Little Pink Starfish

Gu Shan glanced at Gu Bai. Once he was certain that the city lord was completely unconscious, his figure flickered, transforming into a twisting shadow. Like a serpent, he slithered along the corner of the wall and disappeared through the window into the night.

If Gu Bai had been awake, he would have immediately recognized this technique—it was one of the golden cheats he had granted the protagonist in his novel. This technique, Shadow Serpent Step, allowed the user to morph into an undetectable shadow, making them invisible to anyone below the rank of Wu Di (Martial Emperor). It was a crucial ability that enabled the protagonist to slay his enemies and rapidly grow stronger in the early stages of the story.

Unfortunately, Gu Bai was not awake.

As Gu Shan had pointed out, Gu Bai never even considered the possibility that he might possess a toxin strong enough to render him unconscious. In fact, Gu Bai wasn’t even aware that such a poison existed.

However, this was now a world that had auto-corrected the logic gaps left in the original novel. Everything had a reasonable explanation.

After all, the Sky-Devouring Serpent—one of the most terrifying beasts in this world—could consume the bodies of countless martial artists far superior to ordinary people. How could it lack venom?

Thus, it was only natural that someone with the bloodline of the Sky-Devouring Serpent would have the ability to wield poison as well.

In the eerie darkness of night, the twisting shadow darted forward at an incredible speed.

Before long, Gu Shan had traveled several hundred miles. Ahead of him, a small black serpent slithered rapidly, its movements swift as lightning. Its glossy black scales shimmered under the moonlight, reflecting a pale, eerie glow.

Soon, a large martial town appeared in the distance.

This town was even larger than Qingyang Town, boasting several well-established martial families. Each of these families had a handful of powerful High Wu Shi (Martial Masters) and even a few Junior Wu Jun (Martial Lords).

And these were exactly the people Gu Shan had come to find.

Led by the small serpent, Gu Shan swiftly approached a large estate.

The shadows of countless trees concealed his form as he slipped through a window, passing effortlessly through an almost imperceptible gap in the wall, and entered a secret chamber.

Inside, a muscular middle-aged man lay on a luxurious bed, snoring soundly. He had an arm draped around two stunningly beautiful women, one on each side.

The shadow rapidly elongated, transforming into the figure of a handsome young man.

He was smiling, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

Then, he exhaled a wisp of black mist.

The toxic mist spread through the room at an astonishing speed, filling every corner within mere seconds.

The two women on the bed collapsed instantly, unconscious.

The man barely had time to react before a black aura enveloped his forehead.

Gu Shan straightened up and walked to the bedside.

This man was not Gu Bai. Therefore, Gu Shan had no reason to hold back. The man’s fate was already sealed.

Gazing at the burly body before him, a flicker of disgust flashed through Gu Shan’s eyes.

Then, he reached out his hand.

From the tips of his fingers, five razor-sharp nails extended an inch in length.

With a swift motion, his hand sliced into the man’s lower abdomen—directly piercing his dantian (core of martial power).

Oddly enough, despite his skin being punctured, no blood flowed.

Instead, a deep red glow began radiating from the wound.

At the same time, a look of satisfaction gradually appeared on Gu Shan’s face. “As expected of a Junior Wu Jun… Much better than those useless weaklings.”

For five minutes, the red glow pulsed and flickered, gradually dimming until it disappeared completely.

Only then did Gu Shan retract his hand.

Then, his body flickered once more, transforming into a shadow as he slithered into another room—repeating the same process.

One by one, he drained every high-level martial artist in the estate.

Once he was finished, he moved on to the next powerful family in town.

By the time an hour had passed, every single high-level martial artist in the town had been completely drained. Not a single one was left untouched.

By morning, they would wake up and discover that their martial talent had been stolen. Their physical strength would be reduced to only a fraction of what it once was. But none of them would dare to publicly acknowledge it.

Why?

Because without their martial power, they were nothing. Their rivals and enemies—like bloodthirsty leeches—would immediately pounce, dragging them into ruin.

Even if the family heads discovered what had happened, they wouldn’t dare reveal it.

After all, the number of high-ranking martial artists determined a family’s standing. If word got out that all their top warriors had been crippled, their entire clan would be swarmed by opportunistic wolves, torn apart, and devoured.

And as for the one who orchestrated all this destruction—Gu Shan—he simply smirked as he felt the power surging through his dantian.

Slowly, he suppressed his energy, allowing it to settle.

Then, his shadowy form raced back toward Tian Du City.

Within moments, he was outside the city walls.

Picking up speed, he darted toward the city lord’s residence.

Upon arrival, he crouched beside the sleeping Gu Bai and inhaled—drawing back the wisp of black mist that had rendered him unconscious.

Then, in a seamless motion, Gu Shan flipped onto the bed, lying down next to him.

As if nothing had ever happened.

---

Because Ziche Shubai had always been a quiet and reserved person, he had never moved into a more extravagant palace after becoming city lord. Instead, he continued residing in a secluded courtyard.

Of course, the servants of the city lord’s mansion had thoroughly renovated it over the years, ensuring ample sunlight and ventilation.

The furnishings were exquisite yet understated—elegance laced with luxury.

