Little Pink Starfish

The voice sounded very familiar. Zhang Qiu thought for a moment and asked, “Is it Bai Guang’an?”

“It’s Bai Guang’an’s voice,” Li Shu nodded.

As for whether it was actually Bai Guang’an himself, that was uncertain. But from what Li Shu had said, Bai Guang’an’s body had already been taken over. Zhang Qiu thought so too—Second Sister-in-law and Qi Xi together would have been too much for Bai Guang’an to handle.

Li Shu stopped Zhang Qiu from stepping forward. Behind Qi Xi, Bai Guang’an slowly walked over, and from behind the other two pillars, Su Zhichai and Su Yu also revealed themselves. Su Zhichai’s withered hand gripped the bell’s throat tightly, and both father and son lowered their heads respectfully toward Bai Guang’an.

Even the Su family father and son were here.

“Li Shu, I advise you not to move. Just stand there obediently,” Bai Guang’an chuckled lightly. “I could have taken your life before, and I can do the same now.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiu thought to himself, As expected. He glanced at Bai Guang’an. The deep look in his eyes was completely different from the superficial expression Bai Guang’an used to have—it was impossible to tell when exactly he had been replaced.

Thinking back carefully, after the sandstorm, Bai Guang’an had been unconscious. When he woke up, it was already night, and he had shrunk into a corner without saying a word. It must have been then. Just imagining how, after they had fallen asleep, this person had been like a venomous snake, silently watching them with a flickering tongue, made Zhang Qiu’s skin crawl. Those six blood-soaked Jiangshi were probably also his doing—used to scatter their group, lure Second Sister-in-law and Qi Xi inside, and then pull them in after.

Bai Guang’an hadn’t eliminated them all at once but had separated them instead, meaning he must have had some reservations.

“Ju Wang, what do you want?” Li Shu asked calmly.

Bai Guang’an—or rather, Ju Wang—smiled and said with satisfaction, “As expected of someone I personally trained. I gave you supreme glory and status, and now it’s time for you to give back.”

This was endless! Li Shu had already been deceived once, and now Ju Wang wanted to do it again? Zhang Qiu held back his temper, resisting the urge to curse at him for being shameless.

“I’ve waited too long. I’m sick of constantly switching bodies,” Ju Wang said, his eyes flashing with jealousy as he stared at Li Shu’s unchanged appearance. Then, he chuckled softly, “But waiting always brings rewards. The moment has finally come. I can finally achieve true immortality.”

“Jin Laoda and Su Wanting were your people?” Li Shu asked.

Ju Wang nodded. “Those useless things couldn’t even get their hands on the pearls. If you hadn’t come out early, I would have already gathered all the necessary materials. Letting them live this long was already a mercy.”

Su Zhichai was already pressing the bell’s throat against the pillar. Just as Zhang Qiu took a step forward, Ju Wang’s cold gaze swept over him. “I advise you not to seek death.”

“The one dying won’t be him,” Li Shu’s voice rang out the moment he appeared in front of Ju Wang.

With Li Shu restraining Ju Wang, Zhang Qiu and Lu Fenghua quickly rushed toward the pillars, planning to free as many people as possible—strength lay in numbers, and even Ju Wang feared them to some extent. However, just as they reached the nearest pillar, Su Yu lunged at them. The little Jiangshi behind Zhang Qiu bared its claws and pounced on Su Yu without hesitation.

Zhang Qiu and his group took the chance to untie Qi Xi, who was the closest to them. But just as they were about to free him, Su Zhichai came over, gripping the bell. Instead of attacking immediately, his pupils suddenly turned blank, and he cast a glance at Lu Feng.

Something felt off. Just as Zhang Qiu realized it, the next moment, Lu Feng—who had been standing closest to him—suddenly threw a punch at him. Zhang Qiu dodged hastily and shouted, “Senior Brother, Lu Feng has been controlled! Run!”

It was too late.

Lu Feng grabbed Huating by the throat with one hand and lifted him. Huating’s face instantly turned pale from suffocation, but he still gasped, “Lu Feng, Lu Feng, it’s me! It’s me, Huating! Lu Feng!”

Zhang Qiu struck Lu Feng’s back with two punches. Lu Feng turned his head, his face expressionless, before loosening his grip. Huating collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath and coughing violently.

Lu Feng, however, was already chasing after Zhang Qiu, and before he could fully evade, he took a couple of hard hits. The pain made him grimace—he hadn’t expected Lu Feng’s strength to have increased so much.

Huating hurried over to help, calling out Lu Feng’s name repeatedly in an attempt to awaken his consciousness.

On the other side, Su Zhichai was fastening the bell onto the pillar. As soon as the bell touched the pillar, its previously lifeless expression let out a piercing scream. Blood oozed from its skin, and as time passed, more and more blood gathered at the base of the pillar, slowly flowing toward the golden coffin in the center.

It was the sound of the bell…

The bell was calling for its brother.

