Chapter 10

"Let's make a bet. I'll walk right in, and the people at the Tongmu Gate won't stop me. If I can get in, you give me this basket of peaches." Zhu Minglang was angry and said to the peach vendor.

"Sure, but what if I win?" The peach vendor laughed, her dark wheat-colored skin contrasting sharply with her bright eyes.

"I'll buy all your peaches."

"From your appearance, you don't seem to have the money for that." The peach vendor said.

"None of your business!"

When others entered school, they didn't necessarily have to dress in a dazzling manner, but at least they should look neat and tidy. Zhu Minglang had protected the flowers all the way to Zulong City and then walked to the Dragon Taming Academy, without even a chance to take a bath. His rough clothes made him look somewhat unkempt.

Zhu Minglang didn't want to be like this either. Although he was poor before, his appearance wasn't a big issue. Being mistaken for a beggar was only because he encountered bandits and fell into trouble...

As he stepped onto Baiyan Bridge, the vendors gradually decreased, and the area near the Tongmu Gate became more elegant and clean.

"I'm here to enroll, this is my admission letter." Zhu Minglang handed over his admission notice, still quite polite.

"Why are you in such a state?" The gatekeeper asked.

"I went out to train and encountered bandits. I barely managed to keep this letter." Zhu Minglang explained casually.

"Alright, go get your school badge and wait over there." The gatekeeper nodded and gestured for someone to lead Zhu Minglang in.

Zhu Minglang put away his letter and deliberately turned to look back at the dark wheat-skinned girl selling peaches at the bridgehead, preparing to give her a dog-like grin.

However, the peach vendor seemed to be negotiating prices with a fat woman, gesturing wildly.

She had completely forgotten about the bet just now!

The cold wind from the lake made someone's figure appear somewhat desolate.

Zhu Minglang could only sigh and walk into the gate.

Sigh, losing was even more painful!

After passing through the gate, the bridge was gone. It turned out that Baiyan Bridge was just a broken bridge. Behind the gate was a crescent-shaped pier that slowly extended into the clear lake.

In the lake, a long-necked dragon with a broad back was waiting by the pier. It was as big as a single room, with a neck long enough to reach the gate from underwater.

The long-necked dragon's skin was tight and smooth. Despite its large size, it gave a gentle and serene feeling, and there was no pressure even when close up. Compared to Luo Xiao's gilded fire dragon, it didn't seem to be of the same species at all.

"Once we have a full load, we can set off." The gatekeeper quickly led four more people over.

There were already five people on the long-necked dragon's back. Adding Zhu Minglang and the four new arrivals, there were ten in total.

Ten people on a dragon boat crossing the lake.

"Li Shaoying, you are the hope of our entire village. No matter what, you must become a dragon tamer." A middle-aged man shouted from the pier.

Li Shaoying looked embarrassed, especially with so many classmates around.

"If you don't succeed, it's fine. Just return to the village early. The cows and sheep need to be taken to the pasture. If they don't eat enough, they won't fatten up, and if they don't fatten up, they won't produce milk. Without milk, the lambs and calves won't survive the winter." The herdsman continued to shout.

Laughter broke out around, especially from the female students about to board the long-necked dragon, who couldn't stop laughing.

The young man called Li Shaoying wished he could dive into the lake. He impatiently dismissed the herdsman who came to see him off: "I know, I know, Uncle Hua, please go back."

"Remember to share the bag of smoked deer meat with your classmates. In a new place, you need to build good relationships with your classmates and teachers so you won't be bullied."

"Uncle, go back, please."

"Oh, I forgot to give you the medicinal wine. Here, use this if you get injured, it heals quickly."

Finally, the enthusiastic and considerate herdsman was persuaded to leave.

If he didn't leave, the new student called Li Shaoying might really have jumped into the lake.

"You three are late in enrolling. When you go to the Dragon Storage Hall, you'll probably only be able to choose the leftovers. Even if the journey is long, you should have set off earlier." The gatekeeper said to Li Shaoying, Zhu Minglang, and another aloof young man.

"Are you also new students?" Li Shaoying was somewhat surprised and sized up Zhu Minglang and the aloof young man.

The aloof young man didn't respond, clearly having no intention of interacting with a student from some poor, remote village.

Li Shaoying took the initiative to speak, but the other person ignored him, making him feel awkward.

Then his gaze fell on Zhu Minglang, and his face showed surprise.

