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

The vague fluctuations were almost insensible. Like ripples on water, they blanketed the entire region. They were used by the scanning category of cards. There wasn't just one type among the complex fluctuations; there were five. It was evident from that how tight their detection was.

Although Chen Mu's bogus borderline breath control method didn't have the unparalleled power of the true breath control method, it was quite good at stopping his breath. Beneath those five fluctuations, each with different characteristics, he was shuttling around like a fish, swimming with ease without making a splash.

The ever ghost-like Wei-ah stuck close to his side. Using no apparent tricks, he could still remain beneath the scanning wave band without making any waves. Chen Mu had asked Wei-ah about that, but Wei-ah never gave him an explanation.

The Infiltration