Little Pink Starfish

Zhang Yushui’s gaze was complicated. The name “Ah Yan” had slipped from his mouth as if he had called it thousands upon thousands of times before.

The atmosphere froze.

Standing at the back, Zhang Qiu glanced between the two men. He wanted to remind them that this wasn’t the time or place for deep conversations. With thousands of coffins surrounding them, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were about to become a banquet for Jiangshi. If all of them suddenly jumped out—

The scene would be too horrifying to even imagine.

“Ahem—”

“Who the hell are you?!”

Zhang Qiu’s fake cough was interrupted, and he nearly choked on his own spit, turning it into a real cough. He glanced over and saw that it was Old Fei who had spoken, pointing a gun at Xiapi Prince Hui on the platform. This guy is seriously digging his own grave. I don’t even know what to say anymore.

A cold yet firm hand gently patted Zhang Qiu’s back—it was Lishu. Instinctively, he relaxed, his coughing subsiding.

On the platform, Xiapi Prince Hui smiled. Though there was no warmth in his eyes, the expression still carried an illusion of tenderness. Even the straight men in the group seemed momentarily dazed by his striking features.

But why did it suddenly feel so cold behind him?

Zhang Qiu turned around and saw Zhang Yushui’s face dark as water, his gaze burning with obsession and madness as he stared at Xiapi Prince Hui—like he wanted to devour him whole. Zhang Qiu had never seen Zhang Yushui look like this before. It was terrifying.

Old Fei snapped out of his daze and, realizing he had been staring at a “pretty boy,” grew furious. “Fuck you!” He raised his gun and fired directly at Xiapi Prince Hui.

Bang!

Almost in the same instant, Zhang Qiu saw a blur of movement. Zhang Yushui had already appeared behind Old Fei, swiftly twisting his arm behind his back. Old Fei let out an agonized, pig-like scream that echoed throughout the tomb.

A second later, Xiapi Prince Hui, who had been standing on the platform, was suddenly right in front of Zhang Yushui.

He still held the red orb in his hand, his gaze locked onto Zhang Yushui.

“What I owe you, I’m repaying today.”

His voice was deliberately lowered, as if to suppress any trace of tenderness. Yet his unique lip shape caused his words to curve slightly upward, making it seem as if he was whispering sweet nothings.

Zhang Yushui was momentarily entranced, the hostility in him dissipating. His voice was gentle, “You—”

Before he could finish, Xiapi Prince Hui moved swiftly, pressing the red orb directly into Zhang Yushui’s mouth.

Zhang Qiu was stunned for a second before he processed what had just happened. “What is that thing?!”

“Hahahahaha!”

The eerie laughter sent chills down Zhang Qiu’s spine. He turned his head and saw that, at some point, Boss Jin had climbed back from the platform. Seeing them looking at him, Boss Jin grew even more smug. “That orb—I laced it with poison. He’s as good as dead.”

“Impossible!” A flicker of panic flashed through Xiapi Prince Hui’s eyes as he instinctively grabbed Zhang Yushui’s hand.

Zhang Yushui, however, took control, firmly gripping Xiapi Prince Hui instead. His expression remained calm, and there was even a trace of joy in his eyes. But, as if to confirm Boss Jin’s words, his face suddenly turned deathly pale, and a metallic taste surged up his throat.

Seeing the poison take effect, Boss Jin yelled, “Do it!”

Lishu pulled Zhang Qiu behind him. But the situation was far from what they expected—

Two of Boss Jin’s subordinates suddenly drew knives and stabbed Scarface and Half-face multiple times. Their expressions were twisted with madness, moving so fast that the other two men had no chance to react. Within moments, Scarface and Half-face were stabbed repeatedly, then thrown into the trench below.

Zhang Qiu even heard the chilling sound of sharp blades piercing through their bodies.

The rapid series of events left Zhang Qiu utterly dumbfounded, unable to process what was happening.

“The stench of blood is too strong. The corpses here will soon reanimate,” Lishu narrowed his eyes, locking onto Boss Jin. “You’re not Boss Jin.”

Zhang Qiu was startled and repeated, “He’s not Boss Jin?” But this is clearly Boss Jin!

Boss Jin’s entire demeanor changed. He showed no fear of Lishu’s oppressive aura. Instead, he grabbed Old Fei—who was nearly two meters tall—and lifted him effortlessly like a ragdoll. With a swift slash, he cut Old Fei’s throat. Blood sprayed everywhere.

Old Fei didn’t even have time to struggle before his life ended.

Within a minute, three people had died—brutally and gruesomely. Zhang Qiu was too stunned to speak, his mind a complete mess.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The overpowering scent of blood spread through the tomb, and suddenly, the entire chamber began to tremble. Thousands of black coffins glowed faintly red as something inside them slammed against the lids, trying to break free. The sound grew louder and louder. The nearest coffins were already shaking violently.

The ground beneath them trembled. Taking advantage of the chaos, Boss Jin and his men bolted.

“They’re waking up. Let’s go!” Lishu grabbed Zhang Qiu’s hand and ran.

Zhang Qiu panicked. “But my brother is still inside!”

“Someone will save him.”

Xiapi Prince Hui’s eyes flickered with a ruthless glint, but his hands were gentle as he supported the weak Zhang Yushui, carrying him as they fled.

