Goddess

Under the night sky, a streak of silver light cut across the heavens, gradually drawing closer as it descended toward the depths of the campus.

"New Star's flying saucer. Has the Goddess returned?" Qin Cheng looked up, grabbed Wang Xuan, and started walking, wanting to go take a look.

There was a landing pad on campus, and its facilities were fairly complete.

Wang Xuan said, "She's your goddess. Don't drag me along."

He felt that Qin Cheng could be rather sentimental when quiet, but became somewhat rash when excited. Like now—he was being utterly unreliable.

"Actually, it's the same. You should know that almost everyone acknowledges her as a goddess." Qin Cheng insisted on pulling him along.

In his words, every glimpse was one less glimpse. In a few days, they might never see her again, and this life would hold no further chance of meeting.

Wang Xuan was speechless. What kind of thing was that to say? Was she really the goddess in his heart? It somehow felt like going to view a corpse.

"Don't worry. This is purely appreciation. I have a girlfriend; I'm a man with principles!" Qin Cheng emphasized.

Wang Xuan thought for a moment. That area was close to Professor Lin's residence, and he did indeed need to go take a look. The old professor would also be leaving Old Earth in a few days.

In fact, Professor Lin had called him a few days ago and asked him to visit when he had time.

He understood the old man's intentions. He likely wanted to discuss how he could help Wang Xuan obtain a slot to travel to New Star.

Wang Xuan had never liked causing trouble for others. Especially since he knew the style of the investors behind the Old Arts research project—outsiders found it difficult to interfere.

He respected the old professor and knew that the man cared for him. That made him even less willing to see the old man approach the investors on his behalf, only to be turned down.

The campus was vast, and the distance was considerable. By the time Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng approached, the landing pad had long since fallen silent. Everyone had presumably gone far away.

Wang Xuan took a look at the silver-gray flying saucer and said to Qin Cheng, "Go see your goddess yourself. I'm going to sit with Professor Lin for a while."

"Forget it. Following her through the darkness might make Zhao Qinghan misunderstand. And if she has bodyguards with her, I could get beaten up and have nowhere to argue my case. I'll go visit Professor Lin with you."

At the last moment, Qin Cheng lost his nerve again. He decided to be a principled good man, one worthy of his girlfriend.

Professor Lin's residence was a small courtyard only a few hundred meters away. They arrived quickly, but unexpectedly encountered someone outside the courtyard.

Zhao Qinghan—the goddess Qin Cheng spoke of—was extremely popular on campus. She truly was exceptionally beautiful.

Under the streetlamp, several strands of her shoulder-length hair fluttered in the breeze. Her oval face was gleaming white, her beautiful eyes clear and bright, her red lips glossy, and her features delicate and sweet.

The top button of her white shirt was undone, leaving the collar open and revealing a hint of her fair, crystalline collarbones. She wore casual trousers below, dressed quite informally.

Yet she still gave off a breathtaking impression. Under the night sky, she was almost dazzling to look at.

"Zhao Qinghan," Qin Cheng called out, never expecting to see her outside Professor Lin's residence.

"It's you two. What a coincidence." Zhao Qinghan smiled in greeting, fresh and beautiful. "Professor Lin hasn't been back for a long time. Someone asked me to bring him some specialties from New Star."

It was clear that her simple evening outfit was chosen for her own comfort, yet even that could not conceal her fine figure.

She was over one hundred seventy centimeters tall. Her curves were astonishing where they ought to be, her legs straight and slender, and her figure superb. Combined with her rare beauty, she truly drew the eye.

"New Star specialties? Are there any for us?" Qin Cheng asked with a smile, familiarly closing the distance.

Several men in black swiftly appeared, watching them with great vigilance.

Qin Cheng's expression stiffened slightly. Did he really look that unsafe? He thought he looked decent enough and had a kind face. Why was he met with such distrust?

"They're my classmates. You don't need to act like this." Zhao Qinghan waved a hand, telling the men in black not to be overly tense.

Then she smiled and waved to Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng. "I'll be going now. I'm a little tired after just arriving from New Star. I'm exhausted."

Only after walking far away did Zhao Qinghan stop and ask the men in black why they had been so guarded earlier.

"That young man is very formidable. After he looked at us a few times, we felt extremely threatened," a man in black replied.

Zhao Qinghan was first startled, then smiled. In the evening breeze, she blossomed like a brilliant flower, radiant and beautiful.

"Qin Cheng? Impossible. If we really fought, he would be no match for me."

If Qin Cheng had heard that, he would surely have wanted to cry a little. The goddess in his eyes thought he posed no threat at all, that he was weak—so weak he could not even beat her.

The man in black shook his head. "Not him. The other young man, the one who only smiled and greeted you without saying much. After he swept his gaze over us, we all felt something was wrong. This person is very strong."

"You mean Wang Xuan?" Zhao Qinghan nodded thoughtfully. "I always felt that, in terms of Old Arts alone, he was inferior to me. It seems that while I was away, he succeeded in Qi Gathering. What a pity—I didn't look closely just now."

She recalled carefully. Wang Xuan had been mild and quiet, a smile always hanging on his face. His eyes were clear and bright, and he possessed a composure and confidence that came from his very bones.

It seemed he had barely looked at her just now? Instead, he had quietly observed the several men in black around her.

Zhao Qinghan glanced back and murmured, "I'll find an opportunity later..."

In an instant, she sensed something. In the night several hundred meters away, someone seemed to be looking in this direction.

