Little Pink Starfish

Reality Is Always Cruel

Chengguan’s words struck Gu Xingnuo like a dagger to the heart. Holding his younger brother in his arms, for a moment he even wanted to kill Chengguan. No one was allowed to threaten Gu Xinglang’s life. This was Gu Xingnuo’s reverse scale—something no one could ever touch.

“Yanruo!” Chengguan used the last of his strength to shout, “You’ve seen the people behind the mountain too. Do you want Qinghui to become like that someday?”

Gu Xingnuo buried his face in his little brother’s neck. He knew that Mo Wen must have done something to Gu Xinglang’s body. But hearing the words “he’s a medicine man” still shook him to his core—he didn’t want to accept that reality.

“Yanruo!” Chengguan pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

“There must be a way to save him, right?” Gu Xingnuo lifted his head, asking Chengguan as tears fell from his eyes.

If he could, Chengguan would have liked to nod. But the truth was what it was—no one could save Gu Xinglang. Chengguan simply shook his head at Gu Xingnuo.

“No… impossible,” Gu Xingnuo whispered, cradling his brother.

The searing pain from his wound made Chengguan pass out, his blood soaking into the earth beneath him.

“State Preceptor?” Gu Xingnuo shouted.

At that moment, Yu Xiaoxiao, Xianzong, Xiao Wei, and the shadow guards arrived outside the gates of Huguo Temple.

Xianzong looked at the shut gates. He tilted his head and listened—everything inside was quiet, no sounds of fighting. He figured Chengguan must have succeeded. Even if he hadn’t, looking at the daughter sitting beside him, Xianzong reassured himself—With my daughter here, what is there to fear? Puffing out his chest, he told Xiao Wei, “Go knock on the door.”

Before Xiao Wei could head up the steps, Yu Xiaoxiao said, “Something’s wrong.”

Xiao Wei turned to her. “What is it?”

Yu Xiaoxiao sniffed the air. Why is there such a strong smell of blood?

Xianzong spoke up, “Linglong, if you don’t want Xiao Wei to knock, are we going to climb over the wall?”

Yu Xiaoxiao grabbed her “useless emperor dad” by the collar. “You hiding something from me?”

Xianzong shook his head. “No! Nothing!”

Yu Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in them. “Spill it.”

Xiao Wei held his ground, but the shadow guards nearly drew their weapons in fright. Is Her Highness threatening the emperor?!

Xianzong patted the hand gripping his collar. “Linglong, let’s talk about this calmly, alright?” Honestly, sending a cripple like Gu Xinglang to deal with Mo Wen—it was a mistake, and Xianzong knew it.

“Talk,” Yu Xiaoxiao said coldly, unmoved by his plea. “Don’t make me angry.”

Xianzong really wanted to ask, What happens when you’re angry? Weren’t you already angry when you were beating people up just now?! But seeing the glint in Yu Xiaoxiao’s eyes, he swallowed the question.

The shadow guards slapped Xiao Wei on the back, silently urging him: Say something! Don’t make us deal with this!

Xiao Wei, battered by his brothers, finally said, “Princess, should we go in?”

“If you don’t talk, I’ll throw you in there alone,” Yu Xiaoxiao threatened Xianzong. Mo Wen was inside. Now with the scent of blood in the air, and unknown enemies lurking, Yu Xiaoxiao—a trained soldier—wasn’t about to walk into danger without information.

Xianzong could tell his daughter wasn’t bluffing. He swallowed hard and said quietly, “The State Preceptor and the Prince Consort are inside.”

The moment she heard Gu Xinglang was inside, Yu Xiaoxiao threw Xianzong off the carriage and leapt over the high wall of Huguo Temple in search of her little Gu.

Seeing the princess climb the wall, Xiao Wei didn’t even bother with the stairs. He vaulted over the wall right after her.

Xianzong hit the ground face-first. After flailing a bit, he finally flipped himself over and checked his nose. Whew, not broken.

The shadow guards stared at their emperor, dumbstruck. What do we do when the princess throws the emperor off the carriage?!

Sitting on the ground, Xianzong looked at his guards, then the now-empty carriage. “Where’s the princess?”

One guard pointed at the temple wall. “Sire… Her Highness has entered the temple.”

Xianzong got up, straightened his robe, and said, “Knock on the door. We’re going in.”

A guard hesitated. “But the princess…”

“Didn’t she already go in?” Xianzong glared at the guard. “What are you trying to say?”

Another guard kicked the idiot. What’s wrong with you? If His Majesty doesn’t care about getting tossed, why do you?!

Yu Xiaoxiao rushed through the temple, following the trail of blood.

Xiao Wei was barely keeping up.

Meanwhile, two monks were seen fleeing out a side gate, driving a dual-horse cart toward Beicheng.

As Yu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei ran through the temple, they passed corpse after corpse. Neither said a word. Finding Gu Xinglang was the only thing that mattered now.

When Yu Xiaoxiao reached the Buddha Hall courtyard, she froze at the gate.

There, in Gu Xingnuo’s arms, lay the person she’d come to find.

The zombie-slaying warrior had no courage left to take another step forward.

Xiao Wei rushed in behind her and was stunned to see Gu Xingnuo kneeling in a pool of blood, holding someone in his arms. He stepped forward and gently supported the dazed princess. “Princess?”

Yu Xiaoxiao asked, “What happened to Xiao Gu?”

Seeing the lifeless look on Gu Xingnuo’s face, Xiao Wei had a bad feeling. But he didn’t dare say anything or shake his head. Instead, he helped Yu Xiaoxiao slowly walk toward the brothers.

When they reached them, Yu Xiaoxiao saw Gu Xinglang’s chest rise and fall. Her rigid body instantly went limp.

“Princess?” Xiao Wei caught her just in time.

Gu Xingnuo finally lifted his head to look at them.

Xiao Wei noticed Gu Xinglang’s nostrils moving—he was breathing. Not dead. Xiao Wei let out a breath of relief and asked, “Young Master, is the Prince Consort injured?”

Gu Xingnuo looked down again. Gu Xinglang’s face was clean, but his hands were covered in blood. No wonder Xiao Wei thought he was hurt.

“What happened to Xiao Gu?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked again, squatting beside her eldest brother.