Chapter 7 – Things May Not Be So Simple

"Yeah, we're all still kids. The Academy doesn't separate dorms by gender until intermediate level," Wang Sheng explained, nodding. Then he frowned slightly."It's strange, though. Last year we didn't get a single new work-study student. This year, suddenly there are three."

"Boss, go on—put her in her place!"Someone whispered, barely audible.

"Uh… I don't think that's necessary," Tang San replied awkwardly.

Still, under the watchful eyes of Yang Yunhai and the other boys, things unfolded exactly like in the original story: Tang San and Xiao Wu fought.

The outcome didn't change either—Tang San was momentarily distracted when he caught sight of Xiao Wu's oversized underwear, got flustered, reacted half a beat too slow, and was taken down by her soft-body technique.

Afterward, Xiao Wu chose the bed right next to Tang San's and plopped herself down, asking Wang Sheng to explain the Academy.

When he finished, she turned to Tang San.

"Tang San, what level is your soul power? You felt pretty strong earlier."

"I'm born with full innate soul power, so yeah, I'm stronger than average," Tang San replied directly.

Xiao Wu blinked, lips moving as if mouthing something.

???Yang Yunhai couldn't read lips, but from her eyes and subtle expressions, something didn't seem right. He'd been a businessman in his past life—trained in reading people. Something felt off.

Just then, a voice called from outside the dorm:

"Which one is Tang San?"

Yang Yunhai turned and saw Instructor Mo Hen delivering a quilt to Tang San on behalf of Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang.

After handing it over, the instructor briefly explained the duties of a work-study student and reminded them about the opening ceremony tomorrow before leaving.

Then came a classic moment from the original: after a bit of back-and-forth, Xiao Wu blurted out the line that shook Yang Yunhai's worldview—

"What's the big deal? I'm a girl and I don't care. Why are you being so shy? What, scared I'll overpower you?"

"Damn!"Yang Yunhai felt the shock in real time. "There's a reason Xiao Wu was nicknamed 'Rogue Rabbit' in the fandom!"

"Uhh…"Even Tang San was stunned, mouth slightly open, frozen in place.

Two lifetimes in, and he'd never met a girl this aggressive. It clashed with everything he'd been taught about propriety and boundaries.

"Um, Sister Xiao Wu… bedding isn't expensive. How about we pool some money and buy you a set from town?"Maybe it was Yang Yunhai's influence rubbing off, but when Tang San stood there speechless, Wang Sheng jumped in with a practical suggestion.

"I don't feel like going out."Xiao Wu leapt off the bed and placed her hands on her hips, staring at Tang San impatiently."What's with the 'uhh'? Hurry up and move your bed over. You're strong, aren't you?"

Whether intimidated or just caught off guard, Tang San instinctively pushed his bed next to hers.

Thirty-something across two lives and this is how you act?Yang Yunhai was speechless. "As a gentleman, shouldn't you have refused—firmly and honorably?"

Still, he fell into thought.

Why not just have Wang Sheng buy her bedding? No need to go out.Did Xiao Wu overlook that… or was this deliberate?Ever since hearing Tang San had full innate soul power, she'd been acting differently. Yang Yunhai couldn't help but wonder.

He remembered clearly—in the original story, it took a long time before Xiao Wu and Tang San started sleeping separately. Logically, she could've easily gotten her own bedding after returning from Wuhun Hall with her first soul ring and monthly allowance.

But she didn't. That never made sense.

The original text explained that soul beasts taking human form needed to be close to humans—to absorb their aura and progress in cultivation.

So maybe Xiao Wu shared a bed with Tang San to get closer, physically and spiritually?

And why choose Tang San specifically? Perhaps it was his full innate soul power—or maybe something else entirely.

Like using him as a shield.If she stayed close to someone strong, she could reduce her own visibility and avoid drawing attention.

Wait—no. That doesn't add up.Xiao Wu was anything but low-key during her time at Nuoding Academy. In fact, across the entire series, she was notoriously high-profile.

