"76, 77, 78..."
Wang Sheng kept counting as he continued carrying out Qi Ling's instructions, working away with all his might at Xiao Da's face.
Even though Wang Sheng had already summoned his Martial Soul and used Soul Power to protect his hand, after striking so many times, his palm was starting to feel slightly numb.
If even the one doing the slapping felt this way, it went without saying how the one being slapped felt. Xiao Da's head was now truly twice its usual size, both cheeks swollen high, with not a trace of his former dashing bearing left.
He bitterly regretted it now and tried hard to recall just how he had offended Qi Ling. Why had he let everyone else off so easily, but refused to let him go?
In the end, he was certain it must have been his remark about taking Xiao Wu as a pet that had enraged him! Because at that moment, Xiao Da had distinctly felt Qi Ling's icy killing intent.
It was the anger of a strong person who disdained the weak, only to have his authority challenged by one!
That mere trace of killing intent had completely shattered Xiao Da's will to resist. Even while being humiliated like this by Wang Sheng, who was weaker than him, he dared not fight back.
Seeing Boss Xiao tormented so badly, Xiao Wu could not bear it either and said, "Hey, Qi Ling, why don't we leave it at that? If you beat him beyond repair, how's he supposed to be my lackey?"
"All right, you have the final say, as long as you're not angry anymore." Qi Ling smiled, then said to Wang Sheng, "Wang Sheng, stop."
"Sure thing!" Hearing this, Wang Sheng immediately stopped, shook out his hand, and stepped aside.
"Well, Xiao Da, do you still want Xiao Wu as your pet?" Qi Ling stepped forward and asked with ill intent.
"Do you need me to pour you some water too? And have Xiao San give you a back rub?"
"N-no... no need..." With his face swollen like a pig's head, Xiao Da barely managed to squeeze a few words out of his mouth.
"Qi... Qi, from now on, you're everyone's... boss."
"Wrong. I'm no boss. I'm just a subordinate of the mighty and imposing Sister Xiao Wu," Qi Ling said with a smile.
"From now on, Xiao Wu is everyone's boss. Understand?"
"Yes! Yes!" Xiao Da immediately caught on and hurriedly said to Xiao Wu, "Sister Xiao Wu! From now on, you're everyone's boss!"
"Sister Xiao Wu, if you tell me to go east, I'll never go west. If you tell me to go north, I'll never go south! From now on, Sister Xiao Wu, your words are an imperial decree to us all!"
Though Xiao Wu was delighted, she maintained her image as the big boss and said reservedly to Xiao Da, "Mm, understood. You can go back now! I'll call you when something comes up!"
At Xiao Wu's words, Xiao Da fled as swiftly as if he had received a royal pardon.
Once Xiao Da had left, Xiao Wu immediately threw her arms around Qi Ling's neck in delight, bouncing up and down.
"Yay! Qi Ling, you're amazing! You actually dealt with them so easily! You're my idol!"
Everyone else crowded around Qi Ling as well. They had been bullied by Boss Xiao many times before, but never had they held their heads high and breathed so freely as they did today!
"Qi Ling! You're incredible! Thanks for standing up for us!"
"Your Martial Soul looks so cool! Is that a divine dragon? I've never seen a Martial Soul like that before!"
"I'm definitely going to learn alongside you from now on and try to become as strong as you as soon as possible!"
Wang Sheng stretched out his arms to hold them back and said smugly, "Quiet down, quiet down! I was the first to acknowledge Qi Ling, so you're all my juniors! Got it?"
"Have you all forgotten what I just said?" Qi Ling said helplessly. "Xiao Wu is your big sister. You all have to listen to her! Understood?"
"Also, Wang Sheng," Qi Ling said to him, "since you're their senior, shouldn't you make a gesture?"
"Everyone's eating at the second-floor dining hall today! Wang Sheng's treating!"
"Yay! Great!" Xiao Wu was the first to jump up in delight. Then all the working students dragged a deathly pale Wang Sheng along as they rushed toward the dining hall together.
"Xiao San, what do you think?" Once everyone had left, Qi Ling said to Tang San, who had stayed behind, "Do you think I went too far?"
"No. Combining kindness with authority and acting with thunderous decisiveness-Brother Qi, you're a born leader! I'm no match for you in that regard," Tang San said.
"Haha, good. I was worried you'd blame me for stealing your thunder." As he spoke, Qi Ling draped an arm over Tang San's shoulders and headed toward the dining hall with him.
"Let's go. We've got to make that brat Wang Sheng bleed a little today!"
In the end, the meal did not bleed Wang Sheng dry, because after taking a little time to compose himself, Boss Xiao immediately hurried to the dining hall and paid for Qi Ling and the others.
Having been steeped in struggles among nobles since childhood, Xiao Da saw things clearly. If he wanted to get by from now on, he had to improve his relationship with Qi Ling.
So Xiao Da immediately set aside the slight resentment in his heart and hurried over to extend an olive branch to Qi Ling!
He also generously promised to take care of all the working students' jobs from then on. All they needed to do was collect their pay.
From then on, life became much more comfortable for Dorm Seven, and they were sincerely grateful to this boss of theirs, who was young but full of commanding presence.
However, they soon discovered that their boss did not seem particularly fond of attending class!
Qi Ling rarely appeared in class, seemingly preferring to sleep in the dorm rather than go to the classroom.
"Brother Qi, you can't keep skipping class like this," Tang San advised him kindly.
"In learning, if you don't advance, you fall behind. Even with your exceptional natural talent, Brother Qi, you can't simply stop studying."
"Hmph, Xiao San, studying is important, sure, but why should I waste my time listening to a bunch of hidebound bookworms spout meaningless nonsense?" Qi Ling said disdainfully.
"You're Grandmaster's disciple. You must have noticed it too, right? Compared to what Grandmaster teaches, those teachers' lessons are riddled with holes!"
Tang San silently nodded, agreeing with Qi Ling's words.
Although Grandmaster's theories were unusual, the facts had proven almost all of them correct. They were simply too far ahead of their time.
"But even so, Brother Qi, you can't just stop attending class," Tang San said.
"Huh? Xiao San, you shouldn't be this hidebound, should you?" Qi Ling said, raising an eyebrow.
Was someone who had dared to secretly learn the Tang Sect's greatest secrets really such a stickler for the rules?
"Or do you have some reason that could convince me to listen to things that are completely useless, or even harmful?"
"Of course I have a reason," Tang San said with a smile.
"Oh? What reason?" Qi Ling asked curiously.
"Anyone who hasn't attended enough class hours can't graduate."
"..."
"Xiao San, come on, let's go to class!" Qi Ling rolled out of bed and said to Tang San.