Chapter 67: 067 Official Website Public_1
BEEP. A sound came from a staff member’s computer in the Card Game Official Website Back-Office. Jiang Kun, holding a cup of coffee, sighed at the sound. It never ends. Working in the Card Database Office was also very busy.
Before he could even make a move on his computer, the Card’s information popped up. Jiang Kun paused.
They had priority in handling data; higher-ranked Cards were processed faster, with the privilege of jumping the queue. There was only one exception that could not only jump the queue but also receive expedited processing: the emergence of a new A-Rank Card.
Throughout the Yunxia Empire, the annual output of A-Rank or higher Cards had been dwindling in recent years.
Jiang Kun took a sip of his coffee and opened the file.
The first thing that caught his eye was the beautifully designed Card. A vivid Snow Rabbit held a medicine pestle taller than itself, caught in the act of pounding herbs.
The Card Maker provided the Card’s information:
[A, Jade Rabbit Pestle Medicine, Healing Card]
Healing Cards were a relatively scarce type of support Card.
Jiang Kun raised his eyebrows, then clicked on the background information below. Each Card’s background story usually detailed its source of inspiration. However, most didn’t delve into cultural aspects; many Card Makers even drew inspiration from other existing Cards.
The background story read:
[It is said that during the Yunxia Ancient Gods Era, ten suns appeared in the sky, making life miserable for humankind. A hero named Hou Yi stepped forward and shot down nine of them. His good deeds earned him the gratitude of the common people. His wife, Chang’e, who was gentle and kind, was blessed by the Queen Mother of the West with the elixir of immortality. Later, a thief named Feng Meng learned about the elixir. While Hou Yi was away from home, Feng Meng threatened Chang’e, demanding she hand over the elixir. Chang’e refused. In her haste, she swallowed the elixir and ascended to the Cold Palace on the Moon. After Chang’e’s ascension, Hou Yi was grief-stricken. He could only gaze at Chang’e from afar, across the moon, each night. Chang’e felt lonely in the Cold Palace but was fortunate to have a Jade Rabbit as her constant companion.]
[This Card is none other than the Jade Rabbit by Chang’e’s side.]
What an amusingly crafted story, was Jiang Kun’s first thought.
But when he snapped back to reality, he realized the Card’s description began by referencing the Yunxia Ancient Gods Era.
Ancient gods?
Legends involving deities were scarce in Yunxia’s history, which also explained the rarity of tales about the Demon Kind. This was why the Demon Kind Cards created by Wen Jiang had been so startling.
Apart from Divine Beasts Cards, Yunxia’s own history seldom mentioned absolute deities. While folklore preserved some tales, like those of the Kitchen God, the formal lineage of ’deities’ had been broken. Without a complete narrative structure, Yunxia found it difficult to confirm such legends. For instance, Bi Fang and Bai Ze were known as Divine Beasts, but their exact lineage remained obscure. Available data suggested they weren’t the only Divine Beasts; legends of others had been lost.
Besides, this was clearly a Jade Rabbit Healing Card. Why did the preceding background story introduce so much seemingly unrelated information?
Could it be that Chang’e, Hou Yi, and others mentioned in the story could also be made into Cards?
Jiang Kun frowned. Cards involving Yunxia’s cultural history were never simple—the older the story, the better. Yet, he had never heard of the legend mentioned for this Card.
How could one truly create a Jade Rabbit Card based solely on that preceding passage?
As an insider, Jiang Kun had met many experts and knew some of the mysteries behind Card creation. Generally, a Card’s successful creation was largely related to the Card Maker’s own conviction. Higher-rank Cards, in particular, required a complete background story for justification. After all, how could something inherently virtual and non-existent, lacking even the information to support its being, be conjured from mere imagination?
Take the Angel Card Set from the Western Sanctuary Empire, for example. Backed by the comprehensive narrative of the Bible, the existence of dozens of angels seemed entirely logical. Similarly, Teacher Li Huijun, who firmly believed in the existence of the divine beast from the archaeologically discovered ’Carefree Roam,’ had actually created the recent, world-shaking, dual-transform SSR Card: Kun!
Of course, this was merely an A-Rank Card.
Since it had been successfully created, the Card itself was a success.
Jiang Kun pursed his lips. Without dwelling on it further, he uploaded the Card’s background story and the Card itself to the official website.
Moreover, the Card was exceptionally beautiful. It was rare to see such a conventional animal Card in the A-Rank category; its very existence signified something extraordinary. Coupled with the well-rendered story, it would likely fetch a good price.
Unfortunately, they only had review privileges, lacking the authorization to access the Card’s detailed information or ascertain its power.
He checked the Card Maker’s name. Although it was listed as anonymous to the public, internal staff could see it: Wen Jiang.
Why does that name sound a bit familiar?
A quick search revealed she was indeed a popular figure—wow, the champion of the Dongzhou Partition tournament!
Wait a minute, isn’t she a B-Level Spirit Card Master? How did she create an A-Rank Card? Jiang Kun quickly realized—she had leveled up.
She had upgraded after just one competition. No wonder she could create such a Card; she was a genius.
It was a pity her fame still couldn’t compare to the other genius girl who was about to return to the country, but Jiang Kun made a note of Wen Jiang’s name.
He found himself very interested in the story’s ’Chang’e Ascends to the Moon’ and ’Hou Yi Shoots the Suns.’ Strangely, after reading the story, these phrases had formed naturally in his mind, as if they were always meant to be. If she could truly create Cards based on these, wouldn’t that lend some credibility to the story?
Once the new Card was uploaded to the official website, many people would receive notifications.
Unsurprisingly, a large number of Spirit Card Masters monitored new Card releases each year. Once a new Card appeared in the database, it signified it was ’publicly’ available. They would try to identify the Card Maker based on the design and description, or discuss potential merchandise collaborations. They could also leave comments under the Card; if the Card Maker saw them, they might even reply. Perhaps they could also draw inspiration from some of the Card’s characteristics to create a new Card of their own?
Chen Xiaotu was an old hand at this. She couldn’t afford A-Rank Cards herself but always kept an eye on new releases. Ever since Mount Flower had agreed to release merchandise for their card sets, she had spent a fortune to preorder this particular set’s merchandise through her brother, leveraging his connections.
When she saw a new A-Rank Card appear on the official website, she curiously clicked on it. Upon seeing the Jade Rabbit Pestle Medicine Card, Chen Xiaotu’s eyes widened.
A rabbit!
In her entire life, there were two types of Cards she had absolutely no resistance to: one was rabbit-themed Cards, just like her name, and the other was beauty-themed Cards. The last Flower Demon, Rabbit Demon, and Bamboo Demon Cards had nearly been the death of her. Although her reaction to this Rabbit Card wasn’t as intense, her mind was completely filled with one thought:
I want it!!
Damn it, it’s an A-Rank Card! Far beyond her reach!
Chen Xiaotu immediately left a comment under the Card: "Pro! Will there be merchandise for this Card? I want to buy it!"