The Card Apprentice

The grouping for the four finalists was released. Huo Jiang’s opponent would be Jiang Shan, and Chen Mu would be fighting against Luo Qing.

Xu Jia said to Chen Mu in a slightly concerned tone, “I’m familiar with Luo Qing. You have to be careful; she never shows mercy to men.”

“Okay,” Chen Mu replied. He wouldn’t underestimate his opponent merely because of his opponent’s gender. As opposed to Xu Jia’s words, he would actually pay more attention. There were a lot more male card artisans compared to female card artisans. To be able to hold a seat amongst the female card artisans, the lady definitely had to have some outstanding skills. Moreover, his opponent now represented the Luo family, the biggest family in Dongrui. There was no reason for him to doubt her capability.

However, the first match wasn’t between Chen Mu and Luo Qing but was between Huo Jiang and Jiang Shan. Huo Jiang had easily triumphed the previous battles; hence, his true capability was yet to be revealed. However, Chen Mu was familiar with Jiang Shan’s skill. Jiang Shan’s feet were always a few centimeters away from the ground.

There was usually a break during the tournament. During the break, the audience would enthusiastically discuss the previous matches. It was such an enjoyment to watch the elites fight against each other while savoring red wine.

As Chen Mu was reminiscing the previous battle with his eyes shut, he suddenly sensed someone by his side. He opened his eyes and found Tan Yumin, who had finally escaped from Jiang Ling. She sat down and was only separated from Chen Mu by an empty seat, which had been previously occupied by Xu Jia. He took a brief glance at Xu Jia, who was now standing by Tai-shu Cheng’s side with a wine glass in her hand. Seeing Tan Yumin had moved her seat next to Chen Mu, Rong Ming flashed a grin, grabbing his wine glass to go chat with another person.

“The White Commander is stealing all the limelight tonight,” Tan Yumin said with a faint smile on her face as her head tilted.

“Miss Tan has overpraised me,” Chen Mu replied. There was barely any emotion in his tone.

“The White Commander can address me as Yumin.” Tan Yumin continued with a smile, “This is the first time Yumin has seen someone like the White Commander, who can predict his opponent’s moves just by shutting his eyes.”

Not knowing how to answer, Chen Mu repeated his line. “Miss Tan has overpraised me.”

“Does the White Commander have anything against Yumin?” Tan Yumin gently furrowed her eyebrows.

Chen Mu shook his head. “Miss Tan has a kind heart and is a courageous woman. I admire you very much.” Even though his tone was calm, one could easily sense through his words that he was speaking genuinely.

Tan Yumin fixed her fringe before she replied with a gentle smile, “The White Commander wouldn’t stop addressing me as Miss Tan. This makes Yumin feel rather awkward!”

Chen Mu was in a daze before he realized Tan Yumin’s words. “I merely think addressing Miss Tan directly by your first name is slightly rude at this point.”

Having no choice, Tan Yumin replied, “The White Commander is indeed a man who stands by his principles. Yumin can only give in.” With a sudden change of topic, she continued, “Actually, the White Commander’s battle skill reminded Yumin of a senior.”

Chen Mu’s heart skipped a beat, but it wasn’t shown on his face. He looked into Tan Yumin’s eyes and asked, “Which senior is Miss Tan talking about?”

Tan Yumin fixated at Chen Mu and replied nonchalantly, “The senior’s ferocity is well-known across the federation. He is a straightforward person even though he carries a strong murderous aura. Even Uncle Mei compliments him as one of the strongest in the federation in the last 100 years. The senior’s battle style is similar to the White Commander’s. If not for his hot temper, I would have definitely mistaken the White Commander as his apprentice.”

“Oh.” Chen Mu’s heart skipped yet another beat. He knew the senior Tan Yumin was talking about was none other than Caesar. Didn’t she claim she knows nothing about card artisans? How could she tell the relationship between Caesar and me? Where did this girl come from? Why does she know so much? However, Chen Mu also wasn’t naïve. He knew he was not supposed to show any suspicion. He swiftly pretended to be somewhat curious and asked, “May I know the name of this senior?”

Tan Yumin stared at Chen Mu’s eyes for a moment before she abruptly flashed a pretty grin. “It’s only hearsay that Yumin came across. The White Commander doesn’t have to take it seriously.” She suddenly leaned forward and muttered beside Chen Mu’s ear, “The White Commander must not let anyone else take Yumin’s bracelet away.” She stood up and left after finishing her sentence.

