Chapter 55: The Man Who Lives Off A Woman


    Trantor: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales


    “Alright, alright, even if that’s true, what does it have to do with any of you?


    Zhu Minng, don’t mind them. You go back to the Dragon Taming Academy. You don’t need toe to the foundry these few days,” Master Zhao Long red at the apprentices and said.


    “Sure, my armor is already finished. I also forged a few chainmail robes with the leftover materials. Please help me sell them for a good price, Master Zhao,” Zhu Minng said.


    “No problem, your craftsmanship is quite good. After this idle gossip blows over, you’re always wee here,” Master Zhao Long said.


    “I think it’s better not toe. What’s the status of the Valkyrie? The entire Ancestral Dragon City-State admires and adores her, countless of whom are dignitaries and nobles. If they knew he was in our shop, how could we have peace?” The headmaster spoke up, he didn’t want to invite trouble.


    “It’s not Zhu Minng’s fault, he’s a good person. If anyone’s to me, it could only be…” Zhao Long felt somewhat indignant for Zhu Minng.


    “Master Zhao, it’s alright. There’s no problem with what the headmaster said. I understand. Anyway, my main reason foring here was to forge a piece of armor, and now that it’splete, I can go. Just don’t forget to pay me for the pieces I’ve left here to sell,” Zhu Minng said with a broad-minded air.


    “Now, these rumors really are deadly. A perfectly fine young man has been harassed to the point where he can’t find peace. What about the Valkyrie? Can’t the Valkyrie have feelings for a decent and honorable young man like our little Zhu? I think Zhu Minng is great, and he deserves her!” Master Zhao Long eximed loudly.


    However, his words just drew a burst of strangeughter from those around, especially that apprentice called Zhou Xin, whoughed the loudest.


    “Come on, even if Zhu Minng were to be reborn, he still wouldn’t be worthy of her,” Zhou Xinughed even more unreservedly.


    “But Zhu Minng did sleep with the Valkyrie.” Somebody uttered quietly, not sure who.


    This statement stopped theughter of the apprentices immediately.


    “I’ve never even met her, but the artist’s depiction of the Valkyrie is indeed very beautiful…


    “I saw her once during a festival, and she’s much more beautiful than in the paintings.”


    As they chatted, the atmosphere gradually changed from mockery to gnashing of teeth!


    Why hadn’t such good fortune befallen them, why were they forging iron here at that time instead of wandering around Wutu!


    Zhu Minng walked down the street towards the exterior of the State Wall.


    Although the bustling main street didn’t disy the recklessly posted


    portraits, once he ventured into smaller alleys, there were more of them than


    wanted posters, with some people even copying them, fearing their faces


    wouldn’t spread far enough.


    Such a waste of time!


    Probably those bad singers and the leading courtesans on the painted boats didn’t be as famous as fast as he did. Overnight, their long-believed identity of the wandering beggar became known: his name was Zhu Minng!


    Fortunately, appearances can be somewhat deceiving. Zhu Minng walked on the big street, and nobody stared at him thoughtlessly, firmly convinced he was that man.


    However, being scrutinized a bit longer by people or engaging in conversation, it was mostly likely that they would harbor suspicions.


    Walking back to the Dragon Taming Academy, Zhu Minng felt the power of public opinion. Perhaps this matter had been fermenting for a long time, and finally, there was a version close to the truth. Everyone was intrigued and looking forward to the developments…


    After all, Li Yunzi had regained the status of Female Monarch, bing the sun and moon’s glow of the Ancestral Dragon City-State.


    “Little brother, you’re something else,” Fang Niannian said, eyeing Zhu Minng as if she had been waiting there all day by the bridge, her basket of unsold peaches beside her.


    “Your peaches are going to rot,” Zhu Minng remarked.


    “I knew at first nce you were the type to live off a woman, and it turns out I was right,” Fang Niannian didn’t care about her peaches.


    Snow…kes fluttering, the north wind howling.


    Zhu Minng stood forlorn in the cold falling snow, feeling as if the chaos of the wind was pping his cheeks!


    Zhu Minng didn’t care about others’ teasing since most people couldn’t hit where it hurt.


    But this girl, her words pierced right to the heart!


    A crushing defeat among defeats!


    Taking a deep breath, Zhu Minng tried his best to regte his emotions.


    After all, she was just a girl, not a demon from the abyss; even a demon would probably lose its sanity and crawl back to itsir after meeting her.


    “It’s winter now, and there’s a kind of Mountain Snow Orchid. Check if it is avable in the market. I need your family to help me turn them all into honey. Also, look for autumn phoebe wood, preferably fresh wood. If you can find these two things, buy them regardless of the price, all of them. Here’s yourmission, ” Zhu Minng handed Fang Niannian a few pieces of gold sand.


    “Okay, Mr. Zhu,” Fang Niannian immediately said sweetly, even curtsying a bit.


    “Just keep calling me brother; ‘Mr. Zhu’ sounds odd,” Zhu Minng said with a wry smile.


    “Little brother, is the Valkyrie sister fair-skinned, busty?” Fang Niannian asked with a secretive air.


    The words of a young girl, yet they are phrases fit for a lustful beast!!


    And what does that gleaming look in her tiny eyes mean, huh?


