He's Under My Protection!

The third toll of Nuoding Academy's morning bell had just rung, and Jiang Zhen was already sitting in the last row of the Teaching Building. On the podium, the White-Haired Teacher held the Martial Soul Basic Theory textbook and lectured so passionately that spit flew everywhere.

Jiang Zhen propped up his chin with one hand, his gaze resting on the textbook while his mind silently circulated the Profound Water Clear Mind Art.

His life had been extremely regular this past week: he woke at the mao hour every day, took an Intermediate Body Tempering Pill, and cultivated on the balcony;

At the chen hour, he went to class. He had read most of the theories the Teacher taught in the system manual, but he still listened attentively—once in a while, he found obscure knowledge about Water Attribute Martial Souls in the Teacher's supplementary explanations;

At noon, he ate a simple meal before plunging into the academy library, where he specifically searched for books related to the Water Element;

In the evening, he returned to the dormitory and continued exploring Self-Created Soul Skills.

The binding power of the "Water Binding Technique" had grown stronger, and he had also developed the "Water Bullet Technique"—it could compress Water Element into pellets, and its close-range burst was quite powerful;

At night, he often replaced sleep with meditation. There were still five Beginner Spirit Power Pills left in his Storage Ring, and with the support of the Profound Water Clear Mind Art, his Soul Power had steadily risen to level 16.

His days were low-key yet fulfilling. Aside from occasionally running into Tang San in the library, he had barely interacted with anyone.

It was not until that afternoon, when he left the library and passed through the Quad Room dormitory area, that he suddenly remembered Zhao Hu. A week had passed since he helped Zhao Hu change dormitories, and he wondered how the Kid's cultivation was going.

I might as well go take a look. Jiang Zhen changed direction and headed toward Dormitory 102.

The conditions in the Quad Room were far better than those in the communal dormitory. The walls were cleanly painted, fresh window paper had been installed, and there was no unpleasant smell in the corridor.

As soon as he reached the door of Dormitory 102, he heard an argument from inside, mixed with the crisp sound of something breaking.

"Smack!"

"A good-for-nothing is still a good-for-nothing! How does a lowly commoner like you deserve to live in the same dormitory as us?!"

"My books... Don't tear my books!" That was Zhao Hu's voice, filled with grievance and anger.

Jiang Zhen frowned and raised a hand to push open the half-closed door.

The dormitory was a complete mess. Pages were scattered across the floor, and Zhao Hu's Cotton Meditation Cushion had been kicked into a corner, covered in dust;

Three silk-clad youths surrounded Zhao Hu. The youth in the lead had shiny short hair and a bronze badge pinned to his chest—he was the son of a minor Noble family in Nuoding City.

Zhao Hu stood in the middle. He had a sturdy build, though he looked somewhat thin. His right hand was clenched tightly, and faint white ripples of Soul Power could be seen in his palm. Yet he had not dared summon his Martial Soul. Several fresh red marks were also visible on his arm, clearly left by a beating.

"Oh, isn't this Zhao Hu's 'backer'?" The short-haired Noble's eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Zhen at the door, and his tone was full of mockery.

"You're dressed pretty cleanly, but unfortunately, even the cleanest clothes can't change the fact that you came from the countryside. What? Here to stand up for your little Follower?"

Jiang Zhen ignored his taunts and looked at Zhao Hu. "What happened?"

When Zhao Hu saw Jiang Zhen, his eyes immediately reddened, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Jiang Zhen, I'm fine..."

The short-haired Noble stepped forward and pointed at Zhao Hu's nose. "This Quad Room was meant for Noble disciples in the first place! You're a level-one Innate Soul Power good-for-nothing who only got in because someone paid for you. You think you deserve to be here? Today, either you move out yourself, or we'll 'move' you!"

A lanky Noble beside him joined in. "Exactly! The Director took the money last time, so we didn't say anything. Did you really start thinking you were somebody? Keep acting tough, and we'll beat up your backer too!"

Jiang Zhen's gaze turned cold. He had helped Zhao Hu because of their bond as fellow villagers and because he could not stand seeing an honest person bullied. He had not expected these Noble disciples to be so arrogant. Relying on the influence of their families, they constantly threw around words like "commoner" and "good-for-nothing." They were no different from the Gatekeeper at the entrance back then.

"How are you planning to 'move' him?" Jiang Zhen took a step forward. His pale-blue Jing Suit swayed slightly with the motion, while the Water Patterns on his cuffs appeared and disappeared beneath the light.

