Little Pink Starfish

We’ve mentioned before that Gu Bai had already gone over the plotline with Qiguan Rui earlier.
This girl? Of course, she was a key reporting subject. And it wasn’t just because she was the original protagonist’s harem member and treasure-bearing pa pa pa partner. This girl was in fact, a massive headache.

Gu Bai sighed inwardly, his gaze blank—no, cold and indifferent. It seemed that this part of the plot still had to proceed…

Over there, Chen Yuanhao was holding the girl, his expression gleeful. So soft! So tender! So delicate! What an authentic soft girl!

Qiguan Rui’s expression turned a bit odd. “Gege, didn’t you say…”

Gu Bai nodded decisively. “She should be better than the previous three.”

Qiguan Rui shrugged. “…Alright then.”

The two of them exchanged cryptic words and decided to let Chen Yuanhao enjoy himself a bit longer.
Otherwise, who else would hold or deal with this girl?
Judging by his current enthusiasm, he seemed quite willing.

The other members of the Heaven-Devouring Association:

The chairman has such luck with women!
Truly a winner in life!
Getting wives one after another—go die, go die already!

Completely oblivious to the fact that their chairman was inwardly suffering.

The girl, wrapped in the thick, masculine scent of Chen Yuanhao’s embrace, fainted momentarily before letting out a soft “ying~” and waking up.
Gu Bai gave her a thumbs up. This girl’s “ying” was spot on! Now this is what a proper soft and delicate voice should sound like!

The girl raised her charming face and saw Chen Yuanhao’s stunningly handsome, suave features. Her eyes flashed with a hint of admiration. Her voice was gentle, “Was it you, young master, who saved me?”

Chen Yuanhao smiled tenderly. “My name is Chen Yuanhao. May I ask the young lady’s name?”

The girl’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. “This humble one… my nickname is Yue’er…”

Gu Bai couldn’t bear to watch and turned his face away.

This girl’s full name was Su Suyue. She was naturally bold and confident, but when faced with someone she admired, she would instantly transform into a delicate little lady. Honestly, she was the type who could manage a household, cook, and serve as the perfect companion for both home and travel. Almost flawless. Of course, almost being the key word.

Now, judging by her demeanour, she had clearly fallen in love with Chen Yuanhao at first sight.
How to put it…

Qiguan Rui gently reassured him, “Gege, it’s Yuanhao’s own choice. You don’t need to worry so much. Later… we can intervene if necessary.”

Gu Bai: Fine, your little brother, your call. Actually, he wasn’t worried about what might happen to Chen Yuanhao. What concerned him was that if anything did happen to Chen Yuanhao, it would be hard to find another subordinate as competent and obedient as him! While Qiu Tu was great, his interpersonal skills were lacking, and his subordinates weren’t as reliable as Chen Yuanhao’s. Oh well, he should trust his top subordinate’s resilience.

The plot continued to unfold.

After winning the girl’s heart, Chen Yuanhao beamed as he brought her to meet their two leaders. Upon seeing the earth-shatteringly handsome faces of Gu Bai and Qiguan Rui, the girl didn’t blush or show any signs of infatuation. Her loyalty was truly unmatched, which only made Chen Yuanhao like her even more.

From then on, the girl joined their group as they journeyed forward.

They traversed thickets, tangled woods, and forests filled with hidden dangers. Although there were some close calls, they made it through safely.

Gradually, they began to encounter other people as well. The people, all in a hurry, were clearly searching for something, but the Heaven-Devouring members had no intention of causing trouble and simply passed through.

However, since this was a plot-driven event, plot characters inevitably made their entrance.
For instance, the sudden appearance of a large group of… men.

A horde of tattooed, rugged-looking men with a wild air about them and eyes full of adoration. Their adoring gazes were all fixed on Su Suyue. Immediately, they bowed. “Chieftain!”

Su Suyue’s expression changed as she straightened up, exuding an imposing aura. “Rise, all of you.”

The men turned to Chen Yuanhao, their eyes brimming with icy hostility.

Gu Bai: …It’s here! The queen’s harem!

He instinctively lit a [candle] for Chen Yuanhao.

As it turned out, Su Suyue was indeed a chieftain, and these men were members of her tribe. Specifically, they were all from the Mu Tribe and made up the infamous bandit group, Overlord Mountain Stronghold.
To clarify, the previous chieftain had been the girl’s mother. Why not her father? From the tribe’s name, it was obvious that the stronghold operated as a matriarchal society!

Think of it as a simpler version of a beehive. The chieftain, always female, held absolute authority. The men of the tribe were expected to become part of her harem upon her coming of age.

Given the girl’s age, it was evident that she already had quite a few lovers.

