Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 358 : First Day Of School (1)

Chapter 358: Chapter 358 : First Day Of School (1)

Following the last fight that took place between Zhang Fengxi and the First Demon King, the area around the Crystal Jade Pond and Pavilion sustained considerable damage.

It took the hardworking palace staff almost a year to recover the beautiful landscape, and another six months to rebuild the pavilion.

As of now, the Crystal Jade Pond had regained its crystalline clarity, reflecting the boundless sky once more. The Pavilion, reborn from its ruins, stood tall and proud again, the shiny golden plates that adorned its rooftop shimmering in the sunlight.

The Grand Tutor opened another class for the young nobles of the realm a few weeks ago. Both Zhang Mingrui and Xie Junjie were too young to join then. Now that they have reached their fifth year of life, it was time for them to embark on their educational journey and mingle with their peers from other palaces.

Clad in their princely robes, each depicting the clan they represented, the twin princes followed their father to the Golden Dragon Palace the next morning.

Dangling from Zhang Fengxi’s hands, the little boys nodded from time to time as they listened to their father’s instructions.

"Remember to behave during the lessons," Zhang Fengxi said in a low voice.

"Un."

"The Grand Tutor does not like undisciplined kids. You don’t want to be punished on your first day."

"Un," Xie Junjie said.

"Daddy, is the Grand Tutor scary?" Zhang Mingrui asked with a frown.

Zhang Fengxi chuckled when he recalled his younger days.

"Yeah. He can breathe out fire."

"....."

"But he especially doted on your mother. You two look so similar to him, I am sure that he will look favorably upon you."

Zhang Mingrui bounced happily as he tugged at his father’s hand.

"Daddy, was Mommy a good student?"

"Oh, yes," Zhang Fengxi quipped. "Your mother was an excellent student. He was always top of the class, he studied diligently and worked hard on his cultivation day after day."

Xie Junjie looked up at his father.

"Father, were you second best in the class then?"

"..."

Zhang Fengxi cleared his throat.

"Yes. Yes, I was," he lied through his teeth.

The pavilion buzzed with the energy of young life. Children, of varying ages but none below five years, filled the room, their laughter and chatter echoing through the rafters.

Every child bore distinct features on their bodies that pointed out their birth clan.

The young phoenixes, for example, had wing-shaped markings at the end of their eyes.

The oxen calves had two curved horns on top of their heads.

The wolf cubs sported wolf ears and bushy tails, and so on.

When Zhang Fengxi arrived with the twins, the chatter within the room died out within an instant.

Pairs of big, curious eyes were directed to the two newcomers -- one a tiger cub and one a dragon young.

Zhang Fengxi gave his boys an encouraging shove toward their new classmates.

"Go on, now. Grandmother will pick you up after class. Do not run around as you please, or your Grandmother will be quite upset."

After Zhang Fengxi left, Zhang Mingrui grabbed his younger twin’s hand and dragged him toward two empty seats.

"Hello!" He beamed at his new classmates. "My name is Mingrui, I am from Longjing Palace. This is my little brother Junjie, he is from Fuxi Palace."

As Zhang Mingrui’s enthusiastic introduction filled the air, a wave of warmth washed over the faces of the other children. They, one by one, emerged from their shells, blossoming into introductions.

Xie Junjie let his brother do all the talking, while he observed his new classmates one by one.

Some of them vibrated with joyful energy, while some were reminiscent of shy, delicate flowers.

When the Grand Tutor emerged at the entrance door, all children ceased their chatter again, and everyone sat obediently behind their desks.

The Grand Tutor marched slowly past the rows of desks and observed the tiny faces in the room one by one. He quickly discovered two new additions to the class.

"Zhang Mingrui, Xie Junjie," he called out to the two boys, who looked up as soon as their names were called. "Welcome to the class. Be mindful of your attitude and speech and get along well with your peers. I will not tolerate any misbehavior in my presence."

Zhang Mingrui turned stiff in his seat. "Yes, Grand Tutor!" he exclaimed while bowing his head to avoid looking his teacher in the eyes.

Xie Junjie, on the other side, blinked at the Grand Tutor with a face full of curiosity. The elder man’s words were harsh, but the little dragon was pretty sure that his eyes were full of smiles.

"Yes, Grand Tutor," he said in a meek voice.

The Grand Tutor’s heart liquefied like warm honey. A wave of memories washed over him, transporting him back twenty years to a similar greeting from a child who bore an uncanny resemblance to the one standing before him. Xie Junjie, a miracle child born from the union of alpha tiger and omega dragon, was like a living, breathing echo of the Crown Prince himself, a miniature version reborn with a destiny waiting to unfold.

When he snapped from his trance, tens of pairs of big eyes were staring in his direction.

The Grand Tutor cleared his throat and assumed a stern facial expression again.

"Today, we are going to learn some poetries. Does anyone know of any poem to recite in front of the class?"

All children cowered in his seat, except for Xie Junjie, who timidly raised his hand.

The Grand Tutor sighed in his heart.

Truly, even the miniature version of Xie Jianyu exhibited a similar passion for learning! The old teacher was greatly touched.

The class ended a shichen later, but the children had to wait until someone from their houses came to pick them up.

While waiting, they started playing with each other at a safe distance from the pond.

"Junjie, come, come, Weimin brought a jianzi*. Let’s play," Zhang Mingrui dragged his younger brother toward a group of five other boys.

It was amazing how quickly Zhang Mingrui found a group of friends to hang around with.

While a boy in the group was busy demonstrating his ability, a girl approached Xie Junjie and asked him with a small voice, "Excuse me, can I please join your game?"

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Author’s note :

*Jianzi is a shuttlecock made of feathers attached to a weighted base, often a coin or a washer.

The goal of the game is to keep the jianzi in the air using any part of the body except the hands.

The game can be played alone or in groups.

Usually, the children like to compete to see who can keep the jianzi in the air for the longest time.