Chapter Summaries

Alicia finished training and offered Lin Qi a choice between fifty thousand Ka'en and materials to advance the Wind Chime Cat. Lin Qi chose the money, disappointing Alicia and Xiao Lan.

• Alicia defeated the middle-aged Card Master during a training match with her Skylark.
• Lin Qi showed Alicia the large piece of Pink Fluorite he had found, and she praised its quality.
• Alicia offered Lin Qi either fifty thousand Ka'en or materials to advance the Wind Chime Cat from two stars to three.
• After considering the Wind Chime Cat's bond with his father and its affectionate nature, Lin Qi chose the Ka'en.
• Alicia judged Lin Qi to be shortsighted and told Xiao Lan to take him to collect the money.

Lin Qi used the money from the city lord’s residence to plan the Wind Chime Cat’s future advancement, then helped Lin Feng sell his handmade Mercenary’s Sabers by presenting him as a veteran mercenary who had learned card making for his comrades. The crowd embraced Lin Feng’s story and placed orders, while Lin Qi hoped their support would weaken the influence of the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion and the city lord’s residence.

• Lin Qi collected a 50,000-Ka'en card and decided to keep the Wind Chime Cat as his permanent Secondary Card rather than use the offered advancement materials.
• Lin Qi found Lin Feng attracting customers to the Wonderful Tales Shop with a sale on Mercenary’s Sabers.
• A customer tested a Mercenary’s Saber by chopping through wood cleanly, and other mercenaries confirmed that the blades were sharper than those from the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion.
• Lin Qi stopped Lin Feng from selling the entire stock to the Wild Wolf Mercenary Corps and offered custom orders for bulk purchases.
• Lin Qi and Ruilian presented Lin Feng as a former mercenary who had secretly studied card making to help his comrades, prompting the crowd to praise him and buy sabers at 190 Ka'en each.
• Lin Qi hoped the mercenaries’ support for Lin Feng would ease pressure from the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion and the city lord’s residence.

Lin Qi capitalized on his card shop’s success by making a major purchase at the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion, where Fiona recognized him as a valuable customer and ensured Kane served him. He bought 80,000 Ka’en worth of cards, secured a promise of more skeleton cards next month, and left Kane on the verge of promotion while Fiona wondered about his plans.

• Lin Qi calculated that his shop’s card sales had earned far more than its usual monthly income and told Lin Feng they should shift the shop’s focus toward selling cards.
• Lin Qi went to the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion and insisted that Kane, rather than steward Lyd, handle his purchases; manager Fiona backed his request.
• Lin Qi learned that the pavilion had few skeleton Summoning Cards because they sold poorly, but Kane said headquarters would transfer more next month.
• Lin Qi ordered several skeleton Summoning Cards and hundreds of dust-star Implement Cards for 80,000 Ka’en, then asked Kane to notify him when more skeleton cards arrived.
• Kane’s sales reached the 100,000 Ka’en promotion threshold, and Fiona congratulated him and authorized him to choose a green-quality card.
• Fiona considered why Lin Qi was buying so many basic and skeleton cards, then decided to focus on the revenue he brought the pavilion.

Lin Qi was ambushed by Lei De while returning from the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion, and the man injured the Wind Chime Cat before escaping. Lin Qi and Lin Feng decided to postpone confronting Lei De until they could improve Lin Feng’s cards and strength.

• Lin Qi noticed someone spying on him near the Wonderful Tales Shop and sent the Wind Chime Cat across the rooftops to investigate.
• The Wind Chime Cat startled a man in a black shirt, who kicked it and escaped down an alley.
• Lin Qi recognized the attacker as Lei De and carried the injured Wind Chime Cat home, vowing to strengthen it and seek revenge.
• Lin Feng tried to rush out and kill Lei De, but Lin Qi stopped him and explained that his current cards could not defeat the Five-Star Card Master.
• Lin Feng accepted Lin Qi’s plan to improve his Secondary Cards before confronting Lei De and helped treat the Wind Chime Cat.

Lin Qi used his Rule Card to fuse cards into a powerful blue three-star skill for Lin Feng and a near-blue green summoning card for himself. Seeing a chance to profit and boost Lin Feng’s reputation, he began fusing materials for a blue Implement Card.

• Lin Qi took Lin Feng’s four Secondary Cards and asked him to care for the injured Wind Chime Cat while he worked upstairs.
• Lin Qi fused basic Skill Cards into ten two-star green cards, then combined them with Facing-the-Wind Single Saber Slash to create the blue three-star Wind-Chasing Triple Slash.
• Lin Qi fused his Sword-Wielding Skeleton with four related cards, creating the green Hero’s Remains, which could evolve into a king if he found a Hero’s Heart.
• Lin Qi calculated that he could turn Dust Star iron sword cards into a valuable blue Implement Card and decided to create one to make money and strengthen Lin Feng’s reputation.
• Lin Qi began fusing the materials for the three-star blue Implement Card.

