The Stars Beyond-Chapter 6: A Real Beauty
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Chapter 6: A Real Beauty
A silvery streak appeared in the dark sky, growing bigger with each passing second. It was headed towards the center of the campus.
โThatโs a starship from Terra Nova! Could it be her?โ Qin Cheng was staring at it. There was a landing pad on the campus.
โWho? The goddess of your dreams?โ replied Wang Xuan.
โYeah, letโs go have a look.โ Qin Cheng began tugging his friend towards the direction of the landing pad.
โYour goddess, not mine.โ came the retort.
Qin Cheng had always been a good friend to Wang Xuan. He was used to his friendโs many quips. He could be sentimental at times, but was also known for his temperamental nature. Wang Xuan had long deemed him extremely unreliable during such outbursts.
โNot just mine, buddy! Sheโs everybodyโs sweetheart.โ Qin Cheng was very insistent.
โCome on! This is the last chance we have! We might never be able to see her again!โ
โYou make it sound like weโre attending her funeral.โ Wang Xuan was speechless.
โThink of it as me admiring a piece of art. I have a girlfriend!โ Qin Cheng insisted.
The landing pad was situated near Professor Linโs room. Wang Xuan had originally planned to pay the man a visit. The professor would soon leave for Terra Nova. He had received a call from the man a few days ago, and received an invitation to his room. He understood the meaning behind Professor Linโs gesture. The old man wanted to help him in securing a spot to the New World.
But Wang Xuan was not someone who would allow his troubles to be a burden to others around him. He knew that the professor intended to discuss ways that might help improve his situation. He respected the man deeply, and knew that the man meant well, but he also understood how the megacorporations behind the entire programme operated.
Helping a mere student from the Old World might cost Professor Lin his career.
Due to the sheer size of the campus grounds, their dormitory was a fair distance away from the landing pad. There was nothing but silence when the duo finally arrived at where the starship had landed. Qin Chengโs goddess, was as expected, nowhere in sight.
โGo forth, and feast your eyes upon your goddess.โ Wang Xuan glanced at the silvery starship, โI have an appointment with Professor Lin.โ
โForget about it. Iโll go to the professorโs with you. Itโs easy to get mistaken in the dark. What if Zhao Qinghanโs bodyguards are around? Iโll get beat up for sure!โ
Qin Cheng was cowed by that thought. He opted to be a man of principles, and a boyfriend loyal to his girlfriend instead. Professor Lin was allocated a small house not far away from the landing pad.
It did not take them long to reach his place, but they were shocked to meet a certain someone there.
The person in question was Zhao Qinghan. The goddess of Qin Chengโs dream. Ranked 1 on the most popular leaderboard of the entire campus. She was indeed a beauty.
Her collarbone and white skin was visible through the unbuttoned collar of her shirt. The casual pants she wore did nothing to hide her beauty under the night sky.
โZhao Qinghan!โ Qin Cheng shouted at her. He did not expect to meet her at Professor Linโs place.
โOh, itโs you guys. What a coincidence.โ Zhao Qinghan greeted them with a smile, โItโs been awhile since Professor Lin went home. Someone wanted me to pass some local delicacies from the New World along.โ
Her casual outfit intended for comfort more than for show did nothing to hide her perfect physique. The curves on her body, her long legs, and her height standing at around 170cm was the perfect match for her gorgeous appearance.
โDelicacies from Terra Nova? Can we have some?โ Qin Cheng took a step forward.
Men in black clothes immediately appeared between them. They were in a state of alertness, ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of danger.
Qin Chengโs expression froze. He did not think of himself as a threat. After all, how could he have been mistaken for someone with bad intentions with his above average looks and kind looking face?
โCome on, guys. Theyโre my classmates.โ Zhao Qinghan dismissed them with a wave of her hand.
โIโm taking my leave. The trip from Terra Novaโs been tiring.โ She then smiled at Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng.
โWhat was that about?โ Zhao Qinghan asked her bodyguard once she was sure that Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng were no longer within earshot.
โThat young man is strong. Heโs dangerous. We can tell from his looks.โ replied one of them.
The man's reply came as a surprise to Zhao Qinghan. Her response was something that would break Qin Chengโs heart, โAre you talking about Qin Cheng? Thatโs impossible. Heโs weak.Even I can beat him up with easeโ
His goddess had deemed him so weak that he could never be a threat to her.
โItโs the other young man.โ the bodyguard shook his head, โThe one who was smiling at you. We felt something was off when we met his gaze. Heโs very strong. Iโm sure of it.โ
โWang Xuan?โ Zhao Qinghan nodded, appearing to be deep in thought, โIโve always thought that heโs not as well-versed in the Old Arts as I am. But it seems that he had mastered chi gathering while I was gone. Ahhh... What a shame. I shouldโve paid attention to him.โ
Wang Xuan had simply smiled at her during their encounter. She could sense the confidence behind his calm demeanor. He was... Not looking at her! His gaze was on the bodyguards around her all along!
