Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Ning Zhu’s wrist recovered very quickly. Early the next morning, the white bandage was removed.

Doctor Ma had instructed her to uncover it and let it breathe so it would heal faster.

Several girls gathered together, clicking their tongues in amazement.

Lin Ting: “If this were under normal circumstances, wouldn’t it take at least two or three months to heal?”

Lu Xianle: “The Medical Card is so amazing. Tingzi, work hard — us sisters will be relying on you in the future!” Originally, she hadn’t had much of a concept of it, but after seeing it with her own eyes this time, even she was tempted.

Lin Ting said full of motivation: “In the future, if either of you gets some little injury or pain, I’ll handle the treatment!” After speaking, she immediately spat three times and said, “No, that’s wrong. Neither of you is allowed to get hurt in the future!”

Lu Xianle also followed with three spits and said, “Right, we all have to stay healthy and live to a hundred!”

Ning Zhu also chimed in: “No problem!”

Only many years later,

when they recalled it again,

did they understand what an extravagant hope that had been.

Ning Zhu didn’t miss even a single day of class.

Yesterday’s practical combat class had been suspended, so no one got to attend it. Li Suwen had already sent out a group notice arranging another time to make up the lesson.

This morning’s class was also very close by. Ning Zhu couldn’t wear her wristband, so she couldn’t use the “Slip-Slip Card.” Lu Xianle and Lin Ting walked with her, and the three of them reached the teaching building after only seven or eight minutes.

Nothing particularly special happened in the classes that entire day.

It was just that many people curiously sized up Ning Zhu. After seeing her empty wrist, they quickly looked away again.

Up until Thursday, Ning Zhu still hadn’t seen Li Leyang.

Their schedules had many similarities, after all, it was the best class arrangement for the Aries Department.

During the practical combat classroom incident, Ning Zhu had been taken to the medical room by Li Suwen, while Lu Xianle and Lin Ting had immediately chased after them, so they knew nothing about Li Leyang getting into a fight with someone.

Ning Zhu herself also couldn’t figure out what the situation was.

Maybe Li Leyang didn’t actually have the same schedule as her. After all, his foundation was different from hers. Perhaps he didn’t even need to attend some of the basic classes.

Even while thinking that, Ning Zhu still couldn’t help glancing around every time she entered a classroom.

Occasionally, she would see Ye Jianrong. Sometimes she would run into Shen Guan. She had even seen Li Leyang’s roommates several times, but never him himself.

By Thursday, Ning Zhu increasingly felt that something was wrong.

Today was Card-Making class. The students entering the classroom were almost exactly the same as those from Tuesday’s practical combat class.

As for the reason...

One look at the instructor explained it.

Tuesday afternoon’s practical combat class had been taught by the Aries Department Head.

Thursday morning’s Card-Making class was taught by the Libra Department Head.

Ning Zhu didn’t have a favorable impression of Jiang Binglun, but there was no doubt that both his personal skill level and teaching qualifications were among the very best in Spirit Card Academy.

Just looking at the student ratio made that obvious.

Almost all the preparatory class students had come. If not for their small numbers, Ning Zhu, Lu Xianle, and Lin Ting probably wouldn’t even have gotten spots in this class.

Ning Zhu carefully looked around, yet still failed to see Li Leyang.

She couldn’t hold back anymore and sent Li Leyang a private message on the school forum: “Did something happen at home?”

Li Leyang replied extremely quickly: “No.”

“You didn’t choose Professor Jiang’s Card-Making class?”

“No.”

“?”

“My Card-Making score is full marks. I don’t need to study it.”

“...” So what if a top student is amazing!

Ning Zhu relaxed a little. At that moment, a boy wearing the Aries Department uniform with an extremely flashy belt around his waist looked at her and said in a mocking tone, “Yo, where’s the card ring of the Ancient God Card Master?”

Ning Zhu didn’t recognize him.

But she could guess that he was probably a classmate from practical combat class.

Faced with this inexplicable provocation, Ning Zhu couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him.

The school was big. There were all kinds of people.

If this had been in the past, Ning Zhu would definitely have stiffened her neck and directly fought back.

But now... there was no need to waste energy on it.

