Chapter 55

"Alright, alright, even if this is true, what does it have to do with you guys? Xiao Zhu, ignore them and go back to the Dragon Taming Academy. You don't need to come to the foundry for a few days," Master Zhao Long glared at the apprentices and said.

"Sure, my armor is already made. I also cast a few armor robes with the leftover materials. Please help me sell them for a good price, Master Zhao," Zhu Minglang said.

"No problem, your craftsmanship is good. Once all this gossip dies down, you're always welcome here," Master Zhao Long said.

"I think it's better not to come. The Valkyrie is of high status. The entire Ancestor Dragon City admires and loves her, and most of those people are high-ranking officials. If they find out she's in our shop, how can our shop remain peaceful?" the senior master spoke, not wanting to stir up trouble.

"This isn't Zhu Minglang's fault. He's a good person. If anyone is to blame, it can only be..." Master Zhao Long felt some injustice for Zhu Minglang.

"Master Zhao, it's fine. What the senior master said makes sense, and I understand. I came here mainly to cast an armor. Now that it's done, I can leave. Just don't forget to give me the money for the items I left here to sell," Zhu Minglang said with a broad-minded attitude.

"All this gossip is really killing people. A fine young man, and they've made him unable to find peace. What's wrong with the Valkyrie? Can't the Valkyrie have feelings for a good, law-abiding man like our Xiao Zhu? I think Xiao Zhu is great, and he deserves it!" Master Zhao Long said loudly.

However, his words caused a wave of strange laughter from the surrounding people, especially from the apprentice named Zhou Xin, who laughed the loudest.

"Forget it, even if Zhu Minglang were reborn, he wouldn't be worthy of her," Zhou Xin laughed even more wildly.

"But Zhu Minglang did sleep with the Valkyrie," someone said softly.

This sentence immediately silenced the apprentices.

"I've never even seen her, but the paintings of the Valkyrie are indeed beautiful..."

"I saw her once at a festival, and she was even more beautiful than in the paintings."

As they chatted, the atmosphere shifted from ridicule to gnashing teeth!

Why didn't such a good thing happen to them? Why were they casting iron here at that time, and didn't think of going to Wutu to wander around?

...

Zhu Minglang walked along the street to the city wall. Although the main street was free of randomly posted portraits, the side streets and alleys were filled with more posters than wanted notices. Some people were even copying them, as if afraid that his face wouldn't be widely known.

What a waste of time!

He guessed that even the famous courtesans and the top performers in the pleasure boats didn't become as famous as he did overnight. People now knew the identity of the long-wandering vagrant, and his name was Zhu Minglang!

Fortunately, there was still some discrepancy in appearance. As Zhu Minglang walked down the street, no one would stare at him and immediately declare him to be that man.

However, if someone scrutinized him for a while or had a conversation with him, they would likely have some suspicions.

Walking back to the Dragon Taming Academy, Zhu Minglang felt the power of public opinion. Perhaps this matter had been brewing for a long time, and now there was a version closest to the truth. Everyone was interested and looking forward to the developments...

After all, Li Yunzi had regained her status as the Valkyrie, becoming the glory of the Ancestor Dragon City.

"Big brother, you're amazing." By the bridge, Fang Nianian, who hadn't sold a single basket of peaches, looked at Zhu Minglang as if she had been waiting there all day.

"Your peaches are going to rot," Zhu Minglang said.

"I thought from the first glance that you were a freeloader, and I didn't expect to be right," Fang Nianian didn't care about her peaches at all.

Snow... snowflakes were falling, and the north wind was howling.

Zhu Minglang stood in the cold, snowing air, feeling the wind and the words lash his face!

He didn't care about others' ridicule, as most people couldn't hit his sore spots.

But this little girl, every word hit home!

A defeat within a defeat!

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

She was just a girl, not a demon from the abyss. Even a demon would probably lose its mind and crawl back to its lair after meeting her.

"It's winter. There's a kind of mountain snow orchid. Help me look for it in the market. I need your family to help me make it into honey. Also, find some autumn nanmu, preferably new wood. If you find these, buy them all, regardless of the price. This is your reward." Zhu Minglang handed Fang Nianian a few grains of gold sand.

"Sure, Master Zhu," Fang Nianian said sweetly, bowing slightly.

"Call me brother, it sounds weird," Zhu Minglang said with a bitter smile.

"Big brother, is the Valkyrie sister white and big?" Fang Nianian asked mysteriously.

