Demon Duan Was Terrifying Indeed

The carriage followed the stream of traffic into the city, and a grand urban panorama slowly unfolded before Duan Yun's eyes.

It had rained just that morning. The tightly packed buildings carried a damp air, and tiny droplets still clung faintly to the wind chimes beneath the eaves.

When the wind blew, the droplets shattered, and the chimes' ringing fell into the crowd, swiftly drowned by the clamorous voices.

The crowd surged like a tide, yet every face was different.

There were merchants hurrying along, young ladies dressed like blossoming branches out shopping, and hawkers carrying candied hawthorns as they called their wares along the streets, their cries colliding with the steam boiling up from the noodle shop beside them.

This was the first time Duan Yun had encountered such a bustling city since coming to this world.

What amazed him was not only the lively scene before him, but also the unbroken stretch of buildings.

At intervals along the road stood soaring structures on either side. Red silk ribbons hung beneath their upturned eaves, fluttering in the wind like beautiful rosy clouds.

Some wooden towers were over thirty zhang tall, nearly rivaling the skyscrapers of his previous life.

Duan Yun even saw enormous cages covered in flowering branches, with people standing inside as they rose toward the upper floors of the wooden towers.

An elevator.

That was Duan Yun's first reaction.

This level of construction was truly beyond Duan Yun's expectations, even though he had long known that Springwatch City was a great city built by the skilled craftsmen of the Ink Sect.

Duan Yun could not help thinking of that bear—the Man-Bear with a human brain grafted into its skull.

In this world, some people could even graft human brains. Creating a city like this was hardly impossible.

Mainly, mainly because every town he had seen along the way had been shabby and dilapidated, while martial artists did nothing but fight and kill, displaying every ugly side of human nature. He had never expected anyone to put such thought into something like this.

The carriage stopped before an inn called the Drunken Star Tower.

According to the coachman, this was the most renowned inn in Springwatch City's outer district, and also the tallest building one could stay in there.

The tower had thirty-nine floors in total. The topmost Heavenly room was called "Star-Picking," an excellent place to admire the city's nightscape.

It was Duan Yun's first time in Springwatch City, and since he had happened to earn a little bounty money along the way, naturally he had to experience this rather decadent indulgence.

The Drunken Star Tower was probably much like the Prosperity Carriage Workshop. As long as the money was enough, they could "put people first and create happiness through lodging."

The reception staff were not ordinary inn servants and proprietors, perhaps with a charming landlady added at most. They were all young women.

It made it, made it seem like—

Why did so many businesses in Springwatch City feel as though they had been turned into brothels?

Still, these young women were dressed quite fresh and naturally, not as seductively as the women in brothels, so they were less likely to send customers' thoughts running wild.

Upon hearing that Duan Yun wanted the "Star-Picking Room," the young lady at the counter smiled even more sweetly, the dimples on her cheeks as lovely as pear blossoms.

Fifteen taels of silver for one night—how could she not be happy?

Still, Duan Yun reckoned that was about right. The finest sky suite in the finest inn of the capital had never been about value for money, much like those presidential suites in modern society that cost tens of thousands a night.

At the Drunken Star Tower, Duan Yun rode this world's "elevator" for the first time.

The wooden cage was carved with floral patterns, ancient and elegant. As the "Flower Cage" slowly rose, Duan Yun truly felt as if he were riding a sightseeing elevator.

The Flower Cage was steady both ascending and descending. From the gears outside, he could tell it had been meticulously designed, though he had no idea what powered it.

Had someone already invented something like a steam engine?

In truth, Duan Yun had guessed wrong. In an underground workshop beyond his sight, more than a dozen donkeys covered in muscle were slowly pulling the mechanisms around.

These donkeys wore dull expressions, yet were nearly as large as oxen. They seemed never to tire. It was said that this was the Ink Sect's latest research achievement: making donkeys and oxen mate and produce offspring.

They called these creatures "Ox-Donkeys."

