Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Jiang Binglun said: “Do you think the principal is as free as you? That he can deal with every trivial little matter whenever you run to him? Does he even have time for that!”

Ning Zhu: “……”

The reason she had endured until today was precisely because she had considered this.

Yang Huaizhou treated her very well. From the first meeting to after enrollment, even if it was because of her identity as the “Star God Card Holder,” he had undoubtedly done everything in his power to protect her.

Ning Zhu was very grateful to Principal Yang, and also felt that he was approachable.

But she would not forget his identity because of that.

He was the principal of Spirit Card Academy, and also a highly respected Card Master.

At a time when the Zodiac Society was so rampant, he had far too many heavy matters to deal with. She truly should not burden him with something like this.

But Ning Zhu had already reached her limit.

It had already been more than half a month. They had taken so many lessons, yet they were still stuck in place.

What was the point of continuing like this?

She wasn’t learning anything!

Ning Zhu suppressed her anger and tried to stay calm: “Then let’s just leave it at that.”

Jiang Binglun stared at her: “You don’t want to learn anymore?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to learn—it’s that I can’t learn!” Ning Zhu said again. “Like you said, I’m wasting your time.”

As she said this, her tone was very clear—she clearly felt her own time was being wasted.

Jiang Binglun could of course hear that. He said in a low voice: “Do you still remember who you are? Why are you learning the Libra sequence?” He emphasized the last two words heavily.

The more Ning Zhu listened, the more irritated she became. First, she didn’t think Bai Ze was dangerous, and second, she simply couldn’t understand the Libra sequence.

And this so-called experienced professor in front of her only knew how to coldly criticize her.

“I can’t sense it!” Ning Zhu looked at Jiang Binglun, as if speaking to someone who didn’t understand her language, and emphasized: “I’ve tried my best. I really cannot sense the ice elements!”

Jiang Binglun: “……”

Ning Zhu was truly exhausted. She couldn’t even be bothered to stay angry anymore. Compared to pointless emotions, she wanted to solve the problem:

“Professor, I believe you have many years of teaching experience and have taught countless Libra sequence students. So can you tell me—besides ‘focus’ and ‘meditate,’ is there anything else that can help me sense ice elements?”

“There is no shortcut. Only ‘focus.’”

“But I—”

“Because you have never focused here at all!”

“Is it because I don’t want to?” Ning Zhu completely snapped. She had already tried to speak calmly and resolve the problem—why was this person simply incapable of talking to her properly?!

Ning Zhu stood up and walked toward the desk. Looking at Jiang Binglun behind it, she no longer concealed her anger and said directly: “Professor, I don’t know why you dislike me, and I don’t know what I did to make you unhappy—but I’m not an idiot. I can feel it. When facing someone who dislikes me, even treats me with hostility, how am I supposed to focus?!”

She said everything.

All the suppressed frustration of the past half month poured out at once.

Ning Zhu continued: “In my very first Aries sequence class, I was able to sense ‘fire elements.’ I am capable of focusing and meditating—I’m not incapable! But I truly cannot sense ice elements here, because your hostility makes me nervous. I feel such immense pressure—how am I supposed to focus?!”

Just as Jiang Binglun was about to speak, Ning Zhu interrupted him again: “Professor, are you going to say that you don’t have hostility toward me?”

Silence. Strange silence.

And then something completely unexpected happened.

Jiang Binglun put down the assignment in his hand and looked up at her: “Correct. I do have hostility toward you.”

Ning Zhu froze. She did not expect him to admit it.

“Why?”

“It has nothing to do with you.”

Ning Zhu only felt a surge of heat rising up, and she questioned him: “What do you mean? You’re hostile toward me but it has nothing to do with me—that’s ridiculous!”

Jiang Binglun instead regained his composure. He showed no expression and no longer revealed any of his dislike or hostility toward Ning Zhu. Instead, like an emotionless machine, he said to her: “This has nothing to do with your course, and my task is to teach you the Libra sequence.”

He continued: “The first step of the Libra sequence is ‘focus’. If you can’t get past this, you can’t proceed to later lessons.”

Ning Zhu frowned: “But I…”

“You want to say you can’t focus in an environment where you’re being hostilely treated?”

“…”

“Then I’ll tell you this—you must be able to maintain focus even when you are being targeted with hostility, disgust, even hatred, or even in situations where you are about to be killed!”

Ning Zhu froze.

Jiang Binglun went on: “Libra is not Aries. These two sequences are fundamentally different. If you can’t calm yourself down, you can’t focus. And this calm must come from within! If you can’t stay calm when facing a harsh environment, when faced with others’ dislike and hostility, then what will you use to fight an enemy?”

Ning Zhu finally began to understand a little, but she still couldn’t help saying: “If you had told me this earlier…”

“Heh.” Jiang Binglun let out a cold laugh. “If I told you, it would lose its meaning. In comfortable and relaxed environments, most people can maintain focus. But when a card master needs to activate sequence abilities, they are inevitably facing extremely harsh conditions. How many people can resonate in a classroom, but can only wait for death on the battlefield!”

Ning Zhu fell silent.

Jiang Binglun glanced at the time. “Class dismissed.”

After walking out of Jiang Binglun’s office, Ning Zhu only felt a huge sense of frustration wash over her, leaving her completely deflated.

Bai Ze scratched its paw and said, “What a mess.”

Ning Zhu said, “He wasn’t wrong.”

