Little Pink Starfish

“Is it updated yet?”

“It is, it is.”

[Demon Chronicle] updated right on the dot at midnight. A bunch of late-night readers, with nothing better to do, opened the app to check it out. Last time, the story had ended right at a major climax, so a lot of people were camped out waiting.

The influx of users made the MengMan website lag for a second. Gao Ling had to refresh the page several times before it finally loaded.

She placed a cup of warm milk on her bedside table, lay back on her bed, and stared blankly at the endlessly spinning loading icon.

She was tired.

Patients were supposed to sleep early, after all. The past few days in the hospital she’d been sleeping well, but this was her first night home, and here she was staying up late again.

Finally, the little spinning flower stopped, and the page loaded. She scrolled slowly, curious to see what this week’s chapter had in store.

To be honest, her mood now was pretty strange. She was reading a comic, but her mindset was completely different from usual.

Looking at it from this new perspective made the comic feel strangely thrilling. Something inside her was itching—otherwise, she wouldn’t have stayed up this late.

The first panel was a massive one: the protagonist walking alone in a narrow alley, holding a Taoist sword. His expression was serious, eyes scanning the surroundings. The background was pitch black. The atmosphere felt tense and ominous.

This continued last chapter’s plot, where the protagonist resolved to eliminate the smuggling happening inside Chaos City.

Gao Ling absentmindedly sipped her milk, now with a white foam mustache. She used to complain about this arc dragging on, but now she hoped it would go on forever.

Preferably until there was a glorious explosion wiping out all the demons in Chaos City.

These past few days, she’d been overthinking a lot of random things. But in the end, it all felt like a fog. She didn’t have enough evidence; she barely knew anything. At most, she’d caught a glimpse of the truth, but the rest? No clue.

At the beginning of the chapter, the protagonist—Fa Ning—was cautiously navigating an alley. By the time he emerged, his face had already transformed into a stranger’s. It looked a bit sly and sinister—completely different from his usual upright, righteous look.

Gao Ling knew he was skilled at disguise. She suddenly remembered the chapter where he dressed up as a woman… At the time she hadn’t thought much of it, just figured the author was naturally inclined toward that kind of content. But thinking about it now… yeah, this exorcist had really gone all-in for the people. Talk about dedication.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it the black-clothed man who saved him when he was dressed as a woman?

Gao Ling pondered further and realized—didn’t it seem like that guy had a thing for girls?

Probably not just her imagination…

She counted on her fingers: the first time the black-clothed man showed up, he saved a pretty girl. Then there was the ghost he helped pass on—that was also a girl. And when he saved her and the others a few days ago… yep, all girls again. And Fa Ning in girl mode? To be honest, also kinda pretty.

So… a demon who had a soft spot for pretty girls?

Gao Ling coughed awkwardly, her cheeks flushing for no reason. If that was the case, didn’t that mean the black-clothed man had been completely tricked by the crossdressing Fa Ning?

Coughing again, she forced herself to refocus and continued reading.

After finishing his disguise, the protagonist headed toward a pedestrian street. Ji Qiu started narrating in the blank spaces of the panels:

“The Hundred Demon Parade is a long-standing tradition in Chaos City. On this night, all the demons gather to march through this modern city—once theirs, now belonging to humans…”

The next page was a stunning night scene: layers upon layers of dark mist, as rich as an oil painting. A full moon shimmered faintly behind the haze, so beautiful it felt like it could draw your soul in.

Ji Qiu usually drew in a Chinese painting style, so this sudden realism caught Gao Ling a bit off guard.

The moon slowly faded behind thickening clouds across several panels, like grapes clustered in a stormy sky, pressing down on the rooftops.

Gao Ling suddenly got up and opened her curtain.

Outside, the black clouds hung low, the air icy—just like early winter. She looked out; distant red LED signs flashed like burning embers under that heavy sky.

Expressionless, she shut the curtains tight and returned to bed.

“Tonight, after the Hundred Demon Parade, demons will gather for revelry. The event is hosted by a well-known elder demon in Chaos City. His tradition is to hold a banquet in a centuries-old tavern. Tonight, many powerful demons will be there…”

Following the narration, the protagonist arrived at the tavern. Gao Ling tried to recognize the location but couldn’t. Even as a lifelong resident of City C, she had no clue where this was.

