Chapter 93

Tang Xiaojiu stood rooted to the spot, his eyes showing an extremely complex expression—sorrow, anger, helplessness, disbelief, and more. The words "demon body" kept echoing in his mind, making him feel dazed and unable to regain his composure. He muttered to himself over and over: "Demon body? Demon body? What does this mean? Am I no longer human? Have I become a demon? But I still look like a human, don't I? No, if I were human, how could I eat raw meat and drink blood? And how could I be here? I can no longer be considered human!"

For a moment, countless thoughts swirled in Tang Xiaojiu's mind, like waves constantly crashing against his heart. Was he human? Or a demon? This struggle and confusion left him in turmoil. Standing on the high cliff, he felt as if he were in a dark dream, shivering with a chill that ran through his body.

Liu Shi silently perceived the changes in Tang Xiaojiu. At this moment, he chose to remain silent, allowing Tang Xiaojiu to experience everything himself. He knew that Tang Xiaojiu was about to undergo a significant transformation. Although he couldn't fully predict what Tang Xiaojiu would become after the transformation, the changes in Tang Xiaojiu's heart marked the beginning of a new chapter, one where the old Tang Xiaojiu of the human world would be left behind.

Suddenly, the confusion in Tang Xiaojiu's eyes dissipated, replaced by a strange determination. He gave a cold laugh and said, "Liu Shi, you deliberately made me eat those blood and flesh, and taught me that cultivation method outside of Buddhism and Daoism. The first step, refining the body, was to turn me into a demon, wasn't it?"

Tang Xiaojiu's tone was colder than ever, but Liu Shi remained unaffected, saying calmly, "This cultivation method is called 'Heavenly Saint Decree.' Only demons can cultivate it. You have a human body, which has many limitations and cannot match the infinite potential of a demon body. To learn this method, you must first refine your body into a saintly one."

Liu Shi spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Tang Xiaojiu was silent for a long time, the cold smile on his lips fading as if it had sunk into his heart and disappeared. Then, a coldness that was hard to describe appeared in his eyes.

Tang Xiaojiu said, "Liu Shi, you knew that if you had told me beforehand that you were going to turn me into a demon, I would have resisted with all my might. The outcome might still be the same, but it would have cost you a lot of effort. And you knew that with my personality, once I was transformed, I would accept the reality, right?"

Liu Shi replied, "Smart people fear death the most, as I told you before. And you are a very smart person."

Tang Xiaojiu said, "People are smart because they can remain detached from situations that don't involve them. But when it comes to their own affairs, if they can still show intelligence, it means they can treat themselves with the same detachment as an outsider."

Liu Shi: "So?"

Tang Xiaojiu chuckled, "Since I've already gotten used to you being inside my body, why would I reject a stronger physical form? A living demon, a dead human—this isn't a choice to be made." His smile was the same as always, but it seemed to have changed.

Liu Shi, clearly perceiving this subtle change, said, "Tang Xiaojiu, you've changed!"

Tang Xiaojiu laughed, "Don't be so sentimental. Everyone changes. I ask you, why did the old man want me to challenge the seven demons?"

Liu Shi said, "You consider yourself very smart, don't you? Do you need me to tell you? ... Don't get angry, but I can't tell you about the seven demons. However, I can tell you that these six so-called 'waste' under your command are not actually useless. Each of them has a unique and powerful ability!"

Tang Xiaojiu said, "I knew the old man wasn't that boring. Come on, tell me, or I'll cut myself!"

Liu Shi laughed, "You're really a scoundrel. I'll tell you. That bird Xuan Ying, which you said only circles in the sky, can see a thousand miles and penetrate all illusions. Wouldn't it be more useful for reconnaissance than your own eyes?"

Tang Xiaojiu was surprised and looked up at Xuan Ying, saying, "This, this bird is so powerful? That saves me from putting myself in danger. What a great guy! And this plague dog... no, I mean, Jian Ling, what can it do?"

Liu Shi said, "Within a thousand miles, as long as it wants to smell, it can detect even the slightest odor, like a fart."

Hearing this, Tang Xiaojiu ran over, turned around, and pretended to fart. Jian Ling, annoyed, turned its head away, making Tang Xiaojiu laugh heartily. "I get it. So, that big rabbit with the long ears must be able to hear everything within a thousand miles, right?"

