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

Chapter 18 Gate of Kassel

The morning light filtered through the gauze curtains, weaving a fine golden web across the boy's disheveled bedding. Gu Yi held his arms across his face, the folds of the fabric a hazy outline in the backlight.

"Brother, what time is it now..." There was still sleepiness in his throat.

Chu Zihang stood in the shadow at the end of the bed, "Commander Li asked me to come and get you earlier. Someone wants to see you."

The rustling of the quilt stopped abruptly. Gu Yi raised half of his elbow, the bright morning light making him squint.

"Who?"

"do not know."

"Don't tell me this secret that requires signing a blood contract?" The boy said with a teasing tone.

Chu Zihang shook his head. "Maybe it's the college's admissions team."

"College?" Gu Yi sat up suddenly, the spring bed groaning under the weight. "The place that Senior Brother mentioned, specifically for training hybrids? They actively recruit students?"

"In principle, we will actively recruit new people." Chu Zihang turned and looked out the window, his pupils reflecting in the glass darkly, "but there are exceptions."

The chirping of cicadas suddenly pierced the morning silence. Gu Yi stepped barefoot on the cold floor. "What do you mean?"

Chu Zihang was about to speak when the oak door hinges suddenly creaked. Li Chengze leaned against the doorframe in the backlight. "Gu Yi, we need to talk." The cowhide file bag in his hand was branded with dark red wax.

-

Gu Yi followed Li Chengze through the building, his hair sticking up in a few tufts. He had a loose white sweatshirt on, and the coolness of the morning dew seeped into his bare feet, the plastic slippers making a soft click with every step.

"Your grandfather," Li Chengze suddenly said, the hem of his jacket drawing a cold arc in the corridor light as he walked. "We've arranged a dedicated medical team. His vital signs are stable, but the dragon blood erosion requires long-term observation."

The metal door frame hummed shut before Gu Yi's eyes. The young man stared at the back of his neck and moved his lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. It was our fault. We will cover all the medical expenses."

As he passed through the last door, Gu Yi squinted at the glare. A warm breeze, wrapped in the scent of cedarwood, washed over him, and the wool carpet instantly muffled the sound of his footsteps. Standing before the French window was an old man who looked like Santa Claus. He was wrapped in a Scottish plaid suit, his silver beard quivering against his rosy cheeks as he smiled, and his azure eyes shone startlingly bright behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

"Dear Gu Yi!" The old man rushed over with open arms.

"Look at this golden ratio skeleton!" He grabbed Gu Yi's wrist without saying anything, and pressed hard on the ulna with his fingertips. "My God, these hands are born to chop dragons..."

Li Chengze coughed lightly. The old man loosened his grip as if struck by lightning, then, with a wry smile, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat. "Ahem, I mean, welcome to Kassel Academy! My name is Guderian." He pulled a roll of documents from his briefcase like a magician. The gilded school emblem unfolded in the morning light, transforming into a half-rotten world tree.

"You can take a look at the introduction of our school first!"

Gu Yi was a little embarrassed by this enthusiasm, "Professor, I haven't said I want to join Kassel College yet."

"No?" Guderian froze like a music box on pause, then swung his arms like a spring. "It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter! Just like flowers must bloom in spring, Kassel Academy is the trajectory of your destiny!"

"Your Chinese is quite standard." The boy stroked the World Tree emblem on the gold-plated school badge with his fingertips.

"Right! Right!" Guderian suddenly perked up. He pulled out a tablet computer as if by magic, and on the screen was a replay of a well-known news channel.

"I practice my pronunciation every day by following the Morning News. Even the vice-principal says my erhua pronunciation is more authentic than the people in your capital. And our school fully implements Chinese, so you won't have to worry about communication problems when you come." Gu Yi's eyes swept across the seal of the U.S. Department of Education on the title page of the document, and suddenly reached out to press the screen that was playing the news: "So, why does your school want everyone to learn Chinese?"

"Because Chinese students' tuition is easy to earn!" Guderian laughed. "Just kidding. The main thing is to focus on the future. Look at the Beijing Olympics coming up soon. Your country is on the rise! Our president has a long-term vision and of course we have to keep pace with the times!"

When he was excited, he even stood up and opened his arms as if to embrace the entire East.

"Professor!" Li Chengze suddenly spoke, his fingers tapping on the edge of the sandalwood table, making a dull sound.

Guderian realized that he was a little excited. He smiled awkwardly and reached for the file bag, pulling out photos one by one. The academic style in the photos was elegant, making people look noble.

"Our school has a beautiful environment! Look, that's our school library, that's the gymnasium, and there's also a concert hall! Of course, the best place is the cafeteria! The delicious German pork knuckle has won unanimous praise from the faculty and students in the school!" He gave a thumbs up, and it seemed that he ate a lot.

Gu Yi wanted to interrupt but couldn't. The old man continued to talk: "Our school has a very rich extracurricular life, with all kinds of sports."

He pulled out another photo, which showed a girl on a sailboard with thousands of sails competing behind her. "This is our college's famous windsurfing competition. We've beaten those bastards from the University of Chicago for two years in a row!"

Gu Yi's knuckles tapped unconsciously on the armrest. From the old man's introduction, Kassel College seemed like just an ordinary university, but according to Chu Zihang, it was a popular school for mixed-bloods, so this professor must have hidden a lot of information.

"Professor, you might as well be more clear. I've been involved in many things and even killed many monsters called Deadpool. I also know that dragons exist in this world."

Guderian's hands trembled. "Oh my god? Chengze, we haven't even entered the school to sign our things yet, and you're already showing your underwear?"

Li Chengze nodded slightly, "Gu Yi is indeed right. He has been exposed to quite a few."

Guderian slumped in his armchair, his carefully groomed beard drooping like a clump of straw. "Well, Gu Yi," he pulled out a file. "Our principal admires you very much and sincerely invites you to come to Kassel."

Guderian placed the pen on the admission confirmation form and pushed it towards Gu Yi.

"Now, do you agree?"

Gu Yi's fingertips hovered three inches above the confirmation form, waiting for a long moment. The pen finally touched the paper, and the sound of the tip piercing the silence made Professor Guderian hold his breath. The boy's signature was so forceful it penetrated the paper by three inches. As he drew back the last stroke, Professor Guderian suddenly burst into a resounding laugh.

"Great! I wonder what Manstein and the others can do to fight me!"

His meticulously trimmed beard twitched comically with his facial muscles. He swung a paper around, the hem of his tartan suit knocking over a bone china cup on the coffee table.

Li Chengze caught the teacup just in time as it was about to fall to the ground. The crisp sound of the cup's bottom hitting the sandalwood table froze the old professor for a moment. He coughed lightly and said, "I will be your advisor from now on. You can come to me if you need anything."

"Professor." Chu Zihang appeared in the hallway at some point, with the Kassel school badge pinned to the collar of his black shirt. "Professor Schneider is online waiting for your report on the enrollment progress."

Guderian suddenly started coughing violently, his flushed face reminiscent of a reindeer doll in a Christmas window. "I suddenly remembered I have something else to do. Gu Yi, I'll see you later." He backed up and pushed open the oak door, only to hear a louder crash in the hallway.

Gu Yi lowered his head and stared at the ink stains on his fingertips. Li Chengze pushed the warm latte to his hand. The steaming heat blurred the flock of white pigeons outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Welcome to school."

The young man took a sip of his coffee, the bitterness exploding on his tongue. He half-heard the sound of dragon wings piercing the clouds. Suddenly, a flock of crows started up outside the window, their feathers gleaming in the backlight like countless unsheathed blades.

(End of this chapter)