set out, but such a heavy fog appearing at night is truly uncommon.

Forget it, no matter what, we should still hurry on.

Misfortunes never come singly—the engine wouldn't start, and they had no idea where the problem was.

There were some simple tools on the car; Zhao Ge and the others got out to check but found nothing abnormal, and angry, he kicked the car, making the body shake slightly and emit a dull thud.

Damn this broken car, it's dropping the chain at a crucial moment.

It's the middle of the night, and suddenly fog has risen, obstructing their view; they can't just wander around on foot here.

Zhao Ge and the others took out their phones to call, but likely due to poor signal here, the other end emitted a continuous hissing static and noise, making it impossible to hear clearly.

You surely didn't check the almanac before heading out today; bad luck piles up, it's practically like running into evil.

Zhao Ge's face turned blue with anger.

He spoke without intent, but the listener took it to heart.

When the sudden heavy fog appeared and the car had trouble again, someone in the group whispered, 'Zhao Ge, could we have run into something unclean?'

Zhao Ge obviously didn't believe such things: 'What era is this, still talking about unclean stuff? Don't scare yourself—these are just coincidences.'

The others looked at each other, asking, 'Zhao Ge, what should we do now?'

Zhao Ge pondered a moment, then said: 'Take those ancient books and tools with you, leave the car where it is for now, and let's first find a place with good signal to contact the big boss.'

After picking up their things, they entered the white mist; the fog was too thick, the phone's light was merely for show—it kept them from being completely blind, but anything farther away remained invisible.

After a few steps, the car was completely swallowed by the fog; turning around, they saw no trace of the vehicle where it had been, only a faint dark outline.

Had they not just gotten out of the car, they might have thought they never drove here at all.

The massive fog was like a monster devouring everything, swallowing all within it.

Zhao Ge suddenly turned around and glanced back.

The others were bewildered by his sudden action, asking, 'Zhao Ge, why aren't you moving?'

Zhao Ge scratched his head; for no reason, staring at the white fog where he couldn't see his own fingers, a strange chill welled up inside him.

I have the feeling that someone is watching us.

The others looked around, saying, 'There's nobody around.'

Besides, when they drove to the vicinity earlier, they hadn't seen anyone either.

Zhao Ge didn't think much of it, nodding and saying, 'Hmm, maybe I'm just being paranoid.'

Creak—creak—creak—

All around was utter silence; only their footsteps could be heard, and in this setting everyone's nerves were a bit taut.

Nobody noticed that on the other side of the fog, emerald beast eyes gazed at them gloomily, like looking down on lowly crawling ants.

In fact, Zhao Ge's earlier feeling was indeed correct.

Only, blocked by the fog, they couldn't see Ye Qin's presence.

Ye Qin's serpentine eyes narrowed slightly, and an invisible gas rose slowly from his scales, making the surroundings grow even colder.

One Qi Transforms into White Bone!

With his will, those gases seemed to receive a command, surging toward Zhao Ge and the others, gradually condensing.

Zhao Ge and his party were utterly unaware of the approaching danger, but after walking only a short distance they noticed the fog beginning to thin, making the road ahead faintly visible.

I told you, this fog won't last long.

However, as soon as he finished speaking, everyone quickly sensed something was off.

Rather than saying the fog was dissipating, it was actually gathering toward a single point, causing the surrounding thick fog to thin.

Before everyone's eyes, that mass of fog actually manifested a humanoid outline!

Zhao Ge and the others stared, mouths agape.

First the legs, then the torso, and soon a skeleton fully materialized before them!

???

In the vast fog, the mist actually transformed into white bone!

This is truly beyond belief.

Zhao Ge and the others rubbed their eyes, still thinking they were seeing a hallucination from lack of sleep.

Although formed from fog, it was lifelike, indistinguishable from a real human skeleton!

Upon first seeing this eerie sight, even the well-traveled Zhao Ge and company were frozen in place, their faces paling slightly and their throats tightening.

Zhao, Zhao Ge, we might really have run into evil!

This time Zhao Ge could no longer utter a rebuttal.

The skeleton formed from fog strode toward them, making no sound as it was made of mist, yet its hollow eye sockets sent a chill down their spines.

Meeting that gloomy gaze, everyone felt their scalps go numb, as if they saw the gates of Avici Hell swing open, countless ghostly hands reaching out to drag them down.

Ordinary people would have gone weak at the knees from fright at such a supernatural event, but Zhao Ge and the others, having some skill and decent mental fortitude, hurled their tools forward.

But it couldn't stop the skeleton's advance; those objects passed straight through its mist-formed body.

It makes sense: since the skeleton is made of fog, which is visible but intangible, how could it be struck?

Run!

Someone squeezed out two words from their throat, tearing through the bleak night sky, and that finally startled everyone.

Everyone instantly scattered, instantly losing each other in the fog, unaware that this very action was hastening their deaths.

