Bully boys must be met with a heavy fist

Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon was a combat technique that blended tai chi's force-deflecting method of moving a thousand pounds with four ounces, while concealing vicious, deft leverage for locking joints both with and against their natural bend.

Su Lin watched with an unbearable itch, wishing he had a skill like the Sharingan or Byakugan.

If he could see through flesh and skin, observe how bones and muscles contracted and moved, and trace the paths of Soul Power through the meridians, he could copy thirty percent of the technique on the spot.

Sigh...

For all that the Mysterious Heaven Skill was disparaged as worthless online, at the end of the day, it truly was beyond comparison with the meditation techniques native to the Douluo Continent.

After dealing with Wang Sheng, Tang San also noticed Su Lin's gaze and looked over.

His eyes swept over Su Lin's finely tailored clothes, then caught the little gold-gilded beast in his arms. A trace of surprise flashed through Tang San's eyes, but he did not give it much thought.

Having lived two lives, he did not truly regard these six-year-old children as his peers. He simply took Su Lin for some noble family's son passing by to watch the excitement, then indifferently withdrew his gaze without another word.

"It's you! You're that person from the school gates!"

A sweet, clear voice came from behind him. Su Lin turned to see Xiao Wu standing prettily about two or three steps behind him, hands behind her back and body leaning slightly forward, her big, watery eyes sparkling.

At that moment, Xiao Wu's gaze shifted down from Su Lin's face to the golden ball of fluff in his arms, and a measure of curiosity rose in her eyes.

The little fellow seemed to notice her scrutiny too. It poked its head out of Su Lin's collar, blinked its amber eyes, and tilted its head at Xiao Wu, not a spark of electricity appearing around it. It could not have been better behaved.

"Hello, my name is Su Lin." Holding Pikachu, Su Lin gave her a gentle smile.

"Hi, I'm Xiao Wu. Wu as in dancing." Xiao Wu introduced herself openly, then turned her attention back to Pikachu. She cautiously reached out an index finger and poked its short golden fur. "It's so well behaved! Is it a Soul Beast pet you keep?"

She had no particular thoughts when she said this. As a transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit, she knew something of human nobles' ways. Some distinguished families occasionally captured docile Soul Beasts of low cultivation age to keep as pets, putting restraining Soul Tools around their necks and tethering them in courtyards for people's amusement.

"Pet isn't quite the right description." Su Lin shook his head, his tone earnest. "To be precise, its name is Pikachu, and it's my battle partner."

"Battle partner?" Xiao Wu blinked and tilted her head. "What does that mean?"

"My Martial Soul is called a Poké Ball. It can establish connections with Soul Beasts and form contracts, allowing them to fight alongside me," Su Lin explained simply.

"Oh, so that's how it works!" Xiao Wu nodded in realization, without even much surprise in her voice. After all, she had only just entered the human world. She simply thought Martial Souls came in all sorts of strange varieties, so one that could subdue Soul Beasts was no big deal.

"Hey! You two at the door, what are you dawdling for? Are you new work-study students in Dorm Seven too?"

Su Lin was just about to continue chatting along those lines when a rough shout exploded from inside the room, interrupting their conversation.

Wang Sheng had already acknowledged Tang San as Dorm Seven's boss. Now, like a fox borrowing a tiger's might, he stood with his hands on his hips and shouted toward the doorway, looking every bit the person in charge.

"Who's that? So annoying." Xiao Wu's brows drew together slightly, her good mood at having a chat interrupted written on her face.

But Wang Sheng had already dragged Tang San to the front of the crowd. Pointing at Tang San's chest, he raised his chin at Xiao Wu and repeated the rules he had just explained:

"These are Dorm Seven's rules. New work-study students have to show the strength of their Martial Souls first and fight the current boss. If you win, you're Dorm Seven's new boss, and everyone will listen to you from then on. If you lose, you obediently listen to the boss, and don't even think about trying any tricks!"

Su Lin clicked his tongue in wonder from the sidelines. Tang San, this old virgin who had lived two lives, was now staring straight at Xiao Wu. One moment he had been saying he disapproved of Dorm Seven's childish play-fighting, and the next he was allowing Wang Sheng to push him in front of her with only token resistance.

Tang San stood there looking at Xiao Wu's lively features. His ears unconsciously grew a little hot, and he said rather stiffly, "There is indeed such a rule, but don't worry. It's only a spar. I'll control my strength and won't hurt you."

"Hurt me? Are you sure?" Xiao Wu looked at Tang San rather oddly, as though she had heard something funny.

Although she had only recently transformed and her Soul Power Level was not high, she was still not someone a Soul Scholar without even his first Soul Ring could bully.

Tang San nodded, his tone perfectly steady. "I'm sure."

Xiao Wu immediately brightened. Ever since leaving the Star Dou Great Forest, she had been suppressing her nature and playing the good girl the whole way, and it had been a long time since she had stretched her muscles. With this rare opportunity for a fight presenting itself, her spirits instantly soared.

She pushed up her sleeves, revealing two pale, tender forearms, then paused. Turning, she pulled off the school uniform jacket draped over her shoulders and held it out to Su Lin. "Hold this for me. Watch how I teach him a lesson."

"Why go to all that trouble?"

Su Lin laughed, took the jacket, then handed it back. He raised a hand and gently tugged Xiao Wu, signaling for her to stand behind him.

Xiao Wu blinked, full of questions, but obediently stepped back half a pace all the same. Sheltering beside Su Lin, she curiously craned her head forward to see what he intended to do.

Tang San's gaze swept over Su Lin, then settled on the golden ball of fluff in his arms. His brows furrowed slightly. "Fellow student, judging by your clothes, you aren't a work-study student, are you? This is Dorm Seven's internal business. I hope you won't interfere."

"What a thing to say." Su Lin raised his chin slightly with complete self-assurance. "I may not be a work-study student, but I'm still a good student. Good students like me can't stand seeing you bully new classmates."

"Bully?" Tang San choked on the word. Why was this person slapping labels on people at the slightest disagreement? He immediately tried to argue, "We're only..."

"How is it not bullying?" Su Lin gave him no chance to explain, seizing the conversation in one breath. "You rely on your higher Soul Power Levels to beat up classmates with lower Soul Power Levels whenever you please. The loser becomes a lackey, and the winner becomes the boss. This has gone beyond a simple prank. It must be met with a heavy fist!"

Every word rang with righteous conviction, striking the ground with force. The young work-study students watching at Dorm Seven's entrance could not help swallowing and exchanging looks. Even Tang San could not help doubting himself.

"Then what do you want?" Tang San narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the Lightning Rat in Su Lin's arms warily. His fingertips tensed slightly, already prepared to respond with force.