Chapter 183: 183 The one to deal with is not Yu Jian_1
"Damn, the backlash against Sheng Hongying is way more intense than what you faced before," Zero Egg observed. It had been following the online trolling and had to admit that the fans spewing venom were going much harder on Sheng Hongying than they ever did on Wen Jiang. It was mainly because Wen Jiang had a short fuse and wasn’t easy to provoke; if you insulted her, you might just get directly called out and shamed, causing the trolls to back off a bit. But these popular players were never the type to respond to criticism, so weren’t they just lying down and taking the abuse? And the number of critics had increased greatly, not only from within the country but also from abroad, with people mocking Mount Flower for its retreat without a fight. Zero Egg felt stifled just watching it.
"People are always like that: praise when you win, curse when you lose." The incident with the Spirit Card Master from Country Beiwu wasn’t over yet, and now Mount Flower was caught up in another major wave of controversy. They certainly didn’t lack for traffic. In such turbulent times, Mount Flower’s card merchandise was still growing against the trend. Perhaps it was because, even as people cursed, they realized Mount Flower’s card merchandise actually looked good.
The nights in Card City were lively and prosperous. Walking on the sidewalks, with the evening breeze on one’s face, was comfortable and pleasant. However, Wen Jiang wasn’t there to enjoy the night view; she was just trying to find some traces.
"I haven’t felt her presence," Zero Egg said. "Do you think she’s really come to Card City?"
"She has," Wen Jiang replied, certain the woman had come.
Perhaps it was this intuition, for not long after, as she walked along a riverside street, she saw the woman appearing ahead. The woman was dressed in a black, tailored windbreaker, with a fiery red, sultry dress underneath. Her excellent figure was clearly outlined; age had only added a touch of mature charm to her, leaving no trace. When Wen Jiang saw her, she had just gently, with a tender demeanor, refused a man’s attempt to greet her.
Upon meeting Wen Jiang’s gaze, she slowly curved her red lips, a playful light in her eyes as she sized up Wen Jiang. She walked up to Wen Jiang, sighing as if to say, "I knew it was you."
Wen Jiang’s eyes narrowed slightly, unsure how to describe this woman. Her face wasn’t what one might call a masterpiece, but her intense aura sculpted it into a soul-stirring beauty. She was a woman so striking that no man could ignore her. She and Nian Jian no longer bore any resemblance. But I find something in her movements rather common, almost vulgar. It’s as if her actions debase such a radiant beauty, exuding an indelible sense of cheapness that is nauseating.
Suddenly, Wen Jiang thought of cosmetic surgery technology. Even if the System granted her an exceptional aura and unforgettable charm, her inherent character wasn’t enough to support the changes brought by such high technology. Unconsciously, she would always betray a hint of affectation. Logically, Yu Jian should know about me; with the Heaven’s Mandate System, it would be a piece of cake. I, on the other hand, wouldn’t necessarily know about Yu Jian. I might only know, thanks to Zero Egg’s information, that another System could exist. Now, seeing this woman, some of my earlier speculations have proven true, and I can’t help but feel a distinct lack of enthusiasm. No wonder she ultimately met her downfall at Song Ji’s hands.
Yu Jian exhaled lightly in her direction, perfect from head to toe thanks to her System. "I imagine you’ve heard of me, Wen Jiang. That System of yours, is it any good?" She smiled, waiting for Wen Jiang to look astonished.
Wen Jiang’s brow twitched, then smoothed out quickly. "Very good," she replied, her tone light and cheerful. "Isn’t yours?"
Zero Egg went, "Uh..."
Yu Jian’s smile faltered slightly. Wen Jiang’s appearance hasn’t changed much from before, but her aura is completely different. She must have used a System-provided card that alters one’s aura, Yu Jian thought.
"Making so many cards in such a short time, you’re being too high-profile," Yu Jian said, offering advice like an experienced senior. "You’ll soon arouse the suspicion of those people in Imperial City. Aren’t you worried they’ll capture you for experiments?"
It seemed the previous Yu Jian had suffered such a fate, Wen Jiang mused.
Wen Jiang chuckled lightly. "What are you trying to say?"
Yu Jian was about to speak when the Heaven’s Mandate System interjected coldly, "Don’t waste your breath on her. She’s observing you. I advise you to leave."
Yu Jian stiffened. "Leave? Why should I leave? She’s only A-Level. You think she can actually do anything to me?"
"..."
The Heaven’s Mandate System almost wanted to let out a frustrated sigh. Don’t get angry. Getting angry and causing data instability won’t save me. I’ve had to deal with what kind of person she is every day for over twenty years. As a System, I only trust my own data. I immediately used detection items on Wen Jiang, and only then did I barely sense the presence of her System. The crucial part is, I can’t connect with it. I know the Heart of the World only dispatches one original System per world. A world cannot have two Heaven’s Mandate-level Major Systems; otherwise, it would violate world rules. If a conflict arose, the world’s data would descend into chaos, leading to its collapse, which would be a terrible loss. But how can I be unable to connect with an original System? With my hierarchical superiority, I should even have priority. The only things I can’t see are the database and item library provided by the Heart of the World, such as cards, because I don’t know which ones the other System has drawn, as this involves System privacy. I’ve been through many hosts and can extrapolate many situations. The moment I saw Wen Jiang, my data began processing, eliminating all impossibilities. I’ve concluded that the problem lies with this host. A host who can, in turn, suppress her System, even if that System is just a small original System, is absolutely not to be underestimated. Right now, I only hope this woman can lie low until the plan succeeds. I don’t want any unexpected factors to arise. If I hadn’t also wanted to test Wen Jiang, I wouldn’t have allowed Yu Jian to make a move on Mount Flower.
The System was rapidly processing the situation. Meanwhile, Yu Jian slowly raised a finger to her red lips, her voice lazy and bewitching, yet carrying an underlying warning. "You have a System, and a talent for combat. But some things are not for you to covet. Consider this a warning from a senior: don’t get too close to that woman Hua Zhuo. It won’t do you any good."
With that, Yu Jian turned, her figure gracefully drifting away from the riverside.
Zero Egg asked sincerely, "Is she nuts or something?" How come even I, a System, can’t understand what she’s saying? And Wen Jiang’s temper is surprisingly good this time.
Wen Jiang sighed. "It seems I guessed right. She’s not the one we need to deal with. I didn’t scold her just now because I was worried she’d go crazy and keep troubling the people in my association." After all, idiots are unpredictable. I felt a prying gaze from Yu Jian, likely from the Heaven’s Mandate System residing within her.
Zero Egg asked earnestly, "Then who do we need to deal with?"
Wen Jiang didn’t say, afraid Zero Egg would be so scared it would crash. After all, in the beginning, it was just an ordinary Drawing System.