Dragon Clan: Avoid the College Entrance Examination to Slay the Dragon

Chapter 76 Arrangements for December
Angers paused abruptly as he brewed the tea, his finger hovering above the teapot. "You've come at the perfect time; the tea is just brewed."

The door hinges creaked slightly. As Gu Yi leaned against the doorframe, he saw a pale blue mist rising from the principal's office. An antique gramophone was playing "La Vie en Rose" at a very low volume, and the old-fashioned grandfather clock's copper pendulum swayed from side to side, casting a long, thin shadow on the floor.

"The principal really enjoys drinking tea." The boy closed the door behind him.

The old man chuckled softly after the rising steam: "When I was young, I didn't like things that were too bitter, but I had a Chinese friend who always brought me some strange and unusual Chinese teas."

"Your Chinese friends when you were young? Was it during the Qing Dynasty?" The young man sat down in the chair.

"When we first met, he still had a queue. After he left, the queue disappeared." The old man poured amber-colored tea into the teacup, and the tea stems floated in the swirling water.

"Did you still drink Chinese tea often after that?"

Angers shook his head. "No, I've been very busy lately and haven't had time to get any Chinese tea. The last time I drank tea was in Japan, where I experienced their tea ceremony. But for some reason, it always tastes different from when I was younger."

"I wanted to buy osmanthus blossoms and share wine, but it will never be like the carefree days of my youth," the young man murmured.

“I’ve heard this poem before; that friend read it to me. But it’s not true when it comes to tea. I went to China in the 1980s, and the head of the Zhou family gave me a lot of tea. I tasted it, and, well, it was almost exactly the same as what I drank when I was young,” Angers said.

"It seems some things haven't changed." Gu Yi gazed at the tea leaves unfurling in the tea tray.

"You're right, some things never change."

Gu Yi picked up his teacup. "What brings you here today, Principal? I haven't been able to reach you for the past two weeks."

“I’m sorry, I’ve been very busy since the Baltimore incident. I just finished an emergency meeting in Europe yesterday.” Angers shrugged.

"Will you hold a meeting with the board of directors?"

"That's right, they're amazed by your record. Nobody believes a newcomer can directly suppress a third-generation species."

The boy twirled his teacup with a self-deprecating smile, "It had just crawled out of its cocoon and hadn't fully recovered its strength yet. Besides, I had time to cheat without any tricks up my sleeve."

“Don’t underestimate yourself. That’s a third-generation species, a core force in the dragon race. It’s a miracle that you were able to suppress and defeat it head-on. No one in Kassel’s history has ever done that,” Angers comforted him.

Gu Yi smiled slightly, "The principal is very professional at comforting people."

The two exchanged a smile, and Angers said, "As educators, learning how to maintain students' confidence is a required course."

“Principal, I wasn’t cooked by the dragon flames back then, mainly because of the zero time limit and the bloodlust.” Gu Yi drank the tea soup dry.

"I see. So you've been looking for me for the past two weeks to ask about this?" Angers poured Gu Yi another cup.

"Yes, I have too many questions about Bloodlust."

Angers paused slightly in his hand holding the pitcher: "I guess what you want to ask, it's about the degree of bloodlust, isn't it?"

Gu Yi nodded. "That's right. According to the scroll, I can only approach the first level of Bloodlust right now, and I still struggle against dragons. So how can I advance to the second or even third level?"

“You’re really in a hurry. Let me explain the bloodline threshold for hybrids to you first. As everyone knows, the bloodline threshold is fifty percent, and no one in this academy exceeds fifty percent,” Angers said.

"I know this. Bloodlust is about breaking through the upper limit of the Bloodline Limit."

"That applies to A-rank and S-rank individuals with very high bloodlines. Ordinary hybrids using Bloodlust are only approaching the threshold of bloodline limits. With high bloodlines, one can easily break through the 50% threshold of bloodline limits, allowing dragon genes to dominate. I think you've probably experienced dragonification, right?"

Gu Yi recalled, "That's right, black scales appeared on my body, like I was wearing armor."

"That's right, because you broke through the Bloodline Limit, so the dragon transformation occurred. This is also why the higher the bloodline level, the more effective the release of Bloodlust is."

Gu Yi's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the teacup. "Then why can't I advance to the second or even third degree?"

"Bloodline is a double-edged sword. You can indeed gain great power more easily, but every step of improvement comes at a higher price. The second blood surge will further relax the brain's control over dragon blood in order to refine the bloodline more deeply. For someone like you who can easily break through the threshold, it's like running blindfolded on the edge of a cliff."

Angers continued, "To give an imperfect analogy, you're like a supercar equipped with a V12 engine, easily breaking 300 km/h. Those with mediocre pedigrees are just family cars, with a limit of only 220 km/h. But when you both modify your engines, you can reach 375 km/h, but every subsequent increase becomes exponentially more difficult. He, on the other hand, after tuning, can relatively easily reach 320 km/h."

