Chapter 240: She is more like, she changed her soul._1
The card was ultimately repaired successfully. Wen Jiang was quite pleased. "Someone advanced to a UR-Rank Spirit Card Master on the day of Yin Tianxiao’s banquet," she mused. "Can you guess what he was thinking?"
Moreover, this person had managed to repair the Black Tortoise, and she had contributed to it, more or less. If this person could remember even a little of that sentiment, she would effectively gain a connection with a UR-Rank Spirit Card Master. Anyone capable of creating the Black Tortoise Card, she believed, must be of good character.
Wen Jiang glanced upward at the Card Spirit of the Black Tortoise above. Things are getting lively, she thought.
The Imperial City, indeed the entire world, was now astir.
Today was Yin Tianxiao’s wife’s birthday. He was already in a foul mood because the heir of the Jimo Family had disrespected him by not showing up. When the enormous Black Tortoise Card Spirit appeared in the sky, shock and horror flared in the depths of Yin Tianxiao’s pupils.
Such a huge Card Spirit... he thought, stunned.
The Black Tortoise’s immense form almost obscured half the Imperial City. The guests were all aghast; none had ever witnessed such a gigantic Card Spirit. It was even more formidable in its presence than Bai Ze and Bi Fang.
Yin Tianxiao’s hand clenched into a fist unconsciously, his palm trembling. Another UR-Rank Spirit Card Master has emerged, he realized with dread.
The Black Tortoise overhead did not dissipate. Its colossal body moved. Though its movements seemed sluggish due to its daunting size, even a slight shift generated a terrifying sensation, as if mountains were toppling and seas churning. It appeared to be surveying its territory, slowly circling a large part of the Imperial City before its form gradually began to fade.
Only after it vanished did the crowd finally return to their senses.
"The Black Tortoise! Is that the Black Tortoise? The one spoken of in the legends of the Yunxia civilization—it’s actually real!"
"Isn’t that the Mountain Ghost’s old Snake Tortoise card, just appearing again? But..."
Its power was even more terrifying than when it was first created.
The minds of everyone present were in turmoil. The appearance of the Black Tortoise was undoubtedly a bombshell, proving that the widely discussed Yunxia mythological civilization was, in fact, real.
Now, no one at the venue was in the mood for the banquet any longer. They all sought excuses to take their leave, eager to discover the identity of the Spirit Card Master who had created the Black Tortoise. He had become a UR-Rank Spirit Card Master, an individual worth courting.
A UR-Rank Spirit Card Master’s combat power could rival that of half a small nation. They were worthy of being courted by all the major Nobility.
Currently, only the Jimo Family lacked a UR-Rank Spirit Card Master in their ranks.
When Hua Zhuo saw the Black Tortoise, something occurred to her, and she too found an excuse to depart. As she left, she noticed Yin Tianxiao looking at her with undisguised malice, but she paid it no mind.
Hua Zhuo knew the Mountain Ghost had once produced a Black Tortoise. Thus, she had already guessed who the Card Maker of this one might be. She quickly found herself pondering the same question as Wen Jiang. This person created the Black Tortoise after seeing the data... Is this beneficial for the Jimo Family? she wondered.
Of course, by now, everyone was likely trying to find this Spirit Card Master.
As Hua Zhuo was about to leave, she encountered Song Zhi. Hua Zhuo’s hand, resting on the armrest of her wheelchair, paused slightly. Song Zhi turned, saw her, and offered a polite nod in greeting.
Song Ji would not be attending today’s banquet. Yin Tianxiao, despite being a UR-Rank Spirit Card Master, possessed some prestige, but not enough to compel everyone’s attendance. Thus, Wen Jiang’s absence couldn’t be faulted. Different standings naturally led to different treatments; it was Yin Tianxiao who failed to recognize his own place. However, the Song Family sending Song Zhi was a gesture of respect towards him.
