Little Pink Starfish

Wushang (无伤)

Six Gates had recently formed a new division called “The Eye (目)”, specifically tasked with handling the chaos caused by martial artists who had gone mad or lost control. Many members had to disguise themselves and infiltrate these circles, bringing back firsthand intel for Six Gates.

“So basically, this job is about pretending I’ve gone mad,” Hua Rongyue thought.

So… she had gone through all the trouble of escaping from Tianyi Tower just to avoid reliving Yi Linglong’s fate of losing control—only to now join Six Gates and pretend to be someone who’s lost control?

“Rongyue, have you met the others?” Doctor Qi asked.

“…No.” Hua Rongyue frowned. “Lord Yan told me not to talk much about it. Let’s drop it.”

“Oh.” Doctor Qi nodded knowingly.

In her hand, Hua Rongyue held a small bottle filled with red powder. She almost thought it was the same kind Yi Linglong had used in her past life, but Yan Sheng had said no—this powder simply turned a person’s eyes red.

—There was also a black powder that could return the eyes to their original color.

Deep down, Hua Rongyue felt a flicker of unease. Why unease? …Because in her previous life, she had never heard of a substance that could do this.

Yi Linglong had been at the pinnacle of the demonic path, yet even she had never known such a thing existed. Just how deep did this “Eye” division go?

Ever since that meeting with the man behind the curtain, Yan Sheng had seemed worried about her. Every time she tried to ask him about it, he would say only half of what he knew, never giving her the full truth. She wondered if he was still running around trying to clean up after her behind the scenes. That day, after they met, he told her she was “in trouble” and said he’d figure something out.

What that “trouble” was, Hua Rongyue still didn’t know. It felt like she was a patient with a terminal illness, and everyone around her was trying to keep her in the dark.

But she wasn’t too bothered. Given everything she’d already endured, what could possibly scare her now? Besides, Yan Sheng didn’t really know her. What he might think of as dangerous, she might just consider everyday life.

So, she continued to stay at Hundred Herbs Clinic, eating Wan Fulan’s delicious cooking, teasing Xiao Han, learning medicine from Doctor Qi. It was as if the whole Lin Qiya incident had been a brief and inconsequential detour in her life—or hadn’t happened at all.

One more thing: recently, the neighbors had finally gotten to know her.

—Thanks to Doctor Qi’s enthusiastic promotion.

Lately, he had been on a strange mission to make Hua Rongyue more socially active, introducing her to all the neighbors. Hua Rongyue usually didn’t like meeting strangers, but whenever neighbors came by, Doctor Qi would eagerly say, “This is our new apprentice—excellent martial skills, kind-hearted, always keeping an eye out for bad guys. Rongyue, come greet them!”

Then Hua Rongyue would awkwardly come out from the back, smiling stiffly as the neighborhood uncles and aunties inspected her.

“Nice-looking kid! Seems like a good one.”

“Was it you who caught that thief the other day? Word on the street is someone did.”

“Yeah…” Hua Rongyue answered with a forced smile.

“Impressive! So young and already this skilled…”

She could only nod and grin through their chatter, waiting until they left to retreat back to her corner.

“Doctor Qi!” Hua Rongyue protested. “Please stop calling me out like that!”

“You’re always so quiet. I worry,” Doctor Qi chuckled. “The more people you know around here, the more friends you’ll have.”

That one sentence deflated Hua Rongyue. After all, Doctor Qi meant well—she just personally found the whole thing a bit awkward.

But why did she attract so many aunties and grandmas?

Recently, several neighborhood ladies had tried to set her up—with their granddaughters, with the girl next door, with “that sweet Xiao Hua,” and more. Apparently, Hua Rongyue’s infrequent appearances had created a sense of mystery. Now that they knew her, she was a hot commodity in the matchmaking scene. She could only dodge and duck as best she could.

A few days later, it seemed Yan Sheng still hadn’t managed to sort everything out. He sent word through Doctor Qi saying he’d be stopping by soon to talk things through with Hua Rongyue.

She waited at the clinic, curious to see what he had to say. When he arrived, he didn’t speak right away. Instead, the first thing he did was place a tightly wrapped bundle on the table in front of her.

Hmm? What’s this? Hua Rongyue looked at it curiously.

“Something I’ll be handing over to you,” Yan Sheng said. “But first, there are some things I need to explain.”

“Alright.” Hua Rongyue waited, feeling like he was about to deliver a particularly grim sentence.

“First, you already know what our division does. Now, I need to explain what you will be doing,” Yan Sheng said. “The position you’re taking originally belonged to someone else—but that person recently died in… an accident.”

“…So that’s what happened,” Hua Rongyue thought. Must be the same person he mentioned before—the one who ‘died accidentally.’

“I didn’t want you to replace him,” Yan Sheng said solemnly, as if the words took real effort. “It’s a very demanding role. But the higher-ups think you’re the most suitable. I couldn’t change their minds.”

Right, the guy behind the curtain had said she was obedient and unlikely to get herself killed. That’s what made her ‘suitable,’ wasn’t it?

“So in the end, you were chosen,” Yan Sheng said.

