Chapter 254: 254 Ceylon Cemetery will forever remember the name Helena_1
Sa Ang’s eyes snapped open.
There was a wariness in his eyes that belied his age as he stared at Wen Jiang like a fierce wolf cub.
His body was in poor condition; he looked as if he suffered from long-term malnutrition—thin, sallow, with only his eyes shining brightly.
Wen Jiang ignored his tumultuous emotions and continued to ask, "Do you need a Spirit Card Master’s sponsorship?"
Sa Ang still didn’t speak.
Wen Jiang scoffed, "Mute."
Then she turned and left.
Zero Egg: "Foolish, how could he be mute!"
Wen Jiang was quite certain. "He will come to me."
Zero Egg was curious. "Why?"
Wen Jiang didn’t answer.
She saw the same karmic thread in Sa Ang as she had seen in Nian Jian before. Sa Ang’s destiny was related to her own.
Sa Ang just watched intently in the direction Wen Jiang had gone.
As soon as Wen Jiang returned to the company, she found Karin.
Karin was holding a cup of coffee, her tone casual. "You went to find Sa Ang?"
There were obvious surveillance measures all along the way, so it wasn’t strange that Karin knew. Wen Jiang didn’t deny it. "Didn’t you say we could sponsor people like him? I’ve set my sights on him."
"You do have a good eye, but that kid Sa Ang can’t bring you noticeable benefits," Karin put down her coffee, a faint smile playing on her lips. "He’s quite capable, and most Spirit Card Masters don’t like people like him."
Wen Jiang quickly understood.
The more skilled a Spirit Card Master was at creating good cards, the less they would like Sa Ang. Good B-Rank cards were strong without being exceptionally outstanding, and Sa Ang’s personal strength would diminish the importance of the cards. This made him a poor choice for Spirit Card Masters who preferred to sell their cards.
Unless the card was truly exceptional.
Besides, Sa Ang wouldn’t use mediocre cards anyway.
That’s why Karin had said that.
Wen Jiang nodded to show her understanding, then asked an unrelated question, "Is his family in difficulty?"
After all, from his appearance, Sa Ang looked like he couldn’t afford proper meals.
Karin blinked, her tone revealing a hint of ruthlessness. "Pretty much. He has an older brother who is seriously ill and has to spend a lot on hospital bills every month. He earns only twenty thousand per contest and needs to rest for a week afterward."
A Spirit Card Master’s spiritual power is heavily taxed in a contest, so a week’s rest afterward is the minimum required.
Even if one were to fight continuously, disregarding their life, stepping into the arena in such a state would mean certain death. What would be the point?
Calculated this way, eighty thousand a month still wouldn’t cover his brother’s expenses.
Karin looked at Wen Jiang. "Do you think he’s pitiful?"
Wen Jiang said nothing.
Indeed, he was pitiable; she didn’t deny it. She had no reason to ignore the discomfort in her heart. It was a fundamental part of her humanity, a reminder that she was, at least, still a normal person and not an unfeeling cultivation machine. Her indifference extended to everyone, but it didn’t mean she had lost her basic conscience. Just as she would help Lu Tang seek justice.
Karin didn’t understand Wen Jiang’s thoughts. She assumed Wen Jiang was simply inexperienced with worldly suffering; after all, coming to find her brother proved she was someone who cherished past connections. Karin scoffed, "In Ceylon City, that is an unnecessary emotion. If you want to support him, of course, that’s possible, provided your cards pass muster. I believe he’ll agree to your sponsorship, as cards are a major expense for him too."
If a Card Spirit breaks, it has to be repaired, and the cost isn’t cheap.
Karin chuckled. "As long as you think it’s worth it."
Once she sees such things often enough, Helena will naturally become as indifferent as I am, Karin thought.
Wen Jiang nodded. "I understand."
She had to temporarily change her plans.
That evening, after Wen Jiang returned home, she made a card.
She had previously made cards for the Eastern Continent, but now, assuming the identity of a person from Xi Zhou, it wasn’t appropriate to make Eastern-style cards. So, she created a counter-damage card in a Western style.
The card had a mechanical aesthetic, featuring an angelic robot wielding a massive shield. It had two combat modes: one involved using the shield to absorb damage. Once sufficient damage was absorbed, it would immediately counter with its sword, inflicting damage equal to that received from the attacker.
Its cold mechanical design, smooth metallic lines, and mechanical wings—capable of flight and supporting the shield—looked intimidating. In reality, it only had these two attack modes and its stats weren’t excessively high.
This would at least differentiate it from her previous style, preventing people from immediately connecting it to her.
After all, everyone knew that the Card Maker Mount Flower from Yunxia was famous for her beautiful, Eastern-style character cards.
This captivating, cold mechanical style was something she hadn’t created before, and it was also rare on the Xi Zhou market.
Crafting a robot in the likeness of an angel wasn’t easy.
She named it Mechanical Angel.
"You churned out a B-Rank card in one night? You think Karin will believe that?" Zero Egg hissed.
Wen Jiang retorted confidently, "Why wouldn’t she? Did I ever tell her I’d only made two cards before? Anyone daring to apply as a Card Maker must have a few aces up their sleeve. She doesn’t care when I made it. If I say I made it previously and am just now giving it to her to sell, why wouldn’t she be pleased?"
Karin surely hadn’t believed her completely. Besides, wasn’t it perfectly normal for someone like her to carry a dozen or so B-Rank cards? She could always make a couple of A-Rank cards later to manage.
Zero Egg’s aesthetic judgment had improved, so it understood the destructive power of Wen Jiang’s cards. "Won’t that Mechanical Angel card utterly captivate fans of the mechanical style? And weren’t you planning to avoid getting close to the Fiend Core so soon?" it asked.
"Things are different now." Wen Jiang mused, a more daring and risky strategy forming in her mind. If a genius Card Maker were to emerge from Ceylon Cemetery, wouldn’t that send Ceylon City into a frenzy? A typical Xi Zhou style. If it was eventually revealed that she and the Mount Flower Card Maker were the same person, it would inflict significant psychological trauma on the people of Xi Zhou. And the Fiends... they would practically worship her. The unknown variable was how the Heaven’s Mandate System would react when it eventually confronted her. But future events were yet unknown, and she always kept trump cards hidden. Ideally, that woman Yu Jian was too arrogant to readily meet with subordinates. However, she still needed to time things carefully. Before the S Rank competition, she had to create an SSR card, make her move, stir things up, and then leave. Since she planned to cause a stir, why not create an SSR card with a wide-ranging illusion ability? Something like Su Daji. But using Daji would instantly expose her identity, so her previous cards were out of the question.
The next day, Wen Jiang gave the card to Karin. "I’ve made a new card. You won’t object to using this to sponsor Sa Ang in his competitions, will you?"
Karin, after examining the card, whipped around to face Wen Jiang.
She stared at Wen Jiang in disbelief, clearly not buying the ridiculous claim that she had made this card overnight.
She instantly understood: this woman calling herself Helena wouldn’t have dared to come to Ceylon City searching for her brother unless she had many hidden cards up her sleeve.
Karin felt her guess was correct. A smile spread across her face as she looked at Wen Jiang. "Of course. You’ve done very well, Helena. I believe you will undoubtedly become Ceylon City’s rising star."
What a fool, Karin thought. Willing to contribute such an impressive card would only make it harder for her to leave Ceylon City. That useless pity of hers... truly pathetic. Helena, oh Helena, even if you find your brother, you’ll still be trapped here.
Wen Jiang showed a perfectly measured, subtle smile of pride. "I will."
She certainly would. The entire Ceylon City would remember the name Helena for a long, long time.