With Lia gone, the small shop naturally couldn’t stay open. That same day, they sold the storefront to an unknown buyer.

The stash of gold coins they’d saved was more than enough to live comfortably in the town for thirty years. Su Hong and Lia’s grandfather simply returned to their mansion.

Without Lia by his side, Su Hong always felt something missing—a faint trace of longing occasionally welling up in his heart.

But melancholy was never Su Hong’s main theme. This? Nothing. Before meeting Lia, the loneliness had been dozens of times more suffocating.

At least now, the world wasn’t pure despair. He wasn’t alone. And reunion with Lia was near. What mattered now? Building his combat strength.

Each day, Su Hong practiced agile footwork or honed his Spirit Card crafting. He even added deliberate “anti-piracy camouflage” to his cards—ugliness was the point.

Peaceful? Seemingly. But trouble arrived fast.

Blank Spirit Cards were nearly depleted. Standard ink from ordinary materials no longer satisfied his exploration.

Asking Lia’s grandfather for funds was easy—but Su Hong preferred a practical solution.

Being a Spirit Glyphsmith was a livelihood. Selling Spirit Cards? Only natural.

He acted immediately: grabbed a random Weapon Spirit Card, gave a quick nod, and headed out.

Only two notable trading houses existed in town. Chris Guild? Forget it. The pirated *Magical Girl Monkey Burn* incident had shattered Su Hong’s trust completely.

So he went to the other one.

Above the entrance, a Spirit Card-themed signboard shimmered—a dazzling meteor shower streaked across. The five largest meteors landed upfront, coalescing into the name: *Favna Trading House*.

The wide-open doors weren’t as lavish as Chris Guild’s, but far from shabby.

Stepping inside, Su Hong froze. Nothing like he’d imagined—a hybrid of shopping mall and bank.

Counters lined the near area. Corridors branched ahead. Deeper in, shops sold all sorts of goods.

Here to sell, he headed straight for the counters.

The appointment desk buzzed with people. The ticket line nearly reached the door. Thankfully, the appraisal and acquisition counter stood empty.

“What’s with the ticket counter?” Su Hong muttered.

Curious but unbothered, he walked to the acquisition counter.

The woman behind it smiled warmly. “May I help you? Appraisal or sale?”

“Hmm, could you check this Spirit Card’s value? It’s a bow-type. I’m confident in its performance,” Su Hong said.

Her face lit up instantly. “Wonderful! Thank you for choosing us!”

*Oh? Such enthusiasm… Favna Trading House isn’t bad,* Su Hong mused.

He handed over the card.

Her delighted expression froze. Voice trembling, almost pleading:

“Sir… do you have a better card? Not entry-level… And these patterns—so messy. Can it even work?”

Su Hong gave a puzzled glance and shook his head.

“I can’t craft advanced cards yet. But this one works. Test it.”

With a pained, tearful smile, she pushed it back.

“I’m sorry, sir. Please practice a few more years. Entry-level cards are plain enough—but with patterns this ugly? No one will buy it…”

Just as Su Hong reached for the card with a sigh, a uniformed man rushed over, anxious.

“How’s it going? Any auction items secured?”

Su Hong stepped aside politely.

The woman’s face crumpled. “No… I tried my best.”

“What good is effort without results?!” the man snapped. “Chris Guild landed a big patron—Stellar-grade Spirit Cards flying off shelves! We can’t even gather ten items for the auction. Embarrassing?! The auction starts soon—how do I face the guild master?!”

He stomped in frustration. The woman stayed silent, tears glistening.

After two steps, he spotted the card.

“What’s this? Why’s it so ugly?”

She shot a frantic glance toward Su Hong—*the creator’s right here!*

He missed it. “What’s wrong? Face cramping?”

Su Hong rubbed his nose, barely hiding a smile.

He didn’t mind “ugly.” That was the anti-piracy camouflage. *Ugly = working.*

The man snatched the card. “This’ll do. Entry-level, yes—but this ugliness? Might hook a curious buyer. What is it?”

The woman gave up defending it. “Bow-type Weapon Spirit Card. Rumored decent performance. Not appraised yet.”

“No time!” He bolted toward the hall’s depths, card in hand. “You keep working!”

Su Hong stepped forward, stunned. “Wait—does this count as sold?”

“Well… entry-level Weapon Spirit Cards go for ~15 gold. Unappraised, I can’t set a price. How about: if it sells, you get 80% of proceeds. If not, you take it back.”

Su Hong sighed helplessly. The woman bowed deeply, voice cracking.

“I know it likely won’t sell… but please, help me.”

Su Hong wasn’t rushed. She’d just been scolded to tears. Wasting time? Fine.

He gave a casual nod. Her eyes welled with grateful tears. “I’ll show you to the lounge. Wait there—I’ll return the card after the auction,” she said, hurrying to lead the way.

Su Hong pinched the bridge of his nose, mildly annoyed.

*She’s already decided it won’t sell… before the auction even starts? Seriously?*