"I understand," Gu Yi sighed softly.

"Your bloodline grants you a higher starting point, but it also shortens the distance to falling into the abyss. Every breakthrough is a gamble for you, and you'd better not attempt a second blood surge now."

Gu Yi put down his teacup: "I understand, Principal. Thank you."

Ang nodded: "Of course."

“Principal, I have another question. When I released Bloodlust, that third-generation creature reacted very strangely. It was shocked as if it had seen something that shouldn’t exist, and it babbled a bunch of things that I couldn’t understand.”

"Is he chanting incantations?" Angers asked curiously.

"It sounds more like a curse. You know, I'm terrible at Dragon Script..." Gu Yi scratched his head awkwardly.

“I understand now. Bloodlust is called the path to godhood by the dragons. They are always shocked when they see humans using Bloodlust, and this third-generation species should be the same.”

"The Path to Godhood?" Gu Yi leaned forward. "I thought this technology was the Lionheart Society's own research achievement, but it seems that this technology existed in the Dragon Clan era?"

Angers looked at Gu Yi and said, “It is very likely. But unfortunately, the Bloodlust was developed by Meneke Kassel and Viscount Charlotte. After the Kassel Manor was destroyed, we lost most of the documents on Bloodlust, so its specific origin can no longer be investigated.”

Gu Yi lowered his voice: "Is it that Summer Mourning incident?"

“That’s right, the friend who used to bring me tea also died there.” Angers glanced at the wall clock. “I’m sorry, Gu Yi, I really wanted to tell you the details of the Summer Mourning, but I have other things to do later. I’ll tell you next time we have afternoon tea.”

"Okay, Principal."

"I have something else to discuss with you today." Angers took out a document.

"what?"

"Schneider requested that the Executive Bureau may frequently require you to go on fieldwork in the future." The principal pushed the document onto the table. "Do you agree? You can refuse if you don't want to."

The boy glanced at the document cover and saw the emblem of the Executive Department. "Uh, I have no objection."

As Angers nodded, the bronze pendulum clock struck the hour. "Very good," he said, "you can save many lives on the front lines."

"I will do my best, Principal." Gu Yi said with some helplessness, feeling a bit of pressure carrying such high expectations.

Angers gently placed the teacup on the table and solemnly asked, "So, Gu Yi, could I entrust you with a personal matter?"

"Private?" The young man raised an eyebrow slightly.

The old gentleman's silver hair gleamed softly in the twilight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows: "The Japanese branch has been rather perfunctory in its communications with headquarters lately. I should have gone there myself, but unfortunately, I'm simply too busy at the moment. Could you please go to Tokyo?"

“Me?” Gu Yi was stunned. “What do you need me to do? And Principal… I’m just a student.”

"Just go there as my messenger." The old man winked slyly. "Remind them of their duties, and while you're at it, listen and observe, and help me visit a few old friends."

The boy gazed at the darkening sky outside the window: "When do we set off?"

"No rush, let's wait until December. Could you please skip your winter break then?"

Gu Yi shrugged. "No problem, I live alone in my home in China anyway."

“I’m not one to exploit students. I’ll grant you a two-week vacation after you finish the task. You can go back to your home country and visit,” Angers said.

"I understand," Gu Yi nodded.

Angers stood up. "Let's talk about it later. Do you have classes tonight?" "No."

“Then see you next time.” Angers extended his hand. “Gu Yi, it was a pleasure chatting with you.”

"Okay, Principal, goodbye." Gu Yi shook Angers' hand.

Before Gu Yi could finish speaking, the old gentleman's figure had already disappeared. The boy blinked instinctively, and when his pupils refocused, he was the only one left in the entire office.

"So that's how Fingel and the others feel." He scoffed self-deprecatingly.

A faint commotion came from outside the door. As the boy closed the door behind him, the setting sun was gilding the entire academy with gold, and students carrying textbooks walked in twos and threes along the ginkgo avenue, golden leaves fluttering on their shoulders.

"Japan, ah."

·
When Gu Yi pushed open the dormitory door, Fingel was sprawled in a swivel chair humming an off-key tune. Seeing him come in, he quickly sat up, gesturing wildly, and said, "Junior brother! Guess what good stuff I got my hands on?"

"It can't be anything legitimate." Gu Yi unloaded his backpack by the door.

“Witnessing an era.” Fingel pulled a silver object from his pocket. “iPhone 3! Now I’m an Apple fan too!”

The boy frowned and examined it closely: "Selling kidneys?"

"What kidneys?" Fingel paused for two seconds and then jumped up. "These are from the legitimate source! You know midterms are coming up soon, right? I managed to get all the exam papers."

"How did you do that? Did you even physically break through the firewall?" Gu Yi was stunned.

"Please, all the exam papers are in Norma's system. How am I supposed to break through with my physical body?" Fingel waved his hand dismissively. "I can't work with a fool like you."

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how you use that phrase…” Gu Yi sighed, “Never mind that for now, how did you even do that?”

