Master of Nine Stars

Chapter 21: Chapter 18: The World of the Strong

When Rong Taotao emerged from the Martial Arts Hall, trotting gleefully with his Heaven-piercing Halberd in hand, he immediately drew the attention of many students.

While the twin sisters were deceptive, with an aura powerful enough to pass as university students, one glance at Rong Taotao was all it took for everyone to know he was just a high schooler.

Rong Taotao’s skills were self-taught. He had sparred often when he had a master, but it had never gone beyond the level of ”training.”

But the two girls with the ornate Great Sabers had likely carved their way out of real battlefields. They and Rong Taotao were not cut from the same cloth.

Rong Taotao looked like a lost little rookie, stumbling into the training grounds of adult Martial Artists while carrying a heavy, two-meter-long Heaven-piercing Halberd.

The moment the students saw Rong Taotao carrying his Battle Halberd toward Teacher Si Huan Nian’s area, the scene instantly exploded!

What was going on?

Was Teacher Si Huan Nian going to beat up another kid today?

Was it time for that crowd-favorite segment, ”To Hell with Your Soul Martial Dream”?

Si Huan Nian was, arguably, the nightmare of every high school student in the northern Snow Realm. She never hesitated to display her power and send any high schooler who came here packing.

Songjiang Soul Martial University was clearly a holy land in the hearts of Huaxia’s Snow Realm Soul Martial Students. Every year, children who had yet to graduate high school would be brought by their parents to make a ”pilgrimage” here.

To encourage these aspiring children, Songjiang Soul Martial University had a policy: as long as you could prove your identity with a high school student ID, you could enter and tour the campus for free.

Of course, students were allowed to tour, but the parents... they had to wait in the reception room at the school gate.

Without a doubt, after seeing the magnificent academic buildings, library, and stables, the high school students would eventually end up at the Martial Arts Arena to watch the university upperclassmen battle up close.

And Si Huan Nian, as the managing teacher of the Martial Arts Arena, was naturally here year-round. Thus, she had sent away countless children whose ambitions reached for the heavens but whose destinies were paper-thin.

Crushing noobs was likely one of her twisted pleasures.

...

Rong Taotao had just taken his position opposite Si Huan Nian when a few university students already began to gather. And from the looks of it, the crowd was only growing.

Most of them looked at Rong Taotao with eyes full of pity.

Rong Taotao couldn’t help but scratch his head. ’What are all these looks for? They...’

An upperclassman couldn’t hold back a mischievous grin and said, ”Hey! Kiddo, do you know who you’re about to challenge?”

Rong Taotao blinked, glancing at the distant Teacher Si, who was radiating an Immortal Aura, then back at the gloating upperclassman on the sidelines. He shook his head, confused.

The upperclassman said, ”Teacher Si Huan Nian. One of the Pine Soul Four Rites—Sugar. AKA, the Pine Soul Forget-me-not.”

Rong Taotao was utterly dumbfounded.

’What is all this flashy nonsense...?’

’Since when do proper university teachers have martial world-style nicknames?’

’Her name is quite beautiful, though.’

’Is it from the poem? *The ornate zither’s fifty strings, each string, each bridge, a memory of the prime of life—Huan Nian*?’

”Ever heard of the song ’Forget-me-not’? Nah, at your age, you probably haven’t.”

Rong Taotao was instantly displeased. ’I might be lacking in other areas, but when it comes to music, you’ve met your match!’

In his lonely years, Rong Taotao had listened to songs that spanned the entire history of Huaxian music.

’Who do you think you’re looking down on?’

Rong Taotao immediately declared, ”I am Rong Taotao, the number one Macho Man of New Danxi High! AKA, the human megaphone of the school’s broadcasting club!”

The students: ”...”

The upperclassman was heard asking, ”Oh yeah? Then how does ’Forget-me-not’ go?”

Of course, Rong Taotao had no intention of belting out the song. He just hummed softly to himself...

”Letting us, the weak, learn to be cruel, to fiercely face every cold hardship life brings...”

Rong Taotao stopped after humming the first line, turning to look at Si Huan Nian with a strange expression.

’She just gave me a Little Rascal Cubed Sugar. That was clearly a gesture of goodwill. Was it all just an act?’

’What is she planning to do?’

’Is she going to break my legs?’

’Is a woman’s cruelty really directly proportional to her beauty?’

”Shut up.” Opposite him, Si Huan Nian shot a smiling glare at the talkative boy. The upperclassman hastily retreated a few steps, hiding behind the other onlookers.

A wave of laughter erupted, adding a touch of cheer to the world of ice and snow.

”Go easy on him, Coach Si!”

”Coach Si! Don’t hold back! Please, give him a complete childhood! Just like how you traumatized me back in the day!”

Rong Taotao: ”...”

Listening to the surrounding chatter, Rong Taotao went on high alert. He had assumed a university teacher would go easy on him, but judging by the students’ reactions... ’Is this teacher really that ruthless?’

More and more students gathered to watch, all of them ready.

’A beautiful day begins with watching a noob get crushed!’

At this moment, the twin high school sisters also quietly drew closer, curiously observing this peculiar battle with a hint of surprise in their hearts.

’The two of us were clashing blades over there for ages and couldn’t get a single teacher’s attention. What did this little curly-haired kid do to deserve a sparring session with a university teacher?’

’Could he be stronger than us?’

Although the sisters were young, they were very confident in their own history and growth.

They could even confidently puff out their chests and say that over 80% of the university students didn’t have as much real combat experience as they did!

Because the two of them came from the Huaxia Inland region, the San Qin Land.