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

Jie Yanbai was strolling into the small alley. However, because he had a typical face, wore plain clothes and had restricted the emission of his aura, no one was able to recognize him while he walked on the streets.

He seemed to be familiar with this area. After making a few turns, he finally arrived at a residential area.

This residential area looked rather shabby, especially that red door. The red paint had already worn out quite a bit, showing the black wood behind it. The copper ring on the red door made this residential area looked quite antique and appealing. Old style residential areas such as this was constructed about forty years ago and used to be popular for a time. However, this door could not even offer any protection at all. So it was quickly replaced with a new automatic door that can only be unlocked with a password.

Jie Yanbai went in front of it in a familiar manner and knocked on the door using that copper ring.

Cao Zhengqiu