Jiang Yu had been paying attention to Tan Yumin. When he saw her lean toward Chen Mu, his face turned somewhat bitter. Luo De, who was by his side, was drinking his wine nonchalantly. Seeing Jiang Yu’s sour face, he laughed in a teasing manner. “I wonder what charm he has to be able to attract women.”

Jiang Yu’s heart briefly turned cold when he heard Luo De’s words. He knew Luo De had sensed his bitterness. He promptly regained his composure and laughed along. “Mystery is the best introduction. Aside from the other traits he has, his skills are quite notable. I’m afraid the White Commander came from an extraordinary background.”

Luo De put away his playful expression and said in a lowered voice, “Tiger Rong might know something, but he won’t reveal anything.”

Jiang Yu toyed with the wine glass in his hand as he said, “I’m only curious about one thing. Why would a person like the White Commander become Tai-shu Cheng’s subordinate?”

Luo De had no answer to that either. He laughed abruptly. “Take a guess. Who will win that bracelet tonight?”

Jiang Yu threw a glance at Luo De. “I’m 80 percent confident it will be me. As for the winner of the tournament, it will be either you or me. Even if you win it, you’ll certainly gift it to me as a favor. It’s just that I didn’t expect the appearance of the White Commander. After watching his fight with Ba Luojia, my confidence level has definitely dropped.”

Luo De gave an unconvincing smile. “I was also confident with Luo Qing. Now, I think Luo Qing’s chances of winning had been halved.”

Before their discussion ended, the tournament started with the duel between Huo Jiang and Jiang Shan. The two entered the arena.

Despite looking a bit feminine, Huo Jiang was considerably handsome. The moment he entered the arena, many of the female spectators screamed in excitement. In contrast, the audience was calm when Jiang Shan entered.

Indeed, women and men paid attention to different things. For instance, women would be more concerned about the card artisans’ appearance during tournaments. The good-looking and handsome men could gain their favor more easily. On the other hand, the men only bothered with the skill and performance of the card artisans.

Huo Jiang’s expression was solemn. He had never fought with Jiang Shan before. However, his title as the bodyguard of Miss Jiang would already have scared off many. The capability of the card artisans in the Jiang family was way stronger than that of those in the Tai-shu family.

Jiang Shan kept a straight face as he quietly rose a few centimeters off the ground.

Huo Jiang felt the pressure. The more composed the opponent looked, the more confident the opponent was. He decided to take the initial attack. That round, he didn’t use the Three Leaves as he usually did. Instead, he used another card.

With his lowered brows and solemn face, he stretched out his hands slightly as if he were holding something. To the crowd’s astonishment, spots of light continuously floated from his palms into the air. Their speed became increasingly fast. In only a few seconds, the spots were sprouting out of his palms like a fountain.

Before Huo Jiang completed his move, Jiang Shan took his turn. With his upper body staying still, he slid backward as if he were skating on ice. The two of them were instantly pulled apart. Jiang Shan’s expression turned solemn as he waved his fingertips, where a cloud of tender blue light appeared. His right hand gently stroked across the air, and a blue electric arc appeared in front of him, buzzing and zapping.

Jiang Shan again brushed his hand through the air, and another electric arc appeared. The two arcs merged together, and the light blue color darkened slightly.

Huo Jiang was enveloped by the spots of light. The audience could barely see his silhouette, yet the spots hadn’t stopped flowing from his palms. Jiang Shan, too, repeatedly drew the electric arcs in the air. All of the electric arcs overlapped with each other and formed one dark blue arc that was shining brightly.

The scene in the arena was eerie. The two contestants were immersed in their own acts. However, the knowledgeable audience could catch the hint at first glance that the two of them were accumulating their utmost energy! They knew that when the two card artisans finally clashed, it would be a tremendous explosion. Spectators on the platform appeared to be concerned. The terrifying energy wave spreading from the tournament arena was causing the crowd to feel rather distressed!

Chen Mu was a little flustered. The two seemed to intend to release all of their energy in one go. He couldn’t understand their motives. In fact, he was confused merely because he wasn’t used to tournaments. Most of the card artisans preferred to fight using their ultimate moves against each other to decide the winner of the match. That was common practice in tournaments, though it was rarely seen during battles.

