Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Late at night.

Ning Quanren and Miao Yun were already asleep.

Ning Zhu, who should have been obediently asleep, crawled out of the blankets.

Outside the tightly shut window, the plump white cat stared at her with an expression that seemed to say, “You deserve to die.”

Ning Zhu quickly opened the window and reached out to pull it inside, saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

Bai Ze erupted in anger: “You just dumped me like that!”

Ning Zhu said guiltily, “You saw Mom’s condition too, I had no choice but to leave you behind first.”

Bai Ze snapped, “This is the Star God Card! It’s an ancient treasure that the entire card-user world would fight tooth and nail for! They would have to bathe and burn incense just to look at me once! You… you actually…”

Ning Zhu hurriedly smoothed its fur, softly coaxing, “It was my fault, I’m sorry!”

Seeing her sincerity, Bai Ze’s anger eased a little. It raised its chin proudly… Ning Zhu understood immediately and reached out to scratch under its chin.

Bai Ze exploded, “Don’t use cat tricks on me—mmph…” It actually felt pretty good.

Ning Zhu laughed inwardly. “As expected, it really is a cat.”

Bai Ze purred comfortably.

But Ning Zhu’s smile slowly faded. Her hand didn’t stop moving, but her tone turned calm: “You saw it too. My mom has psychological trauma about card magic. Since I promised her I wouldn’t get involved in this, I’ll keep my word.”

Bai Ze shot up into the air, its small wings flapping rapidly, showing just how intense its emotions were: “Do you even know what you’re saying?!”

“I do.”

“You don’t understand how powerful card users are at all!”

“……”

“You foolish child, you’ve only used less than one percent of the Star God Card’s power! Fine, fine, let’s say the Star God Card is too distant for you. Do you even know a single 【Armor Card】 can match a bulletproof vest? Do you know a single 【Precision Shot】 lets you easily hit a bullseye? Do you know—”

“Fine, fine, even these are too far for an inexperienced little girl like you. That game you like playing, the one where people fight and kill in the canyon… it’s called ‘Mirror,’ right? If you properly learn card crafting, you could even create combat cards based on its skills!”

Ning Zhu’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

She often joked with her friends that if games could become real, she would definitely be the strongest assassin—charging into enemy lines, breaking through seven times in and out, cutting everything down.

But now…

Ning Zhu bit her lip and said, “That sounds dangerous. I’m just an ordinary person. I only want to stay with my mom and dad.”

Bai Ze widened its eyes. It opened and closed its mouth: “You… ordinary my ass!”

Over the past century, it had awakened many times.

But its previous holders could never see it, could never be recognized by the Star God Card, and even died due to greed.

Yet this girl not only saw it—she also triggered two divine skills.

After a hundred years, the Star God Card had finally recognized a master again, and yet it was being rejected so harshly.

She didn’t want it!

She actually didn’t want it!

This was like what?

It was like Thor losing his hammer, Spider-Man rejecting his spider, Captain America throwing away his shield, Iron Man and Batman abandoning their billions…

Ning Zhu lowered her eyes and said, “It was my fault for throwing you away, so this time… please leave on your own.”

Bai Ze: “………………”

Ning Zhu carried it to the open window.

Bai Ze had wings; it was fine even at a high floor—it could just flap away by itself.

Bai Ze landed on the windowsill. After a long silence, it said, “You’ll regret this.”

“……”

Bai Ze: “You will definitely regret this!”

It stared at her pitifully, hoping she would regret it immediately, right this second. As long as she picked it up again, it could still continue being her card spirit…

“Goodbye.”

Bai Ze was furious: “Never see you again!” After throwing out those words, it leapt out of the window.

Ning Zhu’s heart tightened. She hadn’t seen it spread its little wings.

She hurriedly looked outside, only to see a scene she would never forget in her life.

There was no plump, round white cat at all. What shot into the sky was clearly the divine beast Bai Ze.

It was tall and imposing, its entire body covered in flawless white fur, as if carved from the purest snow in heaven and earth.