He did not summon his Martial Soul. Only the aura around him changed—it was as if a calm Lake Surface had suddenly rippled. Faint Water Attribute Energy spread outward, making the surrounding air grow slightly damp.

The short-haired Noble instinctively took a step back under the pressure of that aura. Then, feeling that he had lost face, he shouted furiously, "You still dare to put on an act? Martial Soul Possession!"

Light-brown Soul Power surged from Inside the Body, and the phantom of a half-human-sized wolfhound appeared behind him. Its Fangs were bared. It was the Beast Martial Soul "Fierce Wind Dog." The two Nobles beside him also activated their Martial Souls. One had the "Blazing Fire Pig Martial Soul," causing his skin to become rough and hard; the other had a "Wind Bird," and his speed clearly increased.

"Kid, if you know what's good for you, get lost! Otherwise, don't blame us for being rude!" The short-haired Noble bared his teeth viciously and lunged toward Jiang Zhen.

Jiang Zhen stood motionless. Only when the short-haired Noble reached him did he slowly raise his right hand, a thread of pale-blue Water Element gathering in his palm.

"Water Binding Technique."

He softly uttered the three words, and the stream of water instantly transformed into three Water Ropes. They shot out like spirit snakes and precisely wrapped around the limbs of the three Nobles.

The short-haired Noble had just opened his mouth to bite when the Water Rope curled around it and gently tightened, leaving him unable to speak;

The Noble with the Blazing Fire Pig Martial Soul tried to break free through brute force, but the Water Rope only tightened further, making him huff and puff for breath;

The Noble with the Wind Bird Martial Soul tried to run, but the moment he lifted his foot, the Water Rope tripped him, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt.

The three Nobles struggled on the floor, but no matter what they did, they could not break free of the Water Ropes. They could only stare at Jiang Zhen in terror. They could feel that the water wrapped around their bodies seemed soft, yet carried extraordinarily powerful binding force, to the point that even their Soul Power could no longer circulate smoothly.

"Y-You... What kind of Martial Soul do you have? How can it be so strong?" The short-haired Noble finally panicked, his voice trembling.

He had level-four Innate Soul Power and was considered quite talented among those in the same year. Yet before Jiang Zhen, he had not even withstood a single move.

Jiang Zhen walked over to the short-haired Noble and crouched down. A tiny water pellet condensed at his Fingertips, and he lightly flicked it against the boy's forehead.

"Bang!"

The water pellet exploded. A cool force made the short-haired Noble grimace in pain, and his forehead instantly turned red. Still, he was not seriously injured—Jiang Zhen did not want to make the matter any bigger than it was. He only wanted to intimidate them.

"Zhao Hu is under my protection."

Jiang Zhen's voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.

"If you dare trouble him again, it won't end with just a red mark on your forehead."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three Nobles. "Now, pick up the books from the floor, dust off the Meditation Cushion, and then get out of the way."

The Water Ropes slowly loosened, and the three Nobles scrambled to their feet. How could they dare act arrogantly now?

They hurriedly crouched down to pick up the books, moving as nimbly as frightened rabbits.

While picking up the books, the short-haired Noble accidentally brushed against Zhao Hu's hand and instinctively recoiled, afraid Jiang Zhen would strike again.

After they had organized the books and dusted off the Meditation Cushion, they shrank to one side.

Zhao Hu looked at Jiang Zhen. His eyes were still red, but he seemed much more resolute than before. He walked up to Jiang Zhen and bowed deeply. "Brother Jiang Zhen, thank you... You helped me again."

"You don't have to thank me." Jiang Zhen shook his head.

After thinking it over, he took a Body Tempering Pill from his Storage Ring and handed it to Zhao Hu. "This is a Body Tempering Pill. It can help increase your cultivation speed and strengthen your physique. Remember, I can help you for a while, but I can't help you forever."

He pointed at Zhao Hu's right hand. "Your Martial Soul is an Iron Sword. It's ordinary, but the advantage of a Weapon Martial Soul lies in its 'stability.' Your Innate Soul Power is low, so you have to work harder than others. Train for two extra hours every day and build a solid foundation of Soul Power. That way, when you absorb a Spirit Ring in the future, you'll be able to go farther than others."

Zhao Hu accepted the Spirit Power Pill and gripped it tightly in his hand, nodding hard. "Brother Jiang Zhen, I understand! I'll cultivate properly from now on. I won't make you worry anymore, and I won't let anyone bully me again!"

Jiang Zhen patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more. He had done everything he could. The road ahead would still have to be walked by Zhao Hu himself.