Chapter 185: 185 Can the Black Tortoise still be saved?_1
"Has he lost his mind?"
"Even if the comic is fake, it doesn’t affect Country Beiwu. Why are you, a world-famous Spirit Card Master, in such a rush?"
"First targeting an A-Level Spirit Card Master, and now Yunxia. Given your status, your behavior is truly unsightly."
"I thought you had so much influence, but it turns out Wen Jiang hasn’t been affected at all. That’s hilarious."
"An A-Level Spirit Card Master isn’t even bothering with you. Aren’t you bored of making a scene all by yourself?"
Indeed, this Spirit Card Master from Country Beiwu originally had a significant number of fans. However, it turned out that the Yunxia People weren’t buying his act; most of them were ridiculing him instead. Even if the comic was fake, that was Yunxia’s business. What did it have to do with an outsider like him? The more anxious he became, the more people suspected the comic might actually be true.
Moreover, the comic didn’t just depict Bai Ze and Bi Fang; Kun was also featured, along with other Divine Beasts. If another Divine Beast Card could be created, wouldn’t that prove the comic’s veracity?
The one most shaken by this was likely the Card Maker who created the Snake Tortoise Card.
"Gong Shu, Gong Shu."
In a small border town, someone hurried into a quaint courtyard on the outskirts. Nestled in a beautifully scenic environment, no one knew an S Rank Spirit Card Master resided here.
The person who entered was a middle-aged man. He seemed to have rushed over from somewhere; despite the harsh winter, a layer of fine sweat beaded his forehead. He wiped it away and, upon entering the yard, saw a man leisurely painting under a Chinese parasol tree. This man was older but had aged well, possessing an air of scholarly elegance.
"Why weren’t you answering your phone again? You didn’t even turn on the Butler’s notifications?" The newcomer, seeing the other’s relaxed demeanor, couldn’t help but flare up. "Do you have any idea what’s happening outside?"
Gong Shu spoke leisurely, "A busy man like you, what brings you all the way here to find me?"
"If I could have reached you, do you think I would have flown all the way from the Imperial City in the middle of the night?" The manager from the Mountain Ghost Association looked at Gong Shu irritably. "Can you please keep your communication methods active next time?" This Gong Shu was always extremely difficult to contact whenever anything important arose.
Gong Shu set down his paintbrush. "If you’re not stating your business, it seems it’s not urgent enough."
Manager Che Qiuping glared at him, then quickly revealed the critical news, "The Snake Tortoise might be saved!"
Gong Shu paused. Then, he slowly put down the paintbrush again. "Have you discovered the secret behind its downgrading?"
Gong Shu was the creator of the Snake Tortoise Card. He had crafted this card, which should have earned him a place in history, but it was later plagued by a mysterious downgrading issue. Unable to understand the problem, he had grown disheartened, taken a leave of absence from the Mountain Ghost Association, and retreated to this small border town to dedicate himself to research. Over the years, he had made many cards, but creating another like the Snake Tortoise proved exceedingly difficult.
"You really haven’t been following the recent news!" Che Qiuping knew Gong Shu was quite an oddity. Gong Shu barely cared about the Empire’s social news and paid no attention at all to the major event that had recently caused such an uproar. If he paid any attention, how could he not know that the Snake Tortoise—oh no, perhaps the Black Tortoise—has already emerged?
Che Qiuping stopped beating around the bush. He took out his cellphone and showed it directly to Gong Shu. "Is it possible you made the card incorrectly? Where did your inspiration for the Snake Tortoise Card originally come from? Could it actually be called the Black Tortoise—one of the Four Great Divine Beasts?!"
What Che Qiuping showed him was a simple introduction to the Black Tortoise from the serialized comic. The Black Tortoise, ruler of Water among the Five Elements, was known, along with the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird, as one of the ancient Four Divine Beasts, presiding over the North. This Black Tortoise from the comic, with its dragon head, turtle shell, and serpent tail, bore a striking resemblance to Gong Shu’s Snake Tortoise, yet it exuded the dominating presence of an ancient civilization, as if clearly asserting its unique and commanding nature.
When Gong Shu saw this, the vague impressions in his mind suddenly sharpened, and his pupils trembled—a rare sight. "Where... where is this from?"
"It’s a comic about Yunxia’s ancient civilization that only recently appeared. We’re still investigating the people behind it and have some leads, but that’s not the crucial part. Is it possible the Snake Tortoise Card downgraded because it wasn’t made correctly?"
Gong Shu kept his eyes fixed on the Black Tortoise on the screen, silent. The inspiration for the Snake Tortoise had come from a rather indistinct dream. Perhaps he had seen something similar somewhere long ago; years later, recalling it felt like unearthing a treasure, albeit a fuzzy one. The moment the Snake Tortoise was actually created, he had been ecstatic. It should have been a card that would make his name known through the ages, but the moment it downgraded, it felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him.
Black Tortoise... so your name is Black Tortoise? Gong Shu mused. Were you angry that I called you by the wrong name, or that I crafted your image incorrectly?
SSR cards and Ordinary Cards might possess some capacity for independent thought. Even now, Gong Shu remembered that when the Snake Tortoise took shape, the heavy yet agile Divine Beast Card Spirit had indeed glared at him. At the time, immersed in joy, he hadn’t taken it seriously. Afterward, when he summoned the Card Spirit again, it never displayed its initial vivacity. The card’s power alarmingly weakened with each use, and Gong Shu could find no way to save it.
Could it be... Can the Snake—the Black Tortoise still be saved? A secret hope began to bloom in Gong Shu’s heart.
"Maybe there truly is hope." Che Qiuping rubbed his hands, which had quickly turned blue from the cold, and exhaled a puff of warm air. "If Teacher Li hadn’t reminded us, I wouldn’t have come to find you so quickly. Teacher Li said that maybe—just maybe—there’s still a chance to save the Black Tortoise Card."
Gong Shu took a deep breath. "You came to ask me to return and remake the Black Tortoise Card?"
"What else?" Che Qiuping was anxious. "Do you know our current standing internationally? If you could really revive the Black Tortoise Card based on this, you would become the savior of our Yunxia Empire! Have you heard about the World Competition? Mount Flower encountered some issues and withdrew before reaching the finals."
"Oh?" Something seemed to occur to Gong Shu. He gazed distantly at the sky. "I once met General Jimo Xiao. He was one of the few genuinely upright and honorable Family Heads among the Nobility. A pity... Now that General Jimo Xiao has fallen and the Jimo Family is affected, Mount Flower’s situation can’t be good, can it? To withdraw from the S Rank competition so soon."
"Huh?" Che Qiuping was stunned. "No, Gong Shu, I know you don’t usually follow the news, but this is a bit too much, isn’t it? Didn’t you know the Jimo Family’s heir has been found? Not only found, but remember the rumors about the Card Factory being on the verge of collapse? The heir returned and saved it! And..." Che Qiuping leaned in conspiratorially. "Let me tell you, everyone’s saying this Jimo Family heir has a very close relationship with the author of the comic about Yunxia’s ancient mythology featuring the Black Tortoise. It’s highly probable she’s connected to it."