Zhou Ping'an

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Zhou Ping'an (周平安)
Alias(es)	Lord Zhou
Species/Race	Human; transmigrator
Gender	Male
Age	18 at the time he enters the Demon-Slaying Bureau 1
Affiliation	Demon-Slaying Bureau
Occupation/Role	Prison menial servant; caretaker of the Scale-Bone Snake Demon
Status	Alive 4
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Body cultivation initiation	2	Zhang San places him in refined Scale-Bone Snake Demon blood after judging that his will is sufficient for the body-cultivation path.
Martial-cultivation foundation	3	Endures a full day and night in demon blood, cleansing his marrow and meridians and opening all 360 acupoints; he can subsequently sense spiritual energy.
Acquired Realm, First Level	4	Condenses one strand of true dragon power through the Dragon Transformation Art after a year of cultivation, supported by Demon Blood Pills and thousand-year ginseng. His arms can exert at least 10,000 jin of force.

Background

Zhou Ping'an transmigrated to the Great Zhou Dynasty eighteen years before the beginning of the story. Unlike other transmigrators, he initially possessed no cultivation talent; every method he attempted over the years failed. He eventually intended to live quietly and care for his mother instead. His father was absent from his life, and his mother refused to speak about him. 1

When his mother was near death, she gave Zhou Ping'an a token engraved with the character for “demon” and instructed him to find the manager of the Capital City's Treasure Pavilion. After her death and funeral, he followed the instruction, and the manager brought him into the hidden Demon-Slaying Bureau prison beneath the imperial palace. 1

Zhang San reveals that Zhou Ping'an is the son of Zhou Bu'er, a Demon-Slaying Bureau demon slayer who died eighteen years earlier while pursuing a great demon. As Zhou Bu'er's only descendant, Zhou Ping'an is granted a menial post in the Bureau prison. 1

Personality

Zhou Ping'an is determined and patient. Though an entire night of practicing the Qi Nourishing Art produces no sensation of qi, he resolves to keep trying for as long as necessary, relying on his longevity to compensate for poor aptitude. 1

He is pragmatic about survival and cultivation. He regards the Demon-Slaying Bureau prison as the safest possible place for someone with longevity but no protection from violence, and he plans to remain there for a century unless he reaches the tenth level of the Postnatal Realm. 1 3

He is also calculating and ruthless toward hostile demons. After recognizing the Scale-Bone Snake Demon's attempt to deceive him, he sharply reduces its food rations to force it to disclose the location of a thousand-year ginseng. 3 4

Abilities & Skills

Longevity

Zhou Ping'an awakened an ability that grants him longevity upon turning eighteen.

• It does not make him invulnerable; he explicitly recognizes that he can still be killed by an attack. 1
• It allows him to view extremely slow demon cultivation methods as viable long-term options. 3

Body Cultivation

Because his meridians are blocked and his dantian leaks, Zhou Ping'an cannot efficiently cultivate internal energy. Zhang San instead puts him on the body-cultivation path, which strengthens the body directly. 2 3

• Endured the Scale-Bone Snake Demon's oppressive aura for an hour without yielding. 2
• Survived refined demon-blood tempering for a full day and night, a Bureau record according to Zhang San. 3
• His cleansing opened all 360 acupoints, enabling him to sense spiritual energy. 3
• His blocked meridians and leaking dantian still leave his spiritual-energy cultivation efficiency drastically below that of normal body cultivators. 3

Dragon Transformation Art

A demon body-tempering technique inherited through the Scale-Bone Snake Demon's lineage. Zhou Ping'an obtains it in exchange for feeding the imprisoned demon two fat pigs. 3

• Stores true dragon power in the flesh and blood rather than in the meridians or dantian. 4
• Condensing one strand of true dragon power grants the first level of the Acquired Realm. 4
• Each subsequent Acquired Realm level requires twice the true dragon power of the preceding level; the tenth level requires 512 strands, while the Innate Realm requires 1,000. 4
• Consumes immense resources: Zhou Ping'an estimates he needs at least ten Demon Blood Pills merely to reach the first Acquired level. 4
• Demon techniques are inherently slow and may require centuries or millennia, a limitation Zhou Ping'an considers manageable because of his longevity. 3

