"Barging into your room?" Su Chen froze, not yet having had a chance to get a good look at her. The little girl's other foot swept toward him. This time, she held nothing back, aiming her kick straight at his face. He had no choice but to release her foot and slide backward.
Thud!
The little girl stamped her foot, and golden light surged around her. Two yellow Soul Rings appeared around her body. Behind her, the dazzling golden light condensed into an angel with six golden wings.
"Your Martial Soul is the Six-Winged Angel?" Su Chen's heart jolted, and he immediately recognized the little girl before him. He hurriedly said, "Stop. There must be some misunderstanding!"
"A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? If you can't give me a reasonable explanation, I won't let you off." The little girl stared at Su Chen. She had long heard that girls' underwear often went missing at the academy, and she had instinctively taken him for someone with that sort of bizarre hobby. Servants were forbidden in Dormitory Zero. If he suddenly barged in while she was bathing, the consequences hardly bore thinking about.
"You're a student in Dormitory Zero, right? Actually, I'm its newest member," Su Chen hurriedly explained.
"You're also a new member of Dormitory Zero?" The little girl looked at Su Chen in surprise, sizing him up. Recalling his reflexes and agility just now, she grew noticeably less wary.
"Yes. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Su Chen, and I come from Holy Soul Village near Nuoding City in the Heaven Dou Empire. I have innate full soul power at level twenty, and my Martial Soul is the Golden Sacred Dragon (actually a five-clawed golden dragon). What happened just now really was a misunderstanding. I was looking for an empty room to stay in. I didn't realize that room was a flower that already had an owner!" Su Chen introduced himself very politely as he began to study the little girl before him.
The little girl wore a gold court gown made as a single piece. It had few decorative patterns, and its design was simple yet elegant. A high golden collar covered her long, snow-white neck, while her long golden hair hung loosely down her back without having been carefully combed. It formed a striking contrast with her neatly arranged court gown.
Her skin surpassed snow in its fairness. She had a straight nose, slightly slender phoenix eyes, and an exquisitely beautiful face with a hint of commanding majesty. Young though she was, she was already unmistakably a budding beauty.
"It seems I really did misunderstand you. Hello, my name is Qian Renxue." The little girl withdrew her Martial Soul and offered her delicate hand in friendship, giving a brief introduction.
"Hello." Su Chen reached out and shook her hand. Its soft touch, coupled with her identity, stirred an involuntary ripple of romantic fancy in his heart.
Su Chen looked around and asked, "Does anyone else live here besides you?"
"No. Before you arrived, I was the only person living here! There are a few rules. You have to take care of all your daily needs yourself, and you're not allowed to bring any servants here," Qian Renxue answered amiably.
"Such a big house, and only the two of us living in it. What a waste." Since they would be sharing a residence from now on, Su Chen tried to talk with Qian Renxue a little more and bring them closer.
"The first floor is for activities, and the second and third floors have bedrooms. From now on, the third-floor rooms are mine, and the second-floor rooms are yours. You're not allowed to set foot on the third floor." Qian Renxue was not particularly talkative. After barely two or three exchanges, she had already reached for the door handle, intending to go inside, pack her things, and move to the third floor.
Su Chen could only purse his lips helplessly. Qian Renxue's background was unusual. She had lost her father at a very young age, and her mother's feelings toward her were extremely complicated, taking the form of cold indifference that left her to fend for herself. Throughout the year, including every holiday and festival, little Qian Renxue had only her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, for company. That was how she had developed her somewhat withdrawn personality. It only began to improve gradually after she went to the Heaven Dou Empire.
Since Qian Renxue was able to attend a junior Soul Master Academy, she had to be at least six years old now. According to the course of events, when she was nine, Spirit Hall would send her to infiltrate the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. Using the disguise Soul Skill of an Angel Set Soul Bone she had fused with, she would eventually assume the identity of Xue Qinghe, a prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Boom, boom, boom!
While Su Chen was mentally sorting through the events that would befall Qian Renxue over the next twenty years, several drumbeats rang out from outside the castle.
Qian Renxue had only just entered her room when she came back out. Noticing Su Chen in the corridor, she gave him a sly look and said calmly, "Since you're new here, you can take this one!"
"Me? What do you want me to do?" Su Chen asked in confusion.
"Don't tell me you know absolutely nothing about Dormitory Zero?" Qian Renxue stared at him in astonishment.
"That's right." Su Chen nodded earnestly.
"As students of Dormitory Zero, we enjoy all sorts of benefits and privileges. At the same time, we're obliged to spar with the academy's students. Every Sunday, the students of the junior Soul Master Academy have the right to challenge those living in Dormitory Zero. The academy does this to build practical combat experience for both Dormitory Zero's students and the other students," Qian Renxue explained patiently.
"Can't we refuse?" Su Chen asked curiously.
"We can. Each refusal reduces the academy's stipend by a quarter. After four refusals, the academy won't issue a stipend the following month. It will also revoke our special status as students of Dormitory Zero. From then on, we'll be ordinary students," Qian Renxue explained.
"Uh!" Su Chen's heart jolted. If he became an ordinary student, wouldn't he have to attend those boring lectures every day?
"Since today is your first day here, you'll handle their challenges today. From now on, every Sunday, you'll take the morning challenges, and I'll handle the afternoon ones," Qian Renxue proposed.
"Sure, no problem." Su Chen nodded without refusing. Even if Qian Renxue had asked him to handle an entire day's challenges, he would have agreed without hesitation. Practical combat experience was his weakness. This was the perfect opportunity to improve it.
Su Chen walked out of the castle, and Qian Renxue followed him outside. She was eager to see just how strong he was.
"Is she coming out?"
"This time, I'm definitely going to last six rounds against her!"
"Only six? This time, I'm going to hold out for ten minutes!"
When Su Chen reached the flight of five hundred steps, more than a hundred students had already gathered outside the iron gate at its foot. Every one of them looked at him in surprise. An academy teacher stood beside the students-it was none other than Director Yang. Presumably, he was there to prevent injuries or deaths.
Before you continue