Master of Nine Stars

Rong Taotao stood poised with his blade in the noodle shop, watching the two Poachers who were too scared to advance yet too unwilling to retreat. A cold smirk played on his lips. "Heh."

"THUD!" Another crisp sound rang out. Behind him, Gao Lingwei, her face twisted in pain, grabbed the female Poacher’s head, lifted it high once more, and smashed it viciously into the tiled floor.

The female Poacher, who had long since passed out, now had a head broken and bleeding, a mangled mess of flesh and blood. She showed no signs of life.

The sight made the two Poachers’ hearts leap into their throats...

’The target... isn’t she just a student?’ 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

’Even if she’s dazzling and decorated with countless honors, she’s still a student, someone brought up through the proper channels. How could she be capable of such a cruel act?’

A quick death is one thing, but this was torture!

When they were usually drinking and feasting, the two Poachers could easily say things like, "I’m not even afraid of death, what else is there to fear?" They seemed like fearless desperados who lived on the edge.

But when disaster truly struck, that was no longer the case.

Perhaps there were indeed few things in this world they feared, but Gao Lingwei’s sheer viciousness was truly terrifying.

Rong Taotao raised an eyebrow slightly. "Heh, is that all you’ve got?"

Gao Lingwei had once said those very words, mocking the Rong Taotao of the past.

Back then, she had given Rong Taotao an opportunity, and he, mustering up his courage to take her hand, had only dared to gently squeeze her fingertips.

The same words, coming from Rong Taotao’s mouth now, were devastatingly lethal, dripping with utter mockery.

The two desperados, who had traveled so far to carry out their mission, couldn’t take being mocked like this by the kid in front of them.

"Fuck you!" One of the Poachers couldn’t stand it anymore. With a furious roar, perhaps to bolster his own courage, he waved his hands repeatedly, sending a volley of Snow-made Daggers flying toward Rong Taotao!

"TING~ TING~ TING~"

The daggers were successively blocked by his Iron Snow Forearm and clattered to the ground.

Rong Taotao repeatedly blocked with his right arm, his eyes mockingly fixed on the attacking Poacher. He said coldly, "Aren’t you a fucking desperado? Then come at me like you mean it! Stop testing the waters! Is this all you’ve got!?"

He said this aloud, but in his mind, he was planting sentence after sentence into the Poacher’s head, viciously stabbing at the man’s psyche.

’Four against two, and you still got two of your own killed? Heh heh, you’re really something else, aren’t you~

Did all those years of training go to the dogs? What a disgrace. You should just pack it up and die...’

The Poacher’s face was flushed red, his lungs nearly bursting with rage!

The information he received through his ears and the information that appeared in his mind were completely different, but there was no doubt he received it all.

Double the mockery, double the pain!

Rong Taotao had finally found his ultimate weapon: the one-second double-taunt...

For a moment, the Poacher couldn’t even tell which stream of words was more mocking. His composure was about to shatter!

"What a kid!" A startled cry came from the shop’s entrance. A few Soul Police officers had just rushed in, right as they heard Rong Taotao’s challenge to battle.

The Soul Police were also a bit stunned. They couldn’t hear the sarcastic taunts Rong Taotao was projecting, of course. But judging by his spoken words alone, he sounded unbelievably domineering and fierce!

He sounded more like a desperado than the actual desperados!

’Is this kid a high school student from Songbai Town?’

’Who was his teacher? How did he turn out so savage?’

The Poachers’ faces stiffened. A moment ago, their composure had been on the verge of shattering; now, it had completely exploded. There was no turning back. The Soul Police were here...

A figure rushed in like a whirlwind. A vicious flying knee sent one of the Poachers doubling over like a shrimp, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

"THUD!" With a dull thud, the Poacher slammed hard against the wall, even cracking the thick plaster!

Rong Yang had arrived in the nick of time!

But Rong Yang’s expression was grim, his face even somewhat twisted, as if he too were enduring something.

