Elemental Card King.

Chapter 176 Xia He: Together, no backing out!!!

"I just finished handing over my work and came straight here to rely on you. I'm starving. Aren't you touched, Xiao Chen?" Aunt Jing, who was driving the Spirit Shuttle two-wheeled flying car, said with a smile.

As they sped along, thanks to the anti-phase sound wave technology, the enormous wind resistance caused virtually no noise, allowing the two to converse without any obstruction.

During the conversation, Su Chen also learned that she had just arrived at the Northern Heavenly Gate of Xuanhuang Kingdom—the Sky Rift Fortress—at noon yesterday.

after that.

After handing over prisoners and spoils of war, submitting a report on what she had seen and heard, and answering several questions, Qin Miaojing left before the joint law enforcement team had even finished their farewell dinner, heading south to Donghua City.

The schedule was quite tight.

"So, Aunt Jing really fought against the demons." Su Chen was very curious, and this was what he was most concerned about.

“Those little devils are quite cunning; they’ve been playing hide-and-seek with us in the shadows the whole time, otherwise it wouldn’t have taken so long.”

A hint of annoyance flashed across Aunt Jing's fair face, because the entire joint team had suffered many casualties because of this small group of people.

"in addition."

"What's infuriating is that they thought they could get the naming rights, and that 'Slippery Ghost' was more worthy of their magnanimity."

According to the alliance system, researchers at the outpost have the right to name any new planes discovered by the plane observation station.

Similarly, when reporting to the Alliance, the first witnesses of unknown extraterrestrial civilizations or races can also obtain the right to name them.

When Su Chen thought about how the 'Demon Descendant,' who previously had a bit of prestige, was almost called a 'Slippery Demon,' he felt a little strange. His illusion of being a strongman was instantly shattered.

As expected of Aunt Jing!
But no matter how I think about it, it's unlikely to be adopted.

As for the comments about hide-and-seek, Su Chen seemed thoughtful.

In the previous public trial, perhaps in order to specifically eliminate public fear, the information released emphasized that the demonic beings' arrangement of the dimensional trajectory interference ritual was extremely large.

This is not without reason.

Among the planes whose operational trajectories were disrupted before this, the Lingyun Plane had the largest population and was the most severely affected.

In other words...

Finding a small team of scouts hiding in a small plane is much more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack. To capture such a group of people and prevent them from escaping is indeed quite challenging.

"Aunt Jing, do you think some demonic offspring might already be lurking in our alliance territory?" Su Chen voiced his concerns.

Among the demon race, engineers who inscribe magic circles and use related technological instruments are called 'ritual masters'.

This is someone who deliberately seeks opportunities to cause trouble.

But what about those who don't cause trouble?

Before the main army arrives, it won't be difficult for these demonic beings to change their appearance and hide among humans under a different identity.

After all, the alliance's territory is too large.

"Nine times out of ten."

Aunt Jing said confidently, "In the past few years, the attitude and restrictions on foreign races have been much better. For the purpose of drawing topographical maps and investigating local customs, there must be demons disguised as humans living here."

No matter how you look at it, the fact that the Demon Race dared to go all in suggests they must have a general understanding of their overall strength.

this is too scary.

After talking for a while, Su Chen quickly learned what the demons called their territory.

Simple and direct.

It is named: 'Card World'.

As for their self-defined territory, they refer to themselves as the 'book world'.

Two completely different civilizations and two different cultivation systems thus began to collide.

The other party did not communicate at all from the outset. After discovering a large-scale civilization, they did not send any friendly signals of establishing diplomatic relations or making contact. Instead, they quietly and secretly launched a ruthless attack.

Su Chen recalled Wang Liyang's words; it was not unreasonable for the expeditionary force's staff to assess that the Demon Realm's main plane (the Book Realm) was facing an irreversible depletion of resources.

The demons cast a wide net, dispatching 'ritual masters' to all corners of the universe, targeting every small plane rich in resources, which were then offered as a great gift to their cradle of life.

Just in the direction of a distant arrow, a group of ritual masters discovered a civilization of enormous scale.

And so the story begins.

"Let's not talk about these upsetting things, let's eat."

Soon.

