The Card Apprentice

Tai-shu Yong’s vision swiftly turned far and deep, and he gently sighed. “The world is changing fast. It’s so unexpected. The Heavenly Federation is in disunity, and the Big Six take the lead on their own. Faya is observing secretly in wait of opportunity, which is causing a big mess. Even though we, the Tai-shu family, have the desire to restore our former glory, we know our capability well. The aspiration to conquer the world is nothing but a joke to us. Moreover, it’s not easy to stay safe in this chaotic world.”

Chen Mu listened patiently to Tai-shu Yong talking about those irrelevant issues. Deep in his heart, though, he agreed with Tai-shu Yong’s thought. The world was different now; the era belonged to the Big Six and to Faya but didn’t belong to the families who had declined.

The old man suddenly stopped and turned his gaze to Tai-shu Cheng. “Call Ying for me.”

Tai-shu Cheng was dumbfounded. After he regained his composure, though, he repeatedly nodded. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“Be patient, Mr. Qiao. Let’s drink some tea first,” the old man said, beaming.

If it had been someone else, Chen Mu would have used his physical strength already. Facing an old man with grizzled hair, however, he refrained from making a move. Moreover, that sly, old fox seemed unpredictable, making him fearful. That calm face led him to believe the old man had some issue at hand; otherwise, he wouldn’t have risked meeting Chen Mu in person. Connelly wasn’t scary, but the old man wouldn’t have that little power, despite the fact that the Tai-shu family was said to be collapsing.

Destroying a family single-handedly was almost impossible, even for Tang Hanpei. Regardless of how powerful a card artisan was, it was impossible to fight against thousands of other card artisans at the same time. Regardless, the families would be no less fearful of the aces. If someone offended a powerful card artisan, that card artisan would only have to carry out several sneak attacks to cause a great deal of trouble. If one had many household properties, that person would likely be more afraid of those aces.

After a while, Tai-shu Cheng brought Tai-shu Ying to the old man.

“Grandpa!” Tai-shu Ying exclaimed. She obviously looked less fearful than Tai-shu Cheng when facing the old man.

Tai-shu Yong’s expression became more amiable. “You have grown up a lot, Little Ying. Did you miss Grandpa?”

“Yes!” Tai-shu Ying exclaimed seriously. Her usually mischievous attitude had vanished, and she tilted her head, confused. “It’s so weird, Grandpa. How come you’re here today?”

Tai-shu Yong didn’t answer but smiled and said, “Can you help Grandpa get something, Little Ying?”

“What is it, Grandpa?” Tai-shu Ying’s expression looked strange. Although she was little, she was smart. She knew something wasn’t quite right.

“Do you still remember the small room I brought you to before?” Tai-shu Yong said patiently with a sense of guidance.

“I remember.” She glanced at her father in fear, replying in a mosquito-like tone. She hadn’t told her father about that, so she was afraid to be lectured by him. However, she quickly raised her head again after recalling that she had been told by her grandfather not to tell her father about it.

“Okay! Can you help Grandpa get something from that place, Little Ying? It is the thing in the purple wooden box. Do you still remember it?”

“I remember!” Tai-shu Ying said joyfully. Her grandfather had only brought her to that small room once and hadn’t allowed her to touch anything. Now, she could enter the room herself, which meant she could look for some interesting stuff!

“Okay! Go ahead! Tag along with Miss Ying, Connelly,” Tai-shu Yong said softly.

Connelly hesitated for a moment before replying, “Yes!” He then swiftly walked out with the excited Tai-shu Ying.

Tai-shu Cheng’s face had looked pale earlier but was now blushing. He couldn’t hide the excitement in his eyes! He hadn’t expected his father to have brought little Ying to that place before. The existence of the small room wasn’t a secret to the brothers of the Tai-shu family, but their father had never brought them there. Did that indicate that his father was planning to let him be the successor?

Chen Mu roughly knew what Tai-shu Yong wanted Tai-shu Ying to get for him. His heartbeat suddenly accelerated. Even though he was trying his best to look calm, he couldn’t hide his feelings from the experienced Tai-shu Yong.

“Ha ha! It seems the gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus is really important to Mr. Qiao!” His tone suddenly turned solemn. “First of all, I know I shouldn’t have made another request, but this is an exceptional case. We, the Tai-shu family, have reached a point where we will either live or die, so I couldn’t think of a better idea than this one. I did it impolitely this time, so I dare not expect for anything better. I only hope Mr. Qiao can help the Tai-shu family get through this obstacle! If there is anything you’d like, just ask for it.”

What had been said up to that point made Chen Mu realize he must agree to help if he really wanted the gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus. He took a deep breath and said, “What is it really about? Please get straight to the point, Old Master.”

Tai-shu Yong forced a smile with the wrinkles gathering on his face, showing his old age. He said slowly, “Did you know Moon Frost Island is planning to form an alliance?”

Chen Mu nodded. “I have heard about it.” Moon Frost Island’s plan of forming an alliance had turned from being a secret to being known openly by everyone in the Heavenly Federation.

