Nine Star Burden

Chapter 97: Nine Months

“When you returned to prison after being attacked, I saw the epaulet while you rolled on the ground. It looks very delicate and exquisite,” Jiang Xiao said after giving it some thought.

Second Last said, “That’s the symbol of the Guardians Of The Night.”

Jiang Xiao asked, “Don’t you guys appear in teams of four? I only saw you and that man. Afterward, you fought on your own.”

Second Last answered calmly, “We used to fight in teams of four. This mercenary’s Star Technique allowed him to survive in the battle and exude a stronger effect. We had to lure him out.”

Jiang Xiao continued, “What was this guy doing in China?”

“This base in the snowfield of Jiannan Village is rich in resources and has a stable status. It’s also contributing to the country’s Star Bead source all the time. This place is greatly developed and it’s also the training base for the Awakened who are at the bottom. Some are not willing to see this stable base continuing to last for a long time.”

Hearing Second Last’s answer, Jiang Xiao took a deep sigh. He managed to fish some information from her by leveraging on the fact that she was trying to poach him. There was a deep and hidden meaning behind her words. There was undoubtedly someone who was trying to ruin the snowfield.

Hence, Jiang Xiao’s analysis was correct. This snowfield could really crumble.

“How did they stir trouble? Did they come here to kill the low-level Awakened? That doesn’t seem to be able to bring about much gain,” Jiang Xiao said pretentiously.

Second Last suddenly stopped in her tracks, causing Jiang Xiao to almost hit her back.

Second Last said in a hoarse voice, “You’ve used your intelligence on the wrong things.”

“Uh…” Jiang Xiao scratched his head and said with a grin, “What would cause the snowfield to collapse? What are you guys trying to protect?”

Second Last turned around and looked down at Jiang Xiao. “So, you have to follow me.”

“We’ll talk about this after the college entrance examination.” Jiang Xiao took a step back, thinking that he’d better not be mischievous since he had yet to warm up to her completely.

“As I said, that’s a waste of time,” Second Last said, appearing rather amusing while donning the camouflage uniform that was too tight for her. However, she seemed to have failed to realize that fact. Jiang Xiao felt like bursting into laughter after seeing her sullen expression.

“We’re a team of four and the members are all really nice to me. I must send them on a journey towards success. I can’t implicate them and cause a delay in their progress because of me,” Jiang Xiao said solemnly.

Second Last seemed to have heard something reasonable from Jiang Xiao. She nodded and said, “I’ll wait for you for nine months.”

What for?

To be pregnant and give birth?

I can’t give birth, anyway.

Jiang Xiao pursed his lips and said, “I’m just saying I’ll give it some consideration. I’ve yet to see what this wonderful world has to offer. I’m still in school. Are you expecting me to stay with you in the snowfield forever after I graduate?”

Jiang Xiao knew that he was in trouble after he finished speaking.

Oh dear, I’ve exposed myself!

Will she rip me apart?

Jiang Xiao subconsciously took two steps back, carefully watching the beast in front of him. He was overwhelmed with regret.

To his surprise, Second Last did not get angry and instead smiled.

It was Jiang Xiao’s first time seeing a smile on her cold and sullen face. Although it was faint, it was still a smile.

Jiang Xiao had had enough of her erratic temper.

Disorderly people are hard to figure out.

Please behave like a human.

“See what the wonderful world has to offer? Hah.” Second Last murmured and turned around slowly before stepping forward.

Jiang Xiao had no idea why she was smiling.

What’s wrong with a wonderful world?

Is it that funny?

Second Last murmured the word repeatedly, and after a while, she said abruptly, “There are also many branches and teams amongst the Guardians Of The Night. I’m not responsible for staying in the snowfield.”

Jiang Xiao was suddenly interested. He asked frantically, “What do you mean?”

“I wander about different dimensions and I’m in charge of giving aid to every team of Guardians. What I’m doing now is an example,” Second Last said in a hoarse voice.

“Are you like a firefighter?” Jiang Xiao immediately recovered from the shock. He reckoned that they had probably rushed over immediately to participate in the mission after getting some news.

But since they’ve received the info, why did they continue letting the snowfield stay open?