"Ling Wei!" Yang Chunxi ran over quickly. Seeing Gao Lingwei mechanically lifting the female bandit’s head to smash it into the floor, she pressed one hand on Gao Lingwei’s blood-soaked palm and used her other to lift Gao Lingwei’s face.

Yang Chunxi’s eyes, which shone with a strange light, met Gao Lingwei’s, which had turned almost completely white.

Finally, Gao Lingwei stopped. Her head tilted to the side, and she collapsed unconscious.

...

This was Rong Taotao’s first time inside a Soul Police Bureau. Fortunately, he went in with Rong Yang.

A few Soul Police officers escorted Yang Chunxi and Gao Lingwei to the hospital, while the two brothers of the Rong Family, whose injuries weren’t serious, were immediately called to the bureau to assist with the investigation.

The two injured Poachers were brought in with them under escort. As for the other two... well, they were gone.

This was also Rong Taotao’s first time being questioned and giving a statement.

As a victim, and especially as a student of Songjiang Soul Martial University, the Soul Police treated Rong Taotao very well.

They even comforted Rong Taotao from time to time during the questioning. Hmm... This made Rong Taotao’s first trip to the Soul Police Bureau an excellent experience.

Exiting the interrogation room, Rong Taotao saw Rong Yang talking with a Soul Police officer in the hallway. Seeing his younger brother emerge, Rong Yang hurried forward, placed a hand on his shoulder, and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine, don’t worry."

Rong Yang nodded to the Soul Police officer beside them. "I’ll take him home now."

"Of course. We’ll have to ask you two to stay in Songbai Town for a few more days to cooperate with our work. We’re very sorry about what happened tonight. Once we finish our interrogation, we will give you a full account," the Soul Police officer replied with a nod.

Rong Taotao looked at the officer curiously as he followed Rong Yang outside.

A cold wind gusted as they walked out the main gate of the police bureau.

Rong Yang exhaled a frosty breath and put an arm around Rong Taotao’s shoulder, his voice gentle. "You know you’re the victim, that you were acting in self-defense, so don’t feel any pressure."

"Mm..." Rong Taotao nodded. Usually, the only things he killed were Snowflake Wolves.

Rong Yang continued, "When facing a criminal who is attempting to kill you and is in the process of committing the crime, you have the right to resist. Whether they live or die is irrelevant."

"Mm, I know," Rong Taotao said softly. He was still just a teenager, after all, and this was his first time experiencing something like this.

Fortunately, Rong Taotao wasn’t an ordinary teenager. He was a Soul Martial Artist.

No matter how gloriously this special group was portrayed, every single Soul Martial Artist, without exception, had hands stained with blood.

Of course, the blood on a Soul Martial Artist’s hands was mostly from Soul Beasts.

"Remember, they are vicious criminals. If you don’t fight back, you’ll be the one who dies. Don’t let it be a psychological burden," Rong Yang said, his expression serious as he looked directly into Rong Taotao’s eyes.

"I know, I know..." Rong Taotao grimaced slightly. ’If it were Gao Lingwei, my brother probably wouldn’t need to repeat himself so much.’

’I guess he’s just worried about me.’

To stop Rong Yang from comforting him further, Rong Taotao asked, "During the fight earlier, did that female Poacher tell Gao Lingwei to destroy her Soul Pet?"

"Yes..." Rong Yang let out a deep sigh. "The existence of the Frost Night Xuerong is cutting into the Poacher Organization’s profits. Small-time poaching teams wouldn’t dare to say anything, but these large-scale teams have already started to make their move. Tonight is a living example.

After the New Year, you and Gao Lingwei should go back to the university. Compared to the mixed crowd in Songbai Town, the population of Songjiang Soul City is relatively less complicated.

It’ll be much safer for you at the university."