She only wanted to study properly and obtain the ability to protect herself as soon as possible.

Bai Ze, who had been sulking at her all this time, exploded in anger: “What the hell is this thing? Where did this damn mutt come from!”

Naturally, Ning Zhu couldn’t talk to the cat in front of so many people, so she simply took the opportunity to pet it.

Bai Ze angrily said, “Don’t touch me!”

Ning Zhu scratched under its chin.

The white cat still didn’t fly away and only kept grumbling for a long while.

Ning Zhu’s mood instantly improved, and there was even a smile at the corner of her lips.

The boy with the flashy waistband got furious. He thought she was laughing at him and said, “What Ancient God Card Master? I think she’s just a fraud deceiving the world and stealing a reputation! Only an idiot like Li Leyang would believe it! That poor trash couldn’t curry favor with his main family, so he tried to find another path...”

The smile at the corner of Ning Zhu’s lips disappeared. She raised her eyes to look at him. “What did you say?”

“Yo, angry now? What, you also want to beat me up like Li Leyang did?” Cai Xinji was furious. First-year students weren’t allowed to privately use battle cards, and in hand-to-hand combat he couldn’t beat Li Leyang at all. Li Leyang’s punches had left his eyes swollen, his nose crooked, and even knocked out several of his teeth!

Of course, he had also made Li Leyang pay the price.

He had used the most expensive “Recovery Card,” “Beauty Restoration Card,” and “Tooth Replacement Card.” It was enough to make that poor bastard cry his eyes out.

Cai Xinji still wasn’t satisfied. He had reported it to the school disciplinary department, making them issue Li Leyang a “Punishment Card,” suspending the poor bastard from class for three days and forcing him to hand-copy the disciplinary rules a hundred times!

At that moment, more boys rushed in. They were Li Leyang’s roommates, who had just arrived at the Card-Making classroom. The moment they heard Cai Xinji’s words, they immediately exploded in anger: “Cai Xinji, did you forget the pain as soon as your wounds healed? I’m definitely beating your face into a pig head today!”

Several boys lunged forward. Cai Xinji panicked and shouted, “You violent maniacs! My grandfather is on the school board! I’ll have him expel all of you!”

“What are you making noise about?”

An icy male voice rang out, causing the group of youths to shiver.

Even Li Leyang’s roommates, who had been rushing forward to fight, shrank back slightly. Lowering their heads, they quietly said, “Director Jiang, Cai Xinji was the one insulting classmates first...”

Cai Xinji immediately said, “I wasn’t! They’re the violent maniacs who tried to hit me the moment they raised their hands!”

As he spoke, he put on a pitiful expression and looked toward Jiang Binglun. “Director Jiang! I was already beaten by Li Leyang during practical combat class. Later, the teachers from the disciplinary department upheld justice for me and punished Li Leyang with a three-day suspension! They’re Li Leyang’s lackeys. They came to block me during Card-Making class to avenge Li Leyang!”

Li Leyang’s roommates were all red with anger. “Cai Xinji, stop slandering people! Why did Brother Yang beat you? Don’t you have any damn self-awareness! Such an accident happened during practical combat class, and you were still standing there making sarcastic remarks...”

“Enough.”

Jiang Binglun’s voice didn’t contain the slightest warmth. Just like the man himself, it was as if he had walked straight out of an ice cellar, making even the surrounding air carry a chill.

His gaze swept across Cai Xinji and Li Leyang’s roommates as he coldly read out their names: “Cai Xinji, Wang Huan, Chen Mo, Lu Sunyi. Three points deducted from each of you.”

Cai Xinji widened his eyes. “Director Jiang, I was—”

Jiang Binglun smiled without any warmth in his face. “What? Are you saying I wronged you?”

Cai Xinji’s face immediately turned pale. “N-no.”

The Libra Department valued one thing above all else: “fairness.”

How could Cai Xinji dare to say Jiang Binglun wasn’t “fair” enough?

This was no small matter of merely losing three points.

His Card-Making classes for this entire semester were probably ruined now.

From beginning to end, Jiang Binglun never once looked at Ning Zhu. After punishing the four students causing trouble, he strode toward the podium.

