Little Pink Starfish

Taking a deep breath, Ziche Shubai attempted to circulate the qi within this body.
If he remembered correctly, this was a cultivation world. However, to sound a bit trendier, cultivators here were called “Qi Refiners,” and instead of wu qi, the energy stored in the dantian was something called “Origin Force.” As for power levels, they were roughly divided into the following:

Qi Refinement Realm → Vein Condensation Realm → Bone Tempering Realm → Core Formation Realm → Illusory Transformation Realm → Cave Heaven Realm → Shattered Cavern Realm → Tribulation Entry Realm → Tribulation Breaking Realm → Ascension Realm.

Currently, this body—Shangguan Yu’s body—was in the Illusory Transformation Realm, already considered top-tier among young elites. However, since Origin Force and wu qi were different energies, Ziche Shubai needed to test things out to determine his true level… and whether he could at least regain the status of an elite, if not his former peak strength.

Ziche Shubai was in luck.
With just a slight attempt at circulating Origin Force, he found that it controlled similarly to wu qi. Sure, the cultivation methods were different, but come on, he had been a Wu Zun. He had long since reached the stage of returning to simplicity. As long as he could mobilize energy without difficulty, tweaking the method of circulation was no problem at all.

Thus, he effortlessly mastered this body’s power. Then, with a casual adjustment to the cultivation method, the Origin Force surged like a runaway wild horse—

Oh, mid-stage Illusory Transformation, late-stage, peak.
Breakthrough, reached the Cave Heaven Realm.
Early Cave Heaven, mid-stage, late-stage, peak—okay, fine, it stopped at peak for now.

There was no helping it—Ziche Shubai still wasn’t that familiar with the laws of this new world. For the moment, the late-stage peak of the Cave Heaven Realm was his limit.
Once he settled in, he’d need to study the world’s rules more before he could progress further.

…Wait. Wasn’t he forgetting something?
Oh right, damn it, he wasn’t trying to power up, he was supposed to change out of these ridiculous clothes.

Ziche Shubai stood still, expressionless, for three seconds.
Then, with one swift motion, he ripped off all of his clothes.

Shangguan Yu’s body was no less stunning than his original one—just a bit more on the androgynous side.
But for someone like Ziche Shubai, who had mastered the art of exuding presence, as soon as he unleashed his cold, untouchable aura, that slight femininity was completely overpowered. What remained was the aura of someone who had honed himself over thousands of years.

After another three seconds of silence, Ziche Shubai walked to the bed, yanked off the silk bedsheet, and wrapped it around himself.
Then, he spoke. “Attend me.”
His tone was as cold as ice, completely imperious.

---

As the personal maid of Shangguan Yu, a genius of the prestigious Shangguan clan, Qing Tong had always been loyal. And it was precisely because of this unwavering loyalty that she was privy to a great secret. She was also the one entrusted to stand guard outside, never letting her vigilance slip.

This time was no different—she waited quietly for orders.
But what she heard instead… was a voice that sent a chill straight to her bones.
So much so that she even forgot to notice the subtle change in its tone.

Qing Tong dared not hesitate. She carefully pushed open the door and stepped inside, then just as carefully closed it behind her.
Her mistress had always been eccentric—she couldn’t afford to… wait, what?

The moment she laid eyes on the person half-reclining on the bed, Qing Tong’s eyes widened in shock.
That man.

That man with ink-black hair and frost-like eyes, so stunningly beautiful yet so imposingly distant that she dared not look directly at him—
Who was he?
Where was her mistress?

Then, that man spoke. “Qing Tong.”
Qing Tong blinked, a bit hesitant.

The man sat in an utterly unremarkable posture, yet exuded an air of absolute nobility, as if the entire world revolved around him.
“This seat had previously fallen into demonic madness. Now, I have awakened.”

Qing Tong held her breath and carefully probed. “Se-Seventh Young Master…?”
When she saw him nod in reserved acknowledgment, she nearly burst into tears on the spot.

Seventh Young Master. It was really him.
She had always believed she was following a young master—until one day, he suddenly became a young mistress. That had been too unsettling.
So it turned out that her Seventh Young Master had really been trapped in demonic madness.
This. This was the true Seventh Young Master she had sworn to serve.

At that moment, Qing Tong pressed her lips together and performed a deep bow.
“Congratulations to Seventh Young Master for overcoming his heart demon.”