    You a girl, are you drooling over this too!


    The snowkes fell, and on theke at night, the snow resembled white petals, which, under the illumination of thentern-lit boats, was actually rather beautiful.


    Passing through the frost-covered forest, Zhu Minng made his way to his dwelling. For some reason, he had an ominous premonition, especially after the conversation with Fang Niannian by the bridge…


    When he arrived at the door, his dwelling was even more tranquil than he had imagined. Perhaps because of the cold weather and falling snow, everyone must have been hiding inside their houses.


    “How can there be people in this world who are so idle?”


    He pushed open the courtyard door and returned to his room to sleep. Today’sst process had almost drained his spiritual power. He needed to rest for a few days, and take the opportunity to attend more sses and learn.


    The academy was indeed wonderful, like an idyllic paradise, free from the troublesome dust of the world.


    Having developed the habit of getting up early, Zhu Minng didn’t sleep in, even on a cold day. After visiting the young dragons, he held his books and headed to the ssroom.


    Today was the day for the monthly lecture.


    It was free, so he had to go.


    As soon as he entered the ssroom, it was already full of people. There were students who were already Dragon Trainers, as well as those still lingering under the Dragon Gate, presumably because today’s lecture was important for both groups of students.


    Having found a seat and settled down, Zhu Minng was just about to open his book to learn about the Forest Giant Dragons when suddenly a few dozen people stood up around him, in unison.


    Zhu Minng thought a teacher had arrived and subconsciously stood up to salute, but then he realized these people were all staring at him, as if a was already set here, just waiting for him to walk into it.


    “Are you Zhu Minng?” one of the fair and handsome young men dressed in fur asked as he took the lead in questioning.


    Zhu Minng looked at the man, feeling that he had seen him somewhere before.


    After thinking carefully, he seemed to recall that it was in the Book Pavilion that day, where this gentleman expressed a few sentiments of unworthiness for Li Yunzi.


    He remembered that his words did not contain the crudenguage of those few young students but rather a sense of regret.


    He must be an admirer and lover of the Valkyrie.


    The problem was why he seemed ready to use and confront, and he was apparently not the only one with such thoughts!


    Did they know that he would definitely attend this monthly lecture today?


    Zhu Minng nced around and noticed that a few of his dorm mates, whom he seldom greeted, were also in the ssroom, and their eyes were avoiding his.


    No wonder his courtyard was so quietst night; it turned out they had agreed to intercept him here today.


    He had thought that the atmosphere within the academy would not be as vtile as the outside world, but it seemed it was the same on this issue.


    “Whether or not you are Zhu Minng, do you not even dare to admit that much?” the fair and handsome man in the fur coat asked again.


    “Yes, I am. May I know why so many fellow seniors have gathered here?” Zhu Minng responded.


    “How dare you ask. Is that vagrant from Wutu you?” A person behind the fair young man in the fur coat asked angrily.


    “That is absolutely a rumor,” Zhu Minng immediately replied.


    The fair young man in fur scrutinized Zhu Minng closely, finding him to be quite unremarkable.


    “Since it is a rumor, how do you n to rify this matter?” the fair young man, who seemed to be the most prestigious among the group,manded the attention of the others—they ceased their chatter when he spoke.


    “In fact, she and I had an immediate rapport and mutual affection. There is no such thing as a dungeon; it’s merely that some people cannot stand to see us happy together and cannot bear to see a beauty with a heart that belongs.


    Thus, they concoct such vicious methods to belittle me and insult her,” Zhu Minng stated righteously to the crowd.


    “Li Yunzi felt an immediate rapport with you? You?” The fair young man, who had maintained someposure until then, immediately showed a look of disdain and disgust upon hearing Zhu Minng’s words.


    “Yes, it’s nothing more than the mostmon experience of mutual joy between a man and a woman, yet certain malicious individuals have twisted it into something ugly. It’s likely that there are also some rumors spread by enemies to nder the illustrious image of our Ancestral Dragon City’s Valkyrie. Of course, to vilify me, Zhu Minng, as well. Therefore, I think that the rumor-mongers are either spies from enemy cities or twisted admirers of Li Yunzi,” Zhu Minng continued, his voice tinged with indignant righteousness.


    “Don’t spout such nonsense here. Why would the Female Monarch fancy you?” The male students expressed their disbelief.


    “Matters of the heart are hard to exin clearly. In truth, I also do not understand why I fell in love with her. Perhaps love for someone does not need a reason,” Zhu Minng said with a touch of a poet’s mncholy.


    With one hand holding the book, his eves deep and contemtive, he gazed


    out the window at the cold plum blossoms, like a true poet, sometimes expressing joy, sometimes recalling sweet smiles, and sometimes murmuring infatuatedly…


    The expressions of the people around him changed.


    Especially the fair young man, his eyes aze with a demonic light!


    He had never seen such a shameless person before.


    To not even understand why he had fallen for her?


    Were these words spoken by a human?


    The name of the Valkyrie is not only due to her unrivaled wisdom and bravery but also because of her beauty, like a fairy from the heavens. Everyone who saw her marveled at the beauty that stunned the world.


    Did you, a nameless nonentity, need to rack your brains to figure out why you were smitten with her?


    We’re all men!