Ning Zhu hadn’t said a single word the whole time, but she had basically figured out the entire sequence of events.

Li Leyang really had gotten into trouble. He had been suspended from class for three days!

And the reason was that he had beaten up Cai Xinji during practical combat class.

From Li Leyang’s roommates’ words, it could also be heard that the reason Li Leyang hit Cai Xinji was because he...

At that moment, a gentle male voice sounded: “Is Li Leyang your boyfriend?”

Ning Zhu turned around and saw Shen Guan in a Libra uniform. His short hair was impeccably neat, and though he wore gold-rimmed glasses, they still couldn’t hide the refined scoundrel aura around him.

Ning Zhu didn’t say anything. Shen Guan looked toward her wrist and said, “It’s recovering pretty well. Remember to use the ‘Scar-Be-Gone Card.’”

Ning Zhu said, “Li Leyang is my friend.”

“Just a friend, huh.” Shen Guan murmured thoughtfully.

Ning Zhu no longer wanted to talk to him. Sure enough, she really disliked this person.

Shen Guan added, “Don’t be angry. I didn’t mean anything else by it. It’s just that during practical combat class, after you got injured, he was very nervous. Then Cai Xinji mouthed off about you, and he immediately jumped up and started hitting him. I thought you two were...”

“There’s no need to be boyfriend and girlfriend,” Ning Zhu said. “If my friend is bullied, I would also seek justice for him.”

Ning Zhu turned and left.

Shen Guan was momentarily stunned. Then a smile seeped into his eyes as he muttered, “How nice, little white sheep.”

He looked toward the very front row of the classroom.

Ye Jianrong’s back was slender, yet as upright and proud as green pines and emerald bamboo.

The Card-Making classroom was different from the practical combat classroom.

This place looked more like a chemistry laboratory for high school students.

The classroom was very large and could easily accommodate forty to fifty students.

The desks were much larger than those in normal classrooms, and the chairs had no backrests. Red and blue stools were tucked underneath the desks.

After the students found their seats and sat down, it was basically two people to a table, forming a Card-Making group.

When Ning Zhu selected this course and saw that the Card-Making teacher was Jiang Binglun, she had already done thorough preparation beforehand.

She had long since searched through the forums and clearly understood the teaching style of Card-Making class, while also knowing what the first lesson would teach.

Jiang Binglun disliked her, and she disliked Jiang Binglun too.

She didn’t want to be deliberately made things difficult for during class, so she had put in a lot of advance effort.

At this moment, she stared at Cai Xinji and quietly asked Bai Ze, “I remember you saying before that when making a ‘Spirit Energy Card,’ if you change the sequence a bit, it can make people suffer unbearably while leaving no trace whatsoever.”

Bai Ze immediately understood what she wanted to do. “That’s easy! But will that brat fall for it?”

Ning Zhu said, “Just tell me how to make the card.”

Bai Ze excitedly said, “No problem!”

Cai Xinji was seated at the desk on the left side of the third row.

At this moment, he was throwing a tantrum, complaining about having points deducted and blaming it all on poor bastards like Li Leyang and Wang Huan.

Ning Zhu said to Lu Xianle and Lin Ting, “I won’t be sitting with you two this class.”

Lin Ting’s heart tightened. “Don’t lower yourself to the level of someone like that. If you end up being punished later, it won’t be worth it...”

Lu Xianle also said, “Right, don’t act impulsively. He’s dying for a chance to report you!”

Ning Zhu reassured them, “Relax. I won’t violate school rules.”

Li Leyang was an iron-blooded Aries-type person.

She was not.

Cai Xinji wanted to report her?

He would need evidence first.

Ning Zhu walked openly and confidently to Cai Xinji’s desk and said, “Can I be in a group with you?”

Cai Xinji looked at her suspiciously and asked back, “Why should I be in a group with you?”

Ning Zhu said, “Because I can make a three-star ‘Spirit Energy Card.’”

Cai Xinji froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. “What kind of bullshit are you talking about? A three-star ‘Spirit Energy Card’? Hahahahaha, why don’t you just say you can make a ‘Zodiac Card’!”

He deliberately said it loudly enough for almost the entire class to hear.

