Little Pink Starfish

Ziche Shubai sat high upon the throne of the Star Lord’s estate, with over a hundred elite guards standing in perfect formation on either side. A few steps below him, Qing Tong held a scroll in her hands, her voice rising and falling as she reported the current tax revenue of the planet.

“High-grade spirit crystals… ￥#……%￥%… pieces…”
“Mid-grade spirit crystals… %#%#… %￥&… catties…”
“Low-grade spirit crystals… (&%%…￥… tons…”
“Various spirit herbs…”
“Various minerals…”
“Various…”

In short—
The Star Lord was filthy rich!
The Star Lord could spend however he wanted!
The Star Lord could buy whatever he pleased!
The Star Lord could be as extravagant as he liked, and they would all work hard to earn him even more!

Ziche Shubai nodded in satisfaction.
Excellent. He was indeed this wealthy. He was indeed this extravagant!

Without needing further instruction, Qing Tong instinctively set about preparing the necessary funds for the auction, while several trusted administrators, selected from his elite guards, diligently got to work.

“Big brother…”

Ziche Shubai turned to his left.
His foolish younger brother, Shangguan Jue, was squirming in his seat as if itching to say something. Finally, he gathered his courage and mumbled, “Big brother… I want to go too.”

Ziche Shubai remained expressionless. “Wooden puppet formation.”
Oh? This brat finally grew his teeth back and could speak properly again, and now he wanted to make demands?

Shangguan Jue’s eyes lit up. “I’ve already passed three stages!”

Ziche Shubai: “…”
It took him half a month just to pass three stages, and he still had the nerve to boast? Did he not see that the protagonist, Gu Xing, had already cleared eight stages? Every time he picked a fight, he got beaten up—shouldn’t he at least feel ashamed and strive to improve?!

Clearly, Shangguan Jue didn’t understand this at all.
He simply gazed at his brother with hopeful, sparkling eyes, practically radiating excitement.

Ziche Shubai gave up.
Fine. If he left this idiot at home, who knew what kind of trouble he’d stir up? If he remembered correctly, in the original storyline, this was the part where the idiot invited a bunch of rich playboys to the auction under the Shangguan family’s name.
Not only did they behave arrogantly, but under the protagonist Gu Xing’s scheming, they offended the wrong people, resulting in most of them dying. The survivors were dragged back home and punished, causing a huge headache for Shangguan Yuer.

Shangguan Yuer had always spoiled Shangguan Jue, but Ziche Shubai felt the brat needed some discipline—
Of course, if he simply brought Gu Xing along as well, he could keep an eye on things. Even if trouble arose, he could control the situation.

Ziche Shubai: I am truly a strategic genius, hahaha!
And so, with his usual deadpan expression, he stated, “Gu Xing will come too.”

Shangguan Jue immediately exploded. “Why does that servant have to come too?!”
Didn’t his brother know that he and Gu Xing were at odds? Was this really his real brother?!
For a moment, a deep jealousy surged in his heart.
It was completely unreasonable—why was his big brother so nice to that guy?

However, under Ziche Shubai’s absolute authority, any resistance from Shangguan Jue was utterly useless.
Meanwhile, Gu Xing—who had been training in the wooden puppet formation and was suddenly summoned to be informed that he was being taken out to broaden his horizons—was equally surprised.
Then, he immediately felt an intense glare filled with hostility.

Gu Xing turned his head.
Oh? Wasn’t that the foppish young master, Shangguan Jue?
He only needed a single glance to know what the idiot was thinking, and he couldn’t help but feel amused.

#If you’re unhappy, then I’m happy.#

Gu Xing had already been interested in the auction. Even if he wasn’t, he would have gone just to spite Shangguan Jue.
But at the same time, he was confused.
Why was Shangguan Yu being so kind to him? Was he trying to recruit him? Or did he just want to use him as a stepping stone for Shangguan Jue’s growth?

Either way, Gu Xing wouldn’t give in.
He had no interest in serving Shangguan Yu, and as for being a stepping stone—
Shangguan Jue lacked both patience and perseverance. Even if he spent ten thousand years grinding against him, he wouldn’t become any sharper.
However, if he could use this opportunity to benefit from Shangguan Yu’s resources, why not? The stronger he became, the more he could gain.
All he had to hope for was that Shangguan Yu would stay fair and not get too protective over Shangguan Jue after seeing how badly he got beaten up.

#Every protagonist is a master of overthinking.#

If Ziche Shubai knew what Gu Xing was thinking, he would have calmly retorted:
No, I just want my idiot brother to be beaten up enough times that his stupidity turns into endearing foolishness. Keeping him alive is the real priority. Getting beaten up? That’s a non-issue.

