Little Pink Starfish

Gu Bai silently looked at Yun Menglian again, feeling at a loss for words.

This girl, who was only about fourteen or fifteen when she first met the protagonist, was a total one-track mind.

Yes, the kind of one-track mind that not even eight horses could pull back.

In the original novel, Yun Menglian had two lifelong passions—one was the art of medicine and poison, and the other was the protagonist, Qi Guan Rui.

Because she was so single-minded, despite only starting to work hard after meeting the protagonist, she was able to rely on her brilliant mind to thoroughly master her family’s precious medical and poisonous arts within just a few years, becoming one of the most skilled figures in the field, with even more potential to grow. Because she was so single-minded, the moment the protagonist saved her, she fell in love at first sight and from then on, followed his every word—if he told her to kill, she would never set fires instead; if he told her to poison, she would never use medicine. She was the absolute definition of obedience.

No concept of good or evil. No sense of right or wrong.

In Yun Menglian’s eyes, there was only the protagonist. Whatever his worldview was, became hers.

And she never got jealous. Rather than loving the protagonist as a man, it was more like she worshiped him as a deity.

Simply put, she was the textbook example of “I just want to be a little cat or dog that stays by your side, I won’t cause you any trouble”—a delicate white flower.

Note: Also known as a man-eating flower.

And with a protagonist who was also a man-eating flower, they could be described as “a match made in heaven, destined by fate.”

The moment Gu Bai realized that this delicate girl was actually Yun Menglian, he immediately shrank further behind Qi Guan Rui.

He had only one thought: I absolutely cannot let her see my face!

Ziche Shubai possessed one of the most perfect appearances in the novel, and of course, the protagonist’s face was also quite good. Yun Menglian had fallen in love with the protagonist at first sight after being saved by him—who knew if she would also fall in love with Ziche Shubai’s face at first sight?

This scene is just too identical, too predictable.

But it was too late.

Yun Menglian had excellent eyesight. The moment Gu Bai’s figure appeared, she noticed immediately, and unsurprisingly, her cheeks flushed red.

Her voice was timid. “May I… may I ask my benefactor’s esteemed name…?”

Gu Bai silently turned his face away.

I really want to say ‘hehe’ to her, ORZ.

Qi Guan Rui’s expression darkened. He found the flush on this woman’s face extremely displeasing.

He subtly shifted his body, blocking Gu Bai even more thoroughly.

Gu Bai was now extremely conflicted and hesitant.

He realized that answering this question was really difficult…

If he answered: You don’t need to know.
→ The girl would eventually grow into a man-eating flower and come looking for him.

If he answered: Foolish woman.
→ The girl would eventually grow into a man-eating flower and come looking for him.

If he answered: Ziche Shubai.
→ The girl would still eventually grow into a man-eating flower and come looking for him.

…No matter what he answered, the girl would still eventually grow into a man-eating flower and come looking for him.

What a goddamn trap, hehe.

Generally speaking, the safest way to handle an unpredictable factor was to keep it close.

But this girl was not a normal unpredictable factor.

She was a hidden bomb.

Yun Menglian had no common sense. She had grown up in the mountains, surviving on herbs, and as a child, she had consumed all sorts of strange things, making her immune to all poisons. Because of this, she had a habit of preferring brightly colored things as food and especially loved sharing them with people she liked.

And what kinds of things in the mountains tend to be brightly colored? Everyone should know.

In the novel, the protagonist had awakened the bloodline of the Devouring Sky Serpent, making him immune to all poisons. So in order to humor the girl, he often shared poisonous substances with her, sweetly and lovingly.

But that was the protagonist! The protagonist could be immune to all poisons—Gu Bai could not!

If she stayed with him, and every day she looked at him with sparkling eyes while handing him some vividly colored toxic thing—was he supposed to eat it or not?!

If he ate it, he’d be dead.

If he didn’t eat it…

→ The girl would get upset → Eat the poisonous thing herself → Go out and randomly poison people → Mass deaths → A cleanup disaster.

Gu Bai’s expression turned ice-cold, his brows and eyes seeming to hold a frost that had never melted in millennia.

Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he commanded, “Drive her away.”

Screw the girl. Even if she does turn into a man-eating flower, I’ll deal with it when she comes looking for me!

Leaving behind only a noble and lofty silhouette for those outside the carriage, Gu Bai disappeared from view.

Lü Xiao immediately carried out the order, gently urging Yun Menglian to leave on her own, while the death warriors efficiently moved the pile of corpses further away to clear the path.

As for Qi Guan Rui…

He watched as Gu Bai entered the carriage and, unnoticed by anyone, flicked a strand of black thread onto the ground.

It was his serpent gu parasite.

The tiny serpent gu slithered through the grass undetected and quickly burrowed into Yun Menglian’s skin.

