Aren't You Just Picking on a Kid?

"Brother, our family has money!"

At the entrance to the new student registration office, Tang Sanmei held up a white Soul Coin Card before Tang Yin like she was presenting a treasure, tossing Tang Hao's instructions from back then straight out of her mind.

Tang Yin's pupils contracted. How could he not know about Soul Coin Cards? Although this white card was the lowest grade, the fact that it was a Soul Coin Card meant it held far more than a few dozen or a hundred Gold Soul Coins.

All right, all right, old man. So that's how you want to play it!

You had all that money, yet you wouldn't pay one more person's tuition, leaving him to keep scraping by as a work-study student.

Hmph, old geezer, you've got a death wish!

Tang Yin narrowed his eyes. He was already plotting how to put in a good word—or rather, a few choice slanders—once he resurrected Ah Yin, his cheap mother. He might even arrange for them to live apart after he became a god, seeing each other once a year. A reunion once every ten years wasn't out of the question either. Maybe they'd even leave behind a tragic, beautiful legend among mortals.

"Brother, Third Sister has never traveled far from home, and I don't really understand money. You should keep it safe!" Tang Sanmei's eyes shifted as she spoke, and then she added, "Brother, since we have money, why don't we rent a room near the academy?"

Tang Yin, whose eyes had just flashed with danger, took the Soul Coin Card and slipped it into his clothes without the slightest change in expression. But when he heard what Tang Sanmei said next, he shot her a sidelong glance without showing it. "Are you telling me what to do?"

"Not at all, Brother~"

Tang Sanmei hugged Tang Yin's arm, thought for a moment, and then said, "It's just that the work-study students' dormitory is shared by a lot of people. With so many people around, you're bound to run into some bad ones. I'm afraid you'll get the short end of the stick!"

A pink rabbit suddenly flashed through Tang Yin's mind. He wondered what would happen next with the hooligan, idiot Wu if Tang San became Tang Sanmei.

Tsk... Could she turn into Xiao Wu-ge? Tang San could become Tang Sanmei, after all. If Xiao Wu's mother had miscalculated the dates, wouldn't that be a disaster?

The thought of some lecherous kid getting handsy with Tang Sanmei in the future while calling him "brother-in-law" in that sleazy voice made Tang Yin feel sick all over. His fists were already clenching.

"Looks like I'd better go make sure first!"

"Make sure of what? Are you even listening to me?" Tang Sanmei had been chattering away beside him, and when she heard her brother's sudden remark, she was completely baffled.

"We'll talk about renting a place later. I've just mastered the basics of Crane-Catching Dragon-Lifting. Do you really think your brother would get the short end of the stick?" Tang Yin came back to his senses and reassured his sister.

"I wonder who got led around in circles by a little beggar who broke into our house last month—and even had his roast chicken stolen!"

"Can we please not bring that up? Besides, I didn't get the short end of the stick. Your brother here just has a kind heart. I couldn't bear to see the poor little beggar, so I deliberately let him get away with it!"

Tang Yin was at a loss for words. Who could have imagined that even their rundown household would attract a chicken thief? The thief had stolen only two drumsticks, too—the ones Tang Yin had bought from the neighbors especially to treat himself and Third Sister.

And that wasn't even the worst of it. What he couldn't accept was that a little beggar had used a diversion to draw him away.

How could he let that stand? He'd just mastered the basics of Crane-Catching Dragon-Lifting, so he immediately used it to grab the kid. Only then did he realize the beggar was about the same age as him.

Having received nine years of compulsory education in his previous life, he simply couldn't bring himself to be cruel to such a pitiful little kid. He gave the beggar a verbal scolding, then even handed him three Copper Soul Coins.

Tang Yin had been puzzled at the time. That scene hadn't appeared in the original story. But later, he decided that novels and reality were bound to differ; they couldn't account for every little thing. And so, the matter passed without further mention.

The siblings chatted as they walked toward Dorm Seven. One half of the dormitory's front door was ajar, and they could hear the racket inside from far away.

Tang Yin pushed open the door. Inside, rows of beds stood neatly arranged, but only eleven had bedding on them.

The noise Tang Yin and his sister made as they entered wasn't small, so the dormitory fell silent the moment they stepped inside. Then every gaze turned toward them in unison.