Liu Shi said, "Exactly. And Zheng Lun, which you called a mountain chicken, is actually called She Niao. It can distinguish between all things, whether they are poisonous or not, just by tasting them. As for Luo Yuan, although he looks clumsy, he is incredibly strong and has a tough hide. Even a cultivator's flying sword can't pierce him."

"Wow, so he's a natural meat shield?" Tang Xiaojiu glanced at the large black bear Luo Yuan, who was still circling at the foot of the mountain, and felt a twinge of pity. "Fate is truly terrifying! By the way, what about that silly girl? What can she do? She seems pretty confident, can she turn invisible?"

Liu Shi said, "Invisibility is just one of her abilities. I think your master sent her here for more than just that. I suspect he wants to bring you two together."

"What? Bring us together?" Tang Xiaojiu nearly fell over, saying, "Are you kidding me?"

Liu Shi: "Don't make a fuss. Don't forget, you're a demon now. Think about it based on what you know about your master."

Tang Xiaojiu felt a chill run through his body, and a thought popped into his mind: "I wonder what her original form is?"

In the training ground of Rizhuelu, Lu Zheng stood on a carriage pulled by six horses, which was larger and more exquisite than the previous ones. The carriage had a wooden pole at each corner, with a bell hanging from each pole. Similarly, each of the six horses had three bells hanging from their necks.

Not far away, on a high wooden platform, Li Yi and Yue Zhongping sat side by side on the ground, with Xin sitting beside Li Yi, slightly behind the two masters. All three of them were watching Lu Zheng in the distance.

Today was the examination of Lu Zheng's driving skills. Li Yi had set five criteria for the assessment. The first was called "harmony of the bells," meaning that the bells on the carriage and the horses' necks should ring in harmony, without any discord, demonstrating Lu Zheng's steady and rhythmic control of the carriage.

As Li Yi and the others took their positions, Lu Zheng raised his long whip, flicked his wrist, and the whip formed a beautiful arc in the air. The force of the whip, both strong and flexible, traveled through the whip to the tip, making it straight. With a "snap," the whip made a clear and loud sound, and the six horses, hearing the command, began to run in unison. The hooves beat the ground in a steady rhythm, and the bells on the horses' necks and the carriage rang in unison, producing a pleasant and harmonious sound without any discord.

Soon, the carriage passed by Li Yi and Yue Zhongping. Lu Zheng, focused on the road ahead, drove the carriage steadily, while Xin's gaze followed him.

Yue Zhongping, clearly satisfied with the harmonious sound of the bells, nodded and reached out to stroke his beard, but then remembered he didn't have a beard. He glanced at Li Yi, who had three long, black mustaches, and thought to himself, "What a waste!"

After passing the group, the carriage continued for a short distance before turning back to the starting point. Throughout the process, all the bells rang without a single mistake.

Just as Lu Zheng returned to the starting point and stopped the carriage, two parallel streams suddenly appeared on the flat ground, with a road between them. The streams were winding, making the road twist and turn, with the narrowest points barely wide enough for the carriage to pass through.

This was the second criterion, called "curved water." It meant that although the water was winding, the carriage must not deviate at all, or the wheels would fall into the streams. This required Lu Zheng to have precise control over the carriage. Additionally, the speed of the carriage was regulated; it could not be too slow, as that would allow for cheating by slowly moving the carriage through the streams.

The whip sounded again, this time three times. The six horses neighed in unison, indicating that Lu Zheng was warning them to be cautious. The bells rang again, and the carriage moved. Lu Zheng's expression was more serious than before, but he showed no signs of tension, clearly confident in his driving skills.

The carriage moved at a rapid speed and soon reached the first bend. Xin's eyes were wide open, afraid that Lu Zheng might have an accident. But Lu Zheng skillfully adjusted the direction of the six horses with his whip, and they quickly passed the first bend without slowing down. However, after the first bend, there were three more bends in quick succession, with sharp turns to the left and right. Lu Zheng, seeing this, urged the horses on, and they not only did not stop but ran even faster.

Xin was extremely tense, her heart pounding, and her hands tightly clasped together, silently repeating, "Little brother, little brother!"

As the carriage approached the bends, Lu Zheng suddenly flicked his whip, and the six horses changed direction abruptly, increasing their speed by a factor of two. The carriage was jolted by the force from the front and back, and the bells rang in a chaotic manner, but the carriage successfully