"Wow!"
"Are you a work-study student too?"
"But your clothes look so expensive. If you can afford such nice clothes, why would you come to Dorm Seven for work-study students?"
In Dorm Seven at Nuoding Academy, a group of work-study students wearing old clothes washed pale surrounded a boy in brand-new red clothes.
Clothes made the man, just as a saddle made the horse!
People respected the silk robes before they respected the wearer!
The boy's clothes were so splendid that a hint of timidity crept into the work-study students' expressions.
There had always been a rule in Dorm Seven.
Every newcomer had to fight first.
The winner became the boss of the dorm.
But at that moment, not a single person mentioned that rule.
The boy's name was Li Jin!
A smile played at Li Jin's lips. "Because my village recommended me to Nuoding Academy too. I'm an orphan. Uncle Paopao, the chief of Red Carp Village, raised me."
Among the work-study students, their original boss, Wang Sheng, widened his eyes. "Is your Red Carp Village that rich? The fabric of your clothes looks just like what the nobles in the city wear."
Li Jin set his bundle on an empty bed. "Red Carp Village used to be pretty poor too, but we've struck it rich these past two months."
"We discovered a small gold mine in a river channel in Red Carp Village. Our chief, Uncle Paopao, reported it to the lord of Nuoding City and gained his protection. Now we can mine the gold openly, and all the villagers get a share of the profits."
The lord of Nuoding City was willing to protect Red Carp Village rather than claim the gold mine for himself.
Part of the reason for that was Li Jin.
Master Su Yuntao of Spirit Hall had personally awakened his Martial Soul and personally issued his certificate.
His Martial Soul was the Nine-Colored Koi, and he possessed innate full soul power!
Although Master Su Yuntao had judged it a flashy but useless trash Martial Soul, because the Nine-Colored Koi was merely an ornamental fish without any fighting ability.
Still, it was innate full soul power, after all. He only needed to absorb one Soul Ring to become a Soul Master.
Out of consideration for a future Soul Master, the lord of Nuoding City had chosen to protect Red Carp Village. They only had to offer up half the gold they mined each month, and the remaining half became the village's share of the profits.
And Li Jin received the lion's share of those profits.
Because he had the talent to become a Soul Master!
Even the lord of Nuoding City had chosen to protect Red Carp Village rather than seize the gold mine for himself out of consideration for him.
"Wow! Your village is so lucky!"
All the work-study students cast envious looks his way.
That was a whole small gold mine!
The villagers of Red Carp Village would probably never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of their lives.
They only regretted that the small gold mine hadn't been discovered in their own villages.
They learned that Li Jin had also come from a village and wasn't some noble family's young master.
Wang Sheng perked up again. He pointed his thumb at himself, then swept his gaze over the three work-study students who had arrived this time.
"We have a rule in Dorm Seven. Every newcomer has to fight me. Whoever wins becomes the boss of Dorm Seven. Which of you wants to fight me first?"
Li Jin shook his head with a smile on his lips.
"I won't fight. I'll just admit defeat. My Martial Soul is the Nine-Colored Koi, and it has no fighting ability at all. Master Su Yuntao personally certified it as nothing more than a flashy but useless trash Martial Soul, so I plan to take the support route."
The work-study students exchanged bewildered looks.
"What's the support route?"
"I think I heard a teacher say that Soul Masters who help other Battle Soul Masters fight are called support Soul Masters!"
"..."
Hearing that Li Jin's Martial Soul was a trash Martial Soul personally certified by Master Su Yuntao,
Wang Sheng didn't make things difficult for him, and even offered some reassurance:
"Since you've admitted defeat, I won't beat you up. Call me boss from now on, and I'll protect you at the academy."
Li Jin admitted defeat, but the others were brimming with enthusiasm.
A cute girl wearing a little pink top and white trousers, her hair in a scorpion braid, bent her knees slightly and poised herself to spring, excitement written all over her little face as she said:
"Choosing a boss? How could you leave out Sister Xiao Wu!"
"Wang Sheng, get ready for my attack!"
At those words, Wang Sheng had only just taken a fighting stance.
Xiao Wu leaped up and kicked him with the speed of thunder before he could cover his ears.
Wang Sheng cried out in pain and went tumbling several meters away.
Xiao Wu stood where Wang Sheng had been, her hands on her hips and her little head held high.
"Then I've beaten you. From now on, I'm the new boss of Dorm Seven."
"Who else wants to challenge Sister Xiao Wu?"
Xiao Wu turned to look at the last of the three newcomers.
A short boy in shabby clothes with dark skin.
Tang San!
"Do you want to fight me?" Xiao Wu demanded.
Inside Tang San's young body lived a mature soul in his thirties. He truly had little interest in this sort of fight between children over who got to be boss.
Watching Xiao Wu's every smile and frown, seeing how unfairly adorable she was, he couldn't bear to bully the little girl either.
He raised both hands in a French military salute.
"I surrender too. Just like Li Jin's, my Martial Soul is a trash Martial Soul certified by Master Su Yuntao: Blue Silver Grass."
Xiao Wu smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.
"Li Jin admitted defeat, Tang San surrendered, and Wang Sheng lost. From now on, Dorm Seven is Sister Xiao Wu's domain!"
But her happiness didn't even last three seconds.
Xiao Wu noticed that everyone else had bedding. Only she and Tang San had none.
She skipped right over Tang San.
She scanned everyone's bedding. Everyone else's was patch upon patch, while only Li Jin's was brand-new satin bedding. It looked beautiful and was sure to be very comfortable.
Xiao Wu sidled up to Li Jin, looking at this fair-skinned boy in red, gentle and lustrous as jade, and said with a grin:
"Li Jin, Sister Xiao Wu is the boss of Dorm Seven now. As the boss, Sister Xiao Wu will definitely protect you!"
Li Jin had already started making his bed. At her words, he guessed what Xiao Wu was planning.
But Tang San was still here, and Tang Hao was lurking in the shadows too.
He played dumb.
"Then thank you, Sister Xiao Wu!"
Seeing that the boy wasn't taking the hint, Xiao Wu planted her hands on her hips and said huffily:
"Li Jin, Sister Xiao Wu is going to all the trouble of protecting you. Shouldn't you show a little appreciation? Sister Xiao Wu doesn't even have bedding yet."
Seeing that playing dumb wouldn't get him through this, Li Jin glanced at Tang San out of the corner of his eye and thought:
Forget it. If we have to sleep together, so be it.
If Tang San and Tang Hao hold a grudge against me, they can go up against my koi physique.
With that thought, Li Jin formally invited Xiao Wu.
"Sister Xiao Wu, would you like to sleep with me for now? My bedding is big and soft."
Xiao Wu's annoyance turned to delight. Her huffy expression vanished in an instant, and a brilliant smile appeared on her little face.
She reached out a little hand and patted Li Jin's shoulder.
"Li Jin, since you've invited me so sincerely, I'll be merciful and sleep with you."
"Now say, 'Thank you, Sister Xiao Wu!'"