Little Pink Starfish

Yuan Yuanyuan immediately figured it out: the red-robed figure had gone out to attend the Hundred Demon Festival. How was she so sure? Because this guy had worn that same red sweater year-round and almost never changed his style.

So the sudden formality clearly meant he was heading somewhere important.

Just like her.

She watched the panel of the red-clad figure leaving the house in the comic, leaving Fa Ning behind, who sat alone and stared off into space. After a while, Fa Ning suddenly wondered—why not go out and have a look himself? He was new to the area, sure, but no one said he had to go far. Just a stroll nearby would be fine.

So Fa Ning stepped outside and began aimlessly wandering the streets, taking in the unique customs of the demon New Year.

[Fa Ning looked at the many demons around him, each dressed in elaborate, luxurious attire, carrying small lanterns or strange items as they strolled the streets.]

[He felt it all a bit odd… Overall, they were very different from humans, and that created a bit of discomfort for him.]

[But at the same time, it was all deeply fascinating. He looked up and saw a long, dragon-like procession passing right above his head.]

Yuan Yuanyuan stared at the illustrated panels—yeah, that was pretty spectacular. Definitely more thrilling than she had imagined.

Though she’d always wanted to see what the Hundred Demon Festival looked like, she’d spent the entire first night floating in the air, seeing nothing. Now, getting to see it through the comic brought her a bit of comfort.

The screen was filled with gold, blue, and deep purples—far more captivating than the usual sea of red. It was like someone had spilled a palette of paint across a dark gray canvas, streaking it with endless color.

Yuan Yuanyuan loved this kind of visual. Even though she felt more like a human most of the time, she had to admit—when it came to aesthetics, demons were leagues ahead.

They were born for vibrant, dazzling colors.

[Fa Ning stared blankly at the sky. He had no idea who rode in those carriages soaring above, but for some reason, he imagined that to sit up there and look down on the city must be incredibly majestic.]

[He had heard that many powerful demons would appear tonight. He couldn’t help but imagine—what kind of extraordinary beings might be sitting inside those carriages?]

…Oh, come on.

Yuan Yuanyuan rolled her eyes so hard it hurt.

See, this was what happened when demons and humans didn’t share information. Sit up there and see what? Exhaust fumes? That’s about all you’d get from those rides.

Honestly, she strongly suspected that bluish-purple glow trailing behind the carriages was the demon version of exhaust.

Still, she had to admit—the inside of the carriage was comfy as hell. The refreshments were top-notch, and the tea was really good.

Watching this comic had basically become a guilty pleasure. The plot? Whatever. The real joy was in the commentary and satire.

She began mentally keeping track of how many jokes she could wring from each new chapter.

[Fa Ning gazed up at the sky, struck with a sense of wonder.]

[His mind wandered through countless thoughts, but one stuck with him the most—how had his ancestors ever managed to defeat these godlike beings?]

[It wasn’t like today, where they could just fly jets or fire missiles. Back then, it was hand-to-hand, flesh and blood combat.]

Liu An facepalmed silently.

…Seriously? They even included that?

That was exactly the kind of rant he’d had in his head the day he watched Tang Shi’s Hyakki Yagyō. He’d been complaining the whole time about how “this makes no sense,” even as he watched with starry eyes.

He hadn’t even gone out during the Hundred Demon Festival. Ji Qiu probably just used that monologue to simplify the writing or maybe cover up Liu An’s real identity in the story.

But to be honest… it was a good question. How had humans fought back? Maybe they just had more guts. Hell, even the Korean War was fought with guts and rifles.

Liu An’s thoughts trailed off. He turned to look at Yuan Yuanyuan, who was sitting in her chair with a very odd expression on her face.

There was no way to describe that face properly—it looked like she was laughing… but also like she might cry at any second. Her facial muscles were just off.

“What’s wrong, Boss?” Liu An asked.

“…Nothing.” Yuan Yuanyuan replied.

She was realizing more and more just how much Ji Qiu liked slipping in extra messages—especially via the protagonist’s inner thoughts.

Fa Ning, as a new observer in the demon world, provided a perfect vehicle for world-building.

But amidst all that demon-world exposition… Ji Qiu kept slipping in these loaded historical references—particularly about demon history.

And really, how else were you supposed to get to know a place? Present life and its past.

And here was the big reveal: demons…

Their recent history revolved around a few key words—war, blood, and military.

