Notting Academy, outside the cafeteria.
Qin Qi had his hands tucked into his sleeves as he squatted obediently by the cafeteria entrance, watching everyone who went in to eat.
"What's that guy doing?"
"Don't look at him. Don't make eye contact!"
"He seems kind of scary. Better keep your distance."
A few rich kids who'd come to eat together saw Qin Qi squatting by the entrance and had no desire to provoke him.
This was the real world, after all. They had brains.
They weren't about to pick a fight with someone for no reason. Everyone here would become a Spirit Master someday, and even the worst of them would still be a Spirit Master.
"Damn it, do I not have a protagonist's aura or something?"
"I've been sitting here for ages, and not one person's come looking for trouble."
"If you people don't cause trouble, how am I supposed to beat you up in broad daylight?"
Qin Qi watched the students come and go, feeling rather troubled. In some other place, he would've just struck from the shadows.
But this was Notting Academy. What if he beat someone up and they reported him to a teacher?
Just as Qin Qi was wrestling with the dilemma, Wang Sheng came over with Xiao Wu and Tang San, who had just enrolled that day.
"Sister Xiao Wu, let's move over this way and keep our distance from that guy!"
Wang Sheng spotted Qin Qi squatting by the entrance, looking every bit the honest, simple sort.
A chill ran through him, and he instinctively squeezed his legs together.
"Why should I? Who's that guy? Why should I avoid him?"
Xiao Wu gave a haughty little huff and strode up to Qin Qi, looking thoroughly unconvinced. "Hey, what are you squatting here for?"
"I don't have money for food, so I can only sit here and smell how good it is."
Qin Qi gave her an honest, simple smile—the most guileless kind, just like the one he'd learned from Tang Jiaren.
"Really... Being hungry feels awful. Here, I'll treat you to lunch today."
Seeing Qin Qi's expression, Xiao Wu's fierce demeanor vanished. After hesitating a moment, she spoke up.
"That doesn't seem right."
Qin Qi replied.
"Of course it doesn't! You took all our money, and now you're here pretending to be poor!"
Wang Sheng stepped forward, hoping to expose Qin Qi. But the moment he did, he met Qin Qi's gaze.
Wang Sheng silently took several steps back.
'Maybe he really does have some kind of trouble. We're all Work-Study Students, so we should help each other.'
Wang Sheng didn't think he was afraid. He felt he was doing it for unity, for the good of the group!
"There's nothing wrong with it. From the look of you, you're a Work-Study Student too, right? If you are, then you're one of my underlings."
"Since you're with Sister Xiao Wu, I definitely won't let you go hungry."
Xiao Wu patted her perfectly flat chest, then raised her chin and spoke.
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Qin Qi accepted. Nothing mattered more than food. Whatever else there was to deal with could wait until after he'd eaten.
Everyone went into the cafeteria. It had two floors. The first was for the Work-Study Students.
The food was poor but cheap. The second floor was for ordinary students and teachers. It was more expensive, but the food was better.
They went inside and found a place to sit. Before long, Yu Xiaogang showed up.
"Xiao San, come eat with me upstairs."
Yu Xiaogang patted Tang San on the shoulder and spoke.
"No, Teacher. I'd rather eat with my roommates."
Tang San shook his head as he replied.
"Good. You've made the right choice. Wait for me at the cafeteria entrance after you've eaten."
After saying that, Yu Xiaogang left for the second floor to eat.
"You know the Grandmaster?"
Wang Sheng came over carrying the food he'd picked up. He set the dishes in front of Xiao Wu and Qin Qi, then sat down and asked.
"Mm. He's my teacher."
Tang San replied.
"You took the Grandmaster as your teacher? No way. He's not very strong, and he isn't even a proper teacher at our school."
"He's just a guest. He doesn't take part in teaching, and I heard he only got in because he's on good terms with the dean."
"To put it less politely, he's a freeloader. He's fifty years old and still hasn't broken through to Soul Grandmaster."
"That's as far as he'll ever get."
Wang Sheng looked at Tang San and hesitated. But since they were all in the same dormitory, he thought he should say something.
Everything he'd said was common knowledge at school.
Only a newcomer like Tang San wouldn't know.
"Wang Sheng, please don't insult my teacher. This is the first time, and I hope it'll be the last."
"If you don't want to spar with me again, then don't do this a second time."
"And thank you for your kindness, but I don't need you to treat me."
Tang San looked at Wang Sheng with a grave expression. When he finished speaking, he stood up to leave.
"Huh?"
Wang Sheng stared at Tang San, who'd suddenly turned hostile, and couldn't react for a moment. Had he said something wrong?
"Wang Sheng, you're way out of line."
Qin Qi suddenly spoke up.
Hearing Qin Qi's words, Tang San paused slightly. He hadn't expected Qin Qi to speak up for him.
"Even if the Grandmaster is a useless freeloader by everyone's reckoning, you can't just say that to Xiao San's face."
"He's already become his disciple. A teacher for a day is a father for life. If he turns his back on his master now, his reputation will be ruined."
"You meant well by warning Xiao San, but you can't be so blunt. Drop him a hint in private."
Qin Qi lowered his voice and spoke softly.
"Oh!"
Wang Sheng suddenly understood. No wonder Tang San had reacted that way. He'd been too blunt.
"..."
Tang San's face darkened. He felt like Qin Qi was sticking up for him, but why did those words sound so grating?
"And the Grandmaster is fifty and still hasn't reached Level 30. He looks like a piece of trash, and in truth, he's not much better."
"But he is the Grandmaster, at least. Even a lean camel is bigger than a horse. He must have something that sets him apart from ordinary people."
"By the way, what's his Martial Soul?"
Qin Qi asked.
"Uh, I've never seen it. But I heard people say it's some kind of Luo Sanpao, and its Soul Skill is apparently farting."
Wang Sheng scratched his head. His eyes were clear to the point of foolishness as he answered honestly.
"Oh... Forget what I said earlier. A lean camel isn't necessarily bigger than a horse."
After saying that, Qin Qi lowered his head and started eating, looking as if he genuinely had no idea what else to say.
Tang San walked away with a dark expression, his head lowered. He felt that what Qin Qi and Wang Sheng had said was probably true.
Kids their age didn't make things up for no reason.
"Did I pick the wrong teacher?"
Tang San felt uncertain, but it was too late to have doubts now. He couldn't take it back.
After Tang San left.
"Xiao San's so strange."
Xiao Wu and the others all thought Tang San's reaction was strange. They'd only been chatting while they ate.
Was there any need to react so strongly? Even if they'd hit a nerve, it wasn't a big deal.
"Forget him. Eat, eat."
Qin Qi glanced at Tang San as he walked away. Someone else was treating you to a meal, and you were still acting so high and mighty.
Oh, your dad's got a Titled Douluo behind him. Never mind, let's eat.