The Card Apprentice

Chapter 177: The Encounter

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“It can’t be used anymore.” Wei-ah was looking at the burnt-up flying device at his feet, speaking without expression.

The flying device certainly could penetrate the gummy cloud layer, but there was still a flaw in its design. It would eventually overheat because of the friction in the gummy cloud layer. Although Chen Mu had thought about it as hard as he could, it had already reached its limit. But, Chen Mu was glad it was already the fifth day. It was a pretty tall requirement to even be able to fly at high speed for five days in such a device made of metal. The shuttle cars of the federation would only end up trapped in the gummy layer with no way to budge.

“The city should be to the northeast.” In the moments before the flying device dropped, Chen Mu had vaguely made out a city in the distance. Although it was still far away, he didn’t need to worry about security, having such a super bodyguard as Wei-ah.

Wei-ah didn’t say anything as he walked toward the northeast. Wei-ah had an accurate sense of direction in the jungle, which Chen Mu endlessly envied. Most of the time he was even more accurate than the instruments in the flying device. So, Wei-ah was the guide once they were on the road.

Following closely behind Wei-ah, Chen Mu still couldn’t be the least bit relaxed. If it weren’t for Wei-ah, the only choice in the jungle for a dabbling card artisan alone like him would be whether there were any remains of his bones.

“Wei-ah, why is it that you really want to accompany me?” Wei-ah’s attitude toward him had made Chen Mu endlessly perplexed. It seemed Wei-ah had looked at him favorably from the beginning, and later it was even more so. When they had encountered the mottled ants, he had even been one of the first Wei-ah had rescued. And, when Chen Mu had decided to depart the jungle, Wei-ah just decided to leave right along with him.

The ever-unmoving, detached expression remained on Wei-ah’s face.

“I am free after the death of the clan elder.”

Chen Mu shook his head since Wei-ah’s manner of speaking didn’t satisfy him at all. “The clan elder is not dead for sure.” Although the clan elder had left the village after they did, they still hadn’t heard any news of him. In the hearts of the Moqi clan, there would always be that one-in-a-thousand hope. Given how shrewd and unscrupulous that old guy was, Chen Mu felt his survival wasn’t entirely impossible.

Wei-ah wasn’t saying anything, and only the sound of footsteps crunching dry sticks on the jungle floor could be heard.

Chen Mu kept silent as well; if Wei-ah didn’t want to talk, there was nothing he could do about it. Moreover, he didn’t feel Wei-ah had any reason to explain anything to him.

Just when Chen Mu was considering whether to change the subject, Wei-ah surprised him by saying, “I want to retrieve my memory.”

Chen Mu was taken aback. “Retrieve your memory?” He’d heard talk of Wei-ah losing his memory, though he hadn’t ever thought about it. Thinking about the meaning of Wei-ah’s existence, a mournful feeling arose in Chen Mu’s heart. Even Wei-ah’s background seemed vaguely desolate and bleak.

Although he was rather curious about what had happened to Wei-ah that year, Chen Mu still tactfully chose to change the subject.

“It looks like we’re about to leave the jungle. There are a lot fewer signs of wild beasts in this direction.” Under the influence of the Moqi villagers, Chen Mu had become a partial expert in the jungle.

Wei-ah didn’t say anything, and Chen Mu was also unconcerned as he said directly, “I don’t even know what city is ahead of us. Ai, we will have finally returned to civilization in any case!” While life in the jungle made a pleasant enough memory for Chen Mu, he had basically lived in the federation since he was small, and that was what he was still used to.

There was a sudden call for help in front of them.

Chen Mu immediately went silent and looked at Wei-ah, quickly activating the big mud fish card in his apparatus and floating up into midair. There was already no sign of Wei-ah. Chen Mu was silently praising the speed of Wei-ah’s actions, and he didn’t dare fall behind as he carefully controlled the jet stream card to fly quickly toward where something had happened.

