Master of Nine Stars

On the battlefield behind them, the sounds of fighting gradually faded as Yin Hu quickly arrived.

Thanks to Gao Lingwei’s earlier help, they had seized the initiative. A single surprise attack had practically crippled half the Poacher squad. Now, Ox Head and Horse Face were clearing the battlefield and taking the surviving criminals into custody.

Yin Hu was visibly taken aback by the scene. He looked at the blood-red snow around Rong Taotao’s and Gao Lingwei’s feet and couldn’t help but ask, "Cold Flower?"

Rong Taotao gave a slight nod, one hand still gently stroking the back of Gao Lingwei’s head.

"Good kid," Yin Hu started to say instinctively, but he caught sight of Rong Taotao’s obvious attempt to soothe Gao Lingwei. He swallowed his praise, his brow furrowing slightly. "Are you alright? Did you suffer a Spiritual Attack?"

"I’m fine." Gao Lingwei took two steps back and drew a deep breath. "The Qian Organization has other teams. I can continue acting as a scout. The mission isn’t over."

"Mm," Yin Hu grunted noncommittally. He walked over to the messy, blood-soaked pile of snow and poked through it with his hand, but couldn’t help grimacing.

’This Cold Flower... forget just being dead, her body is completely mangled. It’s a gruesome sight. Any greenhorn who saw this would definitely have nightmares.’

Gao Lingwei looked at Rong Taotao and said softly, "I think... I can bring my parents to the Snow Realm. Back to Songbai Town, or Pine Soul City."

"Of course," Rong Taotao said, nodding. "I’ll ask Principal Mei for help. If your parents are willing, they can live on the Soul Martial University campus."

’Better late than never. I hope it’s not too late.’

’Of course, it’s not really a case of locking the barn door after the horse has bolted. After all, Gao Lingwei’s parents haven’t been harmed so far.’

’When you find a problem, you solve it. Complaining is pointless.’

Gao Lingwei hadn’t known anything before, but now, she would do everything in her power to ensure her parents could live in peace.

’She wasn’t worried about her father. He’d been a soldier his whole life, and a member of the Snow Burning military at that. He was long accustomed to the wind and snow of the north. He had even been reluctant when they left Songbai Town.’

’But her mother...’

’She was just an ordinary person. Even though the northern Snow Realm was inhabited and Songbai Town was quite bustling, it was still a far cry from normal society.’

’But there was no doubt that both Songbai Town and Pine Soul City were major northern strongholds with extremely tight defenses.’

’Besides, the military and police response times in a major stronghold were much faster than anywhere else. If they had dedicated personal bodyguards, that would be double the security.’

’The attack on Songbai Town last year was an isolated case, after all. And she believed that after that incident on New Year’s Eve, the town’s defenses would surely be much tighter, with stricter screenings for anyone entering or leaving.’

"Songbai Town. At least it’s more lively, closer to a normal society, and my family is familiar with the place," Gao Lingwei said, having already made up her mind.

Her parents had moved to be with her throughout her high school years, so they were extremely familiar with Songbai Town.

She just felt a pang of sadness. Her mother had stayed with her in Songbai Town for three long years. When she finally got into her dream university, her mother could have gone back to her hometown to enjoy a quiet life. But now, she was being dragged into all this because of her...

"Alright. We’ll ask your family after the mission," Rong Taotao said softly, his gaze shifting to the side.

’Since Yin Hu was wearing a mask, Rong Taotao couldn’t see his expression. But judging by his actions, a lot must be going through his mind.’

’That mess was Cold Flower... If he and Gao Lingwei hadn’t confirmed it, and if the two teachers, Li and Xia, hadn’t witnessed it, no one would believe that mangled corpse was once Cold Flower...’

Yin Hu picked through the snow again, then finally tossed aside the piece of limb in his hand. He stood up and looked at the two of them. "I heard you talking about your parents. What happened?"

Yin Hu shook the blood from his hand. He had actually already reached a conclusion in his mind; their conversation, combined with Cold Flower’s gruesome state, had made plenty of things clear.

Gao Lingwei remained silent. After a moment’s hesitation, Rong Taotao explained, "The Poachers have been trying to get their hands on Gao Lingwei, but Pine Soul Soul Martial has kept us protected, so they couldn’t find an opening. They decided to target her family instead."

"Mm. Don’t worry. The Snow Burning military knows how significant your Soul Pet is. We know what to do," Yin Hu said. He noticed Gao Lingwei’s dispirited expression, and after a moment’s thought, continued, trying to comfort her, "Actually, the appearance of the Snowball Cat triggered a separate incident."

Rong Taotao: "Hm?"

Yin Hu: "One of the Eight Great Coins, Jiufang. Ever heard of him?"

Rong Taotao shook his head.

Yin Hu hesitated, unsure if he should be saying this. But he admired these two kids immensely, and seeing Gao Lingwei’s state, he spoke anyway. "Jiufang once appeared in Fengtian’s Liaolian City. He clashed with the warriors protecting your parents. That was the last time the Qian Organization made a move on them."

Rong Taotao: "What do you mean?"

Yin Hu said, "After that mission failed, Jiufang fled Fengtian and returned to Meihua Town in the Snow Realm."

"One morning, people on the town’s central pedestrian street found Jiufang impaled through the heart with a Heaven-piercing Halberd, pinned to a utility pole."

Rong Taotao: "!!!"

Yin Hu looked at Gao Lingwei. "The word ’Snow’ was carved into that same utility pole. Furthermore, the Qian Organization members who were on the mission with Jiufang were also found dead in various places around town."

"Some had even been living in town as civilians. It was only after they were pinned and killed in the exact same way that the Soul Police, after a thorough investigation, discovered they were undercover members of the Qian Organization."

