The Card Apprentice

“Medical card artisan teams from the Star Academy and the Bitter Solitude Temple have come to pay a visit, Boss. They hope to be able to resupply themselves here, and they hope we will permit them to set up a medical station.” Xi Ping did his best to describe the situation concisely.

“Star Academy and the Bitter Solitude Temple?” Chen Mu was taken aback.

What are they looking to stir up together by coming over here?

Once Xi Ping saw Chen Mu’s expression, he knew the boss hadn’t been paying close attention to what had been happening recently in the federation. He explained how at that moment, the Star Academy and the Bitter Solitude Temple had joined forces to form teams of medical card artisans and had rushed to Pomelo to rescue the wounded ordinary citizens.

Tang Hanpei, who had been guarding the only way in, had approved the entry of the combined teams.

“How did they find us?” Chen Mu couldn’t figure that out. What did it have to do with him that the Star Academy and the Bitter Solitude Temple had come?

Xi Ping sneered, “Don’t you remember, Boss? Faya led civilians here when they wanted to attack the base, and many of those citizens have remained outside our base, not daring to leave.”

Chen Mu then remembered that scrape and asked, “How many are still outside?”

“About 150,000.”

After some thought, Chen Mu said, “You and Bogner deal with the matter, so I don’t see them. And what about Sue Lochiro?” Remembering she was a medical card artisan too, he figured that should make it easier to deal with them.

“For the past few days, she has been outside the base treating the wounded citizenry. She’s the kindest medical card artisan I’ve ever seen!” Xi Ping’s tone showed his spontaneous respect, though it also expressed how strange he found it. “Will you really not pay attention to the responsible parties from the Star Academy and the Bitter Solitude Temple?”

Xi Ping was right to ask the question. For any card artisan from the Big Six to enter the ordinary residential districts, no matter which power, they would all treat them as guests. Now the two had combined, and not with any ordinary card artisans. The ones leading them would certainly not be ordinary.

“I won’t see them.” Chen Mu had a determined attitude. To joke about it, he had a lot of history with the Star Academy. When he was under the control of the demonic woman and didn’t have any room to rebound from his captivity, he’d had a conflict with the Star Academy. The Star Academy wouldn’t have looked into what was behind that, though he imagined he had long since been made out as an accomplice.

Since he wasn’t going to see them, he would be regarded as insolent, which would make them unhappy. But if he were recognized by the Star Academy card artisans, that would be a lot unhappier.

The Star Academy card artisans had made a rather deep impression on him, especially Qing Qing. Although he still didn’t know the outcome of the final battle between her and the demonic woman, it was enough to make him afraid. It said plenty that the demonic woman’s first action was to escape after being found out.

If some conflict were to develop at the outset, Chen Mu wondered which side Jiao Si would be on.

Seeing the boss so determined in his response, although Xi Ping felt it inappropriate, he knew there must have been some reason for it.

Could he have some history with one of the two? Thinking of that, Xi Ping couldn’t help but say, “So, would you like to refuse them?”

Chen Mu pondered. “There’s no need to refuse them.”

Chen Mu actually did know his counterparts wouldn’t likely recognize him. When he had encountered the Star Academy card artisans with the demonic woman in the jungle, he had been wearing the ghost-faced flower. But the Star Academy had a lot of power, and there was a high probability that they had investigated his identity afterward.

* * *

What a fine base!

Wang Ze and Yin Chenjiu looked at one another and couldn’t help but praise it to themselves. Wang Ze was the responsible party for the Star Academy side. He had a lot of worldly experience and was a capable manager. He had lately taken on a lot of responsibility for school administration. Yin Chenjiu was his second in command. He had made a rapid rise over the past two years and had been admitted to the Inner Academy.

During those two years, the Star Academy had completely transformed. The most important change was discarding the rule that scholars were unable to leave the Inner Academy before completing their assessment.

Students graduated from the Inner Academy one after the other. It made the ordinary Star Academy students happy to discover that their school had so many aces all along!

For dozens of years, the aces accumulating in the Inner Academy had gotten to a pretty scary point. On top of that, with the addition of new blood and the Star Academy sweeping clean dozens of years of its tired state, there was a newly thriving atmosphere.

Sitting to the side of those two was Jing, who was the responsible party for the Bitter Solitude Temple. Female card artisans were scarcely seen at the Bitter Solitude Temple, which was known for its strict asceticism. There was said to be only a handful.

Jing was probably 25 or 26 and had plain clothes and a plain face. Not concerned with being pretty, she sat up straight and exuded a quiet, secluded feeling.

The Bitter Solitude Temple was a lot more low-key than the Star Academy. That had always been their style. Aces from the Bitter Solitude Temple had always remained unknown.

