A great man once said, "Wherever one has been, there becos the Way."
By the sa token, wherever there are living beings, tribes will erge. Whether they are large or small, primitive or modern, and regardless of whether they are called kingdoms, fiefdoms, or cities, they are all fundantally tribes.
So also say that it is human nature to seek gain and avoid loss, to covet pleasure and indulgence. In truth, the nature of all living creatures is the sa. Take even the most intractable lone wolf. If you lock it in a cage, treat it to fine food and drink every day, and feed it until it is full, it will soon lose any desire to return to a life where its next al is uncertain.
Everything in this world is in a constant state of change, and the Demon Race is no exception. Perhaps in the ancient era, the earliest demons were fierce and brutal. But as they were exposed to more and more, they began to change in subtle ways.
Wang Xiu now understood this point deeply.
...
"Old Gu, you weren’t kidding. There really are brothels here!"
On a bustling street, Wang Xiu stared at a group of flamboyantly dressed Charming Demons in the distance, the corner of his mouth twitching involuntarily.
Three Origins City was a relatively unremarkable tropolis on Demon Sea Island, yet it was teeming with demons. The streets buzzed with activity, and he could even hear the calls of street vendors. If he closed his eyes, Wang Xiu might have suspected he was back in Nanzhou’s Vermilion Bird City, not on Demon Sea Island.
It had the sa bustling markets as those found among the Human Race. The only difference was that the beings walking the streets were not human, but massive, ferocious-looking demons.
A sideshow stall was set up by the road. A huge Stone Demon lay on the ground, its body a tough, ashen-grey rock. Beside it, an Ox Demon hefted a large sledgehamr and slamd it down onto the Stone Demon’s chest. This was a locally famous trick called "Smashing a Sledgehamr on the Chest."
If the sledgehamr shattered, it proved the Stone Demon’s bloodline was pure and its defense astonishing. This might attract the attention of a passing high-ranking demon lord, earning it a slim chance of being chosen as a retainer.
If the Stone Demon shattered... well, they would just bring in the next one.
In a corner, a crowd of demons had ford a circle. Inside, a Demon Wolf and a Demon-Eyed Tiger were locked in a vicious battle. The scene was as spectacular as it was brutal, drawing a chorus of cheers from the onlookers. The aloof, high-ranking demon lords standing nearby would take the winner away to serve as a guard for their manors.
These so-called high-ranking demon lords were classified by the purity of their bloodline. Essentially, any being who could be considered a mber of the Pureblood Demon Race was at the top of the Demon Realm’s food chain. This city’s streets and alleys were mostly filled with Foreign Demons, those with the most diluted bloodlines. They were not originally demons but had been transford and empowered after being accidentally tainted by Demonic Qi. Still, they were far inferior to the Pureblood Demon Race. These Foreign Demons would fight to the death, risking everything for the slim chance of being noticed by a Pureblood Demon. To be taken into service by one ant a huge leap in status.
Pureblood Demons were exceedingly rare, their status almost always passed down through specific clan lineages. In all of Three Origins City, there were only three such Pureblood Families. As for True Demons, there were none here. The appearance of one would have caused a massive stir. It was a known fact that even the most elite True Demon clans rarely produced a True Demon offspring. The probability was minuscule, with often only one born in a generation, destined to beco the clan’s ruler. If several generations passed without a True Demon Bloodline erging, that clan was destined for decline.
A True Demon who managed to grow to adulthood would beco a Demon Emperor, a being comparable to an Earth Immortal of the Human Race. The natural law—where the strong thrive and the weak perish—was on full display here.
...
The Demon Race also knew how to enjoy themselves. Having invaded other worlds for ages, they had absorbed many interesting cultural aspects from various realms. The most typical examples were brothels and taverns.
Originally, brothels did not exist in the Demon Realm. If demons desired sothing, they simply took it by force. One day, however, they discovered that the "goods" in brothels were of higher quality and the service more attentive. There was no need for violence or the risk of retaliation. So long as one paid enough, every need could be satisfied, leading to an experience of ultimate pleasure. Coercion and comrce are two different things. Certain matters can only be truly savored when both parties are willing participants.
The main attractions in these brothels were the females of various Foreign Demon clans, such as Fox Won, Cat Won, and Snake Won. Charming Demons, however, were a rarity. When one did appear, she was guaranteed to be the establishnt’s top star and main attraction, commanding an exorbitant price. Even your average Pureblood demon noble could not afford to visit them often.
Then there were the taverns. The Demon Realm didn’t have a wide variety of alcoholic drinks, nor did they possess any sophisticated brewing techniques. Their drinks were typically made from high-quality raw ingredients, but the taste was often indescribable—and not in a good way. However, after observing the human world, they made a chance discovery. There was an inexplicable elegance to sitting in a small room, sipping on these less-than-palatable drinks while watching dancing girls strike flirtatious poses. While the Demon Race had long been invading the human world, it was clear they had also been greatly influenced by it.
...
At this mont, Wang Xiu had assud the identity of a Pureblood of the Golden Demon Race. His long, golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall, giving him a noble and enchanting air. His humanoid appearance, combined with a tall, burly physique, an indifferent gaze, and a fearso aura, commanded respect and awe wherever he went.
There was an interesting dichotomy: while the Demon Race was filled with violence and greed toward the Human Race, the truly high-ranking demons considered the ability to assu a human form to be a crucial distinction.
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