Song Zhi was, without a doubt, the designated heir of the Song Family. Song Ji had never hidden his intention to groom Song Zhi as his successor. He was still young, and Song Zhi was currently focused on Card Competitions.
Hua Zhuo gave a slight nod in return.
She had no particular feelings for this child. She had once been surprised by Wen Jiang’s attitude toward her relatives but, upon reflection, realized she was much the same.
The Yu Jian incident, in fact, had benefited her. At least that past, so unbearable for her, was now hardly remembered by anyone. Just as few would ever imagine that Song Zhi was her biological daughter.
Song Zhi didn’t know, and Song Ji would never tell her. Born into the Song Family, Song Zhi only knew her mother had ’passed away from illness’.
Thankfully, Song Zhi didn’t resemble her; she looked so much like Song Ji. Hua Zhuo was immensely relieved that no one could suspect a blood relation based on appearance.
Now, seeing Hua Zhuo, out of politeness to an elder, Song Zhi felt a rare and inexplicable sense of affinity towards her.
After the brief greetings, as the Song and Jimo Families didn’t have much interaction, Hua Zhuo was wheeled away from the banquet by her assistant without further conversation.
Not long after her departure, Song Zhi also took her leave. She didn’t dwell on Hua Zhuo. She only knew Hua Zhuo was Du Zhaiyue’s godmother and Jimo Xiao’s junior martial sister. Indeed, if Hua Zhuo hadn’t returned from abroad, not many people would even be aware of her existence. However, the fact that Hua Zhuo, merely a junior martial sister, could hold such sway within the Jimo Family and gain their recognition indicated their relationship was truly extraordinary.
Du Zhaiyue had once simply described her godmother, saying, "My godmother is a gentle and peaceful person, but she doesn’t interact much with others. Even when she was abroad, she mostly stayed at home by herself."
They believed Hua Zhuo’s reclusive nature stemmed from her injured leg. Song Zhi had once asked why, as a Spirit Card Master, Hua Zhuo couldn’t heal her leg injury, but Du Zhaiyue couldn’t give a definite answer. So Song Zhi didn’t ask any further.
Song Zhi’s understanding of Hua Zhuo was limited to this.
Upon returning home, a servant reported that Song Ji was there.
She was somewhat surprised. With the sudden emergence of a new UR-Rank Spirit Card Master, she had assumed her father would be busy dealing with this major event.
Song Zhi needed to report to him about the banquet. Upon entering, she saw her father sitting at his computer. In a tone that said, ’I knew it,’ she remarked, "Wen Jiang indeed didn’t show up. Lady Hua went in her place. You should have seen Yin Tianxiao’s expression!"
In front of family, she would reveal a little more of her true self.
Song Ji’s eyes subtly flickered. Then he looked up, a smile playing on his lips. "That’s a real shame," he said.
She truly doesn’t even regard Yin Tianxiao as significant, Song Ji mused.
Song Zhi was somewhat curious. "She has such a temper! If our second brother isn’t dumped by her, his future won’t be easy. But..." A sneer touched Song Zhi’s lips. "Are all men like that? Only realizing the value of something after they’ve lost it?"
"..."
Utterly unaware that she had unintentionally wounded her father with her words, Song Zhi narrowed her eyes. "I still feel she’s different from the original Wen Jiang," she said thoughtfully. "Could someone in this world truly change their personality so completely, and suddenly become so formidable? Wen Jiang’s actions don’t align with someone who changed drastically after a sudden shock. Besides, such transformations depend on one’s environment. Wen Jiang might have changed her personality, but her worldview and experience should have remained at their original level. To put it bluntly, the Wen Jiang of the past simply lacked the courage to break away from Song Yingchen. Her subsequent actions truly took Song Yingchen by surprise: becoming a Spirit Card Master, coming under government jurisdiction, then joining Mount Flower, and eventually becoming the Jimo Family heir. None of these steps seem like something the original Wen Jiang was capable of." She paused, a chilling thought crossing her mind. "It’s more like... she’s a different soul entirely."