Little Pink Starfish

There were no further mysteries inside the treasure trove. There weren’t any hidden compartments in the pillars—just a stone table with three weapons exuding an icy aura. Even from a distance, their imposing presence was overwhelming, clearly of the highest calibre.

At that moment, Long Yuanba’s subordinates were utterly stunned.

“Legendary weapons!”
“What an intimidating presence!”
“How could such weapons exist in this world?”
“This is simply unbelievable!”

Long Yuanba was equally shocked. “These are… these are definitely legendary weapons.”

The sheer impact of these three weapons was so overwhelming that everyone’s attention was fixated on them, ignoring everything else.

Only Gu Bai glanced briefly at the dazzling—oh wait, the absolutely badass—legendary weapons before quickly scanning the surroundings—weapons like these? That psycho just got loads of them earlier! Not shocking at all, okay?!

Around them, numerous chests were stacked neatly, each filled with all sorts of valuable resources. If they took everything back, they would be rolling in wealth.

Gu Bai sighed silently. Even though he knew this was a necessary investment… it was still painful. These clearly belonged to his psycho!

Qi Guanrui, standing beside him, squeezed his hand. “Gege, what’s wrong?”

Gu Bai was full of resentment. “These should have been yours.”

Qi Guanrui’s gaze was gentle. “Just think of it as…”

Gu Bai: “…A bribe?”

Qi Guanrui nodded. “Even if we want Yuan Hao to establish connections, we still need to grease some palms.”

Gu Bai also nodded. “Alright then.”

As a wealthy man, he never felt bad about spending money on himself and his people, but on outsiders? That was like cutting into his own flesh. But whatever—out of sight, out of mind!

Meanwhile, the others finally snapped out of their shock over the legendary weapons. Long Yuanba immediately looked toward Gu Bai and Qi Guanrui, feeling a bit nervous.

Even though the weapons had already chosen their master, they were simply too precious. These two had contributed greatly—should he give them one? But he was reluctant…

Then, he froze. Goddamn! What the hell was up with the lovestruck atmosphere between those two, staring at each other like nobody else existed?! It was practically raining flower petals!

For some reason, Long Yuanba suddenly felt like his earlier hesitation was laughable. These two… really didn’t care about the treasure at all… But why did he suddenly feel a bit envious? If he married the princess, would his future also be like that…?

Before he realised it, even he had forgotten about the legendary weapons and was lost in his own fantasies.

At this moment, aside from the stunned subordinates in the background, the three strongest fighters were all lost in their mysterious daydreams. It was truly unbearable to watch.

After a long while, Qi Guanrui patted Long Yuanba—who was grinning like an idiot—on the shoulder. “Brother Long? Brother Long?”

Gu Bai twitched at the corners of his mouth. What the hell was with that super jiji* expression? 囧

^{*[T/N: Creepy/perverted.]}

Long Yuanba immediately composed himself and pointed at the three weapons. “These are legendary weapons. What do the two of you think?”

Qi Guanrui smiled. “Shubai and I don’t need them.”

Long Yuanba was surprised. “Why?”

Qi Guanrui smiled a little awkwardly. “Shubai and I don’t want any… third party between us. I heard legendary weapons have martial spirits…”

Long Yuanba instantly understood. This guy… is a true romantic! He glanced at Gu Bai and noticed that his ever-expressionless face showed no trace of displeasure. His admiration only grew. This is real love! They only want each other! They won’t even take martial spirits!

Indeed, legendary weapons were practically a bug in Gu Bai’s original novel, blending in elements from cultivation stories. Any weapon that developed a spirit was automatically classified as a legendary weapon, capable of merging with martial artists and doubling their strength—an absolutely broken power boost. They were the ultimate support tool, and since they had no elemental affinity, they could be used by any martial artist regardless of their attribute. Naturally, they were highly sought after.

But Qi Guanrui’s point was clear: no matter how good legendary weapons were, they had to fuse with the martial artist’s body, and martial spirits had their own intelligence. Even if they weren’t human, they were still something else. There was no way he would let anything else merge with his gege—absolutely impossible!

From Long Yuanba’s perspective, this was the ultimate act of devotion—sacrificing everything for love. He was an idol!

But since they didn’t want them, Long Yuanba wasn’t about to push it. He swiftly stored all three weapons away.

