The Card Apprentice

Miao Xuan’s pupils contracted, and his face went a little pallid. He didn’t flinch because of that move, though, but unexpectedly came forward a step and respectfully said, “You must be the 89th on the Black-Line Star Listing, my good man. Mr. Mo Ta? If Miao Xuan isn’t mistaken in what he saw, that is the Golden Word Shackle, correct?”

Once he said that, the card artisans looking at Chen Mu shifted their gazes. Those who joined the first 100 names on the Black-Line Star Listing were the top-named aces in the Heavenly Drum Village District! For such an ace to be in Zargan, he would have to be the most top-notch person there.

Quite a few of them were no longer surprised that card artisan was so impressive! Those who were more familiar with the Black-Line Star Listing had already started to review material about Mo Ta in their heads. By the time they realized who Mo Ta was, they felt still more stricken. Mo Ta sure wasn’t such good stuff!

Ah Sang’s joyful heart nearly leapt into her throat. She hadn’t thought the strangely named, ugly man would actually be able to join the top 100 superb aces on the Black-Line Star Listing! She had previously felt a little shaky about what the ugly guy’s power would be like, not having seen it with her own eyes.

If the ugly guy were truly among the top 100 aces on the Black-Line Star Listing, he absolutely could support them until that elder of the family got there. The only thing she was worried about then was whether Miao Xuan might come up with even better conditions, and that ace would waver. The top 100 aces on the Black-Line Star Listing were the objects of every power’s scramble to solicit them. How could the Miao family let that ace go?

“I am not.”

Beyond anyone’s expectations, the ugly man shook his head with an indifferent expression.

Miao Xuan was surprised, but he shook his head for his absolute certainty. “I’m afraid your servant doesn’t recognize you, sir. But I’m certain I’m not mistaken about that golden energy chain of your eminence. The Golden Word Shackle is a five-star card, held by the 89th on the Black-Line Star Listing, one of the seven captains of Constellation.”

The dialogue between the two of them was making the rest of the people a little dizzy, but nobody dared to move by then.

“This is indeed the Golden Word Shackle,” Chen Mu said as he nodded. He then let loose a bombshell. “I killed Mo Ta.”

The sweat on Miao Xuan’s forehead was dripping down. He was tongue-tied and stammering to say something, but nothing came out. His brain a mess, he watched the golden energy chain in Chen Mu’s hands in a daze of disbelief.

In their eyes, Mo Ta was already someone they would look up to. How could he have been killed? Could such an ace be killed without the least news about it? The energy chain in the ugly guy’s hands was absolutely the Golden Word Shackle. If Mo Ta hadn’t been killed, how did it fall into that guy’s hands?

The field had fallen so silent that you could clearly hear the sound of people desperately swallowing or the sound of sweat dripping onto the floor. Everyone, including those from the firm, were looking at Chen Mu as though they were seeing a ghost.

Chen Mu furrowed his brow, not wanting to get tangled up with those guys. They had a lot more people than he did; once the two sides got into a melee, although he wasn’t afraid, he felt it would be a hassle.

He then remembered Wei-ah. No matter when, Wei-ah’s expression would always be full of deterrence. He didn’t need to put it on deliberately. After all, what expression could scare someone more than Wei-ah’s emotionless look? If his murderous aura were added to that, it would become still more perfect!

Chen Mu diligently tried to remember those bitter battles in the forest. Scene after scene kept flashing by in his mind, bringing back that unique feeling of nearly having his head separated from his body…

With his eyes half-closed, Chen Mu was immersed in those scenes of close combat. The temperature of his blood started to shoot up. Little by little, his battle urge was awakened, and his rage surged!

Miao Xuan’s expression shifted! Everyone’s expression shifted! The ugly man had suddenly become extremely dangerous in their eyes, and that slightly swaying golden energy chain looked like a poisonous python that might select someone to bite at any time.

Card artisans were basically sensitive individuals, and still more so when it was that kind of powerful urge to battle!

Everyone’s scalp went numb, and their faces turned to clay. The legs of some of the card artisans were uncontrollably shaking! If anyone else had dared to be so arrogant in front of them, they would have long since beaten him to death in a brawl.

Who was that man? No one knew. But he was an ace who could kill even Mo Ta! That alone was enough to make them lose hope when they thought about it. He had made his move much more ruthlessly than they would have. He hadn’t had the slightest intention of being reasonable but had come forward right from the start with a deadly move!

They had seen ruthlessness but had never seen that kind of ruthlessness! They had seen arrogance but had never seen that kind of arrogance!

Criss-crossed with a murderous spirit and a surging will to fight, everyone’s rage began to wobble as they wondered when they might meet their adversary’s thunderous blow. He was obviously not going to talk patience with them.

Some of the card artisans of the Southern Star Firm were crying in their hearts. They had thought they would come to bully a pretty woman a little, which would be a comfortable and cool piece of work! Who would have thought they would run into a star killer who would blow one of them up without a second thought?