Lin Feng opened the Wonderful Tales Shop with a stock of cards Lin Qi had made, including rare three-star blue cards, while Lin Qi slept off his exhaustion. The crowd bought and tested the new two-star Mercenary's Greatswords, and the shop’s last one sold at a higher price than the first.

• Lin Qi told Lin Feng to keep eight Exploding Fireball cards and one each of the Boots of Stealth and Magic-Resistance Breastplate, then fell asleep from exhaustion.
• Lin Feng showed the waiting crowd two Mercenary's Greatswords and twenty Scout's Short Blades, prompting a rush of interest.
• Flande bought a green-quality, two-star Mercenary's Greatsword for 2,100 Ka'en and demonstrated its strength by cutting another mercenary's sword in two.
• The injured mercenary bought the remaining Mercenary's Greatsword, and Ruilian charged him 2,300 Ka'en while claiming the first sale had been a special price.

Lin Feng revealed that Wonderful Tales would sell three three-star blue-quality Implement Cards, drawing attention from Stone Iron City’s mercenary groups and authorities. Alicia learned that Lin Qi’s father was the seller and decided not to pursue the matter for now.

• After the two-star Implement Cards sold out, Lin Feng announced that he had three blue-quality Implement Cards and showed one to the crowd.
• Lin Feng’s Four-Star Card Master aura stopped mercenaries from making a move, and he directed buyers to line up for Scout’s Short Blades while postponing the blue cards’ sale until the afternoon.
• Most mercenaries rushed to tell their commanders about the blue cards, and Lin Feng sold out of the Scout’s Short Blades before closing Wonderful Tales to prepare for the auction.
• Xiao Lan told Alicia that Lin Feng was selling three blue-quality Implement Cards, and Alicia was surprised to learn that he was believed to be a card maker.
• Alicia decided not to inform the city lord or investigate, reasoning that the cards were merely Implement Cards and that her father was away.

Fiona learned that Lin Feng had sold three blue-quality cards and suspected he was a card maker, so the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion ordered more cards from him. After waking from a day-long sleep, Lin Qi recognized the order as a test of Lin Feng’s abilities and planned to use the pavilion’s interest to secure more card-making materials.

• Lyd told Fiona that three blue-quality cards had appeared at the Wonderful Tales Shop and that mercenary corps were gathering for the sale.
• Fiona compared a Mercenary's Saber from the Wonderful Tales Shop with one from her pavilion and concluded that Lin Feng might be a card maker.
• Lin Qi woke after sleeping for a full day and night, then learned from Lin Feng that the cards had sold and the Phantom Longsword had fetched forty thousand Ka'en.
• Lin Feng told Lin Qi that the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion had ordered three Phantom Longswords for fifty thousand Ka'en each.
• Lin Qi said the pavilion was testing Lin Feng and advised him to prepare materials while the pavilion still wanted to recruit him.

Lin Qi visited the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion, accepted a Storage Card filled with card-making materials from Fiona, and used it to plan a profitable card business. He bought supplies and learned that the Summoning Cards he had requested would arrive in Stone Iron City within three days.

• Lin Qi entered the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion with eight two-star Exploding Fireball Magic Cards and congratulated Kane on reaching Two-Star Card Apprentice.
• Fiona gave Lin Qi a Storage Card filled with card-making materials as an apology for not sending supplies to his father, Lin Feng.
• Lin Qi discovered the Storage Card could be kept in his Card Slot Space without taking up a slot, and found it stocked with duplicates of cards he had bought before.
• Lin Qi told Kane to prepare cards and encouraged him to ask headquarters to transfer more Iron Sword Cards to Stone Iron City.
• Lin Qi bought Iron Sword Cards, Sealing Cards, and Parasitic Vine Seed Summoning Cards for fifty thousand Ka'en, and Kane told him his requested Summoning Cards would arrive within three days.

Lin Qi returned home to find Uncle Ruilian cooking while Lin Feng attempted a breakthrough to Five-Star Card Master. After fusing four Phantom Longsword cards and cultivating, Lin Qi advanced to Two-Star Card Apprentice.

• Uncle Ruilian told Lin Qi that Lin Feng had left to attempt a breakthrough and asked him to look after the shop and cook.
• Lin Qi prepared his cards and fused four three-star Phantom Longsword Implement Cards, pausing to restore his energy between fusions.
• Lin Qi cultivated with his Hero's Remains Natal Card and advanced it to two stars.
• Lin Qi broke through to Two-Star Card Apprentice and realized that repeatedly exhausting and replenishing his Source Power through card fusion had strengthened his reserves.

