The Card Apprentice

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

Bu Mo had never felt so nervous, even holding his breath. He didn't dare to blink as he kept his eyes firmly on Chen Mu, who had fallen to the ground in the field.

His whole body was flowing with blood, and he wasn't moving. In the blink of an eye, the gurgling flow of fresh blood had formed a pool of blood.

Bu Mo was clutching his fists, really wanting to rush out and pick Chen Mu up. But, up until then, he still hadn't figured out what the relationship was between Wei-ah and Chen Mu. He did know they were both their own people. But Chen Mu had already completely won him over! Chen Mu had made a deep impression on his tender, young mind with his image of fighting desire and his thirst for winning, never giving up as he fought so desperately.

Stand up! Hurry up! Stand! Bu Mo kept crying to himself over and over, gritting his teeth so hard that it seemed he would crunch them. His fists had turned white, and his body shook uncontrollably.

None of the three on the field was standing, and the chaos among the onlookers gradually calmed down. Everyone's gaze was on the person who had fallen in the middle of a pool of blood. Their gazes were filled with respect.

He had completely won them over with his dazzlingly gorgeous card skills and that weird and unpredictable final blow. The thing that gave them the most palpitations was his wild urge to battle and his persistent desire to win at the risk of his life. He was a true warrior in everyone's minds, and a true card artisan!

All of the image-recording instruments were focused on Chen Mu, who had fallen into that pool of blood. In that instant, the gazes of the entire federation were all focused on that fallen man.

Some unknown person among the crowd called out with a trembling voice, "Get up!"

Many people couldn't help but call out with him, although it was a little sporadic to start.

"Stand up!"

Then, more people joined in, and the voices turned into a chorus.

"Stand up!"

Those all around then dropped all of their prejudices and all of their differences and joined together in one voice to shout. The voices were like a torrent leading them all to show their respect to him, along with their encouragements and hopes.

"Stand up!"

Armani was an old card artisan who had long-standing qualifications among the emerging platform commentators. He had rich experience and shrewd insight. He spoke with sharp words, and his explanations were quite popular. He had been steady and calm all along, which was what he was most proud of. But he suddenly discovered that his hand was shaking and that his heart was beating very fast. It was as though his mind was being choked. When he heard the screaming coming from in front of him, it was like being hit by lightning, and everything he had been holding in came suddenly exploding out! He stood up from his seat and looked just as excited as everyone else, with his white hair and haggard, deeply lined face.

"Stand up!"

It was absolutely silent in the bar, every customer staring blankly at the man on the screen who had fallen into the pool of blood. The sound transmitted by the fantasy card viewer was like an exploding powder barrel. Those swarthy guys had been abruptly excited, and they now tore open their clothes to show their bare arms as the veins on their foreheads throbbed. Their eyes had turned red, and they kept growling like crazy with shaking voices, "Stand up! F****ng stand up!"

All of the students in the classroom couldn't help but stand up from their seats, their faces red, screaming to shred their voices. The girls were rubbing their eyes, sobbing as they screamed.

"Stand up!"

In the ravine, Bogner and Xi Ping ware staring blankly at the screen, not even daring to breathe. Their fists were nearly splitting. The women—Sue Lochiro, Ru Qiu, and Lu Xiaoru—had faces full of tears.

"Stand up, Boss! Stand up!"

On Wei-ah's never-changing face, there was rare transformation, the spark in his eyes getting brighter and brighter as he stared tightly at Chen Mu. Little Bu Mo to his side couldn't stop himself from clenching his little fists, yelling and screaming, "Stand up!"

Everyone in the entire federation who was in front of a fantasy card viewer was shouting the same thing.

"Stand up!"

"Stand up!"

"Stand up!"

Over and over again, everyone was screaming tirelessly. They were shouting faster and faster, more and more emotionally, the worry in their eyes increasingly serious.

"Stand up!"

"Stand up!"

* * *

After who knew how long and just as many of them were losing hope, the man in the pool of blood suddenly twitched!

All of the people who had lost hope were more excited than they ever had been, as though they had been struck by lightning. Every one of them, whether man or woman, had opened their eyes, and their faces flushed amid heavy breathing. They had used up all of their energy!

"Stand up!"

The sound was like the noise stirred up by a storm! The man in the pool of blood stirred again.

"Stand up!"

"Stand up!"

"Stand up!"

Tirelessly, crazily, hysterically, and despite how hoarse they had gotten, they desperately shouted over and over again!

The man in the pool of blood seemed to hear the anxiety and hope in everyone's voices, and he slowly struggled and slowly stirred. He pressed his left hand to the ground, clawing into the dirt, his arm slowly bending as he crept up from the ground little by little. Every time he got a little higher, everyone's gazes brightened.

