Little Pink Starfish

Gu Bai silently glanced at a certain stone door before quickly looking away and saying, “We came to this mountain to hunt. This place seems suspicious—we should leave as soon as possible.”

He mentally gave himself a thumbs-up.

Opportunities and dangers always go hand in hand. Many people think they’ve found a great fortune, only to step into a trap instead. This is a perfectly reasonable excuse!

Qi Guanrui gazed at Gu Bai, deep in thought.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Ziche Shubai seemed to be… avoiding something.

Deliberately avoiding it.

Could it be that he knows something about this place?

Is there danger here? …No, if there were, someone like Ziche Shubai wouldn’t just brush it off so casually.

But if it’s not danger, then what is it?

Since he valued Gu Bai, Qi Guanrui didn’t argue with him.

But the girl who had just joined them wasn’t willing to leave so easily.

Which made sense—Gu Bai knew that Qin Jiao was actually an independent hunter and was currently struggling financially. Technically, she was an illegitimate daughter of a noble family. When her bloodline awakened, her family discovered her existence and brought her back, instantly elevating her status. After meeting the perverted protagonist and falling for him, the power behind her also fell into his hands.

But right now, she hadn’t awakened her bloodline yet. She was still poor and still had to make a living on her own.

Now that she had stumbled upon what seemed to be a miraculous opportunity, how could she let it slip away? Even if there was danger, she was determined to take the risk!

So, while Gu Bai was speaking, Qin Jiao had already moved to the stone monument and begun reading the inscription.

It was a tragic love story.

In short, a powerful martial emperor known as “Qian Kun Ren” had fallen in love with a beautiful woman in his youth. However, due to various circumstances, he lost her. Later, she died, and Qian Kun Ren, consumed by grief, devoted himself to cultivation, eventually becoming a martial emperor and avenging her. But his beloved was long gone, leaving him utterly alone.

In despair, he secluded himself here, where he eventually passed away.

A classic, cliché tragedy—so overused that even in novels, no one would bother reading it anymore.

—Of course, Gu Bai had made that up.

As soon as Qin Jiao understood the story, she was overjoyed.

A martial emperor dying here—what did that mean? It meant all his wealth was likely buried with him!

For someone like her, who hadn’t even reached Wu Jun level, obtaining even a fraction of that fortune would be life-changing. This was a chance to get rich overnight!

She immediately turned back, but her eyes were now wary.

—She absolutely had to claim this treasure. But these two men who saved her… were obstacles.

They might not seem interested in this place, but how could she make sure they left so she could return later?

Qi Guanrui saw her expression and instantly guessed her thoughts. Leaning close to Gu Bai’s ear, he whispered, “Gege, the person we saved seems to be scheming against us. Should we teach her a lesson?”

Gu Bai, having written this character himself, knew perfectly well that Qin Jiao’s personality was ruthless when it came to achieving her goals. Her reaction was completely in character.

But something felt… odd.

Wasn’t Gu Xiaoshan interested in this girl? Did I misunderstand?

That tone just now had sent chills down his spine.

Still, Gu Bai didn’t overthink it. He just assumed the kid was standing up for him.

But he couldn’t afford to mess with a perverted protagonist’s woman too much!

After some thought, he decided to manipulate the situation just a little.

Gu Bai looked at Qin Jiao, his face completely blank. “You want to stay?”

An overwhelming pressure crashed down on her. The young man before her showed no pity whatsoever—as if, with a single wrong word, she would fall into utter despair.

This man… is terrifying!

She shuddered before replying, “Since we found this place, why not explore it together? It would be a shame to miss out…”

Gu Bai, still expressionless, said, “Each person takes one door.”

The cave had exactly three stone doors, all tightly shut. If there was any treasure, it would surely be behind them.

Qin Jiao composed herself and wisely said, “You two may choose first.”

She was just a lone girl—she had no chance against two strong men. It was better to play along for now.

Gu Bai nodded and pointed. “That one’s yours.”

Qin Jiao dared not protest. Turning her back to them, she cautiously approached the door.

