I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 418: Chapter 377: Deceitful Beast

This layer above leads into the interior of the Divine Tree’s crown, a complex terrain where finding an exit shortly after entering is impossible.

Shen Huaxi searched around for Yu Xiao but couldn’t find him, guessing he had already passed this test.

Jiang Yuebai knew roughly what the next layer was like. With about three days left before the Moonlight Flowing Cup began, she wasn’t in a hurry. This layer forbade fighting, seemingly meant for Little Demons to rest and recover.

The rabbit’s riddle was actually quite simple. Three choices, with assuredly one fruit being non-toxic, meaning one rabbit must have told the truth. Deduction reveals the answer.

The black rabbit says, the white rabbit lies.

The white rabbit says, the gray rabbit lies.

The gray rabbit further says, both black and white rabbits are lying.

Suppose the black rabbit tells the truth, then the white rabbit must be lying, and the gray rabbit tells the truth. But the gray rabbit also says the black rabbit is lying, causing the deduction to be invalid.

So, the black rabbit is lying!

Since the black rabbit lies, the white rabbit tells the truth, and indeed the gray rabbit is lying. Its words, half-true and half-false, can’t be trusted. This deduction holds.

Conclusion: the black and gray rabbits are lying, and the white rabbit tells the truth.

Knowing the correct answer, Jiang Yuebai wasn’t in a hurry. Most eyes among the little demons behind her hinted at a clear stupidity; those stuck here usually have minds like mush.

”Have you figured out the answer?” Jiang Yuebai asked Shen Huaxi.

Shen Huaxi pondered for a moment, his furrowed brow gradually relaxed. ”Hmm, I’ve deduced the answer.”

Jiang Yuebai turned to the three rabbits. ”I recall seeing in Ancient Books that there were Deceitful Beasts resembling rabbits, skilled in human speech, who often deceive, speaking of east while meaning west, saying bad while meaning good. Their meat is delicious; eating it results in untrue words. So, are you Deceitful Beasts?”

The three rabbits said in unison, ”No!”

Jiang Yuebai laughed, ”At least you’re speaking consistently now.”

With black and gray lying and the white rabbit telling the truth, it indeed is a rabbit, not a Deceitful Beast.

The rabbits felt entirely seen through by Jiang Yuebai. One hurriedly said, ”Wait a moment, we’ll transform again.”

Gray mist instantly enveloped the three rabbits, dissipating to reveal the same black, white, and gray rabbits with the same three fruits, starting their accusations over again.

Jiang Yuebai wasn’t annoyed at all, she bent down, leaning her face into the shadow in front of the three rabbits.

”Can I pass by eating all of you? This layer only forbids fighting but not eating rabbits. I did learn rabbit cuisine from the Chaotian Domain.”

”Chaotian Domain?!”

The three rabbits backed away in terror; elders from their clan had said a rabbit must never step into Chaotian Domain, it’s the graveyard for all rabbits!

”Just kidding, don’t be nervous. Answer me this question: Am I a man?”

”Yes!”

”No!”

Once the answers fell, the black rabbit and white rabbit who answered ’yes’ opened their eyes wide, hurriedly dropping the fruit and covering their mouths.

Shen Huaxi’s eyes brightened beside, ”So that’s it, indeed quite simple!”

”The normal deduction wasn’t difficult either,” Jiang Yuebai said.

Once knowing the rabbits are Deceitful Beasts, one can exploit their characteristic of always lying for guidance. No matter how complex their riddles are, they’re ineffective.

Even if they don’t answer, one can ask if they cannot answer; Deceitful Beasts, though silent, reveal themselves through their gaze and expression.

Jiang Yuebai took the fruit from the gray rabbit with her vine, biting into it, the crisp sweetness bringing a refreshing aura throughout her body, making her wounds vanish, replenishing her strength.

From the little demons behind, most still wore puzzled expressions, their stupidity even clearer.

They had acquired Spiritual Wisdom for just a few years, hadn’t read any books, and weren’t like the clever Fox Clan born smart, so their dullness was understandable.

However, unable to solve such puzzles, them becoming Divine Tree Servants could anger the Divine Tree to death, no wonder the Tree sets such tests.

Yet a few little demons, due to Jiang Yuebai’s actions, showed some awareness. That Four-Eared Monkey’s eyes were shifting, and the blue-faced, dragon-horned, cow-nosed little boy’s eyes were gradually brightening.

