Little Pink Starfish

Wang Lingchao didn’t really understand what Hua Rongyue meant—he was just angered by her indifferent attitude.

As for someone like Wang Lingchao, Hua Rongyue didn’t give it much thought. There are always people in this world who habitually shift the blame for failure onto others. And if someone can’t see that clearly, no amount of persuasion will help. But just because someone else is foolish doesn’t mean she should follow suit.

Since there was no point in talking, Hua Rongyue turned and left without expecting Wang Lingchao to understand. She simply took Li Zixin and returned to her room.

As they went upstairs, Li Zixin asked, “Something just occurred to me—won’t those things Wang Lingchao said last night get spread around?”

“Those things? Probably, but don’t worry too much. It won’t cause any trouble,” Hua Rongyue replied.

“I’m not worried about trouble,” said Li Zixin. “I just think… that person doesn’t even exist. If we keep this up, it’ll be easy to get exposed one day.”

Hua Rongyue shook her head again. Seeing that Li Zixin still didn’t get it, she led him out to a nearby restaurant where they could eat while listening to people chat. Everyone loved to gossip about the latest news, so naturally, they wouldn’t skip over last night’s events.

After listening for a while, Li Zixin noticed that barely anyone mentioned Wang Lingchao’s accidental “reveal” from last night. Perplexed, he asked, “Why is hardly anyone bringing it up?”

Hua Rongyue had wondered the same thing in the past. Over time, she’d figured out a reason. As she nibbled on a bun, she said, “Do you know how many gossip pieces about Yi Linglong come out in a day?”

“How many?” Li Zixin asked, confused.

Based on some idle counting she did last month, it was around ten a day. And the numbers were only rising in recent months.

Of course, she didn’t even know most of the people involved in these rumors.

“Sometimes, once a person becomes famous, they don’t need to worry about lacking ‘romantic scandals.’ Whether they know them or not, people will want to associate with them,” Hua Rongyue said, sipping some soup. “But once there are too many rumors, people start to judge for themselves what’s real and what’s not—or at least what they want to be real.”

She continued, “And then there are those who fabricate even more outrageous and seemingly realistic stories. I remember recently, a courtesan claimed to know me—and even said she was pregnant with my child. That gossip spread like wildfire. But how many actually believed it?”

In essence, once you’re famous, all kinds of nonsense come knocking. But folks in the martial world aren’t fools—they know many of these are just attempts to leech off fame. Especially for someone like Yi Linglong, who seemed to attract chaos and bloodshed like a magnet, it was hard to separate truth from fiction.

Real things get hidden behind lies, and when there are too many lies, they start to seem real.

After finishing the meal, Hua Rongyue considered taking a walk to digest, but thinking there might be trouble, she decided to return to the inn with Li Zixin. That evening, they heard that Jiang Lianhuan had once again made headlines—he challenged and defeated a well-known senior expert, one who had even ranked on the Heroes List in his youth. Jiang Lianhuan’s name surged in popularity again.

She vaguely recalled that Jiang Lianhuan had indeed beaten a senior before, but that alone didn’t justify a top spot on the Heroes List. What really made him famous was something else entirely… though it was unclear when he’d act.

Time was tight. Despite the major blunder last night, Hua Rongyue had to go on again tonight.

…

At 4 p.m., Hua Rongyue returned to the inn right on time. Inside, everyone was still busy.

It was quite the coincidence.

She went back to her room to change out of her clothes that now reeked of steamed buns. When she came out, she suddenly spotted a short and oddly-featured man standing in the corridor.

She stopped in her tracks.

The man was likely from the Six Doors (a governmental law enforcement agency), or he wouldn’t have been allowed in this area of the inn. His face matched his strange aura—short stature, eyes unusually close together, slightly upward-tilted eyebrows—not the face of a good person.

But he had money. With just one glance, Hua Rongyue could tell from his clothes, accessories, and even his cologne that he was a rich man.

“You’re out,” the short man said with a squinty smile. “I’m Xing Hongming. Just call me Brother Hongming.”

“Brother… Hongming,” Hua Rongyue said cautiously.

Xing Hongming’s face crinkled with a wide grin. Hua Rongyue stood nearby, feeling something was off about this guy. She wanted to see what trick he had up his sleeve.