At least with three people, no one could pull any tricks. This way, I still have a one-in-three chance…

Once she disappeared inside, Gu Bai finally looked away.

Qi Guanrui asked, “Gege, which door should we take?”

Gu Bai glanced at him. “You’re coming with me?”

Qi Guanrui smiled. “Of course. How could I be separated from gege?”

Gu Bai was satisfied. Knew it—Gu Xiaoshan would definitely say that.

Gathering his courage, he stepped toward the middle door.

Qi Guanrui sensed the shift in his emotions and grew curious, quickly following him inside.

A rich, intoxicating fragrance filled the air, making them feel almost euphoric.

And then—darkness.

A winding stone path stretched ahead, leading toward a luminous end.

Gu Bai walked silently.

I know exactly what’s waiting up ahead.

And that’s precisely why…

Tiny, violet flowers, no bigger than fingernails, swayed gently, forming a vast, breathtaking sea of blooms.

A soft breeze stirred within the cave, making the flowers ripple like waves—like scattered stardust, like a flowing galaxy.

An utterly unparalleled sight.

Gu Bai pinched the bridge of his nose.

Of course. I should’ve known. Why the hell am I stuck in a romantic setup with another guy?!

And it just had to be a flower field—the ultimate seduction backdrop!

In this world, these weren’t called lavender—they were “Illusion Heart Grass.”

According to legend, a man who truly loved a woman would plant a sea of Illusion Heart Grass for her. Once the flowers bloomed, the couple would make vows before them, ensuring their eternal bond.

It was clear that after Qian Kun Ren had gone into seclusion, he had planted these flowers to fulfill his beloved’s dream. Even though she was gone, he still wanted to make it real. And once the flowers bloomed, his wish was fulfilled—so he let himself die, believing he could finally face her.

Qi Guanrui was equally stunned by the sight.

He recognized these flowers, of course. And he knew the legend.

But what struck him most was this—

The moment I acknowledged my desire for Ziche Shubai… I saw this place.

Could this be fate?

He turned his gaze to Gu Bai, eyes burning with an intensity that hadn’t been there before.

Gu Bai, oblivious to Qi Guanrui’s thoughts, stood still, pretending to admire the flowers.

Anything to keep Gu Xiaoshan away from the other door! That place absolutely cannot be discovered!!

Speaking of which, let’s talk about the opportunities originally meant for the protagonist.

The first door—where Qin Jiao had gone—contained traps, but nothing too deadly. At the end of the path was a nest of beast eggs.

All of them were dead eggs.

—Qian Kun Ren had been gone for too long. The eggs had lost all life.

All except for one.

That single living egg could only be sensed by the protagonist, who had a special bloodline ability. To anyone else, it looked just as lifeless as the others. So Qin Jiao would leave empty-handed, thinking it was worthless.

Thus, the perverted protagonist’s first pet remained safely hidden.

As for the middle door, where Gu Bai now stood—it was just a giant flower field.

In the original story, it served one purpose.

A setting for the protagonist to sleep with one of his harem members.

And why, exactly, did they end up doing that?

That leads us to the third door.

The real first door the protagonist should have entered.

So let’s break it down:

Protagonist’s fortuitous encounter → Enters the first door → Ends up in the second door for intimate reasons.

And what was inside the first door?

A stash of wealth left behind by Qian Kun Ren—including a rare herb: Yuan Yang Zhi.

A divine treasure that greatly enhanced martial energy.

But it had one major drawback.

After consuming it, the user’s blood would boil for a period of time.

In other words—pure, unfiltered aphrodisiac.

The protagonist had originally entered the first door, found the Yuan Yang Zhi, inhaled its scent, and became drugged.

And then… well.

Gu Bai was not letting two guys go look for that together.

He turned to Qi Guanrui. “Xiaoshan, Qian Kun Ren was devoted to his beloved. Now that he has passed, we should not disturb their resting place… I do not wish to intrude further. What do you think?”

Qi Guanrui smiled warmly. “I will always follow gege’s lead.”

Gu Bai’s heart skipped a beat. This place is dangerous.

He turned and walked out first.

If I stay any longer, I might start acting weird too.