Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Ning Zhu also saw the broken black thread, but she did not relax her vigilance. She still forced herself to stay alert and said to Ning Quanren: “Dad, can we exit at the next highway interchange and hire a designated driver to go home?”

Ning Quanren comforted his daughter: “Don’t worry, I’m very alert right now. I guarantee I’ll get us home safely. Besides, the nearest exit is the city area. Once we get off the highway, it’s not far from home anymore. There’s really no need to hire a designated driver.”

Ning Zhu didn’t understand these things.

After all, she was only sixteen. Even though she had been to the airport many times, she wouldn’t bother memorizing these details.

Ning Quanren added: “You look very tired. Why don’t you sleep for a while?”

Ning Zhu immediately said: “No!”

Sleeping could be contagious. If she fell asleep, her father would definitely get drowsy too.

Ning Zhu connected her phone to the car’s multimedia system and deliberately picked music that suited Ning Quanren’s taste—1980s disco music.

As soon as the music started, Ning Quanren became even more energetic and said: “Good, this is nice!”

At that moment, a large truck suddenly rushed out from ahead.

When it merged into the lane, it showed no sign of slowing down at all, instead charging straight into the main lane.

Ning Zhu saw it clearly and felt her heartbeat instantly accelerate: “Dad!”

Their car was traveling at 100 km/h. That wasn’t particularly slow on a highway, but facing a truck that suddenly cut in like that… it was extremely dangerous!

Fortunately, Ning Quanren was fully focused. He saw the merging truck even earlier than Ning Zhu. The moment before she shouted, he had already made a quick decision.

The left lane was empty. He turned the steering wheel sharply, switching lanes to the left, narrowly avoiding the truck’s body.

The truck, unaware of anything, drove away without slowing down.

Ning Quanren pulled the car over to the emergency lane, his face pale.

His hands were still tightly gripping the steering wheel. Sweat rolled down his forehead in large beads, and his fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

It had been far too close!

If Ning Zhu hadn’t come to the airport—if he had been driving alone, in that drowsy afternoon, fatigued and distracted—he might have lost focus and crashed into that truck…

The consequences would have been unthinkable!

Admittedly, the truck merging without slowing down was indeed at fault.

But as long as Ning Quanren had stayed focused, he absolutely had enough time to avoid it.

A small car colliding with a truck would mean certain death for the car driver.

Even if the truck was at fault, so what?

Your life would already be gone!

After a long while, Ning Quanren finally calmed his racing heartbeat. He turned to look at Ning Zhu, his eyes full of disbelief: “Your dream…” Even though she had said it that way, he had mostly felt heartache and had not taken it as a real dream.

Of course, what she said earlier had still given him an important warning.

Xiao Zhu was in the car—no matter what, he had to stay alert.

Better safe than sorry.

He would never treat his daughter’s safety lightly.

Ning Zhu fainted.

She truly couldn’t hold on anymore. Exhaustion surged over her like a tidal wave, instantly drowning her consciousness.

When she woke again, Ning Zhu was lying on a soft bed. Her thoughts quickly gathered, and she opened her eyes and immediately said: “Dad!”

She had actually fallen asleep!

Had her father gotten home?

Was he safe?

A hoarse old voice sounded: “Don’t worry. You have reshaped causality. Your father is no longer in danger.”

Ning Zhu turned her head and saw a plump, round cat with a pair of small wings flapping as it hovered in midair.

The white cat looked soft, cute, and harmless—but its voice was old and aged.

No…

Was this really a cat?

Ever since picking up that card, Ning Zhu had been rushing around nonstop and hadn’t had the time to carefully observe it.

Putting aside the little wings, just the white cat’s body alone…

Hmm, on closer look, it actually looked somewhat like a lion.

But would a lion be this round?

And on top of the cat’s head, there seemed to be two small bumps—were those horns?

Ning Zhu sat up from the bed.

She had returned home. This was her bedroom, and the familiar surroundings made her relax considerably. She finally had the mood to ask: “Who are you?”

The white cat glanced at something beside her.

There lay a snow-white card. Its texture was thin yet flexible, icy cold like snow, but seemingly harder than diamond.

Ning Zhu picked up the card and looked back at the white cat.

White cat: “My name is Bai Ze.”

Ning Zhu said in surprise: “The divine beast Bai Ze!”

Bai Ze rolled its eyes: “There are no divine beasts. I am a card spirit.”

“Card spirit?” Ning Zhu looked again at the card in her hand and asked: “The card spirit of this card?”

Bai Ze: “What else?” It rolled its eyes at her again.

The cat was cute, but its temper was terrible.

Ning Zhu also wasn’t someone with a good temper, and immediately became unhappy.

She turned over, closed her eyes, and rested.

Bai Ze: “……”

After a moment, it spoke again: “Aren’t you curious?”

Ning Zhu pulled the blanket over her head.

Bai Ze: “……”

It remembered she was only sixteen years old—so young that she’d be too small to even be its great-great-great-granddaughter… so it forced itself to be patient and said: “Don’t you want to know what you’ve obtained? What you used?”

Ning Zhu did want to know—very much.

But she didn’t want to ask.

Bai Ze got angry: “You ungrateful little thing! If it weren’t for the Star God Card, could you have saved your father?”

That line worked.

The blanket over Ning Zhu’s head moved. She peeked her eyes out: “Thank you.”

Bai Ze lifted its chin and let out an arrogant hum.

Ning Zhu: “I’m thanking the Star God Card, not you.”

Bai Ze: “I…”

“You’re just a card spirit, not the Star God Card!”

“You—”

“If it was you helping me, you would say, ‘If it weren’t for me, could you have saved your father?’”

Bai Ze was left speechless.

