Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from Sekiro

The immortal being in the Buddhist temple was both a teacher and a friend to Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei did not know his name. He was wearing a warrior's armor, but the style was very old, as if he had lived through a very long time and lost his past in the boundless expanse of life.

The samurai's only wish is to die like a normal person.

But he couldn't do it, because he was an immortal. He stayed in a corner of the Buddhist temple, and no matter if it was windy or rainy, he was like an old tree, rooted in the same place, staring blankly at the sky, as if that was his final resting place.

It was he who taught Lu Mingfei how to fight, how to detect, parry, and execute... even the martial arts manuals he found were all thanks to him, which enabled Lu Mingfei to cultivate superb swordsmanship and skills.

"Excellent, Your Excellency!"

"One more time, sir!"

He always encouraged Lu Mingfei in this way.

The only thing Lu Mingfei could do was to fulfill his wish after obtaining the Mortal Blade.

That night, he sat in the bamboo grove, placed the samurai's sword in front of him, and drank a lot of wine.

The ale was bitter; the poor brewing technique couldn't even remove all the husks. Lu Mingfei simply sat cross-legged, poured the ale onto the nearly rusty katana, and then drank it down.

As the torrential rain began, Miss Yongzhen held an umbrella for him. He planted the samurai's sword in front of the samurai's grave, picked up the wedge-shaped weapon at his waist, and let the downpour soak his hair and body.

On a rainy night, Death hunts down evil spirits, and at that moment, he thought this was his destiny.

His own solitary destiny.

If only he had known that Chinese poem back then.

I see you off as you return to your homeland, while I lie ill in the secluded mountains of Chu.

I can only follow you; how can I stay behind alone?

He could recite this poem, offering it as a tribute to his friend in the night, and using the blood of evil spirits to pave the way to the underworld.

He would tell all the ghosts that he, Lu Mingfei, was protecting this person, and no one could disturb his reincarnation into a wealthy family to enjoy the life of being breastfed by a plump wet nurse.

"Beautiful, Your Excellency, let's do it again." Familiar words seemed to echo in my ears.

Okay, okay, Senso-ji Temple, you win. I'll never say your fortune slips are inaccurate again.

Lu Mingfei seemed to have returned to that torrential rainy night. He just kept hacking and hacking with his knife until the rain stopped, until the sun rose, until he returned to the Buddhist temple with his blood-stained clothes, only to find that he was the only one left wielding the knife...

This is Sekiro's destiny.

Chapter Thirty-Six: I'll Stare You into a Fool!

Lu Mingfei stared at the nictitating membrane of the dragon eye. The Mortal Blade did not return with him. The only possessions he brought back were the Kusarigama, which he never took off his clothes while sleeping, and the Kusarigama was still hidden under his aunt's bed.

However, it seems that only the first and second generation species are difficult to kill. What generation is this one in front of us?

Seemingly sensing that its life was being coveted by some terrifying being, the red dragon, submerged in formalin solution, suddenly opened its eyes—golden eyes. Its entire body convulsed from head to tail, and it stretched its neck, roaring at Lu Mingfei.

Just like a puppy taunting someone who has invaded its territory, scorching dragon flames ignited in its throat and shot out!

It struggled to spread its wings, about to break free from the glass bottle's confinement. It had awakened, and though its body was only the size of a cat, it possessed the majesty of a dragon.

But the next second, it suddenly fell silent.

Because Lu Mingfei's eyes changed; they were filled with murderous intent.

The faint dragon flames were extinguished in the pale yellow formalin solution. It trembled all over, like a pitiful cub, curled up in a ball, and whimpered. Then, in the next instant, its head lolled to the side and it fainted—it had been frightened unconscious.

Professor Guderian and Masafumi Tomiyama were dumbfounded. The ancient specimens came to life before their eyes, only to be stared into a daze by a pair of human eyes.

Is this a joke? Is Lu Mingfei some kind of humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex?

“Did you see that?” Professor Guderian nudged Masafumi Tomiyama on the shoulder.

Masashi Tomiyama's face turned pale, and he nodded repeatedly: "I'm not blind, but... how could it have woken up today!"

