Little Pink Starfish

Things seemed unusually lively over at the Li Family Head’s place tonight… Yuan Yuanyuan wasn’t especially familiar with the route to the Li residence, but fortunately, she kept running into demons heading in that direction. She didn’t even have to think—she could just follow the scent trail they left behind.

The whole thing reminded her of vultures catching the scent of death. The speed and sheer presence of those demons were enough to make her uneasy.

Yuan left later than most… but somehow arrived earlier.

“Looks like the Li Head really was timing this precisely…” Yuan thought. Could he have been calculating her arrival down to the minute?

Maybe she was being a bit too casual about this. But honestly, with the current situation outside, even if she were in full battle gear, she still wouldn’t have wanted to come out.

This curse was seriously evil. Even while hiding underground, she could feel her whole body ache. She suddenly felt a pang of regret.
I should’ve brought more of those red curtains…

She had wrapped herself in one under her clothes, but she’d considered grabbing more before leaving. The problem was, the fabric was bulky and hard to hide.

Still, it was better than nothing. Her face was the only part completely exposed, and she wasn’t sure how much protection that curtain could offer. She didn’t dare cut it up to use as a veil either—it might be too valuable.

In the comic, the Li Head had clearly intended to force her to appear tonight. If Yuan chickened out because of the curse, then she’d essentially be admitting that the red-dressed woman was really Yuan… or rather, Yuan the Demon King.

If not for that red curtain, she might’ve really stayed hidden. But with it… well, she was still afraid—but not as much.

She figured this red fabric must be some sort of secret weapon of the tavern lady’s. It was always carefully stored, never handled by anyone else. Yuan suspected the Li Head had no idea about its existence—or maybe she just hoped he didn’t. If he did know… well, then she was screwed.

She hadn’t even cleaned up the mess when she left—red curtains scattered everywhere.
Sorry, tavern lady…

As she neared the Li residence, the crowd of demons grew enormous. Most were likely waiting for the red-dressed woman to appear. Yuan had to admit: the Li Head was impressive—he dared to play this game at such a grand scale. At least Yuan herself had never tried using a comic to call someone out directly.

It was gutsy. No one had ever done something like that before in the comic. It wasn’t just about strategy and guts—it also took nerve.

Just look at the demons gathered around. It took real guts to say something like that with so many potential enemies watching.

Yuan arrived—but didn’t show herself right away. Timing was everything. Appear too late, and the Li Head might “confirm” his suspicions and drop some shocking reveal. She wouldn’t put it past him. He was exactly the type to do that.

But if she appeared too early, it might seem too eager. That could also make her look suspicious.

In the end, it didn’t matter. He already suspected her. Better to face it head-on. If he was going to doubt her, he’d do it either way.

She had to show up in front of him, in the most perfect, composed state possible—to break his impression of her as someone weak. The calmer she acted, the more innocent she’d seem.

Only now did Yuan finally begin to suspect who’d been chasing the red-dressed woman this whole time.

If her guess was right… it was none other than the Li Head himself. That black-robed figure from that day? Probably him, too.

She hadn’t seen the Li Head in a while. She was curious—had he changed? Did he still look like the wrinkled, white-haired old man she first met?

The comic had shown him as young again…
So what does the youthful Li Head look like in person?

“Is the red-dressed woman really coming tonight?” two demons whispered overhead as they hovered. Yuan was using the chessboard technique to conceal herself. She was doing much better than last time—at least she wasn’t covered in bruises. The only problem was her face, which was completely exposed. She really hoped she wouldn’t get scarred.

“So many people here tonight… I just came out of curiosity, but damn.”

“Yeah… you think the person the Li Head’s talking about is…?”

“If it were easy to guess, it wouldn’t be a secret.”

Yuan glanced at them, expressionless.

If you’re so scared, why are you here acting excited?

Time ticked by. At 2 a.m.—the peak of demonic activity—the crowd had swelled to a massive size. And yet…

The Li residence had not dimmed its lights.

The house was brightly lit, front and back, yet the courtyard was eerily empty—as if someone was silently waiting.

As more and more demons murmured, Yuan realized—it was her cue.

She had no intention of being some kind of spectacle. So she bypassed the crowd, snuck into the courtyard, and appeared in the doorway.

The moment she revealed herself—the entire residence went dark.

It was like someone flipped a switch. From brilliant light to pitch-black, not even your hand in front of your face was visible.

A loud BANG! echoed through the yard. The two huge gates of the Li residence slammed shut as if blown by a ghostly wind.

Not all the demons outside saw the red-dressed woman. All they noticed was that the lanterns suddenly dimmed, and the mood shifted instantly. Only those with keen sight realized something had changed.

“What just happened?”

“Why did it suddenly go dark?”

Just seconds ago, the lit-up house had radiated warmth and festivity. Now, the atmosphere had turned bone-chilling. Some of the more timid demons even shivered.

Sure, demons were nocturnal… but this kind of entrance? Too theatrical.

In the rising confusion, someone finally caught on.

“Wait… did the red-dressed woman go inside?”

“She did?! When?”

“Right when the lights went out, I think.”

“Yeah! That’s gotta be it—she’s inside!”

Yuan stood at the center of the courtyard, taking it all in. Just moments ago, the place was aglow. Now, every single light was off.

Her eyes turned red in the darkness—reflexively—and her vision sharpened, capturing every detail.

The courtyard was ancient. Like something straight out of a horror movie.

It honestly felt like one of those scenes where a long-haired ghost might crawl out from a corner at any moment.

Yuan walked forward, calm and steady. Even though the courtyard was empty, her expression didn’t change. She wore a red veil. It didn’t offer much cover, but at least it would hide her face from the Li Head.

If any blood or bruises appeared, the veil would prevent others from seeing it.

Her glowing red eyes in the dark were terrifying. You couldn’t tell which was scarier: the haunted Li residence, or her.

“You summoned me here,” she said aloud as she ascended a narrow wooden staircase.
This time, she didn’t use the ghostly, high-pitched “Yuan” voice. Instead, she spoke like a mature woman—calm and cold.

Each step she took was deliberate. She was almost certain that the Li Head was watching her from somewhere.

She followed her instincts—where the curse hurt the most. She didn’t even need to search. Her body simply knew the way.

She passed through a hallway, circled a small garden, and arrived at a wooden house. Through the window, she could see a faint light glowing inside.

It looked just like the room from the comic.

Yuan narrowed her eyes, approached the door, and gently knocked.

“Since you’ve invited me here, why be such a poor host?”

The room fell silent for a beat.

Then—

A sudden gust of wind burst through the door, carrying a strange scent and a rush of heat.

It slammed into Yuan’s face—and the world spun. She blacked out.