Chapter Thirty-Seven: Senior Brother Chu's Intensive Swordsmanship Training

That afternoon, after returning to the hotel, Lu Mingfei took the initiative to call Chu Zihang. Smiling, he said,
“Senior, I’ve made my decision. I’m willing to join Kassel College after graduation. But before that, could I perhaps receive some basic combat training outside of school? That way, I’ll be better prepared for the dragon-slaying business and contribute to the advancement of humanity.”
“Mm, I can put in an application for you. Welcome to Kassel College,” Chu Zihang replied.
“I’ll be waiting for your good news, then.”
“All right.”
The call ended. Lu Mingfei gazed at his phone, his smile gradually deepening into something more complex.
He didn’t truly intend to join Kassel College—he simply wanted to improve his strength as much as possible before traversing to another world, to hone his fighting skills and weapon proficiency. The new world might not be safe; only with true power could he ensure his safety and protect Furina.
Possessing authority without skill might suffice against weak opponents, but when facing true threats, victory would become elusive.
If he found an opportunity to cross over, Lu Mingfei intended to transfer all the money left in his account to Kassel College before leaving. That would serve as payment for his training—whether it was enough, he didn’t know, but it was all he had.
He was, after all, a dragon who looked human, while Kassel was a dragon-slaying academy. By definition, they were enemies. The fact that he was willing to pay tuition was already generous.
Conversely, if the chance for traversal never came, he’d have to look for an opportunity or an excuse to slip away. Lu Mingze should have a way to handle things… If not, then hiding at Kassel College for a while and quietly amassing strength wouldn’t be the worst option.
…
Weekend.
Inside the kendo dojo.
Lu Mingfei looked at Chu Zihang, who was dressed in a kendo uniform, and exclaimed in surprise, “Senior Chu, you’re the one assigned to train me? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“Because you didn’t ask,” Chu Zihang replied simply.
How was I supposed to ask? Lu Mingfei roared internally, but outwardly maintained a polite smile. “Uh, so… Senior Chu, where do we start? Do we begin with weapon techniques or basic hand-to-hand combat?”
“I need to assess your foundation first and then tailor a training plan. Let’s do this: spar with me. Unarmed or with weapons, your choice.”
“All right, let’s practice with weapons then.”
Lu Mingfei picked up a wooden sword from the side and gave it a couple of experimental swings. His movements were awkward, betraying his inexperience.
Facing the stoic senior standing across from him, sword in hand, Lu Mingfei grinned. “Um, Senior Chu, could you start off a bit slower? I’ve never done this before, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up.”
“Fine, you may attack first,” Chu Zihang nodded. Though Lu Mingfei claimed to be a novice, and certainly appeared so, he was an S-rank hybrid with a strong physique and likely quick to learn. If Chu Zihang underestimated him too much, he might end up embarrassed himself.
“Mm.”
Lu Mingfei raised the wooden sword, and beneath his contact lenses, golden pupils began to gleam. Right now, he was using an ability that let him analyze his opponent’s moves. He hadn’t settled on a name for it, but names didn’t matter—only effectiveness.
I can see Senior Chu’s grip, his way of generating force, his muscle movements…
Almost unconsciously, Lu Mingfei began to mimic him. He adopted a similar grip and launched a simple, direct slash. It looked clumsy, but with his enhanced attributes, even a basic swing carried some weight.
“Clack!”
The wooden swords collided. In the brief contact, Chu Zihang deftly redirected Lu Mingfei’s blade to the side, dissolving its force, and thrust his own sword toward Lu Mingfei’s body.
But he missed.
It was as if Lu Mingfei had foreseen the attack trajectory; he dodged in advance, quickly adjusted his position, and counterattacked. His sword technique was already much improved from his first swing, and his angle of attack was noticeably more refined.
“Clack!”
The wooden swords met again. Chu Zihang instinctively tried to repeat his previous move, hoping Lu Mingfei would adapt and find a way to counter it—after all, his task was to instruct, not to win; winning was incidental.
But something unexpected happened. On the second attempt, Lu Mingfei responded instantly, cleanly parrying the move and launching a swift riposte. The angle was tricky enough to give Chu Zihang pause.
He couldn’t understand how Lu Mingfei was improving so rapidly, but his duty was to guide—so he carried on.
“Clack! Clack! Clack!…”
Their swords clashed again and again. Lu Mingfei’s technique evolved swiftly, adapting to a variety of attacks.
Moreover…
Chu Zihang felt as if he were no longer facing Lu Mingfei, but himself. Every move was sharp and precise, the speed of attack was astonishing, and the techniques mirrored his own. It was like fighting his own reflection, and the sensation grew ever stronger with each exchange.
…
After some time, the two paused by tacit agreement. Lu Mingfei casually wiped his sweat and smiled, “Thank you for your guidance, Senior Chu. I learned a lot from that match—it was truly rewarding.”
“No need for thanks,” Chu Zihang replied quietly.
He had just watched Lu Mingfei transform from a complete beginner into someone who could perfectly replicate his swordsmanship in a short time, pressing him with superior attributes thanks to his lineage.
It was absurd!
He even began to suspect that Lu Mingfei’s language of power wasn’t water manipulation after all, but some kind of mimicry or bloodline imprint. If so, it would explain how he could wield explosive abilities as well.
“Senior Chu, let’s practice some basic hand-to-hand combat next. I really want to learn,” Lu Mingfei said with a bright, cheerful smile.
“…All right,” Chu Zihang replied after a pause.
Lu Mingfei’s smile was so dazzling, it almost stung—a brightness that unsettled him and stirred an unfamiliar urge to thoroughly beat this guy to a pulp. It was a feeling he’d never experienced before.
“By the way, Senior Chu, I have another request.”
“What is it?”
“Do you have time to show me your language of power? I’d love to witness your prowess firsthand.”
“…,” Chu Zihang fell silent. For a moment, he pictured Lu Mingfei instantly copying his language after seeing it, then unleashing an even stronger version thanks to his bloodline, and finally smiling as he said, “Senior Chu, your language of power is really handy.”
What a vision of hell!
“No time!” Chu Zihang refused flatly.