On the way to register, Tang San learned from the academic office that Yu Xiaogang was nothing but a show-off who liked flaunting his knowledge. In truth, he was nobody.
He couldn't help feeling secretly relieved. Good thing he hadn't been fooled by Gangzi.
Otherwise, he might have been sold off and still been counting the other guy's money without even knowing it.
As soon as he pushed open the door to Dorm Seven, a fist came flying straight at Tang San's face.
Tang San's purple eyes flashed. Under the boost of the Purple Demon Eye, Wang Sheng's movements seemed to slow.
He used Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, redirecting the fist with the force of four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds.
The blow carried considerable force. Caught off guard, Tang San unconsciously added a few extra pounds of strength.
He frowned and looked at Wang Sheng in confusion.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?"
"I'm Wang Sheng, the head of Dorm Seven."
Wang Sheng staggered back dozens of steps before finally managing to dissipate the force.
As for Tang San's question, Wang Sheng explained:
"Those are the rules of Dorm Seven. Every newcomer has to fight the dorm head. Whoever wins becomes the dorm head, and the loser becomes his lackey."
"I'm here to study, not to be the boss."
"That's not up to you."
Wang Sheng's expression seemed to say, What are you babbling about? Let's just fight.
As for the final result...
He was just an ordinary person who wasn't even a Soul Master. How could he possibly match Tang San, who had the Tang Sect's martial arts at his disposal? Naturally, Wang Sheng was beaten into submission.
"I'm Tang San, and this is my younger brother, Tang Wu."
After the fight ended, Tang San gave both his and Tang Wu's names.
"Greetings, boss! Greetings, Brother Wu!"
Wang Sheng and his group of lackeys bowed to Tang San and Tang Wu in unison.
"From now on, you're the head of Dorm Seven."
Tang San might have said he didn't want to be the boss, but deep down, he couldn't have been more pleased.
Tang Wu found an empty bed by the window, and naturally Tang San chose the one beside him.
"Xiao Wu, let me make your bed for you."
"Okay. Thanks, big brother."
That's right.
In this life, Tang San had brought bedding with him. Tang Hao had bought it for the brothers beforehand.
That was important.
Compared to the Tang Hao in the original story, this time around, he wasn't nearly as depressed.
After all...
Tang Wu often put pressure on their slacker of a father.
Every time, he would cry, make a fuss, and throw a tantrum.
He would say things like, "A child without a mother is like a blade of grass," and go on about how pitiful he was.
If their mother were still alive and saw her precious son being treated like this, wouldn't she cry?
Wait, what?!
Why was she still being hounded to death?!
Ah Yin's departure had already been a deep pain in Tang Hao's heart.
When he saw a face that looked eight-tenths like Ah Yin's weeping complaints at him, an indescribable ache welled up inside him.
That put an end to Tang Hao's slacking.
He even had to be careful whenever he drank, afraid Tang Wu might catch him in the act.
So the family pecking order was: Tang Wu above Tang Hao, and Tang Hao above Tang San.
After making Tang Wu's bed, Tang San went on to tidy up his own.
Just then, the door to Dorm Seven opened again.
"Hello, is this Dorm Seven?" a crisp, sweet voice asked.
The Hooligan Rabbit had arrived!
When he saw the adorable little girl, Tang San couldn't help blushing. He was instantly entranced.
Noticing the lecherous look on his big brother's face, Tang Wu's mouth twitched.
Their old man had fallen for their mother, a Blue Silver Emperor who had transformed from a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, and now his big brother had fallen for a rabbit who had also transformed from a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast.
What was this? Was their family's love for beastfolk hereditary?
After that, Tang San and Xiao Wu fought, and the match ended with Xiao Wu's victory.
After they introduced themselves, Xiao Wu exclaimed in surprise:
"Oh, your name's Xiao Wu too? What a coincidence!"
"Since you're Tang San's younger brother, that makes me your big sister. From now on, Sister Xiao Wu will look out for you at Notting Academy."
Tang Wu looked deeply at Xiao Wu.
Who would look out for whom remained to be seen.
"Are there two people named Tang San and Tang Wu here?"
Just as Xiao Wu was about to say something else, a teacher appeared at the doorway.
Tang San and Tang Wu exchanged a glance, then stepped out from the crowd.
"That's us. What do you need, Teacher?"
"All right. Someone asked me to find you. Please come with me."
With that, he led the brothers out of Dorm Seven and to the door of Yu Xiaogang's dorm room.
The door opened.
The moment Tang San saw Yu Xiaogang, he wanted to turn and leave, but Yu Xiaogang called him back.
"Wait. You can't leave."
"Without a suitable teacher's guidance, the road of a Soul Master will be full of obstacles. Don't you want to know which Soul Rings are right for your Martial Soul?"
Yu Xiaogang's words did indeed pique Tang San's interest a little.
But that interest didn't last long. The very next moment, it vanished without a trace.
"The best path for your Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul is control."
"The ideal Soul Rings would have poison attributes, preferably from snake-type Soul Beasts. They could also give your Martial Soul more flexibility."
As soon as he heard about poison-attribute Soul Rings, Tang San's face darkened.
Three months ago, Tang Wu had warned him that absorbing poison-attribute Soul Rings was no different from ruining his own future. He had remembered that warning well.
Tang Wu shook his head and chuckled to himself.
Gangzi, Gangzi. You still couldn't let go of your poison attributes, could you?
Should I call that persistence, or just sheer arrogance?
When absorbing a Soul Ring, the first thing to consider is its compatibility with your Martial Soul. The higher the Soul Ring's quality and compatibility, the stronger the effect you'll gain.
The predecessors had already blazed a well-traveled path, yet you insisted on striking out on your own.
What was that if not asking for trouble?
"Let's go, Xiao Wu. Don't mind this great wet one," Tang San said sarcastically.
Seeing this, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly blocked the doorway and continued trying to argue his case.
"You can look down on my strength or even insult my character, but you absolutely cannot disparage my research into Martial Souls."
"Poison attributes are the best path. My research isn't wrong!"
"Trust me, Great Wet One. This is a shortcut that can help you become a Titled Douluo."
As he spoke, he grew more and more worked up, his face flushed red.
Tang Wu didn't even look at Yu Xiaogang. He simply flicked out a whip.
"Are you moving or not?"
"If you don't move, don't blame the whip in my hand for being rude."
At the sight of the Blue Silver Grass whip conjured in Tang Wu's hand, Yu Xiaogang stiffened. The pain from that morning was still fresh in his memory.
He instinctively tried to get out of the way, leaving the wooden door behind him unobstructed.
"Wait! Don't go~~~"
Seeing the two Innate Full Soul Power prodigies about to slip away right in front of him, Yu Xiaogang panicked.
He still needed the brothers to prove that his theory was right. How could he let them go?
In his desperation, he blurted out:
"Soul Beast—right, I have a wealth of detailed information about Soul Beasts."
"Notting City is a little backwater. You won't find anything this good there. Once you pass up this chance, it'll be gone for good. Tang San, are you sure you want to leave?"