Nine Star Burden

Chapter 263: Paparazzi?

“Indeed, Jiang Xiaopi! Haha, it really is you. I knew it.” Liu Yang guffawed loudly in a seemingly hearty manner. However, he looked a little cheap.

Jiang Xiao couldn’t understand what was going on.

This kid named Liu Yang has well-defined features and looks very energetic. Why does his aura change when he laughs?

“Brother, do you know that you’re my idol?” Liu Yang remarked with a chuckle. He held onto Jiang Xiao’s palm and shook it up and down continuously like an enthusiastic fan chasing his idol. “I’ve finally seen you in person today. Back in the restaurant, I already wanted to speak to you...”

“Stop, stop, stop.” Jiang Xiao felt as if there were 10,000 flies above his head. He quickly interrupted Liu Yang and asked, “Why am I your idol?”

Liu Yang hurriedly explained, “Because you only have nine star slots! Damn it, do you know that you may be the most incompetent weakling with the lowest aptitude and the lowest potential!?! You’re the epitome of being talentless!”

Jiang Xiao was dumbfounded.

Is this the human language?

I’m the epitome of being talentless?

Is this an indirect mocking and insult to me?

With a look of respect and an intense gaze, Liu Yang continued, “But what happened in the end? Beijiang Province came in first during the provincial league and the Second Wasteland Reclamation Competition with you as the MVP. You’re really determined! After reading the information about you in the past few days, I cried in my blanket for almost the entire night.”

Jiang Xiao was speechless.

“I’m telling you, I, Liu Yang, have never succumbed to anyone!” Liu Yang exclaimed while patting his chest with one hand. He continued in a heavy Tianjin accent, “After I read the information about you and heard your story, I wanted to throw away the 20 star slots in my Star Map and use the remaining nine to fight it out in this world!”

Jiang Xiao was dumbfounded.

This asshole has 29 star slots?

Oh! Right, I remember it now!

Jiang Xiao finally recalled who this familiar young man was. He was the prodigy with 29 star slots from Tianjin Northern High School.

However, the very fact that he had so many star slots meant that he was the best contestant from Tianjin this year!

“I really admire you, let’s spar with each other,” Liu Yang said while putting his arm over Jiang Xiao’s shoulder as if they knew each other well. All of a sudden, he changed his tone and turned to look at Han Jiangxue. “This is our sister, eh? Wow~ She’s so tall and her legs are so long, not bad!”

Jiang Xiao was filled with questions and he wondered, Does this kid really idolize me? He’s probably after Han Jiangxue, isn’t he?

“Oh, wow! Look, I have such poor vision! Sister, I have been admiring you for a long time. Ever since I was a child, I’ve never met anyone who has more star slots than I do.” Liu Yang pushed Jiang Xiao away and reached out while striding towards Han Jiangxue...

Bang!

Jiang Xiao kicked the sharp-tongued and frivolous Liu Yang away, sending him flying eight meters away.

None of Liu Yang’s teammates or the teacher in charge stopped Jiang Xiao, and they simply walked towards the elevator quietly and pressed the button as if they didn’t know Liu Yang at all.

“Damn it... eh? It doesn’t hurt at all,” Liu Yang said as he stood up while rubbing his butt. He then walked towards Jiang Xiao with a sheepish smile and continued, “You know how to control your strength. That’s very rare of you~ The Beijiang Green Glow does live up to its well-deserved reputation.”

Jiang Xiao broke down emotionally and asked, “Look at that mouth of yours. Had I not pushed away that bodyguard just now, would you and that kid argue for the entire day?”

Liu Yang said with a disdainful expression, “That skewer? Hah, I’ll scold him whenever I see him.”

Jiang Xiao asked, “Skewer?”

Liu Yang humphed and said, “That means Eurasian.”

Jiang Xiao asked, “Huh?”

What the hell, where did that term come from? Brother, you’re pretty interesting, huh?

Be it because of Liu Yang’s words or attitude, Jiang Xiao could clearly feel that Liu Yang was filled with disdain towards the boy in shades. He reckoned that the two of them had had a feud for a long time.

Liu Yang answered, “That kid is Howard Lee. His mother seems to be French and he keeps showing off and pretending to be some big shot with his foreign Star Techniques. His family loves him so much that they assigned two bodyguards to protect him, and he goes around putting on airs everyday. I bet his teammates are ashamed of him too, haha.”

At the mention of this, Liu Yang watched as his teammates and teacher entered the elevator, after which he waved his hands profusely. “You guys may go up first. I’ll have a chat with him.”

The middle-aged woman looked at Liu Yang with a stern expression and said, “Liu Yang, we need to go back to the room to rest.”

One of them, a beautiful young girl dressed in a floral blouse and a pair of jeans and with shoulder-length hair, looked rather helpless. She looked at Liu Yang and said, “You’ve been talking for an entire day. Aren’t you tired at all?”