With the combined efforts of the Star Lord’s estate staff, preparations were soon complete. A battleship was readied, and one of the elite guards piloted it, escorting their master aboard.

Seeing that resistance was futile, Shangguan Jue sulked and followed along—though not without throwing a threatening glare at Gu Xing.
Damn it, stay away from my big brother!

Gu Xing understood immediately.
Oh? Was this brat trying to provoke him?
He pretended not to notice, keeping his head down as he blended into the crowd.
As for Shangguan Jue’s increasingly disgruntled expression—well, that wasn’t his problem.

The journey was smooth, and after five days of travel, Ziche Shubai and his entourage arrived at the Grand Mystic Star Auction House.

Only a massive trading consortium like the Grand Mystic Chamber of Commerce, which spanned the entire star system, had the qualifications to host an event of this scale.
The auction would feature countless rare treasures, with invitations sent far and wide across the galaxy. Of course, the Shangguan family had received one.
That was just a formality, though—many people had learned about the event through other channels and had come on their own.

The elite guards had prepared an extravagant palanquin, placing it at the warship’s exit.
Ziche Shubai stepped out, and with a graceful flick of his robe, he landed upon it.

The elite guards: Our lord has such refined skills! Let me carry it, let me carry it!

Qing Tong’s expression was serious. She leaped into the air, landing lightly at the right side of the palanquin. “The Star Lord is making his entrance—make way! If you want to fight for seating positions, do it now!”

Immediately, eight guards rushed forward to lift the palanquin.

Ziche Shubai leaned back against the cushions, his regal robe and high crown exuding nobility.
A gust of wind swept through, and with over a hundred elite guards escorting him, the grand procession surged toward the auction house entrance.

The Grand Mystic Auction House had seen countless prestigious guests. Even the gatekeepers were trained to have sharp eyes—if they lacked this basic skill, they wouldn’t have been assigned here in the first place.
Sure, for some reason, these supposedly sharp-eyed gatekeepers always seemed to lower their intelligence when they encountered protagonists—except for the beautiful receptionists, who always recognized their hidden greatness—but at least when dealing with Ziche Shubai, their professionalism remained intact.

A senior attendant quickly stepped forward, lavishing praise upon Ziche Shubai from head to toe, then politely stated:
“Honored guest, please feel free to browse around. We will notify you when the auction officially begins.”

Ziche Shubai gave a reserved nod.
I am a reasonable man. Besides, I need to find a way to make an impression.

Meanwhile, a chilling piece of news arrived from the rear guards.

The servant Gu Xing—whom the Star Lord had ordered them to keep an eye on—had disappeared.

Ziche Shubai: “…”
This guy still managed to slip away? Was the plot really determined to progress no matter what?!

And then, Qing Tong hesitantly raised her hand. “Um… My lord?”

Ziche Shubai looked at her.

Qing Tong bit her lip. “Young Master Jue… is also missing.”

Ziche Shubai slowly pressed a hand to his forehead.
Damn it! Was his idiot brother running off to get himself killed?!

Meanwhile, at that very moment—

Gu Xing, who had decided to sneak off and look for some valuable items, suddenly ran into a group of people.

At the same time, Shangguan Jue—who had been secretly following Gu Xing, having noticed him sneaking away—was also tailing behind in the shadows.

---

Outside the auction hall, aside from the grand main entrance, there were numerous smaller stalls and shops lining both sides of the walkway. This area was set up as an informal trading ground where cultivators could exchange or sell their personal items before the main auction event began.
Technically, the most prestigious guests could use the “skyway” entrance to bypass the common crowd, but the Grand Mystic Chamber of Commerce was too shrewd to let such an opportunity for trade go to waste.

At this moment, a strikingly handsome young man was walking down the aisle.
To his left was a seductive woman.
To his right, two massive, imposing men.
And behind him, a group of peculiar-looking, powerful subordinates.

The entire group radiated a do-not-mess-with-us aura.

Many people instinctively stepped back.
It was clear at a glance—these were not ordinary folk.
In fact, judging by their strange features and powerful presence, they were unmistakably from the legendary demon race!

Especially those two burly men—they looked downright ferocious, like creatures that still tore their food apart with their bare hands!
…Yeah, better stay out of their way.

However, just then, the handsome young man’s gaze swept over the crowd, pausing on a particular spot ahead.

His expression didn’t change, but he stopped walking.

His eyes were locked onto a well-built young man who had clearly just spotted them and was now trying to slip away.

Unfortunately, before the youth could make his escape—

A figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

In the blink of an eye, both of them vanished.

When they reappeared a moment later, the young man had been thrown aside—
His face now battered and bruised.

Clearly, he had just been given a severe beating.