Master of Nine Stars

The next morning, in the hotel restaurant.

A bowl of millet porridge sat on the table in front of Rong Taotao, and his chopsticks held a bean paste bun, but all his attention was focused on the phone in his other hand.

”Taotao, which hotel are you guys staying at? I’ll come find you and hang out, okay?”

The message had been sent at one in the morning. ’Does this Ye Nanxi even sleep?’

’I know the Imperial Capital City is your home turf and you can run wild as you please, but the competition is tomorrow. You’re...’

After some thought, Rong Taotao typed back: ”Hang out? What hang out? Focus on the competition! There are only a few venues, we’re bound to run into each other eventually.”

After replying to the WeChat message, Rong Taotao took a bite of his bean paste bun and opened his social media app.

Last night, after watching *Soul Martial Peak*, Rong Taotao had returned to his room. Before bed, he found the interview video from the Huaxia Main Channel on his social media feed. He reposted the clip dedicated to him and Gao Lingwei, adding a ”fist” emoji.

Now, looking at it again... whoa, things had gotten wild...

”You devil, you disappeared for three months! Where have you been fooling around!?”

”Hubby, boohoo~ I went to Soul Police Chief Ju to file a report, but the officer kicked me out. He insisted you weren’t my husband and wouldn’t let me report you as missing (crying face).

But it’s okay, I reported a case of child abduction instead...”

”Pfft... Hahahahaha...”

”This was an interview with the Huaxia Main Channel!!! Why were you so obsessed with dumplings? Can’t you have a little more class like a master?”

”I often wonder what kind of monster I’m a fan of... Last night, I finally figured it out. I’m a fan of a hungry ghost (smiling face).”

”Came here after watching *Soul Martial Peak*. So this is the legendary Gao Lingwei!? Wow~ What kind of immortal-level beauty is this!

I wouldn’t even dare to Photoshop a picture to look this good, but she actually looks like this naturally... (crying hard).”

”Knife in hand! Kill Rong Dog! The grudge for stealing my wife is irreconcilable!”

”Bro, you’re really dreaming. You think she’s this gentle with everyone? Go rewatch the Outer League matches! If she slaps you, you think you can take it?”

Rong Taotao’s expression was a little strange. The heaps of comments were truly a mixed bag. He turned his phone toward Gao Lingwei. ”Look at this comment.”

Gao Lingwei, who was peeling an egg, glanced over curiously. ”What is it?”

Rong Taotao grinned. ”They said they wouldn’t even dare to Photoshop a picture to look like you.”

BUZZ... BUZZ...

Just as Rong Taotao was holding the phone up for Gao Lingwei, it suddenly vibrated, and a WeChat notification popped up at the top of the screen:

Ye Nanxi: ”You really don’t know what’s good for you. I’m doing you a favor by offering to hang out, and you dare to refuse me!?”

Gao Lingwei’s eyebrow twitched slightly. Her gaze then drifted past the top of the phone to look at Rong Taotao.

”What’s wrong?” A wave of panic hit Rong Taotao. He had assumed it was a spam message vibrating, but when he took the phone back to look, he nearly died of anger.

’Could the timing be any more perfect!?’

”What, is she asking you out?” Gao Lingwei flicked a piece of shell off her fingers. Holding the egg between two fingers, she used her chopsticks to dab a bit of fermented bean curd onto the smooth, white, hard-boiled egg.

”Ah, she probably saw our interview last night. She sent the message in the middle of the night, I just saw it now,” Rong Taotao said, bracing himself. ”The competition is tomorrow, what’s the point in meeting? So unprofessional.”

As he grumbled, Rong Taotao stealthily glanced at Gao Lingwei.

He found her staring at him with a burning intensity.

Rong Taotao felt his scalp tingle. In the spirit of throwing caution to the wind, he suddenly leaned forward and took a big bite out of the egg smeared with bean curd.

Gao Lingwei gave him a look of mock annoyance. Staring at the small half of the egg left in her hand, she reached over and stuffed the remaining piece into Rong Taotao’s mouth.