”I’ll go first.”

Jiang Yuebai said to Shen Huaxi, crossing the rabbits as she climbed the tree vine ladder.

”Wait!”

The truth-telling gray rabbit called to Jiang Yuebai, chasing to the stairs, holding out a bunch of black rabbit fur.

”This is the fur from a Deceitful Beast. Ignite it, and you’ll discern the truth in others’ words within a quarter-hour. You’ve completely seen through us; this is the Divine Tree’s instruction.”

Jiang Yuebai accepted the fur, ”Actually, I’m more curious if Rabbit Demons’ and Deceitful Beasts’ meat is truly delicious. Why not make me some spicy rabbit heads to try?”

The gray rabbit backed away in fright, stepping into air and tumbling down the stairs.

Jiang Yuebai chuckled mischievously, turning away.

She again stepped into the clouds, walking upwards for some time, her view suddenly brightened, moving from night into day.

Before her were vines winding around trees, in various thicknesses, with dappled light filtering through dense leaves, creating beams that revealed dust particles.

The sounds of insects and birds mixed with monkey cries echoing, making this place serene and ethereal.

Jiang Yuebai scanned her surroundings, seeing no bounds of the Divine Tree’s crown overhead or beneath her.

”The Divine Tree’s crown can at least cover the entire Demon Realm; such a vast area, to explore it all even in thirty days would be hard, let alone three...”

She felt a force pressing her, confining her to walk along a tree trunk resembling a single wooden bridge. She tried flinging out her White Vine to grab an upward tree branch, but it was blocked by an invisible barrier.

”Can only keep moving layer by layer up the trunk, no shortcuts?”

”Jiang Yuebai.”

Shen Huaxi’s voice came from behind as he quickly caught up.

”Mind if I join you?”

Jiang Yuebai intended to refuse but recalled Shen Huaxi previously cautioning her about Tian Nanxing; she changed her reply, ”Do you have any weapons to lend me?”

Her vine was too soft, suitable only for whipping and strangling, lacking the satisfaction of a sharp weapon.

Shen Huaxi rummaged in his Storage Ring momentarily, pulling out a fairly fine Magic Treasure Long Spear, handing it to Jiang Yuebai.

”The Extraordinary People of Iron Feather Country excel with spears. This Spiritual Snake Spear was my training tool; failed to master it, leaving it unused. If you don’t mind, I’ll give it to you.”

Jiang Yuebai examined it, the blade like a snake, hissing through the air. Though not as good as her White Dragon Spear, it’s still decent enough here.

”Make it clear, should you dare snatch the Emperor’s Liquid from me, I’ll stab you eighteen times first.”

Shen Huaxi’s smile was sincere, ”Relax, I’m mainly here to see the Divine Tree; other things are trivial to me.”

Jiang Yuebai nodded, ”Let’s go then. By the way, try flying here.”

Shen Huaxi swept his gaze downward, reluctantly swallowing but followed Jiang Yuebai’s suggestion, gradually conjuring blood-colored wings at his back.

His current nature had shifted from Cultivating Spiritual Energy of a Righteous Dao Cultivator to entirely Blood Spirit Yin Qi—he was now an Evil Cultivator.

Shen Huaxi fluttered his wings for a moment, shaking his head. ”Can’t fly, suppressed by some force.”

”Seems we really have to follow the trunk to find a path upwards.”

They continued along the trunk path, reaching its end resembling a fortress, which split open revealing a tunnel, leading to two exits.

One goes up north, one down west, both being crisscrossing tree trunks with dense leaves and dappled shadows.

Shen Huaxi assessed, ”Direction is hard to infer here, Divine Sense is impacted. But continual upward choice is right.”

They chose the northward upward path immediately, encountering a little monkey blocking the way.

”Two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine.” The little monkey scratched its ears, asking Jiang Yuebai.

Jiang Yuebai felt speechless, whose idea was this, the Divine Tree’s or the Red Feathered Xiaoque’s?

She heavily suspected past Divine Tree Servants were taught by the Red Feathered Xiaoque, now fed up, likely devising brainy puzzles to drive Little Demons away, avoiding teaching duties.

Disinclined to answer, Shen Huaxi laughed, ”Lack clothes and food.”

The little monkey stepped aside, Jiang Yuebai and Shen Huaxi passed smoothly.