Master of Nine Stars

”Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon?” Chen Bingxun asked, stunned for a moment. He pondered for a while before muttering to himself, ”Oh, right... Captain Fu applied for a master-grade Snow Moon Snake Demon’s Soul Pearl for you two.”

Seeing his chance, Rong Taotao’s heart leaped with joy. ”So? How about it?”

”Ahem.” Gao Lingwei coughed lightly. Rong Taotao was practically about to sit on Yin Hu’s desk. ’He really doesn’t act like an outsider...’

She felt that Rong Taotao had a strange kind of charm. As long as he wanted to, he could build a good relationship with anyone, no matter how powerful, serious, or strict they were.

Take Si Huan Nian, for example. The mere mention of her name made the Little Souls turn pale, yet Rong Taotao was the only one who dared to joke with her. In fact, the two were very close.

Then there was Chenlong just a moment ago, and now Yin Hu.

Gao Lingwei thought to herself, ’The day Rong Taotao dares to shoot the breeze with old Headmaster Mei Hongyu... that’ll be the day he’s truly ready to graduate...’

”Alright. It’s a good thing for you youngsters to have this kind of spirit.” After careful consideration, Chen Bingxun finally nodded. ”You two, go get ready. Change into some ordinary clothes, put on hats and scarves, and disguise yourselves. Don’t draw too much attention.”

Rong Taotao blinked. ”We only got the office keys a few days ago. There’s nothing in there.”

Chen Bingxun said, ”Then you two go wait at the far east end of the first-floor hallway. I’ll contact Mao Rabbit and have her get you a set of clothes. Go now.”

Rong Taotao replied, ”You got it! Right away.”

With that, Rong Taotao grabbed Gao Lingwei and hurried out of the office.

Watching the two youths disappear through the doorway, Chen Bingxun shook his head and smiled. The arrival of these two had certainly added a bit of life to the otherwise somber team.

That Gao Lingwei seemed very proper, always respectful to her superiors and seniors. But as for Rong Taotao...

’Well, there’s no need to rein him in. It’s good for him to stay this way.’

Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei arrived at the east side of the first floor. A few minutes later, Miss Mao Rabbit, a young woman with an adorable baby face, arrived. She smiled and waved at them. ”Hello, underclassmen! Congratulations on winning the national championship, huh?”

Rong Taotao grinned and gave a thumbs-up.

When in doubt about how to respond, Rong Taotao’s secret to social interaction was simple: grin and give a thumbs-up.

”Let me see you two...” Mao Rabbit took out a key, opened a room, and turned to size up Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei. She said with a smile, ”You two make a good match, don’t you?”

Gao Lingwei smiled and glanced at Mao Rabbit.

Unexpectedly, the pair wasn’t bashful at all. Instead, it was Mao Rabbit who turned her head away under Gao Lingwei’s gaze...

Rong Taotao: ”...”

In fact, he had long felt that there was something a bit off about her. Especially when she faced Gao Lingwei, Mao Rabbit didn’t seem like a soldier at all; instead, she seemed a little shy.

”Dark blue hats and scarves, brown and gray jackets, jeans, and cotton-padded shoes,” Mao Rabbit said as she rummaged through stacks of boxes on a shelf. ”Mhm, dressed like this, you’ll pretty much look like any other pedestrian.”

Rong Taotao glanced at Gao Lingwei, sizing her up with a noncommittal expression.

As Mao Rabbit searched for the clothes, she shared her experience, ”The main problem is your eyes. Sunglasses would just attract more attention, but without them, most Soul Martial Artists have very sharp eyes.”

”Especially for young Soul Martial Artists like you, it’s basically impossible to hide... Oh, right!”

Rong Taotao: ”What is it?”

Mao Rabbit asked, ”According to Captain Chen, you two participated in Songjiang Soul Martial University’s top-level assessment ahead of schedule—the Gorge 0 assessment?”

”Mhm, that’s right,” Rong Taotao replied, confused. ”Why?”

Mao Rabbit took out a gray wool sweater, handed it to Rong Taotao, and said, ”When you’re out on a mission, you can treat everyone you see as the Snow Ghosts and Snow Corpses you saw at the bottom of the gorge.”