Once the legendary weapons disappeared, everyone finally noticed the many treasure chests… and their first reaction was: We’re rich!

Long Yuanba ordered his subordinates to open the chests and take inventory. Then, in a very sincere manner, he insisted that Qi Guanrui and Gu Bai at least accept one chest of resources. After some back-and-forth politeness, they finally accepted it.

Gu Bai: Any losses that can be reduced are good losses!

Once all the business was settled, Long Yuanba’s mood was even better. He had finally obtained the treasure! With this, he could marry the princess! Once he married the princess, he would have higher status and a warm home with a loving wife and kids! Too happy! So damn happy!

In his great mood, Long Yuanba was even more courteous toward Qi Guanrui. The two of them addressed each other as brothers and walked out together.

At the same time, Qi Guanrui received a notification.

A vague thought entered his mind—now that the treasure had been taken, the treasure grounds should be sealed. Of course, this was just a preset feature left by the first-generation royal family after forging the weapons. And since the treasure ground now belonged to Qi Guanrui, he had many choices. But would he reveal this?

Of course not. He simply let the treasure ground seal itself according to legend.

Soon, everyone inside heard a commanding voice: The treasure has been claimed—

The next moment, everything went black, and their bodies felt weightless as they were expelled.

Qi Guanrui held Gu Bai’s hand as they felt themselves transported, landing back on solid ground moments later.

With a loud rumble, the grand entrance to the treasure ground sealed shut, returning the mountain to its original state.

Nearby, martial artists quickly regained their senses and began searching for the ones who had obtained the treasure. If they found them… and if they hadn’t handed over the treasure yet… Then, technically, they could…

Long Yuanba stepped forward, cupped his hands, and addressed the air. “I, Long Yuanba, was fortunate enough to obtain the treasure!”

At his words, the ambitious factions and powerful individuals all backed down.

This young Qinglong Martial Body warrior was not only immensely strong but also highly regarded by the royal family. Rumoured to be from a hidden aristocratic family, his true influence was not well-known, but even the small glimpses of his power were terrifying. 

He was already a top contender for the treasure. Now that it was confirmed he had it, it wasn’t worth the risk to challenge him. What a shame.

Gu Bai listened to the murmurs around him, recalling some details.

As one of the more prominent supporting characters, Long Yuanba had a carefully crafted backstory. In the novel, despite repeatedly being defeated and injured by the protagonist, he always managed to reappear stronger. Without a powerful backing, who would believe that?

To avoid a never-ending cycle of fighting young masters, elders, and ancestors, Gu Bai had deliberately set the rule that hidden aristocratic families couldn’t openly interfere in mainland affairs. In the original novel, after Long Yuanba was completely eliminated, the protagonist hid the truth, devoured his corpse, and secretly located his family to gradually infiltrate and take them down.

Now, since their relationship was good, there was no need for unnecessary conflict. When they got home, he’d tell his psycho about it and then let him scheme however he wanted.

Meanwhile, Princess Tianxiang and Long Yuanba exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with tenderness.

This was a golden husband.

His family’s power was so great that even the royal family could barely scratch the surface. Marrying him would bring immense benefits. He himself was also a solid catch. If she married him, she would be even more valued. She should marry him!

Gu Bai felt like he could see the princess’s calculating thoughts from their gaze alone. But hey, this was a good thing, right? Satisfied, he looked at the lovebirds for a moment before Qi Guanrui pulled him away. No point sticking around—why be a third wheel and ruin the mood?

If Long Yuanba was smart, he would come to them soon enough. And when that happened… the real game would begin.

In the next two days, Gu Bai and Qi Guanrui stayed in the best courtyard of the best inn in the imperial capital, enjoying their days filled with occasional pa pa pa and sometimes pa pa pa pa pa.

During their free time, they strolled around, picking up gossip. Such as how many factions suffered losses, how many young talents perished, how many conflicts arose, and how many prestigious families had grudges now. All of it boiled down to one conclusion: The royal family’s scheme had succeeded.

Qi Guanrui’s response: So had mine.

Yes, while some of his pawns were naturally lost in the treasure ground, those who survived were the true elites of various powerful families. With his snake gu securely planted in their minds, and even some lucky survivors from influential factions, he now had at least several hundred pieces in his growing web.

This network would one day cover the entire Lingwu Continent.

At the same time, as expected—Long Yuanba arrived at the inn. He had come to pay a visit.