"Then don't worry about it, I have a brilliant plan." Fingel waved his phone smugly.

"What if you get caught? How long will you be locked up in solitary confinement?"

“High risk, high reward,” Fingel said, opening the file list on his phone. “Most of the exam papers for various majors are here.”

Gu Yi stared at the icon for "Dragon Script Analysis," then suddenly adopted a gentler tone: "Fingal, haven't I treated you well?"

Fingel protected his phone. "What do you mean? Why don't you explain yourself more clearly?"

Gu Yi's expression suddenly turned cold: "I've treated you to plenty of late-night snacks."

Fingel chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "That's true."

"Could you give me the Dragon Script exam paper? I haven't prepared at all for next week's exam." Gu Yi paused for a moment and added, "And I'll treat you to a nice meal."

The German immediately patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me! We're like brothers!"

"Senior brother hasn't come back yet?" Gu Yi glanced at Chu Zihang's bed, which was almost exactly the same as it was this morning.

Fingel sighed at the computer screen: "My stoic junior brother is a very busy man now. He leaves before dawn and doesn't come back until night."

“Normal.” Gu Yi rolled over and jumped onto the bed.

"Want to play Monster Hunter?" Fingel asked, shaking the game controller.

"You play by yourself for now." Gu Yi took out his phone. "I'll check my messages for a bit."

Fingel reluctantly put on his headphones, and the flash of his katana instantly filled the room. The boy opened his messaging app; the panda icon at the top was flashing.

Gu Yi: Are you there?

Lu Mingfei replied instantly: Oh, so you finally remembered me by the Daming Lake, sir? I thought you'd forgotten me long ago.
Gu Yi: Stop messing around, we just chatted a short while ago.

Lu Mingfei: You call that chatting? You disappear after saying three sentences. Anyone who didn't know better would think you got robbed by some gangsters!

Gu Yi: They should be white.

Lu Mingfei: Is there a difference?
Gu Yi: Most of the robbers of stores were Black, but the robbers along the road were mostly white.

Lu Mingfei: ? ? ?

Gu Yi: White drug addicts usually don't have money to buy drugs, so they like to beg for money along the way.

Lu Mingfei: You Americans are so damn honest and kind!

Gu Yi smiled when he saw Lu Mingfei's message, turned over to adjust to a more comfortable position, and typed while lying on his back: It's early morning in China right now, you've just entered the school, right?

Lu Mingfei: That's right, luckily our school doesn't really crack down on cell phones or hair.

Gu Yi: It doesn't matter to you. You're already unlucky with a bald head anyway, so it makes no difference.

Lu Mingfei's typing status flashed wildly, and the message "The other party is typing..." repeatedly appeared at the top of the chat box. Gu Yi waited half a minute before receiving two words: Bitch!
Gu Yi laughed so hard he rolled around on the bed: By the way, I might go back to China in December or January.

Lu Mingfei: Huh? Why? You got fired.
Gu Yi: Get lost, there's winter break here.

Lu Mingfei: I remember now, it's Christmas. Okay, I'll pick you up then.

Gu Yi: I'm going to Japan first. Is there anything you'd like to bring back?
Lu Mingfei: Why are you going to Japan again?

Gu Yi: An exchange student, who has been here for a while.

Lu Mingfei: That's great! You'll be going to Akihabara, right? I'll make a list of things and send it to you then.

Gu Yi: Okay.

Lu Mingfei: By the way, Lao Tang wants to send me something. You're in the US, so why don't you bring it back for me? Otherwise, it'll be incredibly expensive to go through international shipping.

Gu Yi: ? Isn't Old Tang very rich?

Lu Mingfei: Sigh, you don't understand. Life isn't easy. No wife, no children, all alone out there. Every penny counts.

Gu Yi: You're quite considerate. Here's what I'll do: I'll send you the address later, but it has to go through a special postal channel. Have him mail it to me.

Lu Mingfei: Okay, tell me, if I have Lao Tang stuff a few packets of heroin in there, how long will you be sentenced when you come back?

Gu Yi: You motherfucker….
Lu Mingfei: Enough said, the first class is about to begin.

The panda avatar went out instantly.

Gu Yi was furious and his thumb flew across the keyboard: "You're using that same hit-and-run tactic again? Are you a groundhog?"
The red icon for the Night Watchers forum suddenly popped up at the top of the screen. The young man raised an eyebrow; he had set up special notifications, so he would only receive messages from select individuals. He opened his private messages; a handsome avatar was flashing.

Vivian: Junior brother, want to come out and get something to eat?
The mattress creaked slightly. Gu Yi grabbed his coat and jumped off the bed. "I'm going out for a bit."

"Now?" Fingel abruptly ripped off his headphones. "Can you bring me something?"

"Pork knuckle." As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Yi disappeared from the dormitory.

Fingel clicked his tongue: "Time Zero is perfect for a horror movie."

(End of this chapter)