Tang Yin frowned slightly. He knew what was about to happen. Having lived two lives, he couldn't drum up any interest in this kind of petty nonsense.

Ignoring the others' stares, Tang Yin led Tang Sanmei to pick two beds some distance away from them.

At this, the other work-study students all turned to the tallest, most muscular person among them. No one said a word, but their expressions made their meaning perfectly clear.

Boss, it's your turn. Show some spirit! Don't let us down!

Seeing everyone looking at him, the tall boy stood up, straightened his uniform, and slowly walked over to the siblings.

"Hello, I'm Wang Sheng. My Martial Soul is War Tiger. I'm going to be a Battle Soul Master, and I'm the boss around here. Are you the new work-study students?"

"Right. I'm Tang Yin, and this is my younger sister, Tang Sanmei." Tang Yin was making his bed without even lifting his head. Seeing this, Third Sister hesitated slightly, then decided to leave everything to her brother.

"What are your Martial Souls?" Wang Sheng looked a little displeased. He'd announced his Martial Soul, so the other party ought to have done the same in response.

"Mine's Swallow, and my sister's is Blue Silver Grass!" Tang Yin smoothed the last corner of the bedding before finally looking up. His manners were polite, but his expression held seven parts distance and three parts cold indifference.

"Uh..." Wang Sheng didn't know what to say for a moment. He glanced at Tang Sanmei, then suddenly put on an expression of surprise—whether feigned or genuine was hard to tell. "Blue Silver Grass? You can cultivate with Blue Silver Grass?"

Tang Yin sighed, his voice faint. "Whether she can cultivate or not, isn't my sister standing right here proof enough?"

"True," Wang Sheng mumbled stiffly. He felt awkward, but in the end he steeled himself and spoke with a brazen air.

"There's a rule in Dorm Seven. The strongest person is the boss, so every new work-study student has to fight me, the current boss. If you lose, you call me boss. If you win, you take my place as the new boss!"

"You think someone with Blue Silver Grass and someone with a Swallow Martial Soul can beat you?"

"Probably not!" Wang Sheng replied without hesitation. Even if he didn't consider their Martial Souls, how could two kids so young possibly be his match?

"Exactly. You know we can't beat you, but you still want us to fight you. Aren't you just picking on a kid?"

"How could I, Wang Sheng, possibly bully children?"

"Exactly. So go on being the boss." Tang Yin spread his hands, his expression perfectly matter-of-fact.

Wang Sheng heard him and thought he had a point. He nodded in a daze and turned to go back, but then seemed to remember something. He turned around and asked uncertainly:

"Th-then you'll all have to listen to me and call me boss from now on, okay?"

"Of course!" Tang Yin smiled and nodded, but inside he thought that the hooligan rabbit ought to arrive any moment. Wang Sheng's position as boss was about to change hands.

He had no interest in this lousy dormitory boss position. Even if he beat Wang Sheng, he'd still have to fight the hooligan rabbit next.

There was no point in fighting over a boss position that came with no benefits. Lose, and he'd get beaten up; win, and he'd have to deal with the hooligan rabbit pestering him.

"Is this Dorm Seven?"

Just as Wang Sheng returned to the group of work-study students and was about to sit down, a clear voice came from outside.

At that, everyone looked toward the doorway again. The students who had been wondering why there were so many work-study students this year were instantly transfixed.

Tang Sanmei had only ever just barely eaten her fill as a child, and years of cultivation had left her skin a wheat color. She looked every bit like a country bumpkin, so the work-study students naturally paid her no mind.

But now, standing outside the door was a little girl in pink, her hair tied in a scorpion braid that fell to her hips. Her porcelain-doll face was rosy and fair, and her big, watery eyes held an innocent purity untouched by the ways of the world.

They were all struggling work-study students. How often did they get to see such a pretty girl? The boys exchanged glances, each of them eager to make a move.

Wang Sheng was more eager than ever. He stepped forward and shielded the others behind him, putting on what he thought was a friendly expression—which looked to outsiders like the greasy leer of a seedy middle-aged man.

"That's right, little sister. This is Dorm Seven. Are you a new work-study student too?"