Chapter 618 - 369: A Youthful Dream

Pine Soul Soul Martial University. Martial Arts Hall, in front of Si Huan Nian’s dorm room.

Shi Lou and Shi Lan stood at the door. They exchanged a look to bolster each other’s courage, then, bracing themselves, knocked on Si Huan Nian’s door.

"KNOCK~ KNOCK~ KNOCK~"

Si Huan Nian was the supervisor of the Martial Arts Hall and the sisters’ practical skills teacher. She managed every aspect of Shi Lou and Shi Lan’s lives, from their daily routines to their studies. That, coupled with her terrifyingly dominant personality, was how she had managed to tame the two lionesses of the Shi Family into kittens...

"Enter." The demon’s voice echoed from within the room.

Shi Lan couldn’t help but shiver. Beside her, her older sister Shi Lou cautiously opened the door. The dorm room was brightly lit. At that moment, Si Huan Nian was sprawled on the sofa, eating sandwich cookies.

"CRUNCH, CRUNCH..." As Si Huan Nian chewed on a cookie, she was quite curious to see her two star pupils arrive. ’After all, outside of training sessions, these two can’t get away from me fast enough. Why would they deliver themselves to my doorstep today?’

"Coach Si, we’d like to... um, ask for your help." Shi Lou glanced at her sister, who was standing beside her with her head bowed low, playing ostrich. She knew she couldn’t count on her usually energetic sister now, so she had to speak up herself.

"Hm." Si Huan Nian took another sandwich cookie from the box. "Speak."

Shi Lou began, "Taotao just contacted us. He was asking about our intentions, whether we’d be willing to go to the Three Walls-Wan’an Pass to live, work, and carry out missions with the Cyan Mountain Army."

Hearing this, Si Huan Nian’s hand, which was reaching for a cookie, froze slightly. "The Cyan Mountain Army?"

"Yes, the Cyan Mountain Army." Shi Lou nodded, then shot a glance at her sister, only to find Shi Lan was still playing dead...

’So annoying!’

’If we weren’t in front of Coach Si, I’d kick you right now!’

Si Huan Nian thought for a moment before speaking. "The Cyan Mountain Army is a very special team. With your current strength, you’re not yet qualified to carry out missions with them."

As she spoke, Si Huan Nian looked coldly at the Shi Family Sisters, her tone carrying a hint of reprimand. "What, do you two have a death wish?"

Shi Lou organized her thoughts and said, "It’s not what you think, Coach Si. Currently, the Cyan Mountain Army’s duties are the same as the Three-Wall Guard Army’s..."

Shi Lou explained the details to Si Huan Nian, who gradually set aside her mocking attitude and began to seriously consider the invitation.

"Taotao is with the Cyan Mountain Army now?" Si Huan Nian asked after hearing the situation.

"Yes," Shi Lou said. "According to him, he’s still technically a member of the Twelfth Squad. He’s just been integrated into the Cyan Mountain Army during this special period to help garrison the Third Wall."

Si Huan Nian nodded thoughtfully. "Your dream is to explore a Snow Realm Vortex, so he’s using this as an opening to bring you in."

"Yes." At this, a rare smile appeared on Shi Lou’s face. Rong Taotao remembered the sisters’ goal in coming to the Snow Realm and was showing his care and support through his actions. Having a classmate like him was truly a great blessing in life.

Of course, such feelings were mutual.

During their time as classmates, Shi Lou was Rong Taotao’s staunchest defender, and not just with words—she was a woman of action.

During the Junior Class assessment, Shi Lou had hunted down Ji Qingmei and attacked them relentlessly. She made sure that malicious saboteur wouldn’t dare try any more dirty tricks. In the end, faced with social ostracization, shame, and terror, Ji Qingmei chose to drop out of school...

Shi Lou had taken it upon herself to solve a problem Rong Taotao hadn’t even had the chance to address yet. She was ruthless and decisive, proving her nickname, the "Butcher," was well-earned.

Beside her, the younger sister, Shi Lan, finally mustered her courage, looked at the demon on the sofa, and said in a small voice, "Juanjuan thinks this is a sign that the Cyan Mountain Army is being rebuilt. The missions right now aren’t as dangerous as exploring a Vortex; it’s just garrisoning the wall.

This is a rare opportunity to join the Cyan Mountain Army. My sister and I are both Soul Captains, so we meet the standard.

But... Wan’an Pass is dangerous, after all, and there’s a blizzard tonight. My sister and I have some reservations, so we came to ask your opinion."

"Heh." Si Huan Nian snorted coldly, looking the Shi Family Sisters up and down.

’Reservations?’

’What a joke.’

’A person’s fighting style often reflects their personality.’

As the sisters’ teacher, Si Huan Nian knew them all too well. The Shi Family Sisters were decisive in their actions, not the type to hesitate.

Si Huan Nian said, "You two didn’t come here to ask my opinion. You came to ask for my permission. You’ve already made up your minds, haven’t you?"

The sisters exchanged a subtle glance. Shi Lou said, "Taotao is still just asking for our personal consent. If we agree, he will discuss it with Principal Mei. As for the Snow Burning Army, Taotao said he would help sort that out too."

"Heh heh, that kid’s really gotten capable, hasn’t he? Contacting the principal on his own, and even the Snow Burning Army." Si Huan Nian casually tossed the sandwich cookie onto the coffee table and finally sat up from her slumped position on the sofa.

Shi Lou held her tongue, but in the end, she couldn’t hold back. She said, "A week ago, he escaped death yet again. He became the turning point of a battle once more, preventing a massacre. With such merit, it’s only right that the leadership of the Snow Burning Army would appreciate him."

Although the people in the Martial Arts Hall didn’t know the full details of the battle, they had heard the gist of it from Yang Chunxi. And the information Yang Chunxi got, of course, came from Gao Lingwei.

"Hm?" Si Huan Nian raised her eyes, looking at Shi Lou with great interest.