Master of Nine Stars

”Hahaha!”

Amid the bursts of laughter, Rong Taotao lowered his head, fiddling with his pen and doodling on a piece of scratch paper, not daring to respond.

Yang Chunxi continued, ”Due to the vast disparity in your abilities, the students of the Soul Class and the Martial Arts Class are now in completely different leagues.

”The school has decided to cancel the martial assessment for the Soul Class. The week-long Junior Class ranking tournament you were supposed to participate in will be replaced with a training expedition in the Snowfield.”

”Huh?” Hearing this, Shi Lan was clearly displeased. She muttered, ”And here I was, looking forward to stomping on those guys from the Martial Arts Class.”

Rong Taotao turned his head and leaned back, looking past Gao Lingwei at Shi Lan. ”Spoken like a true student of Coach Si! You two even have the same hobbies!”

THUMP~

Si Huan Nian kicked Rong Taotao’s desk, startling him into sitting bolt upright.

Yang Chunxi said with a smile, ”This is the well-deserved result of your tireless training, day and night, for the past year and a half.

”Your Talent was already higher than the others to begin with, and the school has given you the best resources. A gap in your abilities was inevitable.

”However, you’d best continue to work just as hard. I’m the one assessing you now. If I see anyone slacking off or thinking they can rest on their laurels, I’ll throw them into the Martial Arts Class.”

Although Yang Chunxi said this, she wasn’t actually worried about their ”hard work and effort.”

These kids in the Soul Class were far more diligent than the students in the Martial Arts Class.

This was partly due to the students’ own character, and partly due to Rong Taotao’s presence.

Rong Taotao was the big catfish in the small pond of the Soul Class. His presence made all the other little fish ”come alive.” Just as small fish struggle to survive, the students of the Soul Class worked so hard out of fear of being left too far behind.

Overall, the atmosphere in the Soul Class was excellent. They weren’t just a tight-knit, unified group; there was also healthy competition within their ranks. Yang Chunxi’s words had been harsh, but she couldn’t bear the thought of breaking up such an outstanding team.

”This expedition is mandatory for everyone. You’ll be back before the Lunar New Year, so it won’t get in the way for those of you who want to go home for the holidays. Alright, time for the exam. First subject: Logic.”

As she spoke, Yang Chunxi came down from the podium and began handing out the test papers. ”Those of you with Spiritual Soul Pearls on your foreheads, be on your honor. For a small test like this, we won’t be shielding the classroom.”

When Yang Chunxi reached Rong Taotao, she didn’t just drop the test on his desk; she also placed a hand on Gao Lingwei’s desk and gave it a little shove to the side.

Rong Taotao: ”...”

Gao Lingwei calmly shifted her chair, pretending nothing was amiss as she focused on the test paper in her hands.

”I’m watching him, relax,” Si Huan Nian’s voice suddenly came from behind. ”By the way, did you get ahold of his brother?”

”He didn’t pick up. He’s probably on a mission,” Yang Chunxi said, looking at Rong Taotao. In a soft voice, she added, ”I trust that Taotao is an honest boy who wouldn’t cheat. Isn’t that right?”

As she spoke, Yang Chunxi placed a hand on Rong Taotao’s head and gently ruffled his naturally curly hair...

Rong Taotao: ”...”

He looked up and gave her a thumbs-up. ”Don’t worry, Sister-in-law. I’ve studied all the key points you highlighted for me until I know them by heart. The score isn’t important; what matters is how much I’ve learned.”

”That’s the right attitude to have.” Yang Chunxi smiled and patted Rong Taotao’s head, then turned and walked back to the podium. She glanced at her watch and said, ”You have an hour and a half. You may begin.”

Si Huan Nian leaned back in her chair, looking rather bored. As her head tilted back, her gaze landed on the calligraphy Principal Mei Hongyu had left on the blackboard.

Si Huan Nian’s expression was peculiar. ’That old principal has a mischievous streak. Who is he trying to scare with this?’

Just as she was admiring Principal Mei’s handwriting, she suddenly heard the sound of a sharp gasp?

”Hss...”

Si Huan Nian immediately sat up straight and looked forward and to her left, only to see Rong Taotao sitting completely rigid, his hands on his desk, utterly motionless.

Leaning one hand on Gao Lingwei’s desk, Si Huan Nian leaned forward and tilted her head to look at Rong Taotao, only to find his pupils had shrunk to pinpoints!

Si Huan Nian froze. ’What’s happening?’

At the front of the room, Yang Chunxi, sitting behind the podium, also noticed something was wrong. In the quiet classroom, filled only with the soft scratching of pens on paper, Rong Taotao’s gasp had been incredibly jarring.

”Taotao?” Yang Chunxi stood up, her expression grave as she looked at Rong Taotao.

”Call... phone... notify Fu Tiance. Something’s happened to my brother,” Rong Taotao stammered, his face a rigid mask.

「At that very moment, far beyond the Third Wall, in a dense snow forest.」

Rong Yang sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes snapping open!

No, to be precise, it was Rong Taotao, controlling Rong Yang’s body, who had ”come alive”!

Heaven knows, Rong Taotao had no intention of disturbing Rong Yang. It was just a small test; it really didn’t matter whether he did well or poorly. After hearing Rong Yang was on a mission, the thought was even further from his mind.

But Rong Taotao hadn’t contacted Rong Yang. So why had something happened on his brother’s end?

Just a moment ago, Rong Taotao had felt a sudden BUZZ in his head, as if the sky itself was about to come crashing down!

”Taotao?”

”Taotao?” Rong Taotao was in no state to heed the anxious calls in his ears.

In the snow forest...

”Ugh...” A pained groan escaped from Rong Yang—or rather, from Rong Taotao controlling him. He felt an excruciating pain in the back of his head. He instinctively reached up to clutch it, only to feel his hand come away wet with blood.