Tang San stepped into Dormitory Seven.
Wang Sheng reacted instantly, launching into the dorm's traditional "welcome." As in canon, the fight ended quickly—Tang San's victory was clean and decisive.
Wang Sheng stared for half a heartbeat, then declared on the spot, "From now on, you're the boss!"
Tang San brushed him off without a trace of pride, as if the entire thing was a nuisance.
"I'm not interested," he said simply. "You can stay boss."
He began to walk away—
The door creaked open again.
A girl with a long scorpion braid skipped into the room. It was Xiao Wu.
Her bright eyes flicked over the cramped dormitory, the beds, the clustered boys—taking everything in with curiosity.
Wang Sheng rushed to explain the rules, but the moment he reached the important part, he immediately sold Tang San out.
"The strongest is the boss! And he's the strongest—he just won! If you want to be boss, you have to beat him!"
Only then did Xiao Wu's expression sharpen with interest.
Her gaze slid back to Tang San, and a grin spread across her face.
"So you're the strongest?" she asked. "Fight me."
Tang San paused.
He clearly hadn't wanted another fight, but with all eyes on him—and with Wang Sheng having already painted a target on his back—refusing would only make things worse. After a brief moment of reluctance, he nodded.
"Fine."
They squared off.
Tang San's skills were profound. Even in the cramped space of the dorm, he used Ghost Perplexing Steps—his footwork tight, deliberate, using the narrow gaps between beds to create angles rather than distance.
But his body, still affected by long-term malnutrition, couldn't fully support what his technique demanded. Each shift was slightly slower than it should have been. Each dodge cost him a little more.
Xiao Wu, by contrast, was swift and relentless like the rabbit she was.
She darted in, forcing close exchanges over and over. Tang San blocked and redirected, even landing a clean counter that made her take a half-step back—
Then Xiao Wu laughed, as if that only made it more fun.
"Not bad!"
Her aura changed.
Spirit Power surged around her.
A yellow ring flashed into existence beneath her feet.
"First Soul Skill—Waist Bow!"
In an instant, her movements became explosively sharper—her waist twisting with frightening flexibility, her legs striking with a power that didn't match her size.
Tang San barely managed to guard the first kick. The impact drove him backward, shoulder brushing the edge of a bedframe.
He tried to regain rhythm, to widen the distance—
Xiao Wu didn't let him.
She closed in, hooked his centre with a sudden twist of her hips, and used the enhanced force of her legs to wrench him off balance in a single, clean motion.
Tang San hit the floor with a dull thud.
For a moment, the dorm went silent.
Xiao Wu straightened, not even winded.
"I win," she declared, satisfied.
After claiming a bed by the window, she began looking around, searching under the frame and around the mattress. Her brows knitted.
Then she called out to the room, voice loud and indignant.
"Hey! Where are my bedding and covers?!"
Wang Sheng scratched his head and explained quickly, eager to avoid provoking her temper.
"Big Sis Xiao Wu… work-study students aren't given bedding. You have to bring your own or buy some from the academy store."
He hesitated, then added, trying to be helpful.
"If you didn't bring any… we can offer you ours!"
Several boys immediately rushed forward, carrying their own blankets and bedding.
Xiao Wu glanced at the worn fabric, the stains that never fully washed out, the rough smell of too many nights in too small a room.
Her nose wrinkled.
"Aren't there any cleaner ones…?" she asked, the anger slipping into something almost… sad.
She looked around again, like the answer might be hiding somewhere.
That was when Su Yan stepped forward.
"Big Sis Xiao Wu," he said, keeping his tone light. "You can have mine."
He lifted his bundle.
"I bought them only a few days ago. They're still clean."
Xiao Wu's gaze snapped to him.
She inspected the bedding carefully—lifting a corner, rubbing it between her fingers—then, with absolutely no shame, leaned in and gave it a small sniff.
After a moment, she nodded, satisfied, and took it straight from his hands.
Then she put on a serious face, chest puffing out slightly, as if declaring an oath.
"Big Sis Xiao Wu thanks you for your offering."
Her eyes gleamed with confidence.
"Xiao Wu will look after you well. If anyone bullies you… they'll have to answer to me!"
And just like that, she turned away and started setting up her bed as though the matter was settled forever.
Su Yan glanced out of the corner of his eye.
Tang San sat quietly on his bed, already cultivating as if nothing had happened at all.
…Well. If nothing else, you couldn't fault Tang San for effort.
Su Yan slipped out of the dorm and headed toward the academy store, mind already moving.
Now that Tang San was here, Tang Hao was likely nearby too—watching.
Su Yan could generate food without drawing too much attention. Food-type Spirit Masters existed, and while it was odd for a tool Martial Soul to manage it, it was at most an oddity.
But soul coins?
That was different.
A child producing money too conveniently would invite questions, and questions led to eyes… and eyes led to danger.
Especially if those eyes belonged to Tang Hao.
Su Yan exhaled slowly.
The real problem was Xiao Wu.
How to pull her away from Tang San—without making it obvious?
First, he needed to know her better. Properly. Build trust.
And when the time was right… make her understand the danger she was in.
But that was later.
For now, he needed new bedding.
One step at a time.