Everyone’s gaze landed on Ning Zhu, each pair of eyes filled with disbelief.

What kind of concept was a three-star “Spirit Energy Card”?

Even outstanding upperclassmen above fourth year who specialized in Card-Making might not necessarily be able to create one!

One had to know that the highest-level “Spirit Energy Cards” circulating on the market were only four-star cards.

It wasn’t that five-star, six-star, or seven-star cards didn’t exist...

Rather, once they exceeded four stars, the materials required to make “Spirit Energy Cards” became completely different, involving a large quantity of prohibited materials.

To protect Pure Humans and wild animals, the Card Master Association restricted Card Masters from making high-star “Spirit Energy Cards” and classified them as one of the forbidden cards.

Four-star “Spirit Energy Cards” were already the absolute ceiling.

One could imagine how difficult it was to make a three-star “Spirit Energy Card”!

Yet this freshman from a Pure Human background who hadn’t even attended a single Card-Making class was boldly claiming she could make a three-star “Spirit Energy Card.”

It was seriously laughable!

Cai Xinji had originally been worried that Ning Zhu wanted revenge on him, but now he was delighted to watch her make a fool of herself.

What Ancient God Card Master?

He had never even heard of it!

Some idiot from a Pure Human background had instead become hugely popular among the freshmen, which made Cai Xinji extremely unhappy.

He couldn’t compare to Ye Jianrong and Shen Guan in terms of background and foundation...

But now he also couldn’t compare to the down-and-out Li Leyang and this trash who-knows-where-she-came-from?

Did she really think she was somebody important?

Cai Xinji laughed and said, “Sure, let’s be in the same group.”

Ning Zhu pulled out the stool and sat beside him.

Cai Xinji added, “What if you can’t make a three-star ‘Spirit Energy Card’?”

Ning Zhu asked in return, “What if I can?”

Cai Xinji was extremely cautious and instinctively said, “If you make it, then that’s your luck. What does it have to do with me? I’m not going to just because of that—”

“How about this.” Ning Zhu looked at him and said, “If I make a three-star ‘Spirit Energy Card,’ how about you test the card for me?”

She waved her left wrist, where there was no card ring.

Cai Xinji: “...”

Ning Zhu added, “Don’t worry. At that time, I’ll first let Professor Jiang inspect it. After he confirms there’s no problem with the card, you can test it.”

Cai Xinji still felt something was off. Instinctively, he asked, “What exactly are you trying to do?”

Ning Zhu gently said, “Nothing much. I just want to prove myself.”

As soon as those words came out, Cai Xinji’s expression relaxed. He sneered and said, “If you really can make a three-star ‘Spirit Energy Card,’ then I’ll admit you’re an Ancient God Card Master.”

On the other side, Wang Huan couldn’t listen anymore and shouted, “Cai Xinji, who the fuck do you think you are? Who the hell needs your acknowledgment!”

Another of Li Leyang’s roommates, Chen Mo, also hurriedly said, “Ning Zhu, there’s no need for you to prove anything to someone like him! Join our group instead — we just happen to be missing one person. Um... if you really make a three-star ‘Spirit Energy Card,’ I’ll help you test the card!”

They were all from the preparatory class, so they clearly understood how difficult it was to make a three-star “Spirit Energy Card.”

Forget Ning Zhu being an Ancient God Card Master — even if she were the Star Demon reborn, there was no way she could create a three-star “Spirit Energy Card” without having attended even a single Card-Making class!

Ning Zhu shook her head at them, then looked toward Cai Xinji and said, “You testing the card shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

No matter how much Cai Xinji thought about it, he couldn’t think of any risks.

“Spirit Energy Cards” were the safest kind of cards.

Even so-called five-star forbidden cards would only cause the spirit energy inside his body to surge, possibly even strengthening his meridians and physique.

Nothing but benefits without any harm!

Only an idiot from a Pure Human background would use something like this to pick a fight with him.

Cai Xinji said, “Sure, I’ll test the card for you.”

Ning Zhu then looked toward Jiang Binglun on the podium and said, “Professor Jiang, when the time comes, please help inspect the card.”

Jiang Binglun coldly stared at her and said, “No problem.”