"Russell Luo, First High School of Hucheng," Russell introduced himself, visibly relieved once he saw that the man was a Cardcaster from the Cardcaster Association.
Xiao Yifei eyed the scattered ghoul corpses around them and clicked his tongue in admiration.
Each ghoul had been killed with a single, clean strike. It was obvious: Russell's card wasn't just a standard black-iron, blue-tier creation.
"Your card's quality… it's more than just blue, isn't it?" Xiao Yifei asked, curiosity piqued.
Russell nodded. "It's purple."
But then his face darkened with concern. "The card I used—I just made it earlier today. I haven't had the chance to report it to the Association yet. Will that be a problem?"
Technically, Russell was an uncertified, self-taught Cardcaster. According to regulations, it was strictly forbidden for uncertified individuals to use black-iron cards above blue-tier in public without prior registration.
Naturally, he was worried about facing penalties from the Association afterward.
Xiao Yifei was momentarily stunned. He had assumed the boy in front of him was a university-bound senior preparing to enter college.
If a senior student—especially one who could already craft blue-tier cards—managed to produce a purple-tier card after a full year of training, it wouldn't have been all that surprising.
But for someone making their very first card?
That was different.
"That won't be an issue," Xiao Yifei said with a smile. "I'll submit a full report to the Association myself."
Then, with a hint of admiration, he added, "You've got real talent, little brother. I hope we'll see you at Hu University next year."
While Russell's talent was exceptional, Xiao Yifei—being a senior student in Hu University's Cardcasting Division—had seen more than his share of prodigies.
Patting Russell on the shoulder, he reassured him, "Don't worry. If anything, the Association might end up commending you for this."
"After all… if it hadn't been for you, the people here might have…"
He let the sentence trail off and shook his head.
He'd been rushing to Fortune Garden at top speed on Xiaoyue's back after receiving an urgent order from the Association.
But he'd been delayed when he ran into a silver-tier Gluttonous Behemoth along the way—a powerful creature that ate up far more time than expected.
If Russell hadn't been on the scene, the outcome could have been catastrophic.
That said, the Association wasn't likely to hold him accountable. No one could predict what kinds of monsters lurked within the fog.
Shaking off his thoughts, Xiao Yifei plastered on his usual carefree grin and raised his voice.
"All right, everyone in Fortune Garden! I'll be escorting you to Ning'an District right—"
Before he could finish, a violent ripple tore through the sky.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
Above Hucheng, a colossal figure began to take form—vague, immense, and awe-inspiring. Its gaze was devoid of joy or sorrow, fixed directly on the secret realm known as [The Demon Nest].
Then, a voice boomed from the heavens, solemn and full of authority:
"Qiling Society.
You've crossed the line."
The moment the words fell, the massive figure exhaled gently.
Just one breath—
And the choking fog that had smothered all of Hucheng was swept away.
The monsters hidden within the mist evaporated into trails of black ash, vanishing into nothingness.
Russell stood frozen, staring up at the sky in disbelief.
Cardcasters… can they really be this powerful?
Just one breath—
And the entire city's crisis was over.
He couldn't help but turn to Xiao Yifei.
"Brother Xiao… who was that?"
Xiao Yifei stared skyward, face solemn.
He replied slowly, his voice low and reverent:
"Master Bai Yueming.
Known to all as—Yama."
"His core card: The Five Lords of the Underworld – Bao Zheng."
Yama.
Only now did Russell finally grasp what the title Yama truly signified.
Just then, a harsh, rasping laugh echoed across Hucheng:
"Bai Yueming, oh Bai Yueming.
You might protect them for now—but can you shield them forever?"
Bai Yueming remained silent for a long moment before responding.
"As long as I draw breath, the eastern coastal defenses will not fall."
"Besides—now that Xiao Ye is stationed in Daming… Do you really think your Qiling Society dares to tear up the rules?"
The voice in the sky faltered for a moment, as if choked by invisible hands. Then, it sneered coldly:
"Ye Zhou? He won't last a few more years at most.
We've got time—let's see how this plays out."
As the words faded, the massive projection of Bao Zheng: Lord of the Fifth Hall slowly dissolved into the sky.
Russell's eye twitched.
The Qiling Society might not have much bite—but they sure know how to bark.
Now that the situation had stabilized, Xiao Yifei clapped his hands to get the residents' attention.
"All right, friends! As you've all seen, Master Bai Yueming has already foiled the Qiling Society's scheme. You're safe now—feel free to head back home."
As the residents of Fortune Garden began trickling back to their buildings, Xiao Yifei turned to Russell.
"No time like the present. Want to head back to the Association with me and get your registration sorted?"
Russell considered it. Whether he went today or tomorrow, his homeroom teacher would probably drag him there anyway.
He nodded. "Then I'll trouble you, Brother Xiao."
Seeing his agreement, Xiao Yifei summoned two saddle kits using card manifestation.
It's worth noting—equipment-type cards weren't limited in quantity, unlike creature-type cards, which could only be held once per person at a time.
Xiaoyue, his mount, conveniently crouched beside them.
"Hop on. Riding Xiaoyue's the fastest way back," Xiao Yifei said, tossing Russell one of the saddles before leaping onto the beast's back.
Russell followed suit, mimicking his movements and swinging into place.
As the wind howled past his ears, Russell asked curiously, "Wait—Brother Xiao, this kind of thing's actually legal on the road?"
Xiao Yifei, scrolling through messages in the Cardcaster Association's group chat, replied offhandedly:
"Oh, sure. As long as the mountable creature card has been registered with the Association, it's road legal."
"Same goes for vehicle-type cards in the equipment category."
Russell nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "So… would humanoid creature cards count as rideable?"
"...?"
Xiao Yifei lowered his phone, blinking blankly at Russell.
"I was joking."
But Xiao Yifei seemed to suddenly remember something. "Actually… I think it's possible? I vaguely recall a female Cardcaster from Capital University—she had a thing for riding muscular men."
"Excuse me?"
Now it was Russell's turn to look utterly confused.
He really had been kidding.
Feeling the conversation veer toward dangerous waters, Russell quickly changed the subject.
"Brother Xiao, what do you think the Association's going to do about me?"
Xiao Yifei waved his phone. "Already reported. They told me to bring you in and sort it out from there."
"...Still time for me to jump off, or…?"
Xiao Yifei laughed. "If they wanted you detained, I'd have already subdued you."
If his orders had been to arrest Russell, his attitude wouldn't be this casual.
After all, the Cardcaster Association was notoriously zero-tolerance when it came to unregistered, rogue Cardcasters.
And organizations like the Qiling Society?
Perfect examples of what those types turned into.
Always scheming to shock the world with some "grand unveiling."
As they chatted, the two arrived swiftly at the Ning'an District Branch of the Cardcaster Association.
A middle-aged man was already waiting at the entrance. The moment he spotted Xiao Yifei, his eyes lit up.
Then he turned toward Russell. "You must be Student Luo. Xiao here has already filled me in."
He stepped forward and took Russell's hand warmly.
"On behalf of the Ning'an District Cardcaster Association—thank you for your contribution."
Russell blinked, slightly puzzled by the cordial reception.
But he wasn't the original Russell—the eighteen-year-old high school junior—so he caught on quickly.
Ah, he realized. They're planning to make me a poster child.
Model student of the Association.
Face of youth heroism.
Typical move.
(End of Chapter)