Little Pink Starfish

Honestly, Ziche Shubai was innocent too.
He really just…
Unconsciously carried both of them away.

As for deeper meaning—
Did the fact that the protagonist had the same face as his overly dramatic younger brother from his past life count?
He seriously couldn’t hold back!

Ziche Shubai felt a little frustrated.
With his left hand gripping his younger brother from this life and his right hand gripping the protagonist, he swiftly returned to his spacious new courtyard after just a few leaps.
Then, he set them both down.

Ziche Shubai looked at the two of them expressionlessly.
With his already biased perspective, it felt like the person on the left had “fool” written all over his face, while the person on the right… also had “fool” written all over his face.
Could this situation be any worse?

Gu Xing was a very restrained person.
He knew his own lowly status and that his current strength was insufficient. Even making it to the Shangguan family, stepping into this vast starry sky, and escaping the shackles of that lowly world had taken him immense effort.
Originally, he had planned to keep a low profile, quietly increase his strength, and then leave. He hadn’t expected to cross paths with a foppish noble he had beaten up before.

Even more unexpected was how powerful that fop’s backing turned out to be.
In just the three years he had been here, he had already heard countless legends about the seventh young master, Shangguan Yu.
However, no matter how powerful Shangguan Yu was, Gu Xing was not the kind to bow and scrape. That was why, despite Shangguan Jue constantly using his brother’s name to harass him, Gu Xing had never backed down. Hadn’t he already broken quite a few of Shangguan Jue’s lackeys’ bones?
But this time, Shangguan Yu had personally intervened.

Only now did Gu Xing truly realize the massive gap between himself and Shangguan Yu. He hadn’t even had time to react before he was captured and taken away.
Now, what would Shangguan Yu do with him?

Gu Xing’s mind raced as he calculated countless escape routes, only to discard them all one by one. Finally, he pessimistically concluded that his chances of escaping were less than ten percent.
Or rather, zero.

Taking a deep breath, he decided that if escape was impossible, then he had to face it head-on.
Gu Xing looked at the elegantly dressed, strikingly handsome young man with calm composure and said, neither humble nor overbearing, “Gu Xing greets the Seventh Young Master.”

Ziche Shubai turned his face away in silence.
Damn it, why did he want to laugh every time he saw this face?!
Why did his little brother’s ridiculously cool and arrogant face have to appear on the protagonist?!
It was making his transmigration experience unnecessarily difficult!
He simply couldn’t look directly at it…

So, Ziche Shubai shot Gu Xing an icy glance, his demeanor as cold as frost that had remained frozen for millennia. Even the slightest movement carried an unparalleled air of nobility.
Just by sitting there, without saying a word, he made Gu Xing feel as if every pore in his body was trembling under the overwhelming pressure.

Gu Xing: Too… too strong!
Ziche Shubai: Damn it, I want to laugh again…

Shangguan Jue, clutching his face, looked at his older brother with great grievance.
He had been beaten up this badly, yet his big brother still hadn’t avenged him… Was this really his biological brother?
But he didn’t dare say anything more. TAT
Honestly, he had barely seen his brother since coming here—only twice, and every time, his brother was ridiculously aloof. The pressure was immense, okay…

Ziche Shubai finally spoke, his voice devoid of emotion: “Three days from now, fight again.”
Gu Xing: “Seventh Young Master, what do you mean? Another match between me and Shangguan Jue?”
Shangguan Jue: “What?”

Qing Tong, knowing her master disliked talking too much, stepped in to explain: “The Seventh Young Master means that in three days, Gu Xing and Young Master Jue will fight again, right here in this courtyard, with the Seventh Young Master as the judge.”

Gu Xing hesitated.
Was this young master implying that as long as they fought again, he would overlook the fact that he had beaten Shangguan Jue? If that was the case, then fine—he had no problem with another fight. Given Shangguan Jue’s skills, even if Shangguan Yu gave him private training for three days, he still wouldn’t be his match.

Shangguan Jue, on the other hand, was unhappy: “Why do I have to—”
Ziche Shubai let out a cold snort.
Shangguan Jue immediately fell silent.

Qing Tong once again spoke on her master’s behalf: “Both Young Master Jue and Gu Xing are at the Bone Refining Realm, meaning they are of equal rank. A true man should settle his grievances openly instead of relying on others.” She turned to Gu Xing. “If you win, you need not worry about us causing trouble for you. Not only will the Seventh Young Master overlook today’s incident, but he will also reward you generously.” Then, she looked at Shangguan Jue. “If you win, you may ask for any reward, and the Seventh Young Master will grant it.”

Ziche Shubai gave a simple “hmm” to confirm this was indeed his intention.
Qing Tong: Successfully deciphered my master’s thoughts again—so happy!

Gu Xing’s eyes flickered as he quickly came to a decision.
This was actually a good deal for him. At first, he had thought he was in trouble, but it seemed Shangguan Yu was fair. As long as he kept his word, he truly lived up to his reputation. This way, not only could he beat Shangguan Jue up again, but he could also earn some benefits—completely risk-free.
As for losing to Shangguan Jue?
He had fought through life-and-death situations to make it this far—how could he possibly lose here? If he couldn’t even defeat someone like Shangguan Jue, he might as well give up on reaching the peak of cultivation!

