Chapter 62: Clouds Gathering

For those constantly preparing under tension, three days passed like a fleeting shadow, leaving no trace behind.

When Long Yin arrived at the entrance to Green Mountain Ridge, nearly all the students from the Card Artisan Academy had gathered, their voices clamorously rising above the crowd. Yet, the moment Long Yin appeared, a brief silence descended upon the entrance. The corners of his mouth were always gently upturned; the gloating looks and the various colored gazes could not affect him in the slightest.

Yuan Shaolin, having escorted Long Yin, had already used the means of the Spirit Fox Squad to enter Green Mountain Ridge ahead of the Card Artisan Academy students.

After a shrill warning alarm, several large aircraft appeared before thousands of eyes, drawing closer with a steady hum. As the senior students from Dexin Academy swarmed out of the aircraft, the countdown to the impending off-campus experience began. Long Yin remained indifferent, leaning casually against a tree, fingers playing with a slender branch, his demeanor nonchalant—one that easily inspired resentment.

One senior who disembarked from the aircraft sneered sarcastically, “This kid doesn’t even know how he’s going to die later, yet he acts so unconcerned. Should I call him foolish or just foolish?”

“Absolutely,” another senior echoed with a cold laugh. “Ignorant and fearless.”

As the seniors began to organize the teams entering Green Mountain Ridge, Long Yin seemed entirely at the mercy of their arrangements. But when he spotted Dodge bouncing his way through the crowd toward him, Long Yin’s brows furrowed. Why was he here?

“Yin!” Dodge squeezed through the crowd, grabbed Long Yin’s collar, his face furious. “You actually didn’t want me to come, did you?”

Long Yin was startled that Dodge had noticed, sighing inwardly, his face helpless. “Dodge, you really shouldn’t have come!”

“I knew it!” Dodge shook Long Yin angrily. “I knew it—I wasn’t mistaken. You just didn’t want me here. Am I even your friend?”

“I am!” Long Yin nodded first, then said calmly, “But proving that doesn’t require this method. You know my situation—once we enter Green Mountain Ridge, it’ll be hard for me to look after you.”

Long Yin’s honesty soothed Dodge somewhat, though his anger remained evident. He released Long Yin’s collar, retorting, “I can take care of myself!”

Long Yin watched Dodge silently, then glanced at the probing, unfriendly eyes around them, lowering his gaze with a soft sigh. “Alright.” As long as Dodge didn’t get mixed up with him inside Green Mountain Ridge, there shouldn’t be any trouble. Even that mysterious faction would think twice before targeting Dodge—for the president of the Card Artisan Guild was not to be trifled with.

But things unfolded in an unexpected way. The senior in charge deliberately assigned Dodge to Long Yin’s group. Long Yin’s eyes narrowed slightly. Dodge, delighted, hadn’t realized the underlying danger. This matter would not end well. Judging by the senior’s actions, it must have been at the Crown Prince’s instruction; otherwise, who in Dexin would dare provoke the president’s grandson of the Card Artisan Guild?

Seeing Long Yin’s grim expression, Dodge contained his excitement and pondered for a long moment, sensing something amiss. He leaned in and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Long Yin looked up at Dodge and calmly replied, “You must leave! Someone is targeting the Card Artisan Guild!”

“What?” Dodge’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How could that be?”

“Go! If you stay here, your life is truly at risk!” Long Yin’s face became grave, and Dodge sobered, thinking it over. He shook his head, “I won’t leave. Sure, there’s danger here, but if I go back, am I really safe? If they’re determined to take down Grandpa’s Card Artisan Guild, I won’t escape. Rather than running away in disgrace, I’ll stay!”

Dodge’s reasoning was solid, and Long Yin could not refute it. Seeing Long Yin’s contemplative expression, Dodge continued, “When I came, Grandpa sent several people to protect me secretly. And I know you’ve prepared as well. I want to stick with you!”

Dodge’s words made Long Yin pause, then he nodded, “In that case, we’ll be careful.”

Excitement flashed in Dodge’s eyes. Long Yin smiled bitterly—still a child, after all, with no real sense of danger. Just then, a hand poked Long Yin’s back stealthily, and he stiffened. Someone had approached him silently without his noticing. As Long Yin’s expression shifted, Gongliang Yi’s timid, embarrassed voice sounded softly, “Yin… there are so many people here… it’s scary.”

Long Yin was speechless at first, then laughed. Gongliang Yi’s presence was so faint he was almost invisible. Knowing it was Gongliang Yi, Long Yin felt reassured—not that his vigilance had waned.

Ultimately, Gongliang Yi was assigned to Long Yin’s team. Each team had about thirty people, accompanied by five or six seniors. Long Yin’s group had as many as eight seniors. Among the thirty-odd members, all were known troublemakers in the academy, yet they consciously kept their distance from Long Yin. Only Dodge and Gongliang Yi stood by his side. Dodge scoffed at their avoidance—these were supposed to be troublemakers? He glanced at the seniors’ hostile stares, feeling intrigued; never before had anyone dared look at him with such enmity.

All around was noisy and chaotic, but whether by intention or not, Dodge distinctly felt they were being isolated among the thousand or so present. Even those forced to stand nearby edged away, speaking in hushed tones. Dodge grinned, while Gongliang Yi nervously adjusted his glasses under the many stares.