Each generation’s chieftain would maintain a harem of the tribe’s men, engaging with them at specific times to produce children. Most of these children were boys, with girls being exceedingly rare. The process continued until the chieftain bore a daughter, at which point the cycle would start anew.

To ensure the chieftain’s health, their martial training was more about maintaining vitality than increasing combat prowess. This meant that, aside from inherent bloodline defences, each chieftain’s personal combat strength was pitifully weak.

And then? You get it. The daughter would succeed as the next chieftain, and the boys would grow up to join her harem—apparently, this system ensured a pure bloodline. And in this fantastical, nonsensical world, there were absolutely no genetic anomalies. The setting might have been a bit heavy, but when it was introduced, the novel’s review section exploded with “oohs” and “aahs,” all oddly excited.

That was when Gu Bai realised that humanity’s bottom line could sink endlessly…

Back to the present.

Seeing Su Suyue being held docilely by a stranger, these men were furious. If their glares could shoot arrows, Chen Yuanhao would’ve been riddled with holes by now! A deeply traditional tribe with a shared wife system and a queen-centric belief system? Fine. But for an outsider to step in and claim a share? Courting death!

And don’t be fooled by Su Suyue’s low combat strength. The men before them were all at the wu wang level or higher! They were so well-coordinated that even a wu di would be hard-pressed to handle them. Their purpose in coming to the Heavenly Dragon Treasure was straightforward: robbery.
Forget marrying princesses; their hearts belonged to their queen! They were here for the treasure and the hapless fools chasing it!

Chen Yuanhao, unaware of the full truth, still sensed the hostility in their gazes. Instead of feeling threatened, he grew smug. Although the girl had transformed from a delicate flower to a commanding presence, it was an exhilarating change!

He straightened his posture, peacock-like, exuding confidence.

The men:
Pretty boy! Not even the same calibre as us!
What’s this weakling compared to our superior physiques?!
We’ll crush that face our queen favours!
We’re real brothers, and you’re just some fluff! You dare compete with us? We’ll flatten you!

Chen Yuanhao remained unfazed, throwing them a provocative look. In an instant, an intense, silent battle of gazes unfolded.

Su Suyue waved her jade-like hand. “Follow behind us. Don’t disturb me and Chen-lang.”

The men: Chieftain…

Chen Yuanhao couldn’t hide his triumphant grin.

Gu Bai had the urge to slap that smug face. Truly asking for a beating.

In the original plot, the protagonist had also caught Su Suyue and won her heart. When the men showed up, however, they didn’t dare act so openly hostile. Why? Because they had sensed the threat emanating from the protagonist—the Heaven-Devouring Python’s bloodline naturally exerted a subtle pressure on those with similar heritages.

The protagonist, annoyed by the men’s covetous behaviour, had unleashed countless snake parasites, which burrowed into their feet and swiftly took over their bodies. The entire tribe became the protagonist’s puppets. Moreover, upon discovering the girl’s relationship with these men—well, let’s just say the protagonist didn’t leave a single one of them alive when departing the treasure site.

But now, with Chen Yuanhao in the protagonist’s place, Qiguan Rui had no intention of eradicating the men. Naturally, they joined the group’s journey.

Gu Bai had dismounted from his soft palanquin. With the ground no longer muddy, he could manage walking himself. After all, running into more outsiders while being carried around would only draw unnecessary attention.

The group, now with new members, split into two factions. The Heaven-Devouring members followed Gu Bai and Qiguan Rui, while Chen Yuanhao willingly placed himself in the “enemy camp.”

However, the atmosphere grew noticeably tense. The men’s waves of resentment were palpable…

Walking alongside Qiguan Rui, Gu Bai maintained his usual stoic expression while staying alert to their surroundings.

Qiguan Rui whispered, “Gege, are you still worried?”

Gu Bai nodded impassively. “Is your plan reliable?”

Qiguan Rui whispered back, “Rest assured, Gege.”

From the moment they recognised the plot and saw the girl fall from the sky, they had made a decision. To use this girl.

Gu Bai remained silent. When he said the girl was a headache, he wasn’t just referring to her bringing along those men. Being easily parasitised by snake gu was no big deal. The real reason?

“Rumble! Rumble!”

A deafening sound of stomping echoed in the distance, carrying an earth-shaking momentum.
From all directions, countless figures appeared—crawling, leaping, swarming…

It was a beast horde! Hundreds, maybe thousands of ferocious beasts stampeding in unison!

The purest bloodline of the Mu Tribe had awakened their deepest instincts, driving them to pursue this irresistible force of power.

And now, they came charging in a frenzy.

Yes, this was the real headache.