The Card Apprentice

“Are you staying?”

“Mmm…” Zara muttered. She didn’t dare lift her head. After hesitating for a moment, she softly replied, “The Xishan clan is large, although it suffered a serious defeat, there must be some people who survived. I am the last royalty of my clan, I…”

She looked up without avoiding Chen Mu’s direct eye contact.

“There is no one strong in the clan. If you stay here, you will only be bullied.”

She explained, “I am royalty.”

Chen Mu noticed her stubbornness through her pale face; which was the result of the injuries underneath her mask. Even so, her face was full of pride and determination.

Chen Mu didn’t know what to say; it was as if the emotions bottled up in his heart had overflowed, tangling all his feelings. He didn’t know what to say, and could only look at her in silence. Over the past two years, they had relied on each other, as they fought through the crisis-ridden abyss of the Hundred Depths. They rested together, fought together, and were never separated.

Although he had never seen her face, he trusted her implicitly. In the battle with Hedrat, she fought hard even though she was seriously injured, just to open a path for him to strike back. Chen Mu looked to be in a daze as his thoughts wandered far away.

The encounter with her had changed his fate. He had to endure unbearable pain because of her, and he saw her as an enemy in the past. However, fate works in mysterious ways, and eventually, she had become one of the people he trusted most.

Her decision was right, Chen Mu told himself in his heart. Similar to her decision, he would eventually go back to the Heavenly Federation no matter how dangerous it may be. But why did he feel sad? Chen Mu heard that his voice was very stable, no different from usual.

“Well, I will give you a parting gift.”

The top executives of the army under Mose have all gathered. They looked in fear at the man wearing the ghost-faced flower in front of them. The death of Mose had changed the entire situation on the battlefield. No one pursued the people of the Black Abyss anymore. They just stood there in silence, their minds blank.

This army that recently expanded had long been corrupted, but there was no problem when Mose was around. However, who would have thought that, at such a critical time, Mose had died! Those who were insightful would understand the kind of consequence the army would be facing next. However, before they could respond, all the top executives were gathered together by this man. No one dared to defy his orders.

Before this, the mysterious man was nothing but a powerful person! However, they viewed Chen Mu differently after they witnessed him killing Hedrat. The explosion from that battle shook heaven and earth. This man was the most influential person in the House of a Hundred Depths!

Chen Mu’s timing was perfect. These officers that had just taken the blow didn’t even have time to group up. Compared to Zara, he had the upper hand in this area. He had experience in managing a force.

In a blink of an eye, he captured the headless army. He personally took over, disrupted the formation of the military, and reorganized it. At first, he was going to kill a few leaders, but to his surprise, no one dared to act up as his terrorizing power deterred them.

In a very short time, the entire army changed, inside and out. Zara might not have enough power to command such a tremendous force, but her distinguished status as the direct descendant of the Xishan royalty could still gain a lot of respect from the vast majority of people. Moreover, the direct descendants of Mose have long been split apart by Chen Mu.

News of the Black Abyss’s defeat spread; the death of Hedrat and the five chiefs; the death of Mose; the re-emergence of the Xishan royalty have soon spread throughout the entire House of a Hundred Depths.

No one dared to act recklessly. The Xishan royalty used to dominate the House of a Hundred Depths. Although the Black Abyss defeated it, the former would still be stronger than an amateur. According to what they knew, Hedrat was not beaten by a group but was instead killed by one man. No one could possibly do such a thing when such a powerful man was in control, not to mention the situation was still unclear. This also gave Zara a chance.

Zara’s eyes were a little tired, but even the fatigue could not hide the high spirit of its owner. To Chen Mu’s surprise, Zara continued to wear the ghost-faced flower on her face. However, the remaining Xishan royalties, who have gathered from all sides, cried at the sight of her. They did not doubt her identity. Chen Mu saw with his own eyes how Zara’s busy schedule kept her from having even one moment to sit down to take a break.

“I’m leaving.” Chen Mu whispered. A few days ago, he was still a little concerned about whether Zara could control such a massive force, but he was finally rest assured now. Compared to him, Zara was a real royalty. She was educated from a young age, and now that the number of her natives was increasing, there was no worry about the lack of people.

Zara’s body trembled slightly. The ghost-faced flower-covered her face, making her expressions unreadable, her clear pupils couldn’t help but reveal a deep sorrow.

“That place is dangerous, and I only know the approximate location,” Zara bit her lip and said.

“The approximate location is enough. I can find it in a short time,” Chen Mu said confidently. As if he noticed that the atmosphere was a little somber, he smiled slightly. “You need to manage it well. I’m excited to address you as the queen when I come to the House of a Hundred Depths next time.”

