The Card Apprentice

Three faceted blue crystals lay quietly at the bottom of the spring, which was where the intense energy fluctuations were coming from. Chen Mu carefully picked them out of the hot spring and looked at them closely. They had a standard faceted shape and were completely free of impurities, like pure sapphire. The biggest was about the size of a fingernail, and the smallest was the size of a soybean.

But it was those little bits of crystal that had been disseminating such intense energy fluctuations. He could only imagine what level of energy density they contained!

The three blue crystals weren’t among the materials Chen Mu was familiar with. Even so, he knew he had found a treasure. Materials that could be used to make cards had the common characteristic that they had to be compatible with energy. The three crystals contained a terrifying amount of energy and must have had an outrageous energy compatibility.

He swept the bottom of the spring with his perception, and there were no more blue crystals.

Then, just as Chen Mu was about to leave, he reconsidered and picked up a stick to stir the sediment at the bottom of the spring. As he was stirring it, he perceived a bout of energy fluctuation. Chen Mu was thrilled, knowing there were still some blue crystals at the bottom of the spring.

Sure enough, he found two more soybean-sized blue crystals.

Chen Mu’s gaze was drawn by the black sediment on the bottom of the spring. When he had just stirred it, the water hadn’t turned at all turbid but remained as clear as before. The sediment was like a viscous colloid, very distinct from the spring water. No matter how much Chen Mu stirred it, the black mud wouldn’t mix with the water.

Thinking about how he hadn’t detected the least bit of energy fluctuation from the blue crystals in the black sediment, Chen Mu’s curiosity was aroused again. He used the Hundred Changes to carve the stick in his hands into a shovel shape and dug out some of the black mud. It had no smell. Chen Mu put one of the blue crystals into the black mud.

A look of joy floated onto his face. Sure enough, the powerful energy fluctuations he had just felt completely disappeared! The black mud could indeed shield energy fluctuations. Chen Mu had found treasure. Without hesitating, he put each blue crystal in a thick layer of black mud, and all of the energy fluctuations completely disappeared.

Interesting! Chen Mu looked entranced. He knew the blue crystal was certainly something good, but its incredibly powerful energy fluctuations might make him a perceptible target even from a long way off. Chen Mu didn’t want to lose his life because of the blue crystals. But the thing he was most worried about had been solved by the black mud, which made him crazed with joy.

He dipped his fingers into a little of the black mud, which felt delicate in his hands. Chen Mu immediately determined that the black mud was also valuable. He cut off a section of a branch the thickness of an arm and hollowed it out into a barrel, filling it with a tube of the black mud. He then carefully sealed it. He didn’t know what sort of properties it might have, but just its ability to shield energy fluctuations was enough to get his interest. He intended to take that bit of black mud back with him to research it fully.

After finishing that, Chen Mu left the spring with no reluctance.

Not long after he left, a cold-looking card artisan appeared with dozens of men beside the corpse of Mo Ta. The corpses in front of them filled that gang of card artisans with surprise.

* * *

Flying for about five straight hours, Chen Mu finally stopped. He opened the Thousand Kilometer.

Seeing Chen Mu safe and sound, Bogner and Xi Ping both breathed sighs of relief.

“Are you all right, Boss? What just happened?” Bogner’s gaze was sharp. Chen Mu looked haggard, as though he had just undergone a bitter struggle.

Chen Mu gave a brief account of the battle, which left Bogner and Xi Ping aghast.

Bogner kept saying, “Shall we transfer over some men? Should we have Xiaobo go? Or tell Wei-ah?”

Chen Mu shook his head. “No need. By the time they get here, it won’t have been any use to send them.” Who knew how far from the snow silkworm ravine his current position was? It wouldn’t be so near to Zargan, either, so it would be no different than looking for a fish hook in the ocean to find a person in the vast forests.

Suddenly thinking of something, Chen Mu pulled out the stack of silver cards and said to Bogner, “Can you help me find out what these cards actually are?” Seeing the dazed look on the two of them, he slapped his head and said, “Right. Call Brenton over. He should know.”

Brenton came over after just a moment. “You’re looking for me, Boss?” He looked excited, thinking Chen Mu had a job for him. He had been idle ever since joining the team. Apart from training his perception, there was nothing for him to do. Although he’d gotten a good deal, he wanted the chance to prove his worth.

“Do you know what these cards are, Brenton?” Chen Mu waved the silver cards he had taken from the bodies of the gang of card artisans.

After a moment looking them over, Brenton looked frightened. “The black-line silver-inscribed cards. It’s a black-line silver-inscribed card!”

Bogner and Xi Ping looked at one another with serious gazes, and Bogner asked, “What is a black-line silver-inscribed card, Brenton?”

