Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Hearing Li Jin's words, Ning Zhu only felt suddenly enlightened.

Right!

Before, she had gone down the wrong path and gotten led astray by Jiang Binglun's logic.

The reason she couldn't sense the ice element around Jiang Binglun was not because she wasn't calm enough in a dangerous environment, but because she didn't think Jiang Binglun was dangerous.

Jiang Binglun disliked her, and even viewed her with hostility, but in the end he was still a teacher at Spirit Card Academy. He would not truly harm her in any real sense.

So... instead, she had been holding back a breath of frustration, making it impossible for her to calm down.

After figuring all this out, Ning Zhu immediately felt refreshed and cheerful. “Senior Li Jin, thank you!”

Li Jin: “……”

Ning Zhu lifted her head again and looked at Li Jin eagerly. “Senior, can you release the [Ice Element Card] one more time? I'll try to find the feeling again.”

Li Jin: “Come on then.”

Ice-cold crystal shards filled the room as they fell.

Li Jin didn't need to close his eyes, nor did he need to deliberately sense anything. He could already see famous ice-blue snowflakes.

The girl standing within them was like a blazing fire capable of scorching the air itself.

This training session unexpectedly passed for an entire hour without either of them noticing.

Ning Zhu didn't even realize how much time had passed. She said apologetically, “I've taken up way too much of Senior's time.”

“It won't. I didn't really have anything to do right now anyway.”

“But I still delayed your rest time.”

“Wrapped in the ice element, for the Balance Sequence this already counts as very good rest. Besides...” Li Jin looked at the Molten Lava Fierce Fierce Explosive Big Orange Tea in his hand and said, “there's also something to drink.”

Ning Zhu couldn't help laughing again. “Senior...”

“Mm?”

“You're really such a good person!”

“……”

“If you want tea, tell me anytime. I'll buy it for you again.” Ning Zhu blinked and added, “Anytime, anywhere!”

“If you have problems, you can come find me too.” Li Jin paused before softly saying, “Anytime, anywhere.”

Ning Zhu was walking out of the practical combat classroom together with him. At this moment, she leaned closer to him again and lowered her voice. “One Molten Lava Fierce Fierce Explosive Big Orange Card only costs sixteen yuan, and I can come to a Balance Card Master to solve problems for me. Isn't that an absolute blood profit for me!”

“……”

“Senior, do you want to raise your prices a little?”

“No.”

“Senior, does your family do business?”

“……”

“If your family has any business industries, listen to my advice—absolutely don't take over.”

“Why?”

“The way you do business, you'll steadily lose money without ever making profit!”

“…………”

Ning Zhu added, “But Senior, don't worry. Look, I'm steadily profiting without losses, so later on I'll help you out.”

After saying that, Ning Zhu's smiling eyes curved even more.

Oh no, the filter over the cold and aloof senior had shattered into pieces. Now all she could see was how adorable he was!

Wednesday night, Ning Zhu arrived at Jiang Binglun's office.

In this past half month, this was the first time she had truly faced this class with complete peace of mind.

First, she no longer doubted herself. Second, after many experiences sensing the ice element, she had gained enough proficiency that she would not suddenly become unable to sense it anymore.

Her mentality was better, and she had practiced enough.

She refused to believe she would still mess up!

On Tuesday night, Ning Zhu had been practicing spirit energy suppression with Li Suwen. Li Suwen reminded her again, “Don't force yourself. If you really can't adapt to Jiang Binglun's teaching style, then switch to Li Jin instead. I'll talk to him for you...”

Ning Zhu had already secretly gotten extra lessons from Li Jin, so how could she have the nerve to completely dump everything onto him?

Besides, Ning Zhu felt that Jiang Binglun really was a very good target for practicing “calmness.”

“It's fine!” Ning Zhu instead comforted Li Suwen. “Professor, don't worry. I can definitely learn the Balance Sequence course well!”

Li Suwen frowned slightly and sighed softly. “In any case, don't force yourself. If you can't endure it, tell me.”

Ning Zhu felt warmth in her heart and answered, “Mm!”

Some people become more likable the longer you spend time with them. Some people become more annoying the longer you spend time with them.

The greatest progress Ning Zhu and Jiang Binglun had made over this half month was probably this—

They had become even more certain that they disliked each other.

“Professor Jiang, I'm here.”

“Sense it.” He didn't even raise his head. His wristband flashed lightly once as he released the [Ice Element Card].

Ning Zhu immediately felt threads of coolness.

This time, she maintained an ordinary calm state of mind. There was no raging fire in her chest, and her perception became even clearer.

Focus. Meditation.

Ning Zhu first pictured those crystalline ice shards in her mind, then slowly opened her eyes. Bone-piercing coldness rushed toward her, and Ning Zhu saw deep azure ice elements continuously fluttering throughout the entire room.

She saw them!

