Little Pink Starfish

As soon as those words were spoken, Gu Bai’s reflexes kicked in, and he immediately looked toward Qi Guanrui. =口= His pervert eyes really have turned red! Yikes!

It was as if black smoke was rising from the top of Qi Guanrui’s head, and his smile had become so unnervingly gentle; the black smoke only thickened with time, almost turning into a dense, dark cloud!

Gu Bai mentally lit a candle for the princess. Dear, your mouth is quite big! If you’re not looking for death, don’t tempt it to find you first. Meh. How frustrating it is that the deeply disturbed protagonist continues to darken!Seeing the intense resentment in the protagonist’s gaze, which seemed about to spill over, Gu Bai decisively grabbed Qi Guanrui’s hand! “Calm down, dear! Calm down quickly!” If we slip up now, I’ll be dragged down with you!

The mysterious black aura surrounding Qi Guanrui visibly retreated back into his body at an astonishing rate; in a moment, it disappeared without a trace. The distorted space around him had completely returned to normal—according to Gu Bai’s anime-inspired imagination. In reality, Qi Guanrui’s expression was no longer so eerie. Although he was still smiling, it seemed much more sincere now. He whispered with a soft laugh, “Is gege concerned about me?”

Gu Bai glanced at him vapidly. At that moment, he had an epiphany— the creep was probably trying to get him to talk more. So, he obliged, “What’s making you so angry?”

Qi Guanrui’s gaze softened even further. “This matter… I’ll tell you in a few days. I only hope you won’t despise me when the time comes…”

Gu Bai felt conflicted. Is this creep really going to tell me? Then, he felt a chill. Could it be that this weirdo plans to test me by seeing if I’ll run again? Just like a startled bird…

Luckily, Qi Guanrui didn’t seem intent on dragging the conversation any further; he looked toward the still poised and noble princess, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

The princess’s aura was so powerful that everyone’s attention was completely drawn in, the dangerous figure in the background went unnoticed. Gu Bai sighed. He understood that his hope of being saved by the princess was lost. However! There were still countless other girls who could rise to the occasion! One day, he would definitely meet—the one!

In the original Python-Slaying Tournament, every top expert participated to secure their standing. In the mutated plot, not even the lord of Haoyang City made an appearance. He instead sent his subordinate, an expert at the Wi Di level, to greet everyone. The highest-ranked people present were only Wu Di level.

The result of the first meeting was simple: the giant python would not be killed but captured alive and delivered to Princess Tianxiang. In return, she had generously promised many rewards, including positions in court for the person who could claim first place. In short, it was a huge offer. With this shared purpose of fighting the serpent and showing their loyalty, the meeting came to an end.

After the meeting, Gu Bai and the others returned to their dorms. While the overall strategy to surround and attack the serpent was tentatively set, the specific plans had not yet been discussed.
So when would it be discussed again? That was no longer the group’s concern. Some of the Wu Di and Wu Di-level experts would hold smaller meetings with their respective factions, and once the results were in, they would relay the plans to the rest of the group, who would then follow their instructions. As for Gu Bai and his three companions, they obviously wouldn’t qualify to attend those meetings. However, Chen Yuanhao, who had ties with some Wu Wang-level core figures, could obtain some useful intel.

Gu Bai: ╮(╯▽╰)╭ The plans are all known by the pervert anyway, so why even bother? Sure enough, all the luck in the world is in the hands of that pervert…

Over the next few days, Gu Bai had a close-up look at Qi Guanrui’s efficiency. Qi Guanrui’s daily schedule went like this:

[Morning]
8 AM: Wake up and wake up Gu Bai with a kiss;
Force Gu Bai to be affectionate for an hour;
Send away Yun Xiao* and serve Gu Bai breakfast for an hour;
Listen to Chen Yuanhao’s report for an hour;
Go out for a stroll and return with a bloody aura, then wash/clean-up for an hour.

[Afternoon]
Send away Yun Xiao and serve Gu Bai lunch for an hour;
Nap with Gu Bai for two hours;
Discuss martial arts experience with Gu Bai for an hour;
Practice martial arts sparring for an hour;
Go out again and return with even more bloodlust, then wash/clean-up for an hour.

[Evening]
Send away Yun Xiao and serve Gu Bai dinner for an hour;
Listen to Chen Yuanhao’s report for the day for an hour;
Help Gu Bai bathe and do “something” in the bathroom for two hours;
Put Gu Bai to bed, hug him, and daydream for an hour;
Go out for the night for an unknown number of hours;
Sit in meditation to digest Wu Qi for a few hours;
Finally, wash up and get back in bed to hold Gu Bai and sleep.
Wake up exactly at 8 AM the next day.

