Little Pink Starfish

The monsters and the human delegation—Taoist sect representatives—were all seated in neat rows. Loose cultivators and ability users from various tribes were seated off to the side. Military personnel ringed the venue from outside, and many of the weaker loose cultivators had been blocked from entering. Only the more powerful ones were allowed inside with identification.

People outside were craning their necks for a peek, barely managing to catch a glimpse of a corner of the room. Liu An even spotted some cameras—likely from journalists stuck outside who could only shoot footage from a distance.

There were also those with better connections who were standing outside making phone calls, trying to get in touch with someone who could get them through the door.

Eventually, cheers erupted from the crowd. Someone shed their puffy down jacket and threw on more formal attire before being let inside, prompting envious looks from those around them.

But envy alone was useless… At the gate stood heavily armed police, very much real and seriously guarding the entrance.

Liu An got in using his old sect credentials. Though technically expelled, his standing was still better than most loose cultivators. Back in the day, he’d been a somewhat well-known rookie, so as soon as he showed his pass, the person at the gate let him through and even handed him a room card and wristband.

He slipped on the wristband and pushed the door open. Immediately, a wave of heat and a mixture of monster auras hit him in the face.

Liu An glanced around. The loose cultivators like him who had slipped in were seated at the back without assigned seats. They’d been given a separate table. Of course, there were also those who, despite being loose cultivators, insisted on sitting among the Taoist sects.

He sat down casually. The table was lavishly set, clearly a step above the food he’d had over the past few days.

Most of the loose cultivators were just there for the spectacle. For some, it was a chance to network. If they managed to connect with someone at an event like this, it would be a big deal. Liu An was just there to enjoy the atmosphere. He found a seat quietly, and waiters moved between the tables now and then.

Since he wasn’t there to build connections, Liu An focused on the food. He scanned the spread with interest—today’s menu really was something else…

“Damn, why didn’t they serve this stuff the past few days?” he muttered to himself. “Figures—when it’s just internal people, they skimp. But in front of outsiders, they have to put on a show.”

“…What’s all this stuff?” Just as Liu An was about to dig in, he heard a heavily accented Northeastern voice to his left. The speaker was holding a bowl of something that looked like shark fin soup.

Liu An was busy gnawing on a pork rib when he glanced over casually. His brows furrowed.

The loose cultivator was still chatting with the person beside him. “Look at this, man. Looks just like shark fin—look at how translucent it is.”

Liu An took another bite and grinned as he leaned over to speak to the guy. “Bro, that dish… might not be what you’re used to. It’s a specialty from the monster side.”

“Huh?” The guy paused, turning to look at the so-called “shark fin soup.” Liu An quietly pulled the bowl aside. “Of course, if you wanna try it, go ahead. It’s just… a bit gamey.”

“Damn, what the hell is this stuff?” The loose cultivator recoiled and shoved the bowl back like it was cursed.

Liu An didn’t respond. Just then, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see a little monster standing behind him, asking if he could have the dish.

The big guy’s eyes went wide. Liu An handed the bowl over.

The little monster thanked him and walked off with the bowl, bringing it to his table. Who knew what he did with it afterward.

Liu An turned back to his pork ribs and resumed eating.

“Hey, bro, you still haven’t told me what that stuff was… What the hell was it?” the Northeastern cultivator persisted.

Liu An turned to him, thought for a second, and said, “Let’s just say it’s a traditional dish from the monster side… Never mind. If I told you, you might lose your appetite.”

“…From a human body?” the Northeasterner asked hesitantly.

“Hell no,” Liu An said, taking another bite. “If someone dared serve human meat at this kind of event, it’d be an international incident. Use your head.”

“Damn, you scared the hell outta me,” the guy sighed in relief.

Liu An figured someone had made a mistake. The loose cultivator section was poorly supervised, seated in the far back with a random mix of people—journalists, those who’d pulled strings to get in, you name it. The waitstaff were all Taoists, so mix-ups were bound to happen.

He had just tossed away the rib bone and picked up a dish of abalone when the guy beside him tapped his shoulder again. “Hey bro, you’re impressive, getting in here. I almost didn’t make it myself. Then my editor somehow pulled some strings last minute and got me a spot. Our agency had seven people, but I was the only one who got in.”

A journalist, huh? Liu An looked down at the guy’s chest badge—it read Taoist Weekly. His eyes lit up.

Damn, even if it’s a lower-ranked outlet, it’s still a respected one. Back when he was in the mountains, their issues came out monthly.

“I…”

“Whoa, you must be a big deal! What’s your area of research?”

“Researching… the shared customs that arise from monsters and humans living together,” Liu An said, trying to sound serious.

“Damn, didn’t expect to meet an expert.” Another loose cultivator who’d been eavesdropping chimed in.

“No wonder you could recognize that dish right away,” the Northeastern guy added, making Liu An feel a bit guilty—he’d completely made that up, though it was half true.

Liu An kept eating. Within twenty minutes, he figured out why only one person from the journalist’s agency had gotten in.

The guy could really talk. In the short time they’d been sitting, he’d gone on about everything under the sun until Liu An’s head was pounding. Liu An lowered his head, picked up another rib, and continued eating while the guy talked nonstop.

“Man, it’s not easy being a Taoist these days,” the journalist said. “The monsters came out in full force this time. Back when there were no photos or videos, you had to rely on written accounts to imagine what monsters looked like. Today’s the first time I’ve seen them in person.”

