“Xiao Qian, how about this? I’ll go over there myself. You just stay home and focus on preparing for the competition.” 

Bai Yao finally calmed down. 

Although Bai Yu had said some shocking things, Bai Yao knew her sister well enough. That woman spoiled her son to the heavens—even a small scrape would make her panic. So the situation probably wasn’t as bad as it sounded. If it were truly serious, with Bai Yu’s personality, she’d have already shown up at their doorstep. 

More importantly, Bai Yao believes her daughter wouldn’t do anything disgraceful, so she doesn’t believe what Bai Yu said.  

Still, ignoring it completely wasn’t a good idea either. So Bai Yao decided to check it out herself. 

“It’s fine. My transaction with him was entirely legal and transparent. The card crafting and delivery process was all documented, and everything is clearly stated in the contract. He brought this on himself—it has nothing to do with us.” 

Su Liqian wanted Bai Yao to stop worrying, so she even pulled out the contract for her to see. 

Bai Yao had been a card master herself, so she understood the risks of using unfamiliar cards. After reading the contract, everything made sense. 

“Sigh… but your aunt’s not the type to let things go easily. I just hope Hao Lin’s okay.” 

Bai Yao was soft-hearted in the end. She didn’t want things to spiral any further, especially with her daughter’s competition coming up. If she’d known it would turn into such a mess, she would’ve said no to that dinner invitation in the first place. 

Since they were still technically relatives, Su Liqian didn’t want things to get ugly either. In the end, she went with Bai Yao to the hospital. 

By the time they arrived, Hao Lin was already awake. The moment he saw her, he frowned and snapped, “Is there something wrong with the card you gave me?” 

Su Liqian: “…” 

Yep, they’re definitely mother and son. They have the same weird logic.

“No, there’s nothing wrong.” 

“Nothing wrong? Then why did using it mess up my spiritual strength? It’s just a B-level card! There’s no way that should’ve happened!” 

Hao Lin couldn’t accept it. 

Sure, he knew using a card from an unfamiliar Illusion World without a proper mental framework could lead to instability. But this was just a lower-level card from a regular Illusion World. With his talent, how could something go wrong? 

No, there had to be something wrong with it. 

“Didn’t you already send the card in for testing?” 

Su Liqian’s calm tone actually cooled Hao Lin’s temper a bit. But he wasn’t about to just drop it—he thought this was a big deal. 

“Xiao Qian, your cousin’s always treated you pretty well, hasn’t he? And we paid for that card. How can you act like this?” 

Bai Yu, standing nearby, pouted and looked at Su Liqian with disapproval. 

“If you’re experimenting with cards, you should know not to use one from an unfamiliar Illusion World without understanding it first. I told you yesterday—it’s not my fault you didn’t listen. Isn’t it a little late to start blaming me now?” 

“You—” 

Hao Lin raised a finger to argue, but Su Liqian cut him off. 

“I also told you that Journey to the West isn’t some run-of-the-mill Illusion World. I only gave you that original card at a low price because we’re family. And now, instead of being grateful, you’re blaming me? Did I not warn you? Should a card master really need someone to repeat basic safety info to them?” 

“If you want to take risks to win a match, fine. But if you can’t handle the consequences, maybe you’re better off dropping out now.” 

Hao Lin was left speechless. 

And Su Liqian wasn’t just talking to them. She was also speaking loud enough for the onlookers nearby. 

Just like that, the situation flipped. Everyone who’d been listening to Bai Yu’s complaints earlier suddenly realized the truth—it wasn’t the cousin who was scheming; it was the whole family acting shamelessly.

Even little kids just starting elementary school know you shouldn’t use a card from an unknown Illusion World without understanding it! She helps him out, and he bites back? Unbelievable! 

Some onlookers even picked up on the mention of Journey to the West and stared wide-eyed at the girl standing there, quickly spreading the gossip online. 

What Su Liqian didn’t know was that she had unintentionally triggered another round of online discussion. 

[You guys won’t believe this! I thought getting hospitalized today after a fall was bad luck, but turns out I just ran into my idol AND got some major tea!] 

The post even included a blurry photo—with none other than Su Liqian, the rising Dream Caster of the Sixth Star District. 

1L: ??? Is that Su Liqian? What’s she doing at the hospital? 

2L: Spill the tea already! 

3L: I don’t care about the drama. I wanna see her cards! 

