Everything Makes Sense Now

"Attack!"

"Dodge!"

"Attack!"

"Light as a swan's glide, dust rises from silken socks... Dodge!"

...

This exchange repeated three times.

Zhou Qiaoling's Zhen Ji hadn't lost a single drop of blood.

"Why aren't you taking damage?!"

"Zhen Ji's 'Alluring Beauty' skill... Black cards count as dodges. You attacked the wrong person!"

Zhou Yue checked Zhen Ji's skill description and groaned in frustration.

Staring at his hand full of dodges and various types of horses, he knew this round was hopeless.

"Pass, pass... Wait, what? Why do I have to discard cards???"

Before him, everyone had been at full health, so no one had encountered the need to discard.

Only then did they all notice the rule: hand limit equals current health.

With tears in his eyes, Zhou Yue discarded most of his cards, keeping only a single "Dodge" for survival.

"Whatever, it's probably just bad luck with the deck—fewer 'Attack' and 'Peach' cards. Nothing to do with fate..."

Zhou Yue consoled himself.

His turn ended, and it was Zhou Qiaoling's turn to draw.

She activated Zhen Ji's "Divine Water Nymph" skill.

"Like a light cloud veiling the moon..."

A black "Attack" entered her hand.

"Like a breeze swirling falling snow..."

Another black "Attack" joined her collection.

...

The "Divine Water Nymph" checks continued over a dozen times before finally stopping.

The last card drawn was a red "Peach"—the very card Zhou Yue had desperately needed but never drew in six attempts.

After the checks, Zhou Qiaoling casually ate a "Peach" right in front of him.

While at full health.

The live chat exploded with amusement.

[Zhen Ji is OP!]

[Senior Zhou lost so much health for just 12 cards, but Zhou Qiaoling surpassed him in one go...]

[Is Huang Gai just weak?]

[The best part is her eating that Peach right in front of Zhou Yue.]

[Full-health Peach munching—adding insult to injury.]

[Did you hear that crack? No one played an "Attack"...]

[Pretty sure that was the sound of Senior Zhou's will shattering...]

...

The sheer absurdity of the scene left Lu Ze speechless.

He eyed the Zhou siblings suspiciously. "Are you two really related by blood??"

"Certified genuine."

Zhou Qiaoling smiled sweetly before slamming down a "Barbarian Invasion."

Everyone had to respond with an "Attack" or lose health.

The responses cycled around the table until it reached Zhou Yue.

By then, it was obvious: Zhou Yue couldn't possibly have an "Attack" left—he would've used it on Zhen Ji earlier if he did.

In other words, he was doomed.

"Nullify!"

At the critical moment, Zhao Wendao's "Nullify" saved Zhou Yue from certain death.

Zhao Wendao knew they weren't on the same team.

But hadn't Lin Qingxuan—also a rebel—done the same earlier?

Compared to a junior's shattered morale, what did winning a card game matter?

"This time, I'll shield you."

Zhao Wendao stroked his beard with a chuckle.

"A mere fate constraint? With so many elders here, we'll break it for you!"

With those words, the game's purpose shifted entirely.

It was no longer about victory—it was about helping Zhou Yue defy his cursed luck.

Even Zhou Qiaoling hesitated to target him further.

She'd originally planned to "Snatch" Zhou Yue's "Repeating Crossbow" and use it to obliterate Zhong Yi, the Lord.

Instead, she played out her remaining cards, and the turns cycled peacefully.

"Brother Zhou, you got this!"

"Senior Zhou, we believe in you!"

"Zhou, my disciple, I've always had faith in you."

"Well said! Such resilience despite fate's cruelty—I, too, shall lend my aid!"

"Go for it! This time, you'll draw that Peach!"

"Good disciple, here—let your master heal you!"

...

Everyone rallied behind Zhou Yue.

Even the live chat was flooded with [Go Zhou!] and [Break fate's chains!], creating a scene so uplifting it bordered on tear-jerking.

Even Zhao Wendao and Lin Anzai, who'd been at each other's throats earlier, fell silent.

Lin Anzai even forgot to use "Astrology" to stack Zhao Wendao's deck with black Spades, letting him escape unscathed.

Watching Lin Qingxuan immediately use both his newly drawn cards to heal Zhou Yue twice, Zhou Yue was deeply moved.

Clasping his fists, he bowed solemnly.

"This junior... thanks you all!"

His eyes burned with determination, thunderclouds flickering in their depths...

No, literal thunderclouds.

The "Lightning" card Lin Anzai had used against Zhao Wendao earlier now hovered above Zhou Yue's head.

