Chapter 84: 084 You’re not sick, watch less of what you shouldn’t_1
Wen Jiang arrived at the association. She had notified them in advance about her leave, and combined with her overwhelming strength, Chen Runyu and the others had no objections to her occasional absence from training.
On the contrary, they felt immense pressure. Wen Jiang was outrageously strong, so much so that they worried about becoming the ones holding the team back.
However, there was a particular buzz within Mount Flower today. Unlike some of the rumors stirred up by clickbait accounts, they knew for a fact that Du Zhaiyue had indeed come to Mount Flower.
Chen Runyu had even seen Du Zhaiyue when he arrived.
Compared to the others, Chen Runyu wasn’t as ecstatic, but he remarked to his teammates with a hint of disbelief, "I never imagined Shadow God’s teammate would be Du Zhaiyue."
"First, they kicked out four S Rank players for Shadow God, and now they’ve actually managed to recruit Du Zhaiyue as a teammate!" Shi Qi was extremely excited. "Let’s see who dares to spread rumors that Mount Flower is finished now."
Her words brought a subtle pause to the group.
Indeed, numerous rumors were circulating, and Mount Flower’s fate had become a topic of widespread concern. For Du Zhaiyue to be willing to join Mount Flower at this critical juncture was undoubtedly a powerful shot in the arm for the association.
During their discussion, Chen Runyu spotted Wen Jiang arriving and quickly waved. "Wen Jiang."
Wen Jiang walked over, a faint smile on her face. "You’re all gathered so early? Not busy training?"
Everyone was engrossed in gossip. Dou Yuan asked her, "Wen Jiang, have you seen the news about Du Zhaiyue? The prodigy from the Frost Moon Empire who renounced her citizenship there to return to our country."
Wen Jiang nodded. "I’ve heard. I also heard she has come to our association?"
"Yeah," Ruan Chunen said incredulously. "Who would have thought? When those S Rank players were kicked out, they were quite resentful, saying no one would want to be Sheng Hongying’s teammate after they left. But it was an instant slap in the face for them; the newcomer is incredibly strong."
Wen Jiang feigned curiosity. "Du Zhaiyue is so powerful, why would she choose to come to Mount Flower?"
"Uh—" Everyone exchanged subtle glances.
While saying so might seem to disparage their own association, it was the truth. There were several major associations more prominent than Mount Flower, so it didn’t quite make sense that Du Zhaiyue had chosen them.
After a moment of thought, Chen Runyu shared his perspective. "Our association probably isn’t that bad. Besides, I think she might have come precisely because our association is currently unstable."
"Oh?" Everyone looked at him curiously.
Chen Runyu analyzed, "She is indeed strong; there’s no doubt about that. However, the top associations have very stable S Rank teams. Currently, I haven’t heard of any other association, like ours, needing to replace a teammate. If she went to one of them, she might have to compete for a starting spot. Alternatively, if she took someone else’s position, it would definitely cause backlash from the fans. When the news of her return to the country broke a while ago, I heard a few associations contacted her, but none were overly enthusiastic."
"Looking at it this way, our association is indeed the best choice, especially since Shadow God desperately needs good teammates. Moreover, if Du Zhaiyue can cooperate well with Shadow God, it would mean a sensational debut for her return to the country, creating an excellent situation for herself. Even if she were to switch associations next year, she’d have more options. She has only just returned to the country. Although she’s reputed to be strong, she has only competed in singles matches before. It’s hard to say if she can deliver a truly dazzling performance in a team setting."
"Not bad," Dou Yuan looked at Chen Runyu. "I didn’t realize you had such good sources to know this kind of information."
Chen Runyu coughed lightly, not trying to hide much. "My family has channels for such gossip. It’s okay to discuss matters that aren’t too sensitive."
Shi Qi nodded. "Runyu has a point. And Du Zhaiyue is really beautiful. I saw her downstairs earlier; she came with a leader in a wheelchair."
Hearing this, Wen Jiang guessed it was the person she had seen a few days ago.
They didn’t discuss Du Zhaiyue for long before Chen Runyu turned to Wen Jiang, asking eagerly, "Wen Jiang, what have you been busy with these past few days?" She had previously mentioned being busy with something, which had naturally piqued her teammates’ curiosity.
"Nothing special," Wen Jiang shook her head. "Shall we continue training?"
She changed the subject, and the others didn’t press further. They all nodded and followed Wen Jiang to the training grounds.
Meanwhile, Zero Egg, which could easily check Du Zhaiyue’s details within the association’s internal systems, sounded somewhat dejected. "Ah, it’s not Du Zhaiyue."
Wen Jiang’s expression faltered. Not this one either? Then it seems my previous speculation was unnecessary.
After finishing training with Chen Runyu and the others, Wen Jiang, who didn’t live at the association, was about to leave when she happened to encounter a large entourage.
The Jimo Family manager in a wheelchair was there, along with Sheng Hongying and other familiar faces, plus a group of association leaders. Among them was an unfamiliar face that Wen Jiang recognized—it was Du Zhaiyue.
Du Zhaiyue was exquisitely beautiful and refined. A Spirit Card Master nurtured by an ancient clan, she carried herself with an air of dignified composure. Her graceful and measured gait spoke of her upbringing. Even standing beside someone as formidably imposing as Sheng Hongying, she was not overshadowed in the slightest.
As this entourage passed by, any employees and Spirit Card Masters they encountered quickly stepped aside to make way.
Wen Jiang, who was about to walk past, saw this and also stepped back, allowing them to proceed first.
She noticed that as this entourage passed by, the woman in the wheelchair, Sheng Hongying, and even Du Zhaiyue all glanced her way, whether intentionally or not.
Perhaps it was simple curiosity. For individuals of their stature, an A-Level Spirit Card Master like Wen Jiang was typically an insignificant figure, someone they wouldn’t normally deign to notice. The reason they did, in this instance, was likely due to Wen Jiang’s distinct aura, which set her apart at a single glance. Most others in her position would react with envy, awe, or admiration. Yet, this girl, as they passed, her eyes remained calm and unperturbed, as if she hadn’t even seen them. Such an unusual reaction was bound to pique their interest.
Even Zero Egg was somewhat taken aback by Wen Jiang’s behavior. "I thought you were the type who would never yield if you were blocking the path."
Wen Jiang’s consistently assertive demeanor had created this mistaken impression in Zero Egg. It had assumed Wen Jiang was the kind of person who, if obstructing the way, would simply expect others to go around her.
Wen Jiang retorted, "If there’s nothing wrong with you, stop observing things you shouldn’t. It’ll lower your IQ."
Zero Egg: "..."
Trailing behind this group was Tang Qian, hurrying as if she had just come from her office carrying something. Spotting Wen Jiang, her eyes lit up, and she immediately waved, signaling Wen Jiang to her office.
Wen Jiang walked over and entered Tang Qian’s office. Tang Qian casually closed the door, but her careful demeanor suggested that their discussion would not be about training.
Sure enough, Tang Qian began, "Wen Jiang, I know this might be asking a lot, but the chairman approached me today. He asked if you could possibly create a custom card soon, so I can report to our superiors. If you don’t have any inspiration right now, even a rough concept would do. I could present that as a preliminary result."
Wen Jiang raised an eyebrow. "Is it that urgent?"
Tang Qian’s expression turned cold. "The Card Maker we previously collaborated with came to the association and spread some unsettling rumors, and now the chairman is feeling uneasy."