Master of Nine Stars

’Damn it. In this world that’s all about looks, did I actually fall for it too?’

’No, no, no...’

Rong Taotao thought to himself, ’It must be because Wanqi Wu is so goal-oriented and resolute. He’s my kind of person, which is why I can’t bring myself to hate him.’

’Yeah, that must be it.’

Dai Liunian’s voice continued, ”The national competition is packed with experts. It’s good to be confident, but you must never underestimate your opponents.”

”Of course,” the sister, Wanqi Yan, suddenly spoke up, her smile sweet. ”You hear my brother making bold claims, but we take this very seriously behind the scenes. The two of us have put in a ton of work, staying up all night studying our opponents. It’s been exhausting.”

”Is that so?” Dai Liunian asked, his interest piqued. ”Is there anyone you two are keeping a particularly close eye on? Which opponents do you think will give you some trouble?”

Wanqi Wu answered, ”Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei. The two Warriors from the Snow Realm.”

”Oh?” Dai Liunian’s voice grew excited, his pitch rising as if he’d discovered something fascinating. ”Magma Soul Martial Artists, and the main opponents you’re studying are Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists? But you’re their hard counter.”

Wanqi Wu shook his head. ”Rong Taotao isn’t a Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist. He’s a rare Cloud Peak Soul Martial Artist who just happens to train in Snow Realm Soul Techniques.

”Besides, I’ve looked at the files on many teams, and I find it very difficult to see those two as just another pair of opponents in the competition.”

Dai Liunian asked, ”What do you mean, ’can’t see them as opponents in the competition’?”

Wanqi Wu said, ”They are Warriors. Just like me.

”I’ve watched all of their matches. You can’t treat them like student competitors. Therefore, my own approach to battle has to transcend the simple concept of ’winning and losing’.

”In this world, not everyone has earned the right to fight with their life on the line. And you can’t just reach a desired state by thinking you can cast everything aside and go berserk.

”The quality of a true Warrior is forged from the inside out. It requires the right environment, time, and, most importantly, experience.

”Unlike most people, I don’t think they’re crazy. I don’t even see it as them putting everything on the line. I simply believe that kind of battle... is their normal state.

”When you have a goal, things like victory, defeat, life, and death don’t matter. It all becomes very simple. There is only the objective, pure and simple.”

Upon hearing this, Dai Liunian fell into a thoughtful silence.

Wanqi Yan, however, just smiled, her expression as sweet and charming as ever. ”Coincidentally, we have a goal too. The championship.”

As Wanqi Yan finished speaking, the scene on the television screen suddenly transitioned.

During the brief transition, Dai Liunian’s smooth voiceover played. ”The siblings, Wanqi Wu and Wanqi Yan, are widely considered by the public to be strong contenders for the championship. So, who are these opponents that have captured their full attention?”

’Jeez, is this an episode of A Bite of Huaxia?’

It was supposed to be a Soul Martial program, but Rong Taotao could swear he heard the cadence of a Huaxian food documentary in Dai Liunian’s voice.

And as Dai Liunian’s voiceover faded, Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei appeared on the screen.

When the camera cut to them, they weren’t even ready.

Rong Taotao was looking around curiously, apparently trying to figure out which was the main camera.

Meanwhile, Gao Lingwei was holding the crewneck collar of Rong Taotao’s white cashmere sweater, clipping a lavalier microphone to it.

Afterward, Gao Lingwei reached out and straightened Rong Taotao’s head of soft, naturally curly hair. The scene flashed, and when it cut back, the two of them were seated properly in their chairs.

Dai Liunian said, ”Congratulations on your excellent result of first place in the Outer Region Ranking Tournament, Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao.”

Onscreen, Gao Lingwei gave a slight nod, while Rong Taotao grinned and gave a thumbs-up.

CRUNCH. Back in the hotel room, Rong Taotao, sitting on the sofa, took a vicious bite of a fried chicken leg. ”That’s the Melted Radiance Army from the great northwest for you,” he said. ”The competition hasn’t even started, and they’re already putting Da Wei and me on the spot.”

Who doesn’t like hearing compliments?

But when those words come from an opponent, especially an incredibly powerful one, it’s not so fun anymore...

Comparatively, Rong Taotao would have preferred it if the Wanqi siblings had been utterly contemptuous of him, or better yet, had completely ignored him and not mentioned him at all.

Gao Lingwei tossed a chicken bone into the trash can and casually pulled out a napkin. ”I agree. That was excessive praise.”