They were the most special among the Big Six, still retaining a heavy patina of religion. With their mentality of ascetic training for themselves, they had arrived at a clarity of mind and self-abnegation. The Bitter Solitude Temple card artisans’ resolute mindfulness put them at the head of the Big Six in that regard.

Moreover, unlike the card artisans from the other academies, every one of the card artisans from the Bitter Solitude Temple knew a little medicine.

Jing’s second in command was a burly and straightforward man, nearly comparable to Crow Feather, who had been attracted to Wei-ah. He was also barefoot and wore the simplest straight pants just over the knee. He wore a back vest on the upper part of his body, which bulged with muscles. The apparatus he wore on his right hand was a size bigger than an ordinary person’s.

He stood to the side of Jing like a small mountain. He was called Yushan or Mount Yu, the mythical tamer of floods, though even Wang Ze and Yin Chenjiu had never heard of him.

“I would never have thought there would be such an advanced base here. There are crouching tigers and hidden dragons in little Pomelo, after all.” Wang Ze paid Bogner the compliment with a smile.

Bogner spoke with a grin that showed off his row of perfectly white teeth. “It’s not right for Brother Wang to make fun of me like that. How could such a small base catch the discerning eye of the Star Academy? Any one of the Star Academy bases would be a lot better than this.”

To his side, Jiao Si drank his tea with a slight smile, listening to the two of them chat.

“Mr. Bogner is too modest! How could a base able to deploy the Starfish Fortification be called small? As I see it, not even the ordinary bases in the Outer Reaches could come up to yours, good sir.” Wang Ze spoke with a laugh while his eyes occasionally flashed a sharp look.

Bogner bared his teeth and laughed like a fool. “Such extravagant praise from Brother Wang makes me burst with joy!”

Jing’s gaze fell onto Jiao Si as she said mildly, “I never thought we would run into President Jiao Si here. It really is a pleasant surprise. The professor has always missed you, and if he were to know I’ve run into you, he would certainly be happy.” Jing’s speech had a naturally calming effect. What she said allowed them to feel the joy she felt.

Jiao Si was taken aback and put down the cup in his hands to say, “And who is this honored professor?”

“Our own Ying Chen.”

Jiao Si exuded a sense of pleasant surprise. “Ying Chen? You are a student of wise, old Ying Chen?”

The looks on Wang Ze and Yin Chenjiu to his side shifted. Bogner also seemed confused about the person, though his expression didn’t change.

“Mmmm.”

“Is he doing well?” Jiao Si’s face was full of joy as he asked. Everyone could see that he couldn’t cover his smile.

Jing said with a light smile, “The professor’s health is quite good, and he insists on fishing every day.”

“Oh, that’s good, very good!” Jiao Si rushed to say, unable to repress his feelings. “The first time I saw wise, old Ying Chen, I was only 20-something. Time has passed so quickly, with more than 20 years gone before I turn around. If I didn’t have the wise man’s guidance, I would never have accomplished what I have.”

By then, everyone suddenly had a flash about how much connection there actually was. Wang Ze’s expression hadn’t changed, though his mind was churning. He had never known anything about Jing, but he now found out she was actually a big deal.

That name of Ying Chen may not have been known to many card artisans, but among the Big Six, it rang out like thunder. He was the only remaining old-devil grade personage, and compared to the contemporary presidents of the Big Six, he had much older qualifications. He was also one of the few important people from the Bitter Solitude Temple who were known to the outside world. He had a preference for guiding the younger generations. In his earlier years, he especially liked to travel, and there were quite a few aces of Jiao Si’s generation who had gotten his guidance. He had good relations because of that; everyone was very respectful toward him.

As he aged, most of his time was spent at the Bitter Solitude Temple. It had already been quite a few years that he hadn’t left. Jiao Si hadn’t thought he would still be teaching students there.

Such a person as Ying Chen doubtlessly had high expectations of his students, and passing his discernment showed how much potential Jing had herself.

Jing’s bearing was easy-going. Even though she was facing Jiao Si, who was famous throughout the federation, she wasn’t restrained at all; she talked casually as though she were of the same generation. She was obviously not a simple person.

Everyone was talking away happily. On the one hand, they had a request to make. On the other, with Jiao Si now on the scene, no one dared to be presumptuous. Furthermore, none of them were stupid. For that base to have the Starfish Fortification defensive structure was seldom seen.

To be able to invite Jiao Si to oversee it was a sign of how powerful it was. None of them could help but wonder what kind of divinity the owner of the base was.

From time to time, Wang Ze and Yin Chenjiu probed with what they said, though no one there was a weak link. Bogner’s confusing attitude toward his boss was just to laugh about it. And Jiao Si? No one could do anything about it if he were pushed too hard.

