Chapter 256: As long as she needs it, he would go through fire and water for her_1
"Have you really taken an interest in him?"
Karin clicked her tongue in astonishment when she saw Sa Ang. "This kid seems like he’s never had enough to eat."
Sa Ang’s head was splitting with pain; he had just lost a match and didn’t rest before following them out, a testament to his strong will.
Karin’s statement was intentional; she clearly knew Sa Ang’s situation.
Wen Jiang responded coldly, "That’s very kind of you to say. Don’t you have any idea whether he can eat his fill or not?"
Karin was speechless. She was taken aback, having never expected Wen Jiang to dare talk back to her.
Card Makers from outside all possessed their own pride. Unless they harbored a deep-seated hatred for Ceylon City, they wouldn’t intentionally make enemies with it. Moreover, Helena’s background remained a mystery. Her card-making talent was decent, but her origins were unknown, aside from the fact that she was looking for her brother. Her identity was quite enigmatic.
Karin, rather than getting angry, laughed. "It’s a good thing I’m patient. If it were any other leader from the Sixth Division, they wouldn’t give you any face, no matter how outstanding your card-making skills."
"That’s not necessarily true. I’ll become a cash cow for your Sixth Division sooner or later."
Wen Jiang’s boast left Karin momentarily stunned. But she had to admit, Wen Jiang’s words had effortlessly defused her anger and instead piqued her intense interest.
So self-confident, did she really believe she could do it? Karin, in that case, was eager to watch the commotion unfold.
"If you can really do it, then you’ll indeed have the right to be arrogant. But I still have to say, don’t meddle in other people’s business." Karin wasn’t warning Wen Jiang for the first time. She glanced at Sa Ang behind her, who looked like he might faint at any moment. "Just go get a nutritional shot. I believe you wouldn’t mind paying for that, generous benefactor."
Ignoring Karin’s sarcastic tone, Wen Jiang did indeed take Sa Ang to get a nutritional shot.
This allowed Sa Ang to barely recover his energy.
Wen Jiang never made harsh demands on her subordinates. Since she intended to use Sa Ang, she would naturally ensure he was in good condition for battle.
After the injection, Sa Ang regained his senses, and his headache gradually subsided. He looked at Wen Jiang, lowered his head, and genuinely expressed his gratitude. "Thank you."
She had given him a nutritional shot, and he knew how expensive those were—thousands per dose. He had never dared to use one after a match before.
A nutritional shot would allow for a faster recovery of spiritual power, enabling him to start a battle within just three days.
But one couldn’t get injected with nutritional shots too often; otherwise, they would have already been exploited on the international stage. Their use had drawbacks, as they could lead to dependence among Spirit Card Masters.
But here, there were no such concerns, and an occasional shot wouldn’t cause much harm.
Wen Jiang chuckled softly. "I’m pleased with your astuteness."
At least he knew to say thanks.
Sa Ang stared at Wen Jiang. She always wore a mask that obscured her face. It wasn’t until she lifted it that he saw her features: an ordinary face, typical of the People of Xi Zhou, with small freckles. Her features appeared narrow and tiny, making her seem quite young.
Sa Ang felt it was odd; he always thought her temperament didn’t quite match that face.
But the more he looked, the easier it became to accept.
He dismissed the feeling in his heart. His first glance hadn’t left any particular impression of Wen Jiang, and he quickly looked up to take another look at her.
Wen Jiang didn’t mind his small actions and simply asked, "Where do you usually buy your cards?"
"The card store," Sa Ang’s voice was hoarse. "I can’t afford anything else."
The cards in Ceylon City were of dubious origin, some even lacking copyrights. For instance, Wen Jiang had seen Ceylon City openly selling her Moon Palace Card Set. Due to its rarity, it was quickly sold out upon release.
Once a card was sold, it could be easily copied; such lawless zones were to be expected.
Wen Jiang didn’t have the time now, but she planned to deal with those people in Ceylon City in the future.
Using her name was one thing, but profiting from her work meant they would pay a price.
Cards sold in stores were expensive; a B-Rank Battle Card cost 3,000, not including repair fees.
Sa Ang was already out of money to buy them; the two B-Rank Cards he possessed couldn’t even be repaired.
"I will give you cards later. Go eat first."
Seeing that he was probably starving, Wen Jiang took him for a meal before bringing him to the apartment building where she was temporarily staying.
Copying cards for him required a Card Making Pool, which Sa Ang certainly didn’t have.
After being fed and given a nutritional injection, Sa Ang knew this was definitely not the treatment a regular sponsor would provide for a Spirit Card Master who fought with black market cards. He entered the home, filled with a feminine warmth, with great hesitation.
He had never been inside such a nice place. Certain areas in Ceylon City were like another world to people like him, utterly forbidden to enter.
So Sa Ang walked in, head bowed, and said, "As long as you don’t take my life, I’ll do anything."
He needed to keep this life to save his brother.
"Why would I want your life?" Wen Jiang, likely understanding why Sa Ang had said such a thing, didn’t dwell on it. She simply beckoned him over. "Come here, I’ll transfer the card to you."
With a wave of her hand, she copied a card and transferred it to Sa Ang.
When the Mechanical Angel Card, filled with a violent style, entered Sa Ang’s thoughts, his eyes widened.
He had never seen such a card before. Its mere appearance was enough to drive people mad—a cold, arrogant, mechanical-style angel, it possessed an even more intimidating presence than the Mechanical Card he had seen earlier that day.
This card would drive the audience of maniacs into a frenzy.
He couldn’t help but blurt out, "Did you make this card?"
"Mm." Wen Jiang waved her hand, casually giving him a stack of money as well—not much, just 1,000 yuan. Any more, and Sa Ang wouldn’t be able to hold onto it.
Sa Ang was stunned.
"Take it. Eat well. How can you fight a card battle if you don’t keep yourself well-fed?"
She lowered her voice. Even though she deliberately lowered her posture, her height still felt oppressive to Sa Ang at that moment.
Sa Ang saw the icy coldness in her pale golden pupils, and her voice sounded as if she were casting a spell. "I only have one requirement of you: after you win a match, do nothing unnecessary."
Sa Ang paused.
This meant she was telling him not to kill anyone.
He knew the rules of the arena; many Spirit Card Masters had the habit of utterly destroying their losing opponents.
He knew why. Sometimes, if an opponent died, the arena couldn’t find a replacement Spirit Card Master in time, leading to a bye.
A bye meant getting money for nothing.
They all wanted money that badly.
Sa Ang pursed his lips and nodded firmly. "I won’t."
He never killed people.
Although he loathed those people, he also knew that, unless they had wronged him first, he had no right to decide their fate.
Even so, his restraint couldn’t prevent others from wanting to kill him after he lost a match.
Wen Jiang stood up straight and waved her hand. "Go on. After you finish your matches, come here, and I’ll repair your card. I don’t need the money you win."
Sa Ang stood rooted to the spot for a long moment.
Until she asked, "Aren’t you leaving yet?"
Sa Ang turned and ran.
His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.
It was excitement.
He had never encountered such a person; someone different had appeared in his life of unrelenting darkness.
In that moment, Sa Ang came to a simple conclusion about Wen Jiang.
She was a good person.
In the future, if she ever needed him, he would go through fire and water for her.