Little Pink Starfish

Hua Rongyue didn’t notice Wu Ci and his companions sitting at the small teahouse by the street. She was currently busy trying to cover Li Jingyi’s share of the chores—tasks like grocery shopping, which weren’t usually her responsibility, had now fallen to her.

In fact, Hua Rongyue’s cooking skills were decent: average among women, but borderline god-tier compared to men.

If you asked her whether she knew the reputation she held among the “lunatics” of the jianghu, she actually did know.

Honestly, if she wanted to betray her current path and go rogue to “claim a mountain and become a king,” she’d likely open up a whole new realm of possibilities. But Hua Rongyue was rational. She knew all too well how Yi Linglong’s past life had spiraled into chaos.

As she walked, it began to rain. She’d just picked out some potatoes, eggplants, and carrots at the market, and now strolled back beneath the eaves of the buildings. The water-rich Jiangnan region shimmered as raindrops struck the puddles, forming ripples.

“So peaceful,” she thought.

Hua Rongyue walked slowly through an alleyway. If it weren’t for all the chaotic nonsense, she might actually find time-traveling to the past kind of enjoyable.

The bloody massacres Yi Linglong had endured now seemed so far away in this peaceful scene. But Hua Rongyue remembered well the chaos that was still to come—several of the most turbulent years the jianghu had ever seen.

It was during that time that the “lunatics” of the martial world erupted in a mass frenzy. Ordinary people had barely heard of them before, but suddenly they were everywhere—killing each other, killing outsiders, being killed by outsiders. And among them were those pretending to be lunatics… and those pretending to be sane.

Like Hua Rongyue herself.

After walking for a while, a pigeon flew overhead. She reached out, and the bird landed on her hand—it was a messenger pigeon from the Six Gates. She took the note tied to its leg and read it. Apparently, some members of the Songshan Sect were on their way.

Hua Rongyue didn’t really care which sects were coming and going, but the Six Gates had specifically instructed her to “extend courtesy” to these visitors. She couldn’t just ignore that. Although her main role was undercover acting, she had a secondary identity as one of the Six Gates’ combat operatives—same as Jiang Lianhuan. This mission didn’t require her to show up as Yi Linglong, but rather as a regular Six Gates agent.

Songshan and Huashan were both part of the Five Great Sword Sects.

She remembered that Yi Linglong had interacted quite a lot with the Songshan Sect—especially when they joined the siege. Songshan had been very active.

Hua Rongyue wasn’t sure why she was feeling a bit irritated. Maybe it was Yi Linglong’s bad memories with Songshan, or maybe just the age-old rivalry between Songshan and Huashan. To be fair, this generation of Songshan disciples had some truly impressive talent.

There was one young swordsman in particular who showed signs of becoming the next sword master. Several others excelled in different areas. Compared to the current Huashan disciples—well, Huashan basically only had Wu Wangyan as a notable figure.

Speaking of which… she wondered how he had felt last time, when he realized the beautiful woman he’d been sharing a room with for hours was not only a man—but a terrifyingly strong one.

If Wu Wangyan was a proper straight man from ancient times, that realization must’ve been extremely complicated. And if he wasn’t that confused… well… yikes.

Hua Rongyue never got a chance to ask, though she was a little curious. But since she hadn’t asked then, she wouldn’t bother now.

She made her way back along a narrow path. Today, only she and Xiao Han were at Baicaotang, so it was fairly quiet. As she passed by a familiar street corner—the same place where Wu Ci had just spotted her from the teahouse—she noticed several sword-bearing men ahead.

At first glance, nothing stood out. But with a second look, she realized some of them were familiar faces.

“This place is actually pretty safe,” Wu Ci was telling his companions, then added, “Especially these two streets. Very safe.”

He hadn’t believed that before, until one day he saw Hua Rongyue leaping across rooftops, tearing apart a suspicious man with her bare hands…

After that, Wu Ci had immediately moved out of his old inn and into this neighborhood.

So yes, Wu Ci genuinely didn’t think there was any real danger around here. After all, with someone like her stationed here, any small fry that came through would be instantly flattened.

Among the sword-bearers ahead, one stood out—a young man with a handsome silhouette and an air of nobility. Hua Rongyue recognized him instantly.

It was the young Songshan swordsman—Fang Cunjing.

She decided that if she had to interact with these people, she should play it cool and blend in like an ordinary passerby.

“How are we supposed to find Yi Linglong?” asked one of the shorter disciples.

“No idea. Maybe ask the other lunatics? They might know.”

“Sure,” another said with a sarcastic smile, “Ask the lunatics. Then wait for them to tear us apart.”

