The Card Apprentice

“Mmm, those old guys from the Luo family sent quite a few groups with the intention of attacking Miss Wei Wei’s troops. Miss Wei Wei’s entire team was trapped in the Pascal Region and basically couldn’t get out. Afterward, quite a few battles broke out between the two sides with heavy casualties. Seeing that the Luo family clan gathering was about to begin, everyone assumed it was over for Miss Wei Wei, not imagining she would suddenly show up at the Luo household. I didn’t know until later that all of those large troops were under a single banner and that the one leading them was her assistant, Meng Jiezi. Miss Wei Wei had quietly gone through the Welsh Forest and then crossed the Heavenly Dragon Canyon, bypassing Lier City to finally return to Thousand Lakes. The Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm was responsible to protect them. I’ve heard it said that Miss Wei Wei really appreciated the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm and offered a high price to keep them. She didn’t realize they would ultimately refuse.”

Ah Zhe also seemed not to quite understand the choice of the leader of the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm.

As though he had something on his mind, Mobley said, “It looks like Miss Wei Wei already has the Luo family in her hands, but we don’t know where the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm came from.”

Ah Zhe smiled. “What are you so worried about, Captain? Can’t we just find out by asking around?”

Mobley smiled back. “Ha ha, you’re right. Let’s go ask around.”

Mobley and his party were doubtlessly quite striking in the card artisan service center. Wherever they went, they were the focus of everyone’s attention. But they all maintained their composed expressions with no sign of discomfort. Many of the card artisans in the know had already guessed who they were.

Mobley was thinking as he walked. He hadn’t previously been thinking about lingering in the Pascal District. The reason they had emerged was for a commission that was very relevant to him. They couldn’t know their luck would be so bad. Not only was there no word about the commission, but they also happened to run into the chaotic storm started by Faya’s gang of crazies. They had gotten the news over the previous few days that the way back to Thousand Lakes was already sealed.

The five or six local powers in the area between Chilei and Thousand Oaks had formed into a battle group. To stir them up at that time would be no different than looking to die. But it wasn’t like there was no way to get back to Thousand Lakes. The Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm had escorted Miss Wei Wei along a route where there would certainly be no battles.

As Mobley saw it, however, that route was more dangerous than going through the war zone. Having no other choice, he figured they might as well stay in Chilei for the time being.

In his boredom, Mobley took a few people to the card artisan service center in Chilei to look around. He hadn’t expected to encounter such an overheated scene. That got them curious. The Snowflake Card Artisan Team was rather famous in the Heavenly Drum Village District, and it wasn’t like they hadn’t experienced that sort of situation themselves. Because of that, they were clearer than most of the people there about what was implied by the overheated scene. He didn’t think it would be any hotter if it were the Snowflake Card Artisan Team recruiting.

“May I be so bold as to ask this big brother where the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm came from? How is it that so many people are applying?” Ah Zhe, who was beside Mobley, had caught a card artisan walking by and had quickly asked him.

The card artisan wasn’t so pleased about being grabbed. But looking over who they were, he detected that they didn’t have just an ordinary bearing, so he didn’t dare to be arrogant. He said perfectly politely, “Have you all just arrived a Chilei?”

Mobley and Ah Zhe looked at each other, and Ah Zhe nodded with a slight smile. “Indeed; you are very sharp to see that! We just arrived yesterday, and seeing so much hubbub today, we wonder what’s up.”

After having been detained by Ah Zhe, he now felt that the gang in front of him was a lot more pleasing to look at. He explained, “That’s quite normal. Never mind you not knowing what’s up; even local card artisans don’t quite get it. But now that you mention the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm, they’ve recently created quite a sensation!”

“Oh? What do you mean?” Ah Zhe looked interested, and everyone else was looking like they were listening in.

Seeing that he had gotten everyone’s attention, the card artisan was stirred. “Do you know about the Downstream Alliance?”

“Downstream Alliance?” Ah Zhe thought for a while before saying, “I seem to have vaguely heard of them.” How could he remember any Downstream Alliance? They would hardly ever run into such small local powers normally.

“Ha! I could see at a glance that you don’t frequently run around in the Pascal District. The Downstream Alliance is the biggest power in the Pascal District, with 35 small forts. Such a power wouldn’t be considered so small, would it?”

Mobley’s eyes seemed to smile without smiling, and Ah Zhe rushed to nod in agreement. “Indeed. Not small at all.”

“The Downstream Alliance commands thousands of card artisans. Apart from the House of Qiao, which can only barely contend with them, no one else is their equal. But such a large power was finally defeated by the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm. They even killed their big boss, Wen Zuofu. They had been deploying several thousand card artisans, and it was said that they had several hundred battle card artisans. Still, they weren’t the strongest.” The card artisan stopped talking.

Ah Zhe put on a look of surprise and rushed to ask, “Good lord, is there actually something more powerful than that?”

“That old demon Wen Zuofu is incredibly treacherous, and the reason he dared to set his mind this time was because he had a trump card in his hands! Several hundred battle shuttle cars. You’ve seen the buggies. Good grief, they must have spent a lot of money for so many of them!” The card artisan was shaking his head as if he was the one who’d spent the money.

Hearing that, Mobley’s expression started to turn more serious. That kind of battle weapon was the hottest topic lately. The Snowflake Card Artisan Team had been specifically researching it. They had concluded that once the number of battle shuttle cars went above 150, their power would be utterly terrifying. How much power would several hundred battle shuttle cars bring into play?

“Not necessarily. I’ve heard that buggie is really a live wire.” Ah Zhe looked incredulous, but he wasn’t just putting it on that time.