Its wings unfolded on command, vast enough to cover the sky.

Faint starlight flickered across them, like brilliant meteors streaking across the heavens.

Bai Ze flew higher and higher. Its agile figure merged into the deep night, and at the moment it disappeared, only an empty night sky remained—along with a dim, fading moon.

Ning Zhu stood blankly by the window, as if she had just watched a grand fireworks show.

Brilliant and beautiful, yet leaving only loneliness behind.

—

In the blink of an eye, it was already late August.

Ning Zhu passed the entrance exam for an international high school and would be enrolling in two days.

Huari High School was in the suburbs, taking over an hour by car to reach.

Ning Zhu found it too troublesome and chose to live on campus.

Miao Yun had already recovered. These days she had been busy preparing everything Ning Zhu would need for boarding school.

The international high school was relatively generous in these aspects; students could even bring electronic devices, though there were rules on usage times.

Miao Yun had always dote on her daughter, and now she carried a strange sense of compensation, frantically buying this and that, even taking her to luxury stores.

“Mom, I don’t like wearing these!”

“No, you’ll be looked down on.”

“As long as I don’t look down on myself, no one can look down on me.”

“Then… then it’s just that Mom is afraid of being looked down on, okay!”

“They wouldn’t dare!”

“Alright, alright, we’ll just buy a few… hmm, two pieces, okay? And a pair of shoes.”

Ning Zhu couldn’t outargue her mother. She watched as Madam Miao spent nearly thirty thousand yuan buying her two cheap T-shirts and a pair of sports shoes that looked decent but were definitely not worth ten thousand yuan.

In truth, it was meaningless.

Ning Zhu understood very clearly what her situation would be at the new school.

The money her family had meant nothing in front of truly wealthy people.

On the way back, Ning Zhu looked exhausted.

Seeing her daughter like this, Miao Yun felt awful inside and said, “Xiao Zhu, if you don’t like Huari, how about we go to a regular high school instead?”

Ning Zhu: “No, Huari is fine. Their cafeteria is basically like a buffet restaurant.”

Miao Yun: “……”

Ning Zhu continued: “And Huari allows phones and tablets, and weekends are fully off… cough, my middle school classmates are already so jealous.”

Miao Yun knew her daughter was trying to comfort her, and she also knew why she couldn’t muster any energy…

But no, absolutely not!

She had already lost her father and her younger brother—she could not accept losing her only daughter.

As they were about to reach home, Ning Zhu suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. Her heart jolted upward, and her face turned deathly pale in an instant.

——“Star guides the path, breaking the fog to see truth.”

Those eight characters violently surfaced in her mind.

What was going on?

Bai Ze had clearly already left…

Why had she triggered 【Future Vision】 again?!

Ning Zhu had experience now. Her mind tightened to its absolute peak as she focused entirely on what was about to happen.

She didn’t have time to think why anymore.

The last vision was her father’s car accident—what about this time?

Ning Zhu had a premonition that something extremely terrifying was about to happen.

That was why she had triggered 【Future Vision】.

Miao Yun noticed something was wrong with her daughter. “Xiao Zhu, what’s wrong? Why is your face so pale? Are you feeling unwell?”

Ning Zhu grabbed her mother’s hand. “I’m fine.”

It was obviously not fine at all. Miao Yun’s heart rate inexplicably quickened as well.

The car reached the entrance of their residential complex, about to head into the underground parking garage.

Ning Zhu looked at her watch first, locking in the time point before asking, “Mom, is Dad already home?”

Just as she finished speaking, Miao Yun’s phone rang. She answered it—it was Ning Quanren.

Ning Quanren said, “You two are back, right? I’m about to start cooking.”

Miao Yun replied, “We’re entering the parking garage, coming upstairs soon.”

“Did you buy me the alcohol?”

“I did!”

“Heh, thanks, honey.”

The call leaked slightly, and the car was very quiet. In front of the driver and her daughter, Miao Yun quickly hung up.

