Master of Nine Stars

"Over here, Lady Nan Cheng." Rong Yuanshan stood up, waving toward the restaurant’s entrance a short distance away.

"Nan Cheng is fine," she said with a friendly smile as she walked over with her daughter.

While shoveling food into his mouth, Rong Taotao managed to free up his left hand and wave. "Hello, Nan!"

"Heh, you too." Nan Cheng sat down across from the father and son, smiling as she watched Rong Taotao wolf down his food. She felt a sense of kinship. "Always starving, huh?"

"Mhm," Rong Taotao nodded repeatedly, sizing up Ye Nanxi across the table.

The young lady had clearly bathed and changed. Her fair, rosy cheeks, paired with her orange-red Tulip jersey, gave her a unique charm.

’Hmm... The main thing is the huge difference between before and now. When we first met, she held her chin up so arrogantly, but now...’

She kept her head down, not saying a word, just staring at the plate in front of her as if her mind was completely blank.

’Oh no, oh no!’

’Did I break her?’

’Did that heavy blow to the back of her head knock her silly?’

In most combat sports, there’s a good reason why strikes to the back of the head are forbidden.

"Well then, don’t mind if I do." Nan Cheng picked up her chopsticks, gave the father and son a nod, and then joined them in tearing into the food.

Rong Taotao was dumbfounded.

’Holy cow!’

’Si Huan Nian! Is that you?!’

’Did you just slip into a new body and sneak into the Imperial Capital to chow down with me?’

"Nanxi, are you all right?" Rong Yuanshan asked, looking with concern at the zoned-out Ye Nanxi.

"I’m fine, Rong. I’ve recovered," Ye Nanxi said softly, her eyes still fixed on her plate.

Rong Taotao suddenly reached out and waved a hand in front of her vacant eyes.

Finally, Ye Nanxi’s eyes regained some focus. She glanced up at Rong Taotao, only to immediately look away.

"You should eat. Who knows when we’ll be back from the Starfield Vortex," Rong Taotao said. It was the first time they had spoken since he had gotten up after pinning her.

"Mm," Ye Nanxi hummed softly and picked up her chopsticks, a stark contrast to her mother’s hearty, unrestrained feasting.

A few minutes later, Rong Yuanshan gave the two teenagers a thoughtful look and said to Ye Nanxi, "If you don’t have much of an appetite, why don’t you go out for a walk? Some fresh air will help clear your head. Besides, Taotao is full now, too."

As he spoke, Rong Yuanshan patted Rong Taotao’s shoulder. "Go on, walk with her."

Rong Taotao: ???

’What part of me looks full? I’m in the middle of a fierce food battle with Si Huan Nian... er, I mean, with Nan Cheng!’

Rong Yuanshan was probably just worried his son would eat himself sick. He put a hand on Rong Taotao’s shoulder and physically pushed him to his feet.

"Fine..." Rong Taotao grumbled, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Go on. Have a proper chat, and be nice." Nan Cheng paused her eating and turned to Ye Nanxi. "For you, Taotao is probably one of the few normal people you’ll ever meet."

Ye Nanxi didn’t dare respond. She simply stood up in silence and headed out of the restaurant.

Under Rong Yuanshan’s insistent gaze, Rong Taotao had no choice but to follow.

The two walked side by side, strolling through the starlit amusement park town. They covered two full streets, yet neither spoke a single word...

After much thought, Rong Taotao finally broke the silence. "You know, you could have beaten me. With the right tactics, you could’ve even won easily."

"I know. I’ve been thinking about it a lot," Ye Nanxi said, walking in silence with her arms crossed. "First, I underestimated my enemy. Then I got angry and lost my cool. Your strategy, on the other hand, was perfect."

Rong Taotao raised an eyebrow, surprised to hear such words coming from her.

This world was just that pragmatic; strength was the foundation of everything.

The complete reversal in Ye Nanxi’s attitude was, of course, a direct result of him defeating her in a one-on-one duel.

Her pride, arrogance, contempt, and disdain—all of it had been utterly shattered by a single fight.

"You’re exceptional, I have to admit it. You’re only sixteen, yet you actually defeated a Soul Captain—and on my home turf." Ye Nanxi took a deep breath, turning her head to look at a nearby carousel. "And now, I believe what you told me before."

Rong Taotao: "What?"

Ye Nanxi: "That you’ve killed a Soul School."

"Ah, haha," Rong Taotao laughed awkwardly. "I was just bluffing. Haha."

Ye Nanxi pouted. "Someone like you is perfectly capable of it. You’re insidious, cunning, and skilled at exploiting people’s emotions to lure them into your traps."

Rong Taotao: "..."

’Is that a compliment or an insult?’

’Damn, now *this* is a true Yin Yang Master. Rong Taotao considered himself a veteran, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out if Ye Nanxi was complimenting him or not.’

Ye Nanxi started walking toward the carousel and suddenly spoke. "My mom always says I’m willful and bratty."

"Oh?" Rong Taotao raised his eyebrows. "And you think she’s wrong?"

Ye Nanxi reached the railing, leaned forward slightly, and rested her folded arms on it. Her gaze fixed on the spinning carousel in the distance. "Actually, the assessment is spot on. I am pretty wild at school, and everyone walks on eggshells around me... because my mom is a Soul General."

Rong Taotao: "What a coincidence."

’So is mine!’

Ye Nanxi’s familiar look of contempt reappeared. "The whole reason I came out here was because I beat a teammate bloody. The guy was disgusting—a total simp. I couldn’t stand him."