Although Qin Chao had little affection for Yu Xiaogang, he did not mind spending a little more time with him if it meant seeing Xiao Wu again...
Without hesitation, he nodded decisively. "Sorry for the trouble, Grandmaster..."
Seeing Qin Chao accept Yu Xiaogang's invitation, Hu Liena and Old Jack naturally said nothing more. The five of them marched into the academy together.
After temporarily settling Qin Chao and the others in the teachers' dormitory, Yu Xiaogang took Tang San to complete his enrollment paperwork.
Although he had already begun considering taking Tang San as his disciple, he still needed the boy's consent. Now that they were alone, this was the perfect opportunity to bring it up.
The two left without incident, but a system notification sounded in Qin Chao's mind.
"Congratulations! You have successfully seized the protagonist halo and gained five fortune points..."
??
Qin Chao was bewildered. I don't seem to have done anything, so how did I gain fortune points?
The butterfly effect was terrifying. Qin Chao's appearance had reminded Yu Xiaogang of his past with Bibi Dong, and it had also stirred his desire to prove himself by taking a disciple.
If Yu Xiaogang's decision to take a disciple in the novel had been a matter of letting fate take its course, his desire to do so was now noticeably stronger. Unwilling to let a promising talent with twin martial souls like Tang San slip away, he had even rehearsed his pitch in advance, listing all his strengths.
But some things could not necessarily be obtained by force.
Having lived two lives, Tang San was already extremely guarded. Yu Xiaogang's eagerness when proposing that he become his disciple only aroused his suspicions, and he gave an ambiguous reply.
Their back-and-forth took quite some time. Although Yu Xiaogang admired Tang San's unusual maturity and composure, he could only leave dejectedly, giving Tang San ample time to consider.
Yu Xiaogang's understanding of martial souls was indeed profound, and he left a deep impression on Tang San. After a little thought, Tang San still chose to become his disciple, but that would come later...
Returning to Qin Chao, shortly after Yu Xiaogang left, he excused himself from the teachers' dormitory under the pretext of using the restroom. After asking around briefly, he easily found Dorm Seven, which was reserved for work-study students.
Just as in the novel, Dorm Seven was spacious but housed only a dozen or so students. At the moment, only seven or eight were inside.
Hearing someone enter, the children immediately turned their eyes toward Qin Chao.
The sight of Qin Chao in his white robe instantly put them on edge. One of the older children even walked straight toward him, his eyes full of wariness.
"Did you come to the wrong dorm, or are you here to cause trouble?"
"Cause trouble?" Qin Chao was taken aback at first, but remembering the events in the novel, he realized that these work-study students had probably mistaken him for a student looking to pick a fight. He could not help chuckling...
He was a genuine Soul Grandmaster now. If he really had come to pick a fight, that would have been taking bullying a little too far...
"You've misunderstood, big brother. I'm not a student. I just came with the Grandmaster to have a look around..." As he spoke, Qin Chao pointed to the character for "Soul" on his chest.
The student who had spoken was Wang Sheng, who had sparred with Tang San in the novel. Having studied at Nuoding Academy for five years, he had naturally heard of the Grandmaster. Combined with Qin Chao's Spirit Hall attire, that made him realize his mistake, and he scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sorry. We're all work-study students, and we get bullied all the time, so we were a little too wary. I wasn't trying to pick on you..." As he spoke, he glanced, seemingly casually, at the "Soul" character on Qin Chao's chest, his eyes full of envy...
During their martial soul awakening, exceptionally talented children were already snapped up by Spirit Hall. The students who entered Nuoding Academy were those who had not made the cut, so seeing a child from Spirit Hall like Qin Chao naturally stirred considerable envy.
Wang Sheng's gaze reminded Qin Chao of something. Xiao Wu had a blood feud with Spirit Hall. If she learned his true identity now, his plan to further develop their revolutionary friendship would inevitably fall through.
"It's fine. That's nothing, really. But there is something I need your help with, big brother..."
A quarter of an hour later, Qin Chao smiled in satisfaction at the patched black casual clothes he was wearing. Even more satisfied than he was were the work-study students, who had received three Gold Soul Coins.
That was right. Qin Chao had paid three Gold Soul Coins for this slightly shabby outfit, buying the work-study students' silence at the same time.
No questions asked; if anyone did ask, it was a Spirit Hall mission. They were only a bunch of half-grown boys, after all. Fooling them was easy enough...
After a brief conversation, the children soon became familiar with him. With Qin Chao deliberately cultivating their friendship, everyone chatted animatedly. Just then, a clear voice came from outside the door.
"Is this Dorm Seven?"
She's here, she's here! Finally!
Unable to contain his excitement, Qin Chao looked toward the doorway. A pretty little girl stood there, her lovely face rosy against her fair skin. Who else could it be but Xiao Wu?
"Sister Xiao Wu!" Qin Chao greeted her warmly.
"Qin Chao?!" Xiao Wu was equally excited to see him. She casually set down the school uniform in her hands, spread her arms, and gave him a huge hug.
Only after leaving Star Dou Forest had Xiao Wu truly understood the importance of money.
Good food cost money, fun things cost money, and even stopping at an inn to rest cost money.
Without the soul coins Qin Chao had given her, who knew how much hardship she might have suffered? Seeing him now, her gratitude immediately spilled onto her face.
Qin Chao caught Xiao Wu firmly as she threw herself at him, the girl's sweet fragrance filling his nose.
"Sister Xiao Wu, didn't I tell you we'd meet again..." A touch of smugness crept into Qin Chao's voice. "See? Here we are~"
Releasing her arms from around Qin Chao, Xiao Wu looked him up and down. They had only been apart for a little over a month, but he seemed to have grown considerably taller. His skin was also much fairer than when they first met, making him look even more handsome.
"Ahem... Qin Chao... you know each other?" Wang Sheng's voice came from beside them, carrying a hint of hesitation.
The newly arrived little girl had been carrying a school uniform, so she was clearly a new student. According to Dorm Seven's rules, they were supposed to put her in her place right away, but she seemed to know Qin Chao. They had just accepted the enormous sum of three Gold Soul Coins from him, and taking someone's gifts tied their hands. Challenging her now seemed rather disrespectful to Qin Chao...
Hearing Wang Sheng's question, Qin Chao nodded. "Yes, she's my boss. Just call her Sister Xiao Wu. She may be young, but she's very strong. With her protecting you, the work-study students won't ever be bullied again!"
Everyone liked having a flattering crown placed on their head, especially an inexperienced little girl like Xiao Wu, who loved being the Big Sister. Qin Chao's words pleased her immensely. She puffed out her still-undeveloped chest, her face full of pride.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely look out for you!"
Having undergone soul beast transformation, she already had the advantage of experience when it came to cultivation. With her flexibility techniques as well, she naturally had the confidence to say that.
Ignoring the doubtful looks from Wang Sheng and the others, Qin Chao grabbed Xiao Wu's hand and ran outside.
"Sister Xiao Wu, there's no bedding in this dorm. I'll take you to buy some!"
No sharing a bed and pillow, not even with a bundle between them, not even for a single night!
Some things might pass the censors, but they would never pass muster with Qin Chao. The matter of bedding seemed to have become an obsession in his heart...
Before you continue