Ji Qiu had handled that setup quite cleverly. The fictional background he designed was rooted in an actual war. Even the final boss and supporting characters were veterans from that conflict.

It gave the whole story a sort of legendary generational drama feel—like listening to an old tale passed down from a grandfather. It was a little like how Naruto started uncovering one superpowered relative after another: dad, mom, teacher, teacher’s bestie, senior disciple, bestie again…

And as for Fa Ning… this chapter hinted at the identity of the next big boss he’d face.

Yep. It was Yuan.

Yuan Yuanyuan stared deadpan at the comic.

I sat in that damn carriage the entire night, didn’t hear or see anything, just wanted to nap. And now you’ve turned it into some sweeping royal parade?

The chapter continued from a moment when Fa Ning was recalling something from his days at Sanqing Sect.

[As Fa Ning strolled the streets, he remembered a tale from his days at Sanqing Sect—a story about a time when demons and humans went to war.]

[At the start of that war, humans had the upper hand. Demon casualties were high, and morale was low.]

[But just when humans were preparing a victory celebration, a sudden action shattered their plans.]

[It was a Hyakki Yagyō—an unannounced, unexpected one—the most famous in demon history.]

[It had been orchestrated by a demon army, led by numerous powerful demons. They marched right past the front lines, full of pride and strength, and vanished into the skies. Everyone who witnessed it never forgot that scene.]

[Back then, humans didn’t fully understand its meaning. They were simply stunned by the spectacle. But when the demons’ morale suddenly surged afterward, they began to realize the deeper significance.]

[It was a ritual—one that brought demons together, boosted their unity, and rekindled their will to fight.]

[Only after that did humans begin to truly take “Hyakki Yagyō” seriously.]

Yuan Yuanyuan silently pulled out a notebook.

She immediately began furiously jotting down notes from Demon Notes.

Take notes, take notes! Ji Qiu’s phrasing here was textbook-definition-worthy!

[As Fa Ning continued walking, he noticed many people wearing masks and hoods.]

[Each mask bore the image of a rising crescent moon—like theatrical face paint.]

[“What are they doing?” he asked someone he vaguely recognized. He knew these were demons tasked with public security, but seeing so many was still surprising.]

[“Them?” the old man replied. “They’re here to protect the area… things haven’t been very peaceful lately.”]

[“Not peaceful?” Fa Ning’s heart tightened.]

[He hated instability—because instability increased the risk of his identity being exposed.]

[“But it’s been calm lately, hasn’t it?”]

[“Hardly,” the old man said. “Didn’t they activate the protective shield recently? That was the first sign. Now everyone’s trying to mess with us. But this year, they brought in tons of big-shot demons. Haven’t you noticed how much livelier things are than last year? They’ll even be circling the city later.”]

[“Sorry… I’ve only been here a couple of months…” Fa Ning said sheepishly. “Which big-shots are here?”]

[“All the top demons from East City came. Even some of the reclusive ones showed up. I heard they brought in someone really major to anchor the event.”]

[“Really major?” Fa Ning blinked. “Who is it?”]

[“Who knows? Higher-ups didn’t say. We little guys don’t get to know. That’s something for the other big demons to worry about.” The old man chuckled.]

[Fa Ning scratched his head, thanked him, and walked off.]

[All the way, he kept wondering… just who was this big-shot demon?]

No way…

Yuan Yuanyuan suddenly had a sinking feeling as she kept reading…

Turning the page, she saw an awe-inspiring procession—so majestic that even as an illustration, the power and presence radiated off the paper.

It was commanding. Grand.

Blue-violet lanterns glowed along the route, flecks of silver light sparkled. Beneath all that grandeur, the whole procession held an air of mystery.

Staring at the page, Yuan Yuanyuan suddenly thought—maybe not?

No way it was her. That place she went to that night wasn’t nearly this glamorous. It had been all chanting and staring at wheels. This felt like an imperial parade or something.

But then she flipped one more page—and saw this:

[“Where are we now?” someone asked from inside the lead carriage.]

[“Back inside the city,” came the reply.]

The curtain of the carriage was pulled back slightly. Inside sat two people. The speaker was an old man, with another person seated across from him.

A soft blue light flickered within the carriage.

That light illuminated the lower half of the figure opposite the old man. A shadow fell over his nose.

He wore a thick, fluffy white cloak around his neck, almost engulfing his entire frame—making his skin look especially pale.

The old man let the curtain fall. The glimpse inside the carriage vanished in a blink.

And so did Yuan Yuanyuan’s hope.