After they split up, the fog seemed to have a life of its own, spontaneously gathering and completely cutting them off.

Actually, they weren't far apart, but the thick fog completely obscured each other's figures.

When they realized they were separated, trying to regroup they couldn't find their companions; no matter where they ran, all around was dense fog.

They were like isolated, helpless small boats adrift in the deep sea of fog, constantly in danger of capsizing.

And what is most frightening is that, amidst this fog, there is also a white bone staring at them tigerishly.

Li Da was slight of build, feeling his way forward in the heavy fog, regretting somewhat having joined this operation.

He had originally wanted to show off a bit in front of the boss to become familiar, but instead he ended up encountering such a supernatural event.

What terrible bloody luck!

Li Da silently complained in his heart, but he dared not make a sound, fearing to provoke that unclean thing.

But as the saying goes, what you fear will come—a chilly wind blew over, he seemed to notice, slowly turning his head, even able to hear the sound of his own teeth chattering.

The cracking sound kept ringing; Li Da took a deep breath, then snapped his head back—and sure enough, he saw that soul‑seizing white bone!

Li Da turned to flee, but the white bone moved faster than him, appearing before him like a gust of wind and lashing out with a punch!

Those bone hands formed from the mist seemed powerless, yet Li Da felt a howling wind rushing past his ears, as if even the air could be split in two!

He instinctively tried to dodge, but his tiny frame could not resist such force; the immense pressure held him completely in place.

"Bang!"

Accompanied by a dull thud, it seemed as if a punch had shattered the bone.

Li Da's body flew like a kite with its string cut to the other side, he spat out mouthfuls of blood, like a fish gasping for air on shore.

The fog‑white bone did not turn back, but continued searching for the next target; soon its hollow eye sockets locked onto another person.

This person was strong and sturdy, sensing the chill approaching from behind, his body loach‑like, he suddenly bent downward in an impossible arc.

He actually managed to dodge that deadly punch!

Yet although he luckily avoided the fist, seeing the white bone's whip‑leg within arm's reach, his face turned ashen; dodging was obviously too late.

Accompanied by a miserable scream, the white bone kicked the person flying, even more horribly than Li Da had just fallen.

His bones felt as if they were falling apart; he lay on the ground twitching, his face contorted.

One after another, the noises turned the others' faces ashen, and they vaguely guessed what had happened.

A faint smell of blood drifted in the air, making them even more uneasy, fearing that the next one to face death would be themselves.

The remaining people ran about like headless flies, their bodies trembling like sieves, but they forgot that since the white bone was born of the thick fog, it is connected to the fog.

No matter where they ran, as long as they remained in the fog, they could be found at any moment.

Death was merely a matter of time.

Like a cat catching mice, these people were separated by the thick fog, unable to see their companions, yet they could hear waves of wails coming from deep within the fog, foretelling that they had already met misfortune.

The cries rose and fell, then fell silent, with no further sound—as if everything had been swallowed by the great fog.

In the end only Zhao Ge remained, his face ashen, afraid to ponder why there was no sound around him.

Zhao Ge was like a frightened quail, his body trembling violently; he held his breath as best he could, silently praying not to be found by that monster.

He tiptoed through the fog, yet constantly felt as if something were watching him; when he suddenly turned his head, behind him there was nothing but the endless fog.

"Damn it!"

The immense mental pressure was almost driving Zhao Ge mad, the omnipresent feeling of being watched coming from all sides, nearly making it hard to breathe.

Zhao Ge's face had lost all color, none of his former arrogance remained.

At this moment he felt as if an invisible blade were pressed to his neck, ready to drop at any time.

Yet he was like a headless fly in the fog, unable to find an exit.

Just as his spirit was on the verge of breaking, the fog before him shifted again, and a white bone slowly walked out of it!

Moreover, this fog‑white bone even had traces of blood hanging on it!

Zhao Ge's pupils contracted sharply; the white bone strode toward him, seeing no retreat, he hardened his heart, a hint of ferocity flashing in his brows, clenched the tool in his hand, and charged at the white bone.

His strength was nothing to the white bone; it slowly reached out, seized his throat with such force it seemed to want to crush his whole body!

Zhao Ge's legs kicked in midair as he struggled to break free, to no avail; staring into those hollow eye sockets, his fear twisted his features.

The next instant, with a crack, he was hurled sideways by the white bone.

"Ah!"

A miserable scream split the night sky; due to the intense pain, Zhao Ge's body slowly collapsed to the ground, blood almost flowing into a small stream.

The night was like water; a breeze blew and the fog soon dissipated, everything unchanged from before except for the several gruesome, terrifying corpses now lying on the ground—tonight's darkness was as usual.

"Hiss—"

Following a few faint hisses of snake speech from the darkness, a rustling sound immediately followed.

"Little one, are you coming home with the Great King?"

(End of chapter)