Translator: CinderTL
After learning about Mu Qing's background, Feng Qi suddenly understood why she had reacted the way she did.
In her eyes, he was a freak. It was only natural for the students of Star City Academy to fear her; it would have been abnormal if they didn't.
Through forum posts, he also discovered that Mu Qing had been a scavenger before entering Star City Academy.
Scavengers were people who had fled cities covered by domains. Due to the large population base, many cities couldn't accommodate them in large numbers, leaving them to wander outside the city walls.
Their living conditions were far harsher than those of city residents, and trust among them was nonexistent. Sometimes, they would even kill their own companions for food.
Their descendants grew up in this environment, constantly adhering to the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest.
Star City had once accepted a group of scavengers, providing them with a settlement area and arranging jobs for them. But soon, the city's public order deteriorated, and the crime rate skyrocketed. Forced by circumstances, Star City ultimately abandoned its efforts to resettle the scavengers.
Other cities had similarly attempted to help scavengers, but all such efforts had failed.
Though both human, many viewed scavengers as unteachable outsiders.
Feng Qi, however, held a more favorable impression of them.
He first learned about scavengers in Wang Jinsheng's history class.
Wang Jinsheng's assessment of scavengers was far from the extreme views held by many.
He believed that as fellow humans, they should coexist harmoniously. Among the scavengers were also "Cultivators," who would prove to be a vital force in the long struggle against domain invasions. Only through the collective efforts of all humanity could there be hope for the future.
Wang Jinsheng argued that the city's residents failed to understand the scavengers' behavior due to the stark differences in their living environments.
Scavengers lived in resource-scarce areas outside the city walls, while city dwellers never had to worry about food or safety. This disparity led to vast differences in their behaviors and ways of thinking. However, Wang Jinsheng believed this problem could be resolved through communication and the elimination of prejudice.
During the lecture, Wang Jinsheng cited several instances where scavengers had assisted domain combat teams in dispersing Domain Fields, further solidifying Feng Qi's positive impression of them.
Therefore, Feng Qi felt no aversion toward Mu Qing.
What puzzled Feng Qi was that the rune augment project had been shelved long ago due to serious risks. Why, then, had Mu Qing become a rune augment? And how had she gained admission to Star City Academy?
Perplexed, Feng Qi tried to find answers on the Star City Academy forum.
While searching, a trending post caught his eye:
Unbelievable! New exchange student Lin Ran is incredible! One lecture and I'm completely convinced.
Author: Star City Academy's Little Tyrant
Content:
I'm sure everyone's heard of Junior Lin Ran from Winterfrost Academy, and how he was pre-admitted to the Tiger Soul Research Institute. At first, I was skeptical. I thought, "He just proposed some ideas for cultivation technique research—he didn't even develop a new technique himself! Why does he deserve such preferential treatment? I could do that too!"
But after meeting him in person, I realized the gap between people is real.
He's incredibly young, yet his approach to cultivation technique research is completely novel, forging a path entirely his own. After the lecture, I went to the training hall to test his theories, and I was stunned again.
Junior Lin Ran's theories aren't just hypothetical—they're practical and effective. I feel like I'm witnessing the rise of a new star in the human world.
"Where was the lecture held? Is there a video recording? I'd love to listen in too."
"The first lecture was in our Combat Class One. I'm not sure if there will be more, but I have to say, it was incredibly engaging. I learned so much. It wasn't just dry theory like you might expect. I'm a total convert now. No wonder he got early admission to the Tiger Soul Research Institute—he's truly a gifted student."
"Is it really that mind-blowing? How much better can he be? We're all human, after all. Does he have three heads and six arms or something? (Black man thinking emoji) Anyone got a video? Let me see!"
The thread had already garnered numerous replies from students.
Beyond the students' discussions about Lin Ran, a teacher's comment particularly piqued Feng Qi's curiosity.
"As a teacher in the Academy Combat Department, I've personally witnessed the staggering gap in talent between individuals—a difference even greater than that between humans and pigs. Back when I was a student at Future Academy, I majored in Cultivation Research Studies. I can say without hesitation that I was the hardest-working student in my class. Yet, in a class of 100, my grades never ranked higher than the top 50. The most infuriating part was my roommate. He copied my homework every day and never took his studies seriously, yet he scored 489 on the final exam, while I only managed 271. Later, I realized that if you're just not cut out for something, you're not cut out for it. I honestly switched to Combat Studies, and the rest of my path became smooth. Whether it was joining a domain combat team or being recruited by Star City Academy as a teacher for Combat Class Three, I never felt discouraged again. Even now, I still envy my classmates who continued down the path of cultivation technique research. Many of them later joined prestigious cultivation technique research institutes—a dream that was once unattainable for me. To me, they all shine like gold. Perhaps Student Lin Ran belongs to that same class of exceptionally talented individuals."
The Lin Ran, the junior classmate being praised by everyone on the forum, reminded Feng Qi of someone:
Wang Jinsheng.
Wang Jinsheng had been an outstanding graduate of Star City Academy. Like Lin Ran, he had been recruited by the Tiger Soul Research Institute before graduation.
The only regret was that Wang Jinsheng had chosen to become a history teacher, burying his talent.
Fortunately, Old Wang had awakened early and was now considering leaving teaching to join the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Otherwise, a pearl would have been buried in the dust, a loss for all of humanity.
Realizing that Lin Ran might be a talent on par with Wang Jinsheng, Feng Qi felt a strong urge to get to know him.
(End of the Chapter)
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