As he drew near, the call for help became more and more clear. Chen Mu could also hear the faint snarls of several beasts.

Chen Mu didn’t hesitate to pick up his speed to go straight there. If he were there alone, he would never have been so brave. Having Wei-ah at his side, he didn’t need to worry about the issue of security. He had seen Wei-ah’s glorious fighting results against beasts. Even when they had run into that black-steel, sickle-bladed bug last time, Wei-ah wouldn’t have been able to kill it if it hadn’t been for him, but the bug didn’t have any way to catch Wei-ah either.

Moreover, they were near the edge of the jungle, where there wasn’t such a high probability of running into fearsome wild beasts.

A middle-aged man and a youth were surrounded by eight West Nile wolves. The West Nile wolves wouldn’t have been considered such powerful wild beasts, though they would always appear in packs and had a crafty disposition. That sure gave people headaches when added to their ability to run like the wind. Their speed was extraordinary—as fast as lightning—particularly in close surprise attacks. They were impossible to defend against, and they even filled card artisans with headaches.

The middle-aged man was a card artisan, and the energy cloak he had deployed was also protecting the youth.

The blue energy cloak was like a clear, sparkling crystal. The youth was being protected at the chest of the middle-aged man, his eyes full of terror. The youth’s flesh was fair and clear, and one look would tell that he was a young master who lived like a prince. The middle-aged man must have been some sort of bodyguard.

The energy cloak the bodyguard had emitted was sturdy and compact as if it were substantial, and it was evident that he had deep accomplishment in that regard. Even the energy cloaks of Bo Wen and Cheng Ying hadn’t reached that point. Chen Mu’s eyes lit up, that being his first time to see a card artisan who could deploy an energy cloak with such proficiency. In general, an energy cloak could only protect the card artisan himself, not his comrade at the same time. Chen Mu conjectured to himself that the card artisan must have been a specialist in the energy cloak.

There were very few card artisans who specialized in energy cloaks; that category of extremely defensive card artisans had a combat value of nil. The industry they engaged in was also very solitary. Most of them had such responsibilities as protecting important people. Some of the large households would specifically cultivate such card artisans, and small security agencies also had them, though the numbers were small.

The bodyguard was clearly that sort of card artisan. There were eight West Nile wolves repeatedly attacking the energy cloak, though the energy cloak held imposingly firm.

“We can’t go on like this, Little Master,” the bodyguard said nervously. While his energy cloak could keep it up for a while, the energy would run out at some point. Those wily West Nile wolves wouldn’t likely give him time to swap out an energy card.

“So, then what can we do?” The blood had drained from the young master’s face, and his lips were trembling. The other servant, Li Siben, had already run to find reinforcements, but he hadn’t yet returned. And, their communications card couldn’t make any connections home.

The bodyguard was left without any good options. Each of the West Nile wolves had blood-red eyes and were ramming his energy cloak without any regard for their lives. Both his perception and the energy in the power card were flowing at an astonishing pace. At that speed, he couldn’t be certain they would hold out until the reinforcements showed up.

He hadn’t thought those West Nile wolves, whose forte was not their power, would be pummeling with such force. They seemed crazed beyond caring about their lives, and they repeatedly charged his energy cloak. He cried out silently to himself in desperation.

Chen Mu didn’t make his move right away, but remained off to the side examining things. He had his doubts. The West Nile wolf was wily, and the scene in front of him had overturned his impression of the animal. They seemed like wild bison, making their charge, then flying in the air and crashing. Such barbarism was completely different from their style of fighting. Every wolf’s head was dark red and oozing blood, making a terrible sight. Their pupils were bright red, wild and bloodthirsty.

Just then, Wei-ah’s low voice was in Chen Mu’s ear. “The two of them have bait on their bodies.” Wei-ah had already hidden himself soundlessly at Chen Mu’s side. Chen Mu was silently stunned. The word for bait was the slang of the village, referring to some drugs that could lure wild beasts. Li Duhong had used the bait when he lured the brilliant apes that time.