”It’s fine to meet. I’ve heard so much about her,” Gao Lingwei said, picking up another egg. She pressed it against the table and rolled it back and forth, the shell making a soft CRACKLING sound.

Rong Taotao, typing away on his screen, replied, ”Let’s wait until the competition. We have to watch the drawing ceremony in a bit anyway, and we need to study our opponents all day.”

”Rong Taotao?” As they spoke, a young man’s voice called out.

Rong Taotao looked over and saw a man and a woman holding meal trays.

’Hey, familiar faces!’

’Well... even though we’ve never spoken, I’ve definitely heard a lot about them.’

They were known as the Fengtian First Squad, the top Ocean Soul Martial squad, the brother-sister duo from Fengtian Soul Martial University: Baishan and Bai Ming.

’They really live up to their name! So damn pale!’

It was one thing for the girl to be fair-skinned, but why was a grown man so pale? ’Does living in Fengtian City make everyone look this good?’

The older brother, Baishan, was tall and thin with parted hair and a plaid shirt. At first glance, he looked like a regular student, not a Soul Martial Artist at all.

”Hello,” Rong Taotao said with a grin, despite his inner monologue.

”It’s not easy to get a glimpse of you. Out of the eight teams from the Outer Region, seven assembled and are moving together with the Outer Region general leader. Only you and Goddess Wei are nowhere to be seen.” Baishan smiled. ”Did you two just get to the Imperial Capital City?”

The guy was quite cheerful and the type to get friendly right away. They had never spoken before, but his tone was very familiar.

”Yeah, just arrived.” Rong Taotao didn’t explain further. Although the top eight from the Outer Region were from different universities, they all represented the Outer Region Division and had thus gathered into one team. He and Gao Lingwei clearly had ”special privileges.” Since he was enjoying them, Rong Taotao didn’t feel it was right to flaunt it.

”Hello,” Bai Ming, the young lady holding a tray behind him, said with a smile. ”We saw you on *Soul Martial Peak* last night. You have to give it your all. The Wanqi Siblings have their eyes on you two.

Of course, if they run into us, you won’t have to worry about them anymore!”

’Ooh, this young lady is very confident, isn’t she?’

’But... Baishan and Bai Ming are Ocean Soul Martial Artists. If they really did face the Molten Rock Siblings, Wanqi and his sister, they could counter them into oblivion!’

Internally, they were all competitors. Even in the national tournament, they were rivals.

But one thing was undeniable: they represented the same division.

”Bring a national championship back to the Outer Region” was the Outer Region team’s slogan.

Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei’s appearance on *Soul Martial Peak* made them the face of their division. Among all the duos in the Outer Region’s top eight, they were the only ones invited, which was undoubtedly an act that ”attracted hate.”

Fortunately, the Baishan and Bai Ming siblings weren’t the jealous type. Their attitude was very friendly.

”Is anyone sitting here?” Baishan gestured at the empty seats.

The hotel restaurant had large round tables with more than enough room for a dozen people. Rong Taotao immediately said, ”No one. Have a seat.”

”Heh.” Baishan and his sister sat down. He seemed genuinely interested in Rong Taotao. ”It’s a shame we didn’t get to meet you in the Outer League ranking matches. I’ve been wanting to spar with you two.”

BUZZ BUZZ...

Ye Nanxi had messaged again, but Rong Taotao didn’t even look. He put his phone away and turned to Baishan. ”There’ll be a chance. Here at the nationals, as long as we both keep winning, we’ll meet eventually.”

”That’s true enough.” Baishan nodded in agreement, then suddenly burst out laughing. ”Hehe...”

Rong Taotao was confused. ”What is it?”

Baishan chuckled. ”Seeing you two just reminds me of Guan Cang and Guan Qiong.”

Rong Taotao’s expression turned strange. ”What about them?”

Beside them, his sister, Bai Ming, lowered her voice and whispered, ”What about them? If the Guan Brothers had said just one less sentence, one less taunt, the Outer Region championship would have been theirs.”

Baishan: ”Hahahahaha!”

Rong Taotao: ”...”

Gao Lingwei: ”...”