The two of them kept trying without the least result. Jing just kept mildly smiling as she listened to the quick-witted sparring among them all.

Finally, just when Wang Ze and Yin Chenjiu were getting discouraged, Xi Ping arrived.

Seeing he had arrived by himself, Bogner suddenly had a strange look, though he quickly restored his normal expression. A strange look flashed through Jiao Si’s eyes as he deliberately picked up his cup with both hands.

“I apologize to you all, but the boss has some urgent matters to attend to and can’t tear himself away. Please allow Bogner and myself to be your hosts! The boss is upset and begs for your indulgence.” Xi Ping then paused before continuing. “As far as what you have each requested, the boss completely agrees to it. To be able to participate in such a matter of benefit to the region’s peace and to be able to give each of your heroes some assistance would truly be our honor.”

By the time Xi Ping finished talking, it was a long time before anyone said anything. Xi Ping maintained his smile all along, as though he weren’t the least bit embarrassed.

Wang Ze and Yin Chenjiu’s expressions were both ugly. Even some of the card artisans from the Bitter Solitude Temple looked rather unhappy. They had never been treated like that before.

“Wow, they really do put on airs,” someone couldn’t help but mock in a low voice.

It wasn’t said loudly, but everyone had heard it clearly. Wang Ze and Yin Chenjiu acted as though they hadn’t heard, and they picked up their teacups with both hands from the table in utter silence. Jing maintained the slight smile on her face as though she hadn’t been influenced at all by the matter.

Bogner released the restrained smile on his face, suddenly seeming to have become a different person. He sat up straight, and his gaze turned sharp. His gaze, looking like it would pierce the heart, poked straight at the card artisan who had just spoken up. That card artisan finally evaded the gaze unwittingly.

Tapping his fingers lightly on the table, the rhythmic sound accompanied the chilled smile hanging from the corner of his mouth. To the side of him, the smile on Xi Ping’s face had also disappeared. He straightened his back and looked coldly at the crowd.

The atmosphere suddenly turned agitated. Wang Ze felt a chill to his heart. That Bogner was no simple person!

That kind of power…

Although none of the base card artisans made a move, they had all entered a state of battle readiness, with no disguise to the enmity in their eyes.

Yin Chenjiu was the most surprised. He was a true warrior as compared to Wang Ze. The rhythmic uniformity of the card artisans behind his counterpart really surprised him. Such characteristics would only be seen on troops who had undergone the strictest training.

Moreover, under the circumstance of finding out their counterparts were card artisans from the Star Academy and the Bitter Solitude Temple, they still dared to so clearly and unmistakably show such enmity. It was his first time to encounter such a situation.

That card artisan who had just spoken so recklessly seemed to realize how ignorant he had been to evade the gaze of his counterpart, and he was about to open his mouth to berate him.

“When have card artisans from the Star Academy been so ignorant of etiquette? Coming as guests, how could you be so impolite toward your hosts?” Jiao Si put down the cup in his hands and furrowed his brow as he berated them in his displeasure.

What he said caused that card artisan to immediately swallow what he had been about to say, not having the guts to talk back to Jiao Si.

Wang Ze rushed to smooth things over. “Ha ha, those under us don’t understand. We are very sorry to our two hosts. Since our honored host is busy, then of course we won’t disturb him.”

What Jiao Si just said had clearly shown his position. It was obvious he hoped not to see any conflict arise between them and the owner of the base. Whether it was Wang Ze or Jing, neither of them could ignore Jiao Si’s position.

But there was something intriguing about it. Facing the Star Academy and the Bitter Solitude Temple, Jiao Si had not hesitated to stand on the same line with his counterparts, which showed how different the cooperation was between the two sides. Bogner’s imposing manner had also really surprised them. Those card artisans were all astute, so how could they not have detected that?

Bringing together all aspects of the base showed that its strength shouldn’t be ignored. Struggling against their exuberance, they knew if something were to happen at such a sensitive time, it wouldn’t be sensible.

What he found strange was that the strength of such a power wouldn’t have been felt by any of the three sides in Pomelo. If they had found out while still exercising restraint, then…

Hearing what Wang Ze said, Bogner’s expression relaxed. His powerfully oppressive feeling also diminished quite a bit.

Both sides were a little unhappy and naturally didn’t want to talk any further. Since the boss had agreed, Bogner and Xi Ping discussed it a little more and simply opened up the first level of the base as a temporary medical station.

“Does the boss have some history with them?” Bogner glanced at the crowd, which was still seated, and asked Xi Ping in a low voice. When Xi Ping had appeared by himself, he had been a little surprised.

Xi Ping sneered, “I don’t know. But the boss didn’t want to see them. I think there’s a pretty big possibility there is some history there.”

