Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 360 : First Day Of School (3)

Chapter 360: Chapter 360 : First Day Of School (3)

And yet, desperation clawed at Zhang Mingrui’s soul. This was an emergency, he told himself many times in an attempt to justify his action. They couldn’t wait! What if the jianzi went missing for real???

Besides, it was not like they were going home by riding the mounts.

Zhang Mingrui broke into nervous laughter.

They were just going to fly close to the ground with their spiritual mounts, using two additional pairs of eyes to look for Yu Weimin’s toy...

Xiao Xiao and Lei Zhen materialized from the sky, their arrival heralded by the hush of awe and envy that fell upon the children. Gasps of wonder mingled with excited whispers as the majestic tiger and dragon descended, their magnificent forms casting long shadows in the afternoon sun.

The girls, their hearts filled with a mixture of admiration and longing, exclaimed, "A tiger! Heavens, so cool!" while Yu Weimin, his eyes wide with disbelief, could only manage a breathless murmur, "I have never seen a real dragon in my entire life. So beautiful..."

Zhang Mingrui, all his problems forgotten in the face of the envious calls, felt a smug smile blossom on his face as he hoisted himself onto Xiao Xiao’s back. He giggled to himself, reveling in the knowledge that while Yu Weimin received a mere jianzi for his birthday, he and Junjie had been gifted with the most incredible present of all -- spiritual mounts.

Xie Junjie, however, wasted no time basking in the admiration. Leaning close to Lei Zhen, he explained their predicament. "We are looking for a jianzi," he said, using his hands to illustrate its size. "It is this big... And it flew in that direction."

Lei Zhen gave a brief nod in acknowledgment. Once Xie Junjie was seated safely behind its neck, it unfurled his magnificent black wings. They were so big that they could cover at least a fourth of the Crystal Jade Pond!

The other children cried out and jumped up and down in excitement.

Lei Zhen surveyed the scene with a haughty gaze, his icy eyes momentarily sweeping over the awed faces. Then, with a powerful kick that sent tremors vibrating throughout heaven, he propelled himself skyward, a mighty shadowlike creature ascending against the azure canvas of the sky.

The children’s cheers, a vibrant symphony of joy and awe, echoed through the air, trailing Lei Zhen’s majestic ascent.

Behind him, Xiao Xiao, with a mighty roar that shook the very air, launched himself into the heavens, carrying Zhang Mingrui upon his back.

Skimming low over the ground, the two beasts and their young companions scanned the surrounding area with unwavering focus. Their keen eyes, accustomed to the sharpest details, meticulously searched every inch of the landscape. But even after circling the vast pond three times, they were unable to find the lost toy.

After successfully completing three rounds of flight, Zhang Mingrui felt a lot better about going against his father’s warning.

It was a pity that they could not find the jianzi -- but hey, they tried their best. And hey, they flew! They flew on their own!

"Junjie, maybe we should ask Father to buy a replacement jianzi for us," Zhang Mingrui shouted at his twin brother. "We can give it back to Weimin tomorrow. Let’s go back now, alright?"

Alas, his dragon twin brother did not share the same sentiment.

"That won’t be right," Xie Junjie remarked unhappily. "That jianzi was a present from his aunt, and he was kind enough to let us play with it. We can’t just replace it with any other item."

"But what can we do? We have searched everywhere. Besides..." Zhang Mingrui lowered his voice into a whisper. "Grandmother might be waiting for us at the pavilion..."

"Might" was not the right word to use. Lady Song most certainly was waiting for them back at the pavilion, either sick with worries or close to exploding from anger.

Xie Junjie bit into his lower lip as he fiddled with Lei Zhen’s black scales.

He was the one who made the promise to Yu Weimin.

He told Yu Weimin that he would find the mermaid boy’s jianzi for sure. Yu Weimin was counting on him to fulfill his promise.

Xie Junjie gritted his teeth.

It was a question of honor! An honorable man must not break his promises easily!

"Junjie, come on, we really need to go back home. Let’s ask Daddy his opinion later."

Xie Junjie did not answer.

His view already drifted to a group of ladies, who were practicing some dance in close vicinity.

"Let me ask those big sisters if they saw the jianzi," he said before he paced Lei Zhen in their direction.

"Ah! Junjie!!!"

At that time, the dancer ladies were sitting amidst their respite, enjoying a well-deserved break.

One of the ladies was idly scanning the horizon with her gaze. She was the first to witness the approaching spectacle. "Oh, heavens!" she exclaimed loudly, her voice breaking the peaceful silence, "A black dragon is descending from the sky!"

As her words resonated through the air, the other ladies turned their heads, their faces morphing from serenity to astonishment.

"Where? What dragon?"

"There!"

Before the ladies decided whether they should flee or not, said black dragon already landed before them, cutting off their escape route effectively.

With powerful muscles that rippled beneath sleek obsidian scales and bright blue eyes that could freeze one’s blood within the veins, the black dragon offered an awe-inspiring sight.

Its every movement was a poem of raw power and grace, a sight that both intimidated and mesmerized. But then, the ladies noticed the young rider perched atop its back.

His eyes, large and almond-shaped, held a glimmer of innocence and wonder. His lips, like two ripe cherries, seemed to perpetually curve into an enchanting smile. His cheeks, flushed with a healthy glow, resembled two juicy peaches waiting to be plucked from the branch.

The child’s appearance offered a sweet contrast to the dragon’s ferocity, causing their feminine hearts to melt like snowflakes in a summer breeze.

"Excuse me," Xie Junjie said politely. "I am looking for a jianzi. Elder sisters, have you seen one flying in this direction?"

The ladies turned their heads to look at each other.

"A jianzi?"

And then, one of them let out a gasp.

"Oh, my!" She cried out. "I did, but I thought that it came from the Human Realm, so I tossed it out at the edge of the clouds!"

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Author’s note :

Mini theater!

What happens after Zhang Fengxi found out...

Mingrui : But Daddy, at least I remembered what you told me! Junjie completely forgot! ｡⁠:ﾟ⁠(⁠;⁠´⁠∩⁠`⁠;⁠)ﾟ⁠:⁠｡

Junjie : But Daddy, you said that we must never break our promise (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠)

Fengxi : *rolls eyes* As punishment, you are not allowed to take a nap with your mother for a week!

Mingrui and Junjie : No Daddy please (⁠ᗒ⁠ᗩ⁠ᗕ⁠) We will be good next time!