Master of Nine Stars

「The next day, around noon.」

”So... so fast...” In the dorm room, Rong Taotao sat at his desk, murmuring under his breath. He could feel a constant stream of ice-attribute Soul Power from the world around him surging into his body.

’Holy shit, this Lotus Petal... Holy shit, this Lotus Petal!?’

”I’ve advanced! Late-Stage Soul Soldier!”

Rong Taotao’s face lit up with joy. ’This feels amazing...’

’As expected of the Snow Realm Treasure! You’re not a Sinful Lotus at all. How could you possibly be sinful?’

”Keep it down.” On the opposite bed, Si Huan Nian, who had been soundly napping, slowly rolled over and muttered.

’Ugh. So annoying.’

Rong Taotao felt completely resigned. Sure, Si Huan Nian was incredibly strong, but she had just as many quirks.

It wasn’t just Rong Taotao. Even the other Little Souls living and studying in the Martial Arts Hall barely dared to breathe during rest periods.

’Shilou and Shilan are nothing when it comes to campus bullying. Si Huan Nian is the real tyrant!’

However, Si Huan Nian’s rules had clear boundaries. During nap time, she only demanded silence inside the Martial Arts Hall. She never made any demands of the students sparring enthusiastically in the outdoor training grounds.

Of course, after 10:30 PM, everything had to be dead silent, both inside the hall and out. You’d better make sure even your breathing was quiet.

Rong Taotao stared resentfully at Si Huan Nian, who was sleeping soundly on her side. He felt that the word ”tyrant” wasn’t nearly enough to describe her sins.

’What kind of college student doesn’t stay up playing games until the wee hours and wake up at 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon?’

But Si Huan Nian’s presence forced a group of extremely energetic 15- and 16-year-olds into an early retirement lifestyle, with a daily routine that was absurdly regular and healthy...

However, there was one upside. The regular schedule disciplined the lives of the Junior Class students. Everyone woke up to train at 4:00 AM and went to sleep at 10:30 PM, without exception.

There was no roughhousing between classes, and the hallways were always quiet. ’Even a military barracks couldn’t be stricter than this, right?’

Of course, the Martial Arts Hall didn’t have a nighttime assembly whistle. If anyone dared to pull a stunt like an emergency nighttime drill, the students wouldn’t even have to complain; Si Huan Nian would probably be the first one to rush out and slaughter the person who blew the whistle...

”Stop staring at me and go to sleep too,” Si Huan Nian said suddenly, startling Rong Taotao.

’Does this chick have eyes in the back of her head?’

Rong Taotao hesitated for a moment before timidly refusing, ”I’m not 16 yet. You can’t force me to take a nap.”

Si Huan Nian turned around, tilting her head to look at Rong Taotao. ”The Lotus Petal inside you is diverting some of your body’s energy and nutrients. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can forget about growing any taller.”

Rong Taotao: !!!

”Heh.” Seeing Rong Taotao’s dumbfounded expression, Si Huan Nian couldn’t help but chuckle before closing her eyes again.

Rong Taotao asked dumbly, ”Are you sleeping to grow taller? You’re already 27. Can you still grow?”

Si Huan Nian’s eyes flew open, and she shot upright in bed. ”You little brat, you’re getting bold!”

’Do all women, no matter how young, think they’re old?’

”Hey, Coach Si, calm down...” Rong Taotao scrambled to his feet in fright, backing away until he was sitting on his bed. Before him, an enraged Si Huan Nian was striding toward him.

Across the hall, in a dorm room on the other side, three students who also couldn’t sleep were cultivating their Soul Power when they heard Rong Taotao’s shouts: ”Hey, gently, Coach Si, that hurts...”

Si Huan Nian: ”Shut up!”

Jiao Tengda and Li Ziyi opened their eyes, staring at each other in dumbfounded astonishment.

CLICK.

The door to the girls’ dorm suddenly cracked open. Sun Xingyu, with her big, beautiful eyes, curiously peeked her head out. Seeing the empty hallway, she pouted and closed the door after a moment.

