Little Pink Starfish

“So you really have no idea how insanely awesome my idol is,” Fat Cat said. For the first time in a while, he had taken on human form, standing in the middle of the living room, earnestly lecturing Yuan Yuanyuan. “Today I’m going to educate you on just how incredible a demon my idol truly is.”

Yuan Yuanyuan sat on the couch, munching on sunflower seeds while watching his performance. She couldn’t hold back her laughter and thought to herself, Oh my god, what is even happening anymore?

“What, you still don’t believe me?” Fat Cat suddenly turned to look at Yuan Yuanyuan with a face full of disdain.

“No no no, I believe you. I totally believe you,” Yuan Yuanyuan quickly adjusted her expression and tried to look more serious.

Fat Cat moved to the center of the living room, struck a few martial arts poses, then turned his head dramatically. “Speaking of trickster magic,” he began, “it’s one of the foundational skills demons rely on for survival. And up to this day, the one I admire most is Yuan.”

“Call him Seventeen,” Yuan Yuanyuan interjected, “If you’re talking about him, say Seventeen, not Yuan.”

“I’m building the mood, don’t interrupt.” Fat Cat picked up a tissue box and smacked it onto the table for emphasis. “Back in the days when the Blood Jade Demon Army was riding high, the Spy Corps was famous for two things: one, the stunning ladies in the corps; two, Seventeen’s trickster magic.”

“These two things made the Spy Corps legendary. Everyone knew of them—from humans to demons.”

“Modern trickster techniques are basically built on what Seventeen pioneered. Back then, every trickster demon looked up to him with absolute respect. There wasn’t a single trickster out there who didn’t learn from him,” Fat Cat slapped the tissue box again. “That’s why Seventeen’s reputation among trickster demons was practically mythic.”

“…Then why do I feel like I didn’t get any of that?” Yuan Yuanyuan thought of the time she tried to teach Tang Shi and felt an overwhelming urge to beat herself up.

“That was then, this is now,” Fat Cat replied. “You weren’t there to see it. But back in the day, Seventeen’s status among trickster demons was so high that if he had truly wanted to rebel against the King of All Demons, it might not have been impossible. The king likely killed Seventeen out of fear.”

“Trickster demons rely on trickery,” Fat Cat continued. “They’re meant to be elusive, shadowy, unseen. In recent years, trickster magic has fallen out of favor, but I think it’s actually the true tradition of demons. It’s just that, after the crackdown back then, hardly any trickster demons today are truly outstanding.”

He stepped closer to Yuan Yuanyuan. “If Seventeen really did join that organization… not to mention anything else, but if he starts showing off even a little of what he was capable of back then, all the remaining trickster demons might rally to his side. Sure, they’re not as many as before, but still plenty. And if they all follow Seventeen… that organization starting a war wouldn’t be far-fetched at all.”

Yuan Yuanyuan quietly digested everything Fat Cat had said. The meaning was simple: My idol is a freaking legend. Don’t think he’s a washed-up has-been. If he wanted, he could flip the table any second.

Given the amount of trickster manuals signed by “Seventeen” she had seen at Tang Shi’s, Yuan Yuanyuan found that argument very convincing. But being the slacker she was, she thought Seventeen’s reputation might very well be ruined by her.

“So now it all depends on Yuan’s next move,” Fat Cat said, shifting back into cat form. “If he suddenly shows up and starts dazzling people with powerful trickster magic, there’s a 99.9% chance he really has joined that organization.”

“Would joining the organization even benefit him?” Yuan Yuanyuan asked.

“Benefit?” Fat Cat paused. “Not really… but why are they so confident they can recruit a spy like him? Bunch of idiots. They’re seriously underestimating him—wait. No, that can’t be right. They’re not that dumb. They must be certain that Yuan wouldn’t do anything even if he joined. That must mean… they’ve found his weakness.”

“Or…” Yuan Yuanyuan said, popping another sunflower seed, “he’s dying.”

“No way.” Fat Cat shook his head without hesitation. “Normal demons who die of old age live to be four or five hundred. Seventeen’s, what, two hundred tops? How could he be dying now?”