Bogner muttered to himself, “Oh, then we’d better guard against them a bit. But, then again, the boss is really powerful. No one can evade the Big Six, and he’s so good he won’t even go along with the Big Six.” He clucked his cheek in admiration; things were getting really interesting.

Xi Ping kept his demeanor in deep thought.

Of course, Wang Ze and Jing had no objection to what Bogner and Xi Ping had suggested. When Bogner brought up the question of safety, Yin Chenjiu looked full of pride, and Jing also smiled without responding. After settling things, Wang Ze and the rest prepared to get to work.

Bogner suddenly opened his mouth to stop them. “Please wait a minute, everyone.” Why would those card artisans who had just formed such an opinion be likely to obey him? They each flew right off as though they hadn’t heard.

Seeing how it was, Bogner chuckled. To his side, Jiao Si was also smiling. “The students of the Big Six these days are each more arrogant than the next. It wouldn’t be bad to let them suffer a bit.” Before his voice fell, there was a string of explosions from outside.

Hong, hong, hong! The earth trembled.

The two of them walked over to the window and saw the forward-most card artisans all looking wretched. Their faces and heads were ashen. Although they hadn’t been wounded, they had lost a lot of face in front of so many people. They were all looking at Bogner with a fast grudge.

Bogner waved his hands in innocence. “Your moves were all too quick, and you didn’t wait for me to finish what I was saying.”

When the card artisans had entered, Bogner had dispatched people to lead them in, so of course nothing had happened. But their exit had immediately touched off the card appliance devices in the grass, which had led to them looking so sorry.

“Clean out the grass in front of the No. 5 entryway, Hertha,” Bogner said lightly.

“Yes, sir.” A very short card artisan flew out and landed right on the lawn. His hands were enshrouded in a ball of yellow light, and on his back he carried an open backpack. He quickly flitted over the undergrowth. The two yellow, glowing balls in his hands were like magnets that sucked up the card appliances in the lawn into his hands. The entire process seemed like magic. The card appliances were like one streak after another of shadow, automatically placing themselves in his hands. His hands were dexterous; they lightly touched the card appliance devices, and they accurately and silently flew into the backpack on his back.

Yin Chenjiu’s face looked pretty ugly. To have so many card appliance devices in such a small area! That was his first time to see someone take such extreme measures to deploy such devices. He gave Bogner a guarded look. That middle-aged uncle wasn’t such a good guy, after all!

Wang Ze asked in curiosity, “Those under you are all so talented. I wonder what card that is to be so magical!”

Bogner gave out a laugh. “Brother Wang must be mocking me. Such a little card isn’t worth mentioning. Not worth mentioning.”

Jiao Si also looked quite surprised, that also being his first time to see such a card.

Hertha’s moves were quick. In an instant, he had cleared out an approximately ten-meter-wide path. Finishing that, Hertha returned to the base and gave Bogner a salute before disappearing from everyone’s field of vision.

Some of the card artisans were preparing to leave, but Bogner had to stop them again. “Wait a little bit longer, everyone.”

That time, the card artisans were perfectly obedient, and each of them pulled back. That lesson just then had made a deep impression. The poor guys who had lost face in front of them wouldn’t be able to lift their heads after that!

“Is there still something wrong, Mr. Bogner?” The one speaking that time was Jing. She couldn’t help the flash of curiosity in her eyes.

“Mmmm. There’s something in that river.” Bogner was making an understatement. He then ordered, “Bring Borna over.” The way he said it clearly left plenty of room for imagination. “Something” was there. What was it?

In an instant, a middle-aged person was in front of Bogner. “Do you require my assistance, dear Bogner?”

I need a bridge built over there, Borna. Can you help me?” Bogner pointed to the blank area as he spoke.

“That would be a small matter.” Borna shrugged. “Ten minutes.”

Bogner then added, “The bridge should be somewhat high off the water.”

“How high?” Borna’s expression was a little cautious.

Bogner gave out a specific number. “It had better be ten meters.”

Borna’s expression relaxed as he nodded. “Don’t worry; we only require ten minutes, dear Bogner.”

The crowd watched as Borna quickly led his team and constructed a metallic bridge over the small river. Since the storehouse was so complete, the entire process was very fast, only taking seven or eight minutes.

The card artisans had only ever received the most orthodox battle card artisan education since they were small, and most of their time had been passed on campus; they had never seen such things. Quite a few of them were even surprised that there were such card artisans!

A professional warrior such as Yin Chenjiu immediately realized that if there were a few such card artisans among the troops, their survival rate would doubtlessly increase by quite a bit. That was a bridge, but what if it were some defensive unit? How much time would they save?

Wang Ze and Yin Chenjiu couldn’t help but look at one another, both seeing the guardedness in each other’s eyes. That base was a lot more powerful than they had ever expected!