Nearby, Xia Fangran, who had been silently playing on his phone, suddenly spoke up. ”Their description was based on your performance in the matches three months ago.”

”But now? It’s not an exaggeration. Not in the slightest.”

Rong Taotao was frustrated. ”This is a real headache... Ugh. Being in the spotlight is not a good thing. I’d rather fly under the radar and make a quiet killing. Great. Now isn’t everyone going to be extra careful when they fight us?”

”Heh,” Yang Chunxi chuckled. ”Your mindset is still stuck back before the Outer League.”

Rong Taotao went, ”Huh?”

Yang Chunxi explained, ”Even without the siblings’ comments, any opponent would be on their highest alert and give you their utmost attention.

”After the Outer League finals, who would dare to underestimate you? They will inevitably treat the two of you with extreme seriousness.”

”Uh...” Rong Taotao fiddled with the greasy paper ball in his hand and grimaced. ”Fine, I guess.”

Yang Chunxi’s tone was both encouraging and comforting. ”There are 56 pairs of contestants in total. As long as you make it into the top eight, you’ll qualify to represent Huaxia in the World Cup.

”In other words, just like in the Outer League, you only need to win three matches to advance to the next stage.

”And once you’ve entered the next stage, you’ll have plenty of time to train and grow.

”During the Outer League, most people either didn’t take you seriously or didn’t know much about you. But at this stage, you two clearly can’t rely on the element of surprise anymore. Everyone knows who you are.

”Everyone will be making the top team from each major tournament region their primary subject of study. Competing under these circumstances is obviously a huge disadvantage for you.

”So, you can adjust your mindset accordingly. As long as you make it to the top eight, you can consider your mission accomplished. You can relax a little.”

”I beg to differ!” Xia Fangran put down his phone, his philosophy clearly clashing with Yang Chunxi’s. ”These two kids tempered themselves in the Corpse Tide for a full three months. In that time, they’ve probably faced more enemies and fought more battles than an ordinary Soul Martial Artist does in their entire lifetime.

”Of course their goals should be higher. Otherwise, it would be a disservice to Gorge 0 and to the souls of the tens of thousands of Snow Corpses and Ghosts they fought.”

Yang Chunxi was speechless.

Rong Taotao looked at Xia Fangran in astonishment. ”Well, this is a surprise, Coach Xia. You actually know how to praise people?”

”Of course I’m praising you! I have to!” Xia Fangran sneered. ”I’ve got to pump you two up. If you don’t get cocky, how am I supposed to mock you when you fail?”

Rong Taotao: ???

Gao Lingwei was silent.

’So, you’re a Xia Qian Ceng too, huh?’

As he spoke, Xia Fangran picked up his phone again, looking down and fiddling with it while muttering, ”Damn it. It’s not always a good thing when your students are too outstanding. Takes all the fun out of coaching.”

A look of exasperation crossed Yang Chunxi’s face. ”Stop ’praising’ them, Coach Xia. This is a time for us to present a united front.”

”You’re just too soft-hearted. What does one competition matter?” Xia Fangran muttered under his breath. ”Wouldn’t they gain more from taking a hit and suffering a setback than they would from winning the championship?”

Back on the television, Dai Liunian’s voice could be heard asking a question. ”The national competition is filled with experts, all top-tier students who have passed through rigorous selection in their respective tournament regions. Rong Taotao, which teams do you think will cause you trouble? Are there any you’re keeping a close eye on?”

Rong Taotao’s voice came from the interview. ”I can’t say, I can’t say. The competition’s about to start. I can’t let them get their guard up.”

Dai Liunian pressed, ”Just a little hint is fine. One team would be enough.”

Rong Taotao chuckled. ”Heh, I’m not telling.”

Dai Liunian seemed to have thought of something incredible and asked, stunned, ”You don’t mean... hmm, you haven’t actually researched the contestants from the other tournament regions at all, have you?”

Beside him, Gao Lingwei’s voice cut in. ”We focus more on our own strength than on our opponents.”

Dai Liunian was left speechless.

To anyone listening, that statement might have sounded a bit Arrogant.

But Gao Lingwei was telling the plain truth.

After three months of training in the gorge, they had returned to school two weeks before the competition. Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao had been ”calming their minds” ever since. They truly couldn’t afford to worry about anyone else; all they could do was ”calm their minds” by frantically writing in the small grove...

On the sofa, Xia Fangran looked up from his phone and stared, dumbfounded, at Gao Lingwei. ”Tsk, tsk... one’s more Arrogant than the other. Hahahaha...”