Bone

Chapter 022: An Interesting Skeleton's Bones Pique Yuan Tianzong's Interest

Compared to the black python he had just killed not long ago, this skeleton possessed more outstanding spirituality. The sudden reaction when it was startled was an immediate response that only creatures with high intelligence could produce.

Picking up the python's skull from the ground, Yuan Tianzong flickered and sank into the forest shrouded in night.

Following the tracks, Yuan Tianzong easily caught up to the Skeleton Monster's whereabouts.

The Skeleton Monster fled frantically through the forest. Throughout its escape, its separated bones gradually reassembled.

At this moment, Yuan Tianzong also noticed a detail: many of the bones on the Skeleton Monster's body showed different shades of color. Judging by its appearance, its entire skeleton was likely a hodgepodge of "international brands."

Missing a skull, it became a headless skeleton, running wildly in the silent mountain forest, looking both bizarre and amusing.

Yuan Tianzong secretly mused that, in that case, this Skeleton Monster was not the Yin Bone recorded in ancient texts.

Both Yin Bones and Yin Corpses were dead things, either born from condensed resentment or nourished by Yin meridians. Essentially, they were dead things that gained the power to move by external forces, allowing them to walk the human world.

The skeleton before him, whether from the perspective of its spirituality or its mismatched bones, was vastly different from the Yin Bone in his understanding.

A normal Yin Bone at this stage would be no different from an ordinary wild beast, acting solely on instinct. It would never be as agile as the one before him.

Not long after, the Skeleton Monster burrowed into a mountain cave.

Accompanied by a fierce roar, the Skeleton Monster that had just entered hastily fled out again, its bones showing signs of falling apart once more. Sometimes bones scattered and ran off, and sometimes they barely held together.

A Transformed Wild Boar charged out of the cave with grunts.

Whether the Skeleton Monster had stumbled into the Transformed Wild Boar's lair or its lair had been occupied by the Transformed Wild Boar, in any case, this "little good-for-nothing" Skeleton Monster began to flee for its life again.

However, its speed was truly too slow.

Furthermore, the Transformed Wild Boar, unlike Yuan Tianzong, would not be interested in a skeleton and hold back from killing it.

For any intruder who dared to trespass into its territory, it had only one thought—to charge and kill!

Before long, the Skeleton Monster was cornered into a small valley by the Transformed Wild Boar.

This valley was a dead end, with no escape route.

Terrified, the Skeleton Monster pressed itself against the mountain wall at the bottom of the valley, frantically picking up stones from the ground and throwing them forcefully at the boar!

Bang! Bang!

Its strength was considerable, and the stones it threw whistled through the air, echoing in the valley.

Seeing this, the Transformed Wild Boar dodged, not relying on its tough hide to withstand everything.

After throwing only a few stones, when the Skeleton Monster reached out to the ground again, it discovered that the stones were all gone. Its frozen posture, coupled with its hands fumbling around on the ground, created an exceptionally awkward scene.

The Transformed Wild Boar grinned, a human-like mocking expression appearing on its face—as if to say: Throw more, keep throwing! Grandpa Boar wants to see how many bones you have left to throw!

A dull thud sounded, and the boar was sent staggering back several steps, shaking its head. It was clearly hit hard.

After a moment of dizziness, the boar focused on what had hit it, its face full of confusion: Didn't it run out of stones? Why was something still hitting it, and so painfully!

When it saw clearly what had hit it, a flicker of surprise flashed in the boar's eyes. It looked up at the Skeleton Monster, its expression becoming even stranger.

Looking at the Skeleton Monster again, it skillfully broke off a rib from its own chest and swung its arm, throwing it at the boar!

The bones on the Skeleton Monster were much harder than ordinary stones. When thrown, they were as fast as lightning, and the boar had no time to dodge.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amidst continuous dull thuds, the boar cried out in pain.

An ordinary wild boar would have fled long ago at this point, but this Transformed Wild Boar did not.

Soon, the Skeleton Monster's ribs were all thrown.

Next, it directly broke off its left arm bone, gripped it tightly with its right hand, and assumed a fighting stance with it as a weapon. It was clear that it had realized this damned boar would not let it go today and could only fight desperately.