Lying unconscious nearby, Pei Qing furrowed his brows slightly and slowly opened his eyes. His ears were filled with the bell’s sobbing cries, and before him, Li Shu was locked in battle with a man—clearly at a disadvantage.

“Bell…” Pei Qing moved slightly, but the pain from his wounds made his brows furrow even deeper. The bell’s cries grew weaker and weaker, as if it was losing its breath entirely. Pei Qing suddenly grasped the nails that bound him, causing the entire chain to clatter. He gritted his teeth and shouted the bell’s name in agony.

But it was useless.

Zhang Qiu couldn’t dodge in time and took a direct hit from Lu Feng’s punch. His vision exploded with golden stars, and he saw double. Lu Feng gripped Huating’s throat again, raising his other fist high. Zhang Qiu, still shaking, hurried to grab hold of him.

For some reason, Lu Feng’s strength was growing stronger and stronger. If his senior brother took this hit, he’d probably lose half his life.

Lu Feng would surely regret it once he woke up.

Just as Zhang Qiu reached out his arm, Lu Feng’s fist was about to strike. Huating, his voice hoarse from shouting, squeezed his eyes shut in despair.

Suddenly, a black shadow flashed by, seizing Lu Feng’s arm—blood gushed out.

Zhang Qiu focused his gaze. It was the little Jiangshi.

The little Jiangshi’s tiny fingers had grown pink claws—not long, but razor-sharp. Now, his entire body was covered in dirty blood, with flesh stuck beneath his nails—some from Lu Feng, some from Su Yu earlier.

Lu Feng clutched his injured arm, about to retaliate when his steps faltered, and he collapsed to the ground.

Huating immediately rushed forward, holding onto Lu Feng. Zhang Qiu’s mind was still fixated on Li Shu when, suddenly, he heard Li Shu scream—a sound of agony he had never heard from him before.

Turning back quickly, Zhang Qiu saw Li Shu collapsing to the ground, a half-buried black needle protruding from his head.

Ju Wang stood beside him, his clothes in disarray and covered in wounds. Looking down at Li Shu from above, he said viciously, “Without your divine soul, you are no match for me.”

“You bastard! What the hell did you do to Li Shu?! I’m going to kill you, you son of a bitch!” Zhang Qiu’s eyes turned red with fury as he lunged forward.

Ju Wang’s cold gaze swept over him, and Zhang Qiu suddenly felt frozen in place, unable to move.

“A mere human. Do you really think Li Shu loves you?” Ju Wang sneered. “When you entered the tomb back then, if it wasn’t you, it would have been someone else. He was just using you. But… a pure yin bloodline—now that is a fine material.”

Ju Wang’s lips curled into a smile as his gaze shifted from Zhang Qiu to the little Jiangshi, who was baring its claws viciously. “This little bastard is good too. You two, hurry up. I’ve waited long enough.”

He was speaking to Su Zhichai and Su Yu.

The Su father and son shuddered in fear, but Su Zhichai was the first to move, charging forward. The little Jiangshi stood protectively in front of Zhang Qiu, its fierce eyes locked onto Su Zhichai. If anyone dared to touch his father, he would tear them apart!

Su Zhichai hesitated, but Ju Wang scoffed, calling him useless. He personally grabbed the little Jiangshi and threw him to Su Yu. _{[T/N: Haha, just like a ball.]}

Su Yu’s skin was already torn to shreds from the little Jiangshi’s earlier attack. Instead of resisting, he simply shed the damaged flesh, revealing his true form—blood-soaked and grotesque. His cold, ruthless gaze locked onto the little Jiangshi, and then, as if his skin was regenerating, he took on a new form—one eerily similar to the Jiangshi servants from the Changsha Pit.

“Even though I don’t have enough divine beasts, having you is enough,” Ju Wang said, unable to conceal his excitement. He urged Su Zhichai and the Jiangshi servant to hurry.

Before long, everyone except Li Shu was nailed to the pillars. Zhang Qiu endured excruciating pain until he blacked out, drenched in sweat. The roars of dragons echoed in his ears, blending with Ju Wang’s triumphant laughter.

“Excellent! It’s a Qinglong! The heavens favor me! Hahaha! It’s useless to struggle—this is a Divine Binding Nail. You won’t escape!”

Zhang Qiu forced his eyes open. The golden coffin in front of him was melting, the gold mixing with blood as it flowed through the intricate carvings on the ground. At the center of it all lay Li Shu, motionless, as if he were merely sleeping.

“Back then, he taught me how to extract your divine soul. Your body has been tempered by this formation for a thousand years. If it weren’t for that accident, I wouldn’t have had to rush. But he said that as long as I had you and two divine beasts, I could still achieve my goal. And now, I have the Qinglong, the Phoenix, and a Xiezhi. Hahaha! The formation is about to activate! I will become immortal—I will become a god!”

Ju Wang tossed the divine soul into the air above Li Shu. It hovered in place, slowly expanding.

