Master of Nine Stars

After listening, Fu Tiance paused for a moment. ”Alright,” he said. ”I’ll send Sheep back to liaise with the local Snow Burning Army. When the time comes, you and your brother will return together to give me a full report in person. And while you’re at it, we’ll make your position official and you can pick up your Beast Head Mask.”

Rong Taotao: ”...”

Fu Tiance: ”Did you get that?”

Rong Taotao pursed his lips. ”So you finally found your chance, huh!”

”Cut the crap!” Fu Tiance retorted with a laugh. ”You’re the one who fell right into my lap. Weren’t you the one saying the Twelfth Squad was on a special mission? What kind of special mission is a probationary member like you supposed to be on?”

Rong Taotao snorted. ”You’re just taking advantage of the fact that I messed up and feel guilty, seizing the opportunity to exploit my predicament!”

Fu Tiance: ”Just consider this mission your test to become a full member.”

’A test to become a full member?’

Rong Taotao scratched his head. ’Er... the targets are the Qian Organization and the Free People. That’s exactly the kind of work the Twelfth Squad does.’

’A perfect fit for my specialty?’

Fu Tiance: ”Do you want the Dog Head or the Pig Head?”

Rong Taotao: ”...”

Fu Tiance said impatiently, ”Let’s just go with the Pig Head. Baby pigs are blessed with good fortune—they never have to worry about food or drink. That’s what the old folks always say.”

With that, Fu Tiance hung up the phone.

Rong Taotao lowered his phone, staring blankly at the screen. ’Those words... Where have I heard that before?’

”How did it go?” Yang Chunxi came over and asked softly.

”Here,” Rong Taotao handed her the phone. ”Captain Fu said he’s sending my brother over to liaise with the Snow Burning Army.”

”Mm,” Yang Chunxi nodded lightly. ”Let’s follow the soldiers back to the company first. We’ll cooperate with them and explain the details of the situation.”

The Pine Soul teachers could have just wiped their hands of the matter and left, but after all, Pine Soul Soul Martial and the Snow Burning Army had a close relationship, having been partners for decades. There was no need for them to act that way.

”Let’s wait a bit,” Rong Taotao said, gesturing to the distance. Gao Lingwei was still kneeling motionlessly in the snow, clearly still communicating with the Lotus Petal.

”Hmm...” Yang Chunxi thought for a moment. ”Coach Li and Coach Si will stay here to watch over you. The main force of the Snow Burning Army won’t pull back either.

Coach Xia and I will go back to their company with a squad of soldiers first. Once Da Wei is done absorbing the petal, you all can come join us there.”

”Okay,” Rong Taotao nodded immediately.

The entire Snow Forest was lit up, with Snow Burning Army soldiers everywhere. It was extremely safe. Who would be blind enough to come looking for trouble now?

’If someone really is that blind, it would actually be for the better. With so many Snow Burning Army soldiers around, we could wipe them all out in one go...’

A squad from the Snow Burning Army cleaned up the battlefield, taking a few bodies with them as they departed for the company on the edge of the city with Xia Fangran and Yang Chunxi.

Rong Taotao and the others stood guard, while the soldiers formed a circle with Gao Lingwei at its center.

However, the situation didn’t proceed as smoothly as Rong Taotao had imagined.

Rong Taotao could absorb a Lotus Petal just by reaching out his hand, but others couldn’t. Several hours passed, and the sky began to grow light with the dawn, yet Gao Lingwei remained kneeling in the snow, holding the Lotus Petal, completely still.

Rong Taotao thought for a moment, then walked over to Si Huan Nian’s side and said softly, ”Coach Si.”

Si Huan Nian stood with her hands behind her back, her white clothes fluttering in the wind, giving her the air of an otherworldly expert. At that moment, she was looking up at the fish-belly white of the eastern sky.

Hearing Rong Taotao’s voice, she turned her head to look at him. ”Hm?”

Before Rong Taotao could speak, Si Huan Nian reached out, put an arm around his shoulder, and gave him a gentle, cheerful shake, as if in encouragement or praise. ”You commanded well.”

Rong Taotao gave a goofy smile. ”Hehe.”

Si Huan Nian said very seriously, ”I thought it would be a vicious battle. I was already prepared for team members to be severely injured, or even for casualties. I never expected we’d kill them so satisfyingly.”

Rong Taotao muttered under his breath, ”They were all practically crippled. Of course you found it satisfying.”

’Crushing noobs was one of Si Huan Nian’s guilty pleasures.’

But the students in the Martial Arts Arena were genuinely weak. Under Rong Taotao’s command, however, these top-tier Poachers had been turned into ”newbies,” so of course Si Huan Nian’s sense of satisfaction multiplied.

