Chapter 19
Chapter 19
As long as someone started speaking, more and more people gradually dared to open their mouths.
“Principal Yang, may I ask what this means? Will we be attacked in the future?”
“Principal Yang, do you mean that if we become card masters, the future will be very dangerous?”
“Please explain in detail!”
A freshman who had browsed the school forum suddenly thought of something and asked, “Is it because of that [Star God Card]?”
“What exactly is it? Is it like the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber of the card master world, where once it appears, it stirs up bloody storms?”
“And what about that Zodiac Society? How can our Huaxia have such a terrifying organization!”
The questions seemed numerous, but when summarized together, they were really about one thing—
If they became card masters, would very dangerous things happen in the future?
And this was undoubtedly what Yang Huaizhou wanted to tell the freshmen.
For this “First Lesson of the School Year,” the Spirit Card Academy could be said to have spent a fortune.
[Scene Cards] were already scarce and expensive. A [Green Lawn] of this scale, converted into money, would cost about one hundred thousand Huaxia coins per card. More than ninety cards meant nearly ten million Huaxia coins.
Although [Scene Cards] could be used multiple times, after splitting the costs, a single class would still cost several million.
The consumed [Character Cards] and [Illusion Cards] were not even worth mentioning.
Li Suwen was only worried that the children would be left with psychological trauma.
The academy finance department, however, felt heartache over this huge amount of money.
Yang Huaizhou had also borne tremendous pressure from the board of directors before he managed to secure this class for the freshmen.
He understood human nature deeply. He knew that no amount of talking could compare to one “real” experience.
Even if he told the freshmen that war was imminent, it would still be difficult for them to truly feel it.
These sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youths might even become excited because of certain films and television works they had watched, thinking that they too could rise above the chaos and become heroic saviors.
Only by letting them personally experience death could they take his next words seriously enough and make more rational decisions.
Yang Huaizhou slightly raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down, before slowly saying, “I believe everyone knows about the world war from a century ago.
“The instigator who started that war was named Stella. In Latin, this name means star, so in our spirit card world, we call him the Star Demon.”
A commotion instantly erupted in the auditorium. The freshmen born as pure humans immediately became restless and uneasy.
Of course everyone had heard of the world war from a hundred years ago.
That was the largest-scale, longest-lasting, and also the cruelest war in human history.
The entire world was engulfed in flames of war. Countless civilians were displaced. Huaxia Nation, in particular, went through decades of darkness beyond imagination. They were invaded, occupied, and even massacred...
Even though they eventually became one of the victorious nations, their vitality had been severely damaged, and it took several more decades before they barely restored their national strength.
The youths in the auditorium were at most only seventeen years old. They were far too distant from that war. Even their grandparents had only heard stories about it.
The cruelty of that world war was recorded in textbooks...
Nearly sixty million people died in that world war...
But the number was too large, so large that people living in peaceful times found it difficult to truly empathize with it.
However, at this moment, when the youths in the auditorium heard these things again, they no longer wore hollow and indifferent expressions.
The slaughter within the [Scene Card] had happened right before their eyes.
They had faced death directly.
Yang Huaizhou continued, “The Star Demon is dead, but over these hundred years, his remaining followers have never disappeared. After lying dormant for a long time, they gradually obtained six Zodiac Cards. What I need to tell you is that the current three great academies together possess only six Zodiac Cards.”
Even the freshmen born as pure humans knew what Zodiac Cards represented.
These were the “nuclear bombs” of the card master world!
Yet the three great academies that represented the side of justice possessed only six in total, while the Zodiac Society controlled six...
No wonder the card masters were panicking.
“Why are they able to possess six Zodiac Cards?” a student could not help asking.
Yang Huaizhou said, “Because they disdain life.”
The students clearly did not understand. A boy with a hoarse voice said, “Haven’t you read Refusing Forbidden Cards, Starting From First Grade?”
Countless gazes fell on him. He immediately became nervous, a blush spreading across his face. Even his voice tightened slightly, but he still continued, “The book says that all twelve Zodiac Cards are forbidden cards. The method of possessing forbidden cards is dangerous and complicated. The slightest mistake can cause them to go out of control. Once they lose control, it’s equivalent to a nuclear bomb exploding, and the damage is enormous!”
The boy paused, then continued, “Because the possession method is too dangerous, the three great academies can only cultivate one Zodiac Card inheritor every few decades. But the Zodiac Society doesn’t care about any of that. They use card masters as lab rats, ignoring whether they live or die, and they don’t care if innocent pure humans get hurt either... That’s why they can possess so many Zodiac Cards in such a short time!”
