Huo Shan Shou

Four years ago.

"Be smart and hand over that bun," the oldest kid in the group growled. This kid was about fourteen. His subordinates surrounded a boy of about twelve.

"No, this is the bun I saved for the next three days. If I give it to you, I'll starve to death," the twelve-year-old boy said firmly.

"Hmph, I don't care. Are you going to give it to me or not!"

"Never!"

"You guys, get him and take the bun!"

...

"Damn it, this guy fights fiercely. Run!" the fourteen-year-old kid yelled. By now, his body was covered in bruises, and he could barely walk. Hearing him shout, his subordinates also fled. They weren't really running, but rather one helping the other limp away, looking utterly miserable.

After they had all left, the twelve-year-old boy finally collapsed, falling face down on the ground. His entire body was covered in gruesome wounds, and the bun he had fought so hard to keep was now utterly crushed. He was still conscious but couldn't move.

The sky poured rain, a torrential downpour as if to wash away all the mud on his body and drown him. Suddenly, a flash of lightning tore through the pitch-black clouds, and a deafening clap of thunder pierced the eardrums, making the faint-hearted turn pale.

The street in this area was deserted, and it was raining. It was a long time before a hovercar glided past, but most either didn't see the boy or pretended not to.

Suddenly, a hovercar that had zipped ten meters past stopped, its door opened, and a little girl ran out.

"Jin Xuan, where are you going? It's raining!" her mother called out anxiously.

The girl seemed not to hear, running to the boy.

Looking at the wet, crushed bun in the boy's hand, she thought for a moment, then placed the box of cakes she was holding beside him, hesitated a little, and returned to the car.

"Jin... Xuan..." the boy uttered with difficulty.

...

Images flashed through Tung Lin's mind like a film reel. He remembered that day vividly; that box of cakes had helped him survive until he sold his first bottle of Card Ink. Although he only knew the name of the girl who helped him, he later learned, after hearing her name at the academy and meeting her, that she was Li Jin Xuan.

"What's wrong, got your eye on a girl over there?" Seeing Tung Lin's reaction, Chen Ling knew exactly what his friend was thinking.

"No... no way," Tung Lin blushed.

"Hehe, tell me, which girl? I'll give you tips to win her over," Chen Ling coaxed.

"Really..." Tung Lin's eyes lit up.

But just then, another group of people entered.

"Brother Cao, this is indeed the place."

"Excellent, I'll reward you tomorrow."

The group of young men entered the restaurant and headed straight for Li Jin Xuan's table.

"Jin Xuan, why didn't you say you were going out to eat? I would have taken you to a fancy restaurant. Why bother with this shabby place?" the leading young man said with a laugh. He was about twenty, with blond hair and bulging, powerful muscles. On his chest, half of a scorpion tattoo was visible.

Li Jin Xuan's group showed signs of disgust.

"Cao Jian, where we eat is our business. You don't need to comment," Hasara said irritably.

"Oh, I was talking to Jin Xuan, not you. Why so hot-headed?"

"You...!"

"Hehe, don't get angry. If you want, this young master can 'take care' of you too, alright?" Cao Jian said playfully.

"You're going too far," the red-haired man said in a deep voice.

"Rion, this isn't your business. Remember, a Card Crafter like you can't beat a Card Cultivator like me. And don't even think about Li Jin Xuan, or else..." Cao Jian growled.

"Alright, alright, can you all give Hidan some face? Since you're here, sit down. My treat today," the middle-aged man, who had been listening, saw the situation escalating and said with a smile.

"Ah, greetings Professor Hidan. So you were here all this time, I didn't see you, my apologies. I heard you were just promoted to Vice Dean, so in a few years, you might be able to push old Zhang Luo Qi down."

"You...!" Hidan trembled with anger, his beard shaking. Zhang Luo Qi was the esteemed Dean; what he said was clearly an insult to both him and the academy. "Hmph, don't think I'm afraid of your two brothers. If you go too far, I won't hesitate to teach you a lesson."

"What will you use to teach me? Even if you're a Five-Star Card Crafter, at most, I can't beat you, but you can't do anything to me either."

"Hmph, whether I can or not, we'll see," Hidan angrily slammed the table and stood up. "Huo Shan Shou Cao Jian, today I want to see how formidable you truly are!"

"Hehe, if you insist," Cao Jian chuckled, pressing the button to activate his Du Yi.

Suddenly, both his arms glowed red, radiating intense heat. His hands were engulfed in flames as if soaked in gasoline.

"Cao Jian, if you don't leave here in ten seconds, don't blame me," Li Jin Xuan finally spoke.

"Finally, you speak. Your voice is truly pleasant to hear," Cao Jian's eyes lit up. "How about it, will you go to the restaurant with me?"

"One... two... three..." Li Jin Xuan counted coldly.

"I'm serious, come with me..." Cao Jian pleaded, but when he saw Li Jin Xuan press the Du Yi button, he immediately fell silent. His face turned cold, and he turned to beckon his subordinates. "Let's go!"

It wasn't that he didn't want to stay, but Li Jin Xuan had personally crafted a very powerful Four-Star Card that didn't require the strong control of a Card Cultivator. Although he was a Four-Star Card Cultivator, he wasn't sure he could leave unscathed. It could be said that the person with the strongest explosive power here was neither the Five-Star Card Crafter Hidan nor himself, but Li Jin Xuan.