After advancing the Eerie Vine Demon to three stars, Lin Qi linked it as his second Secondary Card and gained increased vitality and toxin resistance. He tested its abilities and prepared to take the Wind Chime Cat for a walk.

• Lin Qi noticed that advancing the Hero's Remains had improved its abilities and strengthened his body.
• Lin Qi fused Parasitic Vine Seeds into an Entanglement Thorn, then advanced it into the three-star Eerie Vine Demon.
• Lin Qi linked the Eerie Vine Demon to his Card Slot Space and felt its plant-based vitality feedback ease his mental strain.
• Lin Qi planned a battle strategy combining the Hero's Remains, Eerie Vine Demon, and Wind Chime Cat.
• Lin Qi summoned the Eerie Vine Demon through a potted plant, tested its toxin, and realized its feedback had given him some toxin immunity.
• Lin Qi summoned the Wind Chime Cat onto his shoulder and invited it to go for a walk.

Lin Qi went to the abandoned mine to settle his score with Wang Meng, while learning that Lin Feng could not become a Grand Card Master without first advancing his Natal Card to blue quality. He found Wang Meng bloodied and carrying a hidden bundle, and stopped him from stabbing him by summoning Hero's Remains.

• Ruilian told Lin Qi that Lin Feng needed to transform his Natal Card to blue quality before reaching Grand Card Master, and warned Lin Qi to prepare for the junior Card Master academy assessment.
• Lin Qi left for the abandoned mine to confront Wang Meng over the mockery at the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion.
• Lin Qi used the Wind Chime Cat's Wind's Acuity to locate Wang Meng in an eastern mine tunnel.
• Wang Meng emerged bloodied with a bulging bundle, then charged Lin Qi with a dagger.
• Lin Qi summoned Hero's Remains, which caught Wang Meng's dagger, and mocked him for failing to realize Lin Qi had already unlocked his Card Slot Space.

Lin Qi defeated Wang Meng after discovering that Wang Meng had killed his two companions and tried to kill him to conceal it. He uncovered a crimson crystal inside the supposed rockfire stone and left the mine after killing Wang Meng.

• Wang Meng attacked Lin Qi and the Hero's Remains over the stone he had found in the mine.
• Lin Qi suspected Wang Meng had killed his two lackeys, and Wang Meng admitted they had fallen into the mine shaft before trying to kill Lin Qi.
• Wang Meng's Shadow-Devouring Fang failed to penetrate the Eerie Vine Demon's defenses, and Lin Qi bound him with its vines.
• The Hero's Remains smashed the fiery red stone and revealed a scorching crimson crystal inside.
• Lin Qi stabbed Wang Meng with his dagger, wrapped the crystal in his outer garment, and left the mine.

Lin Qi wondered what the crystal he had found was and returned to the shop, where Ruilian recognized it as Fire Crystal Ore. Ruilian revealed that the ore had once been found in Stone Iron City but had been mined out.

• Lin Qi considered asking Alicia about the crystal but decided to bring it home and ask Lin Feng instead.
• Lin Qi found the shop closed, and Ruilian explained that he was limiting card sales to keep customers eager and give Lin Feng time to rest.
• Lin Qi reflected on his wish to travel the Source Card Continent and worried that the shop could not keep selling cards if he left.
• Ruilian noticed the crystal warming his ale, recognized it as Fire Crystal Ore, and hurried Lin Qi into the shop to examine it in private.
• Ruilian told Lin Qi that Fire Crystal Ore had once been found in Stone Iron City but had been mined out.

Ruilian explained how Fire Crystal Ore had made Stone Iron City and warned Lin Qi that the valuable material could attract danger. Lin Qi decided to find a new advancement path for Lin Feng’s Wind-Breaking Saber and rushed home with materials from the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion to try his card-fusion method.

• Ruilian told Lin Qi that a merchant had bought Stone Iron City’s Fire Crystal Ore mine and become the city’s first city lord.
• Lin Qi suggested using the Fire Crystal Ore to advance Lin Feng’s Wind-Breaking Saber, and Lin Feng reluctantly agreed to try it.
• Lin Qi recognized that the plant-attribute materials Lin Feng had prepared were wrong for his wind-attribute Implement Card and told him to keep cultivating.
• Lin Qi ran to the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion and asked Kane for flame lizard leather, refined iron, black ore, a Breeze Card, and assorted Dust Star Cards.
• Lin Qi bought the cards and hurried home to try his new card-fusion method while Lin Feng held onto the Fire Crystal Ore.

