Little Pink Starfish

With the lion and parrots making a ridiculous mess, everyone was now looking at Gu Bai not just with weird gazes, but with full-on bizarre expressions. Just how beastly did someone have to look to get a nine out of ten in the eyes of beasts?! That was seriously unfathomable, okay!
The Frost Mercenary Corps’ leader… was truly a man of miracles!
Awesome!

Gu Bai kind of wanted to kill those two dumb parrots, then skin that dumb lion alive.
He was a dignified City Lord of Tiandu—someone who could thrive in human society even after transmigrating and no longer being human. How could he be slandered by two animals like this?!
He was gonna pluck their feathers and shave their fur, roast the bird, steam the lion, roar roar roar!!

Next, the golden-maned lion’s expression also turned strange.
Though no one could really say how, everyone agreed—it was strange.
The golden-maned lion gave Gu Bai a deep look, then turned around: “Alright, we’ve seen the beauty today. We are content. Time to return to the nest!”

And then came the four-part harmony from the sky and the earth:
“Time to return to the nest—”
“Return to the nest—”
“To the nest—”
“Time to return!”

Then they really left.
Just like how decisively they’d come, they left just as gracefully.
As if they’d come just to… look at the “beauty.”

This scene—was way too abnormal!

The leaders and generals on the wall were completely baffled.
Why had the mutant beast horde even come in the first place? But holding onto the mindset of “we’re all human brethren,” they immediately used all means to spread the news to other large, medium, and small bases.

The smaller bases simply heightened their defenses, feeling a bit tense and panicked.
But the capital and Jiangnan bases… were deeply baffled.
Could it be that those mutant beasts came looking for someone named Zhang Youqing?

Yes, because the beast horde’s retreat had happened only after Gu Bai appeared, the news quickly spread across the entire land.
Everyone now knew—there was this one male ice-type ability user who, all by himself, drove off a massive horde of beasts and birds. He was simply invincible!

↑
Rumors—this was exactly how they started.

As for Gu Bai?
That very day, with all the blazing hot gazes on him, he hurriedly left the “heartbreak site” on his ice dragon.
Along the way, he endured the merciless teasing of the protagonist shou, and the worshipful stares of his little bros—as if that wasn’t teasing him already!

When the legend eventually reached the S City survivor base and spread within the base until it finally reached his ears… Gu Bai’s face turned black.
What the hell “invincible”?! Were his looks invincible?! In the eyes of beasts, invincible?! He had to find and destroy the original source of the rumor roar roar roar roar roar!!

For the first time, Gu Bai felt this kind of…
Mm. Tragic.
He had just barely convinced himself to shine again in his undead life, and in an instant, it turned into a full tea set of tragedies.
Absolutely unbearable!

Elsewhere, once the beast horde finally withdrew, withdrew, withdrew to their own vast territory, the dark mist around the giant python slowly dispersed.
Before the many mutant beasts appeared a gargantuan, terrifying, and overwhelmingly imposing giant python. Its scales were jet black, its eyes blood red, and atop its head was a streak of golden pattern. Compared to all other evolved mutant beasts, it had a nobler bloodline!

This was their beast emperor!
Supreme ruler!

The eyes of the mutant beasts burned with fanaticism.
Then, before their eyes, the giant python transformed.

In just a flash, the python vanished. In its place stood an extremely handsome and slender young man. He had a face that naturally invoked goodwill, a warm demeanor, a smile like a spring breeze—but all the beauty couldn’t hide those scarlet serpent eyes, nor the icy depths filled with twisted emotions.
He was terrifying. He could turn into a human!

The beast horde knelt. The bird flock dropped down in unison.
They were awaiting orders.

But the handsome youth only glanced at them once, then vanished, leaving behind one sentence:
“Strive to cultivate human form. Await my command.”

The golden-maned lion’s voice rang loudest: “As you command!”
The entire beast and bird horde roared: “We obey the Beast Emperor!”

At the same time, at the gates of S City’s base, at the end of a long line of people waiting to enter, a young man quietly queued up. He didn’t seem to do anything, but unknowingly, anyone who met his gaze would subtly switch places with him in line.
Even stranger, the guards with abilities didn’t notice a thing.

He silently approached, silently reached the gate, silently received his ID badge, and silently entered the base.

Gege…
Xiao Shan has found you again.

This time,
Xiao Shan has come…

On the rooftop,
Someone suddenly shivered.

---

In order to expand their influence and ensure a steady supply of high-level ability users, the three major powerhouses in the base recruited nonstop, day after day. The benefits offered were generous—but the standards were also high.
Unless you were truly outstanding, you couldn’t be accepted. And even if you were accepted, you’d only be on the periphery—getting into the inner circle, the trusted squads, was insanely difficult.