Zara did not speak but just stared at Chen Mu. The stubbornness in her eyes had vanished, and there was only gentleness and sadness. Seeing that she did not reply, Chen Mu didn’t know what to say. They just stared at each other silently.

After a long time, Zara suddenly asked, “Will you really challenge Tan Hanpei after you go back to the Heavenly Federation?

Inexplicably, Chen Mu was suddenly filled with a heroic spirit, as he stretched and said, “What’s meant to come will come.”

The battle with Hedrat just lasted for a short moment, which finished after only a few rounds. Hedrat even fought with injuries. There were many regrets, but this battle had a significant impact on Chen Mu. There were great benefits, especially for his state of mind. When Chen Mu came out from the abyss of the Hundred Depths, he was like an unsheathed sword, cold and chilly. He was also like a bloodthirsty behemoth with intense killing intent. However, this faded away after the battle with Hedrat, and he became more peaceful and harmonious.

It was only now that he understood the reason Caesar admitted that he wasn’t as good as Tang Hanpei. He also finally had the confidence to fight Tang Hanpei.

Looking at the man in front of her, Zara felt complicated. After spending days and nights together for more than two years, she used to think that she knew him very well, but now, she suddenly felt that he was so distant. There was a time when she was determined to follow Chen Mu for life if he helped her get revenge, but…

She felt as if a knife was being twisted in her heart. Only then did she realize that she had underestimated the long-anticipated pain. She lifted her head. Her face was as pale as a sheet under the ghost-faced flower. Two patches of peachy red appeared on her pale face suddenly, and her eyes revealed a little shyness as she approached daringly to the side of Chen Mu’s ears.

“Come to my room tonight.”

There was not much difference between the nights and days in the House of a Hundred Depths, but the temperature would drop sharply. It could be very dangerous at night in the wild—if one was not careful, one could become a popsicle by dawn.

* * *

Night descended.

The exaggerated grayish face had a few drops of blood from the erythema on his cheeks. In the night, he looked like an ugly demonic clown. He was motionless like a statue, staring at the house in the distance.

His body started to move after God knows how long, but his face remained unreadable. He turned around without hesitation, in spite of the loneliness written all over his eyes. He ran forward and didn’t turn back. Behind him, behind the window of the house, the barefaced Zara covered her mouth. Tears instantly blurred her vision, and she could no longer see the familiar figure.

Why didn’t he come?

She seemed to have understood, but why did her heart ache so badly for a moment?

Chen Mu ran, and he didn’t use the jet stream card. He just sprinted with his legs. He ran faster by the second, a ball of fire burning in his chest, so smoldering that he wanted to scream out loud. However, he didn’t make any sound, and instead tightly pursed his lips. The only way to vent was to use that energy to sprint. The wind was whistling in his ears, and the scenery on both sides of him was rapidly moving backward.

Bogner sat at the table as he looked at the reports sent. The expansion of Eastern Wei in the Heavenly Federation ran into some minor troubles. The three-month period was getting closer, leaving them with little time. Although many had urged him to return to the Heavenly Federation to preside over the situation, he continued to guard the Big Crack Base. This decision was not strategically the best, but he persisted. He could feel that the other party was approaching.

Every day, he would send a large number of scouting card artisans to determine the other party’s location. It was confirmed that the other person’s military strength had far exceeded the military force of the Big Crack Base. However, they would not give up on the transit windows in any case. Giving up on the transit windows would signify the surrender of the initiative to the other party. The only thing that he could do now was to hold his position until the Eastern Wei sends support to clean up the common residential district. As one of the best commanders in the Heavenly Federation, how could Bogner await his doom?

While the vast ash stratum greatly enhanced their defensive strength, it also gave them more time for activities. Bogner strengthened the defense of the base, and he also sent a large number of teams to harass the Mohadi Domain coalition army at the same time.

This would stall for more time, as the other party wouldn’t be able to figure out the exact location of their base in such a short time. It would be perfect if the other party was led around in circles by their small teams. However, the opposition’s commander was not an ordinary person. He saw right through their tricks and sent a large number of scouts to cast a huge net, hoping to find the enemy’s main force.

The vast ash stratum was like a giant millstone. The small teams from both sides began to garotte brutally. So far, Bogner’s side had the upper hand.

This was thanks to the convenient communication and precise positioning. Once the small team found the enemy, they would quietly gather the other around it, and set up an ambush somewhere nearby. Then, this team of card artisans would then lure the other party into the trap, executing the plan. But the opposition’s strength was too strong. The casualties were like nothing to them; instead, they dispatched even more teams.

After significant losses, the opposition became a lot more cautious, and they were no longer easily fooled. They began to play it steadily, one step at a time. There were bases established in each constant interval of distance. Although the opposition slowed down, it still gave Bogner a headache.