She wasn’t worried though. He was barely 1.6 meters tall and looked much smaller than her. Next to him, Hua Rongyue seemed almost towering.

“Not bad,” Xing Hongming said, sizing her up. Hua Rongyue waited to see what would happen next. This kind of situation was new for Yi Linglong’s perspective.

It felt strange—yet thrilling?

Sure enough, Xing Hongming said, “I forge blades. Also dabble in some… unusual medicine. Ever heard of me?”

There were plenty of eccentrics in the Six Doors—blacksmiths, herbalists, and more.

From what Hua Rongyue knew, the most famous blade-forger in the Six Doors was a woman, not this little old man.

“I’ve forged weapons for many here. I heard you look nice and have a good temper, but you’ve offended quite a few people.” Xing Hongming chuckled. “Your blade isn’t great, but do you want it sharper… or duller?”

“I want mine sharper—and those coming for me duller,” Hua Rongyue replied calmly.

“Smart. I like smart people.” Xing Hongming clapped her shoulder, lingering a moment too long. “If you’ve got nothing tonight, drink with me. I’ve been bored every evening.”

“Sorry, I’m busy tonight.” Hua Rongyue subtly pulled away and replied coolly.

Xing Hongming’s face turned cold in an instant. He stared and said, “Huh. You look friendly but got a stubborn streak, huh?”

“Sorry, Brother Hongming,” she repeated.

“Don’t be too stubborn, kid. Stubbornness gets you killed.”

“I think I’m just fine,” Hua Rongyue said. “Please excuse me.”

Xing Hongming looked at her for a moment. Hua Rongyue wondered what he might do next. According to Yi Linglong’s memories of how the Tianyi Tower operated, things might get violent soon… But to her surprise, Xing Hongming suddenly dropped the cold act.

He quickly pulled out a small bottle of green liquid and handed it over. “You’ll need this tonight. It’s an antidote. Drink it before you go—it lasts for 24 hours.”

This sudden turnaround made Hua Rongyue uneasy. The green liquid looked especially suspicious. Xing Hongming rolled his eyes at her hesitation. “If you don’t trust it, swap with someone else. You’re not the only one getting it. You better take it—if I release poison tonight, you might go in alive and come out dead.”

She took the bottle. Xing Hongming left without saying more. Once he was gone, Hua Rongyue sniffed the contents.

Bovine gallstone, mountain sophora, licorice… Yep, a genuine detoxifying mix. Even if it wasn’t, she wasn’t too worried—Tianyi Tower assassins were trained in antidotes from childhood. They weren’t immune to all poisons, but it was hard to kill them with one.

Still, better to be cautious, she thought. She didn’t swap the bottle, nor did she show alarm—just gathered more internal energy to guard herself in case of danger.

Poison masters are not to be provoked… though, well, she already had. But in the Six Doors, you shouldn’t spill secrets lightly—especially in ancient times when blame often fell on the wrong person.

As the saying goes, “Only speak three parts of what you know,” especially in this place where the martial world and bureaucracy intersect. Who knew what backing Xing Hongming had?

“He actually went to see him,” came a voice from Wang Lingchao’s room not long after. Hearing it, Wang Lingchao grinned.

“Is Xing Hongming crazy?” said the middle-aged man who once tried to intimidate Hua Rongyue. “That brat Hua Rongyue has backing. And no one even told Xing where he’s staying—who gave him that info?”

“I did,” Wang Lingchao said flatly.

The man paused, surprised. Wang Lingchao continued, “Makes no difference. He’s just a kept plaything. Who keeps him doesn’t matter.”

“Hah! That ‘plaything’ you call a kept man beat you yesterday,” the man sneered. “You don’t seriously think he’s just a pretty vase, do you? And what’s the point of involving that lecher Xing Hongming? What can he even do?”

“If I’m not mistaken…” Wang Lingchao said, “A few of Xing Hongming’s gadgets are going to be used the day after tomorrow?”

The man looked puzzled—then suddenly lit up with realization.

Meanwhile, by the banks of the Qinhuai River, a carriage pulled up. A refined young man stepped out, folding fan in hand. He looked nothing like a martial artist—except when he heard the name “Yi Linglong.”

This gentleman, named Wu Yan, paused and turned to someone on the shore.
“When did Yi Linglong arrive?” he asked.