Bai Ze paused, then said, “But he really is hostile toward you!”

The white cat hopped onto her shoulder, its tail casually brushing her hair, and said, “Why would he be hostile toward you? You didn’t provoke him…”

“Student Ning Zhu, just finished class?” The one walking toward her was Li Suwen. She wore a dark red robe, with a neat shirt and trousers underneath. Her collar was slightly open, faintly revealing a thin chain, followed by her energetic face and her signature small dimples.

Ning Zhu greeted her: “Professor…”

Over the past half month, she had been studying spiritual energy suppression with Li Suwen. Unlike the torment of Monday and Wednesday, Tuesday and Thursday nights were undoubtedly among her favorite classes.

Li Suwen made what should have been a painful lesson on spiritual energy suppression vivid and interesting.

She guided Ning Zhu step by step to sense and experience it. In just half a month, Ning Zhu could already smoothly use a four-star card ring and no longer had the risk of it exploding for the time being.

The course was still ongoing, but the next phase was practice and consolidation.

Without comparison, there is no gap—but when Ning Zhu thought of the Libra sequence class that still had made no progress, she only felt even more uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong?” Li Suwen examined her and said, “You look like a little pitiful thing that’s had its spirit drained.”

“Still haven’t sensed the ice element?”

“Mm…”

“It’s fine, that’s normal. Who can learn the Aries sequence and also master the Libra sequence? Don’t look at how every year there are students with full six-pillar charts. Once you choose a sequence, it becomes very difficult to switch and sense another after entry… For example, Li Jin—try making him sense fire elements, it’s impossible!”

Li Suwen had comforted her with these words many times.

But it didn’t help much. She was sure she could sense the ice element, because of the Star God Card.

Bai Ze had told her that the Star God Card master could control the twelve zodiac cards, and she should be able to sense all elements.

Ning Zhu shook her head. “It’s my problem.”

“You don’t have a problem!” Li Suwen said. “Don’t I know that ‘ice cave’? He just likes making things difficult for people! Not just you—even other Libra students get treated the same way under his pressure…”

Ning Zhu couldn’t help asking: “Professor, why does Professor Jiang have hostility toward me?”

Li Suwen froze, then quickly tried to cover it up: “W-what hostility? He… he’s just like that. He doesn’t have a good face toward anyone, it’s not specifically targeting you…”

Ning Zhu interrupted her: “Professor Jiang said it himself. He said he is hostile toward me.”

Li Suwen froze. Then flames of fury ignited in her eyes as she said, “That’s too much! How can he say something like that to you! Where is the basic boundary of being a teacher! I’m going to tell the headmaster!”

“Professor!” Ning Zhu stopped her. “There’s no need. The headmaster is very busy.”

Li Suwen: “……”

Still angry, she added, “Then I’ll go find Jiang Binglun!”

Ning Zhu actually didn’t like Jiang Binglun either, but what he had just said did affect her.

He didn’t dislike her in a hidden, sneaky way—he said it directly.

He wasn’t hostile to her behind her back—he stated it plainly.

But even though it was disgust and hostility, he still hadn’t targeted her in his actions.

Even the Libra sequence course still followed his teaching principles.

If Ning Zhu could maintain focus under his dislike and hostility, then indeed… when facing the Zodiac Society, she would have a higher chance of sensing the ice element, improving her card abilities, and thus gaining more chances of survival.

“Professor,” Ning Zhu held onto Li Suwen’s arm, stopping her. “Can you tell me why Director Jiang is hostile toward me?”

Li Suwen: “……”

Ning Zhu said, “I want to know.” But she couldn’t possibly go ask Jiang Binglun herself—and even if she did, she probably wouldn’t get an answer.

Li Suwen let out a long sigh and held her hand. “Come with me. To my office.”

Ning Zhu felt the warmth in her palm and felt much better. “Okay.”

Li Suwen handed her a cup of Lava Burning Exploding Big Orange Tea. “New product. Added a lot of orange bits. The texture is more interesting.”

Ning Zhu took it. “Thank you.”

Li Suwen watched her take a couple of sips, her expression gradually relaxing, before slowly speaking again: “Actually, it’s not that he is hostile toward you. He is hostile toward mythological cards.”

Because of the “Fate Swap,” aside from Yang Huaizhou and Li Jin, everyone else believed Ning Zhu had obtained an “Ancient God Card,” not a “Star God Card.”

But their attitude toward her did not get swapped.

In Li Suwen’s words, translated, it meant—

Jiang Binglun was hostile toward the Star God Card.

Li Suwen explained some factions in the card master world. Apart from extremist groups like the Zodiac Society, normal card masters also had different attitudes toward mythological cards.

Optimists believed they could be used effectively.

Pessimists believed they must be destroyed.

Ning Zhu understood. “So Professor Jiang is a pessimist?”

Li Suwen shook her head. “He used to be an optimist, but the previous Star God Card holder completely turned him into a pessimist.”

“The previous Star God Card holder?” Ning Zhu asked in confusion. “Star Demon died a hundred years ago. Director Jiang’s age…”

“Not Star Demon,” Li Suwen said. “Ten years ago, a Star God Card holder appeared. His ability was far inferior to Star Demon’s, but he was also a genius with a full six-pillar chart.”

Hearing “ten years ago,” Ning Zhu’s heart sank slightly.

Li Suwen’s expression dimmed a little as she said, “His name was Miao Feng. Ten years ago, he was the Aries system director.”