Little Pink Starfish

After the Worms Enter the Flesh

“Carry me over there,” Gu Xinglang said anxiously. He couldn’t see clearly what was happening on Yu Xiaoxiao’s side, only that his wife had a dagger in hand, and Xiao Wei was yelling at a young bailiff to shut up. Gu San Shao was burning with worry and spoke to the bailiffs near him.

A Ministry of Justice clerk was holding an umbrella over Gu Xinglang, especially shielding his injured ankles. The clerk glanced at the increasingly flooded ground and quietly advised, “Prince Consort, we don’t know where the worms are anymore. It’s best you stay here and wait for the princess.”

Gu Xinglang wanted to lose his temper, but he knew he had no grounds. Why should someone else risk their life just because he wanted to see his wife? The Gu family had always taught that one bore their own consequences—never drag others into danger.

Meanwhile, Yu Xiaoxiao was trying to extract the threadlike worms from the young bailiff’s face using her dagger.

Xiao Wei held the bailiff firmly down, afraid the youth would thrash in pain and hurt himself.

Most of the worm’s body was sliced off by Yu Xiaoxiao and tossed into the fire, which was barely alive under the rain’s onslaught.

Xiao Wei’s brows furrowed—he had seen a smaller piece of the worm burrow into the youth’s flesh and vanish instantly.

“Damn it,” Yu Xiaoxiao cursed, then swiftly dug out the piece of flesh from the bailiff’s face.

The young man screamed in agony.

Flicking blood from her fingers, Yu Xiaoxiao spattered the ground. Almost immediately, surviving worms began wriggling toward it.

“Squat,” she said, pressing the young bailiff down. Her short height made working like this frustrating.

Blood streamed from the boy’s chin, soaking his uniform and filling the air with a metallic scent.

Xiao Wei saw the worms crawling toward them like they were about to be surrounded and cried, “Princess! The worms are coming!”

“Close your eyes,” Yu Xiaoxiao said to the bailiff.

The youth, in shock from pain and fear, remained wide-eyed, staring at her blankly.

Yu Xiaoxiao gently closed his eyelids with her hand.

“We have to go!” Xiao Wei urged.

“Just a second,” Yu Xiaoxiao muttered, forcing herself to draw out another surge of power. Electric sparks crackled from her fingertips as she pressed them to the youth’s wound.

The sharp pain made the bailiff scream and then pass out.

Yu Xiaoxiao tore a strip from her own clothes and wrapped the boy’s face, now torn and burned by worms and lightning. “Take him away,” she told Xiao Wei.

Her movements had been too fast for Xiao Wei to fully follow. He scooped up the unconscious boy and asked, “Is he going to be okay?”

Still crouching, Yu Xiaoxiao patted her woozy head and replied, “The worm’s dead. It hadn’t laid eggs yet. He won’t die.”

Eggs?! Xiao Wei shuddered.

Yu Xiaoxiao stood, swaying a little. “Don’t let his face get rained on again.” The boy would live, but his face was ruined. She shook her head in frustration—another person injured under her watch.

Xiao Wei, who had been gruff with the boy before, now gently repositioned him so his injured face rested against his chest.

At that moment, another group of bailiffs arrived, carrying barrels of kerosene.

Yu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei returned to Gu Xinglang’s side.

“Pour the oil and light it,” Gu Xinglang ordered.

One official hesitated. “Prince Consort, if we do this, the entire Ministry of Justice will burn. This kerosene isn’t even from the Ministry of Justice—it was issued by the Ministry of War for siege defense! If it goes up in flames…”

“Get the prisoners out,” Gu Xinglang said firmly. “This place must burn.”

The official hesitated—this was no small matter. Could they afford to take responsibility?

“Now!” Gu Xinglang barked, eyes cold. At a time like this, this man was still worried about blame? “I’ll take full responsibility. This has nothing to do with any of you.”

The official bowed and rushed off to help evacuate.

“Xiao Zhuang!” Gu Xinglang called.

Xiao Zhuang shouted to the bailiffs with him, “Do as the Prince Consort says!”

The oil was poured out, forming a thick, floating layer over the rainwater.

One bailiff hoisted Gu Xinglang onto his back, while Xiao Wei carried the injured youth. They both quickly retreated.

Xiao Zhuang tossed a torch into the courtyard.

The fire hit the oil and erupted with a boom, instantly roaring to life. No rain could put this one out.

“Princess, let’s go!” Xiao Zhuang grabbed Yu Xiaoxiao’s arm and pulled her back.

Yu Xiaoxiao turned away and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground. Her mouth still tasted of blood.

Inside the dungeon, bailiffs and jailers were scrambling to evacuate the prisoners. There wasn’t time to bind them—all they could do was herd them out.

The prisoners didn’t know what was happening and thought they were being taken out for execution. Cries and screams filled the prison.

“Forget the death row block!” an official shouted, seeing some bailiffs rushing in that direction. “They’re all scheduled to die anyway!”

A jailer whispered, “Lord Chen, Young Master Zhao is still in death row. Should we…?”

The official remembered—Zhao Qiuming’s son was still locked up down there. Even if he was sentenced to death, until the blade fell, who could say the Zhao family couldn’t make a comeback?

“Go get him,” the official ordered. Two jailers sprinted toward the death row cells.

At this moment, Emperor Xianzong’s carriage arrived in front of the Ministry of Justice. Watching the entire compound engulfed in fire, the emperor sat in stunned silence for a long moment.

“Your Majesty!” the commander of the Imperial Guards said, “Please return to the palace! The fire is out of control—if Your Majesty’s health is harmed, it would be a grave crime for your servant!” Commander Wang couldn’t believe his luck tonight. Every place they visited had gone up in flames. Was he cursed or something?

The Ministry’s main gate crashed open. Bailiffs herded prisoners outside in droves.

“Guards!” Commander Wang shouted. In front of so many prisoners, he avoided yelling “Protect the Emperor!” which would reveal Xianzong’s identity.

The Imperial Guards encircled the emperor’s carriage with weapons drawn, treating the situation like a battlefield.

“What is going on here?!” Xianzong recovered quickly. Looking at the wet, miserable prisoners in shackles, he shouted, “Who’s in charge of the Ministry of Justice tonight? Step forward and explain!”