For a moment, everyone in the restaurant looked over curiously. Baishan covered his mouth with his hand, but he couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Gao Lingwei turned to Rong Taotao, raising an eyebrow with a questioning look.

Rong Taotao just shrugged and said, ”I guess... that is what happened.”

The Outer Region championship really should have gone to the Guan Brothers. If they had held back just one of their string of provocations on the field, Rong Taotao’s anger wouldn’t have reached its breaking point...

The group chatted for a while, and after finishing breakfast, they went back to their respective rooms.

Rong Taotao had a very good impression of the cheerful Bai Family siblings, who were known as the Fengtian First Squad. He hoped they would meet later rather than sooner in the national tournament; those two were no joke.

「At 8:30, the drawing ceremony officially began.」

Everyone gathered in Yang Chunxi’s room. On the coffee table in front of her was another thick stack of files. It all felt just like yesterday, reminding Rong Taotao of the Outer League.

”Oh ho, here comes Wanqi’s team,” Rong Taotao suddenly perked up as he watched the TV screen. In the hands of a middle-aged man in a suit, a small, unscrewed ball revealed the number for Squad ”1.”

And before this ”1” ball, the man had drawn ”Northwest Division.”

Yang Chunxi said with a smile, ”There are so many teams. It can’t be that coincidental that they meet in the first round...”

As she spoke, her words trailed off, and the smile vanished from her face.

Because the new ball the middle-aged man drew had three bold words written on it: ”Outer Region Division”!

”Haha!” Xia Fangran couldn’t help but laugh out loud, even as he said, ”No way, no way, it won’t be a 1 again, right?”

”Eh?” Rong Taotao blinked. ”6? Who’s sixth from our Outer Region?”

Xia Fangran looked disappointed. ”Tch, why isn’t it 1?”

Yang Chunxi let out a deep sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t 1 or 5, anyone else was fine!

Outer Region first place was Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei. Outer Region fifth place was Yuan Tianri and Yuan Tiancheng.

These were the only two teams Pine Soul Soul Martial University had sent. To be honest, it would be better if the Wanqi Siblings ran into Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei. If they ran into the Yuan Brothers, it would be truly painful.

After all, the Yuan Brothers were both Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists.

One by one, the teams had their opponents determined. It wasn’t until the drawing ceremony was halfway through that Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei’s turn finally came!

Seeing the two balls combined—Outer Region Division + Squad 1—the two of them also grew attentive.

”Southern China Division!” Yang Chunxi’s eyes lit up. The Southern China Division had a huge number of coastal universities, meaning a high proportion of Ocean Soul Martial Artist teams. This was undoubtedly good news.

”Number 7!” As the man on the TV screen twisted open the ball, Yang Chunxi quickly lowered her head and began rummaging through the pile of documents on the coffee table.

Under Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei’s watchful eyes, Yang Chunxi pulled out a stack of papers and said, ”Southern China Division, seventh place: Bagui Soul Martial University’s Gao Zehua and Lin Xiaoxiao. Ocean Soul Martial Artists!”

Hearing this, Xia Fangran slumped back on the sofa, muttering, ”Why, why is it like this, there were so many...”

Rong Taotao grinned and picked up Gao Lingwei’s fair hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He turned to look at Xia Fangran. ”What can you do? Lady Luck is on our side~”

Gao Lingwei shot Rong Taotao a look but didn’t pull her hand away, even in front of their two teachers...

”Aigh...” Xia Fangran lay sprawled on the sofa, too dejected to even play on his phone, looking as if he had lost all will to live. ”Hah! I’m so mad...”

Rong Taotao took the files Yang Chunxi handed him, humming a little tune, ”Oh, I’m so sad~ this isn’t the outcome I wanted, not at all~”

Xia Fangran: ???

”Heh~” Yang Chunxi couldn’t help but chuckle. The song was a little too fitting for the situation...

...

It’s the end of the month. If you have any tickets left, please vote for Taotao and Da Wei!

The tournament is kicking off, and Yu will write with diligence. I hope I won’t disappoint everyone’s expectations!