Master of Nine Stars

Hearing her daughter’s startled cry, Nan Cheng couldn’t help but glare at her.

Meanwhile, Rong Yuanshan patted Rong Taotao’s shoulder and said softly, "Remember a month ago, when I told you about that Soul General who possesses a Star Fragment?"

Rong Taotao’s eyes lit up, and he glanced in Nan Cheng’s direction.

Rong Yuanshan gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Only then did Rong Taotao understand. Although his father was polite to all outsiders, when he spoke with this woman, he showed a trace of reverence.

’No wonder. So this woman is actually a Soul General!?’

’She’s... so kind.’

Despite being a legendary Soul General, she didn’t act high and mighty at all. When she spoke with Rong Taotao just now, she wasn’t the least bit pretentious. In contrast, it was her daughter who was incredibly arrogant.

Rong Taotao grumbled inwardly, ’Just how strong can her daughter be? Could she possibly be stronger than her own mother?’

Under her mother’s stern gaze, the short-haired young woman finally dismounted and nodded at Rong Yuanshan. "Rong."

Although her feigned attitude was somewhat respectful, anyone could see she was very reluctant.

"Hmph." Nan Cheng snorted, then turned to Rong Yuanshan, a worried look appearing on her face, no different from any other mother. "I spoil her rotten on a daily basis and have been lax with discipline. She doesn’t have much strength, but she’s picked up every single bad habit of a second-generation kid. How’s your boy?"

"Ah, haha," Rong Yuanshan chuckled. "My boy is plenty mischievous too. Good thing I can still beat him in a fight, haha."

Of course, Rong Yuanshan was deliberately downplaying his son’s qualities. If he were to say his child was independent, self-reliant, motivated, and kind... wouldn’t that just be rubbing salt in Nan Cheng’s wound?

"Well, it’s good for a boy to be a little mischievous. And as a Soul Martial Artist, he should be cheerful and energetic." Nan Cheng seemed to have finally found someone she could confide in. It couldn’t be helped; at her level, it was indeed difficult to expect her child to be the same as a child from an ordinary family.

"Hmph, this kid is certainly energetic," Rong Yuanshan said, nodding in agreement. "You know, my wife and I are both very busy. This boy was over in the Snow Realm, teamed up with a senior student, and is planning to enter the national competition this year. That’s why I called him over, to train in the Starfield Vortex for a few months."

"Oh? Sounds like another restless one, hehe," Nan Cheng said, smiling at Rong Taotao. "You’re only a freshman, and in the Junior Class at that. Thinking of proving yourself so soon?"

Nan Cheng was quite a character herself. Normally, as an elder and a supreme Lord Soul General, it would have been perfectly reasonable for her to casually offer a word of advice, telling Rong Taotao to wait a couple of years before competing.

But now, her words held a mix of thirty percent teasing and seventy percent curiosity, as if she quite liked this kind of ambitious junior.

The perspective behind Nan Cheng’s words was also interesting. She didn’t see Rong Taotao as an ordinary Soul Martial Student. Instead, she grouped him with her own daughter—as the children of Soul Generals, born with golden keys in their mouths, who must therefore produce results to match their pedigree.

Rong Taotao grinned. "I wasn’t originally in such a hurry to compete, but last semester, Principal Mei gave a speech to our Junior Class. He wrote a line of poetry on the blackboard that left us all breathless."

"It was really weighing on me, so I figured I’d get some achievements under my belt and bring some glory to the school. That way, I can hold my head high the next time I see Principal Mei."

Hearing this, Nan Cheng asked with a smile, "Are you referring to the venerable Mei Hongyu?"

Rong Taotao nodded. "Yes, Principal Mei. He wrote a line on the blackboard: ’Know that in youth, one’s ambition soars to the clouds; a promise once made to be first among all in the world.’ He said he didn’t want to wait until we were in our thirties or forties to use it as motivation, so he was giving it to us now."

As Rong Taotao spoke, he seemed to recall the terrifying presence of that line of text and couldn’t help but shiver.

Nan Cheng nodded lightly. "It seems he has high expectations for your Junior Class. And you? Do you think your current strength is enough to compete against the top university students in the nation?"

Rong Taotao shrugged, looking quite confident.

To him, it was confidence. To an outsider, however, it was just arrogance born of ignorance!

"Heh." The girl standing to the side couldn’t help but let out a cold snort when she saw Rong Taotao’s conceited expression.

Before Nan Cheng could scold her daughter, Rong Yuanshan slapped Rong Taotao on the shoulder and laughed. "You should focus on passing the school’s selection tournament first, haha. Confidence is a good thing. Learn a couple of Starfield Soul Skills, and when you go back, see if you can get an edge over the Snow Realm Students.

"Forget the national competition. If you can even make it to the stage of the Outer Region ranking tournament, for now, that would be enough to live up to Principal Mei’s expectations for you."

Rong Taotao wasn’t happy about that. Belittling your own child in front of outsiders, euphemistically called ’being humble,’ seemed to be a common failing among Huaxian parents.

Rong Taotao immediately retorted, "Actually, I’ve already exceeded his expectations. Even if I don’t compete, I can face him with my head held high."

"Oh?"

"Oh?" This time, it was both parents’ turn to say it in unison.

Evidently, they both knew of the renowned Principal Mei Hongyu, who guarded the region, and they both seemed to be well aware of his temperament.

"It’s true! Last time I came back from the Snowfield, he even gave me a piece of calligraphy he wrote himself." Rong Taotao thought for a moment, then said, "Hey, to be honest, the oppressive feeling from that calligraphy is too strong. When I get back this time, I’ll mail it to you."