Ning Zhu felt much better. She looked at the card in her hand, then at the plump white cat, and added: “Besides, I helped you too.” She was referring to chasing away the stray dog.

Bai Ze immediately said: “Would I be afraid of a stray dog?!”

Ning Zhu: “Then why didn’t you run?”

Bai Ze: “I am a card spirit. Wherever the card is, that’s where I am.”

Ning Zhu: “Exactly. If I hadn’t chased the stray dog away, you would’ve been carried off in its mouth, right?”

Bai Ze was left speechless again. After a long pause, it gritted its teeth and said: “Sharp-tongued!”

Ning Zhu said: “I’m just stating facts.”

Bai Ze: “……”

Forget it, forget it. What was it arguing with a yellow-haired little girl barely two digits old for!

Bai Ze coughed lightly and said: “In short, you have been recognized as the master of the Star God Card.”

Seeing it finally speaking properly, Ning Zhu also became serious and asked: “What is the Star God Card?”

Bai Ze wanted to roll its eyes again, but thinking of this girl’s stubborn temper, it forced itself to endure: “The most powerful divine card in history. No exception.”

“I don’t understand.” Ning Zhu sat up. Her hair was naturally fluffy, and after being messed up in the blanket, it had turned into a bird’s nest. Combined with her confused expression, she looked appropriately innocent for her age.

Bai Ze felt a bit better and became more patient: “In this world, there is a group of people who specialize in creating and using various cards. They are divided into three factions: the Spirit Card Masters of the Huaxia Continent, the Mystic Card Masters of the European Continent, and the Illusion Card Masters of the American Continent…”

The cat’s voice was old but clear. Ning Zhu listened attentively like a well-behaved student.

This obviously pleased Bai Ze, and it continued in more detail: “Not everyone can become a card master… First, you need strong perception. For example, you can see me, but your father cannot… Of course, many card masters may not even be able to see me. You must know that card spirits are extremely rare existences, and I am among the most powerful of them all…”

Bai Ze grew more and more proud as it spoke, clearly about to launch into an eight-hundred-word self-praise.

Ning Zhu caught the key point: “Is the stray dog’s perception strong?” It was obvious the dog could see it too—and even tried to bite it.

Bai Ze said unhappily: “That wild dog only saw the card!”

Ning Zhu understood.

The snow-white card looked like an ice-cold dessert, and the dog probably just wanted to lick it.

Bai Ze didn’t want to mention its embarrassing near-miss with a stray dog and quickly changed the topic: “But simply being able to perceive it isn’t enough. The Star God Card isn’t something anyone can master. You first triggered ‘Future Vision’, and then triggered ‘Causal Reshaping’, which is why the Star God Card recognized you as its master.”

Ning Zhu recalled what she had experienced and still found it unbelievable: “Future Vision… Causal Reshaping…”

She looked up at Bai Ze and asked: “Why was I able to trigger them?”

Bai Ze couldn’t hold it in anymore and rolled its eyes: “How would I know?”

“You don’t even know?”

“I’m just a card spirit! If I knew, I’d be the master of the Star God Card!”

Ning Zhu asked the soul-piercing question: “Then what’s the use of you as a card spirit?”

Bai Ze: “……”

Seeing the plump white cat bristle up again—

Ning Zhu also realized she had hit a sore spot and quickly smoothed things over: “Ahem, existence itself has meaning. You must be useful.”

Bai Ze was not comforted at all. It put on a cat face and said: “Can you speak properly or not!”

Ning Zhu: “I can! You talk!”

Bai Ze was too lazy to fly anymore—the wings were tiring.

With a plop, it landed on the soft bed and stretched lazily: “In short, your perception is strong, your conviction is firm, and you triggered the Star God Card’s ability to save your family… Hmm, actually, triggering it once already counts as recognition. Triggering it twice means you’re exceptionally talented.”

As Bai Ze said this, Ning Zhu still didn’t feel any real sense of it.

How was that considered “exceptionally talented”?

She didn’t feel like she had done anything at all. It just felt like luck—she happened to pick up that card, saw the future, and avoided her father’s car accident.

Ning Zhu asked again: “I’ve never even heard of card masters before.”

Bai Ze couldn’t help but blurt out: “That’s because you’re ignorant.”

Ning Zhu: “……”

She couldn’t take it anymore and didn’t need to take it anymore. She grabbed the white cat and started vigorously rubbing its fluffy head.

Bai Ze was shocked: “Y-you you you… bold! Rude!”

Ning Zhu only felt how smooth the fur was. She even pinched its little ears.

Bai Ze screamed: “Let—let—”

It originally wanted to say “let go,” but in the end had no choice but to submit to the evil forces: “Let goooo!”

Ning Zhu felt much better and decided there was no need to argue with a tsundere cat. She said calmly: “Alright, continue explaining what card masters are.”

Bai Ze escaped from her claws and desperately straightened its messy fur, its voice trembling with anger: “There are three major factions corresponding to three academies. The Huaxia region has the Spirit Card Academy. You definitely meet the admission requirements—go figure it out yourself!”

It didn’t want to talk to her anymore.

Just how strong was this human’s perception—she actually managed to physically touch it!

Its clean, dust-free fur… aaahhh…

Ruined! It could never be clean again!

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock sounded at the door.

Then came Ning Quanren’s voice: “Xiao Zhu, are you awake? Can Dad and Mom come in?”

Ning Zhu’s heart tightened. She quickly covered Bai Ze with the blanket and said: “I’m awake!”

Bai Ze shouted: “They can’t see me!”

Ning Zhu: “…Oh right, I forgot.”

But it was too late to lift the blanket. Ning Quanren and Miao Yun had already walked in.

Ning Zhu keenly noticed that her mother looked even more troubled than before.