Do they really not regard the low-level Awakened of China as humans?

Are our lives not worthy?

Jiang Xiao tried to speak but stopped again. “Since you guys already knew beforehand, why did you…”

“If we closed it, they probably wouldn’t come,” said the intelligent Second Last, who could tell what Jiang Xiao was thinking. “We can’t close this snowfield, not even for a minute or second. We won’t be able to afford the losses.”

Jiang Xiao had been there thrice, but he had never seen any official teams coming here to collect any Star Beads. He reckoned that they probably took some special routes.

Jiang Xiao nodded and said, “Yeah, even if you close it for a while, you can’t close it forever. That would grant the enemies’ wishes.”

“Yeah. You don’t have to attend university anymore. Come and find me in nine months’ time.”

Jiang Xiao was going mad. Do you even have any conversational skills?

If I could beat you up, I would have long…

Second Last suddenly stopped in her tracks and Jiang Xiao stopped muttering to himself. Does this woman have some Star Technique that allows her to read the minds of others?

Second Last sniffled and sniffed around, after which her face grew sullen.

Jiang Xiao had no idea what was going on at all.

He frantically asked, “What’s the matter?”

“There’s a strong metallic odor of blood. It’s very quiet here. We’ve been invaded,” Second Last said while striding towards the front.

Jiang Xiao frantically chased after.

We’ve been invaded?

Where are we?

I only know we’re in a snowfield.

The two of them hurried forward for tens of seconds. Jiang Xiao finally saw a disastrous scene which made his heart sink to the bottom.

The environment, which was supposed to be full of snow and trees, was terrifyingly abnormal at this moment because there were mud walls all over the place.

What was even more horrifying was the fact that there was a headless corpse solidified on the muddy pillar in mid-air.

Some corpses were tied at their waists while others were penetrated through the chest. Some were submerged in the mud pillars, leaving only one thigh exposed.

They all died in different ways, but the only difference was that their heads were severed and some of their skulls were ripped apart and thrown on the ground like garbage. Some simply had no skulls.

There was a strong metallic odor coming from the bloodstained soil.

Dying in the wilderness with their corpses dismembered and scattered all over the ground was probably the most humiliating way a soldier could die.

“The battle has just ended and a large group of White Ghouls will be hunting. Hurry up.” Second Last then dashed towards the horrible purgatory that was put together by snow and blood.

The soldiers there were dressed in different kinds of uniforms. The Guardians Of The Night were dressed in black, the Chinese soldiers were dressed in camouflage uniforms, while the enemies were clad in mercenary corp uniforms.

The Chinese soldiers had the least number of casualties.

However, Jiang Xiao did not think that China had won. Otherwise, the base shouldn’t have been abandoned.

Maybe, they’ve already scurried away and left because they’re afraid of being attacked by the White Ghouls?

Jiang Xiao thought about the possibilities and followed Second Last into the cave. Along the way, he saw another gruesome scene.

There were corpses everywhere, and there was also fresh blood and mangled flesh stuck to the walls.

So, is this what this world should be like?

Second Last had a sullen expression on her face as she could not find a sign of life at all. She was rather infuriated about that.

“Get changed,” Second Last said when she arrived in front of a tall and strong mercenary. She then hurriedly removed the mercenary’s uniform.

“Mercenary uniform?” Jiang Xiao asked.

“Yes.” Second Last tore up the tight camouflage uniform and quickly put it on. She then looked around and picked up a torn and bloodstained mask.

Masks were harder to find than clothes because their heads had been torn apart for the retrieval of Star Beads after their death.

“What’s your plan?” Jiang Xiao asked.

“Can you speak Russian?” Second Last asked.

“No,” Jiang Xiao answered immediately.

“Okay. When you go back to school, learn a few foreign languages. You just have to be good at conversing. Pay attention to the pronunciation. I’ll check in nine months’ time,” said Second Last, who was not disappointed.

Impressive.

My academic workload is already so heavy and yet, someone from the snowfield is giving me extra homework?

Also, did I promise you anything? Why do we have a nine-month pact?

Aren’t you being too unreasonable and tyrannical?

You’re really narcissistic.

I must get into a University that’s further away so that I can stay away from here.