Dragon Tamer

Men enjoy discussing war.

Whenever war is mentioned, it inevitably relates to the recent rebellion in Wutu.

And where there is mention of Wutu, there is Eternal City; and with Eternal City comes Empress Li Yunzi, and then the topic spirals out of control.

Once too dazzling, a combination of wisdom, bravery, and beauty, she illuminated the whole Ancestral Dragon City-State territory, but in the process of quelling the Wutu rebellion, such a thing happened.

“Once disgraced, one struggles to command respect, and without respect, one cannot lead an army. The Valkyrie of Ancestral Dragon City-State was thus pulled down from God’s altar by a wretched commoner, alas.” A handsome young man holding a scroll let out a light sigh, shaking his head as he looked at the group of youngsters spewing foul language.

Nan Lingsha, seeing more and more people in the Book Pavilion, glared fiercely at Zhu Minglang, with a look that said, “I’ll let you off today.”

With her face veiled, people could only think of her as a beauty.

There probably weren’t many who had seen Li Yunzi up close; otherwise, that thin veil would hardly shield her from the surrounding gazes, and as a spitting image of her sister, Nan Lingsha, too, might have to live a life of isolation.

Watching Nan Lingsha leave, Zhu Minglang began to contemplate.

It seemed she was also at the Dragon Taming Academy; how was he to peacefully coexist with this little aunt in the future?

To be honest, having a close conversation like that, Zhu Minglang’s heart still raced a beat faster; they really looked too similar, and even now, Zhu Minglang wondered if it was Li Yunzi herself using her sister’s identity to test him.

But Her Eminence, the Empress, wouldn’t do something so childish, would She?

Sigh, seeing her twin sister was like seeing the fairy-like Li Yunzi standing before him once more, making him somewhat miss her.

“What kind of person is Li Yunzi, really? Could she be like Nan Lingsha said, not killing me to vent her anger?”

Zhu Minglang couldn’t see through Li Yunzi’s thoughts; she hid them too deeply.

But no matter what, if fate was to toy with the two of them, it shouldn’t be for her to bear alone; no matter how formidable she was, she also had a vulnerable side.

He must quickly become a powerful Dragon Shepherd. Whether Empress Li Yunzi wants to take on this responsibility is one thing.

But if there is affection, he simply cannot hide behind her forever.

He must have the ability to shoulder this responsibility!

The abilities possessed by a Dragon Shepherd aren’t many, and a Dragon Shepherd without a dragon is hardly any stronger than ordinary soldiers.

The dragon is always key to a Dragon Shepherd.

Bai Qi’s growth was rapid; probably by the end of autumn, it would advance to the growth phase and transform into a True Dragon, possessing at least Dragon Child Level strength.

But that still wouldn’t be enough.

Luo Xiao’s Gold-plated Fire Dragon was a Dragon General Level existence, yet he was still filled with trepidation in front of the Lord of the Li Family.

Whether the Ancestral Dragon City-State has any Dragon Monarch Level remains to be said, but there are definitely some at the Dragon Lord Level.

“First set a small goal, step into the Dragon Master Level!” Zhu Minglang said to himself as he walked out of the Book Pavilion.

By now, those entering and exiting the Book Pavilion were no longer few, and they cast strange glances at him.

“Another one obsessed with dragon raising.”

“Choosing a dragon is like gambling on stones; there are many who have lost their entire fortunes. Let’s hope this student doesn’t go pondering life at the top of the towering building with high eaves…”

Thinking about the long term, it won’t do to be so poor.

In fact, aside from sericulture, Zhu Minglang had another family skill, armor casting!

Armor, for commoners, is merely clothing; for the powerful, a great expense of war; and for dragons, it’s mighty protective gear in combat.

Creatures like the Little Crocodile Spirit, which inherently possess a physical advantage, would absolutely have an even stronger turning back horn attack if they were armored in a set of heavy Dragon Armor. They could easily pierce through the belly of a Violent Catfish and complete the kill on their own.

Dragon Armor is exceedingly expensive, and the vast majority of Dragon Shepherds have already spent a considerable amount of money on raising their dragons. The few who can afford to equip their dragons with armor are even rarer.

However, if one aims to become an excellent Dragon Shepherd, Dragon Armor is indispensable.

It not only enhances strength but can also protect the life of the dragon pet in critical moments.

Smithing art is also a skill passed down in Zhu Minglang’s family, and to this day, he has not forgotten the tricks of the trade. As a son of the Zhu family, it would be a disgrace to their ancestors to spend a large sum of money buying armor for his dragon companion in the future!

Do it yourself.

And in the process, earn some gold and silver.

The Dragon Taming Academy lacked a forging shop, and Phoenix Embankment Town seemed to have no decent foundry either; he would have to go to the bustling State Wall inside the Ancestral Dragon City.

Go early in the morning and return at night; first, craft some armor for the nobility, and once he had enough materials and had mastered his casting art, he would forge a set of Crocodile Dragon Heavy Armor for Hei Ya!

According to plan, he would head to the Ancestral Dragon City in the early morning and drag himself back to the dormitory, exhausted at night.

On the first day of his apprenticeship, Zhu Minglang felt as though his limbs and waist were going to break. After living a comfortable life akin to retirement for several years, his strength was not what it once was, and picking up the family artisan skill nearly cost him his life.

Zhu Minglang had to admit, there was a moment when he considered the proposal from the Fairy Fang Niannian… to sell peaches.

She had whispered to him what the secret code aboard her painted boat was: “Honey, I don’t want to struggle anymore.”

On the second day, Zhu Minglang chose between the opulent painted boat on the river and the foundry; his sore body ended up as an apprentice in the art of smithing.

Although Zhu Minglang was born into a smithing gentry, his ambitions never lay there. It was as if his family had anticipated his unreliability and forcibly instilled all the smithing knowledge into his brain. Now, he had come to truly appreciate those discerning elders.

But like any skilled labor, smithing not only requires exceptional techniques and knowledge but also demands skillful hands and the physical strength to withstand its intensity.

Zhu Minglang had to start as an apprentice, slowly regaining the feel of the craft.

Moreover, he had to learn quickly how to fully craft a set of Dragon Heavy Armor. He didn’t have the luxury to leisurely refine his skill; he had to practice with more intensity than when he was first introduced to the art.

On the third day, continue!

The essence of the sword is honed through grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold—stick to one’s moral bottom line!

If he couldn’t refine his artisan skill, given his current predicament, he really would have had to sell the aesthetic of his youthful handsomeness!

Time flew by, and after half a month of apprenticeship in armor crafting, Zhu Minglang was gradually regaining some of his former sensations.

He could now completely forge a suit of armor for soldiers, which also meant that Zhu Minglang could earn some money through this hard labor.

Of course, the profit from soldier armor was too low.

To maintain his current expenses, he had to craft fine Armor and sell it to soldiers and nobles.

And crafting Dragon Armor? That would be the start of his path to wealth and success!

As the end of autumn approached, Zhu Minglang had not gone to the city foundry these past few days.

It wasn’t because he was deliberately slacking but because he had promised Teacher Duan Lan to go with her to “turn the clouds upside down”… ahem, to “summon the wind and call for the rain”!

This was a travel lesson, seemingly heading to a city in the east. It was a trip afar, and he needed to make some preparations in advance.

This time, the participants were not students still loitering below the Dragon Gate but actual Dragon Shepherd trainees, those who already possessed True Dragons!