Master of Nine Stars

Qianshan Pass. Second-floor dormitory. Room 211.

Rong Taotao stood before the window, arms crossed in front of him, gazing at the night outside.

This special dormitory, built exclusively for the students and teachers of Songjiang Soul Martial, was located in the southeastern sector of Qianshan Pass. Looking out the south-facing window, one could see a massive horse pasture.

Within the vast pasture, Snow Night Shock horses could be seen everywhere, some idly wandering in the snow, others galloping around the perimeter.

"NEIGH~"

"CLIP-CLOP... CLIP-CLOP..."

Flurries of snowflakes drifted down. The occasional neighs and hoofbeats of the fine steeds added a unique charm to the scene.

This place was clearly not ideal for rest; it was a bit noisy, after all. If Si Huan Nian were staying here, they’d probably flip the entire pasture upside down before bed...

Rong Taotao, however, didn’t dare complain about the living conditions. Just having a place to sleep was good enough, especially since he was sharing it with Da Wei.

The group of four—two teachers and two students—had taken two dorm rooms: one for the teachers, and one for the students.

Rong Taotao was already used to this kind of group-based room assignment. When he first enrolled, he shared a dorm room with Sun Xingyu and Li Ziyi at Hundred Corps Pass. And during the New Year’s training period, he’d also shared a room with Gao Lingwei and Lu Mang.

"SPLASH..."

In the distance, the sound of the shower in the bathroom gradually stopped. Rong Taotao, however, called out, "Take your time. Don’t mind me."

Gao Lingwei, who was perfectly obedient on the battlefield, wasn’t quite the same in daily life. A moment later, she emerged, having changed into a fresh set of snow camouflage and drying her soaking wet hair.

Her usually cool and distant face was now flushed and incredibly cute. Her cheeks were like tempting honey peaches, making Rong Taotao’s stomach rumble. He really wanted to take a bite...

’What would it taste like?’

"Change your clothes later. Just throw them out; the ones you’re wearing are done for," Gao Lingwei said casually. "There are fresh ones in the laundry basket."

"Oh." Rong Taotao started toward the bathroom. As he passed by Gao Lingwei’s side, he saw her hand reaching for his head.

’Dodge!’

Rong Taotao tilted his head, dodging Gao Lingwei’s hand. "It’s dirty."

Gao Lingwei didn’t press the issue, simply sidestepping to clear the way.

Rong Taotao walked into the steamy bathroom. After stripping off his clothes, he eagerly turned on the shower. Instantly, hot water poured down...

"Whoa!" Rong Taotao yelped, hastily taking a step back. "Aren’t you a Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist? How can you have the water this hot?"

Gao Lingwei had taken Rong Taotao’s former spot, standing by the window and gazing at the pasture under the night sky, watching the army of Snow Night Shock horses gallop about. She said, "I’m a Snow Realm Soul Martial Artist on the Soul Martial Layer, not in my daily life."

"Jeez..." Rong Taotao’s muffled voice came from the bathroom. "You really aren’t afraid of being scalded by boiling water!"

Gao Lingwei: "..."

Rong Taotao enjoyed a long, hot shower, washing himself over and over. Looking at his increasingly lean and powerful physique, he felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Scenes from the past month of training replayed in his mind.

Though his body bore no scars, in his mind’s eye, it was covered in them.

His left arm alone had sustained over twenty cuts, but they had all been completely healed by Li Lie.

’Speaking of which, wouldn’t it be great to embed a Snow Prayer Soul Pearl and open a beauty salon for scar removal and skincare?’

’Wouldn’t that be a surefire way to make a fortune?’

’I could afford to eat as much as I want, right?’

Rong Taotao shook his head hard, tossing aside the random thoughts. He looked at his "scar-covered" body, gradually recalling scenes from his training, and managed to get his mind back on track...

After a good while, Rong Taotao finally finished his shower. Feeling refreshed, he at last felt human again.

Looking at the two sets of clothes in the laundry basket, Rong Taotao decided against the snow camouflage and instead put on the blue-and-white striped pajamas.

’These "hospital gowns" again. A classic sign of the old Snow Burning army...’

The two of them were going to the room next door to look at the Soul Pearls in a bit. Gao Lingwei couldn’t very well go in her pajamas, but Rong Taotao didn’t care.

"CLICK."

Rong Taotao walked out, carrying his bundled-up, blood-stained clothes, and saw Gao Lingwei still standing by the window.

"It’s not dirty now."

Rong Taotao looked startled. "Huh?"

Gao Lingwei stepped forward and reached out her hand.

"Uh..." Rong Taotao didn’t refuse this time, letting her hand rest on his head of natural curls.

"Hah..." Gao Lingwei let out a long sigh, gently ruffling his soft, natural curls. She looked as if her wish had been granted, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

’So satisfying!’

"You need a haircut," Gao Lingwei said softly, tidying his slightly messy hair as she spoke.

"Where am I supposed to find a barbershop here? We can deal with it after we leave," Rong Taotao said, tilting his head away. He walked to the door with the bundle of dirty clothes, tossed it to the side, and said, "Come on, let’s go get the Soul Pearls."

"Mhm."

Gao Lingwei hummed in agreement and summoned her Snowball Cat.

This time, the Snowball Cat didn’t turn its head and leave. Gao Lingwei reached out and gently tapped its nose, chuckling softly. "You recognize me now?"

"Mew~" The Snowball Cat raised its little head and licked Gao Lingwei’s finger with its tiny, pink tongue.

"Well, I’ll be..." Rong Taotao seemed to have realized something!

’Am I just a tool?’

’This girl...’

’Did she just use me to adjust her mood and mental state before summoning and facing the Snowball Cat?’