Gu Xing cupped his fists. “If that is the case, then I accept!”
Shangguan Jue still looked reluctant.
Ziche Shubai swept a cold gaze over him. “If you lose, you will reflect in isolation for three years.”
Shangguan Jue’s eyes widened. “Big bro—”

Gu Xing sneered. “What’s the matter? Is Young Master Jue afraid of me?”
Shangguan Jue’s hackles rose. “Who’s afraid of you?!”
Gu Xing smirked. “Then it’s settled.”

Ziche Shubai glanced at the ridiculously cool and arrogant face that was currently spouting bold words. With a flick of his sleeve, he directly sent Gu Xing flying out of the courtyard.
He really couldn’t bear to look at it—
Then, he picked up Shangguan Jue and casually tossed him into the wooden puppet training ground in another corner of the courtyard.

This foolish brother would not be allowed to eat until he defeated all eighteen wooden puppets!

_{[T/N: NOO! MY BIG BROTHER WON’T GIVE ME MY SUPPER UNTIL I BEAT UP THE WOODEN PUPPETS! He put my bowl on a really high shelf, wu.]}

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This place was once the most prosperous land on Demon King Star. It had belonged to the mightiest of the five demon kings—the Tiger King.
Back then, the vast valley was breathtakingly beautiful, filled with towering mountains, spiritual energy, and numerous bustling demon cities. But now, all that remained were ruins, with the stench of blood and lingering resentment filling the air.

Countless demon bones paved the roads. Thick, skinned hides of fallen demons hung from the lush trees.
The bone-paved road stretched higher and higher until it formed a throne—crafted entirely from the bones of the fallen.

Seated upon that throne was a young man.
He lounged there in a lazy posture, his face stunningly handsome, his demeanor gentle—appearing just like an ordinary cultivator. However, in the depths of his eyes lurked a chilling, bone-deep coldness.
There was no emotion there. Even though he always wore a faint smile, it only made people feel more terrified.

This was not someone they could afford to provoke.

On the bone-paved ground below, many voluptuous female demons were dancing gracefully. Their faces bore seductive smiles, and every movement was filled with allure. However, if one looked closely, they would notice the fear hidden in their eyes.

They were afraid.
These female demons, who usually thrived on seducing men, were now displaying their charms to the fullest, yet their performance lacked the genuine bewitchment of their usual prey-seeking dances. Instead, it seemed forced, as if they had no other choice.

On either side of the hall stood tables and chairs made entirely of white bones. Each bone table had a skull embedded in it.
Some were tiger skulls.
Some were leopard skulls.
Some belonged to ox demons, some to serpent demons…
It was clear that these tables and chairs had all been crafted from the remains of fallen demons.

Even more chilling was the fact that seated behind the tiger-bone tables were tiger demons, and behind the ox-bone tables sat ox demons.
These powerful demons’ faces twitched, but not a single one of them dared to leave.

Throughout the entire valley, thousands of demons either sat or stood behind these bone tables. Wine and delicacies were laid out before them, creating the scene of a grand gathering of demonkind.
But despite this so-called grand event, the atmosphere was far from lively.

The young man on the bone throne casually reached out and grabbed something between his fingers—a tortoise shell, as large as a water vat. _{[T/N: Americans, you guys use anything but real measurements so what is this size.]}
Its surface was covered with complex, mystical patterns. It was clearly a priceless artifact, possibly capable of divining the heavens themselves.
But in his hand, it was merely… a wine cup. _{[T/N: He is 8ft tall so maybe it’s a big cup?]}

Lifting the tortoise shell leisurely, the young man spoke in a soft, pleasant voice.
“Let us all drink to the full.”

After saying this, he tilted his head back and drained the shell in one gulp.

The demons below trembled, but not one of them dared hesitate. Each grabbed the skull embedded in their table, using it as a cup, and gulped down the wine.
Yet none of them tasted the usual pleasure or satisfaction from drinking.

After finishing his “cup,” the young man seemed to lose interest and began idly toying with the tortoise shell, no longer acknowledging the gathered demons.
The demons waited for a long time, but seeing that he had given no further orders, the suffocating tension in the hall gradually loosened.

This ancestor… was not someone they could afford to provoke.

In the past, Demon King Star had been ruled jointly by five great demon kings, each commanding legions of demon subjects, overseeing vast cities, and wielding supreme authority.
For countless years, the demon race had lived this way.

Of course, there had always been those who challenged the authority of the demon kings. Decades ago, a self-proclaimed “Empty Mountain Demon King”—a mere snake cub who hadn’t even taken human form—had arrogantly declared his intent to overthrow the five great demon kings.
But before he could do anything, he was swiftly pushed aside, dismissed as nothing more than a joke. He had been forced into a corner, vanishing without a trace.

Before leaving, that Empty Mountain snake had made bold declarations about inheriting his ancestors’ bloodline and returning for vengeance after attaining human form.
But aside from the handful of little demons who followed him, who would have taken such nonsense seriously?

Yet no one could have predicted…
That fool had actually stirred up a massive catastrophe.