Even bad guys like them, who wouldn’t stop at anything, wouldn’t dare to kill someone in such a bloody way in broad daylight. But their adversary had no notion of scruples. When they thought about it, however, that would be normal. If he were really among the first 100 on the Black-Line Star Listing, he was unlikely to have any scruples. Who among those on the listing wasn’t viciously evil and unforgivable?

The card artisans had a lot of self-knowledge and could only consider themselves local tyrants at best. The guys on the listing were the true professional bad guys. The one who could kill No. 89 would have to be considered the professional bad guy among professional bad guys!

Miao Xuan immediately realized that what he had planned for that day had been ruined. Still, he didn’t quite believe what that guy had said about killing Mo Ta. To defeat someone and to kill someone were two entirely different things. To be able to kill the 89th ace on the Black-Line Star Listing would require at least the top 50 aces!

He was afraid any single person among the top 50 names on the listing might be enough to wipe out the Miao family. How could he so easily let them go?

Glancing at his own guards, they looked as scared as sick chickens. What a useless gang of trash! Miao Xuan couldn’t help but curse them to himself. They were so boisterous normally and now wilting at the critical moment.

But his adversary’s murderous aura was the real deal, and even he felt gripped with fear.

Miao Xuan managed to calm down and said respectfully, “Since the elder has spoken, how could Miao Xuan dare not to listen? I wonder if he would be free to pay a visit to my cold shack, where he would be welcomed sincerely by one and all from my humble family!”

Chen Mu suddenly felt all the flesh in Ah Sang’s body behind him tense up because of what he said. That was when he discovered the two of them were a little too close together. Ah Sang was entirely leaning on his back, and he could clearly experience her body’s amazing curves and her warmth.

“I won’t have time.”

Miao Xuan had switched from arrogance to deference, hypocritically acting as though he were unhappy.

Ah Sang’s body behind him quickly relaxed. Chen Mu abruptly realized the relaxation and the previous tightening had a completely different feeling. Her soft body and the wafting fragrance came along with a wonderful, hot feeling surging up from Chen Mu’s heart. Almost unconsciously, Chen Mu moved the top half of his body forward a little.

That surprising feeling just then had made him somewhat flustered. The change in mood caused his imposing manner to abruptly dissipate. Everyone felt the lingering chill of his murderous aura suddenly disappear without a trace.

Miao Xuan was the first to discover the change. He was taken aback and immediately happy. Maybe his show of goodwill just then had worked! He was a clever person, and he made his decision in the blink of an eye. With a still more respectful expression, he said, “Miao Xuan will say goodbye.” He then led away the card artisans, who all breathed a sigh of relief.

Watching Miao Xuan leave, Ah Sang felt a stone drop from her heart. She was finally surprised that she and Qiao Yuan had gotten a little too close. Her face turned red, and she rushed to pretend to inadvertently step back. Thinking back on the scene just then, her face burned still more. How could she have such thoughts about such an ugly man? Ah Sang rushed to console herself.

There wasn’t one woman who wasn’t sensitive in that regard. Even if they hadn’t reacted at the time, it would be easy to remember when thinking about it afterward. Ah Sang suddenly recalled the motion when Chen Mu had slightly leaned forward. She finally understood what it meant.

After she understood, her face immediately turned red with shame. She was thankful for the veil over her face.

Chen Mu felt a little awkward. Since he was disguised, though, he didn’t really worry that he would be found out.

“Ok, they’ve left.” He pretended to be calm as he spoke and immediately added, “I need something to eat.”

During that time in the forest, Chen Mu had only been able to fill his belly with the meat of some wild beasts. The forests in the Heavenly Drum Village District weren’t like the temperate jungles Chen Mu had previously traveled through. There was snow and ice covering everything there, and all kinds of plants he wasn’t familiar with. Of course, it had been hard to find plants he could use for seasoning.

Looking at the fine food placed in front of him, the enticing aromas made Chen Mu’s mouth water. Without saying another thing, he started to clean it up like crazy. Chen Mu’s way of eating would be called rude. He completely ignored the existence of anyone else around him, including Ah Sang.

Ah Sang had never seen such an unbearably rude appearance; even her servants had been taught all sorts of etiquette and rules since they were small. That strangely ugly man in front of her was simply a savage—one who had been starving for several days!

Thinking back again on how she had turned red-faced over such a rude and ugly man, Ah Sang felt a little stuffy in her chest.

Chen Mu paid no attention to what she was feeling. In truth, he had put that little bit of charm and gentleness entirely out of his mind.

He rubbed his protruding belly in contentment as he drank the Lanqing tea. His legs were propped on the coffee table, and he was half-lying on the sofa with his eyes narrowed, reviewing everything he had gotten those last few days.

As far as he was concerned, camouflage was an entirely new curriculum and was related to the success or failure of the operation. Reviewing and reflecting would undoubtedly be the easiest way for him to progress.