Fang Xiang

This is both a work of science fiction and an exploration of the meaning of life, love, literature and art. Brainpower is no longer the main ingredient for being human in this far distant future world.  Spirituality, physical balance, and diligence all come together as integrity for Chen Mu, the Card Apprentice.  The cards which Chen Mu masters in his own scrappy way, distill all the powers of the cosmos –  human and nonhuman –  into something that is not a book, not technology, and neither art nor magic, but is these and more.  Learn about these strange cards, which can embody everything you might imagine for the future of technology, but also a future beyond technology which promotes the best, and sometimes the worst, from mankind’s past.

The Card Apprentice

"What's up with that? Can our esteemed card master Bian Yun get freaked out by a card play?" Some people were making fun off to the side; apart from Qing Qing, they would all make fun each other.

Bian Yun's expression was getting more and more serious. Any casualness had long disappeared. All his attention was focused on that little card in his hand.

The joking all around gradually decreased under his influence, and everything calmed down. Now everyone's gaze was on Bian Yun. Even with the knowledge among them relating to cards, no one could touch Bian Yun.

Any card that could make Bian Yun so careful wasn't ordinary goods. What they couldn't make any sense of was how a one-star fantasy card could be worth studying.

After several minutes, Bian Yun finally blew out a long sigh. The group which had been holding its curiosity for so long started asking all sorts of questions at once, "Old Bian, is there something weird in there?"

The Sign of the Nouveaux Riche