Now, in the early hours of the morning, soft golden light filtered through the wooden window lattice, spilling into the room and onto the enormous bed.

The bed, designed for the city lord’s comfort, was far larger than an ordinary bed—spacious enough for five or six peopleto roll around comfortably.

However, at this moment, there were only two people lying on it.

Gu Bai awoke in a cocoon of warmth.

He felt well-rested—it had been a long time since he had slept this soundly.

As the most powerful martial artist in the city lord’s mansion, he had never been able to fully trust the security of his subordinates. He always had to remain vigilant.

But perhaps it was because he had reunited with his childhood companion…

For once, he had actually slept deeply.

Did being around Gu Shan make him feel safe?

He rubbed his forehead, feeling slightly embarrassed.

That’s ridiculous. Gu Shan’s martial strength is way lower than mine.

And then, as he took a deeper breath, he suddenly realized—

The scent surrounding him was not his own.

As his awareness sharpened, his eyes snapped open—

And he nearly choked.

What the hell?!

I agreed to share a bed, not a pillow!

Last night, he had explicitly made up his mind to draw a clear boundary.

Yet somehow… he had completely rolled into Gu Shan’s embrace.

His face was pressed against a firm, well-defined chest—

Wait. Why does this kid have a broad chest?! Wasn’t he supposed to be a lean, elegant beauty?!

A strong arm was wrapped around his waist, and his own hand was clutching Gu Shan’s arm. Practically his entire body was nestled in Gu Shan’s embrace.

Gu Bai’s brotherly dignity suffered a critical hit.

Above him, slow, steady breathing could be heard. The chest beneath his cheek rose and fell rhythmically.

Clearly, the person holding him was still asleep.

Gu Bai’s expression remained blank as he thought,

Should I kick him off the bed… or should I just kick him off the bed?

Before Gu Bai could make a decision, the person holding him reacted first.

He felt something nudge the top of his head—Gu Shan’s chin.

Then, in a husky, sleep-laden voice, Gu Shan murmured, “Gege…”

Gu Bai shivered.

Before he could push him away, Gu Shan’s arms tightened around him, pulling him even closer.

Then, with a soft chuckle, Gu Shan said, “I still remember the first time I met Gege… it was just like this.”

Gu Bai froze for a moment.

He was right.

Back then, when they first met, Gu Bai had indeed hugged the little Gu Shan just like this.

The only difference was—back then, he was the one doing the hugging.

Now, the roles had completely reversed.

That nostalgic memory softened the irritation Gu Bai had been about to unleash.

But nostalgia aside, two grown men clinging to each other like this first thing in the morning was beyond improper.

They absolutely needed to put some distance between them.

So, Gu Bai pressed against Gu Shan’s chest and firmly pushed him away. “It’s time to get up.”

Gu Shan hummed lazily in response but obediently loosened his grip.

Gu Bai quickly sat up and got out of bed, swiftly beginning to dress.

Still reclining on the bed, Gu Shan watched him with a relaxed expression. He glanced down at his own arm—the same one that had been wrapped around Gu Bai just moments ago—and raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.

Then, stretching his body, he gracefully rolled out of bed as well. “It’s been a long time since I’ve slept this well. As expected, being with Gege is the best.”

Hearing his warm and affectionate words, Gu Bai’s ears turned slightly red.

He turned around and said, “From now on, you’ll be my personal guard.”

Gu Shan’s eyes lit up. “Are you sure that’s alright?”

Gu Bai nodded. “It’s fine.” His gaze was steady. “This city belongs to me.”

Gu Shan’s smile grew even softer. “As long as I don’t cause trouble for Gege, that’s all that matters.”

After washing up, the two of them had breakfast together.

Then, Gu Bai brought Gu Shan to the city lord’s library. “Pick a martial arts manual that suits you,” he instructed. “Once you’ve decided, have someone bring you to me.” He motioned toward a waiting servant by the door.

Gu Shan glanced at the servant, then smiled. “Alright. Gege, go ahead with your work.”

Gu Bai, maintaining his high and mighty demeanor, gave a small nod before turning and heading to his study.

Inside, Qin Xubo was already waiting for him.

Gu Bai sat down behind his desk. “How did it go?”

Qin Xubo presented a stack of documents. “The Dark Guards investigated overnight. This contains all details of Gu Shan’s past.”

Indeed, this was a full report on Gu Shan’s history.

Even though Gu Shan had already explained everything himself, Gu Bai still wanted to verify it.

As the ever-loyal chief steward, Qin Xubo had anticipated this and had immediately begun an investigation the night before.

Gu Bai read through the documents carefully.

Gu Shan was the first person who had ever given him warmth without caring about his status.

Likewise, he was also the first person Gu Bai had ever regarded as a true person—not just an NPC in the world of his novel.

To him, Gu Shan was important.

Which was why he needed to confirm that Gu Shan truly had no hidden agenda.

After all, they had last seen each other more than ten years ago.

A lot had changed since then.

Who could say for certain that Gu Shan was still the same boy who had once clung to him so affectionately?

In Gu Bai’s heart, he hoped that, just like him, Gu Shan still cherished those memories of their brief time together.

Finally, after finishing the report, Gu Bai let out a quiet sigh of relief.