Brenton’s face paled a little. “It’s the identity card used by illegal organizations. Those illegal organizations have mutual alliances and form a mysterious ring. The black-line silver-inscribed card is the identity nameplate for members of the illegal ring. There is specific information about them on the cards. It’s their proof of identity, and it has the holder’s rank in the ring and other information on it. There is no way to participate in many of the ring’s activities without it, including trading, purchasing of intelligence, and so forth. Quite a few of the larger illegal organization members might have a black-line silver-inscribed card.”

After a brief pause, Brenton’s expression relaxed as he continued, “The black-line silver-inscribed card has another use with the Black-Line Star Listing. Nobody knows who compiles the Black-Line Star Listing, but a new list is announced every month. Everyone recognizes the listing as the authority for the gray chart of card artisans. To be listed, they are all three-star level card artisans or above on the black-line silver-inscribed card. Those are all aces! The number of listed aces is also a measure of an organization’s size and power, and those freelance card artisans with a high ranking become the object of the organizations scrambling to attract them. It was said previously that Moon Frost Island was interested in the ninth-ranked freelance card artisan, Yangshan Fei, but he unceremoniously rejected them.”

“Three stars?” Chen Mu suddenly remembered the black-line silver-inscribed card he had taken from Mo Ta’s body, the bottom of which was marked with three stars. He pulled the card out and asked, “Three stars just like this?”

On the screen, Brenton was wide-eyed with shock. He stammered, “This… This… That’s a three-star black-line silver-inscribed card?”

“If that’s the card you’re talking about,” Chen Mu said.

“Wow! Awesome! Did you get that in the battle, Boss? Heavens! Every ace on the Black-Line Star Listing has a sky-high reward. Ooh, ooh, ooh! I bow down to you! Boss, you are certainly among the top 100 names in the Heavenly Drum Rolls!” Brenton’s eyes were lit up so excitedly that Chen Mu wondered if he might faint any second.

“Heavenly Drum Rolls?” Hearing yet another strange name, Chen Mu was a little puzzled.

Brenton rushed to explain himself. “The card artisans on the Black-Line Star Listing are all engaged in illegal activities, like assassins, looting, kidnapping, and that sort of thing. The Heavenly Drum Rolls are the Heavenly Drum Village District’s listing of card artisans involved in legal activities.”

“Oh.” Chen Mu then looked like he understood, but he suddenly thought of a question. “Which side has more authority?”

“The Black-Line Star Listing is a little more powerful. The card artisans on it are extremely vicious types, and they have experienced more battles. The card artisans on the Heavenly Drum Rolls are mostly from the academies, and quite a few people consider it to be rather watered down. But the Heavenly Drum Rolls listing is still quite useful. The first 300 names will get the finest treatment no matter where. A three-star black-line silver-inscribed card! It is possibly among the top 100 on the Black-Line Star Listing. You are too powerful, Boss!” The more Brenton spoke, the more excited he got. His gaze toward Chen Mu had become still hotter.

That dark-faced stalwart certainly had a lot of power. Chen Mu didn’t have the least bit of doubt that he would be among the first 100.

“You can look at the information on the black-line silver-inscribed card, Boss. There’s information there about the rank!” Brenton continued to urge him on with a lot more eagerness than Chen Mu had.

Chen Mu inserted the card into his apparatus.

Mo Ta; listed as 89th on the Black-Line Star Listing in April; a member of the Constellation; one of seven captains.

“Constellation…” Brenton, who had just been excited, inexplicably went pale with fright.

“What is Constellation?” Bogner saw the abrupt change in Brenton’s expression and frowned as he asked.

In Brenton’s stammering explanation, the few of them managed to figure out what Constellation was. It was among the most famous illegal organizations in the Heavenly Drum Village District, as well as one of the most powerful. Among the first 100 names on the Black-Line Star Listing, there were four from Constellation, which told a lot.

Its leader, Wen, was 15th on the list and was a true ace. No one knew what “Wen’s” real name was. Not only was he the most powerful card artisan in Constellation, but he was also the most mysterious. There were six stars on his black-line silver-inscribed card.

Furthermore, the captain of the first small team, Yuchi Bai, was 41st on the list, with four stars on his black-line silver-inscribed card.

Mo Ta, who was the captain of the third small team, was listed 89th, with three stars on his card.

Jin Yin, who was the captain of the seventh team, was listed 93rd, also with three stars.

On the Black-Line Star Listing, the first ten had seven stars on their black-line silver-inscribed cards, and the 11th and 12th had six. The 30th through 60th had four stars, and the 61st through 100th had three stars.

“None among the several captains in Constellation were one-sided aces. Under Wen, however, they were all obedient and willingly acted as captains.”

Seeing Brenton stammering, Chen Mu knew the guy wasn’t going to give any constructive advice. But, at the same time, he was shocked that Constellation’s deterrence was so impressive!

Xi Ping opened his mouth as though he had something to point out. “The way you tell it, this Constellation must be a first-rate organization. Going out to grab a snow shuttle vessel like that, could there be some deception implied?”