Bathed in the evening light, the two-wheeled flying chariot, trailing a trail of light, arrived at the Splendid Banquet Restaurant.

This is the best three-star luxury restaurant in Donghua City.

"This way, esteemed guest," the waiter said very politely.

"Isn't this Xiao Chen?"

Not long after entering, Aunt Jing made an unexpected discovery. On the honor photo wall in the exhibition hall, she spotted a photo of Su Chen and the restaurant's head chef in a prominent position on the right.

Below the photo is a line of text providing detailed explanation.

'A glorious chapter from November 2019: Su Chen, champion of the Qingyun Province Middle School Card Game Competition, poses for a photo with Chef Lin Yao.'

This photo also brought back memories for Su Chen. It was a farewell dinner after the provincial competition, where he, the champion, treated everyone to one last meal.

Since that meal, the provincial team members have gone their separate ways and haven't seen each other since.

Suddenly, he remembered that tall and elegant girl again. Xia He, the only one who didn't ask for a photo back then, had indeed accompanied him to this day.

"The photos are quite photogenic."

Aunt Jing paused and looked around for a while before leisurely walking inside.

Before they even entered the private room to dine, the impeccably dressed restaurant manager came to greet them. Clearly, the waiter accompanying them had notified him via earpiece.

"Su Chen, your return visit truly honors our humble establishment."

It had been a long time since I'd seen him, and the young man before me had gone from provincial champion to national champion.

The overall situation of external affairs has also changed dramatically.

It's not just Tung Wah No. 1 High School that's celebrating and promoting it; local media outlets have been making a big fuss about the local national champion on their front pages these past two days.

Battle card players have become more important.

In fact.

The group photo booth at Zhenxiulou has been adjusted to reflect the times. Previously, young male celebrities and idols from movies and TV shows were prominently displayed, serving as photo spots for fans to take pictures.

When it was realized that the wind was about to change and state media began to severely criticize the distorted aesthetics of the domestic entertainment industry, saying that the effeminate and pretentious style was leading the younger generation astray, most of these group photos were moved to the margins, and a group photo of a local young idol was even removed directly.

"You felt that change, didn't you?"

Qin Miaojing, who was invited to the first private room of Zhenxiulou, smiled.

The beautiful woman with the wicked smile said calmly, "The departing manager is on the phone with the boss. After the meal, he will not only give you a free meal, but also give you two premium membership cards, which are probably loaded with a lot of money, just to get a photo with you and make a good connection with you."

"of course."

"Everything will be settled when we pay the bill after the meal, so as not to disturb our dining experience."

Su Chen, who was sitting next to Aunt Jing, had been exposed to her ability to see through people's hearts since childhood.

When half of the luxurious meal had already been served on the table, Xiao Ling had already been summoned. She sat obediently in the chair, holding a soup spoon in her little hands, and sipped the Fairy Dew Soup in a very ladylike manner.

"It's really well-trained." Qin Miaojing curiously examined the exquisite spirit doll, then looked at Su Chen with a teasing gaze: "I heard that elemental spirits tend to grow according to their master's aesthetic sense. So you're not a lolicon, are you?"

"fine."

"If it were a man, he would be even more worried about you."

Perhaps seeing Su Chen's helpless expression, Aunt Jing gently patted his shoulder and stopped teasing him.

soon.

A plate of crispy-skinned, tender-on-the-inside dragon meat ribs has been personally served to the table by the chef.

Objectively speaking, this special baking technique far surpasses Su Chen's cooking skills.

However, Xiaoling still fondly remembered and praised her master's cooking skills. This was not flattery, but rather because the first big meal that her taste buds had just begun to explore truly held a lot of special meaning.

"Okay, bake some more for us this weekend."

Aunt Jing immediately clapped her hands and exclaimed, "I, who have been working like a horse all year, can finally enjoy a long vacation!"

In this regard.

Su Chen readily agreed. As a chef, bringing satisfaction to others is a great happiness. Moreover, the fact that Aunt Jing, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, could stay for a while was enough to make him genuinely happy.

At this moment, after casually finishing her ice cream, Aunt Jing's expression turned serious.

She said, "I will not leave the main plane before your birthday at the end of July. After you turn eighteen, I will immediately take you to Tianyin Pavilion Bank to inherit and transfer all the wealth that your parents have stored in the card vault."