Joy surged in Ning Zhu's heart, but she quickly balanced her emotions again and observed them with even greater focus and seriousness.

The ice elements released by Li Jin were cool and refreshing, but not this damp coldness. The drifting ice crystals were like slow and sluggish little sprites lazily falling beneath the blazing sun, giving people the comfortable feeling of sitting in an air-conditioned room during extreme heat.

The ice elements released by Jiang Binglun gave an entirely different sensation. They were colder and icier, carrying freezing wind and dampness, like a cave sealed in ice for ages, permeated with an eerie chill that could not be relieved.

Suddenly...

The ice elements in the room disappeared.

Jiang Binglun lifted his eyes and stared at her.

Ning Zhu said calmly, “Professor, I sensed the ice elements.”

Jiang Binglun responded indifferently.

“Can we begin the next lesson now?”

“Continue sensing.”

Ning Zhu was surprisingly calm and said, “Okay.”

Jiang Binglun first released another card before releasing the [Ice Element Card]. He said, “Find the ice element within water.”

Ning Zhu: “……” You really know how to increase the difficulty.

When Ning Zhu attended White Ram Sequence classes before, she had never gone through something like this.

The teacher had only made them continuously sense the fire element. After repeating it through many classes and ensuring they could sense it instantly, they then began trying to use spell cards of the fire element.

Jiang Binglun was also making her repeatedly sense elements, but it was not simply repetitive sensing. Instead, he continuously mixed it together with other elements.

Finding the ice element within water.

Finding ice elements within wind.

Finding ice elements within earth...

Ning Zhu accomplished all of it, and each time in an extremely short amount of time.

Jiang Binglun stood up. A rare red light flashed from his wristband, and Ning Zhu immediately felt overwhelming fire elements. Her sensitivity to fire elements far exceeded her sensitivity to other elements. At almost the exact moment they were released, she captured all of them.

“Find the ice element within fire,” Jiang Binglun said coldly.

Ning Zhu: “…………”

She took a light breath and tried hard to calm herself, but this was too difficult, because fire elements and ice elements were completely opposed to each other. One was “passion,” the other was “calmness.” Surrounded by fire elements, it was difficult for her not to become “passionate.” And once she became “passionate,” how could she possibly become “calm”?

One minute...

Five minutes...

Ten minutes...

Jiang Binglun said, “Nothing special after all.”

The moment those four words landed, Ning Zhu instantly exploded. If her emotions could have taken physical form, they would have all become “passion” at this moment.

As for “calmness”...

Calm my ass!

Just as Ning Zhu thought this, a miracle happened.

“Passion” caused the fire elements to gather, and they unexpectedly began moving according to Ning Zhu's will.

Ning Zhu's thoughts stirred, and she ordered the fire elements: “Find the ice elements.”

Then the fire elements began dancing. The concealed ice elements were exposed, trembling there like tiny droplets of water surrounded by flames.

Ning Zhu stared at them for only a few seconds before immediately feeling “calmness.”

“Calmness” beneath “passion”...

So they were not conflicting opposites at all, but things that could coexist.

Ning Zhu sensed the ice elements within the fire elements. She looked toward Jiang Binglun and provoked him, “Nothing special after all?”

Jiang Binglun: “……”

He withdrew all the elements in the room.

“Class dismissed.” Jiang Binglun sat back down at his office desk and no longer looked at Ning Zhu.

Ning Zhu only felt her anger surging upward. Instead of leaving, she strode over and stared at Jiang Binglun. “Professor, I know about Miao Feng.”

The moment he heard those two words, Jiang Binglun abruptly raised his head. His long thin face was filled with gloom, and his black eyes looked as though poison had seeped into them.

Ning Zhu's heart tightened, but she did not retreat. She continued looking at him and said, “Miao Feng is Miao Feng. I am me. Professor, is the way you're treating me truly ‘fair’?”

With a creaking sound, the chair slid backward. Jiang Binglun stood up. He was much taller than Ning Zhu, and at this moment he looked down at her from above with overwhelming pressure. “I already said this is my teaching principle. I treat all students equally.”

“Would you make other students sense ice elements in water, wind, earth, and fire!”

“Your situation is different. This is teaching according to the student's aptitude.”

“Then what about your hostility!”

“‘Fairness’ is not blindness. Shouldn't I be hostile toward you!”

“Because of Miao Feng?”

“……”

“Oh, and because of mythological cards too, right? You're from the pessimistic faction. You think sooner or later I'll become like Star Demon...”

“Enough!”

Ning Zhu was not intimidated by him at all. Instead, she asked clearly, word by word, “Do you truly think this is ‘fairness’? I haven't done anything, yet just because of the future you imagined, you can arbitrarily ‘judge’ me?”

At last, Ning Zhu finally said the words that had been buried in her heart.

She hated Jiang Binglun because she refused to accept it.

Before, she had not understood it this clearly, but now she completely understood.

“Get out.”

