Little Pink Starfish

The group walked into the large garden. Within it were many smaller gardens, and inside those, numerous courtyards—each with different price ranges.

The pathways were wide, lined on both sides with a variety of exotic plants. There were also artificial mountains and scenic spots, making for an exceptionally beautiful environment.

Gu Bai walked with an elegant yet brisk pace, his gaze unwavering, as if he were simply strolling through his own backyard.

Qi Guan Rui led the way ahead of him, but the one at the very front was, of course, the ever-diligent Wei Wu.

Just as they reached the middle of the grand garden, a sudden whoosh came from midair.

Wei Wu was quick-witted and instantly dodged to the side.

The next moment, something came crashing down, smashing a large pit into the pristine stone pathway.

Qi Guan Rui seemed to barely step back, narrowly avoiding it.

From the pit, a girl dressed in red stood up. She had almond-shaped eyes, delicate cheeks, and a striking beauty with a hint of wild charm.

In her hand, she held a fiery-red whip, pointing skyward as she cursed, “You wretched woman! You sure have the ability to seduce men, but I will never let you go!”

As soon as she finished shouting, a cold and clear female voice echoed from afar, “This time, I’m sparing you for Senior Brother Li’s sake. If there’s a next time, I will take your life.”

Immediately after, a powerful force shot through the air and landed on her face with a resounding slap, forcing her to stumble backward repeatedly.

The girl was furious, but she seemed to recognize the disparity in strength and gritted her teeth in silence.

But as soon as she turned her head, she saw Qi Guan Rui standing at the edge of the pit. Instantly, her shame turned into anger, and she lashed her whip at him.

“You lowly servant! What are you looking at?!”

The whip carried a sharp wind, its sound piercing through the air.

If it actually landed, it would undoubtedly tear through flesh and cause severe injury.

Gu Bai’s gaze turned icy.

Before the whip could reach Qi Guan Rui, his hand had already seized it.

Where the hell did this crazy woman come from, daring to bully my Xiao Shan?!

Qi Guan Rui had initially intended to dodge.

But then he remembered—his current displayed strength was only at the advanced wu shi level, three ranks lower than this woman’s advanced wu shi level. He shouldn’t be able to retaliate.

So he abandoned the thought.

It was just a single lash—nothing to be concerned about.

Once today was over, he would personally crush her and turn her into a breeding ground for his serpent gu.

However, Qi Guan Rui hadn’t anticipated Gu Bai’s reaction to be so fast.

Just as the whip was about to strike his face, a slender hand reached out and caught it—shielding him completely.

Qi Guan Rui smiled, “Thank you for saving me, City Lord.” He quickly stepped forward to Gu Bai’s side, lowering his voice, “I’m fine now, gege…”

Gu Bai nodded. With a slight rub of his fingers, a layer of frost spread across the whip, quickly engulfing its entire length.

The next moment, the whip shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.

Gu Bai said coldly, “Good.”

Qi Guan Rui suddenly tilted his head and murmured in Gu Bai’s ear, “If it were someone you feared most, would you still not abandon me?”

Gu Bai was surprised for a moment but still nodded. “Of course.”

The person he feared most was undoubtedly that deranged protagonist, but Xiao Shan, don’t worry—even if I can’t win, I’ll definitely take you with me when I run!

Don’t be scared, gege’s got you covered!

Qi Guan Rui’s smile grew even softer upon hearing this confirmation. “Gege is so good to me. I’ll be good to gege too.”

Gu Bai solemnly nodded again.

At least you have a conscience, brat.

While the two whispered to each other, the red-clad girl’s face contorted in rage.

She was, after all, a proud daughter of the heavens. Not only had she been stopped from punishing a mere servant, but her weapon had also been destroyed. And now, these two bastards were blatantly ignoring her while whispering to each other?

They weren’t even acknowledging her existence!

She couldn’t touch that despicable woman, but surely she could handle these unfamiliar faces, right?!

Her fair face flushed red with fury, and she swiftly drew a soft sword from her waist.

In an instant, the blade split into countless illusions and slashed toward Gu Bai.

At that moment, Gu Bai finally recognized her.

Wang Yingluo, the Wolfbane Queen.

A woman coveted by Li Qingyu, the president of the Lantian Society in the inner courtyard of Qingtian Academy.

She was also one of the protagonist’s many… harem members.

Specifically, one of the earlier ones who got used and then discarded.

—To be honest, when Gu Bai first realized Wang Yingluo was part of the protagonist’s harem, he had felt a bit tense.

But after searching his memory for all her interactions with the protagonist, he relaxed.

