The Four Great Races

Lin Wan was truly startled when she saw Professor Wang—why was he together with the Horse-Face Envoy and the White Wuchang? Why was the contract holder of the Plum Blossom suit, White Wuchang, in conversation with Professor Wang from D University, and why was the Horse-Face Envoy standing guard at the gate? Could it be that these three were in league from the very beginning? Was the so-called trial a scheme orchestrated jointly by the Plum Blossom branch and D University?

“Lin Wan, are you certain of what you saw?”
I interrupted Lin Wan’s recollection; the account she’d just shared was simply too hard for me to believe.

If the Plum Blossom suit had masterminded this event, why had Black and White Wuchang fought so brutally with Dan Feng, another member of their own suit? Why would Zhou Zitong and the others try to stop White Wuchang from going on a killing spree? These contradictions didn’t add up—if the Plum Blossom suit’s aim was to slaughter the other three suits, none of us would have survived this long.

Lin Wan frowned, clearly displeased at my interruption.
She cleared her throat and went on.

“Zijian, if you’d just listen patiently till the end, perhaps all your doubts will be resolved.”

Since Lin Wan put it that way, I had no choice but to keep quiet and listen.

Hiding in the room, Lin Wan eavesdropped on the three’s conversation. White Wuchang’s voice was tinged with anger.

“Horse-Face, you were much too careless this time. How could you leave the main gate unattended?”
“What if one of the empowered manages to escape the trial—can you take responsibility for that?”

Clad in a voluminous white robe, White Wuchang’s face was veiled by a sheer white gauze. The Horse-Face Envoy could only force a smile and explain.

“It’s my fault, completely my fault. But you can rest assured, with both me and Ox-Head’s seals on the gate, unless someone takes the keys from us, no ordinary person could ever hope to open it.”
As he spoke, he pulled a small necklace from his sleeve, on which hung a black bead.

White Wuchang’s expression finally eased a little at that.
Professor Wang had remained silent the entire time, only speaking after White Wuchang and the Horse-Face Envoy’s argument had subsided.

“White Wuchang, isn’t your presence here at D University a breach of the rules?”
“If I remember correctly, the contract between D University and your faction is written in black and white—those of A-rank strength are not permitted to appear in D University’s trials.”

White Wuchang’s face, which had just recovered, darkened once again.

“Wang Chen, let me tell you, don’t use your mortal power rankings to judge my strength.”
“I, White Wuchang, am a spirit of the underworld, not someone you mortals can blaspheme at will.”

An invisible force radiated from White Wuchang, pressing down on Professor Wang Chen.

But Professor Wang only smiled, his demeanor instantly becoming more spirited. With a flicker, he easily dodged White Wuchang’s assault.

“White Wuchang! Don’t forget, this is D University, not your Ghost Clan’s domain!”
He rebuked sharply, “If you make a move here, be prepared for the consequences!”
“Your A-rank powers are greatly restricted here. Otherwise, would you have struggled even against Dan Feng, who just awakened as a contract holder?”

He must have hit a sore spot, for White Wuchang lashed out with another invisible attack.

Unhurried, Professor Wang drew an ancient scroll from his pocket, its peculiar carvings making White Wuchang instinctively step back, a sheen of sweat appearing on his brow. The Horse-Face Envoy, upon seeing the scroll, seemed overwhelmed by the urge to kneel, his body trembling uncontrollably.

“What in the world is that!” the Horse-Face Envoy muttered, and Lin Wan, observing the sudden change in their demeanor, couldn’t help but feel a surge of curiosity toward the scroll.

“Wang Chen, don’t think that just because you wield the Celestial Earth Scroll you can do as you please. When its true master awakens, you’ll be nothing!”
“I’m telling you, this trial must succeed. If you fail to produce an A-rank empowerer, D University will have no reason to exist.”
“Speaking of heritage, how could D University compare with our Ghost Clan, the Tibetan Corpse Mansion, the Sacred Beast Demon Domain, or the Ancient Divine Relic Sect?”

“That’s enough, White Wuchang.” Professor Wang had lost his patience and unfurled the Celestial Earth Scroll.

Bai Ziling’s expression grew even uglier, and the Horse-Face Envoy’s legs buckled as he fell to his knees.

“Useless fool,” White Wuchang cursed, biting her red lip as she saw the envoy kneeling.

“White Wuchang! You and Black Wuchang are to leave D University at once. Do not interfere in our trial.”
“I refuse to believe that an A-rank contract holder like you can still contend with an S-rank sacred artifact!”

A look of triumph flickered across Professor Wang’s face.

After a moment’s hesitation, White Wuchang said, “Fine, I’ll withdraw.”
“But don’t forget: D University’s trial lasts only one year. When the year is up, the four great deities will reclaim their contract holders. If the seal is delayed, D University will pay the price!”

With that, White Wuchang and the Horse-Face Envoy vanished, and Professor Wang rolled up the Celestial Earth Scroll and headed for the stairs.

That was everything Lin Wan had witnessed in secret.

Confronted with such a wealth of information, my mind quickly sorted out several useful points.

First, the four suits of the playing cards do indeed represent four distinct types of empowerers, all passed down from the four ancient races. Judging by White Wuchang’s words, D University seems to serve as a training ground for the four great sects, supplying them with qualified empowerers. Second, D University’s trial appears to be protected by some kind of pact—the four great sects cannot interfere before the trial ends. This means D University can shield us from external threats, provided we aren’t eliminated by the trial itself. Lastly, the seal White Wuchang mentioned seems to refer to the century-old seal described in “The Fifty-Four Cards.”

Since Lin Wan had laid out everything she knew, I shared with her all the information I remembered about the four ancient races. After hearing my account, Lin Wan reached similar conclusions.

Our current trial of life and death is merely the first step in some grand plan.
Only by completing this first step can we leave campus and proceed to the second, preordained trial.
It seems we are no more than lab rats, our destinies already determined.
A sobering thought, but I refuse to leave my fate in the hands of others.

“Lin Wan.”
“If that’s the case, then Nightmare Ghost and the others must be empowerers like us.”
“They must still be somewhere on this campus, while Dan Feng has likely been sent straight to the second stage.”

Lin Wan considered this for a moment and nodded. “That’s right. All the empowerers should still be here.”
“Perhaps, as Dan Feng once suggested, the first trial ends only when both joker cards are found or when all the other contract holders are killed.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” said Chen Hao, who hadn’t spoken until now.
“Lin Wan, Zijian, you were just saying we’re meant to be sent to the four sects as recruits. But if it works like you said and only two people survive, what’s the point of sending anyone over? It doesn’t seem fair to the two sects with no survivors.”

Chen Hao had a good point. If only two survived in the end, the other two sects would get nothing, which hardly seems equitable.

But all this is just conjecture. If Nightmare Ghost really is on this campus, how did he know I had just fallen asleep?
The only possibility is that he passed by my dorm, or perhaps he’s someone living in this very building.

There are quite a few survivors from our School of Economics, but ever since the incident, I’ve rarely visited other dorms.
Now, it seems necessary to pay a visit to the other rooms in this building.

“Lin Wan, Chen Hao, let’s go.”
“Let’s find out who Nightmare Ghost really is.”