Of course. A good and proper man suddenly dressing up as a woman—it had to be because of a heart demon.

_{[T/N: So that’s what it was…]}

If Ziche Shubai knew what Qing Tong was thinking, he would have silently retorted.
No, actually, some people are just born cross-dressers. They just didn’t have the resources or power before, but once they did, they finally indulged in their true passion.

But for now, there was no better excuse than this one.
Yes, he had fallen into demonic madness.
And now, he had awakened. Because he was about to reunite with his long-lost younger brother.
Heart demon conquered.
Strength massively improved.

Thus, Ziche Shubai nodded even more regally.
“Dress me.”

At her master’s command, Qing Tong’s body trembled slightly.
…Because his sheer presence was so overwhelming that she had completely ignored the fact that he was only wrapped in a bedsheet.
No, even in a bedsheet, he still looked as majestic as if he were wearing divine robes.
This was the Seventh Young Master she had pledged her loyalty to.
He must never be outshone by any other young masters.

Determined, Qing Tong clenched her fists and rushed off.
She had to find the best outfit.

Ziche Shubai, watching Qing Tong’s enthusiastic expression—so similar to his former personal attendants—fell into brief silence.
…Honestly, being away from those perfect maids feels a little lonely.
Even though they all ended up in that lunatic’s hands, being surrounded by beauties was still nice, okay?
Qing Tong has great potential, okay?

In the original story, Qing Tong was Shangguan Yuer’s number one devoted attendant.
Otaku readers had described them as “sisters in arms,” even going as far as to encourage the protagonist to take both master and servant into his harem.
And when Shangguan Yuer and the protagonist engaged in their love-hate entanglement, Qing Tong resisted the protagonist’s charm and stayed loyal only to her mistress, ultimately dying before Shangguan Yuer in an act of absolute devotion.
She had earned the tears of many a reader.

Of course, later on, everyone learned the truth.
She hadn’t seen Shangguan Yuer as a sister—she had served Shangguan Yu since childhood and originally adored him as a romantic interest.
After Shangguan Yu started cross-dressing, her romantic feelings faded, but her obsession only deepened.
Her devotion was absolute—life and death, unwavering.

Now, for Ziche Shubai to successfully reclaim his male identity, this devoted servant was unavoidable.
Fortunately, since Qing Tong already knew the truth and idolized Shangguan Yu’s cold personality, it was easy to convince her.
In fact, within the Shangguan family, no one actually understood Shangguan Yu.
Because Shangguan Yu was a cultivation maniac.

In that sense, he and Ziche Shubai weren’t all that different.

Not long after, Qing Tong returned with a set of exceptionally fine robes.

Ziche Shubai allowed her to dress him, then glanced at the mirror.
Good, he was back to looking like his old self.

Finally.

And then—they arrived at the Shangguan family’s domain.

The moment they arrived, news had already spread across the entire warship.

Yes, in this cultivation world, the ships traveling through the starry sky were actually highly advanced battleships—something that seemed strangely scientific.

Within half an hour, everyone on board had heard the news:

Seventh Young Master Shangguan Yu had previously fallen into demonic madness but had now successfully awakened. Not only had he returned to his rightful male identity, but he had also broken through multiple levels to become a Cave Heaven Realm expert.

It was just like a legendary tale.

But reality was reality. The moment the news spread, everyone began accepting it as truth. The information also quickly made its way back to the Shangguan family, stirring up waves among the lower and middle ranks.

Originally, only a select few—Shangguan Yu’s younger brother and a handful of high-ranking family members—had planned to welcome him back. But after hearing the news, the event had turned into a grand spectacle, drawing countless observers.

Ziche Shubai was unfazed.
I won’t lose my composure. Bring it on.

Finally, after another short while, they arrived at their destination—Lock Dragon Star, the domain of the Shangguan family.

With Qing Tong leading the way and a team of guards flanking him, Ziche Shubai stepped through the warship’s doors.

As he stood at the threshold, fierce winds howled around him, his robes billowing, long hair dancing in the storm. His gaze swept downward, overlooking the vast crowd of people gathered below—like ants beneath his feet.

And among them, he instantly identified the one who shared this body’s bloodline, the person pushed to the forefront.

A powerful presence surged forth.

—My foolish little brother!