Grudges

"Today's a good day, everything I wish for will come true~"

At the market, Lin Feng hummed an off-key tune as he moved briskly between the stalls, unable to hide the smile on his face.

Whenever he shopped, he was known throughout Stone Iron City for his "three cuts."

No matter what price a stallholder named, he would start by cutting it by a third. Sometimes he even talked them into silence, leaving them to offer a discount on their own.

But today, he didn't bargain at all. He paid whatever the stallholders asked, and when one was slow to give him his change, he simply waved it off.

His unusual behavior left the surrounding stallholders dumbfounded.

"Old Lin, has something happened at home lately? Is something wrong with your health?"

"Get out of here! You're the one with health problems! I'm a Card Master. Back in the day, I killed a Lava Tiger with one slash. I'm in great shape!" Lin Feng laughed and patted his chest, his voice full of pride.

Uncle Zhang, who sold fruit nearby, also came over and lowered his voice.

"Then it's about that boy Lin Qi, huh? I heard he awakened a trash card, but don't take it too hard. That boy's been clever and quick-witted since he was little. Even if he doesn't become a Card Master, he could still go into business and become a small-time landlord."

"Hahaha, my son has been clever since he was little. He takes after me."

Lin Feng laughed even more heartily, picking up an apple from Uncle Zhang's stall and taking a bite without even wiping it.

"But don't you underestimate my son. He's much more capable than I am!"

Just then, a mocking voice suddenly rang out, shattering the lively atmosphere.

"Your son?"

"Heh, you don't even have a wife. Who gave birth to your son? Old Wang's wife next door, perhaps?"

"Then wouldn't that make your son a bastard?"

Lin Feng spun around and glared darkly at the man before him.

"Lei De!"

"Say that again, you bastard!"

The aura of a Four-Star Card Master erupted, sending the surrounding crowd scattering. The stallholders hurriedly packed up, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

"Heh, am I wrong?"

Lei De folded his arms, the mockery on his face growing more pronounced.

"That so-called son of yours awakened a trash card. Doesn't that make him a good-for-nothing? Just like you, he'll never amount to anything!"

"I'll cut you down!"

Lin Feng could no longer hold himself back. He flung aside the basket of vegetables in his hand.

A green card instantly appeared in his palm. With a flash of light, a long saber appeared in his hand.

"Lin Feng, do you really think you're still the genius you used to be?"

Lei De sneered, his eyes full of disdain.

"To look after that little bastard of unknown origins, you've barely cultivated for fifteen years, have you? Your Source Power stopped progressing long ago! I really feel sorry for Lili. How did she ever fall for a loser like you?"

Lei De stepped forward, unleashing an aura even more powerful than Lin Feng's. Light flashed, and a long silver spear appeared in his hand, its tip gleaming coldly.

"A Five-Star Card Master."

Someone cried out, "Lei De actually broke through to five stars! No wonder he's so arrogant!"

"A Five-Star Card Master can open up one more card slot. Lin Feng is only four-star. He's in trouble now!" The people around them began to chatter, looking at Lin Feng with concern.

Lin Feng narrowed his eyes and glared at Lei De.

"So that's it. You'd barely broken through to five stars before you came looking for trouble. Looks like that new card has given you a lot of confidence."

Lei De's lips curled into a vicious grin, and he licked them. "Heh, you're dead for sure today!"

"Kill!!"

Lin Feng attacked first, advancing with his saber trailing behind him before swinging it upward.

"Whoosh!"

A whistling sound filled the air. Lei De clearly knew he couldn't take the attack head-on and leaped aside, twisting his body to evade it.

"Huh!"

Lin Feng was somewhat surprised. He clearly hadn't expected his opponent to have gotten faster.

"Watch my spear!"

A cold glint flashed as Lei De flicked his spear. It instantly transformed into countless spear shadows that swept toward Lin Feng in a dense mass, making it impossible to tell which were real and which were false.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Lin Feng raised the Wind-Breaking Saber and fought to block the attacks. Saber and spear clashed fiercely, sending sparks flying. The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the market, making people's ears ring.

Lei De's attacks came one after another like a rising tide, each blow carrying tremendous force as he tried to suppress Lin Feng.

Drawing on his years of combat experience and his familiarity with Lei De's moves, Lin Feng held his defense steady despite being at a disadvantage, without exposing a single opening.

The two had trained and fought together back then. Lin Feng could have predicted Lei De's moves with his eyes closed.

"Lei De, if that's all you've got, go home and lie in bed again!"

Lin Feng swung his saber hard, forcing Lei De back.

Then a green card appeared in his hand.