The energy fluctuation in the air made hearts pound. The spectators were standing in anticipation of the great clash between the two contestants. From the view of card artisans, that probably didn’t seem to be a magnificent sight. However, for the audience mostly made up of laymen, it was spectacular enough to excite them!

As if they had tacit understanding, the two of them attacked simultaneously!

Jiang Shan’s expression was extremely serious. As he was steadily waving his right hand, his expression twitched as he exerted a strenuous force. The bright blue, crescent-shaped electric arc was floating before him and slowly moved forward inch by inch.

On the other side, the spots of light around Huo Jiang suddenly assembled in front of him in a frenzy. They were moving rapidly and then formed a thin white line in the air. In the blink of an eye, a short silver-white energy spear appeared before him. The spear was about half a meter long, and light was beaming all over it. There was a black bamboo joint on the body. A closer look would reveal that the bamboo joint contained three parts.

“The Bamboo Spear!” Those who recognized the card were dumbfounded!

“It’s the actual Bamboo Spear! What a surprise.” Rong Ming had quietly returned to Chen Mu’s side some time ago. He raised his new glass of wine and stared at the silver spear with the iconic bamboo joint.

Chen Mu hadn’t heard of that card. He tilted his head and asked, “The Bamboo Spear?”

Rong Ming said in a lowered voice, “This card originated from the age of the sects. It was also the strongest card among the Bamboo Joint card series. Unfortunately, Huo Jiang doesn’t have sufficient capability, so he could only attain three joints. See the bamboo joints on the body of the spear? The greater the number of bamboo joints, the more powerful the spear’s attack is. The most it can have is seven joints. If I’m not mistaken, Huo Jiang’s card is most likely a five-joint Bamboo Spear.”

“Oh.” Chen Mu came to a realization. At that point, he finally understood the meaning behind the bamboo joint on the spear. In fact, he had suspected the card had originated from the age of sects. The spear obviously seemed to be ancient and different from the spears of the modern era.

Many perceived the cards from the age of the sects to be better than the modern ones. It was actually a misconception. The modern card system was definitely more advanced since it was able to replace the ancient card system. However, the system in the age of the sects had distinctive traits. Back then, there were various unique systems, unlike the current domination of the Van Sant System. As time went by, the unconventional systems had faded away, and only a number of those cards had been passed down. Those that had managed to last were naturally from the age’s best of the best! They also operated differently compared to modern cards. To average card artisans, they might easily draw the short stick when facing those cards.

“What is Jiang Shan’s card, then?” he asked curiously. He could tell Rong Ming was well-versed with those matters.

Rong Ming answered, “The Jiang family has three or four types of famous cards. I reckon the one Jiang Shan is using now is the Dark Blue Electric Arc. Although this card is absolutely not on par with the Bamboo Spear, with Jiang Shan’s capability, they will probably have a good fight.” He suddenly pointed out, “You’ve got to be careful with the young lady from the Luo family. The Luo family of Dongrui stems from the Luo family of Thousand Lakes. They are an influential and wealthy family.”

When the two finally finished preparing, it had taken such a long time that Chen Mu was secretly shaking his head. He would have already made seven to eight attacks in that amount of time.

When he had been in the ordinary residential districts, he’d always thought the five flourishing districts were filled with masters and that the elites from the ordinary residential districts were nothing compared to them. However, when he’d arrived in the five flourishing districts, he’d realized he was wrong. Undeniably, the quantity and quality of card artisans in the five flourishing districts were greater than that of card artisans in the ordinary residential districts. They had a better-equipped and more advanced training system. But the card artisans from the five flourishing districts were not necessarily better than the ones from the ordinary residential districts.

The card artisans from the five flourishing districts were like the polite and smart working-class people in the city, whereas the card artisans from the ordinary residential districts resembled the gangsters from the Outer Reaches.

The card artisans in the five flourishing districts rarely battled and usually had professional careers. Few card artisans were truly involved in battles, and they had all gone through professional training. However, they lacked practical experience compared to the card artisans from the ordinary residential districts. The living environment in the five flourishing districts was much better than that of the ordinary residential districts since it was nicely secured. There were hardly any fights or monsters. Moreover, it had been peaceful for the past few years. Hence, they rarely had the chance to have real fights.

