Chapter 9: The Long Family’s Secrets

When Long Yin boarded the free cloud car home just in time, he began dozing off as soon as he sat down. After getting off, the short walk back felt like the final straw that broke the camel’s back. He threw open the door, collapsed onto the floor, and fell into a deep sleep, completely drained from simply walking a few blocks.

When Long Yin awoke, the sound of splashing water filled his ears. Two large hands, callused yet gentle, were massaging his limbs, kneading away the aches and exhaustion. His entire body was soaked in warm water, the current soothing him as it passed over his skin, drawing a contented moan from his lips.

But he soon realized something was wrong. His second sister’s voice floated to his ears, playfully asking, “Yinzi, how was it? Isn’t Second Sister’s technique great?”

Long Yin could guess what had happened without needing to think. His second sister must have come home, found him filthy and fast asleep on the floor, and carried him to the bath to scrub him clean. In her words, he was like a dirty little cat that needed a good wash! He had solemnly refused such treatment since he turned three, but exhaustion had betrayed him today, and his sister had seized the chance to haul him into the bath. The callused hands scrubbing him made his cheeks flush red again; he simply buried his face in his arms, feigning an ostrich. He was only four, after all—just four! It was only natural for a sister to bathe her little brother!

Finally escaping his second sister’s hands, Long Yin clutched his clothes and scampered naked into his room. Long Qi emerged to see Long Qin, their eldest sister, returning home, arms laden with food. She seemed in excellent spirits, waving the packages with a grin. “We’re having a feast tonight!”

Long Qi was now certain that Big Sister Long Qin was in a very good mood. Even if she confessed to breaking one of her treasured vases, Long Qin would probably laugh it off. Still, Long Qi chose to keep silent—who could say when her mood might turn? When it did, she’d surely settle all scores!

As she took the food from Long Qin, Long Qi called toward Long Yin’s room, “Yinzi, put on your clothes and stop hiding under the covers! Come out and eat—Big Sister is treating us tonight!”

Long Qi couldn’t fathom why her brother was so shy. Every time she bathed him, he’d hide under his blanket for ages before coming out. She wondered who he could have inherited such a temperament from.

Little ostrich Long Yin emerged, his face pink, looking utterly adorable. The sight drew a few extra glances from his eldest sister. Sensing her gaze, Long Yin shrank back, inwardly protesting that he was hardly collectible material! Long Qi quickly interposed herself, shielding him from Long Qin’s increasingly heated look. “Big Sister, time to eat!”

Long Qin cast a couple more regretful glances at Long Yin before sighing, “Little Yinyin, if only you weren’t my brother!”

Long Yin was instantly in tears. Big Sister, where is your humanity? Thank goodness I am your brother—otherwise, how could I ever face you?

“Come on, let’s eat…” Long Qi set the table for her siblings, inwardly exasperated. Big Sister always startled Yinzi, as if collecting other people’s children weren’t enough—now she wanted to collect him too.

No delicacy is too fine, no dish too exquisite—Long Qin always found a way to reflect her pursuit of culinary perfection. Whenever she treated them to a special meal, Long Yin and Long Qi would make a point of clearing every plate.

Patting his full stomach, Long Yin burped twice in satisfaction. Second Sister then hefted two crates of milk into his room, and, measuring his height beside her waist, remarked, “Big Sister, Yinzi barely reaches my waist! He’s still so little!”

Long Qin dabbed her mouth elegantly and looked over at Long Qi, who was lingering nearby. “Yinyin is four this year. In two more years, he’ll have to start school.”

Long Qi pinched Long Yin’s cheek. “Then let’s wait two more years—what if he gets bullied?”

Long Yin watched his sisters in confusion. Had he missed something? Why couldn’t he understand what they were discussing?

“Are you talking about me?” Long Yin couldn’t help but ask.

“Huh, Yinzi, hasn’t Second Sister told you?” Long Qi’s brow furrowed as she tried to recall.

Beads of sweat formed on Long Yin’s brow—was there something he was supposed to know but didn’t?

“Alright, I’ll tell you again,” Long Qi said. “Tomorrow Big Sister wants to take you for early school enrollment.”

Long Yin stared at his eldest sister, bewildered. “I’m going to school?” His heart was unsettled—he was only four, and a long stretch of life lay ahead, inevitably to be spent in an academy. In his previous life, due to his family and temperament, he’d only ever been nominally enrolled at the Federal Comprehensive Card Academy, never setting foot inside. Who would have thought that in this life, he’d actually have to attend school?

“That’s right! Would you like that, Yinyin?” Long Qin smiled at him.

School! For reasons he couldn’t explain, Long Yin felt a flicker of excitement. “At the Academy… what do they teach?”

Long Qi scooped him into her arms. “Yinzi, you’re too little—you’ll be bullied. The kids there are all bad!”

“Long Qi!” Long Qin shot her a warning look, then turned to Long Yin. “Don’t listen to your second sister’s nonsense. Dexin Academy is the best in Texas. Every year, they have ten guaranteed spots at the Federal Comprehensive Card Academy. Yinyin, you’re destined to rule that place—a little Dexin Academy is nothing for you, right?”

“But Big Sister, that’s a school for nobles—Yinzi will definitely be bullied!”