The onlookers grew excited at the sight of it.

"It's the two-star skill card, Facing-the-Wind Single Saber Slash! That's Lin Feng's signature move. He used it to kill the Lava Tiger back then!"

"If Lei De doesn't have any new tricks, I'm afraid he'll be bedridden for another half month."

As the card activated, the Wind-Breaking Saber in Lin Feng's hand began to shine with a brilliant green light. Wind seemed to flow along its blade, and a fierce aura burst from him, even stronger than before.

"Don't think you're the only one with a skill card!"

Not to be outdone, Lei De pulled out a green card of his own.

"Two-star skill card, Frost!"

Ice crystals appeared in an instant all around Lei De. The spear in his hand turned as cold as frost, and tiny icicles even formed on its tip.

"Die!"

Lin Feng hesitated no longer. He slashed, sending a huge wave of green saber wind sweeping toward Lei De with a fierce momentum. It tore through the air in its path with a wailing sound.

At the same time, Lei De flicked his spear and unleashed Frost. A blast of cold rushed forward and collided with the saber wind, making a sizzling sound.

Ice and wind resisted each other, locked in a stalemate for a time.

Lei De sneered. While Lin Feng was focused on countering Frost, another green card appeared.

The moment it appeared, the card merged directly into Lei De's body.

He suddenly stepped forward, his spear stabbing at Lin Feng's chest like a venomous snake.

Lin Feng sensed the danger and turned slightly to the side. The spear grazed his clothes, but still left a bloody gash across his chest.

"Hahaha, that's the difference between five stars and four!"

Lei De laughed wildly and increased his output of Source Power. Frost spread farther, enveloping all four of Lin Feng's limbs.

"My strength and speed are both greater than yours. You're no match for me! Die!"

Lin Feng's limbs were frozen by the frost, and his movements grew slower and slower. More and more small wounds appeared on his body. Blood ran from them and dripped onto the ground, where it instantly formed tiny ice crystals.

The people around them shook their heads and whispered, "Sigh, things look bad for Old Lin this time. Lei De is too strong after breaking through to five stars."

"Then why don't you hurry up and help?" someone said anxiously.

"I'm just a vegetable seller, not a Card Master. Do you really think Card Masters are as common as cabbages?"

Just as Lei De thought victory was in his grasp and prepared to deliver the final blow to Lin Feng, a black arrow suddenly shot out from the crowd, flying like lightning straight at Lei De's shoulder!

"Clang!"

Lei De knocked the arrow away with his spear and glared angrily at the crowd.

"Ruilian!"

The crowd parted, and a burly man walked out, holding a black bow and wearing a helpless expression.

Ruilian sighed.

"Lei De, I can't just stand by and watch you kill Lin Feng."

Lei De's face turned scarlet. He pointed at Ruilian and roared, "So you can stand by and watch him kill me? Last year he beat me so badly I was bedridden for half a month. Why didn't you say anything then?"

"No, Lin Feng won't kill you."

Ruilian shook his head, his tone certain.

"Every time you two fight, he only beats you down and leaves you bedridden for half a month at most. He's never tried to kill you. If he wanted you dead, you'd have died long ago."

Lei De froze. Thinking it over, that did seem to be true.

He gritted his teeth, knowing that with Ruilian here, he definitely couldn't kill Lin Feng today.

Although Ruilian was weaker than him, he was still a Three-Star Card Master, and his bow was a ranged weapon. If Ruilian launched a sneak attack, Lei De wouldn't be able to withstand it either.

He turned his head and glared at Lin Feng with resentment.

"Lin Feng, just you wait. One day I'll run you through with my spear!"

"Pah."

Lin Feng spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm. That was his answer to Lei De.

"Oh, it's over already? I hadn't seen enough yet."

Seeing that there was no more excitement to watch, the onlookers scattered, still chatting among themselves.

"Let's go, let's go. Time to go home and cook."

"But Lei De really is impressive. He's already broken through to become a Five-Star Card Master. I even saw him secretly use a green card just now..."

"Sigh, you can't put it that way. Lin Feng actually had greater talent. If it weren't for Lin Qi, he would have broken through to five stars long ago. He might even have become a Grand Card Master. He did it all for the child."

As the voices around him faded into the distance, Lin Feng put away his weapon and silently picked up the vegetable basket from the ground.

"Brother Feng."

Ruilian stepped forward, wanting to say something.

Lin Feng cut him off. "Don't try to talk me out of it. This is between him and me. And don't tell Lin Qi."

With that, Lin Feng walked away, leaving Ruilian to watch him leave with a bitter expression.