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

A black object about half the size of a palm laid quietly in the wooden box. It was similar to a large ink block. Up close, the extremely thin dark gold stripes could be seen quite obviously, especially when it was put under the light. The golden stripes were sparkling, flashing on and off to display their beauty.

But that type of object, which was unlike wood or stone, was making Chen Mu unable to compare it to a bacterial spore organism. The inclusion of the term "liquid-soft" was also throwing him off. That thing was so different from what he had seen in pictures before, but he believed Tai-shu Yong wouldn't lie to him at that point.

Tai-shu Yong was sensible enough to excuse himself at the right time.

Knot in Heart