At the Foot of Emei, City of Matriarchy

Ye Fan left Ji Zhou, his cultivation having reached the Late Nascent Soul Stage.
His outward identity was that of the Ninth Prince's liaison dispatched to the Ten Great Sects, a Fifth-Rank Houtian Realm martial artist, a handsome and elegant Sixth-Rank eunuch with clear brows and bright eyes.
Old Zhang and Ye Fan left Ji Zhou City, heading towards the Emei Sect.
The two arrived at Yan City, the closest city to Emei. Ye Fan intended to first inquire about news related to the young lady of the Ye family.
In the gloomy, deathly Yan City, all men wore strange collars around their necks and were dressed in revealing attire. Passersby next to the two seemed to look without seeing.
Ye Fan found the guide in the city and requested to meet the City Lord.
Who would have thought that this guide was a stunningly beautiful woman, clad in flowing red robes. Her pure face carried a deadly allure; such a peerless beauty was rare even in Jing Du...
The woman saw two men enter and showed displeasure.
When she saw the imperial decree and the fuse in Ye Fan's hand, she curiously assessed Ye Fan's lower body, her tone rude, a playful smile on her face:
"A eunuch, Fifth-Rank Houtian?"
For some reason, Ye Fan felt offended.
"Is there a problem?"
Then he heard the girl's voice, somewhat sharp, yet her face held a cheerful smile. She clearly looked like a harmless girl next door, but she spoke the most acrid and cutting words:
"A eunuch, neither man nor woman, with only Fifth-Rank Houtian cultivation, truly a useless wretch.
Could it be that you are your master's male favorite?"
Old Zhang was the first to protest:
"You little girl!"
"We are representatives of the Ninth Prince and the Da Qian Imperial Dynasty. Quickly lead us to meet the City Lord!"
Who knew the woman would show a strange smile, casually painting her nails.
"Who is the Ninth Prince?
You wish to meet our City Lord... Unfortunately, our City Lord has no time to meet you..."
"You!"
Don't look at Old Zhang's advanced age; he was a genuine hot-tempered man and immediately wanted to make a move!
At this critical juncture.
Ye Fan gently pulled Old Zhang back.
"Alright, I hope this young lady will convey our message. We will wait for news at the courier station."
"Go to the courier station?
My apologies, the inns are full lately, and furthermore, there are no empty beds for you in any of the large or small inns in the city..."
"You... You... You're going too far!"
If Old Zhang hadn't been pulled by Ye Fan's arm, he would surely have wanted to teach this young girl a lesson.
However, in the end.
He still remembered the Ninth Prince's words before they left: everything on this trip must be based on Little Ye Zi's words.
Old Zhang still endured.
As the two walked out of the guide's room and returned to the street, everything seemed to confirm the guide's words.
No matter how they asked, Yan City actually had no inn with available beds.
The men in the city all looked haggard and listless, with dark circles under their eyes. When they saw the two, they respectfully avoided them, as if they had seen a plague god.
Old Zhang was a little puzzled:
"Why are the men here so lacking in spirit, all with dark circles under their eyes?"
"Hey, look over there..."

Not far ahead, a fierce-looking woman, like a wolf, wielded a long whip, mercilessly lashing a man hiding in a corner.
"For being lazy, for not working hard to earn money, I don't even have money to buy new jewelry, and I'm being mocked by that little slut next door!"
"Speak, do you know your mistake!"
The whip struck the man's face, but it didn't tear his skin or flesh, only leaving a red mark. After being whipped for a long time, the man mumbled or just stayed silent, not refuting a single word.

Old Zhang gasped.
"This man is a Second-Rank Houtian... He's being beaten by a woman like this, and he doesn't even dare to fight back?"
What made Old Zhang feel unbelievable was that a Second-Rank Houtian was absolutely an expert among ordinary martial artists... Yet in this Yan City,
He had no status whatsoever.
"When we entered the city, I carefully observed... Most of the men in Yan City are experts above Fifth-Rank Houtian, but the officials and administrators here are all women with weaker cultivation realms. Don't you find that strange?"
Old Zhang smacked his lips:
"Very strange, why is that?"
"No need to rush, our answer is coming soon."

Then they saw a tall, muscular woman in armor, holding a weapon, approaching the two who were searching everywhere for lodging.
"Are you the ones sent by the Da Qian Prince?"
Ye Fan smiled and nodded.
The muscular woman's face revealed a sinister smile, and she actually poked Ye Fan's face with a finger.
"Look at this soft-skinned pretty boy, what a pity he's a eunuch. Otherwise, he'd be very popular here..."
Just as Old Zhang was about to scold this disrespectful woman.
Huo...
The woman's gaze swept over Old Zhang's clenched fist, and she suddenly unleashed her full aura!
Xiantian, she was a Xiantian expert!
Old Zhang's eyes were filled with shock!

The muscular woman disdainfully glanced at Old Zhang.
"Just a Second-Rank Houtian. Outside, you might be considered an expert, but in Yan City, you're nothing..."
The muscular woman said no more, but casually tossed out a wooden plaque with a number carved on it.
"Hmph, I can warn you.
After dark, don't wander the streets of Yan City, or you won't even know how you died."
The muscular woman swaggered away. The men who saw her instinctively avoided her, while more women looked at her with worship.

Old Zhang's gaze lingered slightly. He felt his worldview had been completely overturned. Now, he finally understood why Ye Fan had initially disagreed with him making a move in front of the guide.
"If I had really made a move back then, I'm afraid neither of us would have escaped this strange city... Right?"
Thinking of the bizarre situations he had seen on the road, Old Zhang unconsciously touched his neck.
Ye Fan also continuously dispelled Old Zhang's unease. The situation in Yan City was indeed very strange.
The men here were not like men; instead, they were more like livestock.
"Alas, being a man is never easy."

Ye Fan and Old Zhang were turned away many times, so they simply stopped caring.
Unique numbers were marked on the buildings on both sides of the street. When they saw number 66, it was an unremarkable small courtyard.
Ye Fan knocked on the door, but no one answered.
However, someone was standing behind the door, and it was also a young man with Fifth-Rank Houtian strength.
Ye Fan thought for a moment and slipped the token in his hand into the crack of the door.
Not long after,
"Creak... turn..."
The door opened.
Inside stood a slightly thin but handsome young man, similar to Ye Fan. The young man's face was nervous, as if he had never spoken to outsiders:
"You... You... Are you also men chosen by Xu Na, the City Martial?"