Night fell!
The bright moon hung high, and all was silent.
Somewhere in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Flender, Zhao Wuji, Yu Xiaogang, Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun found a suitable spot to set up camp and rest. Yet the mood among the seven was somber.
They had searched the Star Dou Great Forest for days but found no trace of Tang Yin, Liu Erlong, Ah Yin, or Zhu Zhuqing.
"Grandmaster, what should we do next? Keep searching?" Ma Hongjun couldn't help asking Yu Xiaogang.
The terrifying beast tide they'd encountered earlier left even Flender and Zhao Wuji (Soul Sages) on edge. Ma Hongjun had been living in fear, terrified they might face another deadly stampede. Oscar and Dai Mubai shared his anxiety.
Though they preached "never abandon a teammate," that was before facing true mortal peril. The beast tide haunted them.
Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Zhao Wuji, as teachers, also felt uneasy. They'd never witnessed such horror. They didn't reprimand Ma Hongjun's fear.
But returning empty-handed? How would they explain?
"Teacher, Second Dragon Aunt, my mother, elder brother Tang Yin, and Zhu Zhuqing are all strong. They'll be fine. Let's withdraw, leave markers to guide them, and wait outside," Tang San suggested pragmatically.
After a pause, Yu Xiaogang nodded.
"Rest well tonight. We leave tomorrow," he said, his voice unnaturally soft.
Since losing his manhood days prior, Yu Xiaogang's wounds had healed—but with disturbing changes:
His beard was thinning.
His voice had turned higher-pitched.
Worst of all: he now had to squat to urinate, couldn't fully empty his bladder, and needed paper to clean himself.
Ma Hongjun volunteered for night watch, relieved. The others soon retired to tents.
Midnight
Ma Hongjun's stomach suddenly cramped violently. He rushed behind a tree 10 meters from camp to relieve himself.
As he squatted, he saw Yu Xiaogang emerge from a tent—clearly needing to pee.
Huh? Where's Ma Hongjun? Yu Xiaogang wondered briefly but dismissed it. He hurried toward the same tree, oblivious to Ma Hongjun hidden behind it.
A foul smell hit him. Disgusting... but no time. Desperate, he dropped his pants and squatted.
A soft, feminine trickling sound followed.
Ma Hongjun peeked around the tree—and froze.
Yu Xiaogang wasn't standing. He was squatting like a woman.
As a brothel regular, Ma Hongjun knew that sound intimately. His eyes bulged.
Grandmaster... has no dick?! He's—a eunuch?!
How?! Impossible...
But only eunuchs or women... wait—EUNUCH!
Yu Xiaogang, finished, wiped himself with paper and muttered, "Annoying... needing paper just to piss." He left, never noticing Ma Hongjun.
Ma Hong俊 sat stunned:
"How... why is he a eunuch?!"
Should I tell Tang San? Oscar? Dai Mubai?
Torn, he buried the secret.
Xiao Wu's Dwelling | Tang Yin's Room
Xiao Wu slipped inside in a bewitching dress. Tang Yin had summoned her via mental message.
What does he want at this hour? She'd waited until Zhu Zhuqing, Ah Yin, and Liu Erlong slept before sneaking out.
Tang Yin sat on the bed, a sly smile curling his lips.
"Xiao Wu, come sit," he patted the space beside him.
"Why did you call me?" she asked but obeyed. The moment she sat, his arm snaked around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
He tilted her chin up, eyes raking over her face before settling on her lips. A wicked grin spread.
"Xiao Wu... I need your little mouth to cool down my 'spear.' You won't refuse, right?"