Chapter 178: 178 What’s the Threat of a Spirit Card Master_1
It’s not without reason that Yunxia people are said to be good at scolding.
They can ridicule someone for taking advantage of generational hierarchy as soon as they open their mouths.
But on the Dongzhou side, there was still some tension.
The main speaker, a Beiwu Spirit Card Master, was touted as the most likely in recent years to advance to the rank of a UR-Rank Spirit Card Master within Country Beiwu.
He held a transcendent status in Country Beiwu and also had deep connections with the Spirit Card Masters of various associations within the Sanctuary.
Logically speaking, such a figure had no need to stoop to the level of an A-Level Spirit Card Master.
His speech was actually conveying two messages.
First, Wen Jiang’s actions had ticked off the Spirit Card Masters of their lineage. Second, any Yunxia Spirit Card Master who wanted to engage with their circle in card cooperation in the future would have to weigh whether it was worth straining relationships over a junior.
In other words, they wanted to force Wen Jiang, by blowing the matter up, to come forward and apologize.
Otherwise, in the future, when Yunxia Spirit Card Masters negotiated card cooperation with other countries, most channels would certainly be blocked, and they might even refuse to lend cards to Yunxia Spirit Card Masters.
For the big associations, this might be inconsequential, but for the smaller ones that rely on renting cards, it was a death blow.
Many Spirit Card Masters were eager to study in other empires and engage in card exchanges. If this incident escalated, it really could impact subsequent card trade relations.
For many Yunxia Spirit Card Masters, this was unacceptable.
Because there was an undeniable fact: foreign card sets sold very well within the borders of Yunxia.
This mainly referred to Card Spirits.
The fact that foreign cards were strong couldn’t be disputed. Even if Yunxia had now produced the divine Moon Palace Card Set, it was at most A-Level with just three cards and didn’t affect the S Rank dynamics.
In the world at that time, it was still the domain of SSR Cards. Lower-rank cards, even A-Level ones, seemed rather mediocre by comparison.
To give an example, in S Rank competitions at the time, excluding the trump cards from the various associations, nearly every association rented foreign and Nobility card sets. A Spirit Card Master from the Beiwu Empire might not have such great influence, but if the Sanctuary indeed restricted some card rental permissions because of this, it might really affect some cards in the following year’s world competition.
What was disgusting about this situation?
It was the fact that even though Beiwu was clearly the instigator, possibly with the nudging of the Sanctuary Empire, Wen Jiang, at most, had sought justice for herself. Yet, this justice was seen as an utmost disgrace in the eyes of these people.
We bully you, and you’re supposed to bear it. You even dare to speak out? You must have incredible audacity!
If we don’t teach you a lesson, you won’t realize who’s the boss in this world!
The Yunxia S Rank associations affected by all this might turn around and pressure Wen Jiang to apologize.
This would let their own people create enmities among themselves while foreigners could just sit back and watch the infighting.
Could Wen Jiang afford to take such a loss?
Tang Qian hadn’t expected her worries to become reality. It wasn’t just some minor character targeting Wen Jiang—it was such a formidable person.
「The day before the competition began」
Media outlets at odds with the Jimo Family started reporting on the issue. They subtly pointed out how much trouble Wen Jiang’s actions could bring to the Empire, suggesting that if Wen Jiang didn’t come out and apologize, she would become a criminal.
These media outlets leading the narrative had branches of major international media, and Wen Jiang reckoned there were certainly maneuvers from the Qiao Family and other Nobility involved.
It seemed the Card Factory matter had indeed made some people restless.
And her approach, completely different from that of the Nobility, had already begun to cause adverse reactions.
Wen Jiang wouldn’t be affected, but the other four teammates were another story. The night before the game, everyone gathered to discuss the next day’s match.
Chen Runyu had vaguely sensed something was amiss from the news reports and was somewhat incredulous. "But this matter is clearly the fault of the International Association," he said. "It was they who demanded we hand over the cards; that’s a fact."
Tang Qian raised her voice. "Runyu, rest early tonight. This matter is not our concern; the public relations department will handle it."
Gong Yuan cautiously said, "Coach, we won’t be affected, but Wen Jiang..."
Everyone looked at Wen Jiang. She was sitting there with one leg crossed, casually swiping her hand, followed by the crisp sound of a prop shattering.
She was playing a game and seemed unaffected by any of it.
Tang Qian sighed. "It’s fine; Wen Jiang won’t have any problems either. Everyone, get some good rest and conserve your energy."
With the coach saying so, everyone else could only go off to rest.
Once they had all left, Tang Qian approached Wen Jiang with a hesitant expression. "I’m actually relieved that you didn’t immediately respond to them with criticism," she said.
Wen Jiang looked up. "I would have, but isn’t this following your advice?"
Tang Qian was momentarily moved to tears.
What? This handful was actually willing to keep calm at her behest?
No, that was wrong. This was a rule a professional player should follow; she had been ’PUA’ed by Wen Jiang!
"Not letting you guys comment is to avoid this kind of manipulation," Tang Qian still earnestly explained. "Look, you are public figures; every word you say can be interpreted in various ways. You were right to stand up for the association, but unfortunately, this world is so complex. There are people who, begrudgingly, would rather be humiliated than concede defeat, and what’s scarier is, they can actually do it."
"Are you worried that the domestic associations will use this as leverage to force me to bow down?"
Tang Qian paused for a moment. "I have already received messages of complaint."
There were things she didn’t want to hide from Wen Jiang, because these were things Wen Jiang needed to know, especially now that Mount Flower was still her property.
Wen Jiang lifted her chin, not the least bit worried. "If standing up for my own rights is also wrong," she said, "and if a so-called S-Rank Spirit Card Master’s casual remarks can make an empire bow, then that empire is nothing in my eyes. Your worries won’t become reality. Only those with short-sighted views complain to you."
"Many of Yunxia’s associations mainly deal with card-related businesses aligned with Xi Zhou and North Continent. If a Beiwu Spirit Card Master from Country Beiwu could make these associations discard their interests just to threaten Yunxia, then I’d start to wonder whether Beiwu is the Sanctuary’s lapdog, or if all other empires besides Yunxia are kowtowing to Beiwu."
"Other associations won’t spout such nonsense. The media’s coverage is because of the conflict of interest between me and the Card Factory, and the Qiao Family just wants to needle me a bit. Should they dare confront me directly, they’ll face the consequences of gravely offending me. An exceptionally talented Spirit Card Master like me, an heir to the Jimo Family, ascending to S Rank would spell disaster for them. You just need to note down which associations those who complain to you come from. Short-sighted people don’t deserve to reap the benefits."
Wen Jiang’s casual yet firm words struck a chord with Tang Qian.
Actually, Tang Qian might have realized this herself. However, as Wen Jiang’s coach and the first person to bear the brunt whenever controversy arose, she was the one everyone called to complain. Hearing too much of it had numbed her thinking, making her unable to immediately grasp these points. She had overlooked the most important aspect due to the other party’s high status.
Now that Wen Jiang had laid it out, Tang Qian suddenly saw things clearly.