At this point, Su Chen fell silent.

When the truth was revealed, the Nine Netherworld where his parents resided undoubtedly heralded a tragic and magnificent end.

Under the influence of a powerful, invisible force, not only the Nine Netherworld Plane, but all resource planes that have been successfully acquired by the Demonic Ritual Masters will fly into the depths of the universe, until they are mercilessly devoured by the Demon Realm in the form of a celestial sphere convergence.

This is not a disappearance.

This is practically a death sentence with a reprieve.

When they realized the strong connection between the relief foundation and the expeditionary force, no bank or insurance company dared to use inheritance law to make things difficult for these family victims.

"Who knows, we might collide with other planes along the way? Just like the Spirit Rhythm Plane."

The boy broke the silence and murmured.

Or perhaps...

"This traction effect might fail halfway through."

Hear the words.

Aunt Jing, who had always teased and pranked her own children, fell into a brief silence; this answer was indeed somewhat cruel.

However, Su Chen was not one to wallow in sadness.

He had already largely accepted this outcome.

"I'm making the little guy worry." He touched Xiao Ling, who was looking at him with concern.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Jing on the left reverted to her unserious behavior, opening her arms as if asking for a hug.

"Mom will definitely beat you up when she sees this." Su Chen smiled and ignored the other person.

a long time.

The lavish dinner was now over.

Everything went exactly as Director Qin had planned. After being politely invited in, the owner of Zhenxiulou restaurant offered a free meal and a membership card.

The other party also specifically instructed that the store should always include healthy meals for middle-aged people that promote longevity, and that the main focus should be on family-oriented marketing.

After Aunt Jing nodded, Su Chen accepted the gift and took a photo with the boss.

"Director Qin is really talented, isn't he?"

After leaving, Qin Miaojing boasted, "Those who can get the Gold-Inlaid Jade rating usually have connections with card masters behind them. They're probably local bigwigs. It's no problem to take this little bit of money."

"Playing the family card really works; I'll pass the card on to my aunt's family."

Su Chen shook his head and sighed. To be honest, a recharge amount of 200 million Alliance Coins was really nothing to him.

The premium membership card includes benefits such as no reservations, no waiting, private room service upon arrival, and a permanent 7% discount, which makes this the most popular luxury restaurant in the city much more convenient.

"what about me?"

Aunt Jing put on airs and seemed a little unhappy, as if she weren't an elder.

"As long as you're willing, I'll cook for you myself during this time," Su Chen replied calmly, already used to the other party's serious manner.

"You're thoughtful."

Aunt Jing, who had just been serious, suddenly smiled and said, "One meal is enough. I don't want you to waste your time cooking for me."

Night falls.

After taking Su Chen on a tour of the city and showing him the city's neon lights and night view, Aunt Jing finally sent him back to Xianye New City.

"I'm staying at a five-star hotel not far away. I have a remote meeting tonight. You can't even give me a break? Also, I won't forget your dream school, Tianwu University." Aunt Jing waved her hand and then swiftly rode away on her motorcycle.

As Su Chen stepped into the courtyard of his home, he remembered something important and sent a message to Xia He.

"The admissions office came today and confirmed Tianwu University. They will sign the confirmation form tomorrow morning."

"together?"

A long time ago, Xia He had briefly asked him about her future university choices and plans after graduation.

After the national competition, Qi Hanhai from the national team raised this issue, and his answer at the time was that it was not yet determined.

Perhaps because of this, Xia He did not bring up the matter herself.

at the moment.

After finally deciding on his choice, he thought of Xia He.

The other party is probably waiting for his answer.

With a sense of unease and even a distinct feeling of tension, Su Chen watched as the edited message "Shall we go together?" was successfully sent.

Ding!
The vibration of the voice prompts kept coming.

Are you sure?

'Isn't this the School of Elements at Jiangnan University?'

back in seconds.

Before Su Chen could even look away from his phone, feeling somewhat agitated, he suddenly noticed two new messages popping up on his phone's chat interface.

more than.

Before he could reply, another message arrived.

"Together!"

"No taking it back!!!"

The other person ended their last sentence with three exclamation marks.

(End of this chapter)