Liu Yang scratched his head in embarrassment and entered the elevator smilingly. While walking, he turned behind and said to Jiang Xiao, “See you around! Talk to you soon!”

Jiang Xiao and the others looked at the team curiously, only to discover that they were all very familiar. The information about this team of talented young people had also popped up in their minds.

However, the moment that the doors of the elevator closed, the beautiful young lady winked at Jiang Xiao.

Yes, her actions were rather abrupt. Just as the elevator doors were about to close, she suddenly smiled and winked at him with her left eye.

Jiang Xiao knew that her name was Cai Yao.

She was the head Medical Awakened of the team from Tianjin Southern High School. Out of her eight Star Techniques, only three overlapped with Jiang Xiao—Enmity, Counter-current Light, and Sound of Silence.

Every place bred a different type of person.

There were vast lands and abundant resources in China, and every region had its own representative Star Techniques.

Shadow Cave was a unique product of the Tianjin area and Yanzhao Province.

The Fallen Shadow Witch was a Gold Quality creature that lived in the Shadow Cave.

Without a doubt, the group of young talents representing Tianjin Southern High School was extremely competent.

Cai Yao, a Medical Awakened, managed to acquire the Gold Quality Sound of Silence in the late Nebula Stage by relying on her own potential and her family’s connections and wealth.

Since they were rivals, it was normal for them to pay more attention to one another.

So, Jiang Xiao felt a sense of emptiness in his heart when he saw his beautiful rival leaving in the elevator.

Hmm...

Xia Yan put a hand on his face, blocking his vision and shoving him into the elevator.

Hai Tianqing pressed the button for the 23rd floor and looked behind, only to see that Xia Yan was rubbing Jiang Xiao’s head vigorously and muttering, “Isn’t that young lady really pretty?”

“Hold up, thank you, please wait a minute,” said a girl. Closely afterward, the sounds of high heels knocking against the ground seemed to approach them.

Hai Tianqing gentlemanly pressed the button to keep the elevator doors open. A well-dressed middle-aged woman walked in with her purse while clad in a pair of shades. She looked just like a resident of the city.

Xia Yan ignored the presence of outsiders and continued to hold Jiang Xiao’s shoulder while rubbing his head. However, Han Jiangxue did not stop her. Perhaps, she was also a bit dissatisfied with Jiang Xiao’s gaze just now?

“Psht...” The middle-aged woman couldn’t help but laugh when she saw such a scene. She then removed her shades and said smilingly, “You must be the students who are here to participate in the National High School League, right?”

“Huh?” Everyone looked at each other but did not respond.

Hai Tianqing asked, “Which floor are you going to?”

The middle-aged woman pretended to look at the panel of elevator buttons and said with a smile, “I’m going to the 23rd floor too... Oh, I remember, you’re the team from Beijiang that suddenly rose. There was initially no news about you guys, and all of a sudden, Han Jiangxue shot to fame. This girl is really suave.”

None of them interjected because, on one hand, the lady was a stranger, and on the other hand, they had experienced some bombardment by the media as well.

This woman was right. In the past semester, no one paid attention to them and they had been living rather comfortably.

However, ever since the start of the National League, everyone focused their attention on Han Jiangxue, who was the first to be noticed, followed by the rest of the team.

It wasn’t too bad for the team to be noticed, but the main issue was that Jiang Xiao was exposed to the world.

From that moment on, their team was in the minds of those interested.

Why?

Because he was too mysterious.

Have you ever seen a high school student who has never ignited his Star Map?

You have now.

He comes from Beijiang, his name is dreamy, and he was named after a golden retriever—Xiaopi.

Although Jiang Xiao did not have a huge bunch of fans that chased him around like a celebrity, nor did he get followed by the media, some media platforms often tried to dig out some interesting information from him.

“As far as I know, the strength of your team is very formidable and there’s a great opportunity for you to breakthrough. Work hard,” the middle-aged woman said with a friendly smile, seeming rather personable. “Hey, don’t you guys have the Star Techniques Green Glow and Endurance in Beijiang Province?”

The middle-aged woman waited for a reply, but no one responded.

All of a sudden, there was silence in the elevator.

“Are you...” As the elevator ascended, the woman spoke even more quickly.

Ding Dong!

The doors of the elevator opened on the 23rd floor, and two staff members appeared in front of them. They then held the beautiful woman down.

“Let go of me, let go of me, what are you doing?” The middle-aged woman lost her composure and poise and struggled continuously while yelling.

One of the staff members looked at Hai Tianqing apologetically and said, “Sorry, she’s a paparazzi. The front desk didn’t pay attention and allowed her to sneak in again.”

“Let go of me, don’t touch me! You’re committing a crime by doing so! The public has the right to know! Jiang Xiaopi, do you have Endurance? Are you in the Nebula Stage? Do you really only have eight Star Techniques?” The woman struggled maniacally and was shoved back into the elevator by the staff. She continued to yell, “Let go of me! The public has the right to know! The public has the right to know!”