The stone door was destroyed, unable to seal in the thousand Jiangshi behind it. The corridor was empty—Boss Jin and his men had vanished, even though they had only just left moments earlier.

The noise behind them grew louder. Even from this distance, Zhang Qiu could hear the eerie hissing sounds.

Lishu pulled Zhang Qiu along, sprinting through the tunnel. Xiapi Prince Hui carried Zhang Yushui effortlessly and kept pace with them.

Not long after, Zhang Qiu heard the disturbing sounds of pursuit. He turned back, shining his flashlight. About a dozen Jiangshi were trailing them. Their tattered clothes made it impossible to tell their origins, their bodies shriveled like mummies. Their hollow black eyes oozed faint wisps of red mist.

“They’re catching up!”

The narrow passage had slowed down the Jiangshi initially, but now they were growing more agile.

“This won’t work,” Xiapi Prince Hui muttered. He propped Zhang Yushui against the wall, then pulled a dagger from his waist. Without hesitation, he slashed his palm, letting blood spill onto the ground.

The Jiangshi hesitated, slowing down.

Zhang Yushui was already delirious. Cold sweat covered his forehead, his face as pale as death.

Xiapi Prince Hui hoisted Zhang Yushui back up. He trembled slightly at Zhang Yushui’s whispered words but said nothing and continued running.

They encountered another black pillar with strange carvings.

Lishu suddenly stopped, his sharp eyes scanning the area.

Zhang Qiu, anxious, asked, “What’s wrong?” Before Lishu could answer, the Jiangshi’s hissing grew louder.

“My blood won’t hold them back much longer,” Xiapi Prince Hui frowned.

“They’ve absorbed a thousand years of phoenix essence. These aren’t ordinary Jiangshi,” Lishu said, running his hand along the pillar’s engravings. In the darkness, Zhang Qiu couldn’t see what he was doing. The Jiangshi were nearly upon them. Zhang Qiu’s heart pounded.

A grinding sound echoed—behind the pillar, a hidden stone door slowly opened.

Lishu yanked Zhang Qiu inside. Xiapi Prince Hui dragged Zhang Yushui in, just as a Jiangshi lunged forward.

Zhang Qiu’s flashlight illuminated its withered face, making him stumble back in terror. Lishu steadied him.

The Jiangshi pushed further inside, screeching. Lishu swiftly shut the stone door—severing its head in the process.

The severed head rolled to Zhang Qiu’s feet, its hollow black eyes still locked onto him.

Zhang Qiu let out a terrified scream and collapsed, unconscious.

When Zhang Qiu woke up again, his stomach still felt dull and uncomfortable. His mind was sluggish for a few seconds before he suddenly remembered—before passing out, they had been trapped in a tomb filled with thousands of Jiangshi.

His eyes snapped open.

Darkness.

Zhang Qiu swallowed his fear and called out in a small voice, “Lishu?”

“You’re awake.”

The familiar voice instantly dispelled his fear. Zhang Qiu reached out hesitantly, and Lishu placed his cold hand in his. The icy temperature should have been unsettling, but to Zhang Qiu, it was incredibly reassuring.

“Where’s my brother?”

Lishu’s other arm naturally wrapped around Zhang Qiu’s waist, resting a hand on his stomach. He replied calmly, “He’s nearby.”

Zhang Qiu relaxed at the confirmation that his brother was safe. “Why aren’t we using the flashlight?”

“It was dropped earlier.”

“It’s too dark to see anything.”

Lishu was silent for a moment before saying, “I don’t need light to see.”

A voice chimed in from the side—it was Xiapi Prince Hui. “Neither do I.”

“Well, as long as you two can see, that’s what matters.” Zhang Qiu felt that something about the situation was strange, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. The thought quickly passed, and his mind shifted to another matter.

“When we first entered the tomb, something felt off. Now I get it—Boss Jin already knew what was inside. Otherwise, how could he have had a crossbow and rope in his bag?” Zhang Qiu tightened his grip on Lishu’s hand. “What did you mean when you said Boss Jin isn’t Boss Jin?”

“He’s the one after the box,” Xiapi Prince Hui suddenly spoke. His voice was firm, and he let out a cold chuckle. “I killed him back then.”

He paused for a second, then continued, “I had just woken up and saw the face of an emperor. My memories were fragmented and blurry, so I bit him on instinct. The thing in his hands was taken away. When I chased him down, I killed him.”

Zhang Qiu’s heart skipped a beat. “If Boss Jin was already dead… then who has been traveling with us this whole time? Who ate with us, rode with us, acted as if nothing was wrong?”

Lishu, however, said something even more unsettling. “Perhaps he really is Boss Jin.”

“But Boss Jin was already killed, wasn’t he?”

Lishu didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “We need to move. Boss Jin and his two men are also in this passage.” He glanced at Zhang Qiu and added, “Your brother’s life is still in Boss Jin’s hands.”

“Right, saving him is the priority. I just hope Boss Jin has the antidote for whatever poison he gave my brother.” Zhang Qiu suddenly thought of something and turned towards Xiapi Prince Hui. Though he couldn’t see him, he spoke in his direction. “What exactly did you feed my brother?”

Xiapi Prince Hui’s expression softened slightly, but Zhang Qiu couldn’t see it.

“My own phoenix essence.”