The "thunderclouds" in his eyes were its reflection.

"Lightning" triggered a check at the start of each turn.

If the drawn card was a Spade 2 through Spade 9, the player lost 3 health.

For three turns, "Lightning" had done nothing.

But the moment it landed on Zhou Yue, the room held its breath.

"Hah! A mere Lightning card can't—uh, why are you all staring?"

Zhou Yue frowned at their tense expressions.

"N-nothing! My disciple, we... we all believe in you!"

Lin Qingxuan recovered first, waving hurriedly.

The others echoed: "Yes, yes! Just focus on your 'Bitter Betrayal'!"

Then, the "Lightning" check began.

"Relax, my sister drew all those black cards earlier. The odds are—"

Before he could finish, the Spade 6 "Qinggang Sword" materialized on the table.

A deafening thunderbolt struck, reducing him to a charred silhouette.

"Lightning" dealt 3 damage. Even after Hua Tuo's earlier heal, Zhou Yue only had 2 health left.

His health hit zero instantly.

The group scrambled to save him—but no one had a "Peach."

Even with Hua Tuo's red card, it wasn't enough.

Zhou Yue sat in stunned silence, eliminated and forced to spectate.

Watching Zhou Qiaoling dominate the game with her eight-card hand and lead the rebels to victory only deepened his despair.

How could the gap in luck be this vast...

...

The game ended swiftly, and the group eagerly started a second round.

Zhong Yi, now a Loyalist, vowed to redeem himself.

Last game, as the Lord, he'd suffered—one Loyalist (Mu Yawen) didn't understand the rules, and the other (Zhou Yue) was a walking curse.

It was basically 1v5.

This time, he'd show the Lord what a competent Loyalist could do.

Just then, a red glow flashed beside him.

"Hahaha! Senior Zhong! I'm the Lord now! What's your role?"

"..."

Zhong Yi's eye twitched.

"I'm a Rebel. Just kill me..."

During character selection, Zhou Yue across the table roared with laughter:

"This time, I control my own destiny!!"

Behind him, the phantom of Zhuge Liang—feather fan and all—materialized.

"Oh? Using 'Astrology' to rig your own draws? A clever strategy, Brother Zhou."

Zhong Yi’s eyes lit up, instantly understanding Zhou Yue’s intention.

“Exactly! Even if it’s just an illusion, I must break this fate!”

Zhou Yue cast aside his earlier despondency, his eyes brimming with vitality once more.

The match began anew.

With the experience from the previous round, everyone played much more smoothly this time.

Except for Mu Yawen, who immediately discarded a [Lightning] card at the start and proceeded to mercilessly pummel Zhong Yi, the loyal minister…

...

In standard mode, whether it was the skills of the generals or the strategy cards, the mechanics and values were all quite ordinary.

This resulted in a slow-paced match.

After the first round, nothing particularly dramatic had happened.

Soon, the second round arrived.

As the thundercloud hovering above Mu Yawen’s head began shifting positions, everyone’s gaze instinctively turned to Zhou Yue.

“Wait, why are you all looking at me?”

Zhou Yue asked in surprise.

“Brother Zhou, I have a [Dismantle] card… Should I use it now?”

“As your mentor, I have a [Nullify]. I can nullify it for you later.”

Faced with their kindness, Zhou Yue hastily waved his hands.

“No need! I appreciate your goodwill, everyone… but this fate is something I must overcome myself!”

“This time, I’m playing as Zhuge Liang! I can control my hand—how could I possibly die from a [Lightning] judgment!?”

The others nodded subconsciously.

[Lightning] only takes effect after a round of judgment.

Meanwhile, [Stargaze] allows Zhou Yue to observe and adjust his upcoming hand before the judgment occurs.

“That’s true. It’s not like all five cards could be Spades 2 through Spades 9, right?”

Zhong Yi muttered to himself.

The others wholeheartedly agreed.

At the same time, Zhou Yue’s [Lightning] judgment began.

In an instant, his expression shifted from anticipation to shock, and finally to bitter resignation.

No words were needed—everyone already knew the outcome.

Lu Ze was utterly stunned.

Zhou Yue had always been somewhat unlucky, but until now, most of his misfortunes had been within the realm of plausibility.

But this time…

It was downright brutal!

Five consecutive Spades 2 through Spades 9—what were the odds!?

It was as if someone had tampered with the backend code…

Wait a minute—

Lu Ze suddenly realized something critically important—

Zhong Yi had just said something incredibly ominous…

A cursed fate combined with a jinxing spiritual root…

Well, that explained everything.