Dragon Tamer

“Alright, alright, even if that’s true, what does it have to do with any of you?

Zhu Minglang, don’t mind them. You go back to the Dragon Taming Academy. You don’t need to come to the foundry these few days,” Master Zhao Long glared at the apprentices and said.

“Sure, my armor is already finished. I also forged a few chainmail robes with the leftover materials. Please help me sell them for a good price, Master Zhao,” Zhu Minglang said.

“No problem, your craftsmanship is quite good. After this idle gossip blows over, you’re always welcome here,” Master Zhao Long said.

“I think it’s better not to come. What’s the status of the Valkyrie? The entire Ancestral Dragon City-State admires and adores her, countless of whom are dignitaries and nobles. If they knew he was in our shop, how could we have peace?” The headmaster spoke up, he didn’t want to invite trouble.

“It’s not Zhu Minglang’s fault, he’s a good person. If anyone’s to blame, it could only be…” Zhao Long felt somewhat indignant for Zhu Minglang.

“Master Zhao, it’s alright. There’s no problem with what the headmaster said. I understand. Anyway, my main reason for coming here was to forge a piece of armor, and now that it’s complete, I can go. Just don’t forget to pay me for the pieces I’ve left here to sell,” Zhu Minglang said with a broad-minded air.

“Now, these rumors really are deadly. A perfectly fine young man has been harassed to the point where he can’t find peace. What about the Valkyrie? Can’t the Valkyrie have feelings for a decent and honorable young man like our little Zhu? I think Zhu Minglang is great, and he deserves her!” Master Zhao Long exclaimed loudly.

However, his words just drew a burst of strange laughter from those around, especially that apprentice called Zhou Xin, who laughed the loudest.

“Come on, even if Zhu Minglang were to be reborn, he still wouldn’t be worthy of her,” Zhou Xin laughed even more unreservedly.

“But Zhu Minglang did sleep with the Valkyrie.” Somebody uttered quietly, not sure who.

This statement stopped the laughter of the apprentices immediately.

“I’ve never even met her, but the artist’s depiction of the Valkyrie is indeed very beautiful…

“I saw her once during a festival, and she’s much more beautiful than in the paintings.”

As they chatted, the atmosphere gradually changed from mockery to gnashing of teeth!

Why hadn’t such good fortune befallen them, why were they forging iron here at that time instead of wandering around Wutu!

Zhu Minglang walked down the street towards the exterior of the State Wall.

Although the bustling main street didn’t display the recklessly posted

portraits, once he ventured into smaller alleys, there were more of them than

wanted posters, with some people even copying them, fearing their faces

wouldn’t spread far enough.

Such a waste of time!

Probably those ballad singers and the leading courtesans on the painted boats didn’t become as famous as fast as he did. Overnight, their long-believed identity of the wandering beggar became known: his name was Zhu Minglang!

Fortunately, appearances can be somewhat deceiving. Zhu Minglang walked on the big street, and nobody stared at him thoughtlessly, firmly convinced he was that man.

However, being scrutinized a bit longer by people or engaging in conversation, it was mostly likely that they would harbor suspicions.

Walking back to the Dragon Taming Academy, Zhu Minglang felt the power of public opinion. Perhaps this matter had been fermenting for a long time, and finally, there was a version close to the truth. Everyone was intrigued and looking forward to the developments…

After all, Li Yunzi had regained the status of Female Monarch, becoming the sun and moon’s glow of the Ancestral Dragon City-State.

“Little brother, you’re something else,” Fang Niannian said, eyeing Zhu Minglang as if she had been waiting there all day by the bridge, her basket of unsold peaches beside her.

“Your peaches are going to rot,” Zhu Minglang remarked.

“I knew at first glance you were the type to live off a woman, and it turns out I was right,” Fang Niannian didn’t care about her peaches.

Snow…flakes fluttering, the north wind howling.

Zhu Minglang stood forlorn in the cold falling snow, feeling as if the chaos of the wind was slapping his cheeks!

Zhu Minglang didn’t care about others’ teasing since most people couldn’t hit where it hurt.

But this girl, her words pierced right to the heart!

A crushing defeat among defeats!

Taking a deep breath, Zhu Minglang tried his best to regulate his emotions.

After all, she was just a girl, not a demon from the abyss; even a demon would probably lose its sanity and crawl back to its lair after meeting her.

“It’s winter now, and there’s a kind of Mountain Snow Orchid. Check if it is available in the market. I need your family to help me turn them all into honey. Also, look for autumn phoebe wood, preferably fresh wood. If you can find these two things, buy them regardless of the price, all of them. Here’s your commission, ” Zhu Minglang handed Fang Niannian a few pieces of gold sand.

“Okay, Mr. Zhu,” Fang Niannian immediately said sweetly, even curtsying a bit.

“Just keep calling me brother; ‘Mr. Zhu’ sounds odd,” Zhu Minglang said with a wry smile.

“Little brother, is the Valkyrie sister fair-skinned, busty?” Fang Niannian asked with a secretive air.

The words of a young girl, yet they are phrases fit for a lustful beast!!

And what does that gleaming look in her tiny eyes mean, huh?

You a girl, are you drooling over this too!

The snowflakes fell, and on the lake at night, the snow resembled white petals, which, under the illumination of the lantern-lit boats, was actually rather beautiful.

Passing through the frost-covered forest, Zhu Minglang made his way to his dwelling. For some reason, he had an ominous premonition, especially after the conversation with Fang Niannian by the bridge…

When he arrived at the door, his dwelling was even more tranquil than he had imagined. Perhaps because of the cold weather and falling snow, everyone must have been hiding inside their houses.

“How can there be people in this world who are so idle?”

He pushed open the courtyard door and returned to his room to sleep. Today’s last process had almost drained his spiritual power. He needed to rest for a few days, and take the opportunity to attend more classes and learn.

The academy was indeed wonderful, like an idyllic paradise, free from the troublesome dust of the world.

Having developed the habit of getting up early, Zhu Minglang didn’t sleep in, even on a cold day. After visiting the young dragons, he held his books and headed to the classroom.

Today was the day for the monthly lecture.

It was free, so he had to go.

As soon as he entered the classroom, it was already full of people. There were students who were already Dragon Trainers, as well as those still lingering under the Dragon Gate, presumably because today’s lecture was important for both groups of students.

Having found a seat and settled down, Zhu Minglang was just about to open his book to learn about the Forest Giant Dragons when suddenly a few dozen people stood up around him, in unison.

Zhu Minglang thought a teacher had arrived and subconsciously stood up to salute, but then he realized these people were all staring at him, as if a net was already set here, just waiting for him to walk into it.

“Are you Zhu Minglang?” one of the fair and handsome young men dressed in fur asked as he took the lead in questioning.

Zhu Minglang looked at the man, feeling that he had seen him somewhere before.

After thinking carefully, he seemed to recall that it was in the Book Pavilion that day, where this gentleman expressed a few sentiments of unworthiness for Li Yunzi.

He remembered that his words did not contain the crude language of those few young students but rather a sense of regret.

He must be an admirer and lover of the Valkyrie.

The problem was why he seemed ready to accuse and confront, and he was apparently not the only one with such thoughts!

Did they know that he would definitely attend this monthly lecture today?

Zhu Minglang glanced around and noticed that a few of his dorm mates, whom he seldom greeted, were also in the classroom, and their eyes were avoiding his.

No wonder his courtyard was so quiet last night; it turned out they had agreed to intercept him here today.

He had thought that the atmosphere within the academy would not be as volatile as the outside world, but it seemed it was the same on this issue.

“Whether or not you are Zhu Minglang, do you not even dare to admit that much?” the fair and handsome man in the fur coat asked again.

“Yes, I am. May I know why so many fellow seniors have gathered here?” Zhu Minglang responded.

“How dare you ask. Is that vagrant from Wutu you?” A person behind the fair young man in the fur coat asked angrily.

“That is absolutely a rumor,” Zhu Minglang immediately replied.

The fair young man in fur scrutinized Zhu Minglang closely, finding him to be quite unremarkable.

“Since it is a rumor, how do you plan to clarify this matter?” the fair young man, who seemed to be the most prestigious among the group, commanded the attention of the others—they ceased their chatter when he spoke.

“In fact, she and I had an immediate rapport and mutual affection. There is no such thing as a dungeon; it’s merely that some people cannot stand to see us happy together and cannot bear to see a beauty with a heart that belongs.

Thus, they concoct such vicious methods to belittle me and insult her,” Zhu Minglang stated righteously to the crowd.

“Li Yunzi felt an immediate rapport with you? You?” The fair young man, who had maintained some composure until then, immediately showed a look of disdain and disgust upon hearing Zhu Minglang’s words.

“Yes, it’s nothing more than the most common experience of mutual joy between a man and a woman, yet certain malicious individuals have twisted it into something ugly. It’s likely that there are also some rumors spread by enemies to slander the illustrious image of our Ancestral Dragon City’s Valkyrie. Of course, to vilify me, Zhu Minglang, as well. Therefore, I think that the rumor-mongers are either spies from enemy cities or twisted admirers of Li Yunzi,” Zhu Minglang continued, his voice tinged with indignant righteousness.

“Don’t spout such nonsense here. Why would the Female Monarch fancy you?” The male students expressed their disbelief.

“Matters of the heart are hard to explain clearly. In truth, I also do not understand why I fell in love with her. Perhaps love for someone does not need a reason,” Zhu Minglang said with a touch of a poet’s melancholy.

With one hand holding the book, his eves deep and contemplative, he gazed

out the window at the cold plum blossoms, like a true poet, sometimes expressing joy, sometimes recalling sweet smiles, and sometimes murmuring infatuatedly…

The expressions of the people around him changed.

Especially the fair young man, his eyes ablaze with a demonic light!

He had never seen such a shameless person before.

To not even understand why he had fallen for her?

Were these words spoken by a human?

The name of the Valkyrie is not only due to her unrivaled wisdom and bravery but also because of her beauty, like a fairy from the heavens. Everyone who saw her marveled at the beauty that stunned the world.

Did you, a nameless nonentity, need to rack your brains to figure out why you were smitten with her?

We’re all men!