Si Huan Nian’s hand moved up from his shoulder and ruffled his natural curls, which were mixed with frost and snow. ”If there are more activities like this in the future, remember to bring me along.”

”Mhm, mhm,” Rong Taotao nodded repeatedly and asked in a low voice, ”About how long did it take you to absorb that Lotus Petal?”

Si Huan Nian raised an eyebrow slightly, glanced at Gao Lingwei, and said thoughtfully, ”It seems now that each Lotus Petal has different characteristics and its own emotions.”

Rong Taotao nodded in agreement. ”Yes.”

Si Huan Nian began, ”So each Lotus Petal is an individual entity. My previous judgment was wrong. The facts show that after advancing to the Soul Captain stage, although you can use the Lotus Petal, it consumes far too much energy. You need several days to recover after a single use.

But my Imperial Lotus is different. It’s not volatile, nor does it cause me to collapse from exhaustion.”

Rong Taotao nodded lightly. ”Mm... hmm.”

Si Huan Nian said softly, ”When I absorbed my Lotus Petal, it was almost instantaneous. This Imperial Lotus of mine represents defense and protection.

I was on the verge of death at the time. The Imperial Lotus barely hesitated before merging with me, pulling me back from the brink.”

A thought struck Rong Taotao. Recalling how the Red-clothed Merchant had used the Lotus Petal, he said, ”This Lotus Petal seems to have a bit of a ’protection’ aspect too, doesn’t it?

It can repair a person’s body, like bandaging a wound, or performing surgery and stitching someone up...”

Si Huan Nian seemed to understand the implication of Rong Taotao’s words. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she leaned close to his ear and whispered, ”What? Are you going to go chop up Gao Lingwei and see if the Lotus Petal absorbs into her instantly?”

Rong Taotao’s ear tickled. He squirmed a little and took a step to the left. ”You’re such a vicious woman.”

”Hm?” Si Huan Nian’s eyes narrowed. ”Weren’t you the one who suggested it?”

Rong Taotao pursed his lips and didn’t reply.

’It’s all reasonable speculation, but no matter how reasonable it is, what if I cut Gao Lingwei and the Lotus Petal just ignores it?’

Si Huan Nian: ”From the looks of it, it’s going to take some time for her to establish a connection with the Lotus Petal.

By the way, you snatched both of your Lotus Petals from other people. Putting aside the issue of you stealing them, how did you manage to establish a connection with them in an instant?”

Rong Taotao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ”Maybe... they both saw that I’m destined to become a Soul General, so they didn’t hesitate to abandon the darkness for the light, hoping to latch onto a powerhouse like me as early as possible.”

Seeing Rong Taotao’s serious, bluffing expression, a strange smile appeared on Si Huan Nian’s face.

Rong Taotao: ”What?”

Si Huan Nian said softly, ”There are so many Snow Burning Army soldiers around. Don’t make me kick you.”

”Tch. You think I’m scared of you?” Rong Taotao snorted, but his feet still carried him a few steps away.

This display of being both bold and cowardly made Li Lie, watching from a distance, unable to hold back a smile.

No one expected that this vigil would last for an entire day!

Under the care of the Snow Burning Army, Rong Taotao ate a pile of boxed meals. It wasn’t until the moon was high in the sky, late at night, that there was finally some movement from Gao Lingwei!

At that moment, Rong Taotao had just unwrapped a chocolate bar—his last one. He broke off a piece and handed it to Si Huan Nian when he felt waves of volatile energy ripple outward.

Rong Taotao’s face lit up with joy. He quickly turned to look, only to see the Lotus Petal in Gao Lingwei’s hands erupt in a blinding light.

The originally soft cyan color illuminated the quiet Snow Forest. Under the immense radiance, the White Lantern Paper Cages above everyone’s heads couldn’t help but dim in comparison.

Rong Taotao shielded his eyes with one hand, squinting through his fingers to try and see Gao Lingwei’s figure, but the intense light nearly blinded him.

’Isn’t this a bit too much?’

’Does every Lotus Petal have its own characteristics? When I absorbed the Sinful Lotus and the Prison Lotus, it was never this spectacular.’

The extremely blinding light flickered for nearly three minutes. When the light faded, only Gao Lingwei’s limp figure was left on the snow.

”Da Wei?” Rong Taotao rushed over. He placed a hand on her neck and felt for a pulse, but he couldn’t wake the person who had already passed out.

’Hehe, I found an unconscious pretty lady. I should hurry up and carry her home~’

Rong Taotao slid one arm under her back and the other under the crook of her knees, lifting her up in a princess carry.

Li Lie spoke up, ”We’re wrapping up?”

Rong Taotao nodded. ”Let’s go.”