Let them print cards, not slay gods 96

Chapter 96: Shadows Under the Promotion Tournament

Shen Sui grumbled and hung up the phone.

“What’s wrong? Did you break up with your girlfriend?” Bu Pei leaned in, full of gossip.

“Girlfriend? Can a Fate Card’s effect heal a broken heart?” Shen Sui rolled his eyes. “I just want to curse someone out.”

When Shen Sui saw it was Wu Ziqin calling, he was overjoyed. He thought the five million yuan prize money was finally arriving.

Instead, the director of the Shanghai Exploration Bureau called to inform Shen Sui that his next promotion tournament match was scheduled for that morning, and to get to the Shanghai Dueling Arena immediately.

Damn it, this is pure torture!

They said three days, why did they schedule the tournament the very next day?

Although Shen Sui wasn’t scared—he had enough confidence in his deck—this feeling of being played wasn’t pleasant.

“You actually agreed to this?” Bu Pei felt indignant on Shen Sui’s behalf. “If it were me, I’d appeal!”

“Oh, no need.” Shen Sui coughed twice. “Director Wu said it’s a special circumstance. Something happened at the Fate Card Association, and all national promotion tournaments were brought forward. As compensation for this sudden change, after this match, I can choose any Fate Card from the Exploration Bureau’s card library.”

When Bu Pei mentioned the Exploration Bureau’s mission reward of choosing any Fate Card, Shen Sui used the computer there to check the bureau’s card library.

It had many good cards, and these were only the publicly tradable ones. Rumor had it there were many more exclusive to missions.

Bu Pei looked at Shen Sui disdainfully. Even if he wasn’t a professional player, he knew the privilege of choosing any Fate Card from the Exploration Bureau’s library was a huge deal. Shen Sui was clearly being ungrateful. “I’ll drive you there.”

“Oh, that wouldn’t be right. Don’t you have something to do at home?”

“Not anymore.” Bu Pei glanced at his phone. “I dare not go home these days.”

His old father had flown back to Shanghai overnight for some reason, and Bu Pei felt it best to lay low considering his recent exploits.

The Shanghai Dueling Arena wasn’t far from the Shanghai Exploration Bureau, and the two arrived quickly by car.

“What’s going on there?” Shen Sui looked at the surging crowd in the distance, a line of large buses parked by the roadside.

The buses seemed to have advertisements for some large warehouse-style supermarket.

“Oh, it’s probably because the potato chips are half-price at the supermarket next door.”

“???”

Seeing Shen Sui completely missed the joke, Bu Pei shrugged in boredom. “Okay, actually, it’s because of a ‘thank you’ event for the East Mountain District residents. The huge shopping mall next door is having a half-price sale on all its goods until noon today. Everyone’s rushing there.”

Shen Sui’s heart sank, but remembering his promotion tournament, he deflated.

Damn it, this is a huge loss! One Fate Card compensation isn’t enough!

It has to be two.

Shen Sui grumbled inwardly as he entered the arena.

The arena was unusually quiet today; far fewer duelists than yesterday, and the staff were sparse.

Shen Sui looked up and saw a familiar figure.

Xiao Fa.

Undoubtedly, this person was his opponent in the promotion tournament.

Xiao Fa looked up at Shen Sui, feeling like he’d seen him somewhere before.

Oh, wasn’t he a friend of that strangely dressed girl from yesterday?

Humph!

So he was Shen Sui.

Xiao Fa immediately displayed a disdainful expression. An orphan, without any family background, daring to be named alongside Xin Nascent Soulxue? He clearly didn’t know his place.

To have him fall into my hands today… I’ll give him a reality check, make him understand the vast chasm between us!

With that, a smug smile curled Xiao Fa’s lips.

If he utterly crushed this guy in a duel, he could become famous online tomorrow—much better publicity than the Feng Lintuo incident.

Shen Sui was unaware of Xiao Fa’s thoughts, but his smug demeanor was incredibly irritating.

Coupled with Xin Yuan Tan Chun’s description of this guy’s past misdeeds…

Yes, this needs correcting.

As he pondered, Shen Sui’s eyes fell on a young woman nearby.

She was a vacant-looking girl, beautiful but with lifeless eyes, staring blankly at the entrance.

Shen Sui recognized her.

Yang Liguang, a Seventh Rank Fate Card Master, recent winner of the Silver Moon Unlimited Cup, but she wasn’t displaying the arrogant demeanor from the competition.

Suddenly, a woman behind her patted Yang Liguang’s shoulder.

Yang Liguang reacted, looking at Shen Sui in a panic. Her hands fluttered nervously, her gaze darting away, avoiding eye contact. Her head instinctively lowered towards her feet, like a socially anxious child encountering a stranger.

The woman behind her frowned, her hand tightening on Yang Liguang’s shoulder.

Fear flickered in Yang Liguang’s eyes; she quickly raised her head, her panicked expression replaced by a cold, superior look that ignored Shen Sui.

Shen Sui looked at the woman behind Yang Liguang.

The woman smiled at him, appearing gentle and kind.

Shen Sui recalled something Xin Yuan Tan Chun had once said:

“What dueling families? They’re nothing but a family-run entertainment company that promotes celebrities.”

******

In a cheap apartment in Shanghai, a group of people in uniform were busy at work.

Wu Ziqin hung up the phone, staring at the computer screen.

It was a paused video, clearly showing Shen Sui’s face.

The video was from Shen Sui’s confirmed duel with Feng Lintuo. Another open webpage showed a Shanghai duel examiner publicly calling Feng Lintuo trash.

He turned to face his subordinates.

A large man’s corpse was impaled on the wall in a bizarre position. Next to him was a clipping of Yang Liguang’s Silver Moon Unlimited Cup victory.

His killer was decisive and ruthless, subjecting the man to cruel torture before slitting his throat and stabbing him fatally.

The victim was Chai Dashen, Feng Lintuo’s former coach.

“Let’s assign tasks, execute immediately,” Wu Ziqin took a deep breath and quickly instructed his subordinates.

“First, release news of the advanced national promotion tournament nationwide, online and on television, using Shen Sui’s match as an example. Clearly state that Xiao Fa is Shen Sui’s opponent, and Yang Liguang is the honorary referee.”

“Second, expedite the evacuation. Clear the Dueling Arena of civilians before noon, replacing all staff with Exploration Bureau personnel. If the suspect appears, arrest them at all costs.”

“Third, get Dean Bu here. Director Zhang has agreed; he can test the compulsory duel module during this incident.”

(End of Chapter)

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter