Little Pink Starfish

Tiandu City was located in Nanyang County. It was a self-governing city, meaning it did not have to pay taxes to the county governor, and everything within the city was self-sufficient.

The previous city lord, Ziche Xiong, was a high-level Wu Jun and was considered one of the top experts in all of Nanyang County. He was also obsessed with martial arts. Even when he had to marry and have children to continue his lineage, he only spent enough time with his wife to conceive a son before shutting himself away for cultivation again, completely ignoring external affairs.

Unfortunately, when he attempted to break through Wu Jun and reach Wu Wang, he suffered from qi deviation and died suddenly.

The current city lord, his only son, Ziche Shubai, had already been in power for eight years.

For the city’s residents, this new city lord was a truly legendary figure.

Back when the previous city lord was still alive, many of his enemies had been lying in wait, and they took action when his son, the young heir, was only ten years old. The boy was kidnapped without anyone in the city noticing. A full ten days later, with the search still yielding no results, people were already preparing for the worst.

And then—suddenly, the young heir returned!

Apparently, he had managed to escape by himself, taking advantage of his captors’ negligence. He fled through numerous dangers and finally made it home, his clothes in tatters and his body thin from hardship.

Since then, the city lord’s residence had dramatically increased its security.

Perhaps it was the suffering he endured, but after that, the young heir completely changed his previous lazy attitude and threw himself into cultivation, almost never appearing in public.

And then—people discovered he was a Mixed Origin Martial Body!

This was an extremely high-level martial body that allowed its owner to absorb wu qi at an astonishing rate. Within just a year, he skyrocketed through five levels, instantly advancing to the Wu Shi stage. Then, he continued his relentless progress, breaking through level after level at lightning speed.

By the time he was fourteen, he had already reached Wu Jun!

A fourteen-year-old Wu Jun! Just two ranks below his father!

This kind of cultivation speed left the entire city in awe.

Unfortunately, the young heir was far too humble. He refused to celebrate his achievements or allow his people to spread the news. He even stated that unless he became a Wu Wang, it was not worth mentioning.

The city’s residents respected his modesty, so they held back their praises.

And then—his father, the city lord, died.

At that time, the young heir had just reached the peak of Wu Jun and was about to break through to Wu Wang. He had no choice but to leave seclusion, handle his father’s funeral, and officially take up the position of city lord. He managed everything perfectly.

Afterward, the new city lord spent two years reorganizing the city. He established new laws, regulated businesses, and ensured fair taxation for farmers renting land outside the city.

Merchants, street vendors, brothels, gambling houses—everything was restructured. No more exploitation. No more corruption. The city’s residents prospered under his rule.

How could they not revere and love their city lord?

Unfortunately… once his work was done, their city lord returned to seclusion.

City residents: “Lord City Lord, you’re in seclusion again! We know getting stronger protects us, but we’re worried you’ll never find a wife!”

Indeed, their city lord was now twenty-three, and yet he was more reclusive than an unmarried noble lady.

So whenever he appeared in public, it caused an absolute sensation.

Resident A: “The city lord’s presence is so awe-inspiring!”

Resident B: “Our city lord is just like Dongfang Bubai!” (Wait, something feels wrong…)

Resident C: “Ahh! I caught a glimpse of the city lord’s back! I must go brag about this!”

Meanwhile, the young city lord himself—Ziche Shubai, or rather, the real transmigrated Ziche Shubai, formerly known as Gu Bai—was currently experiencing a nightmare.

In the depths of a tranquil forest outside Tiandu City, there was a crystal-clear spring. The water shimmered in the sunlight, its gentle ripples spreading out in perfect harmony.

And within that spring, a young woman was submerged, her delicate body trembling slightly in the cold water.

She was stunning—like a delicate flower, exuding an aura of innocence and fragility. If a normal man saw her, he would be overwhelmed with the urge to protect her.

Her large, tearful eyes were filled with fear—like a startled fawn.

And standing before her was a young man dressed in white robes.

He was breathtakingly handsome, like a snow deity descended from the heavens—aloof, noble, untouchable. His expression, however, was completely frozen, stiff like a statue.

But in reality, the “statue” was screaming inside.

Why?! Why?! I deliberately avoided all lakes, yet I still ran into this harbinger of doom?!

Yes, the girl in the spring had a very special identity.

She was—the protagonist’s fiancée.

Ziche Shubai, maintaining his emotionless mask, felt his soul wailing in despair: Is this fate? No matter how much I avoid her, I still end up in this situation! I went out of my way to walk in circles, and yet this happened! Dammit, does the universe really want me to die?!

And then—the girl spoke.

Her voice was soft, like the song of an oriole: “You…”

She hadn’t finished speaking when—SWOOSH!

A blur of white shot past.

The girl blinked, looking at the now-empty space in front of her.

The man—was gone.

Just like that.

For a moment, her delicate, pitiful expression twisted in frustration.

Ziche Shubai had run for his life.

He was gone in an instant.

He didn’t even leave behind a shadow.

He ran straight back to Tiandu City, past the city gates, through the bustling streets, and directly into the city lord’s residence.

Straight into his closed-door cultivation chamber.

And then—he sealed it shut with layers of defensive formations before collapsing onto the floor, panting.

Gu Bai (now Ziche Shubai): Damn it. If this happens again, I’ll lose ten years of my lifespan!

When he finally caught his breath, he felt a lingering sense of terror.

The protagonist’s fiancée.

No matter what, he had to stay as far away from her as possible.

And how did he recognize her so quickly?

Because he had written her into existence.

She was the first female character introduced in the novel, designed specifically to attract readers. He had spent so much effort describing her beauty in painstaking detail.

“Her delicate collarbone, just below which a phantom-blue butterfly seemed poised to take flight—its mesmerizing wings fading into soft, snowy skin…

Back then, he had been so proud of his literary finesse. He wanted the readers to imagine an ethereal, dreamlike beauty—a goddess-like figure.

And now?

Reality gave him only one response: absolute terror.

He buried his face in his hands, exhaling deeply.

Ziche Shubai had spent thirteen years escaping fate.

He had endured five years of grueling cultivation. Thanks to Ju Xue Zhi and his young age, his Mixed Origin Martial Body had developed even faster than expected.

By the time he reached Wu Jun, he was only fourteen.

His terrifying talent had already spread throughout the city.

And then, his father died.

At fifteen, he took over Tiandu City, firmly establishing his rule.

During that time, he forced himself to develop an expressionless, noble demeanor. His current poker face was not natural—it was a result of relentless training.

This was the only way to prevent troublesome people from bothering him.

And yet—even with all this preparation—he still ran into the protagonist’s fiancée.

Life was just too cruel.