Chapter 12: The Challenge and the Academy’s Ascent

“Three days later, at the Gudou Family’s Altar Plaza… a challenge letter from Gudou Ritien? Ha! So, after dealing with the small fry, the big one shows up!”

The next morning, Yao Yueli had yet to depart from the inn.

Early that morning, someone had already delivered a challenge letter to their doorstep.

“Gudou Ritien? Hahahaha! The Gudou family truly is amusing! To actually have a name like that!”

“Hahahahaha… hahahahaha…”

Upon seeing the challenge letter, Ahoge Dragon burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“You still have the nerve to laugh? If you lose, you’ll be stewed in a big pot by those people!”

Yao Yueli delivered a chop to Ahoge Dragon’s head.

“Ow, ow, ow… This is… this is domestic abuse! Hmph! You’ve made me unhappy, so I’m eating ten pineapple buns for breakfast!”

Ahoge Dragon cried out indignantly.

“Ten? You’ll burst! Alright, get up quickly. You’re coming to the academy with me today; you can’t just stay home every day.”

“Go to the academy?! No! Absolutely not!”

The mere thought of climbing such a towering mountain to reach that blasted academy made Ahoge Dragon’s legs turn to jelly.

It was simply not something a dragon was meant to do.

“You’re going whether you like it or not! With such immense potential, it would be a terrible waste not to cultivate it.”

“Besides, Ahoge, if you don’t get stronger soon, you truly will be captured.”

Yao Yueli was keenly aware of the formidable strength of their current adversaries.

If Ahoge Dragon grew stronger, even if Yao Yueli ultimately failed, Ahoge Dragon would possess the means to protect herself.

“Don’t want to go to school! We can cultivate at home too. Why go to school?”

To put it plainly, Ahoge Dragon was nothing more than a lazy dragon.

“Fine, fine! You can stay home, but there will be no pineapple buns or pocket money.”

Yao Yueli surmised that a slacker like Ahoge Dragon couldn’t be disciplined by conventional methods.

“No pineapple buns? No pocket money? No! Absolutely not! This is domestic abuse! Domestic abuse!”

Ahoge Dragon instantly protested, attempting to assert her dominance through a tantrum.

“I’m leaving first. Be good at home and don’t cause any trouble for me.”

Refusing to indulge Ahoge Dragon, Yao Yueli tidied her clothes, preparing to depart.

“Oh, and I’ll inform the innkeepers downstairs not to provide you with any meals.”

“Ha! No! Are you trying to leave me at home to starve to death? Wuwuwu… I’m so pitiful… I cooperate with you every day… letting you do things to me…”

“Stop, stop, stop! You enjoyed it too when we did it, so don’t think that putting on a pathetic face will change my mind.”

Yao Yueli interjected, cutting Ahoge Dragon off.

Then, looking earnestly at Ahoge Dragon, she pressed, “Last chance: are you going to the academy or not?”

“Going… I’m going!”

What else could Ahoge Dragon do? She could only agree with a bitter expression.

She certainly didn’t wish to starve to death here.

****

“Oh my god… I’m absolutely exhausted…”

Ahoge Dragon finally managed to clamber to the academy’s main gate.

She immediately collapsed, utterly spent.

“You ate over a dozen pineapple buns for breakfast, so where did all that energy go?”

Seeing Ahoge Dragon still looking as pathetic as the day before, Yao Yueli felt a surge of dissatisfaction.

There was absolutely no progress!

“Meow meow~~ Little Ahoge, Sister Yueli, you’re here!”

Mao Yuxia cheerfully scampered over.

Her face was alight with adoration as she gazed at Yao Yueli.

“Xia.”

“Meow!” Mao Yuxia nodded happily, her tail thumping rhythmically.

“I’ve been cultivating under the Dean’s guidance, so from now on, I’d like you to teach Ahoge here at the academy!”

The academy offered considerable freedom, with most students either finding senior disciples to guide them or attending lectures given by teachers.

“Teach her?”

Mao Yuxia glanced down at Ahoge Dragon, who lay sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.

