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

Chen Mu didn't try the card right away but rested first. He needed some time for his perception to be restored to its normal level. But he wasn't idle; he'd already slid the Wheel into his apparatus, which was in an activated state. He closed his eyes and rested while using his perception to closely examine the new card's internal composition.

The vast universe of its energy was like a void filled with fog, all gray and misty. In the midst of all that emptiness, 1,024 round energy wheels roamed through the void like a school of fish. They would gather and scatter in a lively fashion. On every energy wheel was a stream of light, cycling back and forth across its surface like hands on a clock.

That was similar to when he was training his perceptual acuity with those five energy models—especially the fifth type of energy model, which had fascinated him the most.

A Misunderstood Battle and Card