At this moment, Yuan Tianzong, who had been watching from the side, finally made his move. With a flick of his finger, a pebble shot out, easily piercing the Transformed Wild Boar's head.

A tragic howl echoed through the entire mountain forest.

In its final seconds of life, the boar instinctively darted towards the forest, but before it could run a few steps, it collapsed to the ground with a thud, its blood staining the dry leaves beneath it.

Although the Skeleton Monster had no head, it could "see" everything that happened before it.

It showed no joy at being rescued. Compared to the Transformed Wild Boar, it knew even better that the person holding the python's skull before it was the one it absolutely could not afford to provoke.

It still leaned against the wall, maintaining its fighting stance, its entire body radiating tension.

Yuan Tianzong then threw the python skull he was holding to it, smiling and saying, "Don't be nervous. I'm not interested in gnawing bones."

The Skeleton Monster maintained its combat posture, showing no signs of relaxation.

Yuan Tianzong made no further moves, watching it with a smile.

Finally, after repeatedly confirming that Yuan Tianzong had no hostile intentions, the Skeleton Monster slowly reattached its left arm bone, then crouched down to pick up the python skull and forcefully pressed it onto the spinal bone of its neck.

After reattaching the skull, it finally regained its complete form. Its mouth opened and closed, making clicking sounds. It chattered unintelligibly, and a faint light seemed to emanate from its eye sockets.

A faint sound came from under its feet. The ribs that had been thrown earlier rolled over from the ground and automatically returned to their positions on the Skeleton Monster's chest.

At this point, the Skeleton Monster bowed to Yuan Tianzong, expressing its gratitude.

"It's nothing. If even a small wild boar can make you this flustered, do you want to follow me?" Yuan Tianzong asked.

Hearing this, the Skeleton Monster tilted its head. After a moment of thought, it nodded vigorously, indicating its willingness. It also gestured for Yuan Tianzong to throw away the stone in his hand.

Yuan Tianzong chuckled and tossed the stone aside. "You think too much. Even if you didn't want to follow me, I wouldn't grind you into bone powder."

Skeleton Monster: "..."

Beside the wooden house, Yuan Tianzong sat on the ground. The Skeleton Monster imitated him, sitting on the ground and facing Yuan Tianzong's scrutinizing gaze.

"You're very strange, completely different from the Yin Bones I know," Yuan Tianzong attempted to communicate with it.

"Clack clack." The Skeleton Monster tried to respond, but it had no vocal cords. The only sound it could produce was the clacking of its jawbones, like knocking on a wooden fish. Yuan Tianzong couldn't understand it at all.

Yuan Tianzong thought for a moment and then said, "How about this: stop making that clacking sound like you're knocking on a wooden fish. I'll ask you questions. Nod if it's yes, shake your head if it's no. Understand?"

The Skeleton Monster quickly nodded.

"Are you a Yin Bone?"

The Skeleton Monster tilted its head, clearly not understanding what a "Yin Bone" was.

Yuan Tianzong frowned. Did it not even know its own identity?

After several inquiries, Yuan Tianzong had a general understanding of the Skeleton Monster before him: it had gained sentience and possessed basic logical thinking, but it lacked understanding of everything around it, much like a newborn child.

After a long while, Yuan Tianzong stood up, temporarily giving up on communicating with it.

"You seem quite weak. Since you have nowhere to go, stay by my side." Yuan Tianzong was still curious about the Skeleton Monster's origins. There was plenty of time, and if he couldn't find an answer now, perhaps a clue would appear someday.

Hearing this, the Skeleton Monster was stunned for a moment before abruptly standing up and, under Yuan Tianzong's gaze, kneeling and kowtowing.

Bang bang bang!

"What are you doing?" Yuan Tianzong asked, somewhat confused.

"Clack clack clack." The Skeleton Monster continued to kowtow, making clacking sounds with its mouth.

"What are you saying? I don't understand."

"Clack clack!" The Skeleton Monster intensified its kowtows, and its sounds became more rapid.

Yuan Tianzong waved his hand with a headache. "Alright, alright. When I have time, I'll teach you to write. Hmm, it's not good to keep calling you Skeleton Monster. I'll call you 'Bone' from now on. That's what I'll call you."

"Clack clack!"