As the match went on, Chen Mu could clearly see the difference between the two contestants.

The speed of the electric arc was gradually increasing and suddenly skyrocketed. Meanwhile, Huo Jiang charged ruthlessly! The blue lightning and the silver beam clashed!

Boom!

The audience saw a flash. The light was so bright that it temporarily blinded them. What followed was a loud bang that deafened their ears. All they could hear were buzzing noises.

At that moment, Chen Mu’s and Rong Ming’s expressions changed!

Dozens of silhouettes appeared without warning on the spectator platform and attacked the audience. Those masked card artisans were skilled and agile! Before they had even landed, they had already fired their attacks! The next second, the sky was raining energy blades.

Rong Ming sneered and then appeared swiftly beside Tan Yumin.

Such speed! Chen Mu thought to himself. Rong Ming indeed lived up to his level-seven perception!

Rong Ming made a circle with his hands, and a terrifying energy wave rippled across the atmosphere. It was as though the energy blades had hit an invisible wall and vanished quietly.

A hint of ferocity flashed through the eyes of Luo Qing, who was beside Luo De. She gently flicked her fingers, and a few streams of light perfectly hit the blades that had been aiming at Luo De and Jiang Yu. They were protected behind her.

Crying and yelling came from every corner. Many spectators failed to dodge the energy blades and were hit. There was blood everywhere. Chen Mu effortlessly avoided a few energy blades as he observed the scene. Unexpectedly, there was a total of ten masked card artisans. Chen Mu focused his gaze and thought, These are card artisan assassins! All ten of them are actual card artisan assassins!

Their movements were nimble and stealthy. When they attacked, they barely caused an energy ripple. Rong Ming, Luo Qing, and the others looked distressed when they realized the specialty of those card artisans. The ten card artisan assassins were aces! But who was their target?

Two of the card artisan assassins twisted their bodies in a strange way before throwing themselves at Rong Ming. Even Rong Ming didn’t dare to act hastily when facing two card artisan assassins at the same time.

Another card artisan assassin charged at Luo Qing from various angles, and one stormed at Chen Mu. Two others were keeping Jiang Shan and Huo Jiang busy in the arena. On the other side, a card artisan assassin was suppressing the others. The remaining three were going after Tai-shu Cheng and his company!

The corner of Chen Mu’s eye twitched. He immediately realized their target was the Tai-shu family! He didn’t have sufficient time to ponder the reason behind the assassination targeting the Tai-shu family. He quickly threw a glance and assessed that there was only Xu Jia and the three brothers of the family, but there was no card artisan.

While facing the card artisan assassin that was charging right at him, Chen Mu was surprisingly calm.

They wanted their targets alive! He knew the motive of the three card artisan assassins just from a glance. If they had intended to kill the family, they could have done it simply with a few energy blades.

Suddenly, Chen Mu closed his eyes. The simple yet mysterious perception world appeared once again.

Distance, angle, direction… He grasped the attack direction of the opponent in the blink of an eye! That was an extraordinarily unique feeling and an extremely powerful instinct. It was even stronger than what he’d felt during his battle with Ba Luojia! He seemed to be able to predict each and every possible move of the opponent.

That feeling gave Chen Mu a shock. It was amazing yet unreasonable! However, the instinct was so powerful that Chen Mu had no reason to doubt its authenticity. He’d had the same vision while battling Ba Luojia, but it was now way stronger and more vivid.

Was this Caesar’s way of battling? To battle with his instinct? That thought popped into his mind.

Before he could react, he suddenly realized he had unknowingly penetrated his opponent’s heart at an awkward angle with the green energy sword whip in his hand under the influence of the strong instinct. The eyes of the masked card artisan bulged as he stared at his chest in disbelief. All of that had happened in less than a second. The three card artisan assassins hadn’t even touched Tai-shu Cheng and his family.

In the perception world, which was constructed by uncountable lines, the intense instinct triggered Chen Mu. It was very realistic. As if he had lost control of his own body, he waved the energy whip subconsciously and cracked it repeatedly until it resembled the tongue of a snake. Xu Jia’s fair neck barely escaped the whip. As the tip of the energy whip drew across the air, the gazes of the three card artisan assassins in midair abruptly contracted, and their speed decreased.

