Little Pink Starfish

The snow had stopped.

Moonlight illuminated the snow, casting a glowing sheen. Zhang Qiu and the others crouched in a wind-sheltered spot Kule had found. They didn’t dare start a fire to cook—too much noise—and gnawed on dry rations and beef jerky instead. Fortunately, Kule’s liquor flask came in handy; no one held back, taking deep swigs that burned hot down their throats and warmed them from head to toe.

Li Shu gave a hand signal. Zhang Qiu nodded—this was the sign to launch their surprise attack.

They had rested all afternoon and were now in good shape. Using the cover of night, they moved swiftly toward the enemy’s camp. The area was flat, and the enemy had set up a large encampment—dozens of tents with lamps glowing, laughter drifting faintly across the snow-blanketed silence.

A fire blazed in the center of camp. Beside it sat a woman in red, ponytail swaying as she looked down at the whip in her hands.

The terrain was flat, offering little cover. At just a hundred meters out, Zhang Qiu and the group lay prone behind the nearest slope. As if sensing something, the red-dressed woman suddenly looked their way.

Zhang Qiu held his breath, heart pounding in his chest.

“Heh, took you long enough,” the woman’s voice floated through the air—cool and ethereal, yet worming into everyone’s ears from every direction.

Zhang Qiu glanced sideways at Li Shu, mouthing silently: She spotted us?

Li Shu nodded.

Then the woman spoke again: “Bring out the blind one. Since someone insists on sneaking around like a rat.”

Not long after, her men dragged out Qi Zhirong and tossed him roughly into the snow.

Zhang Qiu barely had time to react before a dark blur streaked past—it was Qi Xi. He didn’t even get a word out before the woman’s whip cracked through the air, binding Qi Xi mid-leap. With a roar, Qi Xi transformed into his true form—a great xiezhi—but the woman simply sneered, “Overestimating yourself. You’ll make good food for my little snakes.”

“Qi Xi, run!” Qi Zhirong shouted.

Smack! A thug’s rough voice snarled, “Shut it, or I’ll cut your damn tongue out.”

Veins bulged across Qi Xi’s body. He panted heavily, trying to reach Qi Zhirong, but the woman’s red whip lashed out again. It moved like a living serpent, impossible to dodge. Within seconds, his limbs stopped responding. He slipped and crashed into the snow.

The woman laughed softly and walked toward the fallen xiezhi. “Cut off your wings, and everything else is mine.”

Just as she finished speaking, a shadow flashed by—so fast she barely had time to react. She swung her whip instinctively, coiling it around the intruder’s arm, smirking—until a split-second later, she stopped smiling.

The intruder held her whip’s snake head between two fingers and ripped it off.

A piercing shriek rang out.

Chaos exploded across the camp.

Zhang Qiu and Little Bell took advantage of the distraction, rushing to Qi Zhirong. Seeing them approach, Qi Zhirong tensed up.

“It’s me,” Zhang Qiu whispered quickly, hoisting him up and retreating immediately.

Pei Qing scooped up Qi Xi’s xiezhi form with a curse. “Damn it, this guy weighs a ton.” But he moved fast regardless. Zhang Qiu and Bell bolted toward their pre-arranged meeting spot, the jingling of Little Jiang’s bracelets echoing ahead.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“The hell’s shooting in a snowfield?! You wanna die?!” Kule’s voice bellowed with surprising strength. He scanned the area, then shouted, “That way’s blocked! This way, hurry!”

They quickly turned and followed Kule, who ran surprisingly fast for his age. In the chaos, someone was wounded—the scent of blood spread. Zhang Qiu’s heart ached with worry for Li Shu, but now wasn’t the time to stop.

“What the hell is that?!”

“A bloody zombie! Shoot it! Shoot it!”

“The snow—it’s collapsing! Run!”

Zhang Qiu glanced back—one of the nearby peaks, slightly smaller than the others, was crumbling. In mere seconds, snow surged downward in a roaring avalanche. Wind howled past like death’s whisper.

“Don’t stand there, RUN!” Zhang Yushui transformed into his phoenix form mid-sprint. He scooped up the Prince of Xiapu, Kule, and Little Jiang, then caught Zhang Qiu and Qi Zhirong in his talons. Bell had already hidden in the ghost pearl in Zhang Qiu’s pocket. Xiaofei, just waking up, poked his head out and saw the little orb, swatting at it playfully.

“Li Shu—” Zhang Qiu’s voice was stolen by the wind.

In the dark, the great golden phoenix seemed tiny before the wall of snow. Zhang Yushui soared up, dodging incoming debris. Then—

BOOM!

The world turned black. Snow rained down in chunks. In seconds, Zhang Qiu was buried.

His ears rang. Limbs frozen numb, snow had gotten into his collar. He was a solid block of ice, but he knew he had to move. Feeling around, his fingers brushed feathers—Zhang Yushui’s wings.

Just before the crash, Zhang Yushui had flipped midair, tossing everyone into a soft snowbank, then shielded them with his massive wings.

“Xiao Qiu?”

“Er-sao!”