Yang Huaizhou looked at the boy and nodded. “Very well said.”
The boy was very tall, but he had a baby face. Now that the principal had praised him, even his ears had turned completely red.
Ning Zhu also looked toward the boy who had stood up. Hearing that familiar voice, she suddenly understood, and a name surfaced in her mind.
Li Leyang?
Alright, he really was tall. Even if he was not one meter eighty-five, he was at least one meter eighty.
With Li Leyang’s explanation, everyone gained a clearer understanding of the concept of “forbidden cards,” and they increasingly understood why Yang Huaizhou was so worried about the future.
A terrifying organization holding six forbidden cards—if they truly went mad, there was nothing they would not dare to do.
Not to mention that the [Star God Card] had also appeared in the world!
A student thought of this and asked, “Principal, is your concern related to the appearance of the [Star God Card]?”
Yang Huaizhou’s next sentence surprised everyone. He said, “As of now, we still cannot confirm whether that was truly the appearance of the [Star God Card].”
“Not confirmed?”
“But didn’t the school forum say...”
Yang Huaizhou calmly replied, “Please do not blindly believe rumors. Also, the [Star God Card] is a rare card that does not lose control. If someone truly possesses it, then for us, that would actually be fortunate.”
After another brief wave of discussion, Yang Huaizhou brought the topic back and solemnly said, “During the summer vacation, we destroyed a Zodiac Society branch in H Province. What we can confirm is that they already fully possess six Zodiac Cards. This means they may launch attacks against the three great academies at any time.”
The Zodiac Society took its organizational name from the Twelve Zodiac Palaces.
Clearly, they were obsessed with the twelve Zodiac Cards.
The six ownerless Zodiac Cards had already fallen into their hands, so all that remained was to seize the six Zodiac Cards that already had owners.
For example, the [Aries Card] and [Libra Card] of the Spirit Card Academy.
The [Virgo Card] and [Capricorn Card] of the Secret Card Academy.
The [Gemini Card] and [Aquarius Card] of the Illusion Card Academy.
Which was to say, the three great academies were in great danger.
Yang Huaizhou had to tell the students what they were about to face. “War may break out at any moment, and the three great academies are highly likely to become the enemy’s primary targets. Under these circumstances, I hope all of you will carefully consider whether or not to join the Spirit Card Academy.”
These words rang out with force. Even without a [Silence Card], the auditorium holding ten thousand people became so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.
Yang Huaizhou did not rush the freshmen into making a decision, but instead gave them one hour to think.
Countless cards descended from the sky, lightly floating down before each freshman like paper cranes.
Ning Zhu received a card. She focused her eyes on it and saw that the front displayed a small cake illustration, while the back read:
Card Name: Chocolate Lava Cake.
Card Type: Food Card.
Card Star Rating: One Star.
Note: Cakes are inconvenient to carry? Why not try a cake card that is easy to carry and lets you enjoy incomparably delicious cake anytime~!
Producer: Hao Hao Lai Lai.
Another small card fell down. Ning Zhu quickly caught it and discovered it was a beverage card.
Card Name: Brilliant Galaxy Glazed Milk Tea.
Card Type: Food Card.
Card Star Rating: One Star.
Note: Don’t miss it when you pass by, experience the icy stimulation from the cosmic starry sky!
Producer: Xi Nai Xue.
Lu Xianle was beside Ning Zhu. The cards she received were different from Ning Zhu’s. Her cake was a [Half-Ripe Panda Cheese Ball Card], and her drink was a [Sweetheart Strawberry Fruit Tea].
Lin Ting’s were different too. Hers were a [Sea Salt Caramel Lava Cake Card] and a [Dreamy Cloudtop Rose Milk Tea].
All of them looked pleasantly surprised. As their card rings flashed, servings of desserts and milk tea appeared before them one after another.
Lu Xianle said, “Do either of you like cheesecake?”
Ning Zhu immediately replied, “I absolutely love it. Do you like chocolate?”
Lin Ting softly said, “I like chocolate...”
Lu Xianle instantly said, “That’s great, I like sea salt flavors!”
So the three happily exchanged desserts and gathered together to eat.
All the freshmen used their cards. Looking at the delicious desserts and novel drinks, everyone’s emotions eased somewhat.
Yang Huaizhou gently said, “If you cannot make up your mind on your own, you may call your parents and discuss it with them. Of course, if you decide to leave the academy, we will also use a [Memory Loss Card] on your family members.”
After saying this, he walked down from the auditorium stage, leaving the time to the freshmen.
Several young girls gathered together, chatting while eating.
Lu Xianle said, “This all sounds so scary.”