Completely painless, without any infection—her low combat ability meant she didn’t notice a thing.

Feeling the connection, Qi Guan Rui silently curled his lips.

The serpent gu was under his control. The moment this woman appeared anywhere near them, he would sense it immediately.

And he could just as easily control whether she lived or died.

Soon, Qi Guan Rui also returned to the carriage, where Gu Bai was once again leaning against the carriage wall, reading.

Qi Guan Rui naturally sat beside him. Gu Bai adjusted his posture and lay down on his lap again.

It had already become second nature—wasn’t it weird that he found this human cushion more comfortable than any other pillow?!

Qi Guan Rui was very pleased. He traced a small circle with his finger and resumed absorbing the free-flowing wu qi in the air.

Similarly, though Gu Bai was lying comfortably, he never stopped cultivating.

Perhaps because the girl he encountered was too terrifying, the rest of the journey was unusually smooth.

And so, several months later, their group successfully arrived at the outskirts of Haoyang City.

At the city gates, two long rows of armored warriors stood on either side, looking fierce and menacing… as they collected tolls.

Yes, entering the city required payment.

And a hefty sum at that.

When Gu Bai’s luxurious carriage pulled up, there was already a long queue ahead.

Even though the city guards were actively collecting tolls, the line still seemed to stretch on forever, with no end in sight.

Regardless of their background or status, everyone had to queue.

So among the waiting carriages, many were just as extravagant as Gu Bai’s. In comparison, his wasn’t particularly conspicuous.

Gu Bai wore a white brocade robe draped with a silver gauze mantle. His hair was already tied up in a high white jade crown. With his flawless features, he half-closed his eyes, expressionless, resting his spirit. He radiated an aura of divine superiority, exuding an otherworldly elegance.

Simply put, he was once again showcasing his ultimate pretentiousness.

He had to start getting into character now.

Qi Guan Rui adjusted his garments, then took a hairpin from Lü Xiao and secured it into his white jade crown.

With that, the final touch was complete.

—At some point, all the duties of dressing, changing shoes, combing hair, and even massaging—tasks that only personal maids would typically handle—had been entirely taken over by this personal bodyguard. The four elite maids had once protested, but under Gu Bai’s indulgence, they could only resign themselves to defeat.

Honestly, while most men enjoyed the presence of soft, fragrant women, and Gu Bai had initially found it convenient and comfortable to be attended to, being surrounded by a group of women all day had made him a little uncomfortable.

But ever since Qi Guan Rui arrived, Gu Bai felt completely satisfied.

…So was it true that only men truly understood what men needed most? _{[T/N: Heh heh, yeah.]}

Qi Guan Rui always dressed plainly, yet no matter how simple his attire, he always looked exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

As the carriage slowly moved forward, Qi Guan Rui accompanied Gu Bai, harboring a slight curiosity about Qingtian Academy.

After all, it was the legendary sacred ground for warriors.

He had never really cared about visiting before, but now that he was with Gu Bai, he found himself suddenly interested.

Tiandu City was a very wealthy place, and ever since Gu Bai took power, it had become even richer.

The City Lord’s private treasury held vast amounts of money—enough to be burned for a long time without worry.

So, a mere entrance fee was nothing.

Tiandu City’s carriage entered the city smoothly.

But for the excellent maids and death warriors, simply entering the city was not enough. Their next task was to immediately find a suitable resting place for their City Lord.

That was the true top priority.

However, there was one problem—Haoyang City was unusually crowded at this time.

Although there was still room to stay, the inns and lodges were extremely packed.

Especially the high-end establishments, which were in even greater demand.

But for the maids and death warriors, their City Lord only deserved the best.

So they didn’t hesitate at all and went straight to the most renowned—and most expensive—inn.

The inn was called “The Warrior’s Inn.”

As the name suggested, only warriors were allowed to stay there.

And so, on that very afternoon, a carriage that looked extremely expensive slowly arrived in front of The Warrior’s Inn.

At that moment, the waiter standing at the entrance immediately brightened his eyes and enthusiastically came forward.

This was definitely another fat sheep waiting to be fleeced!

The waiter, named Wei Wu, was the nephew of the inn’s steward, Wei Guan. He was particularly skilled at reading people, which was why he had landed this lucrative job of attracting customers at the entrance.

One glance, and he could estimate how much a guest was worth. One sniff, and he could practically smell the money in their pockets.

You might ask, why would the staff of such an expensive inn still be so money-hungry?

Heh, if the people in this inn didn’t love money, how would the inn be so expensive?

Wei Wu swiftly stepped forward, his attitude warm and welcoming, yet neither too fawning nor too arrogant. “Honored guests, may I ask how I should address you?”

And then—

A voice rang out.

A voice so beautiful that it instantly enchanted him.

A woman’s voice.

There must be an absolute beauty inside!