For once, Jiang Jiu and Xiao Wu weren't having breakfast alone.
They'd returned to Dorm Seven and were having breakfast with all the work-study students there.
"Do you think Xiao Chenyu and the others might skip breakfast?"
In the cafeteria, Xiao Wu felt they'd been waiting a little too long.
At lunchtime, she often saw Xiao Chenyu's group heading in a grand procession to the second floor of the cafeteria. In the morning, though, that wasn't necessarily the case.
"Well..."
Wang Sheng scratched his head. Missing a meal or two didn't seem to matter much to Xiao Chenyu and his crowd. It was perfectly normal for them to skip breakfast once in a while.
"You don't know? Then we'll just go block him in his classroom. Wang Sheng, your classes are all in the sixth-year building, right?" Xiao Wu planned to charge straight to the top.
"Huh? No, that won't do. We can't do that." Wang Sheng shook his head repeatedly.
Which one of them was the rabbit, and which one the tiger?
Sister Xiao Wu was way more tiger than he was.
Wang Sheng went on to explain, "We can gather people for a fight, but we can't disrupt classes or bother the teachers."
"Especially since we're work-study students."
"If we can't do this or that, I still want to finish the fight early and go to the Blacksmith Shop with Xiao Jiu." Xiao Wu puffed out her cheeks.
She really hadn't taken Xiao Chenyu seriously. He was nothing more than a Soul Master around level ten. She could take him down in a few moves.
"How about I challenge them after class? We can fight in the hills behind the school. This sort of thing has happened before." Wang Sheng thought it over before finally speaking.
"What do you think, Xiao Jiu?" Xiao Wu left the decision to Jiang Jiu.
"Let's do that."
Jiang Jiu had never been through anything like this himself.
Forget a group brawl—even bullying was something he'd rarely encountered.
Maybe it had happened, but it had never been worth his attention.
"Then it's settled! Xiao Jiu, let's go to the Blacksmith Shop."
Xiao Wu didn't mind either way. Beating Xiao Chenyu in the morning or at noon made no difference. A little Xiao Chenyu couldn't stir up any trouble.
"Let's skip it today. I'll go ask for leave. Xiao Wu, you're the backbone today." Jiang Jiu shook his head.
After they beat Xiao Chenyu, if nothing unexpected happened, he'd arrange for someone to take over the work-study students' duties. He had both the means and the ability to handle people that way.
That was also why Jiang Jiu had previously brought up changing his work hours with Boss Shi San.
As for moving his blacksmithing to the afternoon, what would he do in the morning? Naturally, he'd cultivate, with lessons in Xiao Wu's Soft Technique woven in between.
"Huh? Is that so? All right."
Only then did Xiao Wu notice the eager looks in the work-study students' eyes. She nodded, taking everything upon herself.
After they went to the Blacksmith Shop to ask for leave, they headed to the classroom. Xiao Wu kept waving to Jiang Jiu from inside.
"Over here, over here!"
This was only Jiang Jiu's second class, and Xiao Wu's first. They were both the ultimate class-skippers.
The teacher lectured on history while Xiao Wu, bored out of her mind, played with the edge of Jiang Jiu's clothes.
If she'd known class would be this dull, she wouldn't have tied up Xiao Jiu's hair so perfectly. His hair was much more fun to play with than his clothes.
By the time two classes were over, Xiao Wu felt like her bottom had gone numb. For someone as energetic as her, sitting still was torture.
Next time, no matter what, she wasn't coming to class!
"Big news, big news! I heard the work-study students are challenging Boss Xiao! Come watch the fun—it's in the hills behind the school!"
"I'm in, I'm in!"
"Someone really doesn't know their place."
Xiao Wu was a little confused. She was the boss of the work-study students, yet she wasn't even there!
Was Wang Sheng going to steal all the limelight?
How could she allow that?
"Xiao Jiu, let's hurry over to the sixth-year building." Xiao Wu grabbed Jiang Jiu's hand and ran out of the classroom.
Before long, they ran into Wang Sheng and the others, who were also heading that way.
"Boss, it's all arranged. Xiao Chenyu and the others have already set off for the hills behind the school." Wang Sheng spoke up.
Jiang Jiu blinked. Weren't they worried the other side might stand them up?
Then again, if they did, they'd lose face and wouldn't be able to show their faces around the academy.
It really was a simple, straightforward challenge to fight.
"Fine. Gather everyone, and we'll head to the hills together." Xiao Wu had nothing more to say. The other side was simply doing its best to arrange a fight.
In the woods behind the school.
At a school, in the woods—if it wasn't a fight, it was a date, or something even more intimate.
The students at Notting Junior Academy were, by and large, rather innocent, but there were a few stains on that reputation.
Like the scene unfolding now.
When Xiao Chenyu saw Xiao Wu and Jiang Jiu, his eyes lit up.
At the same time, though, he couldn't help wondering to himself:
Were these two really work-study students? They were so stunningly good-looking, they didn't look the part at all!
But the fight had already been arranged, and he had his pride to consider. He'd fight them first and worry about the rest later.
"You work-study students have eleven people. Fine, I'll send out eleven from my side too. We'll take turns fighting. The winner can keep going until everyone on one side has been defeated. That side loses."
"The losers become the winners' underlings!"
Xiao Chenyu might have been a spoiled young master, but he knew when to play it safe. This time, he chose to take the cautious route first.
His side had more upperclassmen. The advantage was ours!
"Fine, it's settled!"
Sister Xiao Wu was going to fight all eleven!
Wang Sheng hesitated, worried for her. He gritted his teeth and wanted to go first himself.
Those rules were too unfavorable for the work-study students, especially for Boss Xiao Wu.
Jiang Jiu knew Xiao Wu would be like a tiger among piglets against those upperclassmen, taking them down one kick at a time.
There wasn't much pressure. Jiang Jiu wanted to try his hand at some real combat too.
Besides, it would be a bunch of rookies flailing at each other.
Once he'd been through a fight, he'd be a rookie with real combat experience—stronger than one who'd never fought before.
Xiao Chenyu's side began picking their fighters, sending out one of their three strongest right away.
"Liu Long, you're up." He jerked his chin to indicate him.
"Boss, his Soul Power is level nine, and his Martial Soul is a kind of long staff." Wang Sheng first gave them the details, then volunteered. "Boss, let me go."
Xiao Wu was about to nod, but Jiang Jiu spoke up.
"Xiao Wu, I want to give it a try."
"Brother Jiu, but..."
Wang Sheng wanted to say that even he could barely beat Liu Long, and Jiang Jiu's Soul Power was lower than his.
"Are you sure? The others won't be as careful as I am about not hurting you."
Xiao Wu ignored Wang Sheng completely.
She believed in Jiang Jiu's potential. With her guidance, he'd soon surpass those upperclassmen with level-nine Soul Power. But for now, it was hard to say.
"If my strength isn't enough, taking a few hits is good for me too."
If he mastered the method of using Soul Power to protect himself, there was a good chance he could feel the pain without getting hurt.
"Fine, but I want the right to concede for you."
"If I say you've lost, you're not allowed to keep fighting."
"Hey, you over there! Did you hear that? As the boss, do you have the right to make one of your underlings concede?"
Xiao Chenyu keenly sensed that this was a sign the other side lacked confidence. Putting on a magnanimous air, he said, "Sure. As the bosses, it's only right for us to make decisions for our underlings. Good. So you really are the boss of the work-study students."
"Make sure you protect yourself with Soul Power!" Xiao Wu kept reminding him, acting just like a mother hen.
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