A sharp pain shot through Zhang Qiu’s head, and his entire body felt like it was being drained. It felt as if his very marrow was being extracted. The agony was unbearable, yet his mind remained terrifyingly clear—he couldn’t even pass out.

Ju Wang stood at the peak of the formation. The energy from everyone present was being drawn into the growing sphere above him.

Li Shu lay in the bloody formation. As time passed, his flesh seemed to be dissolving.

Zhang Qiu’s eyes widened in disbelief. Mustering all his strength, he screamed, “Li Shu! Li Shu, wake up! Wake up!”

His voice was drowned out by the deafening roars and wails filling the room. Zhang Qiu could only watch helplessly as Li Shu’s body gradually faded away. The dissolution accelerated, and at the same time, Ju Wang’s disguise as Bai Guang’an started peeling away, revealing his true form from the feet up.

As Ju Wang’s form solidified, the roaring sounds in the chamber gradually weakened. Zhang Qiu felt dizzy, completely drained of energy, and was overwhelmed by despair.

His vision blurred, his eyelids growing heavier. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he saw Li Shu, on the verge of disappearing, suddenly open his eyes. A crimson mist burst from his body, spreading outward.

“What?! If you do this, you’ll be completely annihilated!”

Ju Wang’s panicked, furious voice rang out. But who was it that would be annihilated?

Zhang Qiu felt himself sliding downward, but someone caught him. Instinctively, he clutched at the person’s arm. “Li Shu…” He opened his eyes to find Second Sister-in-law holding him. The others had also been freed from the pillars. “Where is Li Shu?”

Zhang Qiu anxiously scanned the room. Li Shu stood at the center of the formation, now completely transparent. His eyes glowed a deep crimson, and in his hand, he held his reclaimed divine soul, staring coldly at Ju Wang.

Ju Wang had been interrupted mid-transformation. Now, half of him still resembled Bai Guang’an, while the other half was his own.

“Even in this state, you can’t do anything to me,” Ju Wang sneered. “None of you will escape. You will all die here.”

Li Shu suddenly turned his gaze to Zhang Qiu. The moment their eyes met, Zhang Qiu’s heart clenched in pain. “Li Shu! What are you planning?!”

“Then let’s see. Today, I will personally end you.”

Li Shu focused on Ju Wang, his divine soul pulsing with power. Energy erupted from him in a blinding wave.

CRACK—

The sound of the tomb’s ceiling shattering filled the air. Water rushed in from above.

“Li Shu!”

The cracks widened rapidly. Zhang Qiu could even hear the entire tomb collapsing. If they didn’t leave now, they would drown. The next moment, the entire ceiling caved in.

“Li—Li Shu, hurry, cough… hurry up!” Zhang Qiu sputtered, struggling against the flood.

A powerful force pushed him upward.

Beneath him, the water churned violently. A Qinglong burst from the depths, lifting Zhang Qiu onto its back. It scooped up the others as well, securing them before rising.

Zhang Qiu flailed his arms underwater, desperately trying to grasp something. Suddenly, he felt a cold hand grab his.

Zhang Qiu was losing consciousness from lack of oxygen, but he faintly saw Li Shu holding onto his hand, rising with them. His heart eased slightly.

The bright light above grew closer. But just as they neared the surface, Li Shu suddenly let go.

Panicked, Zhang Qiu looked down. A gaping black void loomed beneath them, ready to swallow them whole. Ju Wang was right behind Li Shu.

“Go!”

Zhang Qiu shook his head desperately. His vision blurred as he clung to Li Shu’s hand. “C-come up first! We can talk after!”

Li Shu moved quickly, pushing Zhang Qiu into a secure position. Then, he kissed Zhang Qiu.

A cold sensation seeped into Zhang Qiu’s stomach. Before he could react, a surge of energy pushed him forcefully out of the water. _{[T/N: I read this as Li Shu putting power into his stomach and him being propelled by it coming out of his ass.]}

“Li Shu!” Zhang Qiu coughed, swallowing mouthfuls of water. He frantically looked below, but both Li Shu and Ju Wang had disappeared. The water churned violently, as if about to explode.

The Qinglong roared as it shot into the sky, tightly wrapping its tail around Zhang Qiu to keep him from diving back in.

---

Zhang Qiu sat numbly, his thoughts blank. Li Shu… Where are you?

He refused to believe that Li Shu was gone.

That night, Zhang Qiu lay awake, unable to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Li Shu’s expression as he let go.

Then, suddenly—

Thump, thump. Thump, thump…

A soft, childlike voice whispered: Daddy.

Zhang Qiu’s eyes widened. He turned, thinking Little Jiangshi had woken up, but the child was still fast asleep.

Then, the voice came again.

Daddy.

Zhang Qiu froze. He reached out, gently touching his abdomen.

---

Pinky says:

Little Jiangshi: “Father, I’ve always wanted to play catch.”

Li Shu looked at Zhang Qiu and back at the child. “Very well.”

Scene changes to a typical American back yard as both fathers are throwing their child back and forth with gusto.