Suddenly noticing the bodyguard’s energy cloak quiver out of the corner of his eye, Chen Mu knew he couldn’t hold out much longer. He thought it over and said quietly to Wei-ah, “I’ll go make my introductions.” Chen Mu charged out as soon as he’d spoken.

Chen Mu’s sudden appearance made the two of them very happy since they had landed in such desperate straits!

“You’ve saved our lives, you’ve saved our lives!” Seeing the hope of survival, the youth had immediately been aroused to shout. Death had put him on the brink of collapse, and he seemed to be grasping at a life-saving straw as he said incoherently, “I beg you to rescue us! My father is the general manager of the Narnia firm, and if you rescue us, we will certainly thank you over and over!”

The bodyguard also displayed a look of relief. He had a lot more experience than the youth did; for someone to appear at a time like that, it must have been to rescue them.

The bodyguard’s conjecture wasn’t mistaken; Chen Mu had originally been planning to rescue them. He could see how rich and noble the position of the youth was. After he had announced his household, Chen Mu couldn’t help but furrow his brow. He didn’t have very good feelings toward the offspring of the wealthy. A little loathing floated up from his heart, though he didn’t show it on his face.

But, he needed more information, and he needed them to lead himself and Wei-ah into the city. He only had to repress his displeasure for a while.

Chen Mu didn’t waste any words on them as he lifted his hands.

A strange, sharp whistle flooded their ears, and in a flash, the eight West Nile wolves were all dead. Chen Mu pulled his hands back, rather satisfied. He had been practicing with the tailless shuttle card for the past while, and he accurately hit the speedy West Nile wolves. And, his firing frequency had improved by 15 percent from before.

Having returned from the brink of death, the youth fell limply to the ground like mud while his bodyguard remained vigilant toward Chen Mu. That kind of guardedness wasn’t any kind of enmity, but was a kind of professional habit.

Wei-ah also drilled out, and his appearance gave a start to the two who had just been rescued. But, when they realized Wei-ah was Chen Mu’s companion, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Mu suddenly walked over to the youth.

“What were you trying to do, sir?” Chen Mu asked. The bodyguard, who had been so nervous, immediately put out his energy cloak. The youth, sitting in a heap on the ground, had lost all the spirit in his eyes. He still hadn’t recovered his strength.

Chen Mu was pointing to a sachet tied to the youth’s body as he calmly said, “If you don’t want to die, you’d better get rid of that.”

Following Chen Mu’s finger, the bodyguard’s gaze fell onto the sachet tied to the youth’s waist. Having slowly returned to his spirits, the youth reacted quickly. The color in his face changed as he said with a trembling voice, “You mean, sir…?”

He gave out a shrill scream and frantically tore off the sachet. He threw it far away as though he’d been scalded.

The sachet fell at Chen Mu’s feet, and he bent over to pick it up, giving it to Wei-ah. Without seeing Wei-ah expend any energy, he easily broke open the sachet and brought it to his nose to sniff it.

“Green wood scent, li thorns, pungent leaf, fishy vine.” Wei-ah accurately reported all the plants contained in the sachet.

The youth and the bodyguard were looking at the two of them rather blankly. Chen Mu shot them a glance, saying, “The smell emitted by the green wood scent is what the West Nile wolf likes the most. When they are mixed together, the li thorns, pungent leaf and fishy vine produce a gas that can drive the West Nile wolves into a frantic, bloodthirsty state.” Although he couldn’t immediately discern all the ingredients upon smelling them like Wei-ah, Chen Mu knew the basic principles.

What Chen Mu said made the youth’s and the bodyguard’s faces change color.

“You should feel lucky you didn’t attract the gold thread snake or the coconut-ringed green python. This sachet would have been equally effective on them.” What Chen Mu said completely drained the blood from their faces in an instant. The gold thread snake was incredibly poisonous and came and went like a spark, so small it was hard to discern. The coconut-ringed green python was huge, with surprising strength. It could bite apart a rock. Compared with those two terrifying wild beasts, the West Nile wolf was only a bit-player.