“Moon Frost Island takes the lead, and Jia Yingxia personally hosts it. In the Heavenly Drum Village District, no one is dared to reject it!” Tai-shu Yong’s tone seemed unusually certain. “As one of the most ancient families, we have countless ties with the Heavenly Drum Village District. To be honest, if the alliance is completed, the Tai-shu family will have a resolution vote among the 32 votes in the alliance meeting! Other than these 32 votes, seven families are being set as reserves. But the Tai-shu family has declined for too long. This vote of resolution has caused doubts from many people who see the Tai-shu family as weak. Hmph! They are actually envious of this vote.” Tai-shu Yong’s unclear gaze turned cold. “Actually, it’s not just the Tai-shu family; four other families were also being questioned. Finally, the meeting decided there will be a Heavenly Drum Village District elite card artisan competition in Qianhu. Five families, including ours and the other seven reserved families, will send their respective card artisans simultaneously to compete. They will finally choose five families from the first five highest ranking to get the resolution votes!”

Chen Mu finally came to a realization. While everyone had been focusing on the likely formation of the Heavenly Drum Village District Alliance, they had already formed an alliance with each other! What they were now doing was just to decide the power distribution among the internal department of the alliance. But the Tai-shu family getting a resolution vote proved they weren’t just ancient history! Tai-shu Yong indeed had a low profile; he had silently gotten a vote that was a dream to most families in the Heavenly Drum Village District! Even Faya had been willing to use its physical strength to get a vote. That had further proven the importance of the resolution vote.

That was why Tai-shu Yong was willing to risk offending Chen Mu by taking those moves. At first, he had found Tai-shu Yong’s actions strange because it wasn’t a smart idea. Now, it seemed like the competition in the alliance was so cruel that it had forced the experienced Tai-shu Yong to that point! But he was still puzzled after much thought and said, “I am curious; how did you find out about my identity?”

“Ha ha!” Tai-shu Yong laughed loudly with slight pride. “Mr. Qiao, you may not know that the news of you attacking Faya has spread like wildfire in Dongrui. Everyone knows that you, Qiao Yuan, 50th on the Black-Line Star Listing, are now in Dongrui! How many masters would there be in such a small city like Dongrui? That was why I immediately thought of Mr. Qiao. After investigation, I found out Mr. Qiao certainly left the building during that period, which confirmed that the White Commander was Mr. Qiao.”

“How was the incident of Faya being attacked being spread?” Chen Mu looked worried. If Tai-shu Yong could find out, that meant many people in Dongrui would have started to doubt his real identity. That was bad news to him, especially if Faya found out. Then, he would be in great trouble.

“Even though Faya was trying hard to keep this secret, the incident was too obvious. We are the people with local influence in Dongrui; how would we not know about it? However, you can rest assured, Mr. Qiao. We have already released news that you are having a meal with me at the moment. With solid proof, no one will be suspicious of you,” Tai-shu Yong said with a grin.

Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief, awe-struck. That sly, old fox was flawless and detailed in handling affairs; the techniques and motives used were so experienced and extraordinary. He had to admit he wasn’t Tai-shu Yong’s opponent. He understood that was one of the hidden sides of Tai-shu Yong. If they got into a dispute, the Tai-shu family would be at a disadvantage, but his problem would be worse.

After contemplating for a long time, Chen Mu finally nodded. “I can promise you, but I need to clarify something with you ahead of time. I can only try my best, but I can’t promise to get any rankings.”

Tai-shu Yong took a breath, and his expression finally looked more at ease. He laughed and said, “This old man here has been waiting for these words from you, Mr. Qiao! If you had said something about complete assurance, I wouldn’t have been able to put my trust in you.” He immediately continued, “Even though this matter is urgent, Mr. Qiao still loses out a little. If you need any compensation, just ask for it.” His words revealed his generosity. “We are quite a family with properties. We still have some things that were inherited from our ancestors. Next time, I will choose one for you, Mr. Qiao. Consider it as an appreciation from me!”

Both parties finally came to an agreement, and Chen Mu was feeling more relaxed. He laughed and said, “Old Master, wouldn’t you let down your predecessors, then?”

The old man laughed without taking it seriously. “No matter how good this item is, it is still a non-living thing. If the Tai-shu family rises, we don’t have to worry about anyone giving us these things.” But Tai-shu Cheng, who was sitting by the side, revealed some signs of heartache.

Tai-shu Ying and Connelly finally returned. Tai-shu Ying was holding a purple wooden box to her chest. The box looked a little worn out, seemingly having been made ages ago.

“Grandpa, is this the one?” Tai-shu Ying approached Tai-shu Yong, looking like she was seeking a reward.

Tai-shu Yong praised mercifully, saying, “Little Ying is so smart!” After that, he passed the purple wooden box to Chen Mu. “The gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus is inside the box. You can take a look at it, White Commander.” He addressed Chen Mu like he had before and continued by saying, “The gold-mottled liquid-soft fungus is required to be kept in a 100-year purple maple box, or else its quality will deteriorate. The material of this purple maple box was previously made from a 500-year-old tree.”

Chen Mu tried to control his excitement, opening the wooden box gradually.