Little Pink Starfish

It had already been over twenty minutes since the people from Six Doors and those on the flower boat had first clashed. But during this time, they hadn’t even managed a proper confrontation—because everyone’s attention was focused entirely on Hua Rongyue.

Hua Rongyue herself hadn’t expected things to go this way. She had originally planned to help the people on the flower boat today. Though she hadn’t succeeded, she had, by sheer accident, managed to draw everyone’s attention, both from Six Doors and the flower boat, toward herself.

At this point, Hua Rongyue wondered if she might as well roll with it—ruin the whole plan altogether. That had been her goal all along, after all.

The people on the flower boat had their own interpretations. Though they were mad, they weren’t so far gone as to attack someone who had come to help them—especially if that someone was Yi Linglong.

The so-called “lunatics” on the boat all paused, waiting to see what Hua Rongyue would do next. Though she was a newcomer, she carried a distinct identity—a fellow madperson.

In this, they shared a bizarre kind of language. Regardless of where you were from or what you’d done, as long as you were mad, they saw you as one of their own.

Hua Rongyue glanced at the flower boat residents—they looked like they were expecting her to make a move. She had no idea why she’d suddenly become the center of attention, but it didn’t feel like a good thing.

And now, she faced a real dilemma—was she supposed to help these people attack Six Doors and the ordinary folks?Just recently, she’d been preparing herself for the possibility of never returning to Six Doors or Baicaotang, maybe even living out her days here. She’d even imagined what that life might look like. She hadn’t expected things to come to this so soon.

In this moment, Hua Rongyue felt a bitter realization—people don’t always belong where they hide. You might think you’ve found a safe corner of the world, but the psychological toll can be devastating.

Just like now.

To be blunt, Hua Rongyue began to wonder if this was karma—the consequence of having underestimated the complexity of the situation.

All she wanted now was for everyone to stop killing innocent people. But trying to reason with these lunatics? She didn’t really understand how their minds worked. Originally, the group’s principles were sound—hide, live quietly, stay out of the way, and survive.

But of course, if you could reason with madmen, they wouldn’t be madmen.

Hua Rongyue had no idea how to explain any of this to them. Tell it to a normal person, and they’d immediately grasp the pros and cons. But to lunatics? Forget it.

Even if some of them were slightly more rational, the vast majority acted purely on impulse.

Just as a wave of frustration hit her, a voice spoke softly by her ear:

“Normal people have their ways of living… Mad people have theirs.”

…Hua Rongyue heard that voice with startling clarity—a voice that had been absent for some time.

Her “roommate,” Yi Linglong, had been quiet lately. Normally, Hua Rongyue preferred it that way.

She went quiet for a moment, then asked, “What are you trying to say?”

“Dealing with normal people requires strategy. Dealing with madmen? You don’t need strategy,” Yi Linglong said in her mind. “You just need to be stronger than them. Overwhelm them. Make them submit.”

Hua Rongyue paused. “Is that how you did things back at Tianyi Tower? Crush everyone beneath you until they rose up and killed you?”

“Are you mocking me?” Yi Linglong laughed. There was no anger in her voice—just a teasing tone.
“But let’s be honest—your ‘normal’ approach isn’t working so well either, is it?”

Hua Rongyue had no rebuttal.

That single line cut deep—straight through her heart.

At this point, Jiang Lianhuan had been blocked off by several others. He couldn’t get close to Hua Rongyue and was beginning to feel uneasy. He noticed that the hooded man had been standing still this whole time, face hidden beneath the cloak.

What now?

“If you really want to deal with madmen,” Yi Linglong said, “you need to stop trying to persuade them.”

“Fine,” Hua Rongyue echoed silently in her mind. “But how? They won’t listen to anything anymore.”

“Then force them. That’s how it works. People like you will never understand… Wanting them to stop? That’s such a cute wish.”

She laughed.

It was a loud, sharp, grating laugh.

“In your current state, do you really think that’s what you should be worrying about? But… fine.”

At this point, Hua Rongyue was in her worst state yet. Back when she’d just crossed over, she still thought she could live like a wandering hero. Now… she had fallen this far.

Jiang Lianhuan stared at the hooded man. The man still had his head bowed. Jiang Lianhuan was trying to guess what he was doing—why wasn’t he moving?

Then, suddenly—

He lifted his head.

And in that instant, the red in his eyes stunned Jiang Lianhuan.

Right then, Yi Linglong’s last word—“fine”—fell like a sigh into Hua Rongyue’s ears.

And the next second, Jiang Lianhuan felt something had been unleashed.

“Hua Rongyue” looked across the entire room.

Whether they were from Six Doors or the flower boat, everyone fell silent. They were suddenly alert to his gaze.

To his eyes, everyone below looked the same—weak, helpless, and unworthy of concern.

Jiang Lianhuan sensed something was wrong. In just a few minutes, this person seemed to have become even more dangerous.

Of course, that gaze wasn’t Hua Rongyue’s—it was Yi Linglong’s. In truth, Hua Rongyue had become a bystander, just like everyone else, silently watching Yi Linglong take over.

And now, she began to understand what Yi Linglong meant about dealing with “madmen.”

It was a bloody, survival-of-the-fittest world.

Back at Tianyi Tower, Yi Linglong’s temperament may have hastened her death. But here? It fit perfectly.

Hua Rongyue couldn’t say why, but it was like a gear had finally clicked into place.

Even in Tianyi Tower, Yi Linglong had been recognized as the true “Tower Master.” People could call her cruel or arrogant—but no one ever questioned her strength.

Absolute power didn’t work in a normal world; eventually, it would bring about backlash. But here, in a place already twisted beyond recognition, it fit perfectly.

Because this world was made of blood.

A chilling killing intent surged out of Hua Rongyue.

The people below began to stop fighting.

The flower boat residents sensed the shift far quicker than Six Doors. It was like how animals sense predators—an instinctual fear.

Jiang Lianhuan watched the hooded man lift his head again—but now the feeling was different. A moment ago, he was like a snake lying in wait.

Now?

He was a snake poised to strike.

Fangs bared, threatening everyone around him.

Standing high above, looking down, people still fought below. Despite Six Doors’ efforts, innocent people were still getting hurt. Just as Hua Rongyue raised her head, she saw several flower boat women chasing a portly man.

That man, once a predator, was now the prey—being hunted by the very beauties he once tried to seduce.

Cornered, gasping for breath, he suddenly heard a cold voice behind him:

“Let go.”

He turned—and the two women chasing him had been blocked by a figure in purple, face hidden beneath a hood.

That man stood there with a casual ease, raising just one hand.

The portly man recognized him immediately—the man from earlier, so striking, so unforgettable. At first stunned, his face lit up in joy. An ally!

He looked up, grateful—

And then saw that flower-like smile.

He froze.

And then darkness.

In Hua Rongyue’s ears, Yi Linglong sighed.

“This is how you talk to madmen,” she said calmly.