"Arranged marriages—are they still a thing?"
Luo Sheng was stunned. Isn't this an outdated practice? After all, the Card Alliance was established with marriage freedom being a legal right.
Wang Ke'ai nodded. "You may think it's old-fashioned, but for wealthy families, these arranged marriages are very common. They not only help quickly accumulate wealth and power, but when two powerful card masters marry, they can produce a more talented next generation. Talents are the future of these families."
Indeed, in a society where power is paramount, securing one's position requires strength and influence.
It seems that, in practice, the so-called law of marriage freedom is nothing more than a piece of paper for these powerful families. It only benefits commoners.
"But isn't Qianjia a talented girl? Does the Qin family really want to marry her off?" Luo Sheng asked, still confused.
"I don't know about that," Wang Ke'ai replied.
Qin Jianjia, hearing their curious gazes, let out a helpless sigh. "Because they offered an irresistible condition—cultivating a platinum card master for the family."
A platinum card master is above a golden card master and is a very rare rank.
Not everyone can easily become a platinum card master.
Many people reach a certain level, but their spiritual jade no longer grows due to talent limitations. Even if they wish to progress, it requires a significant amount of resources.
A platinum card master could essentially become the protector of an entire region.
For wealthy families, having a few powerful card masters means more influence in the Card Alliance, and they can even infiltrate the alliance and support their own interests.
It's similar to how Jewish capitalists used their wealth and connections to control a government from top to bottom, guiding the direction of a country and even wars to maximize profit.
"What about now?" Luo Sheng asked, concerned.
"Based on her current ability, if she reaches platinum rank before twenty, the marriage will be annulled," Qin Jianjia replied.
"That's so difficult!" Wang Ke'ai frowned.
She didn't believe that one could become platinum in just two years. With the current advanced meditation methods, it would take at least a master's degree in card studies, and there could be no bottleneck.
In an ideal situation, even a genius would need at least 4 to 6 years.
But in reality, unexpected factors often hinder progress—such as limited talent, brain damage, lack of resources, etc.
At this moment, a calm voice suddenly came from next to them.
"There is no absolute in this world. If the brain undergoes a strange transformation or you open a second spiritual jade, it can be done within two years. It's been done before. To put it simply, improving the quality and quantity of spiritual patterns can enhance card feedback as well."
Luo Sheng didn't realize when Xu Yourong had sat down beside him, speaking with a calm and analytical tone.
She was dressed in a long, flowing gown with wide sleeves that reached the floor. The soft lotus-colored dress made her look like a cloud wrapping around her tall body.
Her pale skin, black eyes, and fair arms exposed outside the gown gave her an ethereal, almost sculptural beauty.
The only mismatch was her glasses and formal attire, which made her look like a lab warrior reluctantly forced to wear a dress for a blind date.
At the table, Luo Sheng was sitting in the third seat.
The first, second, and fourth seats were taken by Qin Jianjia, Wang Ke'ai, and Xu Yourong, respectively.
Luo Sheng was stunned for a while. He didn't expect Xu Yourong to appear next to him. Something felt off.
"Miss, what are you doing here?" he asked.
Wang Ke'ai and Qin Jianjia both looked at her.
"How did you show up here?" Wang Ke'ai asked.
"Same question," Qin Jianjia said.
"Add one," Luo Sheng chimed in.
"I thought you would ask something meaningful," Xu Yourong sighed, then replied nonchalantly, "I don't like attending pointless parties. But when I saw the three of you discussing cards in the corner, I came over."
Clearly, each noble lady had her own personality.
From what Luo Sheng observed, Qin Jianjia was the ice queen with immense pride, Wang Ke'ai was the arrogant type who liked to show off despite not being particularly talented, and Xu Yourong seemed like the emotionless scholar who was only interested in academics.
Luo Sheng spoke up, "Sounds like you were forced to come and had to wear a dress."
Xu Yourong nodded. Then, she looked around the party with disinterest and said, "Indeed. I'd rather lock myself in a room and read than mingle with those useless people. But today wasn't entirely without merit. There are still things that caught my attention. For instance, your appearance was unexpected."
"Me?" Luo Sheng was taken aback.
He then asked, "Why would I attract your attention? Is it because of the Xu Tian'ai matter?"
Xu Yourong blinked and said, "Yes and no. What caught my attention was how you became a reinforcement master right after forming your spiritual jade. You're not from a family of card masters, and you didn't use a lot of resources to enhance your abilities. Your reinforcement powers are strange, especially your ability to repair damaged cards, which can't be explained by common logic. Also, you're a commoner who can rapidly increase your level. I suspect you've already reached bronze 5-6 stars, not the bronze 4 star rank you currently have in your academy."
She said all this in one breath, as though she had already thought it through or had been mulling it over for a long time.
"Whoa…"
Luo Sheng felt his scalp tingle.
He didn't expect her to be so observant. She had noticed so many details and even guessed his strength.
But Luo Sheng still asked, "So, is that why you bet on me to win?"
"Not exactly, since I don't have a good relationship with Xu Tian'ai," Xu Yourong replied honestly.
At that moment, a sharp gaze fixed on Luo Sheng.
He turned his head and saw Wang Ke'ai squinting at him. "No wonder you tricked me when you fixed that card, stealing so many of my things. So, you're the hidden big boss. Spit it out!"
Qin Jianjia was drinking tea, but her ears twitched, and it seemed like she was eavesdropping.
Sure enough, women love gossip!
(End of Chapter)