He Ran Into It Himself

The sounds of Lin Feng and Oliver's fight sent dust flying in the corner of the courtyard. Whenever the Blazing Wind Saber, flashing red, clashed with Oliver's spear, sparks scattered onto the blue bricks, scorching little black marks into them.

As the two fought, the guards nearby watched Lin Qi like hawks, but none dared approach.

The Wind Chime Cat stood guard beside Lin Qi, its back arched and its eyes full of vigilance. Whenever anyone dared take a step forward, a cold glint would flash at the tips of its claws.

Lin Qi watched Lin Feng fight, rapidly weighing things in his mind.

"The card sales have caused quite a stir these past few days. There's no way the City Lord's Manor doesn't know Dad is a card maker.

"On this continent, card makers hold an exalted status. Never mind that there's no solid evidence-even if I really had killed someone, they couldn't possibly come arrest me over Dad's objections."

This world had institutions, but that didn't mean everyone was equal before the law.

Lin Qi was certain the City Lord's Manor would never trouble a card maker over a commoner like Wang Meng.

Even if the dead man were a noble rather than a commoner, the City Lord's Manor would probably come bearing lavish gifts to curry favor. After all, in their eyes, trading a few inconsequential lives for a card maker's goodwill was a sure profit.

"So Lei De probably saw me coming out of the mine with a bundle of Fire Crystal Ore, then went inside and found Wang Meng. Did he suspect I'd gotten some treasure and tell Oliver so he'd come arrest me?"

Having reasoned through what had happened, Lin Qi let his tense shoulders relax completely.

He wasn't afraid of a petty lackey like Oliver, who relied on borrowed authority to throw his weight around. The one he truly feared was the Grand Card Master in the City Lord's Manor.

"There's no way Oliver and Lei De will believe Dad obtained a Card Master's inheritance. To keep up the act, I have to make those two disappear."

Lin Qi narrowed his eyes as he watched Oliver and Lin Feng fight, quietly gripping the Eerie Vine Demon's card between his fingers.

By rights, Lin Feng's Natal Card had long since reached blue quality. With the Boots of Stealth to greatly boost his speed and the Magic-Resistance Breastplate's incredible defense, he could take hits, dish them out, and dodge.

Yet even under those circumstances, he was still evenly matched with Oliver. That could only mean Oliver's strength was nothing to scoff at.

Source Power flowed quietly from Lin Qi's fingertips into the card.

The grass by the courtyard gate suddenly rustled. Vines gleaming dark green sped along the ground toward Oliver.

Under the effect of Mimetic Ambush, the vines moved with exceptional stealth. Oliver was so focused on fighting Lin Feng that he didn't notice the approaching danger at all.

"If I'm going to do it, I'll do it thoroughly!"

Lin Qi's expression hardened.

Though he was only a Two-Star Card Apprentice, his reserves of Source Power had long since drawn infinitely close to those of a Three-Star Card Master. Controlling the Eerie Vine Demon to use a few skills was a piece of cake for him.

"Mimetic Ambush, Thorn Entanglement, Neurotoxin!"

He silently recited the three commands, and Source Power flooded into the card like a tide. The vines in the grass instantly grew wild, their sharp barbs glinting coldly in the night.

Just then, Oliver leaped into the air and thrust his spear at Lin Feng, the weapon whistling through the wind.

But the moment he reached midair, a sharp pain shot through his ankles.

The Eerie Vine Demon's vines had wrapped tightly around both his legs. A cold sensation spread across his skin as Neurotoxin instantly invaded his body.

"What is that?"

Oliver's pupils contracted sharply, and his body went numb. His fierce attack fell apart in an instant, and he plunged uncontrollably toward the ground.

At that moment, Lin Feng swung the Blazing Wind Saber. Orange-red flames enveloped its blade as it slashed straight down with a piercing rush of wind.

Before his astonished eyes, the Blazing Wind Saber collided squarely with the falling Oliver.

"Pfft."

The sound of the blade cutting through flesh was sharp and clear. Scalding blood sprayed out like a fountain, splashing onto the ground and instantly rising in wisps of white steam.

Oliver hung from the Blazing Wind Saber like a piece of candied fruit on a skewer, his wide eyes full of disbelief.

"You... you ambushed me..."

A Card Master's vitality was indeed tenacious. Even with his chest pierced through, Oliver didn't die immediately, and blood kept pouring from the corners of his mouth.

Lin Qi gave him no chance to say anything else. "Eerie Vine Demon!" he shouted coldly.

The vines around Oliver's legs tightened abruptly and dragged him off the Blazing Wind Saber like a heavy load, slamming him to the ground.

Lin Feng's saber hand paused. He stared blankly at Oliver twitching on the ground, unable to process what had happened for a moment.

"Good thing it went through his chest. If you'd hit his stomach, his insides probably would've spilled all over the ground. What a hassle that would've been to clean up."

Lin Qi let out a breath at the side, speaking as casually as if he'd merely stepped on an ant.

"Dad, are you all right?"

"Son, are you all right?"

Father and son asked at the same time, breaking the brief silence.

Lin Feng shook the Blazing Wind Saber. A layer of pale red flames rose over the blade, burning away the remaining bloodstains. Sparks pattered onto the ground and quickly went out.

"Your dad was a mercenary who crawled out of piles of corpses back in the day. What's a little thing like this? But you, kid—you used to run upstairs and cover your eyes whenever I killed a chicken. How come you're not scared at all today?"

He looked at Lin Qi, who showed no discomfort at all after killing someone, his voice full of puzzlement.

Lin Qi gave an awkward smile.

He was living his second life, after all. How could he be afraid of blood? He'd only avoided watching before because he couldn't be bothered to help and had deliberately pretended to be scared.

"Dad, in for a penny, in for a pound. Let's kill these guards too."

Lin Qi waved a hand, and vines began spreading across the ground, soon cutting off the guards' escape.

The guards' faces changed, and they backed away. Some were so frightened their legs went weak, and a voice trembled, "D-don't kill me! I have a seventy-year-old mother and an eighteen-year-old child to support!"

"Oh? Brother, since you have a child, let me ask you: is it a boy or a girl?"

Lin Qi crouched down and looked at the guard who had spoken, a faint smile in his eyes.

The guard froze, then blurted out instinctively, "A boy."

Lin Qi shook his head, looking regretful. "That's too bad. I like girls."

As soon as he finished speaking, the vines raced up the guards' lower legs. Sharp barbs pierced their clothing, instantly injecting Neurotoxin into their bodies.

The guards didn't even have time to scream before they fell to the ground like stiff corpses. The dull thuds echoed through the courtyard.

"Son..."

Lin Feng frowned at the unconscious guards on the ground.

He was a mercenary, and he knew the harm killing could do all too well.

The more people one killed, the more evil thoughts would grow in one's heart, until in the end one might very well become a twisted monster.

Lin Qi looked up with a sheepish grin. "Don't worry, Dad. They're just poisoned. They'll be fine after some sleep."

Hearing that, Lin Feng finally breathed a sigh of relief, his hearty smile returning.

"These guards were only following orders. Teaching them a lesson is enough. If we keep them alive, they can also testify for us that Oliver ran into the blade and died by accident. Don't you agree?"

Lin Qi's lips curved upward. "Exactly. I'll have a heart-to-heart with these guards later. I'm sure they'll tell the truth."