Dragon Raja: A Look Back at Lu Mingfei's Legendary Life

Chapter 44 Cultivating Lu Mingfei

Lu Lincheng's eyes swept over everyone outside the screen, a mad flame burning within them:

"Let me tell you what the risks are. The risk is that Odin is still hunting him! The risk is that Norton's urn is empty, meaning the Bronze and Fire King may have awakened! The risk is that the dark side of this world is stirring, and you're still arguing over some ridiculous rules!"

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down:

"I brought Leviathan's urn not to threaten anyone, nor to show off. It was to give my son a guarantee—a guarantee that can protect him when he faces real danger."

"Use the Dragon King to protect him?" Elizabeth Laurent asked softly. "Professor Lu, don't you think that's crazy?"

"This world has gone mad long ago," Lu Lincheng said. "It went mad the moment Odin killed Joveny. It went mad the moment the hybrids were forced to hide in human society. It went mad the moment the dragons never truly disappeared."

He paused, his voice becoming low:

"I simply chose to fight madness with madness. That's all."

Everyone fell silent.

After a long silence, Angers finally spoke: "Professor Lu, where are the bone graft bottles now?"

"In my laboratory, it's sealed off by a triple-alchemy matrix," Lu Lincheng said. "No one can approach it without my permission, and no one can release it."

"When do you plan to hand it over to Lu Mingfei?" Angers asked.

"Wait until he's ready," Lu Lincheng said. "Wait until he truly understands the meaning of power, wait until he truly needs it."

Frost wanted to say something more, but Angers stopped him by raising his hand.

"Professor Lu," Angers said, looking at Lu Lincheng on the screen, "we can temporarily agree to let you leave the bone flask at the academy. But there are a few conditions."

"explain."

"First, the bone flasks must be kept under the strict surveillance of the academy. You need to report all access records to the Executive Department."

"Can."

"Secondly, you cannot hand over the bone cadaver to Lu Mingfei until he is ready. The standard for 'ready' needs to be assessed by the Board of Trustees."

Lu Lincheng was silent for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay. But the evaluation cannot be delayed indefinitely."

"Third," Angers paused, "you need to return to the academy and officially assume a professorship. We need your knowledge and experience, especially in mentoring Lu Mingfei."

This time, Lu Lincheng remained silent for even longer.

He looked out the window, at the pale sky over the Siberian ice fields, at the place where he had lived alone for more than a decade.

Then he turned back and nodded.

Okay. I'm back.

Frost jumped to his feet: "Headmaster! This—"

"This is the best solution," Angers interrupted him, his voice calm but undeniable. "Professor Lu is one of the academy's best alchemists, and also Lu Mingfei's father. With him here, we can both monitor the bone vials and better nurture Lu Mingfei."

He looked at Frost, his eyes sharp:

"Or does the Gattuso family have a better solution?"

Frost opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing and slumped back into his chair.

"Then, let's vote," Angers said. "Those who agree that Professor Lu Lincheng should bring the bone flask back to the academy and assume the position of professor, please raise your hands."

Mr. Turing was the first to raise his hand.

Next were Lisa Laurent and Elizabeth Laurent.

The masked school board member slowly raised his hand.

Angers himself raised his hand as well.

Five to one.

Frost's face turned ashen, but he was powerless to change the outcome.

"The resolution is passed," Angers said. "Professor Lu, welcome back."

Lu Lincheng nodded, his expression complex: "Thank you."

The holographic screen went dark.

A brief silence fell over the meeting room.

“Principal,” Lisa Laurent began, “there’s another problem. The real-world Lu Mingfei has already arrived at the academy, while the Lu Mingfei in the holographic world is still recuperating in his hospital room. This means we now have two Lu Mingfeis—one from the present, and one from the future. Could this lead to…”

"A time paradox?" Angers chimed in. "We don't know. But since the light screen has appeared, and since two Lu Mingfeis exist simultaneously, we must face this reality."

He paused, then added:

"And I think this might be a good thing."

"Good news?" Frost frowned.

"The real-world Lu Mingfei is still young, naive, and knows nothing," Angers said. "But the Lu Mingfei in the light screen has already experienced a day of freedom, the 3E exam, and the Bronze City. Those experiences, that growth, those lessons... perhaps can be passed on to the younger him."

His gaze deepened:

"Perhaps this is the meaning of the light screen's appearance—to let us see the future, and then change it. To allow young people like Lu Mingfei, who still have time, to avoid those pitfalls and take fewer detours."

Everyone fell into deep thought.

Change the future.

This is a tempting yet dangerous idea.

But if it could really be done...

"We need a plan," Mr. Turing began, "a plan to nurture Lu Mingfei. Not just him in the real world, but also him in the world of the light screen."

Ang nodded. "I'm already preparing. Starting tomorrow, Lu Mingfei in the real world will begin basic training. As for Lu Mingfei in the light screen..." He paused, "once he recovers, he'll have a more special mission waiting for him."

"What mission?" Elizabeth asked.

Angers did not answer immediately.

He looked out the window, towards the square, towards the boy whose hair was being ruffled by Nuonuo.

"The signs of the Dragon King's resurgence are becoming increasingly clear," he said softly. "Norton, the King of Bronze and Fire, has disappeared; the urn containing the bones of Leviathan, the King of the Sea and Water, is in our hands; the King of Earth and Mountains, the King of Sky and Wind... they are all somewhere in the world, waiting for their time to awaken."

He turned around and looked at everyone in the conference room:

"We need warriors. We need warriors who can fight the Dragon King. And Lu Mingfei... he has that potential."

"But he's too young," Lisa said. "Even with his experience in the light screen, he's still just an eighteen-year-old kid."

"That's why we need to train him," Angers said, "in the strictest way, with the most dangerous tasks, and at the fastest speed."

He paused, his voice carrying an almost cold firmness:

"Because time...is running out."

Everyone fell silent.

They knew Angers was right.

The shadow of dragons is once again looming over the world, and the war between hybrids is about to begin again. This time, they need new heroes, new legends.

And Lu Mingfei, perhaps, is the one who was chosen.

Whether he likes it or not.

Whether he was prepared or not.

The wheel of fate has begun to turn, and no one can stop it.