"???"

What kind of wild words is this girl saying!

And what does that gleaming look in her eyes mean?

Are you a girl and also a glutton?

...

Snowflakes fell, and the snow on the night lake looked like white petals, illuminated by the lights of the boats, creating a beautiful scene.

Walking through the frost-covered forest, Zhu Minglang headed to his dormitory. For some reason, he had a bad feeling, especially after the conversation with Fang Nianian at the bridge...

At the door, the dormitory was quieter than he expected. Probably because of the cold and snow, everyone was hiding in their rooms.

How could there be such idle people in this world.

Pushing open the door, he went to sleep. The last procedure today almost drained his spirit, and he needed to rest for a few days. He might as well go to more classes and learn more knowledge.

The academy is great, like a paradise, free from the troubles of the world.

...

Accustomed to waking up early, even in the cold, Zhu Minglang didn't oversleep. After visiting the baby dragon, he went to the classroom with a book.

Today was the monthly class.

It's free, so he had to go.

Just entering the classroom, it was already full of people, including those who were already dragon tamers and those still aspiring to be. The class today was important for both groups.

Choosing a seat, Zhu Minglang was about to open his book to learn about forest dragons when suddenly dozens of people stood up around him, in perfect unison.

Zhu Minglang thought the teacher had arrived and instinctively stood up to greet him, but he realized these people were all staring at him, as if they had set a trap and were waiting for him to fall into it.

"Are you Zhu Minglang?" A handsome young man in a sable coat asked first.

Zhu Minglang looked at him, vaguely recognizing him from somewhere.

Recalling, it was the day in the book hall when this young man lamented Li Yunzi's plight.

He remembered that his words didn't contain the foul language of the young apprentices but were filled with regret.

He was likely one of the Valkyrie's admirers.

The question was, why did he look like he was here to confront him, and there were many others with the same idea!

Did they know he would come to this monthly class today?

Zhu Minglang's gaze swept over the room, and he noticed a few of his dorm mates who rarely spoke to him, their eyes darting around.

No wonder his dorm was so quiet last night; they had planned to intercept him here today.

He thought the atmosphere in the academy would be better than outside, but it turned out to be the same.

"Are you Zhu Minglang? Don't you even dare to admit it?" The handsome young man in the sable coat asked again.

"It's me. I don't know why all of you have gathered here," Zhu Minglang said.

"Do you even have the nerve to ask? Is that vagrant from Wutu you?" A man behind the handsome young man asked angrily.

"That's definitely a rumor," Zhu Minglang immediately said.

The handsome young man in the sable coat carefully examined Zhu Minglang, finding him rather ordinary.

"If it's a rumor, how do you clear your name?" The handsome young man seemed to be the most respected among the group, and the others didn't interrupt when he spoke.

"In fact, I and she met and fell in love at first sight. There was no dungeon. Some people just can't stand to see us together and can't bear to see her with someone. They came up with this vicious plan to belittle me and insult her," Zhu Minglang said righteously to the group.

"Li Yunzi fell in love with you at first sight, you?" The handsome young man, who had been composed, immediately showed disdain and disgust upon hearing this.

"Is it just a common love affair, but some people with ulterior motives spread it like this? Perhaps there are also enemy cities deliberately spreading rumors to tarnish the image of our Ancestor Dragon City's Valkyrie and to defame me, Zhu Minglang. So, I think the rumor spreaders are either enemy city spies or twisted admirers of Li Yunzi," Zhu Minglang continued, his tone filled with righteous indignation.

"Don't talk nonsense. Why would the Valkyrie fall for you?" The male students looked incredulous.

"Love is hard to explain. I don't even understand why I fell in love with her. Perhaps loving someone is without reason," Zhu Minglang said with a poet's melancholy.

He held his book in one hand, gazing deeply at the winter plum outside the window, like a true poet, sometimes joyful, sometimes reminiscing, and sometimes murmuring softly...

The people around him looked at him differently.

Especially the handsome young man, whose eyes seemed to glow with a strange light!

Never had he seen such a shameless person.

I don't even understand why I fell in love with her?

Is that something a person would say!

The Valkyrie's name is not just about her unparalleled wisdom and bravery but also her beauty, like a celestial maiden. Those who have seen her marvel at her stunning appearance.

Do you, an unknown and insignificant person, need to rack your brain to think about why you are infatuated with her?

We are all men!