Master of Nine Stars

No matter what else Xia Fangran said, nothing held the same power as that last sentence. He knew this phase of their training must be over.

Gao Lingwei picked up the roasted meat that had fallen on the ground. She blew the snowflakes off it and handed the skewer to Rong Ling.

"Ooh~" Rong Ling, however, didn’t even reach out a hand. Instead, it poked its head forward, snatched the meat skewer with its mouth, and settled back into Rong Taotao’s lap.

Watching the silent Gao Lingwei, something stirred in Rong Taotao. "Let’s go visit your parents," he said.

"Okay," Gao Lingwei replied.

Xia Fangran tossed a handful of peanuts into his mouth. Chewing, he mumbled, "Before you go, get yourself together. If you see your family in your current state, you’d be better off not going at all. You’ll just make them worry."

"Mm... Right." Gao Lingwei nodded lightly and stood up. "Thank you for the advice, Coach Xia."

"Drink up, drink up." Xia Fangran didn’t respond to Gao Lingwei, instead picking up his wineskin and gesturing to the two men beside him.

Li Lie had just taken a huge swig and lowered his wineskin. Hearing this, he clinked his wineskin against Xia Fangran’s, then tilted his head back and started chugging again...

Rong Taotao watched curiously as Gao Lingwei walked away. After a moment’s thought, he set Rong Ling down from his lap and patted its little helmet. "Eat this by yourself. Be quiet, and don’t bother anyone."

With that, Rong Taotao stood up and walked in the direction Gao Lingwei had gone.

One after the other, they passed through the Snow Forest and reached the edge of a cliff. Following Gao Lingwei’s gaze, he saw the ravaged canyon below.

The Snow Corpses and Ghosts obviously had no sense of morality. The bodies Gao Lingwei and Rong Taotao had left behind were now a feast for them. Only beasts would be capable of eating their own kind.

"Why did you follow me?" Gao Lingwei asked. "You should eat more. You need the nutrients."

"Well," Rong Taotao said, looking down into the bottom of the canyon, "I was worried about you. You’re so quiet. What’s wrong?"

Gao Lingwei pursed her lips. With no one else around, she didn’t mind opening up to Rong Taotao. "I owe them so much. I always get what I want."

"Hm?" Rong Taotao asked.

"From my parents," Gao Lingwei added.

"Hmm..." Rong Taotao mulled it over for a long moment, not responding.

The contrast was stark. He didn’t have that luxury.

When his father gave him something, he took it.

Besides, Rong Yuanshan’s idea of "giving" wasn’t to hand things directly to Rong Taotao, but to make him earn them himself.

Back during the entrance exams, if Fan Lihua hadn’t made a pact with a wild Snow Night Shock, the Cloud Dog would have likely gone to her, the top-ranked student.

Gao Lingwei said, "They had just finished accompanying me for my studies for three years and returned to their hometown. I made one phone call, and they came right back, just to put my mind at ease."

It was true. For Huaxia People, with their strong ties to their hometowns, moving was always a major life event—let alone moving from ordinary society into the northern Snow Realm.

Compared to that, things like parents buying a toy when their child throws a tantrum, or buying a hamburger when their child demands one... that kind of spoiling was nothing in the face of what Gao Lingwei’s parents did.

The Gao Family’s parents, with their actions, had demonstrated the ultimate form of spoiling.

Of course, it could also be seen as the greatest form of support.

Rong Taotao thought for a moment and said, "Objectively speaking, Mr. Gao and your mom living in Songbai Town is also a way for them to ensure their own safety."

Gao Lingwei didn’t respond. She just took Rong Taotao’s hand in hers and gently squeezed his fingertips.

Rong Taotao said softly, "You still haven’t told me what they like. Oh, right, when we first started our training, we killed a Snow Lion Tiger. How about we use its pelt to make two scarves?"

"Beidahuang, 120-proof."

"You mean the baijiu? Is it any good? This is the first time I’m meeting your parents, you know."

"It’s his favorite."

"Oh, okay."

...