Chapter 271: 271 This is good stuff_1
Cards, in some way, produced an illusion of being alive. The ballerina on the card seemed so lifelike that when she glared at Wen Jiang, it made one feel uneasy. Wen Jiang frowned slightly. This card seemed familiar to her, reminding her of the match she had played against the Crying Angels Association, where she had seen the card of the crying Maria.
The cards from this association always carried a sinister air. Back then, there was one called Hell’s Prayer Home, its name very similar to this one. If it weren’t for Wen Jiang’s ability to see things others couldn’t, that card could have taken down Mount Flower.
There was something definitely off about this card.
However, A-Rank Cards were certainly better in abundance for a Spirit Card Master, and if the Blood Emperor was offering one, there was no reason for her to refuse.
But if such a malevolent card was being offered to her by the Blood Emperor, it meant he was up to no good.
You bastard, just you wait. Wen Jiang’s lips curled into a faint smile, and a look of interest appeared in her eyes. "It very much resembles the style of the Crying Angels Association."
The Blood Emperor’s smile remained unchanged. "It seems you are aware that this card does indeed come from Crying Angels. It is said they plan to use this card in next year’s matches."
It was all but explicitly stated that the card’s origins were dubious. After all, a new A-Rank Card meant for competition would never be sold to others—unless there was a traitor within the Crying Angels, or the Blood Emperor had employed some other means to obtain it. The premature reveal of a card intended as a secret weapon by another association would invariably pique the interest of a Card Maker, whose inspiration often comes from understanding the unique abilities of different cards.
Wen Jiang asked, "Do you plan to give this card to me?"
The Blood Emperor replied, "Yes. You don’t want anything else, so I thought maybe you would need a new card."
This time, Wen Jiang didn’t refuse.
Karin’s gaze also lingered on that card for a moment. As the Blood Emperor led Wen Jiang inside to transfer the card, Karin’s brow furrowed slightly. She felt uncomfortable just looking at that card. Although many Card Makers nowadays crafted their cards in bizarre and peculiar styles, it was rare to see one so wicked. She had long known about the distinct style of the Crying Angels Association and had also watched and contemplated the card of the crying Maria that had caused problems for players. Now, with the release of this new card... What on earth were the Card Makers of the Crying Angels Association thinking?
After obtaining the card and leaving the church, Karin thought for a while and finally couldn’t hold back. "The cards from the Crying Angels Association always had a bad reputation."
Wen Jiang retorted, "He’s giving it. Do you dare not accept?"
Karin: "..."
Indeed, she didn’t dare. But she hadn’t expected Wen Jiang to be so straightforward about it and was momentarily at a loss for words.
The card indeed exuded wickedness. Upon entering Wen Jiang’s mind, she felt her body and soul assaulted by a surge of resentment. But under the suppression of her powerful Primordial Spirit, the card quickly subsided into silence.
Not willing to say much, Karin simply advised, "Don’t use this card when others are present."
The Blood Emperor might not play by the rules, but if Helena were to use it and it was discovered by people from the Crying Angels, things could get messy. Copyright laws must be followed worldwide. Even Ceylon Cemetery operated in secrecy. You might think that being in a lawless zone gives you the right to be brazen, but if you overdo it, you risk upsetting most of the world’s interests. Just because nations don’t want to exert themselves doesn’t mean they truly lack the power to cleanse Ceylon Cemetery with blood.
Wen Jiang acknowledged with a "Got it."
Upon returning home with the card, Zero Egg suddenly bounced back to life. "What’s he doing, giving you a card like this?"
Wen Jiang raised her hand, summoning the Hell’s Dancer’s ballerina. "There’s something wrong with this card."
Upon its very appearance, it can affect a person’s mind; it’s definitely not as simple as a card used for competitive matches. An average Spirit Card Master wouldn’t be able to suppress this card at all, even more so than the Crying Maria from before. The Crying Angels surely never intended to use this card. In the Blood Emperor’s hands, this card takes on a rather eerie quality. Moreover, I’d already suspected that the Crying Angels Association’s card-making practices were somewhat illicit, and this card undoubtedly proves my suspicions. The style in which this card was formed might be linked to Yu Jian. She probably didn’t do anything good during those twenty years of her silence.
Zero Egg’s little brain had gotten a bit sharper recently. "He gave you this card, perhaps as a test of some sort?"
Wen Jiang replied, "That’s probably it. Considering he’s a UR-Rank Spirit Card Master, he might have noticed something amiss."
Zero Egg said, "These bastards are really crafty."
The remark seemed pointed, yet indirect.
Zero Egg, trying to make amends, added, "Of course, I’m not talking about you."
Wen Jiang: "..."
Zero Egg: "..."
Some things are perhaps better left unsaid.
The ballerina was still glaring at her, so Wen Jiang simply summoned her form.
Usually, when a card and a Spirit Card Master achieve unity of mind and spirit, the card would subconsciously move according to the Spirit Card Master’s will. But from the moment the ballerina appeared, a sinister light in her golden eyes fixated on Wen Jiang, as if she weren’t just a form created by a card but a person with her own thoughts.
What Wen Jiang didn’t expect was that the moment she summoned the ballerina, a gust of wind suddenly swept into the room. Wen Jiang turned her head to see that Xing Wu, who had been missing for who knows how long, had reappeared.
Indeed, as a card, he had been absent for some time. If it weren’t for the fact that nothing in Ceylon City could track Xing Wu, he wouldn’t have this level of freedom.
The ballerina, who had been glaring at Wen Jiang, suddenly looked terrified the moment Xing Wu entered the room. And Xing Wu seemed almost like a different person after so many days. In an instant, he floated before the girl, his pure black, sparkling eyes radiating an unusual glow. "This is good stuff. Where did you find it?"
With that, he reached out, his hand closing in above the ballerina’s head. Wen Jiang saw the ballerina’s form begin to waver, and even her own sense of control over the ballerina in her mind started to dissipate. The girl was terrified but couldn’t stop Xing Wu’s movements. In the moment she realized her Card Spirit was about to collapse, Wen Jiang raised her hand to stop Xing Wu.
"Back off. This is mine."
Xing Wu: "..."
Though Wen Jiang couldn’t touch Xing Wu’s physical form, as her summoned being, he could now sense her intent. He looked at the terrified girl, greed surfacing in his eyes, and circled to Wen Jiang’s side. Slightly bowing his head, his thin lips close to her ear, a vibration as resonant as music emanated as he said, "This is good for me. It’s worth a lot of energy. I need it."
He wanted to devour the Card Spirit.
Even though he had no physical form, when he spoke, his tone seemed to carry a trace of moist breath to Wen Jiang’s ear.
Too close for comfort. The gesture bordered on inappropriate intimacy.