Zhao Qinghan turned and left. She had the feeling that when she had looked back toward the entrance of Professor Lin's small courtyard, Wang Xuan had seemingly noticed and glanced in her direction.

Qin Cheng complained, "In all my life, this is the first time I've been classified as a dangerous element!"

Wang Xuan comforted him. "Those men in black weren't targeting you. They were on guard against me."

"Ah, what outrage against Heaven and resentment among men did you do? Don't tell me you did something to Zhao Qinghan before?" Qin Cheng's imagination was remarkably rich.

"What are you thinking? I just felt that those people were fairly capable and wanted to see whether they practiced Old Arts or had taken New Star's other path."

Qin Cheng's spirits immediately soared. "Not bad, Old Wang. Look at how calm and composed you were—you silently probed their foundations. So, how was it?"

Wang Xuan immediately corrected him. "Change what you call me!"

Qin Cheng merely grinned.

Wang Xuan pondered before saying, "I think it was still the Old Arts path, but their movements and instinctive reactions weren't pure enough. They seemed to have incorporated other methods."

Then he added, "Also, Zhao Qinghan isn't as delicate as you imagine. You're far from being her match."

"No way. Has she trained Old Arts to a certain level?" Qin Cheng suddenly felt numb and muttered, "Among that group just now, could it be that I was the weakest one?"

Just then, the courtyard gate opened and Professor Lin appeared.

"I had just seen Qing Han off when I heard voices outside the courtyard again. So it was you two."

Professor Lin's hair was graying. He looked to be in his sixties, and his body had put on some weight.

He had once been an Old Arts expert, but he had suffered severe injuries, and his body had not recovered well. He could no longer engage in actual combat.

From then on, he had devoted himself to theoretical research into Old Arts, textual verification of scriptures, and the like. Coupled with his former combat experience, he had earned considerable renown in the exploration of Old Arts.

Wang Xuan stepped forward and said, "Professor Lin, I've wanted to visit you these past few days, but I was afraid of causing you trouble, so I delayed until now."

"You're far too formal!" The old man led them into the courtyard to talk, shaking his head at the same time. "I truly couldn't help you either. I was turned down."

Hearing that, Wang Xuan's heart immediately warmed. He understood what had happened and felt deeply grateful. Professor Lin had not hesitated to put aside his pride and approach someone, but the investors' methods were hard and overbearing—they gave face to no one.

"I've caused you trouble," Wang Xuan said earnestly. He did not want to see Professor Lin go begging someone only to be rejected, and he felt terribly sorry about it.

Professor Lin waved a hand, not caring about such things.

The courtyard was small, planted with some flowers and plants. On the right was a fishpond, water lilies floating on the surface while koi swished their tails beneath, adding much life to the little courtyard.

The living room lighting was soft. An album lay on the tea table, slightly worn and carrying the weight of years.

The open page of the album showed a woman in the full bloom of youth, rarely beautiful.

"Professor Lin, who is this? She's so beautiful," Qin Cheng asked.

"A female painter. She also sang very well and was popular for a long time. Everyone from our generation liked her," Professor Lin told him.

Wang Xuan looked carefully. Even the corners of the photograph had been worn down. It felt as though it had a history of decades, yet Professor Lin had kept it all this time.

Naturally, Qin Cheng noticed as well. Since they were familiar, he dared to joke about it.

"You're truly devoted. Your feelings for one person haven't changed even after decades."

Professor Lin nodded. "Yes. I liked her when I was in my third year of high school. Now I'm in my third stage of high blood pressure, and I still like her."

Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng stared blankly, both utterly speechless.

"What are your plans from here on?" Professor Lin asked Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan told him truthfully that he would first find work, but he would also continue down the path of Old Arts.

"You need to go to New Star!" Professor Lin said.

Then he lowered his head to look at the album and pondered slightly.

Wang Xuan hurriedly said, "Professor Lin, you don't need to approach anyone for me again."

Professor Lin raised his head and asked Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng, "Do you think the Immortals ever existed?"

Wang Xuan keenly noticed that Professor Lin had not been looking at the woman's photograph just now, but another one beside it.

It was an old, yellowed photograph marked by time. The lighting had been poor when it was taken, making it very blurry, but one could still vaguely tell that it was underground. A pile of bamboo slips lay on a stone table.

Such bamboo slips were commonly found in great pre-Qin tombs, immediately stirring many associations in Wang Xuan's mind.

Before Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng could answer, Professor Lin spoke again. "What do you think New Star has actually discovered?"

Thank you to Three Lives Fate Mao Mao for becoming a Silver Alliance leader.

And thanks as well to: Time Flies Ah, Howling Proudly Over Three-Foot Snow, Jue Lian Shang, Always Remember Meeting You, That Smile at the Corner of the Mouth, Brother Dong's Covering the Heavens Fan, Eternal Exile, Perfect Brat, NC10, Flying Panda, Afuluo Diyun, I Will Always Love Qingye God's Legs, Nine Heavens Profound Flying Fool, Misty Waves, Ancient Linchuan, Three Lives Fate Immortal Emperor, Bayern miasanmia, Three Lives Fate Qing Baobao, Li Family Commoner, Qing Ming, Distant Wind and Moon, Longing, rwqq, Dantai Qianqiu, Three Lives Fate Son of Heaven, Tianwang Er Er Hei, Mo Yi Xiao Keng, Mesmes, It's Nan Shan Ah, Feng Feng Feng Xixi, Words of Enchantment, sunny Jie, A Thread of Breeze, Qin Yi0.

Thank you to all the alliance leaders above.

And may all friends who have bookmarked and voted in support of this book have a good mood every day.