"So your name is Li Luo, is that right, child? Would you be interested in joining Spirit Hall?"
Ma Xiunuo didn't want a genius like Li Luo to be left out in the world, so he invited him to join Spirit Hall.
Li Luo hesitated, pretending to think it over. Only after a long while did he politely refuse.
"Thank you for your kind offer, respected Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo. I have great respect for Spirit Hall, but I'm still just a child. I want to see the sights of the Soul Master World and gain a deep understanding of what the Soul Master World truly is."
"There's nothing wrong with joining a great organization like Spirit Hall, but the Soul Master World can offer me even broader horizons!"
Ma Xiunuo understood what Li Luo meant and didn't press him. He was already old and no longer cared much about merits or achievements. Instead, he rather missed the fervor of his younger days.
He approved of Li Luo's idea and offered his support.
"Child, whenever you decide you want to join Spirit Hall, you'll always be welcome!"
After saying that, Ma Xiunuo turned to Tang San.
"Child, your name is Tang San, right? Would you like to have your Soul Power tested?"
"No, thank you, Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo. I haven't obtained a Soul Ring yet."
"Oh, then would you like us to help you obtain your First Soul Ring? As long as you join Spirit Hall, even with Blue Silver Grass, your Innate Full Soul Power talent will ensure you receive excellent resources."
Ma Xiunuo was following procedure and making the standard offer to recruit Tang San. After all, he was quite old, and his horizons were somewhat broader than Su Yuntao's. He believed that Blue Silver Grass awakening with Innate Full Soul Power couldn't be so simple. However, he was only a level-twenty-eight Soul Grandmaster and didn't know about the Blue Silver King or even the Blue Silver Emperor. He was simply judging by instinct and couldn't explain exactly why.
Ma Xiunuo had actually noticed that Tang San and Li Luo were together, so he didn't expect Tang San to join Spirit Hall.
Li Luo had refused to join Spirit Hall, so there was no way Tang San would join either.
"I'm sorry, Grandmaster Ma Xiunuo. There's nothing wrong with joining Spirit Hall, but I also believe the Soul Master World can offer me broader horizons."
Tang San used Li Luo's reasoning to politely turn down Ma Xiunuo.
Ma Xiunuo sighed.
"Then Spirit Hall will always welcome you both. Goodbye, you two."
Su Yuntao had finished registering Li Luo's Soul Master handbook and brought him a Gold Soul Coin.
"Xiao Luo, after becoming a Soul Master, you can use your Soul Master handbook to collect one Gold Soul Coin each month from the nearest Spirit Hall. If you advance to Soul Grandmaster, you'll get ten. If you advance to Soul Elder, you'll get a hundred."
Li Luo thanked them. After saying goodbye to Ma Xiunuo and Su Yuntao, he left Spirit Hall with Tang San.
Li Luo took Tang San around Nuoding City for a long time, buying quite a few daily necessities.
To be fair, the cost of living in Nuoding City really wasn't high. Li Luo bought plenty of things and still had six Silver Soul Coins and three Copper Soul Coins left.
So, before returning to Notting Academy, Li Luo also picked up ten carrots for Xiao Wu.
Besides that, he found Tang San a job at a blacksmith's shop, which would make it easier for him to practice Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer.
By the time they returned to Dorm Seven, it was already evening.
Li Luo pushed open the door to Dorm Seven, just as the teacher in charge of managing the work-study students arrived.
"Where are the three new work-study students? Li Luo, Tang San, and Xiao Wu."
Xiao Wu quickly raised her hand.
"Teacher, I'm here!"
"And Li Luo and Tang San?"
"Teacher, Li Luo and Tang San haven't come back yet. They went out to buy daily necessities."
Wang Sheng told the teacher where Li Luo and Tang San had gone.
"Teacher, we're here."
Li Luo and Tang San stood in the doorway of Dorm Seven and spoke in unison.
"Good, you're back. Now, I'm going to explain the work you work-study students will be responsible for this school year."
"First, there's the daily cleaning around the academy..."
The teacher went on and on about management and work duties.
"Got it?"
The work-study students nodded, and the teacher left Dorm Seven.
Li Luo walked over to an empty bed and tossed the bundle containing the sheets and bedding he'd bought onto it.
Wang Sheng came over to Li Luo and explained what the teacher had just said.
"Boss, these are the work-study jobs we have to do to earn our keep. Once we finish them, the academy gives us some Copper Soul Coins as payment."
"But don't worry. You don't have to bother with any of this—we'll do it all. Just protect everyone, and we other work-study students will take care of these little things for you. You'll still get your share of the money."
Wang Sheng hadn't lowered his voice. He said it loudly and plainly, so everyone in Dorm Seven could hear.
But Xiao Wu wasn't pleased when she heard Wang Sheng.
"Why doesn't Li Luo have to work, but still gets paid?"
"Because Boss can protect us!"
One of the work-study students answered.
"Protect you? I can do that too!"
Xiao Wu released her Martial Soul. A pair of rabbit ears sprouted from her head, and the phantom of a Soft Bone Rabbit appeared behind her.
"Let me introduce myself again. My name is Xiao Wu—Wu as in 'dance.' I have Innate Full Soul Power, and I'll be a Soul Master as soon as I get a Soul Ring."
"Hiss!"
Everyone in Dorm Seven drew a sharp breath. They'd thought Li Luo already having his First Soul Ring meant he had Innate Full Soul Power. They hadn't expected this girl named Xiao Wu to have it, too.
"Long live Sister Xiao Wu!"
Some work-study student shouted it out, even calling her "Sister."
"Then you don't have to work either, as long as you can protect us from being bullied."
Xiao Wu happily bounced up and down.
"Actually, I have Innate Full Soul Power, too."
At that moment, the introverted Tang San spoke up.
"My name is Tang San. My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass, and I have Innate Full Soul Power, too."
"Hiss!" Everyone in Dorm Seven drew another sharp breath.
"Blue Silver Grass? That Trash Martial Soul can have Soul Power? And Innate Full Soul Power, at that?"
Someone among the work-study students questioned whether Tang San was telling the truth.
"Xiao San really does have Innate Full Soul Power. I can vouch for him."
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Li Luo volunteered to vouch for Tang San.
"Fine. Since Boss says so, we'll take on your share of the work. Just make sure you're telling the truth and not lying to us."
The work-study students chose to trust their new boss, Li Luo.
It was already late, and there was no light in the work-study students' dormitory, so they usually went to bed early. At this hour, they would normally be asleep.
Of course, if someone couldn't sleep, they might sit up and meditate cross-legged.
But few work-study students did that. Their cultivation talent was already poor, and meditating for a little while at night didn't make any noticeable difference.
Besides, the next day brought heavy lessons and work-study duties, all of which took a great deal of energy.
This was the time everyone should be going to sleep.
But now they faced a problem: Dorm Seven had only two empty beds.
And three new work-study students had arrived that day.