She was the acknowledged boss-lady of the Academy, always ready to stir up trouble. A walking time bomb, especially when Tang San was involved.

As Yang Yunhai processed all this, Xiao Wu had already placed her bundle between the two beds, marking a clear boundary.

Wang Sheng smiled, "Sister Xiao Wu, Tang San—time for lunch. Want to join us in the cafeteria?"

With a bit more coaxing, the group headed out to eat.

As expected, events unfolded just like in the book: they encountered Xiao Chenyu's group, got mocked, then Yu Xiaogang appeared and invited Tang San to dine upstairs—which Tang San refused. After Grandmaster left, Wang Sheng mentioned his strength, which unintentionally angered Tang San and caused him to storm off.

Yang Yunhai quietly observed all of this, eating without comment. When the meal ended, he excused himself, saying he needed to buy daily supplies.

He left the school, bought what he needed, returned to the dorm, and after everyone had settled for a nap, he slipped out alone to explore the campus and familiarize himself with the surroundings—eventually heading for the wooded hill behind the Academy.

On the Douluo Continent, Blue Silver Grass grew practically everywhere. The forest behind the Academy had it in abundance.

After a bit of searching, he found a flat clearing behind some bushes, full of Blue Silver Grass. He sat down without hesitation and began cultivating.

Unless something unexpected happened, this natural environment—mimicking his martial spirit—would likely become his long-term training ground.

An hour later, he stood, dusted himself off, and walked to a nearby tree. He broke off a strong branch and fashioned a simple training staff.

Holding the stick in one hand, he dropped into a deep horse stance.

From the moment he arrived in this world—and especially once he realized this was the Douluo Continent, where one could awaken a martial spirit—he'd made up his mind:He needed a physical training plan.

If nothing else, strengthening his body might increase the odds of awakening with soul power.

And if he did awaken with soul power, it would lay a solid foundation for future cultivation.

The body is the capital of revolution. It can't be wrong.

So he racked his brain, recalling scenes from fitness shows, martial arts films, YouTube videos—even his own high school gym class and military training drills.

Unfortunately, he'd never read any real martial arts manuals. The school-taught military boxing, tai chi, and radio calisthenics? All long forgotten.

But basic drills like horse stance, frog jumps, sit-ups—those he remembered clearly. Sword basics like thrusting, slashing, sweeping; spear techniques like jab, pierce—all scraps collected from old action movies and TV dramas. They were still vaguely etched in his mind.

Armed with those memories, he set two immediate training goals:

Master the horse stance. Build a solid foundation. A stable base was everything.

Improve flexibility. Even if he couldn't replicate Tang San's soul techniques, his body should at least be capable of performing the same movements.

Take the splits, for example. If an enemy landed a kick that forced him into an involuntary split and he tore a ligament, he'd be out of the fight in seconds. But if his body was used to it? He'd have room to counter. Like a wise man once said:

"Not having a sword and knowing how to use one are two very different things."What if one day he did need it?

That's why he'd started training at age four.

And now that his martial spirit was Blue Silver Grass, he had to think even more strategically.

If all went well, maybe he could shape it into a long spear someday. Add electricity? The potential was there.

Even if he never mastered spear combat, what was wrong with learning a few solid techniques? If a man like Cheng Yaojin could conquer the world with just three axe moves, why couldn't he?

And if that failed, he could always train to throw it like a javelin. Remote strikes still worked.

After all, he was destined to become a control-type soul master. If he could bind a target and hit them accurately—why not?

Worst case, even if he sucked at throwing, consistent training would still build up arm and wrist strength. Having "Qilin arms" wouldn't be a bad deal.

It would certainly help with controlling Blue Silver Grass in the future. Whether pulling enemies like tug-of-war or anchoring with force—strength mattered.

Bottom line: There was no downside. This path was a win.

So, he added a third training goal:Master the spear.

Time to start doing push-ups, pull-ups, and holding a staff in horse stance to build upper-body strength.

As for everything else—he'd tackle that after obtaining his first soul ring.

With that, he focused his mind, cleared his thoughts, and devoted himself to training.