“Long Qi!” Long Qin glared at her, only to be met with a stubborn glare in return. Rubbing her brow, Long Qin sighed. “I know what you’re thinking, but you must remember, Yinyin is different. He was born with S-class spiritual power. Let him choose for himself, alright? This is his only chance—if he misses it, I can’t help him…”

Long Yin’s eyes flashed. Was there something about the Long family he didn’t know? Ever since Big Sister had escaped unscathed from the Governor of Yunzhou, he’d known she was no ordinary person.

A gentle hand rested on his head, startling him. Long Qin had crouched in front of him, her face softened but her eyes filled with pride, confusion, anxiety, and other emotions he couldn’t decipher. She cupped his face. “Yinyin, I know you’re smart enough to understand me. Listen closely—I’ll only say this once. Whether you remember or forget, I won’t bring it up again. Do you understand?”

It was the first time Long Yin had seen such a solemn expression on her face. He nodded gravely.

“Good. Yinyin, you’re a good and clever child. Your second sister may be muddled, but I’m not. I don’t care how you managed to get us new identities—we won’t ask. Every child of the Long family has some surprising skill. I do, your second sister does, and I believe you do too. In fact, you may be even more formidable.”

She paused, the pride in her expression growing.

“I hadn’t wanted you to face this so soon, but you gave yourself away. So we decided to let you enroll early. Your second sister objected, but I’ve nearly exhausted all my connections. I went to great lengths to secure you an enrollment pass. What you do with it is up to you.”

She placed a badge on the table.

Standing up, she said, “I’ll give you one night to think it over. If you don’t want to go, nothing more will be said. If you do, I’ll tell you the truth—but only if you’re mentally prepared for hardship and injustice. Otherwise, forget it.”

Long Qi pressed her lips together, at a loss herself.

“Big Sister!” Long Yin seized the badge from the table, his eyes unwavering as he stared at Long Qin. “I want to know everything!”

“Are you sure?” Long Qin warned him again. “Once you decide, there’s no turning back. Even if you refuse, I’ll force you to go!”

Long Yin pocketed the badge. “There are no cowards in the Long family!”

Long Qi’s jaw dropped. When had Yinzi learned the family creed?

Long Qin arched a brow. She was sure she’d never mentioned it.

Long Yin shrugged. “I found it while bored. Big Sister, shouldn’t you tell me now?”

Long Qin nodded. “Very well, since you wish to know, I’ll tell you.”

She sat down. Long Qi left the room, and when she returned, she nodded at Long Qin. “It’s alright.”

“Let’s start with your second sister and me. My ability is memory manipulation. Your second sister’s is a bit special and hard to explain, but you’ll figure it out in time. As for your ability, I haven’t seen it yet—perhaps it hasn’t awakened. But I believe yours will surpass ours. Maybe you’re already using it without knowing.”

She paused before continuing, “As to why every member of the Long family has a special ability, this goes back to our ancestors. In short, our forebear was not human but a Card Beast.”

Card Beast? Long Yin’s jaw dropped. Did he really have Card Beast blood running in his veins? Was this a joke? Even in his past life, at the heights he’d reached, he’d never heard of such a thing.

“Amazing, isn’t it? Card Masters can seal Card Beasts with Summoning Cards—but those are ordinary Card Beasts. Some, to humans, are like gods. Our ancestor was one of the Four Emperors of the Card Beasts—the Dragon Emperor!”

Dragon Emperor? Long Yin felt dizzy. His ancestor’s origins were beyond extraordinary. The Dragon Emperor—every Card Beast worthy of the title ‘Emperor’ was beyond even god-level Card Masters with god-level Summoning Cards. No one could seal it, except by death.

A seventh-tier Card Beast could live for thousands of years. The Dragon Emperor was eleventh-tier—its lifespan must be measured in tens of thousands of years. Which meant their ancestor could well be alive.

“It seems you’ve guessed it. Yes, our ancestor is still alive, but sealed.”

“Sealed? Who could seal a Beast Emperor?”

“Not in a card. Only seven people knew where the ancestor was sealed. All that’s known is that he was beset by the other three Emperors and seven god-level beings, and only then was he sealed.”

“The ancestor’s sealing enraged the Long family’s forebears and the high-level Card Beasts under the Dragon Emperor’s banner, triggering the darkest upheaval in Federation history—the Hundred Years’ Blank. No one knows how many perished under the onslaught of the Long family and the high-level Card Beasts. The records list over a dozen god-level masters, a hundred or so saint-level figures… The Federation was nearly crippled, but so too was the Long family, down to a handful of survivors aided by a few loyal Card Beasts.”

“The old men of the Federation thought the Longs were wiped out. Even the other three Emperors believed it. Who would expect that we’re still alive?”

“Every generation bears the duty of seeking out the ancestor. In our time, all clues point to the ancestor being sealed within the Federal Comprehensive Card Academy. Your task is to infiltrate it. How, I don’t know. After so many millennia, we can’t command the ancestor’s former followers. You’ll understand everything once you’re inside the Academy.”

Long Yin was speechless.

That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Even as he drifted off, his dreams were filled with his eldest sister’s instructions.

“There’s an organization within Dexin. In your ten years there, by whatever means necessary, you must join it—only then can you earn a guaranteed spot at the Federal Card Academy!”

…