The Truth Is Out, No More Pretending

Lin Qi headed home from the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion with a box full of cards.

Lin Qi had just reached the entrance of the Wonderful Tales Shop when he noticed that the person sitting behind the counter wasn't his father, Lin Feng, but his good buddy Ruilian.

Ruilian had his head down, sorting boxes of blood-clotting ointment and sighing from time to time. He didn't notice Lin Qi at the door at all.

"Uncle Ruilian, why are you minding the shop?"

Hearing Lin Qi's voice, Ruilian jerked his head up as if he'd seen his savior and hurried out from behind the counter.

"Xiao Qi, you're finally back! Your dad... he's gone crazy!"

"Crazy?"

Lin Qi froze for a moment, then hurriedly asked, "Uncle Ruilian, take your time. What happened to my dad?"

Ruilian took a deep breath and counted off Lin Feng's strange behavior on his fingers.

He'd spent fifty Ka'en on a very fancy outfit! He'd said he was a card maker, filled his room with all kinds of stones and bones, and sat there chopping at them with a cleaver.

"Xiao Qi, that was fifty Ka'en! Your dad and I grew up together. He wore the clothes he bought for three Ka'en for five years and still couldn't bear to throw them away. Now he's actually spent fifty Ka'en on an outfit. He's gone crazy. Lei De must have driven him to it."

"Hm?"

Lin Qi had been listening to the first part for amusement, but when he heard Lei De's name, his expression changed.

"Lei De? What did he do this time?"

"Uh..."

Realizing he seemed to have let something slip, Ruilian hurriedly laughed it off.

"Nothing, nothing. His name just slipped out. Don't overthink it. Lei De didn't cause your dad any trouble, really!"

Lin Qi narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Ruilian.

But seeing the way Ruilian avoided his gaze, he knew he wouldn't get anything out of him, whatever he asked, so he didn't press the matter.

Lin Qi took a deep breath and suppressed the worry in his heart. I've awakened my Rule Card cheat anyway. Give me some time, and if Lei De comes looking for trouble again, I'll beat him so badly his own mother won't recognize him!

"Uncle, don't worry. My dad's fine. We're closing for the afternoon, so come eat with us."

Seeing that Lin Qi had already hung up the closed sign, Ruilian was still a little worried.

"Is he really all right?"

The two walked into the little courtyard at home, one behind the other. As soon as they pushed open the door, they heard a banging and clattering, as if someone were smashing things.

They exchanged a glance and hurried into the inner room.

Lin Feng was crouched on the floor, a pile of beast bones, furs, and colorful stones spread out before him. He held a cleaver and carefully shaved a beast bone, muttering under his breath.

"This bone isn't dense enough. I need to shave it thinner, or the card I make won't be good enough..."

"Dad, you're making... making cards."

Lin Qi had been about to say handicrafts, but then he had another thought. With Ruilian right there, wasn't this the perfect opportunity to help establish his father's identity as a "card maker"?

He deliberately raised his voice.

"Oh, right, Dad, I bought the card-making materials you wanted."

Lin Feng didn't even look up. He merely grunted in acknowledgment, putting on the air of a master.

"I know. Don't disturb me. I'm at a critical stage in making this card. I can't afford the slightest mistake."

"Oh, okay. I'll go make dinner, then."

Playing along, Lin Qi turned and walked out, leaving Ruilian standing there, dumbstruck.

"What? Brother Feng is really making cards? And does Xiao Qi know how to cook?"

Ruilian couldn't make sense of what Lin Feng was doing. After some thought, he went downstairs to find Lin Qi.

He was very afraid Lin Qi would set the kitchen on fire while cooking.

"Xiao Qi, is your dad really making cards? You haven't found out about his condition and decided to indulge his nonsense, have you?"

As Ruilian cooked, he looked over at Lin Qi, who was cracking sunflower seeds beside him.

"Uncle, my dad really is a card maker. Once he makes a card, you'll know whether it's true or not."

"Is that so..."

Seeing how serious Lin Qi was, Ruilian was beginning to believe him.

But he knew Lin Feng too well. If that guy could become a card maker, he reckoned he could become a Card Mastery Grandmaster himself!

"Son, son!"

Lin Feng's voice came from upstairs.

"Bring me the materials! I'm about to make a two-star card!"

"What? A two-star card?"

Ruilian hurriedly turned off the heat and ran upstairs after Lin Qi.

"Dad, the materials are here."

Lin Qi held five Skeleton Foot Soldier cards in his hand, with the Fusion Card on top. As he held them out to Lin Feng, he used the Fusion Card.

This created the illusion that the vortex appeared just as Lin Feng reached for the cards, as though he had conjured it himself.

Lin Feng played along, pressing his palms together and chanting a spell he had made up: "Spirits of heaven, spirits of earth, God of Source Cards, show your power!"

When he finished, he caught the fused Skeleton Warrior Card between his palms, keeping it from Ruilian's view with an air of mystery.

Then Lin Feng stepped up to Ruilian and said solemnly, "Ruilian, do me a favor and blow on this card."

"Uh, stop messing around..."

Lin Feng frowned. "Hurry up and blow, or the card will fail."

"Uncle Ruilian, hurry! My dad can barely hold on!"

Lin Qi urged him anxiously as well.

Ruilian found the whole thing baffling, but he played along and blew.

"Open!"

Lin Feng shouted and flung his hands apart.

A card shimmering with green light appeared before Ruilian's eyes.

He could clearly see the skeleton warrior on the front of the card.

"A two-star summoning card!?"

Ruilian's mouth fell open. He was so excited he could barely speak.

His good brother had suddenly become a card maker. It was even more shocking than discovering his good brother was actually a beauty disguised as a man!

"Brother Feng, you... you really are a card maker! How come I never knew?"

Lin Feng straightened his back, a smile of concealed prowess on his face.

"Ruilian, I'm done pretending. The truth is, I'm a card maker. For the past ten years, I've been secretly practicing card making, and now I've finally mastered it!"

Ten years of practicing card making?

Ruilian was utterly stunned.

"Brother Feng, you were the most talented mercenary in our mercenary group. Your Source Power hasn't improved at all in the past ten years. I guessed you were hiding your abilities, and I also guessed you'd actually fallen into decline. I even imagined you were grasping the true meaning of Origin Cards so you could strive for the realm of an Origin Card master. But I never would've dared imagine, even with my ass, that you were learning to make cards!"

Ruilian was so worked up that his eyes had turned red.

"Ruilian..."

Lin Feng was deeply touched too. He hadn't expected Ruilian's image of him to remain unchanged, or that Ruilian still admired him so much.

"Brother Feng!"

Ruilian excitedly grasped Lin Feng's hand, tears spilling from his eyes.

"From now on, no one in Stone Iron City will dare look down on us again!"

"Ruilian."

"Brother Feng!"

"Ruilian!"

Watching the two grown men embrace and weep, Lin Qi shook his head. Their acting was far too realistic.

"Still, this works out well. Even Uncle Ruilian believes Dad is a card maker. It'll be much easier to convince other people from now on."

He quietly slipped out of the room, leaving the two of them space to catch up.