The card artisan grunted and said, “Live wire? Indeed. Everyone knows it is. But it was just that live wire that the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm completely destroyed, not leaving a single one behind. That’s not just me talking; it’s something everyone here knows. If you went to the ravine right now, you could see the wreckage of the battle shuttle cars.”

After the card artisan finished heaping all that praise, he got excited. “You tell me how powerful such a card artisan firm must be! Good lord, they’re too powerful. That kind of a card artisan firm would be considered first-class no matter where! I have to try my luck given this rare recruitment, ha ha. If I’m admitted, I’ll be eating and drinking like a king!” He looked drunk, as though he had already been admitted.

Mobley and the rest of them were still digesting what that card artisan had just told them. If what he said was true, then the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm had terrifying power! It was a little strange for such a powerful card artisan firm to pop up in such an out-of-the-way place.

The card artisan then said to Ah Zhe as if he were telling a secret, “There’s still more news coming through the grapevine about the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm.”

“Oh? What kinds of rumors?” Ah Zhe quickly raised his head to see that the card artisan was keeping his mouth closed, like he hadn’t said a thing. He immediately realized he should pull out a few money cards and quietly stuff them into the card artisan’s hands. “We’ve been holding up our big brother for such a long time. I feel really bad about that. This is a small token from your little brother, so my big brother can drink some tea to refresh himself.”

The card artisan rubbed his hand, and his face turned pretty happy. With his counterpart so above-board, of course he wasn’t going to go on peddling. “It’s said that the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm can produce the liquid extracts from the purple fluorescent ore.”

“What?” both Ah Zhe and Mobley asked in chorus. When Mobley opened his mouth, he showed his might and imposing manner, which really scared the card artisan.

The card artisan hastily said, “It’s true! Everything I’m saying is true!” Seeing the two of them with burning gazes on his face, he went a little weak, but he quickly explained, “Other people might think this is just a rumor, but it really is true. I have a relative who is at a firm that purchased some of the extracts from the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm.”

“We’ll take a look,” Mobley said in a deep voice, being anxious to look into the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm.

Seeing that Mobley had already turned around, Ah Zhe hurriedly stuffed a few more money cards into the card artisan’s hand. “Thank you very much.” He then went off to join Mobley and the rest.

The card artisan looked at the additional money cards in his hands. After a while, he looked wildly happy. That gang was really generous!

The reason Mobley and his party had come that time was precisely for the liquid extracts of the purple fluorescent ore. Over the past little while, there had suddenly been quite a lot of the extract flowing from that place to Thousand Lakes, and they had been urged by someone to find out who was producing it. They wanted to set up a long-term, cooperative relationship for large quantities.

Unfortunately, they hadn’t been able to find the mysterious producer, and that firm was very good at concealing its work. They didn’t have the power to infiltrate it. They had worn out their iron shoes without finding anything. Now, they found it with no effort at all!

They quickly asked where the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm recruiting station was. But the huge card artisan service center seemed to be servicing only them. The further inside they got, the more crowded it became, with excited-looking card artisans all over the place. Mobley and his group were inwardly stunned. Such a large-scale recruitment gathering showed how much influence the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm had in the Pascal Region.

Although it was much more crowded than the outer areas, it was all very orderly. Those wild card artisans were obediently lining up. No one was discussing loudly, and no one was creating a disturbance. The card artisans looked like well-behaved students.

Mobley’s group felt more and more that the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm was extraordinary. What little they saw was enough to show how disciplined the firm was.

Mobley’s group didn’t line up but charged right in, which was quite offensive in the eyes of all the card artisans who had lined up. But those card artisans weren’t stupid. Once they saw how imposing the group was, they guessed they must be a big deal. The card artisans with shaper eyesight were aghast. That party’s power was so high no one among them could discern its depth. That also explained how far its power was from their own.

A young man standing ramrod-straight with a cool expression stood immediately in front of them and blocked their way. “Please, this is the recruitment station for the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm. If you would like to apply, please get in line.”

Mobley stopped, and his eyes slightly widened. As the captain of the Snowflake Card Artisan Team, it had been a long time since anyone had been so arrogant in front of him. Paying attention to his counterpart’s upright stance, Mobley was chilled. That was the classic style of the military. Could that young man be from the military?

The military was a rather taboo subject. Whether it was a local power or a famous card artisan team like them, they would all be careful not to incur the wrath of the military. That wasn’t an offense they could afford.

He couldn’t help but closely size up the youth in front of him, suddenly feeling like he looked a little familiar. He had seen him somewhere. But no matter how much he wracked his brains, he couldn’t come up with where he had seen that youth. His counterpart was also sizing him up at the same time.

Everyone’s gazes nearby were focused on the two of them. Many of them looked excited, able to tell at a glance that they were both aces. Although no one knew who the youth was, he was a representative of the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm. If there was any conflict between the two sides, it would certainly be fun to watch. None of them could keep calm. They were all itching for things to blow up. They were also curious about what sort of moves the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm would come up with.

What one heard may be false, but seeing was believing. None of them had seen the battle between the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm and the Downstream Alliance. The card artisans with a little bit of power naturally hoped their own clubs could have more power. If a conflict were to develop, of course they could also judge if the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm really did have power or if they only had empty fame.

“So, you are the captain of the Snowflake Card Artisan Team, Mobley! I, Jiang Liang of the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm, have seen Mr. Mobley before.” The youth calmly saluted Mobley.

What he said would only be considered banter, but it was like a bombshell had been dropped in the card artisan service center!