Lying on the bed, Ye Qiu lazily lifted his eyelids and rolled over. Under Xiao Wu's slightly expectant gaze, he said lazily:
> "I'm hungry too, let's go together."
> "Yay!"
Seeing her "wallet" was coming along, Xiao Wu excitedly stood up.
Wang Sheng turned his gaze to Tang San.
But Tang San wasn't like Ye Qiu. His family's blacksmith shop was truly poor as could be.
All the money was used by his father, Tang Hao, to buy liquor. To avoid going hungry, he had brought some extra dry rations—rough flatbreads he made himself.
Tang San calmly shook his head. He didn't have a single copper coin right now. He would have to wait until tomorrow when he started working to get paid.
> "You guys go ahead. I'll pass."
> "Aw, Third Brother!" Wang Sheng came forward and put his arm around Tang San's shoulder. He understood the feeling of being strapped for cash.
> "Come on, let's go together. For the next couple of days, I'll cover the food for you and Sister Xiao Wu." Wang Sheng said generously. He could at least afford that much.
To preserve Tang San's dignity, Wang Sheng added,
> "Besides, we're roommates now. Once you become a Soul Master, you'll be able to get one Gold Soul Coin a month from the Spirit Hall. You can treat me then!"
> "Gold Soul Coin?!"
Tang San's eyes lit up.
Though he was a bit doubtful inside, he didn't hesitate anymore and nodded in agreement.
> "Wang Sheng, for Sister Xiao Wu and me, Ye Qiu can pay. I don't want to owe too many favors."
Xiao Wu's crisp voice rang out. She grinned and pulled Ye Qiu up from the bed.
> "Ye Qiu, get up!"
> "Haha… alright, Sister Xiao Wu. Let's head out then."
Wang Sheng chuckled and led the group toward the school cafeteria.
On the way, Tang San ran up beside Wang Sheng to ask more about the Soul Master stipend he had mentioned.
Ye Qiu and Xiao Wu quietly listened nearby.
Dorm 7 was the dormitory for working students. Its location wasn't ideal—it was far from both the classrooms and the cafeteria.
However, the primary division of Notting Academy wasn't that large. As they walked and listened to Wang Sheng's explanation, they reached the cafeteria in less than 15 minutes.
> "This place is huge!"
Xiao Wu looked at the spacious hall and couldn't help but exclaim.
Tang San nodded slightly in agreement.
> "Of course. Notting Academy has six grade levels, plus all the staff eat here. There's no problem accommodating everyone!" Wang Sheng explained.
Xiao Wu looked around, but none of the nearby windows had what she wanted. She turned to Wang Sheng.
> "Don't they have any fresh vegetables or carrots here?"
> "Not on the first floor, I think. I'm not sure about the second floor."
> "Then let's go check upstairs!" Xiao Wu waved her little hand and was ready to go.
Wang Sheng scratched his head awkwardly and explained,
> "Sister Xiao Wu, let's wait until we get paid. The food upstairs is really expensive."
> "Huh?"
Xiao Wu's eyes filled with surprise. She turned with a pitiful look toward Ye Qiu.
> "Ye Qiu~ ah…!"
Ye Qiu didn't hold back and knocked on her "rabbit" head.
> "What are you thinking? Do you really think I'm your walking wallet? You haven't even paid me back for the bedding yet—and I don't have much money left either!"
> "Why so mean!"
Xiao Wu held her head, her eyes watering a little, and pouted at Ye Qiu.
> "In that case, let's just eat on the first floor." Tang San chuckled softly. Seeing Xiao Wu's pitiful expression stirred something in his heart. If she looked at me that way… she'd probably be even happier, he thought.
As soon as Tang San finished speaking, someone suddenly echoed his words.
> "That's right. Paupers should know their place. The second floor isn't for lowly working students like you."
A group of well-dressed boys and girls came down from the second floor. The arrogant voice came from one of them, who stood on the stairs looking down on Ye Qiu and the others with contempt and disgust.
> "How about this? Let me treat you guys—eat my leftovers. How about that? Happy?"
> "Hahaha!"
Everyone around him burst into laughter, their gazes mocking as they looked at Ye Qiu and the others.
Wang Sheng quickly lowered his voice and whispered to the three big shots of Dorm 7:
> "Boss, Sister Xiao Wu, Third Brother, these are the noble students of the academy. They love bullying working students. The guy who just spoke is named Ling Feng."
Before he could finish, Xiao Wu couldn't stand it anymore. She stepped forward with a crisp shout:
> "What are you laughing at?! Looking for a beating!?"
Seeing Xiao Wu, the leader Ling Feng's eyes lit up. Leaning casually on the railing, he looked her up and down with a smirk.
> "Yo! Didn't expect a little loli among this year's working students."
> "Too bad she's still just a lowly pauper," another person chimed in.
The self-proclaimed noble crowd roared with laughter again.
Hearing these constant insults like "pauper" and "lowly," even the usually calm Tang San frowned.
> "Xiao Wu, go."
Ye Qiu also gave a faint sneer. He was just about to say, Release the rabbit, when he saw Xiao Wu couldn't wait anymore. She shot up the stairs in a flash and slapped toward Ling Feng.
> "Looks like you're asking for it!"
Caught off guard, Ling Feng panicked and quickly summoned his martial spirit.
> "Shield Martial Spirit—Defend!"
A golden shield appeared, blocking Xiao Wu's attack.
> "Staff Martial Spirit—Attack!"
Another person who had spoken earlier suddenly acted. A wooden staff appeared in his hand, vibrating to create afterimages, and jabbed toward Xiao Wu.
Pa!
The staff was caught mid-air by a pitch-black arm. Those fake afterimages were instantly discerned by Ye Qiu's sharp perception.
He gripped the staff firmly. The other guy pulled with all his strength, but couldn't break free.
Ye Qiu sneered. Just as the guy exerted his full force—he let go.
Thud-thud-thud!
The guy stumbled backward, almost falling on his butt. His face flushed red, and he swung his staff again.
> "You brat! You wanna die!?"
Smack!
Suddenly, a strand of Blue Silver Grass whipped across the attacker's face. Ye Qiu knew—Tang San had joined the fight.
Not wasting the moment, Ye Qiu elbowed the guy, knocking him down, then kicked him straight off the stairs.
Smack!
To the side, Xiao Wu broke through Ling Feng's defense and slapped him squarely in the face, sending him tumbling down the stairs too.
The three stood tall, looking down at Ling Feng and his lackey.
Ling Feng, lying on the ground, covered his swollen cheek and glared up at them viciously.
> "You filthy working students dare to hit me? Aren't you afraid of being expelled from the academy?!"
> "You bastard, still running your mouth?"
Wang Sheng, now fully fired up, grabbed Ling Feng by the collar, ready to land a few punches.
But just as Ling Feng let out a scream, a stern, raspy voice rang out, stopping Wang Sheng.
> "Stop!"
> "It's the Grandmaster!"
The nearby students started murmuring as they looked toward the source of the voice.
It was none other than Yu Xiaogang, with his usual stern black face, dressed in an old black academic robe.
Yu Xiaogang stood beside Wang Sheng, hands behind his back.
> "Fighting is forbidden on school grounds. Don't you all know that? Do it again—and you're expelled!"