“Huh? You were a Taoist?” Liu An caught something in his words.

“Nah, just a transfer. My mom’s a Taoist, my dad isn’t. I wanted to become one as a kid, but my dad wouldn’t let me, so I ended up as a journalist.”

A waitress in a cheongsam brought over another dish. Liu An glanced at it and looked thoroughly unimpressed.

Can they not phone it in like this?

The big guy looked around, then suddenly tapped Liu An’s shoulder and whispered, “Hey, see the guy in the second seat on the monster side? Something’s off about him… Everyone else came with an entourage—he’s alone. Ever since he got here, he’s kept his head down, not talking to anyone, like he’s owed two million bucks or something…”

Before he could finish, Liu An clamped a hand over his mouth and motioned for silence.

Liu An quickly looked over. Sure enough, the monster sitting at the head of the monster delegation was still quietly eating, head down.

The view from the back was a bit blurry, but the guy was seated prominently enough to be recognizable.

The nearby Taoist who’d also been listening looked nervous, glancing that way as well. After a tense minute passed with no reaction, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

The journalist looked baffled, not understanding what had just happened.

The Taoist beside him leaned in and said seriously, “Don’t talk nonsense. Monsters have incredibly sharp hearing. You don’t want to get overheard.”

“Oh, got it,” the journalist nodded quickly. Liu An kept his head down and resumed eating. As he did, the journalist leaned in and whispered, “Hey, who is that guy? Got anything on him? He seems like a big shot among the monsters.”

“Yeah, who is that?” the eavesdropping Taoist added, looking like a sneaky thief. Liu An was speechless—this whole setup was ridiculous. “I checked the list earlier. He’s not on it. No clue who he is. It’s like he appeared out of thin air.”

Liu An, still chewing his ribs, began to wonder as well. Who was this person? He had no idea either…

“Hey, what did the guy next to him just bring him?” the journalist asked quietly.

“What’s that dish?”

Liu An narrowed his eyes. “A traditional monster dish…”

“You already said that, bro,” the journalist replied.

“Alright, I’ll be more specific. That stuff was steamed in monster blood. I don’t know what kind exactly, but I think it’s some kind of offering—blood from small monsters given to bigger ones.”

“Small monsters… offer blood to big monsters?”

“There are all sorts of offerings. It depends on what the big monsters want. This banquet is obviously jointly hosted by the local government and the local monster factions, so stuff like this isn’t surprising. But I don’t think there’s much of it. You didn’t see more than two or three plates on that table, right? No other tables had it,” Liu An said.

“Damn, monsters are brutal. Drinking monster blood? That’s like us drinking human blood, right?” the journalist said in horror.

“No, no, no… big difference,” Liu An said. “Monster infighting is brutal, and small and big monsters are practically different species. If you’re interested, I can explain it…”

…

“Excuse me, this one here…” A balding middle-aged man on the human side hesitated as he addressed an old man with a white beard. At that moment, Yuan Yuanyuan was burying her head in a bowl of steamed egg custard. When she heard someone call her, she simply… ate faster.

“Oh, her,” the old man chuckled, patting Yuan Yuanyuan on the shoulder. “She’s someone you humans should be fairly familiar with.”

“Oh? Someone we humans are familiar with?” said a graceful-looking woman nearby, smiling with curiosity. “Who might it be? Could you tell me her name?”

Yuan Yuanyuan set down her spoon and looked at the woman opposite her. She felt like she might be overdoing it.

Who keeps their head down and eats nonstop while seated at the very front? Come on… At a banquet like this, being able to eat calmly is a little too much.

Only the monsters and humans in the back seemed to be enjoying themselves. The front ten rows were all chatting—humans with monsters, monsters with ghosts. Everyone was networking, making connections.

That’s the point of these events—bonding.

But Yuan Yuanyuan really didn’t know what to say. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing and making things worse. She’d never attended something like this before, so she figured she’d better not cause trouble.

She pulled her hat a little lower, looked at the balding man and the woman opposite her. Since this wasn’t out in public and there weren’t cameras on her, she decided to take it off.

Her thinking was—once she took it off, they’d realize she was just there for show, maybe as backup muscle. Better not to bother her. And if they did, she wouldn’t be able to help anyway.

So Yuan Yuanyuan said nothing, staring quietly at the man.

Uh… huh… right?

With that look, can you just… get the hint, bro?

As soon as she took off her hat, both the balding man and the woman opposite her widened their eyes.

“You… You’re…”

Yuan Yuanyuan waited, but no further words came. She looked at the old man beside her, signaling for him to continue the conversation, then lowered her head and kept eating.

Her position at the front protected her somewhat from the commotion, so she didn’t realize the noise inside the hotel was growing louder and louder.

“Mmph! Mmmph!” At the back, the big journalist—who was being muffled by Liu An and another Taoist—was struggling with wide eyes. The Taoist muttered in shock, “Is that… is that her?!”

He turned to look behind him, noticing more and more people reacting. Even the crowd outside had noticed. The gate was in chaos, with police officers holding the line.

“Shhh.” Liu An didn’t speak. He just shook his head.

He gave the monster another hard look, then grabbed a rib from the table, stuck it in his mouth, and helped the Taoist carry the journalist upstairs.