โI need to find a chance to...โ she muttered under her breath as she cast a backwards glance.
Just to feel a gaze of someone laying upon her almost immediately. She had a feeling that it was Wang Xuan. He sensed her looking despite the darkness of night, and had met her gaze.
......
โHey! Thatโs the first time Iโve been treated like someone dangerous in my entire life!โ Qin Cheng was still confused by the reaction of the bodyguards before.
โDonโt worry about it. Itโs because of me.โ A consolation from Wang Xuan was quick to come.
โWhat the hell did you do? Did you do something to Zhao Qinghan?โ
โDumbass,โ Wang Xuan retorted, โI sensed that her bodyguards were strong. I simply wanted to find out if they were practitioners of the Old Arts themselves, or if they have adapted to the new way discovered on Terra Nova.โ
โDamn, Old Wang, youโre able to tell with just a glance?โ Qin Cheng was shocked, โAnd you managed to gauge their strength without lifting a finger too. You sure are something.โ
โOld Wang my ass!โ Wang Xuan immediately retorted, which earned him a chuckle from Qin Cheng in response. freewe(b)novel.com
โBut it does feel like the Old. Iโve observed their reaction. There seems to be something else as well.โ Wang Xuan mused.
โBy the way,โ he continued, โZhao Qinghan is not as weak as you think. Youโre no threat to her.โ
โNo way! Sheโs mastered parts of the Old Arts as well?โ Qin Cheng mumbled, โSo Iโm the weakest of all just now?โ
Just then, the doors to Professor Linโs courtyard swung open.
โAh, itโs you.โ said the old man, โI couldโve sworn I heard someone talking.โ
Professor Lin was well-versed in the Old Arts. Despite his appearance of a sixty years old man with white hair and a plump body, he was an expert fighter by his own rights. But the injuries he sustained previously had rendered him incapable of actual combat.
He dedicated his entire life to the research and theories of the Old Arts since that day. The papers and his experiences with the Old Arts made him a highly authoritative figure in the field.
โProfessor Lin,โ Wang Xuan immediately greeted the old man, โIโve been wanting to meet you, but I was afraid that my visit would cause you inconvenience. Thatโs why I held it off until today.โ
โOh, donโt be a stranger!โ Professor Lin invited them into his house, โI was indeed unable to be of help. They rejected my request.โ
Wang Xuan was touched. He was gratified that Professor Lin had actually made the effort for his sake. But no matter how famous an individual he might be, the investorsโ say was final.
โIโm sorry for the trouble.โ He truly felt bad for the trouble his professor had to go through.
โItโs no big deal,โ He did not mind the trouble at all.
The small courtyard was decorated by flowers and a pond. The lotus and koi in the pond added much livelihood to the otherwise quiet place.
Professor Linโs living room had ample lighting. An album laid on his coffee table. It was old, and brings back nostalgia. ๐ฏ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ท๐ธ๐ฟ๐๐ต.๐๐ธ๐ถ
Qin Cheng flicked open its covers, and saw the photo of a drop dead gorgeous beauty on the first page.
โWho is she, Professor Lin?โ Qin Cheng asked.
โOh, sheโs a painter. Sings well too. She was quite famous back in the days. Everybody loved her.โ came the response.
Wang Xuan could tell that the photo was old. The edges had been torn. It had been decades since the photo was taken, and it seemed that the photo was treasured by Professor Lin.
It was a fact noticed by Qin Cheng as well.
โYou sure are someone with lasting affection, professor.โ he cracked a joke. Something that he was comfortable with due to his close association with the professor, โYour love for her has not changed for decades.โ
โYup,โ Professor Lin nodded, โI was but a third year when I started liking her. And now, in my old age, she still has a place in my heart.โ
His response rendered his students speechless.
โSo what do you plan to do next?โ he asked.
โI guess Iโll look for a job. But Iโll never give up on the Old Arts.โ came Wang Xuanโs reply.
โYou need to go to Terra Nova!โ Professor Lin exclaimed. The old man then stared at his album, appearing to be deep in thought.
โItโs alright, professor. You donโt have to call in any favors because of me.โ Wang Xuan immediately spoke up.
โDo you really believe in the existence of gods?โ Professor Lin asked after a long moment of silence.
It was then that Wang Xuan realized that Professor Lin was not staring at the photo of the woman, but at an older photo. It was blurry, but he could see a stone table covered by bamboo slips.
The bamboo slips were something commonly found in the graves of the early Qin Dynasty.
โWhat do you think they found in Terra Nova?โ asked the old professor again before either of his students could respond.