Lin Ting looked thin and tiny, but at this moment she was unusually firm. “I want to become a card master.”
Lu Xianle said, “I kind of want to as well... Last time in the Spirit Rhythm Land, I saw a three-star [Bow and Arrow Card]. It was so cool. I’ve never seen such a cool bow in my entire life!”
As she spoke, Lu Xianle sighed again and said, “But I’m afraid my parents won’t allow it.”
Lin Ting said, “Wouldn’t it be fine if you just don’t tell them?”
Lu Xianle looked astonished. “Something this huge, and you won’t tell your parents?”
Lin Ting coldly said, “I’ve never told them anything. They don’t even know what a card master is, and they don’t want to know.”
Lu Xianle: “...” Every family had its own difficulties, so she did not know what to say.
Lu Xianle then looked at Ning Zhu. “What about you, Ning Zhu? Are you going to study at the Spirit Card Academy?”
Ning Zhu was trying to cover for Bai Ze. That greedy cat absolutely insisted on eating the half-ripe cheesecake. When Lu Xianle suddenly asked her that, she quickly raised her head and said, “Yes.”
“You’re really brave, not scared at all...” Clearly, Ning Zhu’s performance inside the [Scene Card] had caused her to misunderstand.
Lu Xianle hesitantly said, “War... I can’t even imagine it. Those [Character Cards] were really terrifying. They truly kill people.”
The bloody scenes resurfaced in her mind, and Lu Xianle shivered.
Ning Zhu did not explain anything.
She was scared too. How could she possibly not be scared?
It was just that she had long since lost the right to choose.
Whether she was afraid or not had no meaning. The Zodiac Society already wanted to kill her entire family.
She had no choice but to join the Spirit Card Academy. She had to become a powerful card master. Only then could she protect herself and her family.
Ning Zhu said to her, “You should call your parents. For something like this, it’s better not to decide by yourself.”
Lu Xianle thought the same thing and said, “Mm! I’ll go make a call!”
Lin Ting thought for a moment, then stood up and said, “...I’ll make a call too.”
Ning Zhu could not have been happier for them to leave for a while so she could feed the greedy cat.
Bai Ze had just finished an entire half-ripe cheesecake panda ball when a boy squeezed over beside Ning Zhu. He blinked and said, “Hey!”
Ning Zhu: “Li Leyang?”
Li Leyang said in annoyance, “Right, I still don’t know your name.”
Just as Ning Zhu was about to say it, Li Leyang continued, “You were grouped together with Ye Jianrong, huh? Actually, that’s pretty good. Her personality may be terrible, but she’s definitely capable. So, were you scared? Those [Character Cards] had very low star ratings anyway, they were just there to scare the freshmen. And those [Illusion Cards]—I’m guessing Ye Jianrong probably noticed something strange, right? She loves researching [Illusion Cards]. Though it’s hard to say. Everything happened too suddenly at the time. Even I got scared, you know? Especially with the appearance of the [Star God Card] already making everyone nervous. I seriously thought the Zodiac Society had come to launch a sneak attack...”
Alright then, Li Leyang’s chatterbox mode had been activated. Ning Zhu could not find a chance to interrupt at all.
Li Leyang could not help boasting about himself again: “...I was unbelievably calm and composed at the time. Even though I didn’t have a weapon card, I know the weaknesses of low-star [Character Cards] very well, especially [Warriors]. Their flaws are super obvious. I took one down right away! Too bad you weren’t there... otherwise I could’ve taught you a thing or two...”
Li Leyang then asked, “Oh right, how many [Character Cards] did Ye Jianrong take down?”
Ning Zhu: “Two.”
Li Leyang: “Nothing impressive!”
Ning Zhu asked him, “What about you?”
Li Leyang: “Cough, I also took down two, but my specialty is card-making. This isn’t my strong point, you get me?”
Ning Zhu found it funny inside, but verbally said, “Got it, got it, got it.”
Ning Zhu’s triple “got it” made Little Li Sheep feel quite pleased. Sure enough, he and she really got along well. Then Li Leyang lowered his voice and said, “I’ll tell you a secret.”
Ning Zhu: “Hm?”
“I know the name of the Star God Card holder now!”
“Huh?”
“Why are you so shocked? Don’t tell me you actually believed the principal? He only said that to protect the Star God Card holder.”
“...”
“I’m only telling you, okay? Don’t tell anyone else. The two of us can go find... well, the main thing is that the Star God Card holder is a girl, so it’ll be more convenient for you to ask around.”
Ning Zhu understood the hidden meaning in Li Leyang’s words and also saw through his little scheme.
There were nearly ten thousand freshmen here. It would indeed be hard for him to find one person by himself, so he wanted her help.
