Little Pink Starfish

Colleagues

Hua Rongyue had always thought, from watching crime dramas and Legal Online, that mysterious organizations like this would usually stick to either online or offline contact—never both—to avoid one person’s exposure leading to the whole group’s downfall. But then Yan Sheng shattered that assumption: he actually wanted to bring Hua Rongyue to meet the others in person.

Wait, aren’t you afraid of information leaks or something?

That was her initial reaction, but she quickly felt she was overthinking it. According to Yi Linglong’s memories, this organization known as “Mu” was seriously not your average secret society… Yi Linglong never even realized it existed within the ranks of the Six Gates.

This made Hua Rongyue feel both uneasy and a bit thrilled. The place she was about to visit seemed even more mysterious now. What kind of people could trick someone like Yi Linglong?

Though curious, she didn’t dwell on it much—until one day, Doctor Qi somehow found out she was going to meet her “colleagues” and mysteriously handed her a large bundle.

“What’s this?” Hua Rongyue, now a bit traumatized by mystery packages, asked before opening it.

“Pecans,” Doctor Qi said. “You can share them with your colleagues. They’re good for blood and energy.”

“Why give me this?” she asked in surprise.

“Well, you’re not much of a talker,” Doctor Qi explained. “If you don’t know how to strike up a conversation, just hand them some pecans—that gives you an excuse to talk.”

That reminded Hua Rongyue of something her mom used to do—bringing candy to school sports days so she could make friends. She gratefully accepted the pecans, knowing they weren’t cheap, and carefully stored them under her pillow.

Soon after, she received word from Yan Sheng and took the bundle along. He said, “You’ve all got to meet at least once. Otherwise, how will you recognize each other later?”

Is he worried about friendly fire? After all, they all had red eyes. Without introductions, how would anyone tell who was who?

She asked, “Do the others also have to play someone from the Jianghu like I do?”

“No,” Yan Sheng replied. “Your situation is unique.”

Please don’t say that… The pressure was mounting.

The place he brought them to was spacious, clearly a wealthy residence, but oddly quiet—no maids or servants in sight. Probably sent away in advance.

Hua Rongyue had pictured the others as serious types like Yan Sheng, maybe all in Six Gates uniforms. But the moment she opened the door and made eye contact with someone inside, she froze.

The man glanced at Yan Sheng and said, “You’re late, Lord Yan.”

The sight of him shook Hua Rongyue—her impression of “Mu” was being redefined again.

“Where is everyone?” Yan Sheng asked.

“No idea,” the man replied lazily. “I told them the place. If they don’t come, that’s their problem.”

He wore all white with a small red earring. Looking at Hua Rongyue, he asked, “What’s this one’s job?”

—Though they’d met once before, the seemingly quiet Hua Rongyue clearly didn’t ring any bells.

---

She sat silently in the corner, observing. Around her, people chatted easily—about twenty in total, including Yan Sheng and herself. Most were her age, with a couple of older men.

Coincidentally, Hua Rongyue recognized over half of them.

What a small world…

Trying to stay unnoticed, she mentally reviewed what she knew about them. Many had connections to Yi Linglong, either personally or by reputation.

These people… none were ordinary. Take Jiang Lianhuan, for example—a straight-up psycho in Yi Linglong’s past. And he’s in “Mu”? Wait—is his red eye fake??

This was blowing her mind.

Yi Linglong never questioned Jiang’s red eye—but now Hua Rongyue had to. How could someone that deranged be faking it?

This small group spanned every corner of Jiangnan society. They were elite, no doubt. The kind of group that explained why Yi Linglong never heard of “Mu”—its members were just that good.

Hua Rongyue sat clutching her pecans like a talisman.

Who am I? Why am I here? How did this happen??

She was probably the only one in the room whose brain was running at max capacity—and also the quietest.

A professional lurker, she watched without revealing herself. Her werewolf game skills came in handy—play harmless until you figure things out.

Compared to the seasoned experts around her, she looked the weakest by far. Everyone else had a vibe—like those guys in the black cloaks with red clouds, all intense and eccentric.