Then, looking back up at Yao Yueli, she confirmed,

“En, en! Sister Yueli, don’t worry, I will definitely train Little Ahoge into a powerful magic tool user!”

“Then I’ll leave her to you, Xia.”

“Not at all! Not at all! It’s my honor to be able to help Sister Yueli!”

Seeing no hint of refusal from Mao Yuxia, Yao Yueli felt reassured.

She then crouched down and patted Ahoge Dragon’s backside, saying,

“You heard what we both said, right? You must listen to Xia later. If you don’t do well, you won’t get any lunch.”

“Got it…”

Ahoge Dragon replied feebly.

“I’m leaving now.”

“Bye-bye~ Sister Yueli.”

Mao Yuxia watched Yao Yueli’s retreating figure for a long moment, until she could no longer see her.

Only then did she crouch down and help Ahoge Dragon to her feet.

“Little Ahoge, the ground is so dirty. Let’s rest in the pavilion nearby!”

“Ugh… I really don’t want to move. Kitty, carry me… please…”

“That won’t do, Little Ahoge. We’ll have to go down and climb back up again later. If you don’t perk up, you won’t complete the task.”

“Ha! Why would we do that?!”

Hearing this, Ahoge Dragon cried out, “This one trip has already left me looking like a dog; a few more times and I’ll drop dead from exhaustion!”

“Our internal magic power is quite limited, so by training our bodies well, we can still put up a fight even if our magic runs out.”

Mao Yuxia patiently explained to Ahoge Dragon, gently pulling her along to the pavilion.

“Limited magic? That’s you guys, I have ten thousand…”

Ahoge Dragon’s voice abruptly cut off; she had almost blurted out that she possessed ten thousand units of magic power.

That would undoubtedly be inviting trouble.

“Ten thousand what? Ten thousand of what?”

“Ah!! I want to eat ten thousand pineapple buns!”

Ahoge Dragon shouted, trying to bluff her way through.

“Ten thousand pineapple buns will burst your stomach!”

Mao Yuxia actually fell for it, even worrying about Ahoge Dragon’s health.

“I don’t care! If I don’t eat that many pineapple buns, I won’t be able to move!”

“Oh, I see! Little Ahoge, how about we go down later, and I’ll buy you some pineapple buns?”

Having a request was actually quite good; Mao Yuxia herself used to be rewarded with dried fish!

“Yay!”

Having just run herself ragged, she needed some pineapple buns to recover her strength.

Besides, seeing how silly this kitty was, she figured she could just make up any excuse after getting the pineapple buns and avoid climbing the mountain.

After resting for a while longer, Ahoge Dragon began her descent.

“Huh? Isn’t that the toad? And that adorable girl with the green twin pigtails next to him is so cute! Who is she, Kitty?”

About halfway down the mountain, Ahoge Dragon spotted Yue Guangyao, the Crown Prince, and his entourage ascending in the distance.

The adorable girl with the green twin pigtails sparked a memory in Ahoge Dragon.

‘She must be a songstress too!’

“That’s…”

“Gudou Ritien of the Gudou family,” Mao Yuxia whispered, a fearful expression clouding her face.

Rumor had it that this person had been at the four-star cultivation level for several years, possessing formidable strength.

Now, appearing with Yue Guangyao, their objective was surely her Sister Yueli.

“Why would such a cute girl be with that toad?!”

Ahoge Dragon seethed with discontent. Then, wiggling her backside, she darted towards them.

“Hey, hey, hey! Little Ahoge, what are you doing now?! Don’t go causing trouble for the Crown Prince again…”

This truly startled Mao Yuxia.

If she didn’t stop Ahoge Dragon, things would undoubtedly escalate beyond control.

However, it was already too late; moments ago, Ahoge Dragon had seemed utterly incapable of moving.

Yet, in a flash, she had sprinted directly in front of the group.

Standing imperiously, she glared down at the Crown Prince’s entourage, one hand on her hip, the other pointing directly at Yue Guangyao’s head as she declared loudly,

“You stinky toad! You must have forced that adorable girl to stay by your side!”

“Hand her over at once, or today I shall represent justice and eliminate you!”