Wang Yingluo was a vicious woman, but she was also stunningly beautiful with a fiery, seductive figure. For men, she was a perfect one-night stand—after all, they weren’t marrying her. As long as she had a pretty face and a hot body, who cared if her hobbies included whipping people or torturing others?

In the original novel, the protagonist encountered Wang Yingluo shortly after enrolling. By then, she had already broken through to wu jun level and was a member of the inner courtyard. She also had substantial influence through Li Qingyu’s connections.

To gain access to this network, the protagonist seduced Wang Yingluo and successfully made her betray Li Qingyu, indulging in multiple steamy encounters with her—described in the novel with exquisite detail that left readers practically floating in ecstasy.

But after the protagonist eliminated Li Qingyu and absorbed his power base, Wang Yingluo became useless.

Had she behaved, she might have remained a minor harem member—after all, the protagonist had plenty of women, and keeping another wasn’t a big deal.

Unfortunately, she was jealous and went after the protagonist’s other women. Naturally, some of them were stronger than her, and she was swiftly eliminated.

A complete and utter throwaway character.

Wang Yingluo’s only purpose in the protagonist’s story was to help him infiltrate certain circles and build his power.

And she wasn’t even essential.

If she didn’t exist, the protagonist would just find someone else to achieve the same goal.

Which meant—

Killing Wang Yingluo → Would not affect the protagonist → Would not weaken his luck → Everything would still go according to fate.

That put Gu Bai at ease.

So when Wang Yingluo’s soft sword came slashing toward him, he had already analyzed all her moves.

It seemed slow—yet almost instantaneously, Gu Bai’s hands were encased in a pair of silk-white gloves.

Pure, flawless, completely unstained…

Then, in full view of everyone, Gu Bai simply raised his hand.

The next moment, all the sword illusions vanished.

Gu Bai’s hands gripped the blade itself.

And despite grasping such a sharp weapon—his hands were unscathed.

—Refined Silk Silver Gloves. Impervious to blades, immune to fire and water. A must-have luxury item.

Gu Bai’s voice was ice-cold. “Scram.”

Wang Yingluo, now humiliated twice, could barely maintain her composure.

But her strength was clearly lacking, and after spitting out another “I won’t let you off!” threat, she turned and fled.

Only then did Gu Bai glance at Wei Wu.

Wow, you sure dodged fast, buddy. My Xiao Shan almost got hurt. Is this garden even safe?!

Wei Wu plastered on a smile and quickly stepped forward again. “That was just a small mishap. Please, this way, esteemed guests.”

Gu Bai’s expression remained blank.

Mishap, my ass! If I had died here, would that have been a ‘small accident’ too?!

But Gu Bai knew—this Warrior’s Inn had one defining rule aside from its great value:

Combat was unrestricted.

Guests could fight as long as they didn’t stay locked up in their rooms.

No one would intervene.

Gu Bai sighed internally.

If he had come alone, he definitely wouldn’t have chosen this inn! Luxurious or not, this place was a headache!

But since his subordinates from Tiandu City had chosen it, he had no choice but to go along with it.

…Fine.

Gu Bai quietly consoled himself.

At least he had gained some attention from all this. Surely, some big shots would come looking for him now, right?

In the end, Gu Bai was settled in a secluded courtyard.

And sure enough—

Early the next morning, he had visitors.

Gu Bai lounged on a soft couch, gazing coolly at the guests before him. His expression was indifferent, but inside, his thoughts were running wild.

Holy shit, what kind of day is this?! Why are they here?!

Qi Guan Rui stood quietly behind Gu Bai, his hands moving at a measured pace as he massaged Gu Bai’s shoulders.

His gaze carefully assessed the two young men who had just arrived, claiming they were here to pay a visit.

Seated before them were two individuals.

They both appeared to be in their early twenties—one was a beginner wu jun, the other a mid-level wu jun. Within their age group, such strength undeniably marked them as exceptional talents.

The noble-looking youth held a folding fan in his hand, exuding an air of effortless charm. He had just introduced himself as Chen Yuanhao.

Beside him sat his companion, a young man with a stern and serious demeanor, who had also given his name—Qiu Tu.

Though Qiu Tu seemed to contradict nearly everything Chen Yuanhao said, their bond appeared remarkably close—almost as if they were blood brothers.

Gu Bai stared at the two, feeling deeply conflicted inside.

Chen Yuanhao… Qiu Tu…

These names are way too familiar, aren’t they?!

What kind of insane luck did he have today?

First, he ran into a discarded cannon-fodder beauty from the protagonist’s harem.

And now, he was facing these two sworn brothers.

Gu Bai sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

If he were to slap identity tags onto these two, they would undoubtedly be labeled “Little Brother A” and “Little Brother B.”

That’s right—these two were the first among the protagonist’s many lackeys!