The three of them acted in sync. The card artisan in the middle roared and coated both of his hands with a cloud of purple light before fiercely grabbing the green energy whip. The other two continued with their initial direction and sped toward Tai-shu Cheng and his family! However, the strangest scene unfolded!

The energy whip, which was as thick as a finger, briefly pulled to the back. Before the three card artisan assassins could react, the whip wound around the Tai-shus and Xu Jia and yanked them backward! Their faces were pale with shock. It was good enough that they were able to contain their screaming.

The three card artisan assassins couldn’t believe their opponent’s extraordinary skill to control energy! They felt a chill run unexpectedly through their spines. During the brief clash, their opponent had acted like an expert who always had the upper hand. Unknowingly, they had lost their influence on the situation.

Naturally, the three of them were reluctant to simply give up. The card artisan in the middle let out a sneer. He released the purple light in his hands and fired it straight toward Tai-shu Cheng! The other two increased their speed and charged at the four, who were in midair. However, when the card artisan in the middle initiated his move, the energy whip started to swing gently. The attack barely missed the four as they were tossed away from it. The beam of purple light brushed across Tai-shu Cheng’s ears and coincidentally went through the tiny gaps between the four people.

The card artisan in the middle was dumbfounded. However, his eyes immediately showed a smug look. Despite the slight delay, his two other accomplices had come close to catching the four of them. The other two card artisan assassins couldn’t contain their thrill. They ignored Xu Jia completely and turned around to grab Tai-shu Cheng, Tai-shu Zheng, and Tai-shu Shen.

Suddenly, the two card artisan assassins sensed danger. Two beams of green light flashed through from under their feet. They were terrified and escaped frantically.

When did he ambush from underneath? How could we not realize it? The two failed to disguise the shock in their eyes.

Pew! Pew! Two more beams of green light blocked their escape route, and the two assassins crashed right into each other! Both beams directly penetrated their hearts, forming two blossoms of blood right in the middle of the air.

The sole card artisan left was startled by the scene before him! Being a card artisan assassin, he had been through countless battles and had met many skillful card artisans. However, he had never felt such deep fear! Yes—it was fear! When the opponent could predict all actions, it would spell total exposure. The fear was devastating!

He stared at the man before him, frightened. He retreated, taking one step after another. The fear was engulfing him from within, making him subconsciously want to distance himself from the man before him. The next moment, he decided to propel himself backward using all of his might to frantically retreat.

Bam! A green light beam pierced his chest. His body had continued to move backward with the force of inertia. He lowered his head and stared at his chest in horror.

The long energy sword whip had quietly landed on the ground and had extended to his back. As if it had predicted his movement, the direction of the energy sword whip had changed to point at his back. When he had reversed, he’d flown right into the whip.

The green light swiftly dispersed. The last card artisan assassin lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud. The last and only thought in his mind was that he didn’t have to face that demon anymore!

Tai-shu Cheng and the other three collapsed on the floor. Their eyes were still painted with terror. That sudden twist had scarred them deeply.

Chen Mu quietly stood aside. The two black lines along his white mask made him appear cold yet mysterious. No other card artisan had the courage to go near Chen Mu anymore. His efficient, unpredictable, and mysterious skills had frightened all of the card artisan assassins.

Somebody ordered, “Retreat!” The rest of the card artisan assassins, who had already intended to leave a long time ago, backed out. With Chen Mu’s presence, they knew exactly that their mission had failed.

“You think you can leave as you wish?” Rong Ming let out a contemptuous laugh. He circled his hands once again and stalled the movement of the two card artisans in front of him. The two card artisans were startled. Before they could react, two light beams flashed before them, and two thin lines of blood appeared on their necks.

Luo Qing waved her hands, and a pink energy mist enshrouded the card artisan in front of her. Suddenly, the face of the card artisan twitched, and he was attacked by the energy blade in his own hand. Slap! The energy blade hit right at his face, and he fell to the ground face-down.

The remaining card artisans knew the situation didn’t favor them, so they quietly left. Chen Mu did not chase after them. Neither did Rong Ming and Luo Qing.

They looked at the spectator platform. Cries and shrieks still filled the atmosphere. There were injured spectators everywhere, but they couldn’t help but focus their attention on the same person—the masked man. A hint of fear flashed through their eyes, and their feelings were quite complicated.