Once they entered Green Mountain Ridge, Gongliang Yi felt a sense of relief. The moment Long Yin stepped inside, his vigilance doubled, his mental energy poised for action. Dodge, though somewhat wary, was naturally carefree. Even aware of danger, it was not enough to change his nature; he dragged Long Yin toward the area where the rarest medicinal herbs grew. Whatever the others had in mind, the three of them blatantly left the group, while the thirty others acted as though they hadn’t noticed, including the seniors tasked with guarding them.

Once they left, one senior signaled to the others. Seven followed after Long Yin’s trio, while the one who had signaled led the rest in the opposite direction.

“Hmph, clearly up to no good!” Dodge said angrily. Long Yin stood beneath the greenery, seeing the ground covered with herbs commonly used in making four-star cards. He couldn’t help but feel regret; if not for the current trouble, he would have liked to explore Green Mountain Ridge thoroughly. Dodge, having grown up in the Card Artisan Guild, first visited Green Mountain Ridge—the guild’s treasure trove—at age three, and had returned several times since. What was a mystery to others held no novelty for him.

Gongliang Yi was squatting before a six-star medicinal herb, lost in thought. Dodge nudged him, finding him thoroughly absorbed, and was speechless. Long Yin’s expression darkened—the others were far too brazen, thinking a few seniors could handle the situation. As soon as they left, others followed.

Long Yin crossed his arms and leaned against a tree trunk, coldly smiling. He had barely extended his mental energy when he sensed the pursuing seniors were instantly dealt with. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Gongliang Yi—these must be his people. It seemed the guild president was aware and had prepared. The Card Artisan Guild’s foundation in Dexin, though gradually declining and seemingly hollow, was still formidable; even a dying camel remains larger than a horse, enough to make their enemies suffer! The question was, how much had the guild invested this time?

Long Yin’s lips curled upward. He looked lazy against the tree, but only on the surface; his vigilance had not diminished, only his outward demeanor relaxed.

Dodge and Gongliang Yi, both prodigies, were soon debating the use of a six-star medicinal herb, engaging in a classic discussion about the use of herbs in card-making history.

Such topics seldom arose among lower-level card artisans, who were focused only on recognizing herbs, memorizing card formulas, and practicing routines. No one had the leisure to consider these broader issues; they followed teachers, masters, and textbooks to the letter, fearing even the slightest error, seldom thinking or innovating.

“Star Flower Grass is gentle in nature and mainly used in high-level magic cards—those six-star and above—for energy structure balance. Using it in lower-level cards is just a waste,” Dodge recited the textbook knowledge without hesitation, emphasizing the advanced applications of Star Flower Grass.

Gongliang Yi pushed up his thick glasses, eyes confident. When it came to card-making, he seemed a different person. He shook his head, “Star Flower Grass isn’t exclusive to six-star cards. Using it in lower-level cards isn’t wasteful. It’s just that its value in lower-level cards hasn’t been properly recognized. Given its miraculous properties, it can significantly extend a card’s lifespan, especially for one-time-use cards, producing unexpected results.”

“Herbs should match the card’s star level—that’s been proven by countless generations!” Dodge said, slightly annoyed. He acknowledged the other’s talent, but the statement seemed overly ambitious. That centuries-old conclusion was dismissed based on mere observation, souring Dodge’s opinion of Gongliang Yi. Though impulsive, he never made rash assertions in card-making.

Gongliang Yi pressed his glasses, “I’m serious!”

“So am I. Using high-level herbs for low-level cards is the greatest waste. Your approach is a disgrace to card artisans!” Dodge retorted.

Gongliang Yi remained calm, “I haven’t wasted anything; I can prove it!”

Long Yin burst into laughter—Gongliang Yi and Dodge were the new radical and the stubborn conservative card artisans, respectively.

His laughter caught the attention of the two, who were arguing heatedly. Both, geniuses in their own right, instantly brightened at the sight of Long Yin. If their opinions differed, why not ask him?

“Yin, you decide!”

“Yin, you decide!”

They spoke in unison, then glared at each other before looking to Long Yin.

Long Yin smiled, “Actually, both of you are right—and both wrong.” As they stared in confusion, Long Yin continued, “The classification of herbs by countless predecessors is already extremely detailed and accurate, arguably the most reasonable allocation. But not following the star level isn’t necessarily wasteful. Card-making formulas constantly evolve, and the creation of energy structure diagrams varies by individual. Gongliang Yi’s point can indeed yield unexpected results, but only under mature formulas and diagrams. Otherwise, the waste from prolonged experimentation would be unimaginable.”

“But isn’t it, as you said, that due to constant waste, mature formulas and diagrams are never achieved, and those experiments are deemed failures? Is it possible for them to succeed?” Dodge blurted out.

Long Yin smiled but said nothing. He himself had succeeded in such an unexpected moment of inspiration, and since he existed, he would never underestimate others.

One question after another arose…

Meanwhile, as the seven pursuers were eliminated, the senior who had led the group away sent the preliminary data—gleaned through their deaths—to his superiors with a cold indifference, his mission complete. He could now return to the group. Occasionally, his eyes flashed with cold-blooded cruelty, entirely unlike a student. Upon confirming his return, he transformed into a god of death, slaughtering all thirty-plus people with a single weapon—a small flying knife. This tiny blade created a scene of hell on earth, blood and death everywhere…

Author’s Note: Stuck again. I know what comes next, but I don’t know how to express it. So frustrating… Are you reading?