Gu Bai knew it was all tedious, so he left it to his subordinates.
As for himself? He just enjoyed the good times.

Of course, every once in a while, someone who passed the trials and was up for consideration as an inner-circle member would be sent his way for final approval.

This day, Gu Bai got a call.
From his recruitment specialist. Said they’d found a top-tier talent—extremely powerful and respectful, totally idolized Gu Bai.
So they wanted him to meet the guy.

Gu Bai thought about it, then approved.
After all, you could never have too many loyal subordinates. Plus, this one sounded pretty flattering. He was kind of interested.

Elsewhere, a somewhat handsome man hung up the phone, turned around, and looked at the beautiful young man in front of him.
The man’s eyes had been a bit vacant, but quickly cleared up. He smiled and said: “The commander has agreed to see you. The time is set for half an hour from now. If we head over now, we’ll make it.”

—He didn’t know why, but deep down, he just felt this man was really loyal. Absolutely the right fit for the commander’s side.

The handsome youth smiled slightly. His smile was truly radiant—it was clear he was genuinely happy.
In a soft voice, he said: “Thank you.”

No one noticed that in his shadow, many tiny shadows were writhing. As his voice changed, those shadows slowly quieted.
They had just lost one…
But now, a dozen more shadows shot out and slipped, unnoticed, into the bodies of core members of the Frost Mercenary Corps…

---

Gu Bai sat and cultivated his ice-type ability for a while, feeling that his power had gone up again.
He was getting close to level six—soon, he’d be able to crush the other two!
The feeling was amazing.

Just then, someone knocked at the door.
Gu Bai remembered—this must be the person that subordinate mentioned.

So he said: “Come in.”
Outside the door, a person’s fingers trembled slightly.

Gu Bai suddenly felt a chill.
…Side effect of cultivation?
Whatever. Not worth overthinking.

Soon, the person came in.
At the front, surprisingly, was his trusted subordinate—not someone sent on his behalf, but the guy personally escorting this newcomer. Was the newcomer really that good?

Gu Bai’s gaze landed on the person behind him.
—What the hell, my eyes are about to go blind from the shine!
Damn, this guy is way too good-looking! Just a tiny bit less than my City Lord shell! Way better than this zombie body I’ve got now.
If I take this guy in as a subordinate, won’t he steal all my thunder!? Standing next to him, who’s the boss and who’s the sidekick!?

As a former harem-novel author, Gu Bai saw in this newcomer the kind of butterfly-attracting, lady-killer aura that only protagonists usually had—though in this BL novel, it could be converted to “receiving endless shou.”
Even the protagonist shou’s official gong, Yin Jiu, didn’t have this kind of sparkle. Of course, their styles were different—Yin Jiu was more manly and cool, while this guy was clearly a universal charmer.

After grumbling internally for a while, Gu Bai still felt… this guy was totally here to steal his spotlight.
Kinda wanted to kick him out.

But his subordinate had already begun introductions:
“Commander! This newbie has level-four corrosion ability—super fierce! He takes down zombies like it’s nothing, and he totally worships you! Completely devoted—”

He was practically singing praises.

The ridiculously dazzling youth stepped forward and cut him off eagerly, saying quickly: “Hello, Commander.”
Gu Bai: Damn, even his voice is 100% seduction-level!

The beautiful youth smiled, eyes burning as he stared at Gu Bai: “I can do anything for the Commander. Please accept me!”
He paused, smile growing softer.
“Ah, I forgot to introduce myself… Commander, my name is Gu Shan. I am the one who cares most about—no, the one who admires you the most.”

Gu Bai: “……”
Gu… Gu… Gu Shan?
Isn’t that the name of the kid I picked up when I was little?
No, wait—Gu Shan is still in the other world, right? This can’t be him.
Besides, little Shan was adorable—there’s no way he’d grow into this all-eyes-on-me charmer.

Still, this guy having the same name as the one he gave to Xiao Shan… felt like fate.
Fine. He’d let this guy in.
He decided to forgive him for being too shiny.

Gu Bai nodded: “Then you’ll follow me from now on.”
But in his heart, he still felt a little wistful.
Xiao Shan… probably never going to see him again, huh?
Wonder if he’d grow up and come find me with the jade pendant.
And wonder how the City Lord’s body was doing…
If the original owner came back, hope he treats Xiao Shan well…

The beautiful youth’s eyes were gentle: “Then Xiao Shan will protect the Commander personally from now on.”
Gu Bai, still lost in thought, replied: “Mm, okay.”

——Wait a minute! Who said you could personally protect me!?