"What happened? Did those guys at the archives get the label wrong?" He suddenly raised his voice. "Its awakening date is supposed to be 2077! They're going to kill us with these random labels! It just spewed dragon fire! You know what dragon fire is!"

"Luckily, our S-class has a fierce enough gaze." Professor Guderian wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave Lu Mingfei a thumbs up. "One look was enough to make it lose its temper. It truly deserves to be an S-class."

"But... its awakening date was calculated by Professor Manstein, so it shouldn't be wrong, unless... unless it's a bloodline summoning!"

"Bloodline summoning?" Masashi Tomiyama turned to look at Lu Mingfei, his gaze clearly sizing up a monster.

The hierarchy among dragons is extremely strict, with higher-ranking bloodlines having near-total dominance over lower-ranking bloodlines.

This red dragon is a third-generation species, so from whom does Lu Mingfei's bloodline come?

Second-generation species? Sub-generation species? Or...?

No, impossible! Humans cannot carry a higher bloodline!

Masashi Tomiyama shook his head vigorously, not daring to go any deeper. However, he was clearly farther away from Lu Mingfei than before.

"Besides bloodline summoning, what else could cause dragons to awaken prematurely?" Professor Guderian's gaze was burning as he patted Lu Mingfei's shoulder forcefully. He didn't care at all how outstanding Lu Mingfei's S-rank performance was. "It's your powerful bloodline that's summoning it! Lu Mingfei, now you know what an amazing person you are!"

“But I didn’t do anything.” Lu Mingfei looked embarrassed; he was not used to being praised.

“The Dragon Emperor can subdue humans with just a glance. You did nothing but glare at this red dragon until it was scrambling for its teeth. You must be a dragon hybrid with the abilities of a next-generation species!” Professor Guderian nodded vigorously at Lu Mingfei.

"Mixed blood? Dragon mixed blood? How can dragons mix with humans? Will they become human like in mythology?" Lu Mingfei asked doubtfully.

"Well..." Professor Guderian and Masafumi Tomiyama did not want to continue discussing this topic, because it represented the most humiliating and cruel period of human history.

"In short, you need to know that the vast majority of people in this academy are dragon hybrids. Do you know how we determine class? Class refers to bloodline class. The reason you are 'S' class is because you have extremely high-grade, high-purity dragon blood."

Lu Mingfei was dumbfounded. Did he actually have dragon blood?

He looked at his hands, where fine dragon scales seemed to have grown. He felt a tickle in his throat and was a little afraid that he might suddenly breathe fire out of his mouth.

Where is this place? A dragon-hybrid academy?

Do I have horns on my head? A tail behind me? Are we all little dragons? Why don't we start a Little Dragon Club and invite Uncle Nick to teach kids crafts?

His bloodline concentration is extremely high? How did a boy who grew up under the red flag suddenly turn into a reptile?

No, wait, maybe what they're saying is true...

Lu Mingfei hadn't forgotten his superhuman physical abilities. In Ashina, he could fool people with the excuse of Dragon's Blood, but here... wait! Isn't Dragon's Blood just a hybrid of dragons?

Good heavens! No matter what he says, he can't argue with it! He's just a damned dragon hybrid!

"Can I still drop out of school?" Lu Mingfei raised his hand.

“Well, it’s possible…” Professor Guderian said disappointedly, “but your memory will be erased! After witnessing the true nature of the world, do you really want to just slink away like that?”

"That world is unimaginably vast; the world you knew before was as insignificant as a grain of rice placed on a wasteland."

"Join us and contribute to the great cause of mankind!" Professor Guderian said with a noble expression, as if he were a revolutionary martyr.

Lu Mingfei silently lowered his hand and sighed.

"I should have known, I should have known."

"Don't be so discouraged." Professor Guderian put his arm around Lu Mingfei's shoulder. "Is there anything else you want to ask? Dr. Masafumi Tomiyama and I are ready to answer your questions anytime."

“It’s gone.” Lu Mingfei said with a relieved expression.

