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

For a card artisan, ten moves was no more than the instant a spark was struck from a flint.

The atmosphere in the great hall had relaxed quite a bit. Everyone believed the White Commander was going to give the Madam from Faya a way out. So long as he wasn't going to kill anyone, the guests didn't seem that nervous. They were most afraid of the White Commander killing someone there. While they might not have been able to say their own hands were clean, they couldn't help but feel on edge beside someone so famous for killing people.

Still, it didn't seem as though the White Commander was thinking that way, which eased the atmosphere in the hall. Most of them became excited to watch the battle between the two of them.

A Front-Line Opportunity