4L: WHERE IS OP? The suspense is killing me! 

5L: I’m here! Just got done gossiping with some folks nearby. Big news—turns out a contestant from the Fifth Star District is Su Liqian’s cousin. He begged her for a Journey to the West card for his competition, and she gave him one at a huge discount because they’re family. Then he used it without proper preparation and passed out from spiritual backlash. Now he’s blaming her?? Like brother… YOU messed up. Dude even has some reputation, but apparently no common sense. Trying to say my idol tampered with the card… sigh. 

That post blew up instantly. Replies started pouring in: 

6L: ??? 

7L: ??? 

8L: What kind of delusional cousin… 

9L: What kind of Card Master doesn’t know not to use unknown cards? Think he’s some kind of genius or something? 

10L: Name drop the Fifth Star District contestant please. 

11L: Forget him—I can’t believe God Su gave a Journey to the West card! I’d buy it full price, even if I can’t use it yet. Just to collect it! 

12L: If someone gave ME an original card, I’d treat them like royalty. This cousin doesn’t deserve her. 

13L: That’s a Su Liqian card! And it’s Journey to the West! Can we get a simulator please?! 

14L: Does he even realize how valuable a never-before-seen original card is? That kind of card is priceless! 

15L: OP, if you’re still there, can you shout at that shameless cousin for me? 

16L: From the clues, I think the cousin is Hao Lin. I saw him at the competition today. 

17L: Just looked at his record.. Let’s be real, even WITH the card, he probably would’ve lost. 

18L: I know this guy. Same school. Always acts superior because he has a bit of talent. Total hothead. 

19L: He already lost once. Did he really think he was gonna make it to the Star Realm Tournament? What a joke. 

20L: Imagine borrowing your cousin’s card and still screwing it up. Embarrassing. 

21L: … 

Meanwhile, sitting on the hospital bed, Hao Lin and Bai Yu still had no idea how bad things had gotten online. They thought they were in the right and even tried to use the crowd to pressure Su Liqian and Bai Yao. 

What they didn’t realize was… the tide had already turned against them. 

But there’s no way Hao Lin would just give up like that. He didn’t just lose face because of that card—he also lost a super important match! 

And the thing is, he had already lost one match before. If he lost this one too, it basically meant he had no shot at the Star Realm Tournament. 

How could he swallow this injustice? 

He was supposed to be one of the people with a real shot at making it in! If he’d made it to the Star Realm Tournament, everything would’ve changed for him. He worked so hard for this, and now he was finally this close to getting in! 

But now, Su Liqian had blocked his path to success, and of course he was furious. 

Instead of thinking about how tough his opponent actually was in this match, Hao Lin just decided to blame everything on Su Liqian. 

“It was your card that made me pass out during the match! If it hadn’t been for that, I totally could’ve won!”

“Exactly! Hao Lin had a real chance at making it to the Star Realm Tournament this year. Who would’ve thought something like this would happen?“ 

Bai Yu looked devastated, like she was so sure her son was going to qualify. 

Su Liqian was watching the drama unfold with a cold expression. She was about to speak when someone beat her to it. 

“Sister, Hao Lin already lost one match before this. Don’t twist the facts just to blame my daughter for him not qualifying for the Star Realm Tournament.” 

Su Liqian had rarely seen Bai Yao this angry. Her tone was cold, and even Bai Yu was stunned. 

“W-What do you mean? So what if he lost one?” 

Bai Yu was caught off guard—her usually soft-spoken little sister suddenly changed. 

“Everyone here participated in the card competition. The probability of advancing to the Star Realm after losing one match is very low, as everyone knows. Also, it was Hao Lin who insisted on using Xiao Qian’s card to face today’s opponent. Xiao Qian had already tried to dissuade him, but he insisted. And by the way, I have the contract we just signed yesterday. Would you like to see it?” 

Bai Yao stepped out from the crowd, firmly standing up for her daughter. 

This whole mess wasn’t their fault. Why should her daughter take the blame? 

Even if Bai Yao was gentle by nature, there’s no way she’d let anyone bully her daughter right in front of her. 

“Exactly! If you’re not as skilled, don’t blame others!” 

“Shameless! You have to bear the risks of the things you do!” 

“Having relatives like this is really frustrating!” 

At that moment, the onlookers all jumped in, playing their part just as expected. 

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