He heard the Prince of Xiapu. Luckily, they hadn’t landed too hard. The snow wasn’t deep. Together, they dug themselves free. Zhang Qiu unearthed Kule, Qi Zhirong, and Little Jiang from under Zhang Yushui’s wings. Aside from Little Jiang’s rosy cheeks, the others had passed out.

The prince hugged the unconscious phoenix, calling his name. Zhang Yushui, weakly, returned to human form—his body covered in frost-bitten wounds.

Zhang Qiu grabbed Kule’s liquor flask—but it was empty. He’d hoped to clean Er-ge’s wounds with it. His backpack was long lost in the chaos—same with the prince’s.

The prince wrapped Zhang Yushui in his coat, holding him close. Zhang Qiu wanted to look for Li Shu, but first, he had to stabilize everyone.

Something shifted in his pocket—Xiaofei peeked out.

Zhang Qiu was dragging Qi Zhirong and Kule toward a nearby slope. They had nothing—no gear, no supplies. He had no idea where his bag was.

“Cold? Let Gege hold you,” Little Jiang noticed his sister first.

Zhang Qiu pulled Xiaofei out, warming his hands before placing him gently in the pocket. “Be good, stay warm inside, okay?”

Xiaofei tilted his head. Normally Zhang Qiu would’ve kissed him, but now he had no time. He needed to find gear—even strip it off enemies if he had to. Er-ge needed medicine. Qi Zhirong was in bad shape too—his sunglasses gone, eyelids swollen, face pale as death, breathing faint…

“Chi-chi,” Xiaofei said.

Zhang Qiu thought he was hungry. He laughed bitterly. “No food. You can chew on Daddy for now.”

But Xiaofei blinked, and crimson mist swirled out.

Thump! Thump!

Two bags landed in the snow—Zhang Qiu’s and Zhang Yushui’s.

A miracle.

“Blessed child!” Zhang Qiu scooped Xiaofei up and kissed him twice. Xiaofei blushed and released more stuff—snacks, toys, even a tent and mini stove.

“Doraemon in the flesh!” Zhang Qiu kissed him again. Little Jiang bounced with joy and got his turn too. Then they quickly set up the tent with the salvaged sleeping bags and blankets. Zhang Qiu helped the others inside.

Bell floated nearby, wanting to find Pei Qing. Zhang Qiu was also worried about Li Shu. They decided: the prince would stay and guard while they searched near the avalanche zone.

“You two stay. Li Shu and Pei Qing will be fine. It’s pitch dark and full of blood-zombies. That woman might be dead, or worse. We’re not even that close to the avalanche—if you go, you’ll get lost,” said the prince.

Zhang Qiu looked around—completely dark. Even their tent light barely pierced the black. It wasn’t safe to leave.

“Alright. Bell and I will take the night watch. You take care of Er-ge,” Zhang Qiu said.

The prince nodded and handed over a blanket. “Sleeping bag’s big enough. We’ll manage.”

Luckily, the enemy’s tent was huge, warm, and sturdy. It fit everyone, including Little Jiang and Xiaofei.

Zhang Qiu sat at the tent entrance, peering into the dark. He paced back and forth to stay awake. Snow began falling again.

Around midnight, he was numb from cold, brain foggy. Bell floated over, whispering, “Master, I think something’s moving.”

Zhang Qiu’s face turned serious. “You stay. I’ll check it out.”

“I’ll go too,” Bell said, worried.

Zhang Qiu drew his dagger. “First, tell the prince to stay alert.”

The prince barely slept. When Zhang Qiu explained, he offered to go instead, but Zhang Qiu refused—Er-ge had a fever, and he couldn’t leave.

“Trust me,” Zhang Qiu said seriously. “If we can’t win, Bell and I will run. Wake Qi Zhirong and Kule. Get ready.”

The prince smiled. “You’ve grown up, Xiao Qiu. Be safe.”

Zhang Qiu smiled back. “I will. I have a child to protect—and Li Shu to find.”

His flashlight glowed softly on the snow. Bell hovered ahead. Without warning, they heard a rustle.

Zhang Qiu signaled Bell to hold back. The snow shifted—and a corpse-like figure leapt out.

A zombie.

Zhang Qiu didn’t hesitate—he stabbed it in the head. The dagger sank deep, dark blood oozing out. The zombie collapsed.

“Master, the sounds are getting louder!” Bell trembled, dagger in hand like a scared rabbit.

Zhang Qiu shielded him. More rustling—another two corpses burst out. Zhang Qiu lunged forward, took one down. Bell screamed but stabbed the other with surprising accuracy—turning its skull to a sieve.

“It’s dead, it’s dead!” Zhang Qiu grabbed Bell’s shoulder.

Bell still looked scared, but judging by the mutilated corpse, he was more terrifying than the enemy.

Only wind and snow remained. Zhang Qiu checked the bodies.

“These clothes are weird,” Bell said.

“They’re Yuan dynasty,” Zhang Qiu frowned. Bell’s zombie wore an official’s robe—low rank. His own wore armor—probably a soldier.

The wind picked up again, hiding the bodies quickly.

“Let’s head back.”

But the way back was black and featureless. Zhang Qiu’s heart clenched.