As a cowherd, Li Shaoying was already quite poor, and his self-esteem had been severely hurt by the laughter of his classmates. He didn't expect someone to look even more destitute than himself, and he was also a student at the Dragon Taming Academy?

If the gatekeeper hadn't mentioned it, Li Shaoying would have thought this person was a kitchen helper at the Dragon Taming Academy.

"Are you also a student?" Li Shaoying asked.

"Yes, I'm Zhu Minglang." Zhu Minglang bowed politely to show friendliness and approachability.

"Oh." Li Shaoying responded half-heartedly, without returning the bow.

Sure enough, after learning that Zhu Minglang was also a new student, the others laughed again.

Seeing the reactions around him, Zhu Minglang didn't feel as uncomfortable as Li Shaoying had before, maintaining a calm expression.

In the world, having a thick skin is also a valuable skill.

The lake breeze was refreshing, and the long-necked dragon slowly carried the ten people, inch by inch, toward the island in the lake, heading for the coveted Dragon Taming Academy.

...

At the bridgehead, after selling several pounds of ripe peaches, the girl had some free time and suddenly remembered something. She turned to look at the tightly closed Tongmu Gate.

Surprise quickly spread across her face.

"Thrown into the lake?"

"Poor guy." The girl muttered to herself.

...

Dragon Storage Hall

Every new student, regardless of whether they already have a young spirit, gets a chance to choose a dragon.

Although people admire the art of identifying dragons, selecting a dragon from thousands of ordinary young spirits is like finding a needle in a haystack, or even more often, a gamble!

Zhu Minglang, Li Shaoying, and the aloof young man were brought to the Dragon Storage Hall, where the young spirits and spirit eggs were as numerous as pebbles in a river, leaving one's eyes dazzled.

"Choose, and once you've chosen, register with the old man inside and get the mark. The young spirit will then belong to you." The gatekeeper was very responsible, escorting them all the way here and giving clear instructions before leaving.

Li Shaoying was somewhat excited and quickly walked to the nest of young spirits, staring at a group of blue bird spirits in their nests, trying to identify their species.

Zhu Minglang also followed the path, slowly observing.

There were many types: bird spirits, river spirits, beast spirits, ancient spirits, poison demons, stone demons, and many young forms of dragons, sub-dragons, and hybrid dragons that, though not yet fully transformed, already displayed impressive physiques and the extraordinary characteristics of dragons!

"Huh, you two are taking this quite seriously. Don't you know anything about the Dragon Taming Academy before enrolling? Out of thousands of young spirits, it's unlikely that a real dragon will appear. Giving you the chance to choose is just a bit of hope for you as dragon taming students." The aloof young man finally spoke.

Zhu Minglang and Li Shaoying looked at him simultaneously.

So he can speak after all.

Zhu Minglang nodded inwardly and asked, "We indeed don't know much. Can you tell us more?"

"Just pick one randomly, don't dawdle. You'd be better off spending more time taming your own young spirit than wasting time here choosing junk." The aloof young man said.

Li Shaoying smiled awkwardly.

Indeed, the free young spirits provided by the academy wouldn't be very good. Otherwise, everyone entering the Dragon Taming Academy would become dragon tamers, and there wouldn't be so many people lingering at the dragon gate.

In the end, Li Shaoying chose the most aggressive-looking bird spirit from the group, holding it in his hand without much emphasis.

Zhu Minglang scratched his head.

His situation was somewhat awkward.

Those who could enter the Dragon Taming Academy mostly already had a young spirit with good potential, or were just one step away from becoming a dragon.

Li Shaoying clearly had his own young spirit, and the aloof young man seemed to already have a young dragon.

Bai Qi was still in the ice cocoon, and Zhu Minglang had nothing at the moment, barely qualifying as a moth relation, forced into the academy.

It seemed he would have to rely on the academy's assistance to get a young spirit.

However, this was Zhu Minglang's starting point. He ignored the aloof young man's arrogant remarks and continued to choose carefully.

Identifying dragons is like appraising treasures...

It requires a keen eye and a bit of luck.

Unfortunately, Zhu Minglang had neither.

Blind and unlucky.

But the ceremony is still important, and the attitude must be serious.

"Can you hurry up!" The aloof young man said with a heavier tone.

Zhu Minglang pretended not to hear, carefully observing the small creatures here. Some were still in spirit eggs, some had just hatched, and some had already grown feathers and teeth, showing a bit of destructive power in their hand-built nests...