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 gang of card artisans looked worried, their faces ugly. The attack from the wavy snow bats hit them hard, and the mysterious ace had left them covered in a dense layer of impenetrable haze.

Before he had gone far, the lead card artisan suddenly looked on guard. Needing no orders, the card artisans immediately became battle-ready, like birds on edge from the twang of a bowstring.

The resonant voice came from far away before a dark-faced stalwart built like an iron tower arrived in front of them in the blink of an eye. He had 30 card artisans along with him.

When An Sa saw who they were, he breathed a sigh of relief. "How did you get here, Mo Ta?"

"The big chief thought something had happened to you, so he had me bring these people along to find you." Mo Ta spoke carelessly, though he was taken aback when he saw how miserable An Sa looked. "So, something really did happen to you?"