Master of Nine Stars

Rong Taotao was the key figure who changed the course of Lu Mang’s life.

Rong Taotao himself didn’t know just how important he was to Lu Mang.

Rong Taotao had always thought that the only reason he and Lu Mang got along so well was because of the deep bond of camaraderie they had forged in the Snowfield, but in reality, it was much more than that...

"Sure. I’m going to buy a down jacket for Da Wei, and that store happens to sell wool sweaters. I’ll pick one out for your dad," Rong Taotao said immediately. ’Relationships are a two-way street. Since we’re going to be brothers for life, this is no big deal.’

"You don’t have to. He has clothes," Lu Mang said.

"Did I ask you?" Rong Taotao retorted.

Lu Mang fell silent.

Gao Lingwei watched Lu Mang’s reaction with curiosity. She was surprised to see that this boy, whom she had always thought of as cold and proud, didn’t argue back. Instead, he simply lowered his head and fell silent.

’Hmm... Interesting.’

’He seems so obedient. I’ll have to find a chance to ask Rong Taotao about their story.’

Back in the familiar clothing store, Rong Taotao bought Gao Lingwei a white down jacket identical to his own.

Rong Taotao asked Lu Mang for his father’s size and had just picked out a gray wool sweater when he saw Yang Chunxi walk into the store, arm in arm with Rong Yang.

"Coach Yang."

"Hello, ma’am," Gao Lingwei and Lu Mang both greeted.

Yang Chunxi gave Gao Lingwei a look of mock reproach. "Wrong again."

Gao Lingwei pursed her lips into a smile, but before she could say anything, Rong Yang spoke up. "Sorry to interrupt, but my captain is here and wants to see you two."

As he spoke, Rong Yang turned to Lu Mang and said, "You’re Lu Mang from the Junior Class. You teamed up with Taotao during the entrance assessment. I know who you are."

"Hello," Lu Mang said with a nod.

Rong Yang had indeed read Lu Mang’s file. To be precise, he had read the files of all the students in the Junior Class.

Rong Yang’s gaze flickered toward Rong Taotao. After a moment of thought, he said to Lu Mang, seemingly out of nowhere, "I’m a member of the Snow Burning. My captain wants to talk to those two. You can come along if you want. If not, just wait here for a bit. They’ll be back soon."

Lu Mang froze for a second, his mind racing.

’The Snow Burning... to anyone in the Snow Realm, they’re a colossal entity. A truly legitimate military force. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them the backbone of the Snow Realm.’

’If the Snow Burning are looking for Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei...’

Lu Mang hesitated for a moment, then looked to Yang Chunxi with a questioning gaze.

Yang Chunxi simply smiled and said, "It’s voluntary."

Hearing this, Lu Mang immediately nodded. ’As long as Coach Yang doesn’t object, there’s no reason for me to refuse!’

’You have to forge your own path!’

’Opportunities like this don’t come around every day!’

’Whatever this mysterious invitation is, there’s no doubt it’s thanks to Rong Taotao. It’s my history with him that earned me this chance.’

Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei exchanged a glance and nodded, following his brother and Yang Chunxi out of the clothing store.

When the group arrived on the fourth floor of the mall, they were shocked to find that the meeting place was a hot pot restaurant.

Rong Taotao and the others curiously entered a private room, only to see a man with a buzz cut sitting at the table, digging in with gusto.

The red, oily broth was bubbling away, sending up clouds of steam laden with a spicy aroma.

GULP. Rong Taotao’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His mouth was watering uncontrollably.

"Haha," the man with the buzz cut laughed, gesturing with his chopsticks at the three youngsters. "Sit, sit. That kid Sheep, he’s not bad. Did he bring me a bonus one?"

As he spoke, the man looked at Lu Mang with curiosity, sizing him up.

Lu Mang sized him up in return. The man with the buzz cut looked to be in his mid-thirties with a pair of sharp, intense eyes. He wasn’t conventionally handsome, but his every move exuded a tough-guy aura that was actually kind of cool to watch.

’Cool?’

’Hmm... That’s probably the highest praise a boy can give a man.’

Gao Lingwei frowned, staring intently at the man’s eyes. He was a perfect match for the captain she remembered.

"It’s me. Chenlong. You can stop guessing," the buzz-cut man said with a smile. He picked up an ice-cold soda from the table and started chugging it. GLUG, GLUG, GLUG. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Gao Lingwei immediately said, "Hello, Captain."

"Yeah," the man said. "My name is Fu Tiance. You can just call me Captain Fu. Eat up. We’ll talk while we eat."

Lu Mang’s face remained impassive, but inwardly he was groaning.

’Having grown up in Shanghai, he wasn’t a big fan of spicy food. Seriously? You’re treating people to a meal and you don’t even order a half-and-half pot?’

Fu Tiance said, "Yesterday, Sheep asked me for leave and told me what’s been going on these past couple of days. You two little devils... heh... Not bad. Not bad at all!"

Gao Lingwei gave a slight, proper nod. Rong Taotao, on the other hand, had already started eating and gave the captain a thumbs-up.

"Haha!" Seeing Rong Taotao’s reaction, Fu Tiance let out another hearty laugh. He seemed very good-natured, generously ordering two more large plates of beef. "Now that’s more like it! A man ought to eat his meat in big bites and drink his... ahem."

Rong Taotao glanced at the bottle of ice-cold soda in front of Fu Tiance and mumbled through a mouthful of food, "Pear soda?"

Fu Tiance was speechless.

Gao Lingwei spoke up, "Captain Fu, you were looking for us?"

"Yeah." Fu Tiance picked up his pear soda. "We wanted you to enlist not only because we value your abilities, but also to provide you with some security. However, since you want to finish your studies all the way through university, I won’t get in the way of your future."