Campus

Besides that, I also took out two mercenaries who tried to shoot me. Ororo knew the Professor disapproved of killing, so she emphasized that it had been self-defense. But where I found Azure Dragon, there were another seven mercenaries who'd been beaten to death with bare hands.

"Oh, I also sensed that a mysterious visitor seemed to have appeared," Professor X said, sounding slightly surprised. "But strangely, my telepathy couldn't trace him at all. This person is no simple matter."

The Professor lowered his head and pondered for a moment. "It seems he didn't intend to reveal his identity tonight. In any case, he meant no harm, and he saved Azure Dragon. I suppose that's what he wanted to convey."

With a wave of his hand, the Professor instructed, "Ororo, take Azure Dragon to his room and tell him he's grounded for two weeks, starting now."

Ororo left the room at his command. The Professor slowly wheeled himself to the window and gazed at the bright moon above the treetops. "Mysterious friend, who are you?"

After the events of that night, the atmosphere in the school grew tense.

Large numbers of children were escorted to the school's security shelter. The teachers were afraid they might once again be threatened by someone whose identity was unknown.

Early the next morning, Guan Heng strolled up to the gates of X Academy, perfectly at ease. Inside the school's main hall, Professor X had been talking with the X-Men when he suddenly said, "It seems we have a visitor from afar. Shouldn't we go and welcome him?"

With Professor X's exceptional telepathic abilities, Guan Heng's arrival couldn't possibly escape his notice. Still, he was surprised that Guan Heng was someone whose mind even he couldn't probe. What he didn't know was that Guan Heng had received the Blessing of the Gods, which had made his mental power so formidable that it automatically blocked the Professor's telepathic scans.

"I wonder who it is," Cyclops speculated. "Could it be an accomplice of the mercenaries who tried to abduct Azure Dragon yesterday?" As he spoke, he touched his Ruby Quartz Glasses and started to rush outside.

"Hmm, that's possible." Storm's eyes suddenly turned white, and she was about to follow Scott.

"Wait, Scott," Jean Grey suddenly said. "Stand down. I can't sense any malice from this person."

But how strange. Why do I feel such an inexplicable familiarity with the person at the gate? Phoenix wondered. It's as if we'd met in the distant past, in an encounter as eternal as time itself, only to meet again and again.

What Jean Grey couldn't have imagined was that Guan Heng at the gate felt the same way. He couldn't sense minds like Jean could, but he could feel that someone inside the school was very familiar to him.

Phoenix's telepathic ability was in no way inferior to the Professor's. After Jean Grey stopped them, Cyclops and Storm suppressed their impulse to rush outside.

The Professor patted the armrest of his wheelchair. "Come on. Since our friend means no harm, let's go welcome him. We should be polite hosts."

Ororo pushed the Professor's wheelchair, and the group headed for the gate.

Guan Heng stood with his hands behind his back, looking around at the famous X Academy. He knew that as soon as he got close, the mutants with telepathic abilities—especially Professor X and Jean Grey—would sense him. There was no need to go inside; he could simply wait at the gate.

Sure enough, less than half a minute later, the school gates slowly swung open.

Professor X's wheelchair emerged first, followed by several X-Men of various appearances.

"Welcome to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, our visitor from afar!" Professor X said with a broad smile. His bald head gleamed in the sunlight. "May I ask what brings you here?"

"Professor Xavier, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Guan Heng, from Huaxia, and I've come from New York City." Guan Heng reached out and shook the Professor's hand. "I came especially to visit my younger sister, Li Qianhuan, and Mr. Logan, whom I've met once before. Of course, I also came to pay my respects to you, the renowned Professor. I'm here in search of friendship."

"Is that so? That's wonderful," the Professor said with a smile. "We always welcome those who come seeking friendship, regardless of whether they're like us. We're glad to welcome non-mutant friends, too."

"Ha, to be honest, although I'm not a mutant, I did acquire superpowers later in life." Guan Heng shrugged and spoke with some resignation. "I've experienced plenty of fear and misunderstanding from ordinary people, so I understand what mutants are going through. Whenever I get the chance, I'll help mutants who are good people."

By then, Guan Heng had entered the gates with the Professor and the X-Men, and they were strolling around the campus.

"Thank you for your kindness and goodwill," Professor X said with feeling. "We can regard you as a comrade and friend. I can see you're an exceptionally talented young man, Guan Heng. Your homeland, Huaxia, is a fascinating place, and I've always hoped to visit, though I've never had the opportunity. I've heard that there are schools and groups for mutants and superpowered beings in Huaxia, much like our own. Yet I've never managed to make contact."

"Really? I had no idea. I've been woefully uninformed." Guan Heng smiled faintly, thinking, I've heard rumors about that in conversations among those high-level agents, too. An international organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't even have a base, branch, or regional office in Huaxia. It hasn't even expanded its influence much into the Chinatowns of Europe and the Americas.

It's really strange. Fury and the other S.H.I.E.L.D. higher-ups seem rather wary of people and affairs in Huaxia. And I've never heard of any Chinese or even other Asian agents rising to senior positions. That suggests that in this world, my familiar yet unfamiliar homeland, Huaxia, has powerful figures capable of keeping S.H.I.E.L.D. in check. Guan Heng speculated to himself.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on such things. Guan Heng set his suspicions aside for the moment and continued touring the school with the Professor and the others.

"By the way, I just remembered why I came. Where's my sister, Qianhuan?" Guan Heng asked. "I haven't seen her."

"Qianhuan and Logan went to a small town twenty kilometers from here," Storm said. "She went to teach some ordinary children ballet. It's one of her specialties, and it's also how the teachers and students of X Academy maintain friendly ties with the residents nearby. People find sincerity in helping one another. They usually go two or three days a week, so they should be back soon."

"I see." Guan Heng nodded in agreement. "That's a good way to help people and build friendships at the same time."

"Don't worry, you'll see your sister soon, Guan Heng," Professor X said with a smile. "Until then, please accept a little hospitality from us. I have plenty of questions about Huaxia, and I'd love to learn more."

"You're too kind. I'm hardly an expert. I should be the one asking you and everyone else for guidance," Guan Heng said modestly.