The strange tension she had felt earlier eased a little. She said to her daughter, “Your dad’s home. He’s making your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs.”

Ning Zhu responded absentmindedly.

Everything she saw now came from 【Future Vision】. She had to remember the time, place, and events as clearly as possible.

The last vision covered a long span—three to four hours.

What about this one?

Maybe it wouldn’t be that long.

Ning Zhu felt she was even more exhausted than last time.

The car came to a stop. Ning Zhu and her mother carried the bags out together. As she got out, she couldn’t help but glance around.

The parking garage was quiet.

Their parking space was very close to the building entrance—just a few steps away.

Ning Zhu forced herself to stay calm, chatting and laughing with her mother as usual.

The two entered the elevator, and soon they arrived home.

Ning Quanren was humming a tune while cooking. The aroma of food drifted out from the kitchen and filled the living room.

Their family had a housekeeper, but Ning Quanren had a few signature dishes that both mother and daughter loved.

Ever since that near car accident last time, Ning Quanren had not been so obsessed with work anymore.

He had let go of quite a few projects, gained more free time, and would occasionally come home to cook, thinking of letting his daughter eat more of his sweet and sour pork ribs before school started.

Nothing had happened.

Instead, Ning Zhu herself seemed a bit overly nervous.

“What’s wrong with Xiao Zhu?” Ning Quanren noticed as he brought dishes to the table.

Ning Zhu immediately yawned and said, “I’m exhausted. Shopping with Aunt Miao is basically a marathon.”

Miao Yun pinched her ear. “No manners!”

Ning Zhu: “How is that my fault? Who told you to be so young and pretty? People would think you’re my older sister when we walk together.”

Miao Yun beamed. “Sweet talker!”

The family sat down at the dining table. Six dishes were laid out, all their favorites.

Ning Quanren took off his apron and looked at his wife and daughter. “Hurry and try them. I think I may have reduced the sauce a bit too much…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when a dull thud came from outside the door.

Ning Quanren frowned. “So late… who is it?”

He walked out of the dining room, and Ning Zhu instantly jumped up and followed him.

From the living room, they could see their anti-theft door being corroded.

With a loud bang, the door was blasted open. A flash of fire followed, and Ning Quanren let out a scream.

His entire body was engulfed in flames, his face filled with terror. “Run… run quickly…”

Miao Yun screamed, “No… no!”

A piercing sound cut through the air—gunfire.

A bullet struck her forehead.

Ning Zhu’s hands and feet turned ice-cold. Her entire body froze.

A flash of white light—and Ning Zhu was back inside the moving car.

Miao Yun’s voice came urgently: “Xiao Zhu! Xiao Zhu what’s wrong! Don’t scare Mom!”

Ning Zhu trembled violently and grabbed her mother’s arm. “Someone… someone is trying to kill us!”

—

Ling Card Academy

Professor Huang suddenly stood up. “Found it! This time it’s precise positioning—at… at Z City, H Province, Fengshan District, No. 88, Blue City Residence!”

Yang Huaizhou also heard the bell. He immediately identified it: “This is 【Future Vision】. It only triggers instinctively when there is fatal danger… The Zodiac Society!”

The Zodiac Society acted without scruples.

They were highly focused on the Star God Card, and would not hesitate to use forbidden cards at any cost.

So they had found the Star God Card holder first!

In recent days, combat department professors had all gone to H Province.

But H Province was vast, and even the Special Affairs Bureau had no relevant leads.

Systematic search was not easy. Now that the location was locked, even the nearest card cultivators would need an hour to arrive.

“Li Jin.” Yang Huaizhou suddenly recalled why the address felt familiar—Li Jin lived in that very residential complex.

Professor Huang said, “He just obtained the ‘Libra Card’. Can he—”

Yang Huaizhou’s body flashed with a red light, and he disappeared from where he stood.

At the same time, he used an encrypted communication card and sent the message to the second-year student at Blue City Residence—Li Jin.