The Card Apprentice

A mask? Tan Yumin was astonished, and curiosity filled her pretty eyes. Who could still wear a mask at such an occasion?

Tai-shu Shen giggled and said in an unnatural way, “The White Commander is the new general manager of guards recruited by my third brother.”

Tan Yumin’s doubts didn’t reduce but instead increased; why would a general manager of guards remain seated there with a mask on his face? That puzzled her. No matter how, though, she was an exquisite person. There was still a smile on her face, and she didn’t lack etiquette. “Nice to meet you, White Commander!”

“You’re being polite, Miss Tan,” Chen Mu replied. A minute ago, he had inadvertently thought of Copper, causing him to become worried. Tan Yumin’s charm seemed to be faded in his eyes. Having great insight, he stayed calm.

Chen Mu was just a brief interlude. Tan Yumin’s sight fell onto Xu Jia, who was standing beside Chen Mu. She immediately noticed Xu Jia’s beauty. “Sister is so beautiful! Meeting with a gorgeous lady would make this entire journey worthwhile!” The men in the room looked at each other with bitter smiles, but that didn’t disgust them.

Xu Jia smiled. “Big sister’s beauty is incomparable to mine; it is really disappointing!” Both of them came into their topic earnestly.

“The relationship between sister and the White Commander is…?” Tan Yumin asked with temptation. Xu Jia’s elegance was extraordinary among the women she had seen before. After learning she was the chief secretary of Tai-shu Cheng, she couldn’t help but glance at Chen Mu.

Xu Jia replied wisely, “I am the female companion of the White Commander tonight.”

Tan Yumin smiled upon understanding the words. “The third young master is definitely capable!” Her evaluation of Tai-shu Cheng secretly became better. In order to win over the girl’s heart for the White Commander, Tai-shu Cheng would definitely be willing to set them up. That wouldn’t be something an ordinary man could do. Moreover, it would be a pleasure and an honor for him to do something for a lady with striking features and a rich mind like Xu Jia.

Tai-shu Shen snorted, and his face turned gloomy. Tai-shu Zheng’s face was somewhat unnatural. He rolled his eyes while teasing, “There is one thing Miss Tan does not know. Among the three brothers, the third brother is the most capable. It is to be assumed he will inherit the Tai-shu family in the future.”

No one would expel the compliments coming from a lady, especially from such a peerless beauty like Tan Yumin. Although Tai-shu Cheng tried to keep himself calm, he couldn’t hide his admiration toward her. Throughout all those years, he was the one who had suffered from the most pressure among the three brothers in his family. Therefore, he’d hardly had a chance to hold his head high.

He could not stop himself from stealing a look at Chen Mu. If it wasn’t for the promise he’d made with Chen Mu, he might get himself defeated.

However, based on Tai-shu Cheng’s experience, Tai-shu Zheng was not showing any good intention. He immediately said, “Big brother’s words are awesome! We have big brother and second brother in the family; therefore, it would be enough for me to just fulfill my duties. The future of the Tai-shu family will still fall on the two brothers.”

Tai-shu Shen’s face became slightly calmer, but Tai-shu Zheng didn’t let him go so easily. “What are you worrying about? The third brother has got the White Commander to help him. Other than the extreme strongman Master Rong, I honestly couldn’t think of any other possible threat to the White Commander, the general manager of Dongrui.”

After Tai-shu Shen finished his words, there came a few snorting sounds from the card artisans in the room. On such occasions, nobody would take the chance to be ignored in front of Miss Tan Yumin.

Huo Jiang sneered. Some card artisans even stared at Chen Mu with a provocative look. Ba Luojia was the only one half-squinting, as if the conversation had nothing to do with him. Rong Ming still maintained his smile with nothing to explain.

Cold sweat suddenly appeared on Tai-shu Cheng’s forehead. Tai-shu Zheng’s words had pushed the White Commander into being the public enemy. Now, not only had Huo Jiang’s eyes become unfriendly, but some of the guards brought by Jiang Yu and Luo De were unhappy.

Xu Jia had sensed something was wrong. It was nothing to fight between Huo Jiang and Ba Luojia. If all the card artisans were being offended, though, the situation would be worse. After realizing Chen Mu didn’t respond to her, she tried to forcefully take the topic over. “First young master’s words could hardly convince me. Let’s get straight to the point. Mr. Huo Jiang, who is under your command, is a warrior who has never lost a war in his life, which makes him a true warrior.”

Huo Jiang looked pleased. He picked up his wine glass and told Xu Jia, “I appreciate your compliment very much, Miss Xu. I felt ashamed and therefore could only serve this first.” He proceeded to finish his wine upon ending his words.

Xu Jia also took a sip of wine in return. She said, “Mr. Ba Luojia, servant of the second young master, has an unfathomable mind. Whenever you take over a task, it definitely reflects outstanding results. You are the true powerhouse!”

Ba Luojia opened his eyes and smiled at Xu Jia. “Such a wonderful compliment, Miss Xu.” He then closed his eyes once again.

Xu Jia turned her words around. “Young Master Luo and Young Master Jiang were also being forgotten. All of their card artisans were either battle-scarred veterans or elite players who were above the top levels.”

Upon hearing the compliment from such a beautiful woman, those card artisans looked proud-chested and excited.

Xu Jia could easily resolve a crisis. Chen Mu was amazed by her skills. He wished to learn those tricks from her, but it would be tough for him because he clearly knew his capabilities. There were so many beautiful women out there, but women with beauty and intelligence were hard to come by. The atmosphere of the banquet had become warmer with only a few words.