Li Leyang was just about to say the name when he suddenly became cautious again. “Oh right, you’re enrolling here, right?”
Ning Zhu nodded. “Of course.”
“That’s good.” Li Leyang leaned closer to her, lowering his voice extremely low, but pronouncing every word unusually clearly. “Her name is Ning Zhu.”
Ning Zhu: “...”
“Pretty nice name, right? As expected of the Star God Card holder. Even her name sounds especially unique.” Only after saying that did Li Leyang finally remember. “Oh right, what’s your name?”
Bai Ze burst out laughing without the slightest restraint.
Ning Zhu considered her words for a moment, then first said, “Um, back in the Spirit Rhythm Land, I really appreciated you taking me around...”
Li Leyang waved his hand and said, “Why bring that up? Didn’t you also treat me to a meal? We’re even!”
Ning Zhu pondered for a moment, then asked him, “We’re friends, right?”
Li Leyang: “Of course...” He finally realized something was wrong.
“What exactly is your name?”
“...”
“You...”
“My name is Ning Zhu.”
“????”
Li Leyang gave a live demonstration of what it meant to explode on the spot.
He shot to his feet, staring at Ning Zhu with his mouth hanging open. If his eyes could shoot fire, Ning Zhu would already have been roasted black.
At that moment, Lin Ting returned after finishing her phone call.
Her eyes were red, and her thin wrist tightly gripped her phone while she stood there in a daze.
As she arrived near the seats, she happened to see the agitated Li Leyang.
Without even thinking, Lin Ting rushed over and said, “Who are you? What are you trying to do!”
Li Leyang: “………………”
Like a deflated balloon, he instantly wilted.
“Who am I?” Little Li Sheep looked at Ning Zhu with a face full of grievance and said gloomily, “I’m the clown.”
Lin Ting: “???”
Ning Zhu: “………………”
Li Leyang left. He staggered away in a dazed and spiritless state, muttering as he walked, “So the clown was actually me... the clown was actually me!”
Lin Ting blinked and asked Ning Zhu, “Which mine dug up this lunatic?”
Ning Zhu cleared her throat and said, “It was all just a misunderstanding. Um... he’s actually a really good person.”
Li Leyang truly was a good person.
Ning Zhu felt rather melancholy.
She felt like she was about to lose this interesting friend.
Half an hour later, Lu Xianle also returned. She had obviously cried, but joy was written across her round face as she said, “My dad disagreed at first and insisted I come home, but my mom told me to study hard. She said if war really breaks out in the future, having ability is better than having none!”
Both Ning Zhu and Lin Ting nodded and said, “Exactly!”
An hour later, the results came out.
Roughly three thousand eight hundred students remained.
This was the year with the lowest enrollment at the Spirit Card Academy in the past ten years.
Another half hour later, the auditorium felt even emptier.
Li Suwen, dressed in a red robe, stood on the stage and said, “Hello everyone. I am Li Suwen, head of the Aries Department. Welcome to the Spirit Card Academy. Next, students who received admission notices from the Aries Department, please sit on the red cushions to the left.”
Jiang Binglun, dressed in a deep blue robe, also stood there coldly and said, “I am Jiang Binglun, head of the Libra Department. Students who received admission notices from the Libra Department, please proceed to the blue cushions on the right.”
The students moved quickly, finding the cushions belonging to their departments and sitting down again.
Li Suwen then raised her voice and said, “There are also two special students who simultaneously received admission notices from both departments.”
As soon as those words fell, all the freshmen curiously looked around.
Li Suwen continued, “Would student Ning Zhu and student Ye Jianrong please come up here? I will introduce the Aries Department to you, and then Director Jiang will introduce the Libra Department. After hearing our introductions, you may freely choose which department to join.”
Ning Zhu: “...”
Did it really have to be this grand? She did not want to stand out like this!
Ye Jianrong had already stood up and was striding toward the front stage. Her posture was perfectly straight, like a proud little peacock, as though she were going to receive the glory that belonged to her.
The moment Lu Xianle heard Ning Zhu’s name, she immediately said, “I knew you were super amazing!”
Lin Ting was also happy for Ning Zhu. “Go quickly, Ye Jianrong is already up there.”
Their encouragement warmed Ning Zhu’s heart. At last, she stood up and forced herself to walk over.
The gazes of all the freshmen fell upon the two of them.
Some were envious...
They themselves had been chosen, while those two had the right to choose instead, which was enough to prove how outstanding they were.
Some were disdainful...
Why were they the special ones?
Others were eager and excited...
So what if they ranked first upon enrollment? Being able to hold onto first place was the real skill!