Chapter 6: Monster Bus and the Rouge Society

In the morning, he was in a rush to close the butcher shop and deal with those perverted customers, so even after stepping out of the courtyard gate, he hadn't properly taken a look at the outside world.

At this moment, he looked carefully, expecting to see the scenes he had imagined within an ancient city: filthy streets, narrow alleys, low wooden houses, and commoners who looked like walking corpses in rags.

In fact, the blurry images in the original owner's memory were indeed exactly like that.

However, what entered his eyes at this moment was something entirely different, leaving him quite dumbfounded:

Both sides of this old street were still filled with the appearance of an ancient marketplace—blue-tiled wooden houses, cloth banners and signs, and the smoky atmosphere of steamed buns—but when he raised his gaze, he quickly saw tall buildings of various styles, or rather, bizarre structures.

Although their height and number of stories could not compare to the modern society of his past life, their variety and style were far more complex.

Li Yu only swept his gaze across and saw ten-story palace towers, giant trees made of bronze, ancient temples perched atop high-rises, stone statues of Guanyin sitting abruptly in the middle of the city, and massive neon signs...

If one looked even more closely, one would discover that these "wonders" all featured details such as gears, steam pipes, and metal sliding rails.

And even more astonishing were the various flying objects slowly ascending into the sky everywhere.

Mechanical airships!

Steam-powered tower ships!

Things that seemed to only appear in the novels and films of his past life were now brazenly intruding into his sight.

In this instant, Li Yu felt as if he were in another world, and images of several cities from his past life surfaced in his mind.

At the same time, he remembered the bronze crowing rooster in his own courtyard.

Seemingly realizing something, he recalled some past conversations between Jiao Qing and Sun Sanniang:

"The things from the Heavenly Craft Sect are too terrifying. It’s only been a few years, and Wanfu City has become unrecognizable to us."

"More than just Wanfu City? I hear the outside world can't resist this trend either; huge changes have occurred everywhere."

"With the Heavenly Craft Sect expanding like this, can the other five Great Orthodox God Sects stand for it?"

"Of course they can't. Except for the south of Li Kingdom, which is their base and remains calm, other territories—especially the Gan and Jing Kingdoms—have launched expulsions against the Heavenly Craft Sect and have completely banned their [Missionaries] from entering."

"Since it is an Orthodox God Sect, I suppose this Heavenly Craft Sect also possesses some kind of divine pathway and related cultivation methods."

"If there is an opportunity, I might as well take a peek and see if it suits me."

While muttering to himself, Li Yu stepped out of the old street and headed toward his destination.

Coming from a modern society, he had a strong sense of déjà vu regarding the wave stirred up by the Heavenly Craft Sect, and he naturally understood that in such a transformation, actively embracing new forces usually led to a more promising future.

Moreover, compared to the bizarre and disgusting cultivation methods of the Forbidden God Pathway's "human-vegetable" practitioners, the style of the Heavenly Craft Sect was clearly many times better.

Unfortunately, the original owner's parents were either obsessed with "human-vegetables" or "sword immortals," and there were no memories of the Heavenly Craft Sect's divine pathways or secret medicine formulas; he didn't even know a single sequence name.

Between admiring and complaining, Li Yu walked out of the old street and bypassed several narrow alleys and old streets.

Soon, the path ahead suddenly opened up.

The new area he had just stepped into had a significantly stronger commercial atmosphere; both the buildings along the street and the pedestrians on the road were exceptionally fashionable.

This was the main street of Tianji Ward, one of the eight major wards of the South District.

On both sides were all kinds of high-rises, and the various shops seemed endless, colorful, and winding.

Copper pipes were embedded in the blue brick walls, and steam valves could be seen occasionally. Hanging under the eaves were no longer lanterns or cloth banners, but neon tubes of various colors with all sorts of flashy fonts, dazzling to the eyes.

The smoky atmosphere of the marketplace had dissipated, and the bustle exceeded his imagination.

The shouting coming from some of the buildings also made Li Yu feel it was all quite absurd.

Looking at the exterior, which looked exactly like a brothel, with seductive music playing incessantly, he figured these were the so-called "ecstasy clubs" that Sun Sanniang detested so much.

And soon, the object that truly caught his eye appeared.

Accompanied by the roar of steam and the sound of sharp claws scraping, a large mass of red and black shadow lunged right past Li Yu.

A monster?

Or a vehicle?

Even seeing it with his own eyes, Li Yu found it hard to describe.

Its appearance was like a hybrid of a bus and a giant spider; eight sharp claws covered in flesh and hair, but clearly mechanical at the core, carried the bus and blasted out plumes of blood-red steam, completely avoiding the other pedestrians on the street as it drove ghost-like along the main street toward an unknown destination.