”And you should treat them like the kind of Snow Ghosts and Snow Corpses that are far away, the ones you don’t need to worry about for the time being.”

”In short, you have to disregard everyone. Be indifferent and unconcerned about them. This will make your eyes look duller. At the very least, your enemy won’t immediately notice that you’re watching them.”

”Oh...” Rong Taotao scratched his head, nodding thoughtfully. ”Thank you, Miss Mao Rabbit.”

Mao Rabbit paused for a moment. Hearing how Rong Taotao addressed her, she couldn’t help but smile and mutter under her breath, ”Such a sweet talker.”

Rong Taotao said, ”But if I enter that state, the Death Qi around me will be too strong. Others won’t be able to stand it. Da Wei and I just barely managed to ’come back to life,’ so...”

”Mhm.” Mao Rabbit’s movements paused. She seemed to recall what she herself had gone through back then and couldn’t help but sigh softly. ”You’ll have to find your own balance. Many things can’t be taught by others; they can only be honed through time and experience.”

”When you get back, you can ask Captain Chen. Maybe he has a better idea.”

”Normally, his eyes are fiery and piercing. This mission, when you’re on stakeout in the city, you can observe him and see how he ’blends into the crowd’.”

Curiosity piqued, Rong Taotao nodded repeatedly. ”Oh, okay.”

Mao Rabbit finished putting together a set of ordinary clothes for them and then gave them two electronic devices.

Rong Taotao: ”What are these?”

Mao Rabbit: ”Invisible Headphones. When you’re out on a mission, I’ll provide you with necessary information and relay commands.”

’Ooh? There’s tech support too?’

’In fact, all I knew until now was that the team members’ offices were on the second floor. I have no idea what the other rooms in this little building are even for...’

”Alright, go back to your office and change. I’ve got a rough idea of your sizes now. I’ll get everything fully supplied for you in the next few days,” Mao Rabbit said with a smile. ”By the way, do you have any special requests?”

Gao Lingwei: ”Special requests?”

”Mhm...” Mao Rabbit thought for a moment and gave an example. ”Senior Wu Ma likes to drink tea, so the team provided him with a nice set of kung fu tea ware and tea leaves.”

Rong Taotao immediately nodded and said, ”I like snacks. Can you help me fill my room with them?”

Mao Rabbit: ”...”

Gao Lingwei shot Rong Taotao a glare, then explained to Mao Rabbit with a smile, ”It’s a special situation. His body consumes an incredible amount of energy.”

”Oh, oh, I get it.” Mao Rabbit finally nodded with a look of sudden realization. She looked at Rong Taotao with envy. ”That’s so nice, being able to eat whatever you want without getting fat...”

As she spoke, Mao Rabbit seemed to realize something was off and quickly said, ”Alright, you two should hurry back. I’m locking up.”

”Thanks.” Rong Taotao was dragged out the door by Gao Lingwei, but he still managed to wave at Mao Rabbit.

”We’re comrades in the same trench now, we’re family. No need to be so polite.” Mao Rabbit waved back. ”Be careful, and come back safe!”

Gao Lingwei nodded slightly. ”See you.”

...

As night fell, following the team’s instructions, Chen Bingxun led Rong Taotao and Gao Lingwei to Meihua Town.

Rong Taotao felt a sense of familiarity. Meihua Town was similar to Songbai Town, just not as prosperous, but it still had all the necessary amenities.

The town’s name sounded quite lovely. Although it wasn’t as large as Songbai Town, it was also built around a Soul Martial High School. Students who couldn’t get into the key high school in Songbai Town would be split into many groups and sent to various other towns, and Meihua Town was one of them.

Rong Taotao was also a little puzzled as to why Ying Jie would be hiding here. ’Of all places, why here?’

’Is it because Ying Jie is that good at hiding?’

Under Yin Hu’s lead, the group took a second look at an old alley on the west side of town, then quietly entered.

Under the cover of night, the trio’s footsteps were light. Streetlights only lined the main roads; a dilapidated alley like this on the edge of town was naturally not illuminated.

Dim, yellow lights occasionally shone from the single-story houses on either side of the alley, but they provided very little illumination.

This, however, was just what the trio wanted.

’They say darkness and the hunt are a perfect match, right?’