And the Ink Sect's next step was to have humans and oxen mate and produce offspring, to see whether they could create Minotaurs.

For half a month, Master Lu had neglected even his several wives, immersing himself in stance training every day.

Duan Yun had written down the technique for drawing in and exhaling Lunar Essence, but it was rather difficult for Master Lu.

Master Lu had practiced martial arts before, but they had had nothing to do with internal cultivation. The stance training Young Hero Duan had left behind combined internal and external practice—it required both holding stances and breathing exercises, even absorbing Lunar Essence.

If an ordinary person had told him of such a method, he would have long since cursed them as a fraud.

But Young Hero Duan Yun had slain the Red Tower demoness through terrifying means and saved the entire Lu Family. How could he not believe?

What was more, Master Lu held an inexplicable obsession with restoring his virility.

Once he mastered it, he could violate some young women again.

It had been a long time since he had violated anyone.

Having learned his lesson from the previous woman being a demoness, Master Lu would no longer forcibly marry women in the future. He would only violate them.

He would violate women whose backgrounds he knew, not those of unknown origins!

Thinking of that beautiful future, Master Lu lowered his head and continued training diligently.

That night, Master Lu finally found the feeling beneath the moonlight.

He was going to succeed!

Three mornings later, a strange cry suddenly rang out from Master Lu's room.

The eldest young master rushed over upon hearing it, only to see his father wearing a peculiar and terrified expression as he said, "Quick, quick, invite Divine Physician Xue!"

The Lu Family and Divine Physician Xue were old acquaintances. Divine Physician Xue had always been a man of principle: as long as the silver was enough, he would treat anyone.

Two days later, Divine Physician Xue arrived.

Looking at Master Lu's rather "clean" face, he revealed a strange expression.

"Master, don't speak yet. Let me take your pulse."

Afterward, he began checking his pulse, his expression solemn. "Master, have you recently practiced some kind of cultivation technique?"

Master Lu hurriedly nodded. "I practiced a stance technique."

"Was the one who taught you the technique a handsome young man?" Divine Physician Xue continued.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Master Lu nodded.

Divine Physician Xue asked in puzzlement, "Did he say what his surname was?"

"He said his name was Duan Yun. We wanted to call him Great Hero Duan, but he told us Young Hero would do."

Divine Physician Xue stopped taking his pulse and said, "Master, there is no need to take off your trousers. I roughly understand already."

Master Lu said emotionally, "Divine Physician Xue, save me! No matter how much silver it takes, I'll pay!"

Yes, violating women and marrying them were the only hobbies he liked.

Divine Physician Xue shook his head. "Unfortunately, there is no cure."

"What!" Master Lu's face went pale.

"This belongs to a cultivation technique of someone called Demon Duan. After practicing it, one can shrink one's yang into one's abdomen and undergo Feminine Descent into a woman. Even this old man is helpless. Not to mention you—even the famed Lingshui Twin Heroes were struck by Demon Duan's technique and turned into women."

"Along the way, he killed members of the Thunder Duke and Old Mother Sect whenever he pleased. He caused the disaster that befell the Yellowwater Gang's thousand members. With the Lingshui Twin Heroes and your Feminine Descent added in, Demon Duan can truly be called utterly heartless and insanely cruel. Even speaking of him makes this old man afraid."

Divine Physician Xue spoke at length.

Hearing this, Master Lu knew that his bird was utterly beyond saving. He spat out a mouthful of blood with a wail, cried, "Demon Duan is so ruthless!" and fainted dead away.

The young masters of the household heard the commotion and rushed in with panicked faces.

"Father!"

"Divine Physician Xue!"

"No rush. He will not die."

Divine Physician Xue remained unhurried as he began applying needles.

Even if Master Lu vomited blood like this another five or six times, he could still heal him. But there was nothing to be done about the changes from Feminine Descent.

All that could be said was that Demon Duan was truly terrifying.