“Young Master, that sachet of yours…” the bodyguard inquired with a trembling voice.

The youth’s face was ashen and bloodless, and his eyes had turned suddenly gloomy, turning his expression sinister. His face all twisted, he said through gritted teeth, “It’s Fen Ni!” The look in his eyes vanished, but his anger was quite evident.

The bodyguard discreetly didn’t follow up since the young master’s household affairs weren’t something an insignificant bodyguard should be concerned about. Considering the time, he furrowed his brow, saying, “Why hasn’t Li Siben returned yet?” Judging from the time, Li Siben should have long since arrived with some people.

“Li Siben!” the youth guffawed coldly, his eyes showing a chilly glint. Inwardly quaking, the bodyguard shut his mouth.

Chen Mu could sort most of that out to himself, though he didn’t have any sympathy. He didn’t believe the youth was any sort of fine fellow. If the opportunity and the need arose, the youth would certainly be doing the same sort of thing. That was the specialty of the offspring of big families.

The youth had resumed his calm and showed no more signs on his face as he gave a slight smile to Chen Mu, saying, “I am grateful for you coming to my rescue. I am Cleo Lewin.” He made an elegant, polite gesture to Chen Mu.

Chen Mu said succinctly, “Cao Dong.” He wouldn’t dare use the name Chen Mu, not knowing where he was and still certain the Eastern Nings were investigating his whereabouts.

Wei-ah remained as mute as a rock, so Chen Mu made an offhand introduction. Cleo retracted his gaze after meeting Wei-ah’s eyes, piling on the smiles. “Mr. Cao’s moves aren’t ordinary. Those West Nile wolves gave up their ghosts in the space of a joke, which really opened my eyes.” Then, he keenly found out Chen Mu didn’t care for such half-flattery. He quickly changed tactics, directly and candidly saying, “I wonder if I might commission the two of you, Mr. Cao, to escort the two of us back to the city? Whatever reward you require, I would be pleased if Mr. Cao wouldn’t hesitate to bring it up.”

After thinking it over, Chen Mu nodded. “Ok, I’ll take the commission. As far as the reward, it’s whatever you see fit.”

Cleo was thrilled and hastened to add, “Thank you very much, Mr. Cao! Thank you very much!”

Chen Mu needed someone who knew the situation in that place to lead the way, so he’d seized the opportunity to take the commission. Now that there was this Cleo, his and Wei-ah’s identities and so forth would be blown wide open. But, with those two leading, they wouldn’t need to expend any effort to find the way back to the city.

Cleo was very cordial to Chen Mu along the way, though he never stopped his probing between the lines. Chen Mu was treating his words like gold, giving out a phrase every now and then until he might as well have just shut his mouth. Wei-ah hadn’t made a single response from start to finish.

Chen Mu deliberately lagged behind so the bodyguard would naturally take on the responsibility to lead the way.

They saw a few wild beasts along the way. Chen Mu’s tailless shuttle never missed its mark, which made Cleo all the more cordial. Though Chen Mu remained unmoved, Cleo wasn’t making much of it either, talking away freely as always.

That actually made Chen Mu a little better disposed toward him; most of the offspring of the wealthy were haughty and hard to approach. Though he knew his counterpart was demanding and selfish, to be able to put on such a posture and to be so free and easy wouldn’t have been easy for him.

And, from his performance along the way, one could see the bodyguard was experienced. For a card artisan who was a purely defensive specialist in the energy cloak, that would be quite hard to come by.

Wei-ah suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling in front of him as though he were about to penetrate the layers of the jungle. Wei-ah’s display made Chen Mu immediately raise his guard. The sensitivity of Wei-ah’s vigilance had always been unfathomable to Chen Mu, though it had been proven countless times that Wei-ah was always right.

There was certainly something going on ahead!

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