“No problem. So, is there anything I need to watch out for?” Hua Rongyue asked. “You told me before to stay at the clinic.”

“And that still stands,” Yan Sheng replied. “We’ve discussed it and agreed that for now, it’s best not to take any direct action. This setup is ideal—and natural. Your identity is… unique. You’re someone living under an alias at the clinic, recovering from injuries, but also someone who has lost control—gone mad. I’ll explain the details in a bit…”

Hua Rongyue nodded, mentally noting everything.

“From today forward, you must always remember who you are,” Yan Sheng said. “Never forget it. And never reveal your true identity to anyone—except members of ‘The Eye.’”

“Got it,” Hua Rongyue said. Yan Sheng continued, “Soon, I’ll introduce you to others who are also part of ‘The Eye.’”

“Okay.” She agreed to everything. This all matched what she’d expected. Yi Linglong had taken on similar tasks before. Whether Six Gates or Tianyi Tower, some things were the same.

“Now… here’s the most important thing,” Yan Sheng said. “This item—starting today, it’s yours. You must keep it with you at all times. Never let it leave your side.”

What could it be? One of those fancy Six Gates badges they always showed in dramas?

Curious, she unwrapped the bundle.

Just one glance—

Time froze.

She instinctively threw it far across the table. It landed with a clang.

The bundle unfurled in midair, revealing—

A black blade. Technically more of a dagger due to its size. The sheath was pitch black, unadorned, plain to the point of austerity.

“It’s yours now,” Yan Sheng said, intrigued. “You recognize it?”

Hua Rongyue felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her heart thundered. Blood surged.

What the hell?

—How could she not recognize it?

The blade seemed to flicker before her eyes like a ghost. She had seen it countless times in Yi Linglong’s memories—in dreams, in battles. This blade had accompanied her through endless peril.

It was the very same one she’d thrown away with great effort three months ago.

And now… Yan Sheng had brought it back to her.

She stared at him in disbelief.

“Judging from your reaction, I guess you do recognize it,” Yan Sheng smiled. “Well, even if you haven’t used it, you’ve probably heard of it—it’s famous in the jianghu. This is Wushang (无伤).”

Wushang, one of the most legendary blades in the martial world. It had passed through many hands. Its most recent owner—Yi Linglong, the infamous assassin who escaped Tianyi Tower and shook the world.

“But… why give it to me?” Hua Rongyue stammered, nervous and overwhelmed.

“Because from now on, you are Yi Linglong,” Yan Sheng said.

Her mind went completely blank.

From now on… you are Yi Linglong.

For the first time in her life, Hua Rongyue experienced true vertigo. She didn’t faint, but her knees gave out. She sat down heavily and took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

“Mr. Rongyue, are you alright?” Yan Sheng reached out to steady her. She shook her head slightly, forcing out a weak, “I’m fine.”

…Wait. Hua Rongyue looked up. “But… why have me pretend to be Yi Linglong? What if the real Yi Linglong finds out? Wouldn’t I be exposed?”

“There’s no chance of that,” Yan Sheng said grimly. “The real Yi Linglong died three months ago. Tianyi Tower uses venomous insects to control their assassins. No way he survived.”

To suddenly hear of her own death from someone else… Hua Rongyue didn’t know what to say. After a moment, she mumbled, “Cough… um, maybe you should… check again?”

“Only fools in the jianghu believe Yi Linglong could escape Tianyi Tower alive,” Yan Sheng said. “When the Tower Master died, Yi Linglong should have perished too. Those poisons are no joke—but Yi Linglong probably knew that already. Now some people are using his name to stir up trouble. This is our chance to play along and fish out some information.”

He looked at her. “They say Yi Linglong looked like a beautiful young man, but few actually saw him. Among all the candidates, you have the most fitting appearance. That’s why the higher-ups chose you.”

Beautiful young man, huh? Wait—that’s why they picked her? “No no, I’m just a regular jianghu guy,” Hua Rongyue said. “How can I play someone like Yi Linglong…”

“It’s too late.” Yan Sheng said. “What’s done is done.”

She choked on her words. She understood now—Yan Sheng must’ve gone through a lot trying to find a way out of this. But if even he couldn’t change the outcome, then it was well and truly settled.

“Mr. Rongyue, you’re really a gentle soul,” Yan Sheng suddenly said with a laugh. “You didn’t even punch me after I told you all this?”

“No no,” Hua Rongyue replied. “I know you did your best…”

Her words came out in a jumble. Yan Sheng looked at her for a moment, then sighed deeply. She fell silent, waiting to hear what he’d say next.

After a pause, he said, “Others… might not be as kind as you. When you meet them tomorrow, don’t be scared. And I’ll explain things to Doctor Qi.”

Others? She still had to meet more people?

Hua Rongyue felt like her day had been total chaos. After seeing Yan Sheng out, she stood there, dazed, watching him go.

Still… at least one good thing came out of it—

She now had official permission to go mad.
If she ran into Lin Qiya again, she could at least bluff her way through—maybe even make use of the confusion.

Hua Rongyue turned to look at the blade that had once been hers.

Wushang sat quietly on the table. After three long months, it had returned to her in the most absurdly dramatic fashion imaginable.