The Card Apprentice

Chapter 138: A Three Person Pact

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Neither of the two of them dared to fall asleep, and both held strong. They looked at each other worn out to the limit. Both were tough, and neither would be the first to fall asleep.

An hour went by.

Two hours.

Three hours went by.

* * *

After five hours their spirits were on the brink of collapse, but they were still holding strong.

Chen Ying woke up just then. She had slept for five hours and her face was looking a lot better. She was a little astonished to find the two of them looking at each other, and her gaze then fell onto the fallen twin hook beast.

Seeing that Cheng Ying had awakened, Bo Wen exulted, “Cheng Ying, hurry up and kill him!” He was wise after all, as Cheng Ying had finally become the crucial one to decide the outcome. He remained silently alert since although he and Cheng Ying had partnered, theirs was only a relation of interests. His and Chen Mu’s fates were now in her hands, and who knew what kind of move she might make. Bo Wen had already decided that if she were to raise any conditions that time, he would agree to them without hesitation.

There were a lot of advantages implied in letting her kill Chen Mu, and he wanted to know if the relationship between them had changed by that time.

Chen Mu’s face remained calm when he heard what Bo Wen said, while his heart had sunk. He didn’t have any power to fight back by then, and his number had really come up like a lamb waiting for slaughter.

But what exceeded his expectations was that Cheng Ying walked over between the two of them and sat down. The look on Bo Wen’s face changed when he saw her move, since he knew that the situation had started to change.

“I am very sorry Bo Wen, but I can’t kill him.” After over ten hours without a drop of water in a state of high agitation, her voice sounded rather hoarse. What she said had allowed Chen Mu to drop his heart from his throat, though some doubt arose in him about why she had gotten on her horse for him.

Bo Wen’s face had returned to normal as he asked lightly, “Why? Have you changed your mind?” His tone was light, since his voice would never betray any strong note of oppression having occupied such a high position for so long.

“Because I want to live.” Cheng Ying also spoke very lightly.

Bo Wen was taken aback, not having thought that would be her explanation.

“We’ve already entered the very depths of the jungle. We’ve been flying for twelve hours, and you know how far we’ve come.” She had the richest experience in the outer reaches among the three of them, and the two of them looked like they were listening closely. Cheng Ying saw them without looking, as she used her finger to push away the hair that had slipped onto her face, and continued, “Besides, we’ve lost our direction. Who knows where we are. No one. I really doubt that anyone has ever been here before us.”

“We can return the way we came.” Bo Wen couldn’t help saying.

Cheng Ying took a look at Bo Wen and said very sincerely, “Our having gotten here had nothing to do with our having enough strength. It was because of that twin hook beast.” She glanced at Chen Mu, “I don’t know why it went so wild, but there is no other creature in the jungle who could drive the twin hook beast wild like that. So, we didn’t run into any other beasts along the way. If we were to go back the way we came, I believe that we would receive an adequately grand welcome from the rest of the beasts.”

Chen Mu had paid attention to the way that she had glanced at him, and he didn’t say anything since he wasn’t clear either about why the twin hook beast had gone so mad, only remembering that he hadn’t done anything at all.

“If we want to go back, we must have enough power, and it isn’t enough to depend on the two of us.” Cheng Ying had laid clear her reasons.

Bo Wen went silent since he knew that Cheng Ying was right. He really wanted to kill Chen Mu even if it meant taking a risk, but that didn’t mean that he wanted to die along with him. He held a respected position and was the future heir to the Eastern Ning’s who was going to take the helm of the clan. How could that card artisan of the night of the cross Chen Mu compare?

“Maybe we can wait for the reinforcements. I think that they will soon find us.” Bo Wen said suddenly.

Cheng Ying said rudely, “Impossible! No one would dare to fly through the jungle the way that we did, and they wouldn’t have the twin hook beast to drive away all the other beasts for them. They would be blocked along the way by all kinds of beasts that they might come across. They won’t find us, and we’ve already lost our way. They wouldn’t be able to find us even if you were able to contact them.”

Then her look became forlorn, “The chances of making it back the way we came aren’t good, and who knows how many little battles arise in the jungle every day. The beasts would have eradicated any tracks that we left. To tell the truth, we don’t have great chances to survive anyhow.”

Bo Wen’s face became suddenly foul, though he knew that Cheng Ying was speaking the truth, not being likely to trick him about that kind of issue. He gave Chen Mu an icy look, since if it hadn’t been for him, he wouldn’t have gotten into that situation.

