Chapter 248: 248 The real secret.
Hua Zhuo’s concern was natural.
Since it was a stronghold of the Fiend Organization, it was a place untouchable by the great Empires.
Of course, it wasn’t that there had been no attempts to eliminate them, but over the years, the situation had become muddled.
Moreover...
Hua Zhuo lowered her eyes. She now suspected that Jimo Xiao’s death might even be related to the Fiend Organization.
After all, only an organization like the Fiend could have orchestrated such a battle on the border.
Wen Jiang had no intention of persuading her, simply stating coldly, "If we do nothing, incidents like this will continue to occur, and I am their target."
And she already had a plan.
She was supposed to complete her Tribulation within this year.
The power of the Thunder Tribulation was immense, far exceeding an A-Level event; even UR-Rank Spirit Card Masters would notice her.
The question is where to draw the lightning.
Isn’t this the perfect place that has just presented itself?
The Fiend Organization would probably tell me, ’You’d better hope for something good to come of this.’
Hua Zhuo’s hands began to tremble. She understood that once Wen Jiang decided on something, she wouldn’t tolerate much questioning. Still, Hua Zhuo resisted, "Just because of this, you want to go to a place you know nothing about?"
"Of course not," Wen Jiang replied confidently. "Aside from Card City, I haven’t traveled anywhere else. Let’s just consider it a trip."
Hua Zhuo was speechless. ...??
Is that a place one can simply ’travel’ to?!
Hua Zhuo pursed her lips. "This isn’t the place to discuss this. If you’re really set on going, I’ll make arrangements when we get home."
Wen Jiang raised an eyebrow. She’s relenting this easily? It seems Hua Zhuo must have her own contacts there.
「Back at home」
Wen Jiang quickly learned details about the Fiend Organization—information unavailable on the internet.
The Fiend Organization was based in the Dongzhou Continent, on the border with Yunxia.
The area was called Ceylon Cemetery. Indeed, a fitting name, as "cemetery" accurately described the place.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t entirely lawless. Bold individuals even engaged in trade there, and one could occasionally find tourists.
However, without connections or a network, if trouble arose, you were on your own; crying out to heaven or pleading with the earth would be utterly useless.
Ceylon Cemetery was vast, comparable in size to a small country. It was surrounded by mountains with complex terrain. Aside from the main hub, Ceylon City, remote areas were strictly off-limits.
The information Hua Zhuo provided was not publicly accessible.
Besides the Fiend Organization, the area harbored Spirit Card Masters unaffiliated with any nation. These Spirit Card Masters were the main force opposing Imperial City and the primary targets of Yunxia’s military.
They had no concept of law. Since the advent of cards and the subsequent chaos in power dynamics, they viewed themselves as transcendent beings in this world. In their eyes, ordinary humans were inherently inferior.
In Ceylon Cemetery, ordinary people were either members of the Fiend Organization or needed to leverage suitable connections before trouble struck. Otherwise, it was commonplace for a Spirit Card Master on the street to casually kill anyone who displeased them—this was almost the norm.
These rogue Spirit Card Masters had little respect for one another. Although they had leaders, they hadn’t formed an organization on the scale of the Fiend Organization. Instead, they maintained a strange sort of ’peace’ with the Fiend Organization in this territory.
This was because similar rogue Spirit Card Masters also existed on the borders of other countries.
Consequently, Ceylon Cemetery had also become a haven for criminals, and Ceylon City was established on this foundation.
Over the years, with Frost Moon and the Sanctuary being distant, Yunxia’s army had been the main force engaged in warfare against these elements. However, the other two Empires also sent generals as reinforcements.
After all, if you don’t deal with the threat posed by Spirit Card Masters, once Yunxia falls, the other Empires will inevitably be next.
These aren’t beings that can be easily eradicated with conventional weapons.
Upon reviewing the information, Zero Egg couldn’t help but remark, "How resilient must tourists be to venture there?"
To think such a place could actually be a tourist destination!
After finishing the documents, Wen Jiang scoffed. Complete isolation isn’t feasible; after all, there’s money to be made. Ceylon City is their only link to the outside world. As long as it’s exotic enough, there will always be death-defying tourists.
Of course, a large portion of those "death-defying tourists" are likely undercover agents and Spirit Card Masters.
A place like this is a world apart from cities like Card City.
It truly is a criminal’s paradise.
Previously, Wen Jiang wouldn’t have considered going. But now, with the Tribulation looming and perhaps because her card-making had been progressing too smoothly, she didn’t feel a strong urge to undergo it yet. She also had no particular premonition about which SSR Card to create next.
Creating cards, much like cultivation, wasn’t something Wen Jiang could simply do at will, especially at higher levels; it depended on whether the card itself was ’willing.’
Tribulations always introduce unexpected challenges to push one’s potential to its limits, Wen Jiang speculated. Perhaps Heavenly Dao thinks I’ve had it too easy.
Moreover, the unresolved matter of Xie Lingyu’s case remained a lingering threat.
She wouldn’t go recklessly.
In addition to the information from Hua Zhuo, she planned to set up a teleportation portal in Imperial City. Even if she were thousands of miles away, she could warp space and escape instantly if she encountered danger.
The issue was that this body might not be her original one. It hadn’t undergone long-term cultivation and wasn’t fully integrated with her soul. Teleportation was a simple matter for cultivators, but when she had previously attempted short-range teleportation, she always experienced a jarring sensation, as if her soul and body were being torn apart within the spatial distortion. The farther the distance, the more severe this feeling became.
Her body would even sustain minor burns, though this had lessened somewhat after she reached A-Level.
That was why she usually relied on vehicles or her own two feet to get around.
This teleportation is a last resort, an emergency life-saving measure, Wen Jiang thought, pinching her arm. She surmised that Heavenly Dao had indeed placed certain restrictions on her.
If not for these limitations on instantaneous movement, I would have gone and wiped out the entire Fiend Organization long ago.
Seeing Wen Jiang’s firm resolve, Hua Zhuo could only sigh. She handed over a file, saying, "Do you remember your father’s assistant, Zheng Xun, whom I mentioned before? I can’t stop you, but there are some things I must tell you."
She looked at Wen Jiang, her eyes reflecting memories of distant events. "Your father’s death... it might not be as simple as it seems. We’ve found some information related to... Ceylon Cemetery. Zheng Xun is there now."
A flicker of light showed in her eyes, her tone filled with worry and concern. "Ah Jiang, I can’t stop you. I know you’re very strong, but you must be careful. Go then. I’ll have Zheng Xun assist you. No matter what happens, remember, your safety is paramount."
"If necessary..."
At this, the usually gentle woman steeled her resolve. "...don’t let *her* live."
Wen Jiang furrowed her brow slightly. She tilted her head, looking at Hua Zhuo as if pondering something, then nodded after a long moment. "I understand."
At least Hua Zhuo wants me to return alive. Such earnest admonitions from an elder before a long journey... those memories have grown hazy for me.
As she turned to leave, Hua Zhuo spoke again.
"When you return, I will tell you the Jimo Family’s true secrets."