Zuo Tianlin was clearly pleased with his son's reaction. A glint of approval flashed through his tiger-like eyes. "Probably no one knows East Guard Academy's foundations better than we do. If it were some other, stronger school, I wouldn't be surprised. But if it's one of the Six Great Academies, then something is strange."
Seeing the confusion on Zuo Tingyi's face, he waved a hand, signaling for him to keep listening.
"You still don't understand what the Six Great Academies mean." Zuo Tianlin glanced at his son. "On the surface, each of the Six Great Academies is merely a school, albeit an extremely prestigious one. I imagine that's what you think too."
"Isn't that what they are?" Zuo Tingyi asked, puzzled.
"Heh, that's because you don't understand them. Once you're sitting in my position, you'll understand what colossal behemoths the Six Great Academies are! They're no longer merely six schools. Behind them stand enormous vested-interest groups. Those groups have roots and branches tangled together, with legacies stretching back hundreds of years. Their relationships are so complicated that even they can't untangle some of them."
Zuo Tianlin stared at Zuo Tingyi and said, stressing each word, "Don't think of them as six schools. Think of them as six great powers, or even power blocs!"
Watching Zuo Tingyi's expression change in shock, Zuo Tianlin smiled faintly. "Does that seem unbelievable?"
Zuo Tingyi nodded.
"Hmph." Zuo Tianlin snorted coldly. "There are plenty of things even more unbelievable than that. The Six Great Academies may look glittering and respectable, but sometimes their methods are dirtier and more extreme than ours. Who knows how many shady dealings went on behind the scenes to bring them to their present positions? Star Academy has kept its mountains hidden and its waters unseen among the six, and it has seemed to be flagging in recent years, but how could any other school compare with the foundations it has built over all these years?"
Zuo Tingyi remained silent, but the world inside his heart seemed to have been overturned in an instant. For several seconds, he was utterly lost.
"After lying quiet for so long, Star Academy has suddenly made a major move. There must be something behind it. If I'm not mistaken, this opportunity must have something to do with Star Academy's resurgence." Zuo Tianlin's eyes shone with shrewd insight.
Zuo Tingyi stared at his father in astonishment. Everything he had heard today had shaken him profoundly.
Seeing Zuo Tingyi's expression, Zuo Tianlin softened. "Don't worry. Although I don't know exactly why Star Academy has come, I imagine the people here now are only the advance party. The formidable ones are still to come."
When Zuo Tingyi left his father's study, he was in a daze. He had completely forgotten the few One-Star Illusion Cards still in his pocket. His mind was filled with everything his father had just told him.
To every young person, the Six Great Academies were as sacred as any place could be, and Zuo Tingyi was no exception. Unfortunately, their admissions standards were far stricter than people could imagine. Even a young man like Zuo Tingyi, hailed as a genius at East Guard Academy, could not gain admission. On that score, even the Zuo family's power and influence could do nothing for him.
Having the most sacred place in one's heart suddenly overturned was a terrible feeling, no matter who experienced it.
Chen Mu and Lei Zi rented a new place at Lei Zi's insistence. Ever since they had started making Card Films, Lei Zi had taken to hanging around at Chen Mu's place. With materials piled up like mountains as well, Chen Mu's pitiful little room had become terribly cramped. Their new home was in Polinton Town, northeast of Dongshang Guard City.
Dongshang Guard City did not refer to a single city alone, but to an urban area with Dongshang Guard City at its center and several small towns scattered around it.
Rent in Polinton was much cheaper than in the city proper, so the two simply rented a large house. Naturally, what pleased Chen Mu most was finally having a card-making room of his own. Although it was very rudimentary, he was thoroughly satisfied.
Once everything was tidied up, the two lay on the floor, gazing at the room, which looked as clean as new, then exchanged smiles.
"Blockhead, we need to get ready for a new Card Film. I've pretty much worked out the script," Lei Zi declared, his heroic spirit soaring into the clouds.
Chen Mu murmured in acknowledgment, then asked, "What's the new Card Film called?"
"The Legend of the Mecha Master!" Lei Zi announced, each word ringing with conviction, while Chen Mu looked utterly blank beside him.
Many details in Lei Zi's script still needed refining, which gave Chen Mu some time. He had already completed three of the twelve Illusion Cards. Making those three cards had been anything but smooth sailing. On the contrary, Chen Mu had lost count of the mistakes he had made and the times he had scratched his scalp raw. Those three Illusion Cards alone had consumed around four hundred thousand in materials. Yet compared with the difficulties and expense of the process, Chen Mu's gains were undoubtedly immense.
The complexity of those three Illusion Cards far surpassed that of the Twin Ring Card Shop advertisement he had seen on Gold Street. Before this, he would never have dared imagine he could complete such Illusion Cards, but now he was brimming with confidence. He believed he could finish all twelve; it would simply take a little longer.
He felt he was close to touching the true core of One-Star Illusion Cards.
Compared with the rapid improvement in his Illusion Card-making skills, however, his perception crawled along like a snail. With his current perception, he could only make One-Star Illusion Cards. Even two-star Illusion Cards were something of a stretch.
There was little he could do about his perception. It wasn't that he didn't work hard, but that his training method simply wasn't up to standard. Since hard work alone couldn't solve the problem, there was no point dwelling on it. Chen Mu was very much at peace with himself now. Even if his perception never improved at all, his ability to make One-Star Illusion Cards alone meant he wouldn't have to worry about making a living.
Completing the first three Illusion Cards greatly accelerated his progress on the other nine. Such was the power of accumulated experience. Theory and experience would always be the two most formidable weapons.
"All right, here's the script. Read it first, then we'll discuss it." Lei Zi came running into Chen Mu's room looking haggard, yet his spirits were remarkably high.
Taking the script, Chen Mu began reading through it carefully.
The Legend of the Mecha Master was a very long story. That was Chen Mu's first impression.
"This story will need an awful lot of Illusion Cards!" Chen Mu reminded Lei Zi.
Lei Zi chuckled. "Relax. I never said we'd finish the whole thing in one go. We'll make the first episode to start with."
"You can do that?" Chen Mu looked surprised.
"Uncultured, aren't you? It's called serialization!" Lei Zi gave Chen Mu a scornful look, then his face filled with smug delight. "Don't worry. I'll leave a cliffhanger at the end of every episode, so they'll be desperate to see the second. Then the third... the fourth..." Lei Zi spread his hands and raised them toward the sky, utterly intoxicated with himself. "We'll be rich!"
(End of chapter)