Rong Yuanshan was taken aback for a moment. "What would I do with your calligraphy? The principal gave that specifically to you."

Rong Taotao said, "Don’t we have the same last name?"

"Nonsense!" Rong Yuanshan cursed with a laugh. "What? You don’t want the Rong surname anymore?"

Rong Taotao chuckled. "What I mean is, the calligraphy Principal Mei wrote for me is the character ’Rong.’ You can use it too. There’s also a four-word annotation below it."

Rong Yuanshan’s heart skipped a beat. "Hm?"

Rong Taotao said, "The ’Rong’ of ’Glory.’"

At these words, Rong Yuanshan’s eyes lit up!

What high praise!

Such words, given to a mere student?

And from Mei Hongyu, no less? Written with his own hand?

It was no exaggeration to say that calligraphy from such a person could indeed be kept as a family heirloom.

This was the esteemed principal of Songjiang Soul Martial University, a great power who had guarded the borders of Huaxia for decades!

Rong Yuanshan suddenly understood. It must have been after Rong Taotao and Xia Fangran’s near-death escape from the Snowfield, where they had managed to snatch a lotus petal from the Frost Beauty. That’s when Principal Mei must have bestowed this piece of calligraphy.

The Nine-Petaled Lotus was an entity of extreme importance to the Snow Realm, and even to all of Huaxia.

Beside them, Nan Cheng listened, clicking her tongue in amazement. She couldn’t help but say to Rong Yuanshan, "It seems that even though you two are busy with work, your son is still making you proud. He’s clearly well-regarded by the school."

Inevitably, Nan Cheng couldn’t stop herself from turning to glance at her own daughter.

’Look at other people’s children!’

’Now look at you!’

The daughter pouted with disdain and turned her head to look at the starry sky and grasslands in the distance.

"Xixi is also competing this year. If you both work hard enough, you might run into each other at the competition." Nan Cheng sighed softly. Her words were meant as encouragement, but her tone was tinged with worry.

Rong Taotao said, "Nan, I’m entering the doubles competition. I don’t think we’ll be able to run into each other."

"Mm, then you certainly won’t. How are things with your teammate? Are you getting along?" At this moment, Nan Cheng was no longer a renowned Great Soul General, but simply a worried mother.

Rong Taotao didn’t understand why she was asking. "We’re doing great."

Nan Cheng paused for a moment. "Does your teammate know your mother is a Soul General? Miss Xu is even more famous than I am; she’s even been written into textbooks."

Rong Taotao pondered for a moment. "Um... My teammate knows. Why?"

Nan Cheng asked curiously, "And what is your teammate’s attitude toward you?"

Rong Taotao scratched his head, his mind filling with the image of Da Wei’s sharp, sword-like eyebrows and the faint hint of heroic spirit and dashing confidence between them.

"We get along very well. She’s in a higher grade than me and a bit stronger, so she takes good care of me."

Nan Cheng nodded. "That’s good. When you find a good teammate like that, you must cherish her. My daughter’s teammates... sigh..."

Looking at her own daughter with an expression that said it was hard to put into words, Nan Cheng continued, "They’re all just sycophants. They crowd around her, flatter her, and follow her every whim. Getting into trouble this time could be a good thing for you. For the next few months, I’ll have the school find you a couple of upright teammates. You should also spend less time with those bootlickers."

Rong Taotao asked curiously, "Nan, what kind of trouble did she get into?"

Hearing this, Rong Yuanshan jumped in fright and quickly tugged on Rong Taotao’s arm.

’The Soul General is being pleasant because she has a good disposition; you can’t just act like you’re part of the family, can you? That’s her family’s business. What right do you have to ask about it?’

Nan Cheng saw Rong Yuanshan’s action but waved her hand dismissively. "She’s been spoiled rotten by me and a group of bootlickers. After a slight disagreement, she beat her teammate until their head was bleeding, right in the middle of class. If it had been in the Martial Arts Arena, that would be one thing, but the key is that it happened during a liberal arts class. The impact was very bad..."

Rong Taotao, however, just laughed. "Well, that just proves she’s strong. We’re Soul Martial Students. Who hasn’t gotten into a fight or gotten hurt before?"

"Hmph, strong? The other person didn’t even dare to fight back." Nan Cheng looked sternly at her daughter. "Forget the students, even the teachers don’t really dare to discipline you, do they?"

The daughter pouted but didn’t say a word.

Rong Taotao was stunned!

He whipped his head around to look at Rong Yuanshan. "How come nobody dares to lay a finger on the child of a Soul General, but my teachers all kick me one after another without a moment’s hesitation?"

Rong Yuanshan: "..."

"Hehe." To everyone’s surprise, the girl who had been silent and scornful this whole time actually couldn’t help but chuckle at Rong Taotao’s words.

Rong Yuanshan’s expression was strange as he said, "Maybe... well, it’s because you’re a boy."

"What’s wrong with being a boy? Aren’t boys human too? Can’t boys be spoiled? This is infuriating! When will boys finally be able to stand up for themselves!?"

SMACK~

Rong Yuanshan slapped the back of Rong Taotao’s head, then looked at Nan Cheng and said, "See? How mischievous can he get? He even dares to talk to me like that."

Rong Taotao clutched the back of his head, looking at Rong Yuanshan with a wronged expression.

Nan Cheng also smiled, and an idea came to her. "These two kids should have some things in common. Where are you two headed?"

As soon as Rong Yuanshan heard Nan Cheng say this, his heart stirred.

’Whether Nan Cheng is a Soul General or not doesn’t matter. What’s crucial is that she has a Star Fragment in her body! It can accelerate Rong Taotao’s Soul Technique cultivation!’