"Jeez..." Rong Taotao couldn’t help but snort, muttering under his breath, "I thought this group was here to take my Lotus Petal, but I never expected they couldn’t care less about me. They were actually after Da Wei."

"This world is a realistic place. There’s never hatred without a reason. No matter how strong you are, as long as you’re not cutting into someone’s profits, they won’t come after you."

Rong Yang continued, "It’s also possible that the news of you possessing the Lotus hasn’t spread yet. In the future, there may very well be outlaws who covet your Lotus Petal and come to assassinate you."

As he spoke, Rong Yang’s heart grew heavy.

What kind of combination were Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei?

A duo of walking treasures?

One possessed the Snow Realm Treasure, the Nine-Petaled Lotus; the other had a top-tier Soul Beast, the Frost Night Xuerong...

Without a doubt, they were both prime targets for assassins.

Who could have imagined that the carefree kid who was training alone on a rooftop just six months ago would soon become a target for every criminal...

Rong Taotao suddenly asked, "How did the Poacher group know Gao Lingwei had such a highly functional Soul Pet?"

Rong Yang’s expression turned ugly. He said in a low voice, "During the last pursuit mission, we arrested almost everyone from that elite Poacher squad, but one fish did slip through the net. To be honest, though, it was only a matter of time before the Poachers targeted Gao Lingwei. There are no secrets that can be kept forever. That’s why the Snow Burning Army was so insistent on recruiting her—to provide her with protection.

I just never thought something like this would happen right here in the heavily guarded Songbai Town."

Hearing this, Rong Taotao fell silent...

Rong Yang squeezed Rong Taotao’s shoulder. "Gao Lingwei, like you, is a victim of her own treasure. She’s envied and hunted for what she has. The fault is definitely not with either of you."

With that, Rong Yang summoned his Lifebound Soul Beast, Snow Night Shock, and took Rong Taotao straight to Songbai Hospital, quickly finding Gao Lingwei’s room.

Several Soul Police officers stood guard at the door to the hospital room. Seeing the two return, Yang Chunxi, who was inside, also came out.

"Taotao, how are you? Are you okay?" Yang Chunxi asked, her face full of worry as she gently pulled Rong Taotao into a hug.

"Ngh... I’m okay, I’m okay..."

"What about her?" Rong Yang asked urgently.

Yang Chunxi comforted him, "She was likely tormented badly by that Mi Tu before, so her mental state was poor. But Gao Lingwei made a decisive sacrifice, destroying the Soul Pearl on her forehead to mount a desperate last stand.

Her condition has stabilized now. She’ll be fine, don’t worry."

Rong Taotao gently pushed away from his sister-in-law. "Can I go see her?"

"It’s best not to disturb her. Go on," Yang Chunxi said with a nod.

Rong Taotao carefully pushed open the door and tiptoed inside. He saw Gao Lingwei on the hospital bed, her eyes closed, still unconscious.

Even in sleep, she seemed restless. Her brow was furrowed, and one hand was clutching the bedsheet tightly.

Rong Taotao quickly walked over and sat in the chair by the bed, but he felt helpless, unsure of how to help her.

He hesitated for a long moment, but finally reached out. He touched her hand, which was gripping the sheet, and gently, slowly pried open her long fingers.

The next moment, Gao Lingwei’s hand shot out and grabbed Rong Taotao’s, her grip so strong it made him wince in pain.

Rong Taotao endured the pain, but seeing that she showed no signs of waking, he didn’t dare pull his hand away.

This was the night of New Year’s Eve.

Outside the window, Songbai Town was a scene of celebration and peace.

Colorful lights and lanterns hung in every street and alley, the sound of firecrackers boomed, and strings of fireworks lit up the night sky as if it were day. It was truly a beautiful scene, a nightless heaven of fiery trees and silver flowers.

Inside, in the empty hospital room, Rong Taotao held Gao Lingwei’s hand to his lips, silently staying by her side. He watched as her furrowed brow slowly, little by little, began to relax...