Demon Handling

As a prison menial, Zhou Ping'an is assigned to manage the Scale-Bone Snake Demon. 2

• Draws two large barrels of its blood monthly. 2
• Controls its food allocation, provided he does not starve it to death. 2
• Trades food for cultivation knowledge and the locations of spiritual medicine. 3 4
• Consults the demon on questions involving the Dragon Transformation Art after forcing it into compliance. 4

Equipment / Items

• Demon-Slaying Bureau menial uniform — Black, lightweight, and breathable prison-service clothing. 1
• Demon-Slaying Bureau Menial Handbook — Contains Bureau history, work rules, and the Qi Nourishing Art. 1
• Qi Nourishing Art — A foundational Bureau cultivation technique compiled from methods across the realm. 1
• Dragon Transformation Art — Demon body-tempering technique copied from the Scale-Bone Snake Demon's recitation. 3
• Demon Blood Pills — Valuable Bureau medicinal pills used to fuel his cultivation. 1 4
• Thousand-year ginseng — Spiritual medicine extracted from the Scale-Bone Snake Demon's hidden-treasure information and consumed for cultivation. 4

Relationships

• Zhang San — Supervisor and mentor at the Demon-Slaying Bureau. He recognizes Zhou Ping'an as Zhou Bu'er's son, protects him from newcomer mistreatment, and guides him into body cultivation. 1 2
• Ma Er — Senior Bureau member who provides Zhou Ping'an with extra Demon Blood Pills, evaluates the Dragon Transformation Art, and advises him to demand spiritual medicine from demons rather than mere food. 1 3
• Scale-Bone Snake Demon — Zhou Ping'an's imprisoned charge, cultivation informant, and source of demon blood. Their relationship is coercive: Zhou Ping'an controls its food, while the demon supplies techniques, instruction, and treasure locations to avoid starvation. 2 3 4
• Zhou Bu'er — Father. A Demon-Slaying Bureau demon slayer killed while pursuing a great demon eighteen years earlier; his service secures Zhou Ping'an's entry into the Bureau. 1
• Mother — Deceased mother who left Zhou Ping'an the demon-inscribed token that led him to the Demon-Slaying Bureau. 1
• Nie Wushuang — Son of the Marquis of Yong'an and an errand runner in the Bureau. He delivers the thousand-year ginseng and envies Zhou Ping'an's prison-menial position. 4

Story Role / Major Arcs

Entry into the Demon-Slaying Bureau

Following his mother's final instruction, Zhou Ping'an enters the Bureau's secret prison beneath the imperial palace and becomes a menial servant due to his father's service record. He learns that demons and monsters are real and decides the prison's security makes it the ideal place to cultivate cautiously. 1

Body-Cultivation Trial

Zhang San identifies Zhou Ping'an's blocked meridians and leaking dantian, but offers body cultivation as an alternative. Zhou Ping'an passes the initial pressure test before enduring demon-blood tempering for a day and night, finally gaining the capacity to sense spiritual energy. 2 3

Dragon Transformation Art and First Breakthrough

Zhou Ping'an acquires the Dragon Transformation Art from the Scale-Bone Snake Demon, confirms its drawbacks with Ma Er, and uses Demon Blood Pills to begin cultivating it. He later starves the demon into revealing a nearby thousand-year ginseng, then reaches the first level of the Acquired Realm after a year of cultivation. 3 4

Notable Quotes

“If one day doesn't work, then two days. If two days don't work, then a month. If a month doesn't work, then a year. I have longevity, after all.” 1

“I will never give up!” 2

“Unless I reach the tenth level of the Postnatal realm, I will never leave the Demon-Slaying Bureau.” 3