Damn all the people of the night of the cross!

He was terrified!

Ever since childhood, he had received the most elite education, and had always been a genius in people’s eyes, and the object of their compliments. He had an incomparably bright future, with so many people relying on him to breathe. He exuded a natural superiority, which made him always elegant and calm. But now he had impressively discovered that those things he was most proud about weren’t going to help him get out of the deadly jungle.

Death seemed like the predictable outcome.

And the root of all of it was related to that night of the cross card artisan.

Bo Wen being out of sorts only lasted a short while, and if it hadn’t been for both Chen Mu and Cheng Ying paying attention to him, he might not have realized it. Chen Mu had gone cold as he felt the negative decisions from Bo Wen more and more. If Bo Wen had been a typical fancy-pants in that kind of situation he would likely have been hysterical. Chen Mu hadn’t thought that Bo Wen could switch to such a positive attitude in such a short time, which showed how resolved he was.

Chen Mu kept up his guard, since he had to be careful and beware the hidden agenda with the kind of person Bo Wen was. Chen Mu had seen the venom in Bo Wen’s eyes, and he didn’t dare to be careless.

But it was a good thing that Bo Wen was still in the category of normal, since if he were a princeling who had never experienced any danger, and who would remain indifferent to the immediate situation, he wouldn’t have been human.

Chen Mu was a lot calmer by comparison. That didn’t mean that he was more exceptional than Bo Wen. But once he had entered the jungle, or even when he was still in the city, or in the state of breath control, that was all what he had come to expect. And it had mentally prepared him even more when he had later run into that monster from the bottom at the edge of the creek. Another reason was related to his youth and the difficulties of being a street punk. Perhaps his psychology had become more suited to facing danger.

Although the immediate situation was dangerous, it hadn’t reached the ends of the earth.

“You are correct.” Bo Wen gave his usual slight smile, with no harm in his face. “We certainly need to put aside our prejudices for a while. What do you think Chen Mu?” He turned toward Chen Mu, where Cheng Ying’s gaze had also fallen. Chen Mu didn’t quite respond, still wanting to determine the situation. From her point of view, if the three of them were able to work together, then Chen Mu was the most important link. His superb tactics and his stunning calm had made a deep impression on her.

“OK.” Chen Mu cherished words like gold, though he was watching Bo Wen’s gaze, which remained quite alert. Chen Mu had never asked him why he was so intent on killing him, and Bo Wen’s transformed look had put him on guard. The truth of the matter was that Chen Mu couldn’t trust a person like that.

But he then threw out his own counterbalance, “My requirement is that we move forward.” To return the way they came was to court death. Having understood what Bo Wen had just said, there were a lot of Ning card artisans now searching for them, and if they were to go back then, while it wouldn’t matter to the two of them, it would be fatal for him. If the two of them were resolved to return the way they came, then he would absolutely never agree.

Bo Wen and Cheng Ying looked at one another, although this time Cheng Ying didn’t say anything since she knew when she should talk and when she would keep her peace.

Bo Wen took a discreet moment, then raised his head, “OK.”

“The two of you rest.” The relieved Cheng Ying advised, and the long-exhausted two of them dropped their heads to sleep.

When Chen Mu gradually awakened and had barely opened his eyes, he saw Bo Wen sitting with his back toward him, which surprised him a little, though he then relaxed, seeing that he hadn’t been killed in his sleep.

“Don’t worry, I won’t make any moves against you before we leave the jungle.” Seeming to know that Chen Mu had awakened, Bo Wen threw that out without turning around.

Cheng Ying was struggling with the body of the twin hook beast, on which there were some things which were hard-to-get materials, such as its two dark scorpion tail hooks. If she were to take them out to sell, they would surely get a sky-high price. The twin hook beast was so tough that few card artisans could kill one.

Chen Mu walked over in front of the beast’s body only to discover after close examination that the twin hook beast had died from exhaustion, with its mouth covered in froth.

“What did you do to enrage it?” Cheng Ying asked in curiosity. To be able to make the twin hook beast chase until it died of exhaustion wasn’t something that just anyone could do.

Chen Mu smirked, “I don’t know.” He certainly didn’t know what was up with that twin hook beast to chase him so wildly.

Bo Wen suddenly stood up just then, and looked at Chen Mu as though something were strange, “Why aren’t you gathering materials?”