Bell said, “We’re close. But someone’s coming.”

Zhang Qiu shut off his light. A figure emerged—then a familiar voice:

“Scaredy-cat, it’s me.”

Li Shu!

Zhang Qiu dropped his dagger and ran into his arms. Li Shu’s hair and brows were frosted. Zhang Qiu hugged him tight and kissed him twice.

“If you don’t mind the cold, we can—” Li Shu joked.

“Careful or I’ll punch you in the chest,” Zhang Qiu snorted.

Bell stood aside, pouting—clearly thinking of Pei Qing. “They’re okay,” Li Shu said. “I came to find you.”

Bell brightened and zipped away to the tent.

Li Shu’s grip on Zhang Qiu tightened—he’d been terrified when the avalanche hit. But now, his scaredy-cat was safe.

Back at camp, everyone had regrouped. Pei Qing was dusted with snow. Bell clung to him like a puppy. Zhang Yushui was awake, snuggling with the prince. Little Jiang ran to Zhang Qiu, hugging his leg.

“Why are you all outside?”

“Qi Xi’s poisoned,” Pei Qing said.

Zhang Qiu was alarmed—but they seemed calm. Li Shu explained, “The woman’s whip was laced with snake venom. But Qi Xi’s xiezhi body turned it into… well, an aphrodisiac.”

“If he hadn’t been humping me in the snow, we’d have gotten here sooner,” Pei Qing grumbled. He hadn’t told anyone Qi Xi tried to grope him mid-escape. He almost beat him unconscious, but Li Shu knocked Qi Xi out instead.

Kule was awake, sipping from his flask.

Something felt off, but Zhang Qiu couldn’t place it. Just then, from the tent came a low moan and Qi Zhirong’s cold voice: “…Let go. I’m like this now…”

“You’re the best-looking corpse I’ve ever seen,” came Qi Xi’s reply.

Clearly, Qi Xi was full of energy.

Zhang Qiu coughed, the strange feeling forgotten. The prince asked what had happened. Zhang Qiu told him everything.

“This must be it—Chenghai City.”

They had Qi Zhirong. They could’ve gone back and contacted Yue Qincang and Kaiming. But after everything—the humiliation, the betrayal—they couldn’t just let it go. Who knew who would be targeted next?

Zhang Qiu clenched his fists. He wouldn’t let this bomb threaten his son.

While Qi Xi and Qi Zhirong got “reacquainted,” the others boiled snow for stew—beef jerky, crackers, preserved veggies, noodles, and two marinated eggs from Xiaofei.

It tasted weird, but after freezing all day, it was heaven. Little Jiang fed Xiaofei, who sniffed disdainfully, then gave his brother a fluffy bun wrapped in mist.

“Like Doraemon,” Zhang Qiu smiled, petting Xiaofei.

Little Jiang took a tiny bite and grinned. Then he shared it with Zhang Qiu, then Li Shu.

Xiaofei ranked them all—Daddy > Gege > Big Daddy (Li Shu). Zhang Qiu was thrilled.

Qi Xi emerged, beaming. “What smells so good? Gimme a bite.”

The bowls and chopsticks were all taken from the enemy camp—by Li Shu and Pei Qing.

“Done mating?” Pei Qing asked dryly.

Qi Xi quickly defended himself: “You’re way too buff for me. I groped you ‘cause my leg went numb.”

“Groped?” Bell latched onto the key word.

Pei Qing winced. He’s gonna pay for that.

“Gege, isn’t your butt cold?” Little Jiang asked innocently.

Qi Xi saw Pei Qing’s frozen expression and burst out laughing. He took his food and retreated to the tent, where he shamelessly flattered Qi Zhirong. Then came back out to take night watch.

Little Jiang, full and sleepy, was tucked into the tent. Zhang Qiu carried him in and saw Qi Zhirong lying there, collar tight, a red mark visible on his jaw.

Qi Xi, you beast.

Kule took a swig from his flask. “Sunrise soon. It’s gonna be a good day.”

Sure enough, the sun rose. Orange light blanketed the snow. The avalanche zone now stood like nothing ever happened.

They packed up. Xiaofei wrapped the gear in mist but didn’t carry it—Zhang Qiu didn’t want to burden him.

“That mountain,” Li Shu pointed at a broken cliff. “That’s it.”

“The smallest one, but filled with treasures,” Kule muttered. “My boy Amur loved it. There’s a yellow flower that—”

He trailed off, then turned. “What’s wrong? Let’s go.”

He seemed forgetful.

They hiked instead of flying. By noon, they reached the foot of the broken mountain.

The weather really was great—sunlight warmed even the snowy path.

At noon, Qi Xi caught a rabbit—pure white, blending into the snow. Yet he still found it. Zhang Qiu was impressed.

“You’re a rabbit’s natural enemy,” he joked.

Then his phone rang.

There’s signal here?! He fumbled for it—half a bar. The number was unfamiliar.

“Zhang Qiu—it’s me, Yue Qincang. We’re at Enhé Village now… Kule, he… we’re almost there. Be careful…”

The call cut out.

Signal gone.

Zhang Qiu tried calling back—no luck.