“……”

“Get out of here right now!”

“Goodbye.” Ning Zhu strode out of the office.

She did not regret saying those things. In fact, after speaking them aloud, the tightly wound state she had been in completely relaxed.

Why should this happen!

Just because she was related to Miao Feng?

Just because Star God Card Masters might bring disaster?

But she clearly had done nothing at all!

How could the Balance Sequence 2, which advocated “fairness,” be so unfair!

Balance Department Head Office.

After the wooden door closed, Jiang Binglun braced both hands against the office desk. Veins bulged on the back of his hands, and faint ice-blue patterns could be seen spreading upward. His robe concealed his arms, but the patterns reappeared along his neck.

The ice-blue patterns spread across his neck like blood vessels, even extending toward his gaunt jawline.

Jiang Binglun's eyes also turned into inorganic ice-blue colors...

He suddenly clenched his fists and, with trembling hands, pulled out a card from the drawer.

The card bloomed with light and enveloped his entire body. The blood-vessel-like ice-blue patterns gradually faded away, and he slumped weakly into the chair as though he had just been dragged out of water.

“Fairness”?

Jiang Binglun's lips were filled with mockery.

Just how exactly was he supposed to uphold “fairness”!

After that outburst, Ning Zhu spent the entire weekend feeling uneasy.

Then on another Monday night, Ning Zhu saw Li Jin inside Jiang Binglun's office.

“Senior!”

“Professor Jiang has something to do, so I'm substituting for the class.”

“!”

“Don't worry, I can teach too...”

“That's amazing!” Ning Zhu's joy was completely undisguised, and the corners of Li Jin's lips could not help lifting upward as well.

The last ten days of September passed extremely pleasantly for Ning Zhu.

The courses were intense, there was a lot to do, and there were even extra classes from Monday to Thursday, but Ning Zhu did not feel the slightest bit stifled. She only felt fulfilled.

During the October holiday, Ning Zhu was unable to go home.

First, she was worried it would not be safe. Second, she wanted to seize the time to prepare for the Freshman Cup.

Old Ning was very dissatisfied about this and said, “Then your mother and I will come spend the holiday with you.”

Ning Zhu hurriedly said, “Dad! You should properly spend time with Mom!”

The moment she said that, Ning Quanren reacted.

Spirit Card Academy would only stir up Miao Yun's fear.

Whenever Ning Zhu did video calls normally, she tried her best not to expose anything related to cards.

“Alright...” Ning Quanren missed his daughter very much, then added, “I'll transfer you some more money. Don't be stingy with spending it.”

Ning Zhu knew this was her father's way of expressing love, so she smiled and replied, “Even if I wanted to save money, I couldn't. Card-making materials burn through money way too fast.”

“Don't be afraid, your dad can earn money!”

“Mm, Dad, just invest in me first. Later on, when one of my cards sells for tens of millions, I'll earn you even more money!”

Ning Quanren immediately grinned so widely that only his teeth could be seen, not his eyes.

Mid-October.

The first-year students of Spirit Card Academy had fallen into complete polarization.

Those who registered for the Freshman Cup were becoming more anxious than the next person. Some upperclassmen had even started selling [Anti-Baldness Cards].

Those who had not registered for the Freshman Cup were becoming more carefree than the next person, already preparing to place bets while enjoying the spectacle.

Ning Zhu herself was actually doing alright, but there was an Anxiety Emperor in the dormitory—Lu Xianle.

Big Sister Le was practically driving herself insane.

Lin Ting even regretted encouraging her to register.

Ning Zhu also had another Anxiety Emperor by her side—Li Leyang.

The two had completely different styles of anxiety.

Lu Xianle was the type to “go wild at home,” while Li Leyang was the “the crazier the crowd, the crazier he gets” type.

Big Sister Le just went crazy inside the dormitory, while Brother Yang posted nonstop on the forums.

Funny Sheep posted ten threads a day.

Every single thread was absolutely packed with useful information.

The only problem was that the useful information was too dry, and everyone had developed aesthetic fatigue from it.

Finally, on October 20th, the Academic Affairs Office announced the number of registrations from each department.

The moment the data came out, the entire school erupted.

White Ram Department: 1222 people.

Balance Department: 88 people.

Not just the students—even the teachers were shocked.

Li Suwen said excitedly, “As expected of the Little White Rams!”

The teachers from the Balance Department were also speechless. “They're really reckless.”

Among the freshmen, only a small number from the White Ram Department had not registered.

Meanwhile, only a small number from the Balance Department had registered.

The Little White Rams were obviously focused on participation. They might not necessarily have prepared thoroughly, but with the mentality of “might as well do it since there's nothing to lose,” they enthusiastically signed up.

The Little Balances, on the other hand, had gone through rational consideration and concluded there was no need to waste time and energy. Therefore, most chose not to register, while the 88 who did register all had solid foundations and had made thorough preparations.