One Hundred Gold Soul Coins in Compensation! After I Hand Them Out, the Rest Is Mine!

Yun Tian did not even slow down.

He reached out and grabbed Xiao Chenyu's wolf claw, his five fingers tightening. The grip of his metal armor crushed down so hard that Xiao Chenyu cried out in pain.

Then Yun Tian swung him away with a backhanded throw. Xiao Chenyu was hurled through the air, rolling five or six times across the grass before coming to a stop, his wolf fur covered in dirt and grass clippings.

Just as Zhao Hu tried to retreat, Yun Tian's right leg swept toward him.

Crack! Zhao Hu's blocking stance was shattered by a kick. He flew sideways and slammed into the trunk of an old locust tree, letting out a muffled groan before sliding to the ground. The Wind Staff slipped from his hand.

Chen Lang and the others were so frightened their legs went weak. They turned and tried to run.

Yun Tian took a single step and appeared behind him like a ghost. He struck Chen Lang's back with one palm, sending him tumbling to the ground like a kite with its string cut. Chen Lang ended up with a mouthful of dirt.

Then came the remaining noble lackeys.

Yun Tian did not hit them too heavily, but he showed them no mercy either.

One punch each, one kick each. Within just a few breaths, all seven or eight of them had fallen onto the grass, their cries of pain rising one after another—a stark contrast to the arrogant brutality they had shown when beating up the work-study students moments ago.

The meadow behind the mountain fell completely silent.

Only the rustling of wind through the leaves remained.

Yun Tian walked over to Xiao Chenyu, who lay sprawled on the ground, raised one foot, and planted it firmly on his chest.

The armored sole pressed over the city lord's son's heart with just the right amount of force. It would not kill him, but it was enough to make him clearly feel the power that could crush him at any moment.

Xiao Chenyu lay flat on his back, his face pale as he trembled all over.

"Listen carefully."

Yun Tian looked down at him. His voice came from beneath the armor's faceplate, carrying a metallic edge, cold and imposing.

"From today onward, I'm the boss of Nuoding Academy's students. Whether you're a work-study student or a noble, you listen to me. If anyone isn't convinced, come fight me. But you'd better weigh the consequences yourselves."

Xiao Chenyu's lips trembled. He wanted to say something defiant, but when he met the cold gaze beneath that tiger-headed armor, every scrap of courage in him crumbled to dust.

He nodded shakily. "I... I understand..."

Yun Tian removed his foot and turned to look at the other noble students sprawled on the ground.

"And you lot."

"Yes, yes, yes! Boss! Whatever you say!"

The lackeys scrambled up and knelt, rushing to pledge their loyalty.

Yun Tian raised a hand to stop their flattery. His tone was calm but left no room for doubt. "Ten Gold Soul Coins from each of you, as compensation for the work-study students beaten today. Hand the money to me, and I'll distribute it. Before nightfall, I want to see it delivered to Seventh Dorm. One coin short, and tomorrow you'll end up worse than you did today."

How could the noble students dare haggle? They nodded frantically, terrified that responding too slowly would earn them another beating.

Yun Tian deactivated the Earth Tiger Armor. The ochre glow faded away, revealing his original appearance.

The afternoon sunlight fell over him, stretching his not particularly tall figure into a long shadow.

He crouched before Old Zhang and the others, pulled a clean handkerchief from his clothes, and handed it over. "Bear with it for now. I'll take you to the infirmary to get it bandaged again later. Once we get the compensation, I'll distribute it according to the severity of everyone's injuries. The most seriously injured will get more, and the lightly injured will get less. It'll be fair."

Old Zhang clutched the handkerchief, and at last, he could not hold back his tears. They fell in fat drops.

"Boss Yun... thank you..."

Yun Tian patted his shoulder, rose to his feet, and looked into the distance.

On the meadow behind the mountain, the nobles helped one another to their feet and fled miserably back toward the academy.

The work-study students supported one another as they stood. Though their bodies were covered in injuries, every face wore a relieved, triumphant smile.

From that day on, no one at Nuoding Academy would dare bully the work-study students again.

The compensation arrived even faster than expected.

Less than an hour later, Xiao Chenyu sent two lackeys carrying a heavy money pouch to the entrance of Seventh Dorm.

The moment they saw Yun Tian, the two acted like mice spotting a cat. They bowed and scraped as they set down the pouch, not daring to say a single unnecessary word before turning and fleeing.

Yun Tian weighed the pouch in his hand, poured out its contents, and counted them. There were exactly one hundred Gold Soul Coins.

At ten coins per person for seven people, that should have come to only seventy coins.

The extra thirty were probably added voluntarily by Xiao Chenyu's group to show their loyalty.

In any case, that amount of money was nothing to them.

He lined up the Gold Soul Coins one by one on the table, their golden gleam making Seventh Dorm bright.

"Old Zhang, you're the most seriously injured. Take two coins."

Yun Tian picked up two Gold Soul Coins and handed them to Old Zhang, whose forehead was wrapped in gauze.

Old Zhang froze, then hurriedly waved his hands. "Boss, that's too much... I-I only got hit twice..."

"Take them when I tell you to." Yun Tian shoved the coins directly into his hand. "You've got a gash on your forehead, and the blood ran all the way down your neck. Your injury is worse than anyone else's. Use the extra money to buy better medicine from the infirmary. Don't let it scar."

Old Zhang's lips trembled for a long time. In the end, he tightly gripped the two Gold Soul Coins, his eyes reddening again.

Next, Yun Tian distributed one Gold Soul Coin to each person according to the severity of their injuries. The two most badly injured received two coins each, while the remaining five with lighter injuries received one coin each.

After making the rounds, quite a few Gold Soul Coins still remained on the table.

Without changing expression, he pocketed the remaining coins. He gave no explanation and made no polite excuses.

No one in Seventh Dorm objected.

To them, their boss had single-handedly beaten over a dozen nobles and forced Xiao Chenyu's group to obediently hand over money. That alone was an incredible feat.

If Yun Tian had not been watching over them, forget Gold Soul Coins—they would not even have been able to get out of bed today.

It was only natural for the boss to take the biggest share.

Wang Sheng had his arm hanging in a sling, yet he grinned from ear to ear. "Hehe, this is the first time in my life I've touched a Gold Soul Coin. Boss, does this mean us work-study students will never have to be bullied again?"

"If anyone bullies you again, come find me." Yun Tian answered succinctly, clapping his hands. "Go to the infirmary and get your injuries treated. Don't let them turn into lasting problems."

Everyone answered and helped one another out of Seventh Dorm.

Not long after they left, the dormitory door was pushed open again.

"I'm back!"

Xiao Wu skipped inside, drenched in sweat, her cheeks flushed red. Her whole demeanor was completely different.

The door slammed loudly behind her, and she carried herself with a whirlwind sort of energy.

Yun Tian looked up, his gaze sweeping over her waist as his brows rose slightly.

The soul power fluctuations coming from Xiao Wu were noticeably stronger than yesterday's. Her whole body faintly gave off an aura that was both light and explosive.

Though she tried hard to restrain it, the distinctive trait of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast that had just formed its first soul ring after taking human form was impossible to hide before Yun Tian.

"Oh? You absorbed a soul ring?" Yun Tian asked directly.