The lingering exhaust smelled like a mixture of fresh blood and kerosene.

Li Yu saw clearly that inside the bus, there were over a dozen passengers in various attire sitting calmly; some even held newspapers or books and were reading.

"Is that the steam bus of the Heavenly Craft Sect?"

"Two taels of silver for a ticket to ride and tour the city for a day?"

As Li Yu muttered, his gaze also turned toward the end of the street.

There were guard booths, benches, and street lamps, along with a memorial archway inscribed with large characters: Tianji Ward Stop.

At this moment, quite a few evil cultivators were gathering there, seemingly waiting for the next monster bus.

Li Yu, who still had over a dozen taels of silver on him, was immediately tempted.

But he quickly restrained himself.

He was in an unfamiliar place and couldn't take risks; the city tour would have to wait.

Besides, his destination for the business he had to attend to was right on this main street, just a few steps away; there was no need to waste two taels of silver.

As this thought settled, Li Yu had already blended into the increasingly dense crowd.

While covertly observing others, he walked hurriedly until he arrived not far from a gorgeous shop on the main street that seemed to have just opened.

The shop was massive, featuring both a neon archway and an antique-style plaque.

Neon Rouge Shop!

This shop was a popular establishment on the main street.

Although it had just opened early in the morning, many women of various ages had already entered to pick out rouge and other cosmetics.

From their attire, one could catch a glimpse of the complex customs of the South District of Wanfu City.

Whether it was dresses similar to cheongsams that accentuated their figures, extremely wealthy silks and satins, translucent and soft gauzes, or the old-fashioned, wide-sleeved robes, everything was there.

What made Li Yu feel he hadn't come to the wrong place was that a small portion of the female customers were transcendent beings.

The appetite perception of the Forbidden Egg would not be wrong.

In his mind, the ledger entries recorded by Sun Sanniang, from old to new, surfaced as evidence:

"Bought a box of Beauty Cream, ten taels of silver. Used up most of it, and I didn't get any more beautiful at all. Another dead swindler. If it weren't for the rumors that the [Rouge Society], a hegemon of Tianji Ward, is behind this shop, I would have smashed their place to pieces."

"Bought another box of Face-Slimming Rouge, twenty taels of silver. Used it all up, and it was completely useless... This time they finally told me it was because my flesh was poisonous and neutralized the medicine's effect? I don't believe a word of that nonsense; I won't be fooled again."

"Sold a barrel of [Sheep-Envy Blood] to Neon Rouge Shop, got fifty taels of silver. Hehe, I'm very satisfied."

"Sold another ten pieces of human skin to Neon Rouge Shop, got three hundred taels of silver. Refreshing."

"Worked hard to save up one hundred fat-absorbing parasitic worms, sold them to the rouge shop, got five hundred taels of silver... These sluts are indeed backed by that Rouge Society. It's said their president successfully advanced to Sequence 7 recently and is already planning to open a branch in the neighboring Hehe Ward. Hah, aren't they afraid of having their chests smashed in?"

From this information, it was not hard to see that this Neon Rouge Shop belonged to an organization in Tianji Ward called the Rouge Society.

The members of this organization were all female transcendent beings. Their cultivation methods were unknown for now, but their way of making a profit was likely providing various normal and abnormal beauty services to the women of Tianji Ward and even the entire South District.

For this reason, they were long-term buyers of related curiosities.

Sun Sanniang had once been one of their raw material suppliers.

Li Yu's trip was to sell that "Activated Blood Intestine," and this rouge shop was the first place he had chosen, as well as the one most likely to offer a high price.

As for this shop being disgusting and bizarre?

In fact, Li Yu had identified more than one potential buyer last night.

By comparison, this Neon Rouge Shop was already the most harmless among them.

Li Yu had wanted to consider it a bit more, but after waiting for a moment, he clearly felt his belly, which had been slightly bulging, become flat again and start to cave in.

Clearly, the Forbidden Egg was about to finish digesting that terrible breakfast.

If he continued to delay, he would face that life-or-death predicament again.

"Dog shit thing, I'll deal with you sooner or later."

=9+Book_Bar

Li Yu's expression turned cold, and he spat.

Immediately, he hesitated no longer, completely ignoring the strange looks cast by the women buying rouge, and walked to the front of the shop, stepping over the threshold.

A disheveled youth suddenly entering a shop full of female customers was naturally eye-catching.

Although Li Yu was quite handsome, what kind of pretty faces hadn't those who could open a rouge shop on the main street of Tianji Ward seen?