_{*[T/N: Man-eating flower.]}

In short, three outings, three baths, and three hunting trips per day. Qi Guanrui’s strength soared at an incredible rate, and in just half a month, he went from being a Junior Wu Wang to an Advanced Wu Wang.

Gu Bai =皿= I’m so envious, I hate it! Even though I wrote it myself, I still envy it!

Meanwhile, terrifying rumours about the giant serpent began to spread:
It was said that the serpent ate people and could swallow a hundred in one gulp → This was true, but not at that point in time; It was said that the serpent was extremely vicious, with a body like a mountain, eyes like water jars*, and a tail that could flatten a peak → This was true, but not at that point; It was said that the serpent had a body like bronze and was invulnerable to weapons, moving like lightning → This one was more accurate.

_{*[T/N: Fuck knows what this means but it sounds funny.]}

Simply put, people were terrified, claiming that the serpent had already consumed over five hundred people in just half a month. Wu Jun-level experts were so frightened they ran back home! The scariest part was that many Wu Wangs disappeared from the Tournament Hall, with their bodies never found, and no one even noticed the serpent’s presence!

Thus, the originally bustling Python-Slaying Tournament soon turned into a gathering of only Wu Wang-level experts, Wu Di experts, and Princess Tianxiang. The atmosphere grew more and more ominous…

As time passed, many of the Wu Wang-level experts were disappearing. Those of lower strength vanished even quicker, and even if they stayed in their rooms, they would disappear the next day. No one knew what was happening; the serpent was like a ghost, and it was quickly reducing their numbers, destroying their confidence… At that point, they were afraid to leave—the experts who had left before never actually returned to their home territories. They had been eaten alive!

Panic spread throughout Haoyang City. The once proud experts, many of whom had only piled up their cultivation with medicine, were trembling like quails.

When the panic began to spread to the young nobles from prestigious clans, Princess Tianxiang summoned several of them to the Haoyang City Lord’s mansion. All Wu Di-level experts were summoned, except for three or four left behind to guard the Wu Wang-level nobles. Only the most important Wu Wangs with ties to the princess had the privilege to attend.

In a room filled with people, Princess Tianxiang sat in a large chair, her face full of cold beauty.
The others had solemn expressions.

One Wu Di-level expert bent forward and asked, “Princess, how should we proceed from here?”

Princess Tianxiang gently pressed her finger on the table, her brow slightly furrowing. “I didn’t expect this… The serpent has such power, it actually makes me seriously consider taking it in.”

The princess had not originally come to Haoyang City to deal with the serpent. In fact, she had only heard about a tournament and thought the city lord had some ulterior motives, so she came to investigate. Although the imperial power was vast, they were always cautious with the super-powerful city lords who controlled vast resources. Especially since Haoyang City was a major city, and with the towering reputation of the Qingtian Academy, the imperial court was particularly wary. What others didn’t know, the imperial family’s core knew—the lord of Haoyang City and the head of Qingtian Academy were biological brothers, both Wu Shengs and super-powerful figures!

Princess Tianxiang had many siblings, all vying for the emperor’s favour, and if the lord of Haoyang City was scheming, she could pass the information to the emperor, which would be a great merit. That was the real reason she had appeared with her trusted subordinates.

At the Python-Slaying Tournament, her intent to show affection had originally been a cover. But now, she realized the situation was far more complicated than she had thought. The Wu Di-level experts furrowed their brows upon hearing this.

One of them advised, “Princess, think carefully. This serpent is too abnormal. It’s unlikely we’ll capture it alive…”

Another said, “Yes, Princess, your safety is of utmost importance. It’s best to return to the imperial court immediately.”

Yet another said, “Why bother with a mere giant serpent? Given the situation, you should focus on preserving your strength. After all, there are…”

Everyone advised Princess Tianxiang to leave quickly, and to avoid dealing with the strange serpent.
Although some had been eaten when they tried to leave, it was assumed that the princess would be safe with so many Wu Di experts to accompany her.

Princess Tianxiang thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Why think so much? This Python-Slaying Tournament was organized by the lord of Haoyang City. Many young nobles and famous heroes have already caused problems here. I only came to gain favour, and the rest has nothing to do with me.” She paused and smiled warmly, “But so many lives have been lost to this serpent, it does make me feel sorry. The city lord, who’s always been in seclusion, should come out to resolve this matter.”

At her words, her subordinates quickly left to make the arrangements. The city lord, naturally, should have appeared by then.

***

Pinky says: I’m currently moving.