Master of Nine Stars

「Three days later, in ward 401A.」

Rong Taotao was sitting at a small table, a pen in his hand, frowning at the practice problems in front of him.

”Article 297 of the *Huaxia Punishment (Soul Martial Chapter)* stipulates that a Soul Martial Artist who defrauds the public by posing as a state official shall, in severe cases, be sentenced to...”

’More than three years, but less than ten?’

Rong Taotao looked at the options below. Just as he was about to choose C, he heard a demonic wailing sound from outside the window.

”WHOOSH...”

The sound of the cold wind howling gusted in. Rong Taotao turned his head to look, only to see a vast expanse of white outside his window, completely obscuring any buildings.

The good weather hadn’t lasted more than a few days before the wind and snow started up again.

Rong Taotao sighed and lowered his head, simply choosing C. Suddenly, he sensed movement to his other side. ’Is that a shadow?’

The door to this deluxe ward was quite unique. It had a long, vertical rectangular window, making it easy for doctors and nurses to observe the patient inside.

Curious, Rong Taotao turned his head to the left. Outside the locked ward door, there really was a figure. She was bent over with her hands on her knees, peering curiously into the room.

Well, well~

’Isn’t that Gan Lin?’

Their eyes met through the narrow glass window. Gan Lin immediately puffed out her cheeks in a show of displeasure and pointed at the doorknob.

Rong Taotao tiptoed over and opened the door for her.

Gan Lin was dressed like a stylish city woman in a black woolen coat and a scarf. She was covered in frost, her face flushed slightly red from the cold. She stepped inside cautiously, craning her neck to look around the room, and her eyes fell upon Gao Lingwei, who lay quietly on the hospital bed.

”Are you sure she’s okay?” Gan Lin whispered.

”She’s fine. I already told you on WeChat, don’t worry,” Rong Taotao whispered, closing the door.

The two had already been talking on WeChat. In fact, if Gan Lin hadn’t messaged to ask how they were doing, she wouldn’t have even known Gao Lingwei was hospitalized again.

”Yeah, right. You’re a rotten little brat, you are,” Gan Lin muttered under her breath. She took off her coat and unwound her scarf, shoving them directly into Rong Taotao’s arms.

Clearly, Gan Lin was still holding a grudge against Rong Taotao for stealing her best friend away.

She had been the one trying to make a move, but she never expected the little brat to snatch her best friend away instead...

Straightening her cute short hair, Gan Lin walked over to the bedside and looked down at the sleeping Gao Lingwei.

She examined her from left and right and, seeing no signs of pain on Gao Lingwei’s face, felt considerably relieved.

Rong Taotao hung her clothes on the coat rack. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned and asked, ”What is it?”

Gan Lin lowered her voice, whispering, ”If she isn’t injured, why is she unconscious?”

”Uh,” Rong Taotao scratched his head. ”Maybe she doesn’t want to take her final exams?”

Gan Lin blinked. ”That’s a bit preemptive, isn’t it? It’s mid-December now, and exams are in mid-January.”

Rong Taotao: ”Well...”

Gan Lin’s face suddenly shot forward, and she put on a fierce expression. ”Stop talking nonsense and spit it out!”

”Mmm...” A soft groan suddenly came from behind them.

In an instant, both Rong Taotao and Gan Lin froze.

They hurriedly looked toward the hospital bed and saw Gao Lingwei’s brow furrow slightly. Her head stirred from side to side, as if she were about to wake up.

Gan Lin was dumbfounded. ’Oh no,’ she thought frantically. ’It’s over, it’s over, I woke her up!’

Rong Taotao was just as stunned. ’It’s only been three days, and Gao Lingwei is already waking up?’

’This is... this is practically an insult to him!’

’When I, Rong Taotao, absorbed a Lotus, I slept for over half a month the first time and a whole week the second time. And you, Gao Lingwei, can wake up after just three days?’

’Is the difference in our physical constitutions really that huge?’

Under their anxious gazes, Gao Lingwei slowly stirred awake. She opened her dazed eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

She seemed to be reacquainting herself with her surroundings. Her beautiful eyes eventually settled on the two figures at the foot of the bed, who were frozen in silence.

Gao Lingwei asked softly, ”The school infirmary?”

”Da Wei, you’re awake~” Gan Lin rushed over and plopped down on the edge of the bed. Her expression changed faster than one could flip a page; the fierce look from moments ago was replaced with a beaming smile.

Few people called her ”Da Wei.” Rong Taotao was one, Gan Lin was another, and there were one or two others in the Junior Soul Class, but they more often called her ”Wei.”

Speaking of which, the nickname ”Da Wei” was actually a ”legacy” that Gan Lin had left for Rong Taotao...

”Mm,” Gao Lingwei murmured. She tried to move her hand, only to find a needle inserted in the back of it, connected to a bag of IV fluid hanging on a stand.

Just as Gao Lingwei felt her movement restricted and a thought began to form in her mind...

”SNAP!”

A faint cracking sound was heard.

The needle piercing the skin of her hand snapped right off. In its place, a single Lotus Petal had appeared on the back of her hand.

The tiny Lotus Petal was stuck to the back of her hand like a Band-Aid.

SWOOSH~!

A dazzling cyan light flashed and vanished in an instant.

Instantly, the small fragment of the needle still embedded in her hand was shattered and dissolved by the energy released from the Lotus Petal.

Gan Lin was at a complete loss, staring dumbly at the scene.

Rong Taotao didn’t dare to make a rash move either, because at that moment, he felt an unexpectedly powerful craving for Gao Lingwei surging within him.

’That damn Prison Lotus is acting up again.’

”What is... uh, what is that?” Gan Lin reached out as if to cup Gao Lingwei’s hand, but she hesitated, her hand extending and retracting several times.