Her gossip-loving heart was never at rest.

”What happened?” Shi Lan, lying on the top bunk, hurriedly poked her head over the edge to ask.

Sun Xingyu silently shook her head and sat down on her chair, looking as if life had lost all meaning. She muttered something like, ”Missed it,” ”Missed it again...”

...

In the afternoon, when the students headed out for class, they saw Rong Taotao standing in the hallway as punishment.

Lu Mang shot Rong Taotao a pitying glance, hugged his ’Chinese Language’ textbook tighter, and hurried past Rong Taotao’s doorway without a second look, rushing off to class.

Sun Xingyu, however, stuffed her phone into Rong Taotao’s pocket before heading to class.

Rong Taotao was puzzled. ’Why’d she give me her phone?’

A few minutes later, in the ”Fruit Salad” group chat, Li Zi spoke: ”Tao’Er, what happened at noon~”

That tone, that tilde... it was obviously Sun Xingyu sending a message from Li Ziyi’s phone.

Rong Taotao thought for a moment, his fingers tapping continuously on the screen.

Xing’Er: ”Li Zi, let’s break up. I don’t love you anymore.”

Little Pomegranate: ”Screenshot.”

Xing’Er: ”I’m beautiful, I have a sweet voice, and a great personality. I’m not the kind of woman a mere mortal like you can have.”

Banana: ”Already posted to the school forums. Keep it coming.”

BANG!

The classroom door was suddenly thrown open, and Sun Xingyu, with fire in her eyes, charged toward Keyboard Tao’Er, who was standing punishment by the door on the east side of the staircase.

Rong Taotao quickly threw the phone back to her. Sun Xingyu not only caught it, but her short little legs... flew up in a kick!

’Dodge!’

”Heh.” A soft chuckle suddenly came from the top of the stairs.

Sun Xingyu was glaring at Rong Taotao with her cheeks puffed out in anger. Hearing the chuckle, she quickly turned around, her face blushing as she said, ”H-Hello, Coach Yang!”

”Mm, go on to class,” Yang Chunxi said with a smile.

”Oh.” Sun Xingyu nodded dejectedly, but couldn’t resist shooting Rong Taotao a glare before turning and heading to the classroom.

Yang Chunxi walked up the stairs, and following behind her was a tall figure.

Rong Taotao couldn’t help but blink his eyes hard.

’Rong Yang!?’

He saw that Rong Yang had a rather complex expression, but his eyes mostly revealed concern. He stood at the top of the stairs, looking Rong Taotao up and down.

”Let’s go. We’ll find a place to chat,” Yang Chunxi said, seeming to sense that the atmosphere was a little off.

Rong Taotao scratched his head. ”Ah, I’m standing here as punishment.”

Yang Chunxi: ”Did you make Coach Si angry?”

Rong Taotao gave a cheeky grin. ”Hehe, I disturbed her afternoon nap.”

”Go on.” Si Huan Nian’s lazy voice suddenly came from behind the dorm room door. Clearly, she was showing deference to Yang Chunxi.

Rong Taotao stepped forward, and Rong Yang reached out, putting an arm around Rong Taotao’s shoulder and giving him a gentle hug.

’Finally, a Soul Martial Artist who’s aware of their own strength!’

Ever since waking up in the hospital ward and having his hand nearly crushed by Yang Chunxi, Rong Taotao had been a little traumatized by Soul Martial Artists of her caliber.

He wasn’t afraid of Si Huan Nian’s punishments, since she knew how to hold back, but he was afraid of those excited reactions born from deep affection.

”It’s only been four months. You’re making progress, visiting me more and more often,” Rong Taotao said, bumping Rong Yang with his shoulder and looking up at his brother’s complex expression.

To be honest, if Rong Taotao had thrown a little tantrum or complained about his grievances, Rong Yang might have felt a little better. But Rong Taotao...

”How’s Mom? The teachers at school don’t have any news from outside the three walls,” Rong Taotao suddenly asked.

