The Stars Beyond

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.

“That’s a starship from Terra Nova! Could it be her?” Qin Cheng was staring at it. There was a landing pad on the campus.

“Who? The goddess of your dreams?” replied Wang Xuan.

“Yeah, let’s go have a look.” Qin Cheng began tugging his friend towards the direction of the landing pad.

“Your goddess, not mine.” came the retort.

Qin Cheng had always been a good friend to Wang Xuan. He was used to his friend’s 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.

“Not just mine, buddy! She’s everybody’s sweetheart.” Qin Cheng was very insistent.

“Come on! This is the last chance we have! We might never be able to see her again!”

“You make it sound like we’re attending her funeral.” Wang Xuan was speechless.

“Think of it as me admiring a piece of art. I have a girlfriend!” Qin Cheng insisted.

The landing pad was situated near Professor Lin’s 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 Lin’s 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 Cheng’s goddess, was as expected, nowhere in sight.

“Go forth, and feast your eyes upon your goddess.” Wang Xuan glanced at the silvery starship, “I have an appointment with Professor Lin.”

“Forget about it. I’ll go to the professor’s with you. It’s easy to get mistaken in the dark. What if Zhao Qinghan’s bodyguards are around? I’ll get beat up for sure!”

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 Cheng’s 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.

“Zhao Qinghan!” Qin Cheng shouted at her. He did not expect to meet her at Professor Lin’s place.

“Oh, it’s you guys. What a coincidence.” Zhao Qinghan greeted them with a smile, “It’s been awhile since Professor Lin went home. Someone wanted me to pass some local delicacies from the New World along.”

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.

“Delicacies from Terra Nova? Can we have some?” 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 Cheng’s 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?

“Come on, guys. They’re my classmates.” Zhao Qinghan dismissed them with a wave of her hand.

“I’m taking my leave. The trip from Terra Nova’s been tiring.” She then smiled at Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng.

“What was that about?” Zhao Qinghan asked her bodyguard once she was sure that Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng were no longer within earshot.

“That young man is strong. He’s dangerous. We can tell from his looks.” replied one of them.

The man's reply came as a surprise to Zhao Qinghan. Her response was something that would break Qin Cheng’s heart, “Are you talking about Qin Cheng? That’s impossible. He’s weak.Even I can beat him up with ease”

His goddess had deemed him so weak that he could never be a threat to her.

“It’s the other young man.” the bodyguard shook his head, “The one who was smiling at you. We felt something was off when we met his gaze. He’s very strong. I’m sure of it.”

“Wang Xuan?” Zhao Qinghan nodded, appearing to be deep in thought, “I’ve always thought that he’s 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 should’ve paid attention to him.”

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!

“I need to find a chance to...” 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.

......

“Hey! That’s the first time I’ve been treated like someone dangerous in my entire life!” Qin Cheng was still confused by the reaction of the bodyguards before.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s because of me.” A consolation from Wang Xuan was quick to come.

“What the hell did you do? Did you do something to Zhao Qinghan?”

“Dumbass,” Wang Xuan retorted, “I 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.”

“Damn, Old Wang, you’re able to tell with just a glance?” Qin Cheng was shocked, “And you managed to gauge their strength without lifting a finger too. You sure are something.”

“Old Wang my ass!” Wang Xuan immediately retorted, which earned him a chuckle from Qin Cheng in response.

“But it does feel like the Old. I’ve observed their reaction. There seems to be something else as well.” Wang Xuan mused.

“By the way,” he continued, “Zhao Qinghan is not as weak as you think. You’re no threat to her.”

“No way! She’s mastered parts of the Old Arts as well?” Qin Cheng mumbled, “So I’m the weakest of all just now?”

Just then, the doors to Professor Lin’s courtyard swung open.

“Ah, it’s you.” said the old man, “I could’ve sworn I heard someone talking.”

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.

“Professor Lin,” Wang Xuan immediately greeted the old man, “I’ve been wanting to meet you, but I was afraid that my visit would cause you inconvenience. That’s why I held it off until today.”

“Oh, don’t be a stranger!” Professor Lin invited them into his house, “I was indeed unable to be of help. They rejected my request.”

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 investors’ say was final.

“I’m sorry for the trouble.” He truly felt bad for the trouble his professor had to go through.

“It’s no big deal,” 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 Lin’s living room had ample lighting. An album laid on his coffee table. It was old, and brings back nostalgia.

Qin Cheng flicked open its covers, and saw the photo of a drop dead gorgeous beauty on the first page.

“Who is she, Professor Lin?” Qin Cheng asked.

“Oh, she’s a painter. Sings well too. She was quite famous back in the days. Everybody loved her.” 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.

“You sure are someone with lasting affection, professor.” he cracked a joke. Something that he was comfortable with due to his close association with the professor, “Your love for her has not changed for decades.”

“Yup,” Professor Lin nodded, “I was but a third year when I started liking her. And now, in my old age, she still has a place in my heart.”

His response rendered his students speechless.

“So what do you plan to do next?” he asked.

“I guess I’ll look for a job. But I’ll never give up on the Old Arts.” came Wang Xuan’s reply.

“You need to go to Terra Nova!” Professor Lin exclaimed. The old man then stared at his album, appearing to be deep in thought.

“It’s alright, professor. You don’t have to call in any favors because of me.” Wang Xuan immediately spoke up.

“Do you really believe in the existence of gods?” 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.

“What do you think they found in Terra Nova?” asked the old professor again before either of his students could respond.

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