Volume 2: Chapter 32 – Five Years of Learning

The remainder of the journey was very dull. Gradually, I have also gotten over my dismay about killing people. Although I don’t wish to kill people, it was for my own safety and I can’t just wait and let myself be killed either. I resolved to defend and flee as much as possible in the future. Teacher Di said that everybody, that is all organisms, have a right to live. No one has the right to deprive others of their life as they wish. As long as one’s own life is secured, that’s enough. So I chose the path escaping. It truly is Teacher Di’s teachings that affected me throughout my life.

In the end, I arrived at home. As soon as I entered the village, a familiar feeling came from the pavements. I have returned to my hometown.

I took a deep breath of the fragrance of my hometown’s soil. A warm and cozy happy feeling overcame my body. Teacher Xiu accompanied me all the way to the gate of my house. Once again, I saw the familiar fence surrounding a familiar house.

“Mom, Mom! I’m home!” I shouted loudly.

“Foolish child, they should both be at work.” Teacher Xiu reminded me. Ah, that’s right!  Right now it’s still morning and they should be at working in the morning. I used teleportation to enter the house. Nothing had changed at all. My room was unusually clean. It’s definitely because mom cleaned it often. I invited Teacher Xiu into the house.

“At last, I’m back.” I really want to see mom and dad right now. “Teacher Xiu, wait here for now. I’m going to go look for them.” After saying this, I quickly ran towards the village committee that mom works at.

Just as I reached the village committee’s gate, I saw a familiar figure. “MOM——!” I threw myself at her.

Mom still hadn’t turned around, so I was able to throw myself at her. “Zhang Gong, you’re back.” Mom had me in her embrace. “Quickly let mother take a look at you.” While holding my face, mom attentively examined me. “My Zhang Gong, you’ve grown up to be so vigorous.” Mom’s tears were flowing down her face.

Finally, I have reunited with mom. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotions as I threw myself into mom’s embrace and began crying loudly. “Mom, I really missed you!”

While hugging me, mom said: “I also really missed you too Zhang Gong.”

The villagers also came by and only after a long time did I separate from mom. After seeing mom again, my attachment to her had grown deeper. I firmly clutched onto mom’s sleeves, unwilling to loosen my grip even a bit for fear of being separated from her again.

The village chief walked over. “The talented student has come back on vacation. How were your studies in the capital?”

“Uncle Village chief. It was quite good. How is Ao De? Where did he go?”

“That youngster doesn’t have future prospects like you but he’s also on vacation. So he went out to play.”

The villagers were extremely enthusiastic while ceaselessly asking me questions. Ordinarily I would really loathe these kinds of things, but today I wasn’t fed up with it at all. Out of goodwill, the village chief let mom off so we could go home together.

After returning home, we found that dad was already home. It seems like someone notified home. He was currently chatting with Teacher Xiu. Another surge of affection came once I saw dad.

Mom and dad continuously questioned me on my academy life. I took out 80 diamond coins granted by the magic union and gave it to them. (I left 20 for myself. Hehe.) Mom and dad were extremely surprised, but they knew I acquired it with my own efforts so they were very happy. I think that with this money, they won’t have to work so hard to let me attend the academy.

Mom and dad have aged a bit in comparison to before I left. I know that this was all for me. Because of me they had to pay so much. I sincerely wish for them to not have to work so hard. With these feelings, I told them that my strength is already not inferior to that of a great mage’s. So in the future, I won’t need to rely on the for my tuition fee. I will be able to rely on my own efforts.

Just like this, I began my vacation. Apart from accompanying mom and dad, I spent my days playing with Ao De and other village children. However, the days passed by very quickly and the vacation ended. I had to return to the capital and continue my studies. Although I didn’t want to leave everyone, but in order to let them live a better life as well as to increase my strength so I can protect them, I must continue improving myself.

Teacher Xiu didn’t accompany me this time since I already knew the road. With tearful eyes, I waved goodbye to my family and set foot on the road back towards the academy.

My five years in the Royal Intermediate Magic Academy were the most crucial five years of my life. (It was originally supposed to be four years but Teacher Di wanted me to have a stronger foundation so I spent a second year in the second grade). During these five years I laid a deep foundation for my magic. Although there was still a small gap, in the fifth grade my magic level had nearly reached Teacher Di’s. However, Teacher Di told me that I had become a well-known figure even among the magisters. My gold ball of magic power was already approaching the state of being completely transparent. Even more important were the many magic techniques I created which even amazed even Teacher Di. In the fifth grade, there wasn’t anyone would could compete with me for the position of the grade representative. The gap between me and Ma Ke also gradually widened to the point that I am now the academy’s top expert.

Something else worth mentioning was that Xiao Jin’s growth rate was extraordinarily fast. He was already at the later stages of his growth period so he already had the basic form of a dragon. His body length exceeded 15 meters and his strength surpassed all the other magical beasts that Teacher Di knew of. Especially his physical attack power, it was exceptional strong and could easily break through intermediate class defense magic. If me and Xiao Jin fought, there was no certainty that I would be able to beat him. Maybe it’s because we shared our lives, but any magic that I could use, Xiao Jin could also use. Any dragon magic that he could use, I could use too. This caused my strength to have a qualitative leap. Teacher Di said that if Xiao Jin and I worked together, we would be a match for a magister.

I’m already 16 years old. Every year I went home once, and when mom and dad saw how much I had grown, they were very happy. Using the money I won every year from the graduation competition, I let mom and dad live a more prosperous life.

……

“Zhang Gong, you’re going to be graduating soon. What plans do you have?” Teacher Di called me to his office today.

“Sigh What kind of plans could I have? I’m planning on going to advanced magic academy.” With my strength as a grade representative, I don’t need to take the entrance exams and can be recommended directly into the Royal Advanced Magic Academy.

“No. I don’t wish for you to do this.” Teacher Di muttered to himself.

“What? What did you say? You won’t let me attend the advanced magic academy?” I asked in surprise.

“Correct. Because if you follow the same path I did, do you know what would happen? Although you’re very strong right now, you forever won’t be able to surpass me.” Teacher Di’s profound words shocked me.