The freshman class's little demon: let me hear you call me boss

Jiang Nannan immediately spotted the intelligent Tianjing Beast and exclaimed in surprise, "Is this your martial soul? How fascinating! It even has intelligence. That's incredibly rare."

"Yes, it's my martial soul. It's called the Tianjing Beast."

Gu Ming patted the Tianjing Beast's head and quietly lifted his chin, looking immensely proud.

Jiang Nannan's curiosity flared at once. She reached out and said, "Tianjing Beast—what a cool name! Can I pet it?"

"Well... I suppose so." Gu Ming sounded uncertain.

The next moment, Jiang Nannan's little hand reached toward the Tianjing Beast.

The Tianjing Beast instantly bared its teeth. "Nobody except my master is allowed to touch me!"

"Ah!"

Jiang Nannan stumbled back several steps in fright. She stared at the Tianjing Beast in disbelief and exclaimed, "It... it can talk? How is that possible?"

The Tianjing Beast said in a clear, youthful voice, "I'm not a mute beast."

That only made Jiang Nannan more curious, and a little excited. She even wanted to reach out and pet it again.

Sure enough, once a woman gets over her fear, curiosity takes over. And she has so much of it... Gu Ming took the opportunity to change the subject, saying solemnly, "Senior, let's head into the academy. You can pet it another time."

Jiang Nannan reluctantly withdrew her hand, then quietly turned and led Gu Ming into the academy.

She would have to wait until next time to pet the adorable little beast.

A full half hour passed as Jiang Nannan explained the teaching buildings, dormitories, and the academy's two main departments to Gu Ming before taking him to his dormitory.

Before leaving, Jiang Nannan waved to Gu Ming and said softly, "Junior, I'm Jiang Nannan, a fifth-year student in the outer academy."

She was emphasizing it again because she had taken quite a liking to this junior.

Gu Ming nodded. "Got it."

With that, he turned and entered his assigned dormitory, Room 208.

Meanwhile, in the flower bed outside the dormitory, several upper-year students with flowerpots balanced on their heads watched Jiang Nannan leave. Only then did they breathe sighs of relief.

Their leader was Xu Sanshi, the number-one lapdog of Jiang Nannan, the outer academy's campus beauty, along with his fifth-year Underlings.

Xu Sanshi watched Gu Ming's retreating figure, deep in thought.

Nannan's actually getting this close to a brand-new student? Just where did that fellow come from?

At that moment, lackey number one spoke up. "Boss Sanshi, I feel like your position as her number-one caring guy is in danger. Senior Nannan seems interested in that freshman. That guy really is handsome, and his martial soul can exist outside his body."

"You know how it is, senior. Girls can't resist cute animals like that. That kid's casting his line—he's trying to reel her in!"

Lackey number two immediately fanned the flames. "Senior Sanshi, I think he's right. Who in the academy doesn't know Jiang Nannan is your exclusive preserve? That kid dared to get so close to her. He must be looking down on you."

"If this keeps up, I feel like Nannan's going to part ways with you."

Xu Sanshi actually took their words to heart. His gaze darkened as he pondered.

Jiang Nannan was the wife he had already chosen for himself. That was an unchangeable fact. He could not let this unfamiliar kid's appearance disrupt his plans.

No matter what, Nannan could not fall for anyone else. He would never allow that to happen.

Besides, he had already gone through the back door. Surely nobody else still fancied that, right?

With that thought, Xu Sanshi waved a hand. "Quit fucking fanning the flames. You want me to bully a freshman who just enrolled? Have I got no shame? What would Nannan think of me if she found out?"

"And another thing: I'm a man with sound values. I never do anything shady or underhanded."

At those words, the two lackeys exchanged glances, the corners of their mouths twitching.

Sound values, nothing shady or underhanded, no shame... how did those words end up together?

Wasn't Xu Sanshi precisely the shameless sort?

He must have eaten so much sweet-potato porridge that it had gone to his head.

At that moment, in Room 208, the freshmen welcomed the little demon who would be theirs.

Dai Huabin, Zhou Sichen, Cao Jinxuan, and Xie Huanyue exchanged bewildered looks.

Gu Ming pointed at the students on the lower bunks and said flatly, "Nobody's allowed above my lower bunk. I like things clean. Also, all of you have to acknowledge me as your boss."

"Your name's Dai Huabin, right? From now on, you'll fetch my foot-washing water. I'll reward you with one Gold Soul Coin a month."

"Zhou Sichen, you're my lackey from now on. Your job is to gather information about the academy for me. Two Gold Soul Coins a month."

"Xie Huanyue, Cao Jinxuan, you two are in charge of cleaning the dormitory. Two Gold Soul Coins a month."

"Now, all of you, let me hear you call me boss a few times. If you make me happy, I'll take you along when I build something big."

Dai Huabin and the others were so furious at those words that their lungs nearly burst.

Become lackeys? Become servants?

In their families, servants did that sort of work. They were already seething over not getting a decent dormitory after coming to Shrek Academy, and now this fellow wanted to bully them too. Who could put up with that?

Dai Huabin was the first to step forward and retort, "Acknowledge you as my boss? Who the hell are you? Do you even know I'm a young master of the White Tiger Duke's Mansion? What nobody are you to deserve being called my boss?"

Xie Huanyue chimed in, "We're not even in the same class. What gives you the right to make me acknowledge you as my boss? Besides, our strength is about the same. I'm not doing it!"

"Neither am I!" Zhou Sichen agreed.

"Me neither. I'm not acknowledging any boss. I came here to study, not to find myself some boss," Cao Jinxuan said.

Hearing this, Gu Ming merely swept a cool glance over them and said coldly, "So none of you are willing to shoulder your dormitory responsibilities or listen to me, your dorm leader? You want to rebel?"

Dai Huabin said disdainfully, "Of course. If anyone's going to be the boss, it should be me. Since when was it the turn of a lowly soul master like you?"

The other three shared his opinion.

Gu Ming slapped an accusation on them first. "Then I'll have to punish you according to the academy's rules. Come at me together. Whoever wins is the boss."

Dai Huabin clenched his fists and shouted, "Who's afraid of whom? Let's go downstairs and fight. Whoever wins is the boss. Today, I'm going to cripple you and show you the might of the Evil-Eyed White Tiger martial soul!"

The other three all voiced their agreement.

And so, the four of them came to the sports field.

Gu Ming beckoned to them. "You, blondie. You go first! Don't say I'm bullying you. Against lowly soul masters like you, I don't even need to activate my martial soul."

Dai Huabin's eyes instantly turned red. With a loud cry of "White Tiger Possession!", a towering phantom of an Evil-Eyed White Tiger appeared behind him, and his hands transformed into tiger claws.

"Third soul skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"

A tiger's roar rang out as Dai Huabin's aura surged once more. In the blink of an eye, he lunged at Gu Ming.

The other three did not stand idle either. They charged forward as well, unleashing their soul skills.

Gu Ming merely sidestepped with incredible speed, evading the tiger claws. Then he countered with a grappling move and seized his opponent outright.

Dai Huabin tried to attack again, but a terrifying force held him firmly in place.

The next moment, Gu Ming's fist swung toward his face.

Bam, bam, bam!

A few punches and kicks, each stronger than the last, sent Dai Huabin scurrying away like a rat with his hands over his head.

As Dai Huabin ran, he let out a string of howls.

It hurt!

It hurt so much!

The pain pierced deep into his bones. It was even worse than taking his opponent's soul skill.

Gu Ming's fists really were as hard as agate. His internal organs were almost being knocked out of place.