Nan Li's "Capital"

Seventh Dormitory.

"Are there any new work-study students? Step forward." A teacher in his thirties walked in from outside, carrying a set of bedding.

He looked at the boy and girl who stepped forward and already had his answer, but he still asked, "Which one of you is Tang San?"

Tang San stepped forward. "Teacher, I'm Tang San."

"My name is Mo Hen. You can call me Teacher Mo." Mo Hen glanced at the two new students. "Tang San, Master sent this bedding for you."

Tang San accepted the brand-new bedding, feeling somewhat moved. His teacher had actually considered things so thoroughly for him.

After Teacher Mo finished explaining everything, he instructed Wang Sheng to tell Tang San and Xiao Wu about the rules for work-study students, then turned and left the Seventh Dormitory.

Nan Li landed in the open space before the dormitory building, greeted Teacher Mo, and walked to the door of the Seventh Dormitory.

The moment she stopped outside, she heard Xiao Wu's voice from within.

"...Tang San, how about we discuss something?"

Tang San froze for a moment, roughly guessing what Xiao Wu was about to say. He symbolically asked what she wanted to discuss, only to hear Xiao Wu say matter-of-factly,

"Your bedding looks pretty big. It should be fine for two people to share. How about this? We push our beds together, and then we can both use it."

Tang San hesitated, but before he could speak, a somewhat familiar voice rang out.

"Is Xiao Wu here?"

Nan Li had originally wanted to see how far the plot had progressed. Who would have thought that, the moment she arrived, she would hear Xiao Wu's rather spoiled demand? She could only hurriedly speak up and interrupt the conversation between her and Tang San.

Tang San turned toward the newcomer. Sure enough, it was Nan Li, whom he had met at the front gate. Remembering how disrespectful she had been toward his teacher, Tang San's expression darkened slightly.

A head poked out from behind Tang San. Xiao Wu blinked her large, watery eyes and asked in confusion, "Who's looking for me?"

Nan Li looked at the lively little girl before her, smiled, and extended an invitation. "Hello, I'm Nan Li. I need to talk to you about something. Could you come out for a moment?"

Xiao Wu's pair of ears swayed atop her head. She agreed almost without thinking. "Okay..."

"No!" Wang Sheng roared, hurriedly leading several people to block the space between Nan Li and Tang San.

Wang Sheng glared at Nan Li, who had just entered, and snapped, "What is some rich young lady dressed in gold and silver doing in our Seventh Dormitory? Are you here to provoke us? Don't think us work-study students are afraid of you! You... Don't think we won't fight you just because you're a girl. You're alone, so if you know what's good for you, get out!"

Several students surrounded Xiao Wu and explained, "Sister Xiao Wu, us work-study students have always been looked down on by the other students. Every few days, someone comes to cause trouble and provoke us... So we have to stick together."

Hearing Wang Sheng and the others berate her, Nan Li's faint smile immediately vanished. Her crimson eyes stared unblinkingly at them as she said coolly, "I've never met any of you."

Manners had always been optional. If people were polite to someone who had to be up at eight in the morning, she would be even more polite; if they were unreasonable, then to hell with them.

Seeing the group across from her circulate their Soul Power and assume defensive stances, Nan Li gave a scornful laugh. "You lot?"

Under their shocked gazes, a deep yellow Soul Ring rose beneath Nan Li's feet. The pressure of a Soul Master's Soul Power forced down the heads of those glaring angrily at the girl.

When Nan Li saw that Wang Sheng could not even lift the finger pointing at her, she suddenly smiled. "I'm merely interested in the Soft Bone Rabbit and wanted to make friends with Xiao Wu."

"Soft. Bone. Rabbit." With that, she shot Xiao Wu a glance and turned toward the dormitory entrance.

The instant she stepped out the door, crimson Wings unfurled with a whoosh, sending a wave of scorching air radiating outward from Nan Li.

A warning!

"She... She looks like she's only six or seven, but she's actually a One-Ring Soul Master! This..." Wang Sheng had not even finished speaking when the crimson heat wave rushed over them.

Feeling the searing aura within the heat wave, everyone in the Seventh Dormitory instinctively raised their defenses.

Only after the lingering Soul Power aura in the air dispersed did someone mutter, "She's actually a fire-attribute flying Soul Master..."

"Her First Soul Ring is a flight skill!"

"Doesn't one graduate from a Primary Soul Master Academy after obtaining the first Soul Ring?"

Primary Soul Master Academies only admitted children whose Martial Souls had just awakened, yet that girl clearly already possessed a Soul Ring—and it was a Century Soul Ring!

Tang San lowered his defensive arm, puzzled by how she had acquired her First Soul Ring in such a short time. Could it be that she, too, possessed Innate Full Soul Power?

But after his Martial Soul awakened, whether it was Lord Soul Master, Grandpa Jack, or the academy teachers, their reactions had clearly suggested that Innate Full Soul Power was quite rare...

Only now did Tang San truly take this girl named Nan Li seriously for the first time.

No wonder. Compared to everyone else's introductions of "My name is...," saying "I am Nan Li" was such a confident declaration, as though people should already know exactly who that name referred to.

If Nan Li knew Tang San was letting his thoughts run wild like this, she would definitely retort, I didn't! I'm not! You're talking nonsense!

"What terrifying flames. Just the heat wave given off by those flames is more than ordinary people can endure."

Tang San thought, So this is the capital behind her arrogance.

But the moment he recalled her saying to Teacher Mo, "A Soul Grandmaster below Level 30 isn't qualified to be my teacher," the trace of shock in Tang San's eyes turned to contempt.

Based on what he knew of this world, a One-Ring Soul Master who acted so arrogantly meant Nan Li was simply too conceited. If she had not run so quickly, he would have made her taste the power of the Tang Sect's supreme arts today!

If Tang San felt mostly anger, then Xiao Wu felt nothing but terror.

That final glance Nan Li had cast at her made Xiao Wu feel as though she had been seen through. That meaningful look... Did that girl know her secret? But she was only a One-Ring Soul Master. How could that be possible?

Could it be that her family had a Titled Douluo, who had spotted her while bringing a junior family member here to enroll today?

No, impossible. How could a tiny place like Nuoding City have a Titled Douluo? And how could a family with a Titled Douluo possibly live in seclusion in such a small border town?

"Impossible..." Xiao Wu murmured softly, staring blankly in the direction Nan Li had left.

***

Before Nan Li came to Nuoding Academy, Elder Flame Feather, who was escorting her to Nuoding City for enrollment, had suggested that she obtain her First Soul Ring before making any further plans.

"Although I will remain around Nuoding City while you undergo your training, ever since our battle with Spirit Hall, the number of Clan Members has dwindled sharply. Clan affairs are busy, and there will inevitably be times when I cannot watch over you constantly. Obtain your First Soul Ring first. Then you should be safe enough at a Primary Soul Master Academy."

When the two spoke, they distinguished between Jiang E Li of the Blue Star World and Nan Li, the Soul Beast of the Douluo World. Outside of dialogue, she would uniformly be referred to as Nan Li.