Thanks to his new face, Fa Ning blended in easily. He kept his sword hidden in his sleeve and calmly searched the tavern until he found his target—

—a fearsome-looking demon seated on a long bench, surrounded by beautiful female demons pouring him drinks.

Next to him sat a woman in red robes. Her long black hair was elegantly pinned up with a crimson hairpin. She held a wine jug gracefully—one hand at the base, the other tipping it so that the clear liquor flowed smoothly.

Her movements weren’t overly dainty, but they were visually stunning. Ji Qiu was always good at drawing women—each one unique. Gao Ling couldn’t put her finger on it, but this woman really stood out. She had an aura that didn’t seem of this era.

Well, she was a demon. Who knew how old she really was? Gao Ling figured she might be ancient, like a heroine from the Republic era—dignified and tough.

There was grace in her pour, but also a natural confidence. Gao Ling tried mimicking the movement and gave up with a click of her tongue. Cosplayers were going to have a hell of a time with this one.

This red-robed woman was probably a notable character in the tavern. Based on Ji Qiu’s usual storytelling style, she’d probably end up meeting the protagonist, he’d save her dramatically, some romantic tension would ensue… These days they couldn’t get explicit, but there was still plenty of flirting allowed.

Gao Ling flipped ahead—and as expected, Fa Ning followed the red-robed woman, ambushed her in a secluded spot, knocked her out, stripped her outer clothing, and was then engulfed in a beam of holy censorship light…

Tsk tsk. Gao Ling shook her head. I knew it. Poor girl got absolutely wrecked.

Wait, what was her name again? Hongxiu?

Meanwhile, in a shabby apartment complex, two heads huddled together, expressions frozen.

“Wh-what the… this, this…” Xiao Ying was stammering, unable to form a sentence.

“Yuanyuan-jie’s not back yet, right?” Li Xin checked the time.

“No… what are you trying to say?” Xiao Ying’s mind was in a mess. “It could just be someone who looks like her! Doesn’t have to be the same person.”

Li Xin flipped through a few pages and stopped. She pointed at something in the panel. Xiao Ying looked closer—it was an old-fashioned clock, looking like something from the Republic era. Small, gold-colored, designed like a miniature clock tower.

Hidden among countless glittering decorations, it was easy to miss. But the time on the clock—11:15.

“Let me keep reading.” Gao Ling yawned, eyes watering. She was so sleepy, running purely on willpower. She kept scrolling and saw that Fa Ning, now dressed in red, successfully assassinated the demon and tried to flee. But the tavern was already locked down.

Injured, cornered, he noticed a small, dark room had its door cracked open. Looking around, he darted in and hid.

“Risky, but protagonist plot armor always works out.” Gao Ling blinked heavily.

Then, suddenly, her eyes snapped open. She was wide awake now.

A black-haired, black-eyed figure walked silently down a corridor. He wore the helper uniform from the tavern—simple, traditional. But on him, it somehow looked… different.

Ji Qiu used a flashback technique here—before Fa Ning saw the open door, this black-haired man had already passed by.

He paused at the door, peeked inside, left it slightly ajar, then quietly walked away…

“…It was YOU who opened the door?! Oh my god, what are you doing there, boss?! That’s a TRAP! He’s a crossdresser! Not even a real girl! Don’t be so thirsty!” Gao Ling’s face twisted in disbelief. She jumped out of bed, brain whirring with 10,000 words.

The comment section was glorious.

【So this is like… a max-level boss babysitting a newbie?】

【I get it now. The protagonist won’t die—he’ll definitely escape. But Boss, you should’ve let Fa Ning know you helped him! What if he doesn’t even appreciate it?!】

【Wait wait wait, is this like… secretly rescuing your crush?! Damn, why am I low-key shipping this?】

【Aaaaah Boss, you poor guy! Don’t worry, we know you saved him!】

Meanwhile, Yuan Yuanyuan checked her phone. It was already past midnight, but she still had zero signal.

Frustrated, she scratched her head, listened to the chaotic sounds outside, and quietly slipped back into the room where she’d woken up.

Looks like she wouldn’t be seeing Ji Qiu’s latest chapter tonight…

She’d have to wait until tomorrow.

Still… she wondered—what the hell did he draw this time?