"The townsfolk also said that the Human-Headed Dog Demon had an accomplice, a male Fox Demon who is most cunning, skilled in disguise, and causing confusion with falsehoods, often shape-shifting into human form to harm people."
"I was deceived by that Fox Demon in human form before, who sneakily attacked me, and that enabled the two of them to capture me in collusion."
"This Fox Demon is different from humans, lacking that bane of men, and is especially susceptible to the lure of beauty; once bewitched by beauty, it reveals its fox tail."
"Although the Human-Headed Dog Demon is dead, the Fox Demon is still alive, which is why I..."
Li Ping'an suddenly realized:
"After all this time, you were verifying whether I'm a human or a demon!"
Zixia sat cross-legged, blowing on a Fire Starter to warm herself by a kindled fire.
"Exactly, I am now completely certain that you are human."
"Nonsense, of course I am human. If I were the Fox Demon you mentioned, how could I have fought with the Human-Headed Dog Demon?"
"Joke, you only know of demons eating humans, but little do you know that demons also devour each other to increase their Cultivation. What if the Human-Headed Dog Demon and the Fox Demon had an internal dispute?"
"I see..."
Still intrigued, Li Ping'an, following the flames, stared at Zixia's long, fair legs and swallowed hard, rubbing his palms together as he sleazily approached her:
"You've confirmed I am human, but I haven't confirmed whether you are human yet, so I also want to test you...""
"Go ahead and try!"
Zixia didn't speak but merely formed a Sword technique with her right hand, and the sword at her waist flew out, directly stabbing into the groin of the Human-Headed Dog Demon's corpse.
Li Ping'an felt a chill below the waist:
"Just joking with you, and you took it seriously. You look young, but your mind is that of an old fogey who can't take a joke."
Thus, he honestly sat down next to Zixia but kept looking around, afraid that the Fox Demon, the accomplice of the Human-Headed Dog Demon, might suddenly appear.
By the light of the burning fire, Li Ping'an noticed the temple was dilapidated with visible cracks on the walls, windows falling off, and some holes in the roof overhead, but it was still a decent place to shelter from the wind and rain.
As his gaze shifted back to the temple entrance, his eyes suddenly widened.
There lay the corpse of the Human-Headed Dog Demon.
"Senior Zixia, could you use a spell to remove this Human-Headed Dog Demon's demon body? It's eerily unsettling..."
"Don't be afraid."
Zixia noticed Li Chang'an's expression and said with a smile:
"The Human-Headed Dog Demon is indeed dead, and this corpse won't stand up to harm people."
"What about the outside?"
Li Ping'an quietly used Divine Skills: Secluded Cave, immediately pointing toward the Corpse Peeling Well outside the temple.
"Don't fret, all the prisoners except for you and I have long been dead."
Zixia said.
"I mean, what exactly are those tiny blue-purple lights outside? I've noticed they seem to be everywhere."
The moment Li Ping'an finished, Zixia looked shocked:
"You can see Spiritual Essence? Who exactly are you? Which sect's Cultivator are you from?"
Li Ping'an immediately adopted the Tang Dynasty's unique crossed-hand salute and truthfully said:
"My surname is Li, given name Ping'an, style name Se Pi, not a Zong Sect Cultivator. I was injured by the Human-Headed Dog Demon, damaging my memory; I do not remember why I came here or where this place is."
Li Ping'an pointed to the large bump on the back of his head.
"Heh, that's a good excuse. I understand you; when one is away from home, one naturally cannot tell others the truth."
Zixia spoke lightly, but in her heart, she had already determined that Li Ping'an was indeed a Zong Sect Cultivator; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to kill the Human-Headed Dog Demon or see the Spiritual Essence.
Li Ping'an continued to inquire:
"So what exactly is Spiritual Essence?"
Zixia thought Li Ping'an was testing her depth of knowledge, so she intentionally boasted:
"Spiritual Essence, also known as Spiritual Energy, is the creation of heaven and earth. Drawn into the body, it aids in cultivation, enhances one's Cultivation Levels, enables the casting of spells, and can even extend one's lifespan."
"How does one draw it into the body?"
"The Cultivation Methods of your own sect!"
"But I don't have any!"
"Still pretending? Are you trying to steal the Cultivation Methods of Qingyun Sect?"
"I speak to you with honesty, yet you treat me as a swindler. Forget it, forget it, this place is eerie anyway. I'll go elsewhere to spend the night, that way I won't have to worry about a fox demon attacking in the middle of the night."
Li Ping'an stood up intending to leave, but a remark from Zixia made him sit back down obediently:
"Within twenty li of Dog Head Peak, this is the only ruined temple where one could stay. The path down the mountain is rugged and tricky, filled with hunters' traps. If you walk at night, be careful not to fall off a cliff."
"It seems I must stay here for the night…"
Li Ping'an frowned and continued to stare helplessly at the well's opening:
"The reason I was startled just now was because I saw two things. One was the Spiritual Essence, which I've told you about, but there was also a ghost, which I didn't mention earlier."
"Imagine if six ghosts were staring at you intently while you were trying to sleep. Would you be able to sleep?"
"Pure nonsense! Where are the ghosts?"
Zixia thought Li Ping'an was testing her abilities again, so she pinched a spell, pointing a finger and gently sweeping it across her eyes. Then she could indeed see six ghosts hovering above the Corpse Hiding Well, all wearing tattered clothes, with withered yellow faces, clearly prisoners previously killed by the Human-Headed Dog Demon.
"You can see ghosts without casting a spell, yet you claim you're not a cultivator from a sect?"
Zixia looked at Li Ping'an as if he were a swindler, but jealousy was evident in her tone.
"I really am not…"
No sooner had Li Ping'an finished speaking than Zixia's eyes lit up with splendor. She walked around Li Chang'an a few times, displaying a very shocked expression, her voice full of awe:
"I have been in Qingyun Sect for over a decade, and I'm only at the Qi Gathering Realm. Without casting spells, I absolutely cannot see ghosts!"
"And here you are, with not a trace of Mana and not a sect cultivator, yet you managed to kill the Human-Headed Dog Demon and can see ghosts."
"Tsk tsk tsk, you truly have the talent for immortal cultivation!"
Li Ping'an could tell from Zixia's words that she was both envious of him and probing him for secrets, so he quickly changed the subject:
"Senior Zixia, how does that Human-Headed Dog Demon's cultivation compare to yours?"
"Naturally, it's the same."
Zixia proudly said:
"But I am three realms higher than him."
Li Ping'an questioned:
"Really? If the cultivation is the same, how can you be three realms higher?"
"Ignorant!"
Zixia again began to boast:
"In this corner of the world, Cultivation Methods are divided into the 'Upper Three Streams' and 'Lower Nine Streams'."
"Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are the 'Upper Three Streams', while demon cultivation, Martial Cultivation, and others are the 'Lower Nine Streams'."
"Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism rank higher than demon cultivation by one level, and higher than Martial Cultivation by two levels, and so on."
"Confucian Cultivation, also known as Literati Cultivation, may have different names for realms as compared to Immortal Cultivation, but the essence is the same. It's just that those literati poets like to put on airs to stand out, claiming to be 'Extremely Talented' or 'Twice As Talented'."
"So how are the Cultivation Levels of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism divided?"
Li Ping'an continued to press for answers.