Little Pink Starfish

That black figure looked extremely thin, much thinner than Faning.

Miss Li moved toward that figure, her footsteps quickening, and Faning closely followed behind, worried something might happen to her.

But just after rounding a corner, the figure had already disappeared—moving with remarkable speed.

Crouching behind, Faning had also seen the figure and was very curious about what exactly Miss Li had seen to make her leave so quickly. He too had caught a glimpse of the shadow, and besides thinking “What the hell! Who was that? So skinny like a stick!” he hadn’t gotten much else.

Miss Li and Faning couldn’t clearly see who that person was, so after a brief chase, they had to stop.

Meanwhile, the one who had hurried past was Yuan Yuanyuan. She was now rushing toward the front yard, eager to see what the Li Family Patriarch was doing and what had just happened. But before she could get there, she heard a painful moan.

Yuan Yuanyuan immediately burrowed underground again, afraid to show herself, and could only listen in secret.

She faintly sensed a light scent of blood in the air above. She didn’t know where it was coming from, but it made her feel deeply uneasy.

On the surface, a demon lay sprawled on the ground, a sword embedded in its belly.

Beside it stood the cold-faced Li Patriarch. He glanced around at the silent crowd—everyone held their breath, too afraid to speak.

“Does anyone else have questions?” the Li Patriarch asked. Yuan Yuanyuan, hiding below and using a listening technique, could hear the chaotic heartbeats above, which filled her with confusion.

What was wrong with this old man… Had he gone mad or eaten something bad?

Though she didn’t understand exactly what was going on, she instinctively felt very uncomfortable about the Li Patriarch’s earlier words.

What did he mean by, “One traitor is enough with Yuan”? He said it like Seventeen was the poster boy for betrayal.

While the narrative that Yuan had betrayed them was becoming less common, it hadn’t disappeared.

It still lingered among the demon community—especially among the Li Patriarch’s faction—who still called Yuan a traitor. Yuan Yuanyuan had even heard some customers say similar things at the tavern, though no one acknowledged it out loud.

Yuan Yuanyuan was tempted several times to reveal herself but ultimately held back. This was enemy territory, and she was alone—if she showed herself, she wouldn’t gain anything.

She stayed hidden and listened for a while longer. She got the sense that this demon had some kind of weakness being held over them by the Li Patriarch.

She didn’t know what exactly it was, but in this situation, even if she showed up, it would do no good.

Yuan Yuanyuan quickly assessed the situation and, very calmly, began retreating.

She figured playing it safe was the better choice. Not knowing the full picture, she should avoid making rash moves.

But not everyone shared her caution—like Miss Li outside.

She looked at Faning and suddenly asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be good at fighting?”

“Huh?” Faning blinked. “I’m… average…”

“Can you beat my father?” Miss Li asked.

“…” Faning didn’t reply. The last time in the comic, it was pretty clear: at best, they’d be evenly matched.

And that was under ideal conditions. Normally, he’d be the one getting beaten into the ground.

“Tch.” Miss Li scoffed coldly and turned to leave. Faning quickly followed her again.

The two walked farther and farther away. Faning actually wanted to stop her and urge her to return. Since she didn’t want to run, he couldn’t force her. But it was best if she went back—it was still her wedding day. With the bride gone, chaos was sure to erupt. Even though things had escalated to this point, Faning could tell the focus of the wedding had never really been on the bride or groom.

If the bride disappeared, Faning didn’t know how the Li Patriarch would react. While he was debating this, the bride had already led him to a small old tree out back.

She opened a well beneath the tree and pointed inside. “You can get out through here. Go. And don’t come back.”

“…Huh?” Faning was stunned, not sure what she meant. The next moment, she kicked him toward the well’s edge.

“Wait, what about you?” Faning asked, glancing back at her as she pushed him hard. “Go. If you wait, you won’t be able to leave.”

“What about you?”

“He won’t do anything to me,” she said with a cold laugh. “I’m his only child.”

She closed the well cover, dusted off her hands, and turned back toward the wedding hall—though she didn’t plan to go in right away.

Back in the hall, the guests were gradually forming a consensus. Though Yuan Yuanyuan didn’t know the full details, it seemed like the Li Patriarch had already succeeded in his goal.

She couldn’t stay any longer. Yuan Yuanyuan thought about heading back to discuss things with the boss lady. Luckily, she had been kicked over here today; otherwise, she would’ve only found out after the next comic issue.

Yuan Yuanyuan slipped back out the way she came. Just as she was leaving, Miss Li glanced back at the ceremonial hall.

Yuan Yuanyuan dashed home. She didn’t even stop to get a drink before recounting everything to the boss lady.

“How could something like this happen?” The boss’s expression turned serious and she got up immediately. From here on, it wasn’t Yuan Yuanyuan’s business. She could only sit in the tavern, full of worry.

The next comic issue would be out in three days. Yuan Yuanyuan had at least bought them some time. Maybe it wouldn’t help much, but it was better than nothing.

When the issue dropped, Yuan Yuanyuan was already prepared. Even though she knew what would be in it, she dove in the moment it updated.

Sure enough, the comic covered what she had overheard while hiding underground.

Seeing the demon on the ground with a sword through its belly, she thought, “Ah, so that smell of blood wasn’t my imagination after all…”

At the same time, Faning was reading the comic too. He noticed that the Li Patriarch’s daughter didn’t appear at all. Neither her early departure nor the scene with Faning had been included.

Faning actually felt a bit relieved—it meant she wouldn’t get in trouble for helping him. But as he read, his brow furrowed.

Though the Li Patriarch had clearly been coercing the other demons, the comic barely depicted that aspect.

Jiuqiu seemed to have deliberately skipped over the “joining the pirate ship” part—making it look like everyone was already onboard from the start. The ship looked grand and imposing, enough to impress plenty of readers.

What unsettled Faning the most was the comic’s portrayal of Yuan. Previously, things had been improving—some demons were beginning to support Yuan. While not universally accepted, it was progress.

But this issue abruptly broke that trend, pushing Yuan back into a precarious position.

Among readers, Yuan was still seen as a god-tier figure. But real demons and exorcists saw him differently—they weren’t unanimously supportive.

Humans feared him and his brutal battlefield record. Demons resented him for disrupting the long-standing rules of their society.

Yuan was caught in between.

Whether in the comic or in real life, the divisions were stark. Readers adored him; people in the real world despised him.

It was strange, wasn’t it?

Yuan Yuanyuan noticed all this too. She sat in the tavern, venting to the boss about Jiuqiu’s wild decisions.

“No matter what… we’ll just have to take it one step at a time,” the boss lady said in the end.