Tai-shu Shen, who was gloomy, finally spoke out for the first time. “Speaking of masters, you might have forgotten someone.”

As soon as he spoke, the gloom on his face immediately faded, revealing a few worldly styles. Everyone was immediately hooked. Rong Ming asked curiously, “May I know the name of the master mentioned by the second young master?”

While Rong Ming was asking, Tai-shu Shen didn’t dare to delay but replied immediately, “You can ask Miss Tan about this. There is a well-known federation master with her!”

Rong Ming was surprised. He turned to Tan Yumin and said, “I have no idea. May I know whom you’re speaking of?”

Tan Yumin smiled. “His surname is Mei, followed by single character, ‘Ji.'”

“Mei Ji!” Rong Ming said with a sigh of relief. “Is it Senior Mei Ji from Star Academy?”

“Yes.”

“Senior Mei Ji…” Rong Ming was shocked.

Jiang Yu couldn’t help but interrupt. “It seems like Uncle Rong is not a fan of Miss Tan. How could you not know about it? This is no longer news. Senior Mei Ji has been accompanying Miss Tan since three years ago. Senior Mei Ji also set up a Yu Defensive Force for Miss Tan. Rumor has it that the card artisans inside could be personally guided by Senior Mei Ji.”

Star Academy! Chen Mu was triggered upon hearing the sensitive word. Judging from Rong Ming’s reaction, Chen Mu figured Mei Ji should be a card artisan who was better and stronger than Rong Ming.

As expected, Rong Ming couldn’t hide his deep emotion. “It’s a shame I did not know anything about the arrival of Senior Mei Ji. I will definitely visit him some other day!”

Tan Yumin shook her head apologetically. “I’m afraid that won’t be be happening. I’m sorry to let you down, Master Rong. Uncle Mei preferred to stay alone and would never accept anyone’s visit.” It was a refusal, but Tan Yumin was trying to explain in a tactful way that allowed them to feel comfortable even though their request was rejected.

Rong Ming quickly replied, “I was being out of line!” He started to reminisce. “This generation may not be familiar with Senior Mei’s legacy. When I was a child, Senior Mei’s reputation in Star Academy was well-known by everyone. He was also one of the rarest self-taught card artisans in history who had never stepped into the academy. Star Academy was depending on Senior Mei to raise their reputation. He had the potential to become the next principal of Star Academy, but he gave up. There were many heroes back then.”

Everyone held their breath and listened to Rong Ming. That historical deed was special for them.

“At that time, Pavchek and Caesar were in the Federation Comprehensive Academy. Pavchek was the teacher of Tang Hanpei, the former principal of the Federation Comprehensive Academy. Caesar was the greatest killer of the century; he had taken countless lives. Master Jia Yingxia was at Moon Frost Island. I am not going to mention more about her. The master of the Central Repository of the Classics was at his peak during the year, and the world was under his control. However, a rookie from Desert Camp named Gu Li was born. He managed to conquer the Northern District on his own, and no one could compete with him. Gu Li was the former chief instructor of Desert Camp. The Bitter Solitude Temple was run by Yingchen. Senior Yingchen was an eccentric character and wasn’t easily understood. Star Academy was run by Senior Mei Ji, and his junior is the head of Star Academy today.”

Everyone looked surprised. There were many characters with ultimate influence in the federation. They had finally realized that Rong Ming’s reverence was beyond words.

Upon hearing Rong Ming mention Caesar, Chen Mu pricked up his ears. He knew little about Caesar; therefore, it would be tougher for him to acquire information in that area. Almost all of the information he’d found was indicating that Caesar could be an insane murderer.

He had scanned through the card Caesar had given him and had memorized the notes throughout. Through his act, it seemed Caesar had been preparing the card for a long time and hadn’t given it to Chen Mu on a whim. The tips on it were detailed, and he had also written some lessons and experience. To a certain extent, Chen Mu had somewhat inherited Caesar’s legacy. Therefore, he intended to know more about his history. It was disappointing that Rong Ming had only mentioned Caesar in one sentence.

However, Mei Ji was able to share the same level with Caesar. He was definitely not someone Chen Mu could compete with. Fortunately, he was holding the identity of Qiao Yuan, which made him a little less worried.

A top-ranking card artisan was right beside them. Some card artisans were excited just thinking about it. Fortunately, Tan Yumin was used to that kind of scene. She skillfully shifted to another topic and managed to bring the atmosphere of the banquet back to normal.

“Is Miss Tan planning to stay in Dongrui for the long or short term?” Luo De asked. Almost every man there wanted to know the same thing, except for Chen Mu, who looked indifferent.

Tan Yumin was an extremely sensitive woman. Chen Mu’s cold reaction had caught her attention and made her inevitably pay more attention to him. In addition, Xu Jia had also noticed Chen Mu’s disinterested behavior.

Upon seeing Chen Mu pick up the wine glass and sip slowly, Xu Jia’s eyes flashed a bit. She suddenly spoke in Chen Mu’s ear with a extremely soft voice. “What happened? Not interested in her? She’s still a virgin.”

Chen Mu, who had just taken a sip of wine, almost spewed it out. Fortunately, his fast reaction had enabled him to hold it in. From Xu Jia’s perspective, she could see that Chen Mu’s neck instantly turned red.

In Tan Yumin’s eyes, she saw Xu Jia whispering to the White Commander. The White Commander’s eyes suddenly bulged, and his mask went slightly distorted. His reaction was indecipherable.