“Honestly, the lunatics might kill us before Yi Linglong even gets the chance,” someone else added. “At least then we wouldn’t have to face her.”

“The lunatics around here are hard to find,” Wu Ci chimed in quietly. “Eighteen Pavilions might be a better bet. Rumor has it there are still a bunch of them holed up there.”

Hua Rongyue silently passed by them. Wu Ci, mid-sentence, caught her out of the corner of his eye and froze.

“Hey, what’s up?” the short guy asked, noticing Wu Ci’s strange reaction. Wu Ci couldn’t even speak until Fang Cunjing gave him a side glance that snapped him out of it.

“We’re doomed,” Wu Ci muttered later, his expression so dramatic it drew attention from everyone nearby—even though no one else knew what had happened.

“Where are we going?” someone asked Fang Cunjing.

“Baicaotang,” Fang Cunjing replied calmly, surveying the road ahead.

…Wait, what?

Wu Ci turned back in alarm. “You—you know about Baicaotang?”

“My master and Doctor Qi are acquaintances. He specifically told me to visit him while I’m in town,” Fang Cunjing replied. “Is there an inn nearby?”

Wu Ci’s expression grew even more horrified, like his soul had left his body.

The short disciple leaned over and whispered to Fang Cunjing, “What’s with that guy? Is he… okay? Looks like he lost his mind.”

They quietly moved past Wu Ci and headed toward Baicaotang.

Hua Rongyue wasn’t even inside yet. She was calmly cleaning vegetables outside. After washing them thoroughly, she brought them to the kitchen. Then, she looked up and saw Fang Cunjing and his group approaching.

Hmm? What are they doing here? She was just wondering when Fang Cunjing walked up and asked, “Does Doctor Qi live here?”

“He does,” Hua Rongyue nodded, falling into the same confused daze as Wu Ci behind her.

What connection did Doctor Qi have with the Songshan Sect? What kind of network was this? It looked even more complicated than Tianyi Tower’s.

Hua Rongyue was dressed for work today—mostly white, plain clothes. The only ornament was a faint blue flower embroidered on the upper left of her collar.

Wu Ci, still reeling, remembered the things they had said earlier—“terrifying Yi Linglong,” “lunatic.” What a colossal misunderstanding.

He was honestly worried she might flip out then and there, but knowing her temperament, that seemed unlikely. Even though he hadn’t been to Baicaotang much lately, her reputation in the neighborhood was well known—

Graceful, reliable, methodical, and extremely gentle.

That was also the first impression Fang Cunjing and the others got. Everyone who interacted with her felt at ease in her presence.

Hua Rongyue poured them some tea and asked them to wait while she finished cleaning up. The group sat down and began chatting.

As expected, their conversation soon turned to Yi Linglong. They didn’t bother avoiding the topic around Hua Rongyue, likely thinking she was just a staff member. Hua Rongyue listened intently.

She remembered the Six Gates’ request—to assist this group. The Six Gates had decent relationships with the major sects and occasionally lent mutual aid.

“This place is nice. Even has a cat,” said the short disciple, now playing with the shop cat. The cat purred and squinted under his expert petting, while the others discussed more serious matters—he seemed totally out of place.

A few others noticed Hua Rongyue. She made no effort to hide her martial skill—her movements subtly revealed it. Combined with her refined appearance, she naturally drew attention.

“I’m not sure if we’ll find our junior sister this time,” one of them sighed, collapsing onto the table. “God knows where she’s gone…”

The mood immediately darkened.

Hua Rongyue paused her work. She hadn’t said anything earlier, but now she suddenly spoke up.

“You’re here… to find your junior sister?”

Everyone turned to her.

“What happened to her?” she asked.

“She ran off and ended up here…” the short disciple murmured.

Hua Rongyue’s mind turned quickly. The area would be more dangerous after dark—if someone needed rescuing, they had to act fast.

“If you need help, I might be able to assist,” Hua Rongyue said softly, lowering her head.

Everyone was briefly stunned.

“Really? Are you sure it’s not a bother?” the short disciple asked while still stroking the cat.

“I’m familiar with this area. I might not be much help otherwise, but I can at least lead the way,” Hua Rongyue replied with a gentle smile.

The Songshan disciples exchanged glances and considered the offer. Just then, Wu Ci—who had been quiet in the corner—suddenly responded.

He nodded heavily, and with a voice full of sincerity and emotion, said, “Thank you.”

Hua Rongyue waved it off casually, then resumed scrubbing vegetables—like the most ordinary worker in the world.