The Mysterious Card Maker: Starting with Zhang Jiao's Deification

In the sky, the four enormous eyes remained locked in a standoff, none of them making the first move.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

By the window, Lin Fan and Da Niu exchanged a glance, their gazes fixed on the churning, four-colored, eerie mist outside. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

"What are you doing!" A cold voice suddenly rang out from behind.

Lin Fan stiffened, and goosebumps rose on his skin.

He turned around and saw Su Wanqing standing at the door, her expression serious, her gaze fixed directly on him.

"You walk so quietly?" Lin Fan blurted out instinctively. "Don't you know you can scare someone to death?"

Da Niu, who was standing to the side, had no time to complain and quickly pointed out the window.

"Miss Su, that strange tide outside..."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Wanqing nodded, interrupting him directly, "I know."

Her tone was crisp, as if she had no intention of continuing the conversation with Da Niu. The next second, she strode forward, grabbed Lin Fan's wrist, and headed straight for the elevator.

"Come with me."

"Where to?"

The two walked to the card-making room on the third floor.

As soon as the door closed and the defense card was activated, Su Wanqing spoke, "My uncle wants you to start making the 'He Jin' card now."

Lin Fan looked up at Su Wanqing, a puzzled expression on his face, and said, "Now? Wang Bo is still at the manor, aren't you afraid he'll find out?"

Su Wanqing shook her head. "Wang Bo has been staying in his room since he came back yesterday. We have people guarding him. He is seriously injured this time."

"Besides, with four waves of strange tides descending at the same time, I can't guarantee how long the defenses here can hold out. When those strange creatures come in, even if they know the news, they probably won't survive the tide."

Lin Fan was silent for a few seconds, then looked away from Su Wanqing's face and said, "I can, but I have two conditions."

"First, give me the [Purifying Talisman] that Mr. Zhao promised now."

Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing's face showed a troubled expression.

"What? Is there a problem? With the strange tide about to arrive, you still want me to expend my mental energy to make cards. Shouldn't you show some sincerity?"

Seeing that Su Wanqing didn't intend to speak, Lin Fan added, "I guess you're in such a hurry for me to make cards because you're worried I'll die in this strange tide, and then there won't be anyone to make cards for you!"

Su Wanqing's expression tightened. She didn't refute Lin Fan's words, but subconsciously explained, "This was my uncle's idea, not mine..."

Lin Fan raised his hand to interrupt her. "No need to explain, this is very much in line with Zhao Zhong's style of doing things."

"To put it bluntly, it's just one sentence: while I'm still alive, make the card so you can do your thing. As for whether I live or die, you don't care at all."

Su Wanqing wanted to say something more, but Lin Fan didn't give her a chance to speak: "So it's not unreasonable for me to want what I deserve, is it?"

"Okay, I'll talk to my uncle and he'll definitely bring it over for you!"

"It's now. I need to see something before the card is made. Although I trust you, it doesn't mean I trust Zhao Zhong!" He looked at Su Wanqing, his eyes showing no sign of backing down.

Lin Fan dared not gamble. He didn't want to exhaust his mental energy and gain nothing. He would only feel at ease if he got his hands on the [Purifying Talisman] first.

"Okay! Are there any other requirements?"

"Secondly, during my card production period, do not allow anyone to approach the card production room."

He paused, then continued, "I don't want to be interrupted at this crucial step."

After a moment, Su Wanqing nodded, "That's all!"

"Oh, right," Lin Fan said as if he suddenly remembered something, "have Da Niu bring me some food up. I don't want to make cards on an empty stomach."

After all, it would take some time before the [Purification Talisman] arrived, so he wasn't in a hurry to start immediately. He might as well eat something to fill his stomach.

Su Wanqing nodded and quickly left.

Su Wanqing ran out quickly, and a short while later, Da Niu pushed the food cart in. The two chatted casually and quickly finished off the food on the cart, which had long since gone cold.

When the door opened again, Su Wanqing appeared in the card-making room, holding a box in her arms. Da Niu, seeing this, also tactfully left the card-making room.

"Is this what you wanted?"

Lin Fan took the box from Su Wanqing and slowly opened it, a ray of cyan light spilling out from the crack.

The [Purifying Talisman] is lying quietly inside, just like the one seen at the auction house.

Lin Fan glanced at it, confirmed that it was what he wanted, and then closed the lid with satisfaction.

"You can leave now, I need to start making cards!"

Su Wanqing did not leave immediately; she remained standing there, as if she was contemplating something.

"What's wrong? Is there something else?"

Seeing Lin Fan ask, Su Wanqing also spoke up, "My uncle said that if you fail, you have to take this [Purifying Talisman] back!"

"Okay, got it!" Lin Fan replied, pushing Su Wanqing out.

Lin Fan was the only one left in the card-making room. He walked to the card-making table, put the box aside, and then took out the [Taiping Essentials] he had obtained earlier.

After doing all this, Lin Fan took out the still-hot [Great Teacher Zhang Jiao] and placed it in the center of the table.

Lin Fan stared at the three items in front of him, his gaze gradually darkening. Originally, according to the plan, he should indeed have made 'He Jin'.

That was what Zhao Zhong wanted, and it was also the only request Su Wanqing made when she brought the [Purification Talisman], but he didn't touch it.

Lin Fan didn't even reach into his pocket for the prepared materials card.

At this moment, he knew very well that creating "He Jin" was meaningless to him and would even consume his mental energy.

This wouldn't have mattered under normal circumstances, but right now there were four Ghost Kings watching him from outside the manor.

In this situation, to waste mental energy on a card meant to "get by" just to keep one's word? That would be utterly foolish.

Lin Fan's gaze turned colder as his fingertips slowly landed on [The Great Teacher - Zhang Jiao].

His strategy was clear: first, use the [Purifying Talisman] to purify the demonic value on Zhang Jiao's card, reducing the risk of losing control, and then use the [Taiping Essentials] to fuse and advance it.

This was a step he had planned beforehand, since Zhang Jiao's current level of transformation was close to the point of being out of control, and direct fusion was the best option in this state.

At best, the card-making process will fail; at worst, the card will go out of control and cause a backlash. In that case, not only will you not improve your strength, but you might also suffer mental damage.

Lin Fan took a deep breath, picked up the [Purification Talisman] with his other hand, and slowly poured his spiritual power into it.

In an instant, pale blue lines lit up on the talisman, and a gentle purifying aura permeated the room.

Lin Fan manipulated the [Purifying Talisman] to slowly approach [Great Teacher Zhang Jiao].

But at the very moment the two made contact.

"call out"

The [Great Teacher Zhang Jiao], which had been lying quietly on the table, suddenly trembled.

The Demon King's mark on the card blinked, and the [Purification Talisman] transformed into a stream of blue light, directly disappearing into the card.

The [Purification Talisman] was forcibly integrated into it, and Lin Fan's hand, which was originally holding the talisman, froze in mid-air.

"What's going on?" After a long while, Lin Fan finally spoke, staring intently at the [Great Teacher Zhang Jiao] on the table, completely bewildered.

"What the hell... how did they eat the [Purifying Talisman]?"