"Sigh!"
"Sigh!!"
Zhu Minglang took deep breaths, having not felt such unbearable excitement for a long time.
No, no, no, he needed to calm down first.
Little White was still in the process of metamorphosis, and before the chrysalis hatched, he was still a mere Ordinary Spirit. He needed to find a stable and safe place to get through Little White's metamorphosis phase.
So, where would be suitable to go now? He was somewhat unfamiliar with life in the Ancestral Dragon City...
"Young master."
"Young master, please wait."
As Zhu Minglang hesitated in front of the Li Family Gate, a maid-dressed fair young lady called out to him.
"Are you calling me?" Zhu Minglang asked, puzzled.
"Is it Young Master Zhu Minglang? The Female Monarch has instructed me to deliver this letter from the academy to you," the fair maid said softly.
Zhu Minglang saw that the letter bore the imposing words "Dragon Taming Academy."
Was this to make a deception appear real?
Perhaps it was to prevent Luo Xiao from checking up later?
The academy would indeed be a good place, especially suitable for getting through Little White's metamorphosis period.
Fine, if it's attending school, then I shall!
Zhu Minglang accepted the weighty letter.
The admission requirements for the Dragon Taming Academy were actually quite strict. Either you had enough money to ensure you could purchase a dragon, or the Juvenile Spirit you had raised was identified as a dragon with potential.
The academy was also a good place, inhabited by the offspring of nobles and high officials as well as commoners who became students of young dragons through unique insight and wisdom.
Becoming a Dragon Shepherd was not the sole privilege of the rich and powerful. Amongst the vast sea of people, there were commoners too who leapt over the Dragon Gate and soared to the heavens.
"Young master, after you report to the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy, don't miss the selection of the Juvenile Spirits. You'd better have a good eye when choosing your Juvenile Spirit," the fair maid reminded Zhu Minglang with a blink of her eyes and a gentle tone.
"Thank you, young lady."
"Just call me Frost."
"Thank you, Miss Frost."
"Hehe." Frost laughed, her voice as clear as a bell.
Holding the enrollment letter, Zhu Minglang walked along the stairway to the bustling, prosperous azure stone streets of the city-state.
Behind him was the Li Imperial Palace, strict and desolate, separated from this azure stone street by a mere river bridge.
But once across the bridge, the scent of life came rushing forth, blending in so no one would care to notice anyone's face.
As one who lived with the circumstances, he could roam the world as his home or settle down in a refined academy!
It was a new beginning...
...
Inside the courtyard
Frost, with a butterfly-shaped hair clasp on her head, walked towards the house where she saw at a glance that Miss Li Yunzi was sitting alone on a goose down pouf.
Frost had also heard about that incident.
Outside, she was a Female Monarch, once the center of attention and respect, but in this courtyard, she was no different from any common noble young lady, and people within the Li Imperial Palace also called her Miss Yunzi.
Frost knew that the young lady had suffered these days, yet she did not know how to help her walk out from it.
"Miss, Frost does not quite understand how that woman from Eternal City knew your weakness, you've always been very careful," Frost said, bowing slightly.
"The person who framed me is right here," Li Yunzi said coldly.
Why come back?
Li Yunzi was very clear that the only person who could seize her fatal weakness must be someone very close to her.
"Ah?? Is it someone from our Li Family who was instructing from behind? Then why didn't you talk to the Family Head? It's someone from the clan who wants to harm you, right?" Frost said.
Li Yunzi shook her head and replied, "To speak out would only be to alert the enemy."
Frost was quite astute, and she immediately realized who Li Yunzi was referring to as the snake. Her eyes filled with surprise, and after a while, she said in a low voice, "Do you suspect it's the young wife of the Family Head, Kong Tong?"
"I only wish it were her…" Li Yunzi murmured somewhat absentmindedly.
"No wonder that madman Luo Xiao razed Eternal City to the ground. The news spread throughout the city. There are indeed people in the clan who do not wish for you to hold power, but such methods are just too cruel!" Frost said indignantly.
Li Yunzi took a deep breath.
Some people wanted to ruin her completely and tarnish her reputation, but she would not let them have their way so easily.
Li Yunzi also needed some time to let everything settle slowly.
Those who had trampled over her without restraint, she would repay tenfold!!
"Have the autumn Nan trees planted by the Star Painting blossomed?" Li Yunzi asked.
"They have, and they're so beautiful. Let's go there to relax a bit, young lady."
"If she wakes up, don't mention this matter to her," Li Yunzi instructed.
"Ah?" Frost didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Behind the courtyard, there was a small hill with an unobstructed view, covered with azure trees. These autumn Nan trees stood tall and graceful, with branches full of Nan flowers that only bloomed in the fall.
The tree flowers clung tightly together like silk floss, blooming in large bunches on the branches. The flowers were complemented by the orderly, pale green leaves, enhancing their graceful and gorgeous appearance.
Standing under these Nan trees enveloped in their fragrance, Li Yunzi became somewhat entranced as she gazed at the flowers, leaves, and the soft branches, and the clean sunlight cascading through the gaps in the leaves and branches...
"Time is never as tranquil and beautiful as it seems right now," Li Yunzi said softly.
...
...
Li Chuan referred to the three rivers that irrigate the vast plains from the distant mountains, nourishing the fertile land and giving birth to countless creatures.
The Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy was not located within the city of Ancestral Dragon City-State but situated further upstream of Li Chuan.
Following the main river north from the confluence of the three rivers in Ancestral Dragon City-State, one could see the majestic and proud Phoenix Embankment Waterfall less than fifty kilometers away!
This Phoenix Embankment Waterfall was essentially a dramatic turn in a colossal river channel, where thousands of tons of silvery-white river water cascaded down. Standing downstream and looking up at the Phoenix Embankment, it seemed as if hundreds of dragons were surging downward in a sweeping arc, with waves shimmering like white scales and silver feathers…
Above the Phoenix Embankment Waterfall, the mother river of Li Chuan suddenly widened many times over, with the waters converging here. The framework of the river gradually broadened on both sides, forming a rare flat lake within the river system.
And the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy was built on this giant flat lake amidst the river!
Zhu Minglang arrived at this spot on foot, but he too was captivated by the scenery before him. This was the Dragon Taming Academy, with a location that demonstrated its extraordinary nature.
Following the long slope covered with autumn greenery upward and circling around the grand Phoenix Embankment Waterfall, Zhu Minglang saw an extremely quaint small town. The town was not large, but it was densely populated with countless merchants coming and going.
At the end of the street in Phoenix Embankment Town, the bridge leading to the Li Chuan Dragon Taming Academy was connected. In the center of the White Rock Bridge, there was a large gate made of copper and wood. The gate was wide open, and occasionally one could see several young men and women dressed in opulence coming and going through it.
"Young brother, are you here to admire the academy?" asked a girl selling ripe peaches by the bridge.
The girl's skin was the color of dark wheat, and she looked very healthy, obviously someone who spent a lot of time under the sun. She held one of her own peaches, took a bite, and unabashedly wiped the peach juice from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.
"I'm here to enroll," Zhu Minglang said with an innocuous smile.
"Wow, I would have never guessed…" The peach-selling girl looked at Zhu Minglang afresh, her surprise evident.
Zhu Minglang's smile gradually widened.
"I would have never guessed you were crazy," the peach-selling girl continued.
Zhu Minglang's expression stiffened, not expecting this cheeky peach vendor to be so sharp-tongued!