"Excellent!" The professor's eyes gleamed as he pulled out a stack of documents. "I've long prepared a training plan for you! This is the plan, with several schemes I've devised for you, all capable of earning 13 credits. Among the freshmen, absolutely no one can compare to you. I want to make you the second truly deserving 'S'-class student in Kassel College's more than forty years!"

"Excuse me, who is my mentor?" Lu Mingfei asked anxiously.

“Of course it’s me,” Professor Guderian said, puffing out his chest.

"My God, is this what my college life is like?!" Lu Mingfei roared to the sky.

He hadn't forgotten that Fingel, the senior who had repeated four years, was taught by this excellent old professor in front of him.

"Haha, your university life hasn't even started yet," Professor Guderian laughed. "It's going to be very exciting, but before that, you have to pass the '3E' exam. Otherwise, you'll be forcibly deported back to your home country. But don't worry, with the bloodline you just demonstrated, this is just an appetizer, not even enough to fill a tooth gap. You will definitely become the best student in the academy!"

“The exam… is over… it’s all over…” Lu Mingfei’s eyes were glazed over, and he started babbling.

“Our ‘S’ class is really funny.” Professor Guderian patted Masashi Tomiyama on the back.

“Maybe…yes…” Masashi Tomiyama looked at Mingfei Lu with some concern.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Four-Degree Graduation Plan

Masashi Tomiyama collected the scales and specimens and ran off; he had other things to do, mainly concerning the suddenly awakened red dragon cub.

This is unprecedented, and to prevent such an accident from happening again, every possible scenario must be investigated.

Lu Mingfei and Professor Guderian stayed in the room studying the course selection plan for the first semester. There was a computer in the study where they could pre-select courses.

Since there's a professor around, he might as well go back and study the talent development plan in that student handbook and quickly select the courses for the first semester while there's someone knowledgeable about it.

"Look at this, 'Introduction to Dragon Family Genealogy'. Next semester there's an advanced course called 'Mastery of Dragon Family Genealogy'. Although it's an elective, almost every student will choose it."

Professor Guderian gestured at the computer for a while.

"There are also 'Magic Design Level 1' and 'Alchemy Chemistry Level 1', these are your professional elective courses. For foreign languages, I suggest you choose 'Old Norse'. For physical education, you can choose 'Tai Chi'. This is my most recommended option. The rest can be selected with one click."

"Aren't these elective courses...too many?" Lu Mingfei looked at his densely packed schedule and felt a little uneasy.

He lacks confidence in learning textbook knowledge, especially subjects like chemistry and design, which sound daunting.

"I read in the handbook that you only need to take 15 credits of elective courses over four years of university. Do I have to take 13 credits in my first semester?"

“Those were non-major electives; major electives are counted separately,” Professor Guderian said. “In fact, you only took eight credits.”

"In my plan, you will be able to complete all your elective credits next semester, and then apply for a double degree in your sophomore year! Apply for a triple degree in your junior year! Upon graduation, you will become the first student in the college's history to graduate with four degrees!"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Lu Mingfei quickly interrupted the old professor's fantasy: "I just want to graduate, I just want to get a degree! And then get my diploma!"

"But you're a genius! A one-of-a-kind 'S' class!"

“I said! I only want a degree!” Lu Mingfei gritted his teeth and looked stubbornly at Professor Guderian.

Lu Mingfei was like a woman who had lost her virginity for no reason. Holding the white bed sheet, she stared resentfully at the frivolous old professor sitting on the edge of the bed smoking. Her eyes seemed to say, "You defiled my body, so you have to take responsibility!"

"Well... alright..." Professor Guderian lowered his head, muttered something under his breath, and then swiped the mouse to cancel the extra courses.

Now the timetable looks much cleaner.

"Phew..." Lu Mingfei breathed a long sigh of relief. He was really afraid of getting a bunch of red failing grades at the end of the semester.

"Or perhaps we could reconsider," Professor Guderian said, moving the mouse over the course selection button. "Follow my plan, and you'll become the most outstanding graduate in the college's history!"

"Professor, I'm a little hungry. Where's the cafeteria?" Lu Mingfei smiled and gently pried Professor Guderian's fingers off the mouse one by one, then clicked the red "X" in the upper right corner of the course selection system and clicked "Shut Down" in the Start menu.