Lin Qi used card fusion experiments to discover an advancement path that helped Lin Feng upgrade his Wind-Breaking Saber into a Blazing Wind Saber of blue quality. Lin Feng had not yet become a Grand Card Master, but he revealed he had ten Source Crystals to help him accumulate the necessary Source Power.

• Lin Qi fused scrap cards into new cards, including a Wind-Chasing Blade that supported his theory about combining Implement Card attributes.
• Lin Qi gave Lin Feng an advancement set made from Fire Crystal Ore, Flame Lizard Leather, and refined iron, and Lin Feng began upgrading his Natal Card.
• Lin Feng successfully advanced the Wind-Breaking Saber into a Blazing Wind Saber and demonstrated its power by splitting a boulder with a flaming wind blade.
• Lin Feng told Lin Qi that his Natal Card had reached blue quality, making his eventual breakthrough to Grand Card Master a matter of accumulating Source Power.
• Lin Feng produced ten Source Crystals he had saved for Lin Qi's future marriage, and Lin Qi, exhausted from his experiments, rested in the courtyard.

Lin Qi was accused of killing Wang Meng and two others, and Oliver’s guards confronted him and Lin Feng at their home. Lin Qi suspected Lei De had arranged the accusation and sent Ruilian to Fiona with three cards, leaving himself and his father ready to fight.

• Oliver ordered Lin Qi to stand trial for allegedly killing Wang Meng and two others at the mine, but Lin Qi questioned the report as Lin Feng defended him.
• Lin Feng revealed his Blazing Fire Saber and challenged Oliver after Oliver threatened the family and demanded Lin Feng surrender his cards and advancement materials.
• Lin Qi reasoned that Lei De had framed him to take revenge on Lin Feng and his family.
• Lin Qi gave Ruilian three Phantom Longsword cards to deliver to Fiona at the Ten Thousand Cards Pavilion, then prepared to act with Lin Feng.

Lin Qi helped Lin Feng defeat Oliver by secretly using the Eerie Vine Demon to poison and entangle him, leaving Oliver to fall onto Lin Feng’s saber. Lin Qi then subdued the guards without killing them, planning to use them as witnesses that Oliver had died by accident.

• Lin Qi reasoned that Oliver and Lei De had targeted him over the Fire Crystal Ore and decided they could not be allowed to expose his secret.
• As Lin Feng fought Oliver, Lin Qi sent the Eerie Vine Demon’s vines after Oliver and used Neurotoxin to numb him.
• Lin Feng struck Oliver through the chest with the Blazing Wind Saber, and Lin Qi used the vines to pull Oliver off the blade.
• Lin Qi spread vines around the guards and poisoned them, leaving them unconscious rather than dead.
• Lin Qi told Lin Feng that the guards could testify that Oliver had run into the blade and died by accident.

After Lin Feng killed Oliver, Lin Qi saw cards drop from the body and learned the dangers Card Masters faced, from hunting powerful Card Beasts to underground groups that stole cards. Lin Qi convinced his father that Lei De had repeatedly sabotaged their family, and Lin Feng resolved to settle the feud with him.

• Lin Qi watched Lin Feng collect four two-star green cards and a three-star green Skill Card from Oliver's body.
• Lin Feng explained that Card Apprentices risked death hunting mid-tier and high-tier Card Beasts for advancement materials.
• Lin Feng told Lin Qi about underground organizations that killed Card Masters for cards and warned him never to let enemies escape.
• Lin Qi connected Oliver's attack and earlier hardships to Lei De, arguing that Lei De would target him next if Lin Feng showed mercy.
• Lin Feng decided to find Lei De and settle the feud once and for all.

After Oliver’s death made Lin Feng’s reputation as a card maker spread through Stone Iron City, Fengye of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Corps asked Lin Qi to arrange a custom three-star Healing Card. Lin Qi agreed for a hundred thousand Ka’en and a favor, then planned to profit from the materials list while waiting for Fengye to gather them.

• Rumors about Oliver’s murder spread through Stone Iron City, and more customers flocked to the Wonderful Tales Shop, believing Lin Feng was a card maker with powerful backing.
• Fengye, deputy leader of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Corps, asked Lin Qi to speak with Lin Feng about making a three-star Holy Light Card or another card capable of treating serious injuries.
• Lin Qi said Lin Feng could make a Healing Card, and Fengye offered to gather the materials, pay a hundred thousand Ka’en, and owe Lin Feng a favor.
• After Fengye left, Lin Qi reasoned that the corps’ leader was likely badly injured and decided to pad the materials list to earn extra profit.