If he were the type of wealthy young master who looked like he had great spending power, he might have been greeted with a smile.

Unfortunately, he looked poor and wretched, his scent wasn't particularly good, and the gloomy, evil aura of the Son of the Forbidden God hadn't dissipated.

As soon as he entered the shop, the women immediately frowned.

Several beautiful and alluring female attendants turned cold-faced and came up, intending to drive Li Yu away.

He ignored them, bypassing all the women and the dazzling array of rouge and various beauty cosmetics, and looked directly at a middle-aged beauty behind the counter.

This woman was stunningly beautiful, with a tear mole beneath her left eye.

She wore a wide robe made of red silk, and one could faintly see a full set of undergarments underneath that looked like lace lingerie from his past life, making her proud figure appear even more alluring.

Even though there were dozens of beautiful women in this shop.

As long as anyone entered, they would look at her first and develop unspeakable fantasies and desires; she was a true femme fatale.

Of course, Li Yu was different.

He didn't want to pounce on this woman; in his eyes, this beautiful woman was a potential big buyer, a pile of bright, white silver.

"Hong Gu, real name unknown, manager of Neon Rouge Shop, one of the high-level members of the evil cultivator organization [Rouge Society] in Tianji Ward."

"Although I don't know what divine pathway she cultivates, Sun Sanniang had long since found out that this woman advanced to Sequence 8 several years ago, and her combat methods are extraordinary."

While recalling these things, Li Yu went straight to the point and spoke to Hong Gu:

"Manager Hong!"

"I am Sun Sanniang's son, and I have come here to sell you something good."

"This item can suck out excess grease and fat, as well as the toxic blood that hinders one's beauty... Most importantly, it is alive and can be kept as a pet. It feeds on that filthy flesh and blood, requiring no other food. If raised well, it can continue to molt and evolve, possessing even more beauty-enhancing powers."

By the time Li Yu finished speaking, the eyes of all the female guests in the rouge shop lit up.

After he finished speaking entirely, their breathing became rapid, and their faces were practically written with the words "I want it."

The looks they cast at Li Yu no longer held a shred of disgust or disdain, but were instead filled with burning intensity.

This was perfectly reasonable!

Don't look at the shop and think every one of them is a natural beauty.

In reality, not a single one was original.

Almost all of them had reached the level of a beauty through the extraordinary methods provided by the Rouge Society.

Of course, their statuses were also quite significant, and they had the financial means to support this.

Precisely because of this, they could not resist the "temptation" Li Yu offered.

An extraordinary pet that can enhance beauty?

Anyone who loves beauty, regardless of gender, cannot resist it.

Although they were all mindful that this was the territory of the Rouge Society, with such a good item before them, one or two high-status female guests soon couldn't help but speak up:

"Handsome young man, you actually have such a good item? Hurry and take it out for big sister to see."

"Good little brother, don't listen to her; come to big sister here instead..."

The second person to greet Li Yu was a mature, beautiful woman with a generous bosom, snow-white skin, and a tall stature.

In his past life, Li Yu loved this type, and his feet moved subconsciously.

But before he could truly act or answer, a charming voice suddenly sounded in the shop:

"Oh? That rough creature Sanniang could actually give birth to such a handsome son?"

"But since it is Sanniang's instruction, good child, just come with auntie."

Before the voice had even faded, Li Yu felt half his body fall into a warm embrace.

His arm rubbed against soft silk and the lace beneath it; the extraordinary tactile sensation made him involuntarily follow the owner of the embrace toward the inner room at the back of the shop.

It goes without saying!

The person who arrived was none other than Hong Gu.

It must be said that this beautiful woman was indeed a person of great tact; after snatching Li Yu away, she did not rush impatiently to complete the transaction.

Instead, while holding him and walking forward, she smiled charmingly at the surrounding female guests:

"Sisters, do not be impatient!"

"That Sun Sanniang is indeed one of the suppliers for my rouge shop, but in the past, she never mentioned that she possessed such a strange item."

"Whether it is true or false, I, Hong Gu, will know once I verify it."

"If it truly has such miraculous effects, my Rouge Society will certainly cultivate it well and strive to let every sister have such a pet."

Once these words were spoken, no one could find any fault with them.

The female guests relied heavily on the Rouge Society to maintain their beauty, so naturally, they would not easily offend her.

Li Yu, however!

After hearing this, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

That blood sausage!

To be precise, it was the rotten, mushy intestine pulled out from Sun Sanniang's abdomen.

It was true that it possessed beauty-enhancing effects, and it was true that it could be kept as a pet.

But if he were really to take it out, I fear every female guest in the shop would vomit, let alone happily buy it as a pet.

(End of chapter)