Master of Nine Stars

Put it on for me to see?

’Does Captain Fu have some kind of warped sense of humor?’

Rong Taotao picked up the black, horrifying version of the Pengpeng mask and put it on. He couldn’t help but feel that the two front tusks were getting in the way.

Fu Tiance glanced at Rong Taotao, feeling a sense of disdain. The mask was ferocious and terrifying, but the eyes behind the eyeholes lacked any real imposing aura.

But when he saw Gao Lingwei put on her dog-head mask, his satisfaction grew considerably.

’Excellent!’

’Fierce! Sharp! Absolutely radiating danger!’

’Now *that’s* the kind of presence a soldier from a Snow Burning Army special unit should have!’

Gazing at the sharp eyes behind that wolf-like mask, Fu Tiance found himself momentarily lost in thought.

’Gao Lingshi is powerful to a terrifying degree. His younger sister, Gao Lingwei... should be no slouch either!’

’She just needs some time.’

Rong Taotao’s muffled voice suddenly piped up. He pointed at his mask and asked, ”Are you sure this is supposed to be a cute little pig? A lucky one?”

”Heh.” Fu Tiance chuckled. ”Mao Rabbit is in charge of team logistics. If you’re not satisfied, you can take it up with her.”

’Oh, now that he mentioned it, that made sense.’

’That cute girl must have seen the cartoon too. She probably just didn’t dare make it too obvious when she had the mask custom-made, so she went with a horror version instead.’

”I heard you named that Lotus petal Huilian?” Fu Tiance asked.

The fierce warthog before him looked at Fu Tiance and spoke. ”To grant others peace and happiness is benevolence; to relieve others of their suffering is compassion.”

”When it pities all living beings with great mercy and compassion, it does indeed glow.”

Fu Tiance was taken aback by Rong Taotao’s words, especially hearing them come from the mouth of a ferocious warthog.

Fu Tiance mulled it over for a moment. ”They say every Lotus petal has its own unique properties. Can a Snow Realm Treasure of this caliber truly elevate your spirit and influence your personal beliefs?”

Rong Taotao explained, ”It definitely has an influence, but each Lotus petal has a different personality, so you have to look at them individually.”

”Take the Sinful Lotus, for example. When I use it, it basically forces me to be wild and arrogant. But this Huilian’s personality isn’t nearly as overbearing. At most, it just *suggests* I feel pity for all living things.”

As he spoke, Rong Taotao drew the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow from his waist. He gripped the blade directly with one hand and slid his palm slowly along its length.

Fu Tiance’s expression turned grave, his eyes fixed on Rong Taotao’s hand.

Droplets of fresh blood trickled from the hand Rong Taotao had wrapped around the blade, but it wasn’t a large amount.

But when Rong Taotao’s palm slid past the Long Straight Saber and he opened his hand, a teal Lotus petal lay across his palm. It emitted a faint, ethereal glow, a sight of breathtaking beauty.

And the eyes behind the ferocious warthog mask, as they looked at Fu Tiance, now held a hint of affection and pity.

Clearly, this was not a look Rong Taotao should have in his eyes—at least not when facing Fu Tiance...

Fu Tiance’s eyes widened slightly. He glanced from the Lotus in Rong Taotao’s palm to the boy’s eyes, viscerally feeling that the emotion radiating from this ferocious warthog was genuine.

Waves of emotion churned within Fu Tiance, and he muttered under his breath, ”What a kid...”

Rong Taotao’s joking words from last year still echoed in his ears: ”With a Lotus by my side, I’ll just stand at the main gate of the barracks and shout to see which regiment wants me. Then I’ll just stride right in. You just watch and see if anyone dares to stop me.”

But now,

It was no longer a question of which team wanted him.

It was a question of which team could *keep* him!

’Damn it, it’s a good thing I made him an official member early. This way, we can still make this work for both of us for a few more years...’

While Fu Tiance was muttering, ”What a kid,” the ferocious warthog before him spoke as well. Its voice was gentle, tinged with a hint of affection. ”You’re a good captain, too.”

Fu Tiance: ”...”

’This is mutiny! Pure mutiny!’

’Why does this kid’s tone of voice sound just like my dad’s?’

...

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