The courtyard shimmered with the golden hue of late afternoon, casting long shadows across the worn cobblestones of the combat grounds. A hush had fallen over the crowd of upperclassmen, each of them watching the boy in the center with a mixture of awe and unease.
Tang San stood quietly beside Xiao Chenyu, his calm eyes taking in the field with a quiet grace that made him seem far older than his years. Not long ago, he had stepped foot into their dormitory for the first time—a quiet newcomer with no reputation and little to prove.
Back then, Xiao Chenyu had intended to "teach him a lesson." It was supposed to be a harmless initiation. Instead, Tang San had single-handedly floored every senior who stood against him. Even Xiao Chenyu, the former top dog, hadn't lasted long.
From that moment on, Tang San wasn't just respected. He was revered. They called him San-ge—Brother San.
At his side now, his gaze shifted subtly toward the girl across the arena. Xiao Wu.
A faint smile played at the edge of his lips. He couldn't help but admit—she was cute in a wild, untamed sort of way. More than that, her strength intrigued him.
It stirred something deeper than admiration—curiosity, perhaps… or was it something more?
"Don't worry, San-ge," said Wang Sheng, puffing out his chest and cracking his knuckles with gusto. "I'll take her down in the next round. Just watch me!"
Tang San raised a brow, his voice soft and steady. "I'm afraid she might be out of your league."
"What? No way! There's no way I'd lose to that little girl. Just watch!" Wang Sheng marched onto the field like a knight into battle.
Xiao Chenyu followed, smirking at Xiao Wu with the swagger of someone who had clearly misjudged the situation. "Tell you what, little bunny," he sneered, "if you lose, you become my pet. No—our San-ge's pet!"
Xiao Wu crossed her arms, cocking her hip with a defiant grin. "Tch. As if I'd ever lose to a bunch of overgrown wolves."
She wasn't just bluffing. As soon as Xiao Chenyu's Spirit ignited—his form bristling with a predatory energy—he shouted, "Xiao Chenyu! Spirit: Wolf! Level eleven, Battle Soul Master!"
Xiao Wu, unfazed, smiled sweetly. "Xiao Wu. Spirit: Rabbit. Level ten, Battle Soul Master."
"A rabbit, huh? Don't you know wolves eat rabbits?" Xiao Chenyu lunged forward like a beast unchained.
He was fast. Fast enough that most wouldn't have seen him move—just a blur of teeth and claws. But Xiao Wu? She was quicker.
"Big bad wolf, huh? How cliché."
Her body twisted midair like a ribbon caught in a breeze, and with a dancer's grace, she spun out of reach. One swift kick caught Xiao Chenyu's arm—BOOM—sending him stumbling back, wide-eyed.
He couldn't believe it. That cute little girl had strength to match her mouth.
"I'll make you eat those words!" he growled, charging again.
Xiao Wu didn't flinch. "Try me, mutt. Let me show you what your big sister Xiao Wu can really do."
She spun again, flexible as willow and fierce as lightning. This time, her foot landed square in his gut, lifting the hulking boy off the ground and sending him crashing three meters away.
The crowd gasped.
Their leader—flattened by a girl half his size.
They looked at Xiao Wu now with new eyes. No longer dismissive. No longer amused. She wasn't just strong—she was terrifying.
Tang San's interest deepened.
Xiao Wu placed her hands on her hips, her voice ringing out with triumphant mischief. "Anyone else? If not, I'm declaring myself the new boss. From now on, you all call me Big Sis Xiao Wu!"
The students shifted uncomfortably. No one moved.
Except one.
A small figure stepped forward from the side of the arena, dusting off Xiao Chenyu's shoulder with quiet affection before walking toward Xiao Wu. His smile was warm, but something calculating glimmered behind his eyes.
"I'll take you on."
She raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"
"Tang San," he said, calmly. "Just like you, a first-year. I'd like to see what your spirit can really do."
"Oh?" Her grin widened. "Bring it on, Tang San. Doesn't matter who you are—you'll be the next one eating dirt."
With no warning, she charged.
Her braid—long, dark, and woven like a scorpion's tail—snapped through the air like a whip, targeting Tang San's neck with alarming speed. He dodged instinctively, stepping back, raising a hand to intercept.
But Xiao Wu was faster. Her arms moved with bizarre elasticity, twisting mid-motion to entangle his limbs. Her braid coiled down like a third arm, an eerie extension of her body. Tang San's eyes narrowed—this was no ordinary martial technique.
He tried to counter, but the second his balance faltered, Xiao Wu let go—and with a flick of her leg and the momentum of a gymnast, she threw him to the ground in a hard, resounding THUMP.
"Gotcha," she chirped, looking down at him with playful delight. "So? Admit it—you're impressed."
Tang San didn't scowl. He didn't protest. He simply stood up, brushing off his clothes with the same unflinching calm.
"You're strong," he said, eyes locked with hers. "Looks like I'll have to get serious."
A faint shimmer pulsed around him.
Blue Silver Grass unfurled from his body, swaying like seaweed in an invisible current. Around his feet, a yellow soul ring materialized.
The entire crowd gasped.
"A hundred-year soul ring?"
"No way—San-ge is that strong?!"
"Crush her, San-ge! Pay her back for us!"
Cheers erupted behind him, but Tang San barely heard them. His eyes were fixed on Xiao Wu.
"Careful," he warned. "I'm not holding back anymore."
"Hah!" she laughed. "Let's see who's afraid of who."
He surged forward, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Steps weaving his body in and out of reach, until he appeared behind her in a blink.
"Bind!"
Blue Silver Grass whipped through the air, coiling around her limbs before she could react. Tang San wasn't a frontal fighter. He was Tang Sect—a master of hidden weapons.
From the ground, he picked up a few stones and with a flick of his wrist, sent one flying.
Xiao Wu's eyes widened.
She couldn't move.
This was it.
But then—like a streak of moonlight—someone appeared before her.
The stone never hit.
A hand caught it mid-air with graceful precision. The figure turned slowly, sunlight catching the smooth line of his jaw.
He was beautiful—sharp-featured, poised, and radiant as snow.
"Attacking with hidden weapons?" the boy said, voice calm but firm. "Isn't that a bit underhanded?"
The courtyard went dead silent.
Everyone recognized him.
Qian Yu.
The top work-study student. The true leader of their dormitory.
And in that moment, Tang San paused, watching the stone drop from Qian Yu's hand to the earth below.
He didn't smile.
But his eyes—like rippling glass—said everything.
This wasn't over.
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