The Card Apprentice

Outside of Eastern Shang-Wei City, Chen Mu couldn’t help asking, “Are we going to go in looking like this?” The demonic woman had done some strange things with his face, immediately changing his appearance to someone else. He was still young, but he bore no relation to the way he looked before.

He now had a sallow face, which looked a little sickly, with sunken eyes. The demonic woman had put some kind of yellow fruit into Chen Mu’s mouth to produce the look. The waxy yellow wasn’t something applied on the surface, but was reflected on his whole body, which was all now the same kind of waxy yellow. But Chen Mu didn’t feel any discomfort, and his body hadn’t been harmed.

That kind of shape changing technique was amazing. That creation of An Xiaoyou’s would be considered the dregs in comparison, without any practical value.

“I am mute.” The demonic woman used an awkward pronunciation which made Chen Mu want to laugh.”

Chen Mu discovered that the demonic woman was very familiar with the region outside the city, and didn’t need to rely on any map card. She could accurately discern the direction even while in the dense jungle.

She’d carried Chen Mu from the outer reaches beyond the town of Burlington, to the outskirts of Eastern Shang-Wei City proper. During the whole route, Chen Mu hadn’t once seen her stopping to check the direction.

Luckily, he had become rather used to the demonic woman’s toughness.

Chen Mu was made a little uncomfortable by his changed face, though he quickly overcame it.

He didn’t know when the demonic woman had changed her clothes, though Chen Mu maliciously guessed that it might be something that she peeled of from some card artisan she had killed. Her face had also changed, as he only just found out. The scabby shell on her face was also some sort of disguise.

The face she changed into was very plain, with a mild appearance. Chen Mu surmised that that wasn’t her real appearance either. She was now walking at Chen Mu’s side, looking like a timid little sister. She was very cute hanging onto his shirttail, which made Chen Mu’s face feel like twitching.

That feeling was upside down!

The two of them entered the city gate, and nothing happened. They were extremely inconspicuous, and so naturally nobody paid any attention to them. Meanwhile, the Zuo household people were madly searching for Chen Mu in the jungles near Burlington.

An issue suddenly occurred to Chen Mu as they were walking along the streets of Eastern Shang-Wei City.

He had left his money card at home, not having taken it in his hurry. Now he was penniless, and he wasn’t counting on the demonic woman.

Would you count on a person from the House of a Hundred Depths carrying Heavenly Federation Oudis on her person? Such a gal would almost certainly be a smuggler.

“I don’t have any money on me.” Chen Mu said to her, looking around to make sure nobody was there.

While still hanging onto Chen Mu’s shirttail, the demonic lady said without lifting her eyelids, “Kill person? Make Money?”

A cold sweat came out on Chen Mu. It was a good thing that he had gotten her questioning tone, or he wouldn’t have been able to take it. It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen blood. Last time some playboy had died in his hands. But every time he heard the demonic woman being so casual about killing people, her disrespect for human life gave him a chill.

They were just passing a restaurant above which was hanging a sign which said, “Handy man and dishwasher wanted, 850 Oudi per week, food and rent included.”

Rubbing his stomach which hadn’t eaten for quite a few days, Chen Mu resolutely took her into the shop.

“Shopkeeper, are you looking for a handyman?” Chen Mu asked. Having a rich experience with short-term work, he wasn’t at all timid.

The fat woman sized him up, and asked suspiciously, “You must be sick, with that color in your face.”

Chen Mu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but seeing that there was a sack of rice to the side, he walked over and picked it up. Putting it down he said, “Is there such a sick person?”

“Oh. You’re not a weakling. Good handyman material.” The shopkeeper lady was clearly very satisfied with Chen Mu’s strength, and was just looking at the demonic woman tugging at his shirttail, “Who is she?”

“My little sister.” Chen Mu said naturally, “She’s the dishwasher. We’ll split the money, if you include the food and rent.” The demonic woman behind him looked as though she didn’t have any opinion on the matter, and so lacking any sudden moves on her part, he put his suspended mind back into his belly.

“OK, of course the money is all yours if you do a good job.” The woman said readily.

Chen Mu said nothing further, and went to work. He knew very well what he should do. Although he was a handyman, that meant that he would do whatever was needed. The more nimble with the work, the more pleasing you would be to the boss. The demonic lady was then dragged into the kitchen to wash the dishes, now looking all docile and obedient.

Clucking her cheek, “I really hadn’t thought the you two siblings were good work material. Your sister is really quick on her feet. She’ll be able to handle what it took three people to do before. She’s even more capable than you.” The proprietress praised them endlessly, and then lamented, “Too bad that such a nice young lady has lost her voice.”

The place where they were to live was a small loft among the piles of goods. Chen Mu didn’t dare stand up in such a cramped space. The would both have to sleep on the floor, where the beds were side by side. Fortunately, the loft had a skylight, since otherwise it would have been quite stuffy.

Chen Mu lay down to sleep after a day of exhaustion, not worried that the demonic woman would do him any harm. Worry wouldn’t have done any good in any case. In her eyes, he didn’t have the ability to fight back.

Chen Mu started dreaming right away after disposing of that thought, and he slept very soundly, loosened up after having gone through days in a high state of agitation.

As soon as he woke up, Chen Mu opened his eyes to find the demonic woman back in her black body suit.

Chen Mu quickly closed his eyes, since although he knew that the demonic woman wasn’t going to harm him for the time being, he obviously didn’t need to offend her that way.

“Did you go out last night?” Chen Mu couldn’t help asking, having just caught a glimpse of the half-closed skylight.

The demonic woman didn’t pay any attention to him, and changed her clothes and went to sleep.

Seeing how it was, Chen Mu naturally knew how to keep his mouth shut.

After sleeping about an hour more, the proprietress was calling them from below, and a new day was starting.

Pour the tea, pour the water, serve the food, deliver the food, carry the bags and lift the goods, Chen Mu did everything. But it wasn’t bothering him, wanting that kind of peaceful life to go on for a while. He was thirsty for it after having just gone through so many scenes of life and death.

He didn’t dare to get in contact with Copper, not knowing what the situation was with him. And moreover, he had a murderous demon with him, and didn’t want Copper to be hurt because of him.

By evening, Chen Mu didn’t go right to bed. That kind of life was very relaxing for him, given his current strength. So that day wasn’t so tiring as the day before!

“What are the Big Six? What is the Star Academy?” The demonic woman had suddenly opened her mouth.