Inside the dorm known as Dormitory Seven, a bunch of boys, ranging from six to twelve years old, were playfully messing around. However, as Lin Yu scanned the room, there wasn't a single girl in sight.
Is Xiao Wu not here?
A little puzzled, Lin Yu knocked on the already-open door. The sound caught the attention of the boys inside, and they all turned to look at him. When they saw him, their faces lit up with confusion. They didn't recognize him at all.
"Who are you? What are you doing in Dorm Seven?" one of the older boys stepped forward and asked.
"I'm a new student. This is my assigned dorm," Lin Yu answered with a smile.
"You're new!?"
The boys all stared at him in disbelief. Judging from Lin Yu's appearance, he didn't look anything like a working student.
Normally, if someone new showed up, they'd be suspicious and even ready to throw down. But these days, things are a little different.
"You're new, huh? Well, come on in," said the older boy, waving him inside. "We used to have a rule where any new guy had to challenge our boss, but that's not necessary anymore. Plus, our boss isn't around right now."
"Take your time and think about whether you want to challenge him later," he added with a mischievous grin. "Oh, by the way, I'm Wang Sheng. My spirit is the Battle Tiger, and I'm currently at level eight. Just so you know, our boss is already a full-fledged Spirit Master."
Lin Yu didn't seem the least bit concerned. Smiling, he casually picked an empty bed, dropped his academy-issued supplies on the nightstand, and sat down. He'd need to go into the city later to buy some bedding since he hadn't brought any.
Seeing him settle in, the boys in Dormitory Seven went back to their chatting and playing. However, Wang Sheng kept glancing at Lin Yu from time to time, as if making sure the new guy wouldn't cause any trouble. Once he was satisfied that Lin Yu was just keeping to himself, Wang Sheng let it go.
Lin Yu, though, had something else on his mind. After organizing his things, he wandered around the room until he spotted a kid sitting off to the side by himself. With a smile, he walked over and patted the kid on the shoulder.
"Hey, buddy, can I ask you something?"
The kid looked up, a bit startled. "Huh? What is it?"
"I just wanted to know about our dorm's boss," Lin Yu said, keeping his tone casual. "Since I'm new here, I figure it's best to get to know the boss. Wouldn't want to accidentally offend him, right?"
The kid's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, you're asking the right guy! Our boss is named Xiao Wu, and she's a girl. But don't let that fool you—she's super strong!"
The kid launched into a story, excitedly recounting all of Xiao Wu's "great achievements." As it turned out, just like in the original story, Xiao Wu had joined Dorm Seven and quickly defeated Wang Sheng, becoming their leader.
But what came next was a bit different.
After that, Xiao Wu took on some noble students who were hostile toward the working students, teaching them a lesson in the cafeteria. This caught the attention of Xiao Chenyu, the leader of the noble faction. During a duel, Xiao Wu revealed her hundred-year spirit ring, and with that, she completely crushed the nobles and became the dominant figure in the entire academy.
From that point on, Xiao Wu's life had been pretty sweet. Xiao Chenyu, likely due to some misplaced respect, had his noble friends shower Xiao Wu with gifts and even escort her around the city for fun.
"By the way," Lin Yu asked casually, "I heard you guys have a Grandmaster here at the academy. He's supposed to be pretty famous in the spirit world. Do you know anything about him?"
Lin Yu was curious about what had happened to Yu Xiaogang, the so-called Grandmaster, after all the craziness in the live stream. Had he changed now that Tang San wasn't around?
"Oh, you mean that joke of a Grandmaster who freeloads here?" the kid snickered.
Even a six-year-old had nothing but disdain for Yu Xiaogang. Lin Yu couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction. Just how useless did Yu Xiaogang have to be to live at the academy for so many years and still be held in such low regard?
"How can you say that?" Lin Yu feigned ignorance. "Sure, he's got his issues, but didn't he steal a lot of knowledge from Spirit Hall? Wouldn't that be useful for teaching?"
The kid scoffed, crossing his arms. "No way! That guy's been living off the academy for years, but he's never taught a single class. That's why we call him a freeloader."
"Can you believe how arrogant he is?" the kid continued, leaning in conspiratorially. "He's just a measly Spirit Grandmaster, and he thinks he can steal knowledge from Spirit Hall, fine, whatever. But get this—when he found out our boss, Xiao Wu, has innate full spirit power, he tried to make her his disciple!"
"Everyone saw the live stream," the kid added. "We all know that guy's just trying to prove himself. Isn't he supposed to take on disciples with spirit power like his? Why would he think he's worthy of teaching our boss? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick!"
By the time the kid finished his rant, Lin Yu was thoroughly amused. Yu Xiaogang was truly something else. Without Tang San around, he was trying to take on Xiao Wu as a disciple. As if she'd ever agree to that—Xiao Wu was a spirit beast in human form. The last thing she wanted was to be too involved with humans, much less become a disciple to one.
As Lin Yu continued chatting with the kid, he learned that Yu Xiaogang's reputation at the academy was completely in the gutter, thanks in large part to the livestream. Despite this, Yu Xiaogang still hadn't left. Whether it was because he had nowhere else to go or because he had his eyes on Xiao Wu, he was still hanging around, shamelessly trying to win her over as a disciple.
After getting all the information he needed, Lin Yu left the academy to grab some lunch in the city and buy the bedding and other essentials he needed.
When he returned to Dormitory Seven, something had changed.
A little girl, no older than five or six, was now sitting on one of the beds. She was small and delicate, with an adorable, rosy-cheeked face. Her long hair was neatly tied up in a distinctive scorpion braid, and she was idly swinging her legs, looking bored.
That's... Xiao Wu?!