Chapter 179: 179 How could she not notice me when I’m this awesome?_1
After mulling it over, Tang Qian still breathed a sigh of relief.
However, she could also envision a fatal flaw in the situation.
Her expression was complex as she looked at Wen Jiang. "Wen Jiang, I know you’re strong, but all of this hinges on you *remaining* strong. If you stay at A-Level for too long, or if you reach S Rank but can’t display the same talent you did at A-Level, you know those people will trample you mercilessly."
Her relationship with Wen Jiang had grown quite good, which was why they were discussing such matters.
Wen Jiang nodded. "I know."
She would continue to grow stronger, but she wasn’t blind to reality. Her contingency plans were already laid, and her cooperation with the Empire was unbreakable. The Empire recognized her value and certainly wouldn’t let her come to harm easily. What was happening now was merely an appetizer; the greatest crisis was still far from emerging.
Once the Empire secured absolute authority and firmly grasped control over card power, wouldn’t it move to suppress some of the troublesome Nobility? After all, in Yunxia’s social structure, the existence of the Nobility is inherently unreasonable. This isn’t so much a war between the Empire and the Nobility as it is between Spirit Card Masters and ordinary commoners. Spirit Card Masters are too few, and ordinary people are too many. Those with extraordinary power are destined to be superior. This concept might not be obvious now, but in the future, the world is bound to descend into chaos. The war resulting from the Cataclysm years ago was complex; powerful cards fell into the hands of a few individuals first. With power came greed, and the desire for control inevitably followed. The Empire made compromises in the face of that catastrophe, which has now created this thorny situation. If they decide to move against the Nobility, wouldn’t I be the fuse? Those people must utterly despise me by now.
But Tang Qian had no idea that Wen Jiang’s plans extended much further and were far more terrifying.
Even Tang Qian, a modern woman of this era, saw nothing wrong with the existence of the Nobility. Strength in cards was paramount, and they considered this societal structure entirely normal.
Regardless of the swirling rumors and speculation, the match against the Chongshen Association arrived the next day as scheduled.
One might have expected Wen Jiang to be at least slightly affected, but she appeared completely unfazed.
The Chongshen Association’s deck followed the mythological style popular in the North Continent, though their folk mythology was rather chaotic. This match featured rather unsightly creatures from North Continent mythology—such as a Three-Headed Sheep and a giant serpent that could summon sea waves. Wen Jiang considered them monsters, though they were supposedly a type of deity.
This didn’t stop her from finding them excessively garish. She chose to pair up with Chen Runyu, unleashing a dual-offense strategy with powerful cards. They crushed the Chongshen Association, securing a swift and decisive victory.
So much so that the Spirit Card Masters from the Chongshen Association looked utterly bewildered when they lost.
Wen Jiang’s strength was no longer in question, but some spectators still found it hard to accept.
"I thought it would at least be a close match, like the one against the Crying Angels. How did it turn into such a one-sided beatdown?"
"Wasn’t the Chongshen Association supposed to be slightly stronger than the Crying Angels? Did I see a fake ranking list?"
"They’re definitely going to make the top 30. Unless their third match is against Sanctuary or a tough team from Xi Zhou, Mount Flower will likely win all their matches and secure a spot."
"How did Mount Flower get so incredibly lucky this year to recruit a player like Wen Jiang?"
"I’m still a little worried about what that Spirit Card Master from Country Beiwu said. Could it cause problems for our Empire?"
"Wen Jiang is strong, no doubt, but she’s too arrogant. If she loses even one match, so many people are waiting to gloat."
"Be a bit more daring! What if Wen Jiang doesn’t lose? How are you going to laugh at her then? Our Jiang Shen is just going to keep dominating and infuriate all those spectators!"
The public’s high hopes for Mount Flower were reflected in the betting, with the odds on their victory shortening progressively. Of course, during the competition, the S Rank matches drew the most attention, as A-Level bets weren’t nearly as thrilling as S Rank ones.
Even Wen Jiang herself couldn’t guarantee which team would win, so she didn’t get involved in the S Rank events.
「After the match with the Chongshen Association ended」
Wen Jiang received a message from Hua Zhuo.
"Xu Dongcheng has been asking me for information about you."
Wen Jiang thought for a moment before recalling who this person was. "The UR-Rank Spirit Card Master from the Qiao Family?"
Hua Zhuo nodded. "Yes."
Four of the five great Spirit Card Masters belonged to the Nobility. However, aside from Di Yantang, the other three were, strictly speaking, only nominally affiliated with the Nobility.
One only needed to look at their surnames to understand.
Xu Dongcheng had been discovered by the Qiao Family when he was S Rank. His competitive career flourished, and he smoothly transitioned into a UR-Rank Spirit Card Master. Besides his talent, the Qiao Family provided significant support, so after achieving UR Rank, he naturally became a key figure in the Qiao Family.
However, UR-Rank Spirit Card Masters are strictly forbidden from participating in any competitions. This is an unspoken agreement, even among other empires. Consequently, these UR-Rank Spirit Card Masters rarely appear in public, aside from a few who are particularly high-profile.
"He and I are on good terms," Hua Zhuo said thoughtfully. "He usually doesn’t meddle in the Qiao Family’s affairs. I don’t know why he suddenly started asking me about you this time."
Wen Jiang guessed it was related to the documents she had submitted. Yan Moling mentioned that several UR-Rank Spirit Card Masters are arguing over this. And as it happens, the two oldest ones support disclosing the information, so the three younger ones can’t do anything about it. Hua Zhuo can’t participate in these matters, so of course she wouldn’t know why Xu Dongcheng suddenly asked her about me.
"Not only that," Hua Zhuo continued, "he told me that Peng Fenglai is also interested in you."
Peng Fenglai had advanced to UR-Rank Spirit Card Master only ten years ago and was currently the youngest of the five. She was the Song Family’s prized figurehead.
Hua Zhuo hesitated for a moment before adding a piece of gossip, "Peng Fenglai has a crush on Song Ji."
Wen Jiang’s eyes brightened. That scumbag is so charming? Then why doesn’t he marry Peng Fenglai? She’d be a far more suitable match, bringing more prestige than Song Ji’s current wife.
Even Zero Egg couldn’t help but chime in, "Song Ji must be the one with the System, right? Back then, Hua Zhuo was the most promising to advance to UR. Now there’s another one who likes Song Ji, including the host of the Heaven’s Mandate System. It seems several capable women have all been ensnared by him. Does this man use some kind of bewitchment?"
Wen Jiang had never met Song Ji, so it was difficult for her to comment. But judging by Song Yingchen’s behavior, she suspected the father and son were cut from the same cloth.
Hua Zhuo shook her head. "Peng Fenglai is UR Rank, with her own status and position. She can’t possibly marry Song Ji. For her, maintaining a cooperative relationship with him is the best option."
Seeing Wen Jiang was genuinely interested in the gossip, Hua Zhuo couldn’t help but smile wryly. "Why don’t you ask me why Peng Fenglai is interested in *you*?"
Wen Jiang tilted her chin slightly. "I’m this formidable; how could she not notice me? Once those documents were submitted, my name was bound to get out to some of the top Spirit Card Masters."
Hua Zhuo was left speechless. Then again, she had a point.