Little Pink Starfish

The Princess Says: Grab Your Weapons

Everyone waited all the way until nearly noon the next day, and still, there was no sign of Jiang Zhuojun and his group. At this point, not only were the Jiang clansmen feeling uneasy—even Yu Xiaoxiao’s group was growing anxious.

“Something must have happened,” the chief muttered.

Yu Xiaoxiao glanced at the still-raging wind and snow outside the cave and said to Gu Xinglang, “I’m going to Bodhi Temple to check things out.”

Gu Xinglang looked into the cave. They couldn’t just go to check—they would also have to bring the four poisoned boys along. If they died while waiting, then what good would the antidote be, even if Jiang Zhuojun got it? But could the boys even survive the bitter cold and rough journey?

Just as the anxiety was peaking, the old Daoist returned—covered in snow, not injured, but clearly frozen and exhausted.

“What happened?” Gu Xinglang could tell from the Daoist’s condition that the news wasn’t good.

Shivering, the old Daoist said, “Jing Shi detained Jiang Zhuojun and the others.”

“Detained?” Gu Xinglang asked quietly. “Because of the phoenix?”

“No,” the Daoist said. “I was outside the main hall and overheard the monks saying that it was a Red Jade Phoenix.”

“So those bastards are going back on their word?” Yu Xiaoxiao said.

The Daoist said, “Jiang Zhuojun is skilled. Without him, I wouldn’t have escaped. Princess, Prince Consort, they’re planning to send Jiang Zhuojun to Yongsheng Temple.”

“What about the antidote?” Madam Liu rushed up to Tian Xingzi and shouted.

The Daoist looked at the red-eyed, haggard woman. We already fought to get out—how could she think I came back with the antidote?

“How’s my brother?” Jiang Yueniang asked urgently as she hobbled forward with a thick branch for a crutch.

The Daoist was somewhat relieved that someone remembered to ask about the five men themselves. “Injured,” he said. “But since Jing Shi intends to send your brother to Yongsheng Temple, they won’t kill him—at least for now.”

“What does Mo Wen want with Jiang Zhuojun?” Gu Xinglang asked softly.

The Daoist glanced at him. If I could sense Jiang Zhuojun’s Seven Kill fate, then Mo Wen surely can as well.

“Well?” Yu Xiaoxiao urged.

“I don’t know,” the Daoist said, shaking his head. Now was not the time to talk about that.

Xiao Wei asked, “So… we can’t save the four children?”

The cave fell into heavy silence.

“Wenze!”

A woman’s heart-wrenching scream echoed from deeper within the cave.

Madam Liu’s expression changed drastically. She turned and stumbled toward the sound.

No one needed to check. From that scream alone, they all knew—little Jiang Wenze hadn’t made it. The poison had taken him.

Yu Xiaoxiao clenched her fists and stared into the blizzard outside. Her gaze turned icy. This world had no zombies, but it still had humans who didn’t care if others lived or died—just like the man she’d once called “Dead Dog” said before their world ended: humans didn’t need monsters to lose their humanity.

“What now?” Miss Qian asked.

“Grab your weapons,” Yu Xiaoxiao said coldly. “We’re going to Bodhi Temple.”

The moment they heard her, the former pirates hoisted their blades and followed her out of the cave.

Gu Xinglang stopped Miss Qian before she could join them. “Miss Qian, stay here.”

Miss Qian frowned. “Why should I stay?” Was the prince consort looking down on her skills?

“Xiao Zhuang stays too,” Gu Xinglang added, calling him back. “You both stay and guard this place—watch over everyone and the birthday gifts.”

Xiao Zhuang nodded solemnly. “Yes.”

“Be careful of the Jiang clan,” Gu Xinglang whispered to them. “Protect Granny Wang and the others.”

Miss Qian thought of how the Jiang family had treated Jiang Zhuojun and his sister yesterday. She nodded seriously. Someone definitely needed to stay behind and keep watch—there weren’t many decent people in that family.

Yu Xiaoxiao’s group reached the summit of Mount Taichang, where the wind was so fierce the former pirates could barely keep their eyes open.

Xiao Wei ran ahead and knocked on the monastery gates.

From within came the sound of temple drums—but no one answered the door.

The chief looked up at the towering walls and muttered, “Why does a monastery need walls this high? Four, five meters at least?”

The walls were sheer and topped with long icicles, like mountain cliffs.

“How are we supposed to get over that?” the second-in-command asked.

“Princess,” the chief said, “would fire work in this weather?”

Yu Xiaoxiao, stone-faced, walked up to the gates and said to Xiao Wei, “No need to knock. I’ve got it.”

Xiao Wei quickly stepped aside.

Yu Xiaoxiao raised her leg—and kicked.

The heavy mountain gate flew off its hinges, spun through the air, and smashed into the roof of the main Buddha Hall, collapsing it instantly.

Yu Xiaoxiao strode into Bodhi Temple, with Gu Xinglang close behind. The first thing they saw was a massive bodhi tree, its canopy as wide as an umbrella.

The old Daoist, now with a coat wrapped around his head, hurried over and said, “That’s the temple’s sacred treasure—a thousand-year-old bodhi tree.”

At that moment, the massive gates crashed down onto the Buddha Hall’s roof again, smashing the entire structure.

“Charge!” the chief roared, blade in hand, leading his men into the temple.

Yu Xiaoxiao said to the Daoist, “Take me to Jing Shi.”

The old man nodded. Following her now? That he was happy to do—his personal safety was guaranteed.

“I’ll find Jiang Zhuojun,” Gu Xinglang said. “Be careful.”

“Mhm,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied. “Take Xiao Wei with you.”

The Daoist pointed them to the southeast corner. “There are prison cells over there—if they’ve locked him up, it’s likely there.”

Gu Xinglang and Xiao Wei headed in that direction.

Yu Xiaoxiao glanced at the ancient bodhi tree. She had half a mind to destroy it just to make the temple’s monks cough blood. But then she paused. A tree that had lived a thousand years… was it really right to destroy it?

The Daoist noticed her hesitation and said, “Princess, don’t take it out on the tree. All things in this world have their fated lifespans. A thousand years have given this tree a soul. Destroying it would damage your good karma.”

Yu Xiaoxiao asked, “What’s good karma?”

“Blessings,” the Daoist replied.

Heh.

Yu Xiaoxiao smiled coldly. She’d died with a horde of zombies in her last life, not even knowing if her comrades had been saved. Now she was stuck living again in place of a cruel, doomed empress. What “blessings” did she have?

Sounds of shouting and battle echoed through the temple.

Yu Xiaoxiao looked at the collapsed Buddha Hall and then at a nearby boulder. She walked up, kicked it—

The massive rock soared into the hall and crashed into one of the central columns, knocking it clean over.

The Daoist stood beside her, staring at the crumbling temple. In the blink of an eye, the grand Buddha Hall had become rubble.

He suddenly thought: Jing Shi of Bodhi Temple is an idiot. Of all the people he could’ve provoked, he had to anger this little monster?