He slowly rose up and gradually straightened out. His tottering body made everyone abruptly clutch their hearts. Their voices were like thunder in the sky before a rain, which nearly choked the people who had been holding back their feelings.

When he straightened his waist and stood up completely, everyone leapt up! They were waving their arms like crazy, as if they were celebrating a victory. They were desperately screaming and shouting, not even knowing what to say.

After several minutes, they gradually calmed down. When they cast their gazes toward the man on the screen, they fell silent again, quite a few of them with an expression of being unable to watch.

His clothes were tattered, and countless wounds were crowded onto his body. Fresh blood flowed from the wounds and covered him. His whole body was mud and blood, including his face. The most shocking thing was his right arm, which was nearly entirely blown open from his shoulder to his hand. The flesh was exposed, and the thick white arm bone was showing. His gaze was sluggish, as though he had no life. Tears were blurring all the women's eyes watching that scene.

Chen Mu was wooden and his mind blank. He didn't hear a sound, and everything in front of him was blank. He didn't know how long it was before things in front of him brightened a little, and there were some vague sounds, though his brain remained numb.

After a while, with things in front of him a little brighter, and even though everyone was still blurred, more sounds were getting to his ears. They seemed far away and hard to hear, though. He didn't know how long it had been.

Eventually, the scene in front of him was finally restored. The sound in his ears disappeared, and all seemed calm. Could he have been hallucinating? Chen Mu smiled bitterly to himself, his brain more sluggish than it had ever been and numb beyond anything he was used to.

After he came back to his spirits, the pain went through his whole body like a tide. He wanted to draw in a breath of cold air, but it seemed that all the flesh on his face had gone stiff, and he couldn't do it. He unconsciously looked around the field. It looked like he was the only one left standing. He thought numbly that he seemed to have won. That didn't give him any special feeling, however, as he realized his reactions had dulled.

After another while, he was finally partially restored to consciousness, but the pain became a lot clearer and more powerful at the same time. Still, Chen Mu reacted for the first time after he recovered his clear-headedness, but it wasn't from the intense pain. It was rather that his gaze had fallen onto the Madam from Faya.

He wanted to grin. Although he was in a lot of pain, he felt happy—happier than he had ever felt. Too bad the flesh on his face wasn't taking orders. Just then, he really wanted to laugh out loud. But he couldn't laugh, it being difficult to even move his finger just then.

His consciousness started to go a little lax, and he knew he had been losing too much blood. That was no good. There was still something he had to do. He bit down hard on his tongue, and a fishy smell echoed in his mouth to give his spirits a jolt. He tried opening his mouth, but no sound would come out. He couldn't believe it! He'd used up all the strength in his body. Everyone could see that he was trembling.

"Get over here, you!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was gravelly and low and made a grinding sound that was hard to listen to. Everyone could hear the energy it took to say that, as though it had been squeezed out straight from his chest.

On the field that was as quiet as death, what he said was clearly transmitted into everyone's ears. They all knew whom he was talking to.

The Madam from Faya shivered, and the man with the bronze mask next to her flashed a look of anger. He was about to come forward when the Madam lifted her eye-catchingly white hand. With an urgent look in his eyes, the man in the bronze mask was about to say something, but she had already taken a cautious step forward.

She walked slowly, every step looking incredibly difficult. She kept her waist erect, and no one could see her face through her veil, though everyone could still clearly feel her pride and her stubbornness!

With several dozen meters between them, it seemed to take an incredibly long time. No one made a sound, and no one averted their eyes. They were not even daring to breathe.

In the empty space, which was so completely messed up, there was a woman wearing a veil slowly walking toward a man covered in blood. That was undoubtedly a tense scene, the sense of which was difficult to describe. But everyone was transfixed by it.

The Madam from Faya stopped in front of Chen Mu and remained silent, raising her face and staring firmly at him, seeming to engrave him into her mind. Her gaze was stubborn and darkly cold, and it had that touch of undisguised ruthlessness!

She didn't say a thing but raised her right hand and lightly lifted a corner of her veil. Underneath the black veil was a snow-white, flawless chin. Although only a small part was showing, its exciting curves still made it look like the most beautiful work of art in the world. Her red lips were softly warm and glossy, beautiful enough to make a person catch his breath.

Chen Mu felt carefree, though he also wanted to cry. He didn't know where the energy came from, but he suddenly stuck out his left hand and rudely pulled her over. With no hesitation, he lowered his head strongly and leaned toward those enchanting lips!

She didn't blink. She just looked at that bloody, muddy face leaning toward her.

Smelling like orchids and musk, her breath sprayed onto Chen Mu's face. His gaze didn't change. Without the slightest hesitation, he opened his mouth and firmly bit down!