“Because he spent too long inside the Red Sand Well. His body’s ruined,” Yuan Yuanyuan replied.

“Even less likely. No one survives the Red Sand Well. I’ve been researching it lately, and I don’t think Yuan was the one who actually went in,” Fat Cat said.

Yuan Yuanyuan looked at Fat Cat. He looked back at her. Then after a moment, he asked, “You heard something again at the tavern?”

Actually, it wasn’t at the tavern. It was at that organization’s base. Sometimes she wasn’t even trying to listen—just a stray word caught her ear, and once she activated the Chessboard Technique, she heard a lot more.

Yuan Yuanyuan wasn’t sure whether to break it to him. But she had just realized why that organization would risk bringing Yuan in. According to those people… what had they said?

“When a person is close to death, the roads they can take become very limited. So I—”

That iceberg guy?

Was that what they were thinking? That maybe… Yuan was desperate?

Yuan Yuanyuan shook her head. As a half-demon, she wasn’t sure what she felt about all this.

The heartfelt conversation fizzled into silence. Yuan Yuanyuan wondered if she’d just totally killed the vibe. Fat Cat flopped down on the couch and went to sleep. His ears drooped—just like a husky when it’s depressed.

Soon it was time for Yuan Yuanyuan’s fake “work” shift. She went out at the same time every night, but rarely actually worked at the tavern. Most nights, she wandered around bathrooms, casually sparring with a few demons she ran into.

That night, she did her makeup in a restroom before heading out. Ever since Fat Cat came around, she’d mostly gone barefaced. But since she was supposed to be working at a fancy place, she figured she should at least look the part.

She applied a bit of lipstick, pressed her lips together, and stared at her reflection. Then, a thought occurred: Should I really follow through with what that organization asked me to do?

If she did, it would mean—just like Fat Cat said—that Yuan had really joined them. And if that organization truly intended to start a third war between humans and demons…

Was there any point in her joining? Sure, she might be able to gather some intel… but with her level of brains and emotional intelligence?

While struggling with that thought, she smudged her lipstick. She bent down to grab a makeup wipe, and when she looked back up, a line of text had appeared on the mirror.

【Everything so far is correct. Please proceed according to plan.】

Yuan Yuanyuan shivered and stared at the mirror. She immediately knew who it was. It wasn’t the first or even second time this had happened, so by now, she was oddly used to it. In fact, she felt… comforted.

She wiped off the lipstick, glanced around. No sign of Ji Qiu, nothing but that message on the glass.

What do you mean “everything is correct”? she thought. Does that mean joining the mysterious organization and accepting that mission was the right thing to do?

Yuan Yuanyuan didn’t know what could be called right or wrong anymore. Everything felt like a Schrödinger’s cat scenario—until the box was opened, nothing was certain.

War… every tiny change could alter the outcome. But if it was Ji Qiu telling her she was doing the right thing… maybe she could feel a bit more at ease?

She met her own eyes in the mirror. Then turned and walked out the door.

According to the plan, if she wanted to attract more trickster demons, the most important thing was power. After all these years, she had come to understand that strength ruled the demon world. No matter how noble Seventeen’s ideals were back then—without the skills to back it up—he wouldn’t have earned Fat Cat’s admiration.

In the dead of night, Yuan Yuanyuan stood on a rooftop, staring at a demon below. In her hand was a small knife.

If she wanted to win over the trickster demons, first she had to prove one thing: that Yuan was powerful.

She tightened her grip on the knife, which had been transformed from a tiny flower—a common seasonal bloom in City C’s roadside greenery. Pink, red, purple. She didn’t even know its name. She’d just plucked a bunch at random.

Turned out… it made a pretty good blade.

Yuan Yuanyuan locked onto the demon below, and in a flash, she struck—her Teleportation Technique deployed to perfection. She glided past him like a ghost.

Moments later, a corpse lay on the ground. A single deep slash across its throat.

The cut was clean, smooth. Blood stained a nearby flower red.

Yuan Yuanyuan’s logic was simple: If Seventeen was once famous for his trickster techniques, why not bring that title back into the spotlight now?

That bizarre trick she’d accidentally developed recently? Still didn’t have a name.