Meanwhile, she just sat dazed in the corner.

There were only three women present including her, all stunning. One, named Shen Qinglan, was even featured on the legendary Jianghu Beauties List.

As Hua Rongyue sat quietly, something erupted across the room—Jiang Lianhuan and Shen Qinglan had a spat.

“What are you doing here?” Shen asked coldly.

“Why can’t I be here, Miss Shen?” Jiang replied calmly. “The Six Gates invited me.”

“I didn’t hear you’d be coming.”

Apparently, Jiang made enemies easily—even here.

Yi Linglong’s memories didn’t mention them knowing each other, but based on their tone, they clearly had history.

Both were from Jiangnan, both well-known… must’ve had some past dealings. No way someone would react like that on a first meeting.

Luckily, Yan Sheng was there to stop things from escalating, though the mood turned heavy. You could feel the tension—like the first day of a new job where everyone sizes each other up.

“Let’s introduce ourselves,” Yan Sheng said. “Since you’ll all be working in Jiangnan, best to know who’s who. Shen Qinglan, you start.”

“I’m Shen Qinglan. I use dual blades.”

Yi Linglong’s memory confirmed it—one long, one short, both famed. The long blade named Wild Goose Passing, the short one Lingering Scar.

Next was Jiang Lianhuan.

“I think most of you know me already—Jiang Lianhuan. Let’s get along.”

Shen Qinglan snorted. The room went quiet.

Then came a gentle-looking scholar: “I’m Bu Xiangsi. Sorry for arriving late.”

He looked mild, but Yi Linglong remembered him as a famous Jianghu figure… until people discovered he was a “madman,” and he went off-grid.

Another faker?! Hua Rongyue’s worldview continued to crumble.

Next was a baby-faced man: “I’m Gu Xia. I use a sword. I came from the borderlands to help here—too many innocent people are dying. We need to fix that before I return.”

Despite his youthful looks, he was a big deal—top-three swordsman in the Jianghu. Only one elder in the room could match him. No “crazy” rumors ever surrounded him though.

One after another, they introduced themselves.

Each one was more impressive than the last, and Hua Rongyue felt more and more like she didn’t belong.

No wonder Yi Linglong never heard of “Mu”—these folks are so powerful, their discretion is on another level.

Compared to them, the demon cults were amateurs.

Hua Rongyue, who only had Yi Linglong’s identity and not much else, seriously questioned her presence here.

“I’m…”

Wait—why had the room gone quiet?

She looked up and saw everyone staring at her.

“Oh—it’s my turn?”

“Yup,” Shen Qinglan replied with a smile.

“Sorry, I zoned out. I’m Hua Rongyue.”

She only said her name—no skills, no aliases. Then quickly shrank back into her corner.

“Alright, now we all know each other,” said Yan Sheng. “I have a few things to go over.”

Everyone else had epic intros—known names, famous skills. Hua Rongyue? A no-name with a bag of pecans.

As she debated whether to offer them around, she suddenly heard Yan Sheng say, “Though Rongyue doesn’t talk much, he’s very earnest and kind.”

Eh? She looked up. Yan Sheng didn’t turn around, just dropped the line casually before changing topics.

But a few people glanced at her with new interest. Shen Qinglan even smiled.

Yan Sheng glanced at his notes. “The most urgent matter is Jiangnan’s chaos. Someone’s stirring trouble. Six Gates can’t find them. You’re all renowned heroes here—any ideas?”

“Didn’t you say we’d infiltrate as red-eyed freaks?” Jiang Lianhuan said. “Let’s just do that.”

“Alright,” Yan Sheng nodded. “Then let’s split into teams. After today, we won’t all gather like this again. You’ll work in pairs or small groups.”

“Hua Rongyue.”

“Here!” she jumped.

“You’ll be partnered with Jiang Lianhuan.”

She looked up—only to see Jiang Lianhuan calmly watching her.

Hua Rongyue looked toward the sky outside the window.

Oh gods…

She must be sleepwalking right now.