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

In the office of the vice president at the Qin Group headquarters building.

"What? Mu Yao is being haunted by something strange..."

Qin Chuan's voice was very low in the office, and his hand, which was signing, unconsciously tightened its grip.

"How is he...?"

He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh of relief. "Everyone's alright, that's good!"

Qin Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed, as if he had thought of something. "Dad, do you think it could be the strange tide from last time...?"

"Did the mark of the vanished Demon King end up on that girl?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Qin Chuan glanced unconsciously at the door, as if to make sure it was closed properly.

"Dad, do you think we should talk to my older brother about this? He's abroad, and we don't know when he'll be back." His voice lowered even further.

He paused, then added, "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Qin Chuan placed it on the table and stared blankly for a moment.

"The Mark of the Demon King..." he repeated softly, his voice trembling slightly, without him even realizing it. "If it really is that thing, then we're in big trouble."

Meanwhile, Lin Fan was sitting at his workstation, scrolling through his phone. Zhou Chen, who was sitting next to him, had disappeared today, leaving behind only a half-eaten steamed bun.

Lin Fan swiped his finger across the screen, and his phone automatically switched to local news. He was about to switch away when he saw the prominent "Fenglinwan Community" on the screen, and his finger stopped.

[A large-scale "collective dream" occurred in the Fenglinwan residential area of ​​this city in the early hours of this morning]

[Currently, thirteen elderly residents of this community have died in their sleep, with the times of death being highly concentrated. Preliminary investigations by the Truck Drivers Association and the police suggest the cause of death may be related to the "Emperor's Dream" incident...]

Lin Fan stared at the screen, reading each word carefully. When he saw the picture of the neighborhood filled with ambulances, he felt a little dazed.

The threshold is mysterious, doesn't mean that thing isn't strong?

Not strong? But the dreams she creates can kill!

But then he suddenly remembered something: he had also had a dream, Qin Muyao had a dream last night, Uncle Wang had a dream, and the people in the neighborhood probably had dreams too, but why were all the dead elderly people?

"Is it because their mental strength is weaker, making them easier to control?" he muttered to himself, looking down at himself.

"What's easy to control?" A voice came from the side, startling Lin Fan.

Zhou Chen had returned sometime earlier and was peering at his phone screen.

"Brother Fan, isn't this where you got off yesterday? Something happened, didn't it?" Zhou Chen plopped back into his chair and picked up the half-eaten bun.

"I heard that this kind of 'collective dream' is not the first time. A similar thing happened in a community in the east of the city three months ago, where everyone was having a dream together."

Lin Fan looked up at him: "And then?"

"Nothing serious happened that time. After an investigation, it was concluded that the cult members had used their minds to bewitch them. They called in an exorcist to set up a ritual in that neighborhood, and that was the end of it."

Zhou Chen then leaned closer and whispered, "But my friends in the Card Association said that some kind of strange thing happened, causing them to fall into the same dream. Otherwise, what a coincidence, right?"

"I think so too. What cult uses dreams to bewitch people? They just forget everything once they wake up!" Lin Fan said.

"Yes, my friend from the Card Association said that the strange appearance of that dream there this time should not be a coincidence."

"Not a coincidence?"

"Yeah, recently, no, to be precise, since the end of the eerie tide, strange things have been gathering in your neighborhood from time to time!"

"Did your friend say that too?"

"Yeah, there are always strange things happening in your neighborhood. The card association goes there every few days."

Lin Fan looked at him: "What else did your friend say?"

"And you also said..." Zhou Chen thought for a moment, "In other neighborhoods, the strange things come and go, but in your neighborhood, it's like they've taken root and can't be driven away. It's more like they're looking for something."

Lin Fan's heart sank inexplicably, and an inexplicable sense of unease suddenly arose. What was he looking for? What could he possibly be looking for in this old neighborhood?

Zhou Chen leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and said, "Anyway, be careful tonight. That neighborhood isn't very safe right now. If all else fails, you can stay at my place. Just pay whatever rent you want."

Lin Fan was still sorting out his thoughts and didn't hear what Zhou Chen was saying at all.

Zhou Chen took a key out of his pocket and placed it in front of Lin Fan, who then came to his senses.

"What are you doing?"

"It's not safe where you are. Come stay at my place. Anyway, I can't get my rent back, so it's a waste if no one lives there."

Lin Fan glanced at him, then at the keys on the table, but ultimately didn't reach for them. "If you don't live there, where do you live?"

"My girlfriend is here," Zhou Chen chuckled, a hint of smugness on his face, "but in a few days she'll be my wife."

As he spoke, he took out a red invitation from his bag on the table and slapped it in front of Lin Fan. The "囍" character on the cover was dazzling.

"Next Saturday, Dunsley, don't tell me you're busy." Zhou Chen pushed the invitation towards Lin Fan, then approached Lin Fan with a smug look on his face, saying with a hint of smugness.

"I was originally planning to tell you next week because you're still single and I didn't want to upset you, but since we've come this far, I'll just give it to you now."

Lin Fan looked down at the invitation, picked it up, and opened the cover.

Inside, the names of Zhou Chen and a girl were neatly written, the date was next Saturday, and the location was the Dunlshi Hotel in Jiang City.

"Well, you're something else." Lin Fan closed the invitation, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "Getting married so quietly?"

"Of course." Zhou Chen leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head, his face full of undisguised smugness. "My wife said we should settle things as soon as possible, so I don't have to run around everywhere."

Lin Fan put the invitation into his pocket and patted it: "Okay, I'll definitely be there. You don't need the key, I'm staying at a pretty good place."

Zhou Chen glanced at him, didn't ask any further questions, and simply nodded: "Then be careful. If you need anything, contact me, and I'll rent it to you at a discount!"

Lin Fan casually responded. For some reason, his right eyelid had been twitching non-stop ever since he received the invitation. Left eyelid twitching means good fortune, right eyelid twitching means bad luck. He touched the invitation in his pocket.

Next Saturday is eight days away. What else could possibly happen if we talk about a wedding?

Just as Lin Fan was thinking, his phone on the table rang. He glanced at it and saw the name "Qin Muyao" on the screen.

"Feed?"

As soon as the call connected, Qin Muyao said, "Lin Fan, they say I've been marked by the Demon King's Mark!"