Master of Nine Stars

It was the height of the sweltering August summer, and the temperature in Songjiang Soul City had warmed up considerably. Even at night, it was only around -17 or -18 degrees Celsius.

The temperature was much higher than when Rong Taotao had first arrived for registration. If it also happened to be a windless night, it would be even more perfect.

"Oh, right... The city’s on lockdown." Si Huan Nian seemed to suddenly remember something, her brows knitting slightly.

Not only was Pine Soul Soul Martial’s campus locked down, but the entire university city was under lockdown as well. Under these circumstances, finding a restaurant that was still open would be difficult.

"Hmm..." Si Huan Nian sighed and said, "Let’s take a look around. If we really can’t find a restaurant, we’ll just buy a few cups of instant noodles."

Rong Taotao was bitter, but he didn’t dare say a word...

Si Huan Nian casually pulled her phone out of her training uniform’s pocket and stuffed it into the pocket of Rong Taotao’s down jacket. "Take good care of this. If my phone freezes and the battery dies, you’ll have to be the one to pay. Oh, and remind me to buy some extra snacks later."

Rong Taotao said, "If you’re worried about your phone dying, just transfer me two hundred now. I’ll pay later."

"Mm, that works." Thinking it a good idea, Si Huan Nian took out her phone. Her fingers tapped rapidly on the screen, and she directly transferred a thousand bucks to Rong Taotao.

"Tsk, tsk... Teacher Si, so generous~ Is the remaining eight hundred a tip? Fine, I guess I didn’t come out with you for nothing..."

Si Huan Nian scoffed, "Hah, you little punk. Use the rest of the money to go to the school supermarket tomorrow and pay off your tab."

"Uh." Rong Taotao mulled it over for a moment. "Do you think eight hundred will be enough?"

Si Huan Nian thought about it... and transferred another thousand bucks to Rong Taotao.

Arriving at the school gate, Si Huan Nian waved at the student on duty. The gate opened, and the teacher and student duo walked out.

Rong Taotao suddenly had a strange feeling.

The dim yellow streetlights on both sides of the road barely managed to illuminate the small, snowy town. There wasn’t a single person on the street; it was like a ghost town.

Rong Taotao asked, "Teacher, why are the school and the city locked down?"

Si Huan Nian replied, "There’s no harm in telling you. Remember this for your future at Pine Soul Soul Martial University: whenever there’s a city or campus lockdown, it means there’s trouble up north.

"Back when we were at the First Wall, you saw that supernatural phenomenon of the sky turning dark. That meant the snowstorm blowing out of the Snow Realm Vortex had already reached a certain level, which is why your class schedule had to be canceled."

"However, over the past month, the sky here at Pine Soul Soul Martial hasn’t turned dark and the blizzard hasn’t arrived, which means it’s very safe here."

"But the alert for the north hasn’t been lifted yet, and to ensure everyone’s safety, the campus and city are still under lockdown."

"Oh..." Rong Taotao nodded. From the assessment to his classes, the constantly changing schedule had given him a personal taste of the dangers of the Snow Realm.

Man-made disasters were one thing; after all, they could be controlled to a certain extent.

But Natural Disasters were completely uncontrollable.

The most crucial part was that in the face of nature’s absolute power, humanity’s strength was feeble. There was no way to overcome it; they could only passively resist.

As he walked, Rong Taotao looked at the streetlights on both sides of the road and said, "There’s no one on the street, but all the lights are still on. It’s a bit of a waste."

Hearing this, Si Huan Nian slung an arm around Rong Taotao’s shoulders. She lowered her head, looking at him with a serious expression, and said, "Remember, if the lights in Songjiang Soul City ever go out, it means danger has arrived!"

The words had barely left her mouth when, FWOOSH...

The streetlights on both sides of the road went out!!!

Rong Taotao jumped, his body tensing up. He had only one thought: ’Crap! I forgot my Heaven-piercing Halberd!’

"Uh." Si Huan Nian patted Rong Taotao’s shoulder, signaling him to relax. "Of course," she said, "there’s also another possibility. Songjiang Soul City turns off its lights at 11 p.m."

Rong Taotao: ???

He stared blankly up at her, but unfortunately, it was too dark to see her face clearly.

At that moment, Rong Taotao had only one thought. He wished that Si Huan Nian could just remain an otherworldly expert, radiating her Immortal Aura, instead of turning into such a goofball...

Si Huan Nian asked, "You’ve learned White Lantern Paper Cage, right?"

"Oh." Rong Taotao ran to the side of the road and grabbed a handful of snow. Then he held out his hand, and waves of Soul Power began to gather.

A few seconds later, the snow in Rong Taotao’s hand suddenly "came to life," dancing around them like fireflies. The tiny specks of light circled the pair, illuminating the path ahead.

Si Huan Nian praised him, "Not bad. That was fast." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Rong Taotao, however, asked, "Teacher, back in the Martial Arts Hall, there was no snow. How did you cast White Lantern Paper Cage?"

Si Huan Nian replied, "Once your Soul Technique reaches a higher level, you’ll be able to create snowflakes yourself."

Rong Taotao said, "Oh..."

The two passed an intersection, and sure enough, most of the shops on either side of the street were dark and closed. Unlike in other cities, the shops in Songjiang Soul City even turned off the lights on their signs.

The pitch-black night made the only remaining light stand out all the more. "There seems to be one over there!" Rong Taotao said urgently.

It was hard to say what Si Huan Nian had been thinking, but she snapped back to her senses when she heard him.

"Awesome!" At that moment, just like the snowflakes in Rong Taotao’s hand, Si Huan Nian suddenly "came to life." She strode forward with her long legs, taking swift, powerful steps.

Rong Taotao hurried to keep up.

He also saw a very imposing sign: "Pine Soul First Grade."

However, as Si Huan Nian approached the restaurant, her pace slowed just a bit.

Her gaze flickered almost imperceptibly toward the roof before she reached the restaurant’s entrance. Looking at the frost condensed on the windows, she pushed the door open with one hand.

Inside was a dining hall.

Nine square tables were arranged neatly. Directly opposite was a counter, with pictures of dishes and their prices posted above it.

"Sorry, we’re closed. The chef had to get off work and go home before the lights-out." The proprietress came forward, speaking with an apologetic smile.

Si Huan Nian’s gaze, however, fell on the only occupied table in the restaurant.

The four diners were drinking and chatting animatedly, their table laden with dishes like stir-fried dried tofu with hot peppers and fish-fragrant shredded pork, still wafting with delicious aromas.

"It’s fine." Si Huan Nian paid her no mind, sat down at the table closest to the door, and said, "In that case, I’ll just have to try your cooking. I’m sure it’ll have a home-cooked taste, not that generic restaurant flavor."

"This..." The proprietress looked troubled. Gazing at Si Huan Nian, who sat there with an imposing air, she was momentarily at a loss for what to do.

Si Huan Nian waved her hand dismissively. "Go on. I’ll pay you triple."

"Then... then what would you like to eat?" The proprietress seemed to have recognized who was sitting before her. Although Songjiang Soul City wasn’t small, even the common folk had heard of its most prominent figures.

"The same as them. Just bring it out." Si Huan Nian tilted her head up slightly, gesturing with her chin toward the only other table of diners.

"Alright. Please wait a moment. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked myself." The proprietress turned and went back.

Si Huan Nian glanced at the four diners at the other table, then turned her gaze to Rong Taotao, sitting opposite her. "I told you I’d teach you a Soul Skill tomorrow."

"Yeah! Yeah!" Hearing this, Rong Taotao was instantly delighted and nodded eagerly.

Si Huan Nian continued, "Seeing as you’ve been training hard lately and have gotten quite proficient with the Soul Skills you’ve already learned... well, we’re just sitting around idle anyway, so I’ll teach you now. Go get a piece of paper and a pen from the counter. And while you’re at it, grab a pack of cigarettes."

Although Rong Taotao was a little surprised about the cigarettes, he didn’t ask why. He immediately got up and ran to the counter.

The diners at the table against the left wall, however, seemed as if they hadn’t even noticed the teacher and student enter.

Even when Si Huan Nian was talking with the proprietress, they hadn’t spared them a single glance. The atmosphere at their table remained exceptionally lively, and just then, they all burst into laughter together.

Si Huan Nian licked her lips. Watching Rong Taotao hurry back, an almost imperceptible smile touched her face.