”I’m not sure either, but she should be fine.” Rong Yang’s voice was gentle as he said softly, ”The fighting in the north has stabilized. If something had happened to her, it would be difficult for things to be stable. So, she should be fine.”

”Oh, so you don’t have clearance to go outside the three walls either?” Rong Taotao looked disappointed. ”What’s your rank? Are you a Soul Captain or a Soul School?”

Rong Yang: ”It’s not related to strength. My squad’s operational area is not outside the three walls. Unless I receive a direct order from a superior, it’s impossible for me to get a pass to cross the Third Wall.”

Seizing the opening, Rong Taotao quickly asked, ”What squad are you in? What kind of work do you do? Can you tell me?”

Rong Yang thought for a moment, then began to speak as he led Rong Taotao downstairs with an arm around his shoulders, ”In this world, there’s a special class of Soul Martial criminals known as Poachers.”

Rong Taotao: ”I know about them!”

Rong Yang nodded. ”You can think of me as a kind of Soul Police within the Soul Martial Squads, the kind that hunts down Poachers.”

Hearing this, Rong Taotao nodded thoughtfully.

Rong Taotao knew very well that Rong Yang’s job couldn’t be that simple. His brother had probably just given him a rough outline.

If he were an ordinary ”Soul Police,” Rong Yang wouldn’t be this busy. And the criminals a so-called ”Squad Soul Police” hunts couldn’t possibly be the few riffraff that Rong Taotao encountered that night.

’Si Huan Nian once mentioned that many Poacher groups have grown into large-scale organizations. Maybe that’s what Rong Yang’s main job is?’

Changing the subject, Rong Yang’s complex expression gradually turned into one of admiration. ”It’s only been four months, but I heard from Chunxi that you’re already a Mid-Stage Soul Soldier.”

”Nope, nope, nope. It’s Late-Stage Soul Soldier, actually,” Rong Taotao said, showing a rare, childish side as he boasted.

”Late-Stage Soul Soldier? Just four months since you awakened?” Rong Yang’s face filled with delight as he exclaimed, ”Your Talent is indeed greater than mine.”

Rong Taotao suddenly beckoned with his hand.

A little curious, Rong Yang bent down and leaned in to listen.

Rong Taotao whispered, ”Forget about Talent. That Nine-Petaled Lotus is seriously amazing!”

”Language,” Yang Chunxi said suddenly from behind, placing a hand on Rong Taotao’s head.

Rong Taotao might not believe it if he were told, but during the month he was in a coma, it was Yang Chunxi who had cut his head of naturally curly hair.

”Advance to Soul Warrior as soon as you can and open your second-tier forehead Soul Slot. Then, I can always be with you,” Rong Yang said, taking a sparkling Soul Pearl from his pocket and pressing it into Rong Taotao’s hand.

Rong Taotao blinked. ’Never mind the information coming from my Inner Soul Map for a second,’ he thought. ’What did Rong Yang just say?’

’Always be with me? I’m losing my mind! Where have you been all this time?’

’I was planning on making a move on Da Wei soon! You have to stick with me now? Won’t that get in the way of my young love?’

”So there won’t be any secrets between us?” Rong Taotao said, subconsciously glancing at Yang Chunxi.

He really didn’t want to listen to his own brother and sister-in-law’s sweet talk. Dammit, Sun Xingyu and Li Ziyi were already enough. Rong Taotao couldn’t stomach any more public displays of affection.

Rong Yang shook his head. ”No, there are no mind-reading Spiritual Soul Skills in this world. We’ll just be able to communicate in real time.

From now on, if you run into any problems with your studies, difficulties in your training, or if you just need help, you can contact me anytime.”

Rong Taotao: ”So it’s like a satellite phone built into my head?”

Rong Yang: ”...”

’My foolish little brother, how could a precious Soul Pearl and Soul Skill like this possibly be compared to a satellite phone...’

’The functions of this Soul Skill go far beyond that!’