Gao Lingwei’s breath hitched. She seemed to realize something.

Yin Hu continued, "That was months ago. Since then, the Qian Organization hasn’t bothered your family once. So, whatever Cold Flower told you just now, whatever threats she made against your family, don’t believe a word of it. She was just bluffing."

A thought struck Rong Taotao. "Snow? A Heaven-piercing Halberd?"

Yin Hu nodded. "In the northern Snow Realm, who uses a codename like that?"

Rong Taotao: "The Snow Burning military?"

Yin Hu: "The Snow Burning military upholds the law. How could they do something so illegal?"

Rong Taotao pressed his lips together, his mind reeling. "Wo Xue Mian?"

This time, Yin Hu said nothing.

Gao Lingwei: "Gao Lingshi!"

The very reason Yin Hu had hesitated to speak was that this whole affair was rather embarrassing. It was laughable, really—the Snow Burning military having less deterrent power than a criminal organization.

In truth, it was an unavoidable consequence. The Snow Burning military wasn’t as feared as Wo Xue Mian precisely because they followed the law.

If you surrender to the Snow Burning military and don’t resist, who’s going to lay a hand on you beyond taking you into custody? In the end, criminals are judged by the law, not by lynch mobs.

The principle of escalating force applied to both the Snow Burning military and the Soul Police. Only when a criminal used lethal force would the military respond in kind.

But did Wo Xue Mian care about any of that?

They were an equally lawless criminal organization—and a top-tier one, at that. When it came to retaliation, was there anything they wouldn’t do? If pushed too far, they’d slaughter your entire clan...

Fundamentally, Wo Xue Mian were criminals, too—the worst of the worst! Their sins ran even deeper than those of the Qian Organization!

Gao Lingwei’s one Snowball Cat had caused two Poacher Organizations, which normally kept to themselves, to clash head-on!

"Just keep this to yourselves. Don’t reveal a word of this to anyone." Yin Hu strode over and patted Gao Lingwei’s shoulder with his large, broad hand. "For your own peace of mind, you can bring your parents here. If you run into any trouble, come to me. I’ll handle everything."

"Thank you... Um... Thank you, Captain Yin Hu," Gao Lingwei said softly.

"Get your mindset right. You have a long life ahead of you and a long road to walk." Yin Hu’s voice was grave as he spoke, enunciating each word clearly. "Remember this: you will become a Soul General."

Gao Lingwei froze, then looked up. Through the eyeholes of the tiger-head mask, she saw Yin Hu’s unwavering gaze.

Yin Hu said in a deep voice, "You have potential, Talent, and you work hard enough. You’ve also demonstrated sufficient willpower and character. And most importantly, you’re lucky enough."

"Just like Rong Taotao, you possess all the qualities necessary to become a Soul General."

"Generation after generation of Snow Realm Soul Martial Artists, there is always someone who rises to protect this land and carry the banner of the Snow Realm."

"In my generation, that person’s name is Xu Fenghua."

"And in your generation..."

With that, Yin Hu squeezed Gao Lingwei’s shoulder firmly and strode away.

Gao Lingwei pressed her lips together, a complex mix of emotions swirling within her.

Rong Taotao was silent. ’I’ve heard her name again,’ he thought. ’I just never expected it to be in the middle of a mission like this.’

Hearing the distant calls of the squad regrouping, Gao Lingwei suddenly said, "He shouldn’t know that much."

Rong Taotao asked, confused, "What?"

Gao Lingwei said softly, "Captain Yin Hu. He shouldn’t know that many details. He works at the Third Wall year-round, practically isolated from the outside world. He should have very little access to news from the outside."

Rong Taotao nodded thoughtfully. "So... he’s been paying attention to you on purpose."

"No, he’s probably been paying attention to both of us," Gao Lingwei corrected.

Hmm...

It was a strange feeling, being watched over like that.

Just like today—if Cold Flower hadn’t made those threats, Gao Lingwei would have remained completely oblivious to everything her parents had been through. She had been kept in the dark the entire time.

And if not for this critical moment, Yin Hu probably wouldn’t have revealed this side of himself either.

The sudden realization that someone was silently looking out for you... what a feeling...

’If things go on like this,’ Rong Taotao wondered, ’will the Twelfth Squad really just be a stepping stone for me?’

’The bonds between comrades-in-arms are forged after just a few days of slogging through the battlefield together.’

’Was Captain Fu Tiance’s so-called "simple favor," just "going with the flow," really all there was to it?’

During their time as reservists, it was inevitable that he and Gao Lingwei would form ties with the Twelfth Squad.

This was Rong Taotao’s first time even meeting Yin Hu and Wu Ma, his and Gao Lingwei’s first mission with Yin Hu’s group, and things had already gotten to this point...

’In fact... deep down, Rong Taotao had never believed that the Twelfth Squad couldn’t find suitable replacements, that they couldn’t find warriors to inherit the mantles of Dog and Pig.’

’The Snow Burning military was brimming with talent, a sea of experts. And they couldn’t find two replacements?’

’What a joke.’

’Besides, for a top-tier special unit like the Twelfth Squad, being transferred into their ranks from any other team would be an unparalleled honor. People would be lining up to join!’

’That Chenlong, Fu Tiance... he says one thing, but he’s definitely thinking another!’

’Whether it was an open scheme or a hidden plot, Rong Taotao was surprised to find that, deep down... he didn’t really mind.’

Though they were in this bitterly cold land, he and Gao Lingwei had received more than enough warmth and care.

The principal and teachers of Pine Soul Soul Martial, the members of the Twelfth Squad... ’Maybe Yin Hu isn’t an exception,’ he thought. ’Maybe in places I don’t even know about, there are more people silently looking out for us, silently protecting us.’

Rong Taotao felt his motivation to grow stronger burn even brighter.