"Uh..."
Tang San hadn't expected Xiao Yan to suddenly ask him, but he had never wanted to be tied down by such troublesome matters in the first place. Leaving them to Xiao Yan now seemed like a pretty good choice.
"Heh, no need. Xiao Yan, you should be the boss!"
Tang San smiled, showing no intention of arguing. "You have my full support!"
"All right, Boss Xiao Yan!"
Wang Sheng was the quickest to react. With him taking the lead, the other work-study students also looked at Xiao Yan with admiration.
After all, Xiao Yan had just beaten Wang Sheng into submission.
"Uh, all right. But for now, Wang Sheng, you'll still be in charge. If any trouble comes up that you can't handle, come find me."
Since no one objected, Xiao Yan had no need to keep refusing.
In any case, his goal was to have a peaceful place to cultivate. All he needed to do was learn about Martial Souls from the teachers.
"Excuse me... is this Dorm Seven?"
Just as the children were still cheering Boss Xiao Yan's name, a soft, sweet voice drew everyone's attention.
A pretty girl of six or seven stood in the doorway, looking as if she had been carved from pink jade. Her fair cheeks had a rosy tint, and her tender face was like a ripe, juicy peach.
Her long black hair was gathered into a scorpion braid that hung past her hips, and her large, limpid eyes shone with curiosity.
Looking at the girl in the doorway, Tang San couldn't help asking Wang Sheng in a low voice:
"Girls live here too?"
"We're all still kids. The school doesn't separate boys and girls in any of its dorms. I hear they only start doing that at intermediate Soul Master Academies."
Wang Sheng replied just as quietly, then turned to Xiao Yan beside him:
"Boss, go on! Show her who's boss!"
"Uh... is that really necessary?"
Xiao Yan looked at the girl standing in the doorway, feeling rather helpless. He was an adult, and they wanted him to fight a little girl of six or seven. If the Xiao Yan from the Battle Through the Heavens World found out, he'd laugh himself to death.
Seeing that no one was paying her any attention, the girl at the door looked up again and spoke with a sweet smile:
"Hello, my name is Xiao Wu, Wu as in dance."
After Wang Sheng signaled to him several times, Xiao Yan's gaze drifted to Tang San beside him. He poked Tang San a few times from behind and prompted him:
"Little San, go teach her the rules of Dorm Seven."
If one little brat fought another, he wouldn't have to take responsibility no matter who cried. Genius!
Tang San looked helpless when he heard Xiao Yan, but Wang Sheng and the others behind him also began signaling for him not to break Dorm Seven's rules.
Tang San put down the brand-new school uniform in his hands and scratched his head as he walked to the door:
"Hello, my name is Tang San. Um... what's your Martial Soul?"
Xiao Wu blinked and said with a smile, "My Martial Soul is a rabbit, a really cute little white rabbit. What about yours?"
Two faint dimples appeared on her cheeks when she smiled, making Tang San a little nervous. In his previous life, he had only known how to bury himself in Hidden Weapons and had never interacted with girls.
"Then aren't you just the right match to counter me? My Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."
"You're funny." Xiao Wu giggled. "Are you not going to let me in?"
"Uh... it's like this. The rules of Dorm Seven say new work-study students have to show what they can do, so... I'd like to spar with you..."
Tang San nodded inwardly. It was only a spar; as long as he held back a little, he could preserve the dorm's tradition without hurting her.
"Are you sure?"
For some reason, Tang San seemed to read a hint of excitement in Xiao Wu's eyes.
"I'm sure." Tang San nodded gently. Xiao Wu set her uniform aside, looking somewhat excited.
"Then come on!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Xiao Wu's right leg shot up, her foot snapping toward Tang San's chin. Her speed left Wang Sheng and the others watching from the side stunned.
Though startled, Tang San reacted quickly. His right hand reached for Xiao Wu's ankle while he aimed a textbook Iron Mountain Lean at her with his shoulder.
As long as this blow landed, Xiao Wu would surely lose her balance and go flying.
But what happened caught everyone by surprise.
Tang San's hand caught nothing and instead became a foothold for Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu blocked Tang San with both hands. The foot that had been kicking toward his chin turned sideways and planted itself on his shoulder.
Using her hands for leverage, she sprang into the air and spun, wrapping her other leg around Tang San's shoulder as well. Her thighs tightened, locking his neck in place.
Xiao Wu then fell backward. Using that leverage, she kept Tang San from breaking free. As she fell, she braced both hands against the ground again and, with her legs locked around his neck, heaved him into the air.
The neck was the most vulnerable part of the body, and Tang San didn't dare struggle violently. By the time he reacted, he was already airborne. He finally landed flat on his back.
"I lost."
Tang San's cheeks reddened slightly. Being defeated by a little girl, combined with the fleeting contact between their skin just now, left him somewhat ill at ease.
Nearby, Xiao Yan watched Tang San and Xiao Wu's exchange, a trace of doubt rising in his mind.
Is this Tang San really a transmigrator?
His awkward appearance was completely different from the way he had shown killing intent toward that young man at the academy gate. They might as well have been two different people.
Xiao Yan glanced at Xiao Wu. Though the little girl was pretty as a doll carved from pink jade, surely someone her age couldn't have tempted him?
Unable to make out Tang San's identity, Xiao Yan decided to observe him some more.
"Is that enough? Can I come in now?"
Xiao Wu looked at Tang San with a smile, while Wang Sheng and the others studied her in shock.
A little girl who looked as delicate as a carved doll actually possessed such formidable skills. Wang Sheng and the others knew they wouldn't have been able to handle the smooth fighting techniques she had just displayed.
"Of course."
Tang San nodded and moved his body aside.
But when Xiao Wu entered Dorm Seven, her gaze fell on Xiao Yan, who stood in front of everyone else.
After all, it was easy to tell from where they stood that Xiao Yan seemed to be the boss of Dorm Seven.
"Hello, my name is Xiao Wu, Wu as in dance."
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Wu, who had just defeated Tang San, and merely nodded. "My name is Xiao Yan. There are plenty of beds here, so just pick whichever one you like. And welcome to Dorm Seven."
Once the commotion was over, a knock came from outside. A young man then appeared at the door of Dorm Seven and said:
"The new work-study students are here, right? I'm Mo Hen, the teacher in charge of you. You can call me Teacher Mo."
"Wang Sheng, tell them about the work-study students' arrangements and the areas they're responsible for. If there are any problems, come find me anytime."
Teacher Mo spoke to Wang Sheng, then carried in two sets of bedding and looked at Xiao Yan and Tang San:
"You two must be Grandmaster's disciples, right? Grandmaster prepared this bedding for you."
Xiao Yan and Tang San took the bedding from Mo Hen and thanked him repeatedly.
After Mo Hen left, Xiao Yan and Tang San began making their beds to one side, while Wang Sheng started telling them about the work-study students' class schedule and duties.
"The work-study students' classes are all in the morning: one theory class and one class for cultivating Soul Power. In the afternoon, work-study students are responsible for cleaning the campus. We earn ten copper coins a day, which is where our meal money comes from."