Chapter 4: Supernatural
Much to the onlookers’ surprise, Wang Xuan sensed people looking at him even when he was deep in his meditation. He opened his eyes and looked around. They were shocked. Wang Xuan was quite a distance away from them.
“Did you see that?” Zhou Kun’s voice was low, “That moment when he opened his eyes. I see a golden glow fading away from his eyes.”
Wang Xuan stopped his process of chi gathering and internal cultivation. There was a slight tinge of red on his face, but he was filled with vigor. It was like he was glowing in the morning light.
The New Worlders made their way to Wang Xuan.
Su Chan, the most energetic among them, shouted at Wang Xuan from afar, “Hey, I could’ve sworn you were glowing just now!”
With her tall form, the girl was not afraid of the cold despite the strapless shirt she was wearing coupled with the stocking wrapping around her long legs. Her beauty was brought out even further by her dark hair hanging naturally around her shoulders, her bright smile that was full of youth, and the vigor in her eyes.
“Can I take it as a compliment of my good looks?” Wang Xuan chuckled. He was confident in his form as he stood facing them in the morning light. He smiled at them, revealing his healthy teeth that were a match for his bright and energetic eyes.
“Ew! What a narcissist!” Su Chan pursed her lips.
“Wang Xuan, did you just master the chi gathering technique?” quipped Zhou Kun, who was a handsome man with a depressing aura about him. Despite his good physique, observers would often note that the man lacked training.
All four of them came from the New World, but after many years spent together in the same class, they have grown close to one another.
“Yes, but barely.” Wang Xuan nodded in affirmation.
Xu Wenbo, who was the introvert of the group who barely spoke to others in his class, spoke up at that moment. There was a hint of regret in his voice.
“It’s been quite a while since the discovery of the Old Arts. Some have said that it has become obsolete.” he shook his head.
The cold autumn wind blew past the students, kicking up leaves and sending chills down their body despite the presence of the morning sun.
Li Qingzhu’s[1] appearance was just like one would expect of someone with her name. She was gentle, quiet, and was a well-studied individual, “It’s not entirely the case. The Old Arts is indeed helpful in strengthening our bodies and prolonging our lives. Records suggest that the ancients have performed feats bordering miracles by practicing such arts.”
But it was just a well meaning lie, and they knew it. The study of the Old Arts was no longer the key that many who joined the department had hoped for. It has been abandoned by those in power.
Wang Xuan knew as well. He was moved, but he did not regret walking down this path. He chose it out of interest, and not for the wealth promised as a reward. Hope was still within his grasp for he was able to graduate from his major that was Automation.
“It’s all baseless assumptions.” Xu Wenbo shook his head. “In an era where technology borders magic, even the ancients could not stand up against starships capable of interstellar flight, soldiers armed with powered armor, and weapons of technological marvel.”
Instead of despair, there was a burning passion behind his eyes. He knew that a groundbreaking discovery had been made in the New World. It would be a discovery that would completely change their era, and he was excited to plunge himself into this new realm of mysteries.
The transfer students from Terra Nova knew there was no return for those who chose to tread down the wrong path. Zhou Kun opened his mouth to speak. He wanted to console Wang Xuan, but found himself at a loss for words.
What he knew was deemed highly classified by his elders. He could not reveal any information about the discovery made back home before people more qualified than him were certain about what they actually found.
That was why he resigned himself to only patting Wang Xuan on his shoulder.
“I wish you a safe return to your home. And take care!” Wang Xuan nodded at his companions.
He knew very well that they might never meet each other again. The doors to the New World were shut long before he was born. It was next to impossible for those of the Old World to migrate there without being selected.
“Hey, before you leave.” Wang Xuan smiled at the New Worlders who had turned around to leave for their dorm, “Why don’t we go out for a drink?”
Zhou Kun staggered and almost fell. He knew Wang Xuan was making fun of him about something that happened three years ago. Despite his often depressive nature, Zhou Kun could be said to be a loose cannon once he was drunk. He was a man of many words under the effects of alcohol.
He was out drinking with Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng at that time. The man had gotten so drunk that even he himself could not remember what he said that night.
Wang Xuan’s gaze remained on the four as they left.
The next few days would be days filled with farewells, hopes, and sadness. It was especially hard for those who would be torn apart by the sea of the stars.
The couple in Wang Xuan’s class took it the hardest. They silently bade their farewell, and the one that got left behind finally burst into tears when the train disappeared from view. It was known among their fellow classmates that the couple had loved each other dearly.
Autumn, for those who were sent away, would forever be tainted with sadness.
They knew. All of them knew.
It was known that despite the lack of information from the New World, it was still a planet filled with opportunities. Those who failed to grasp the chance to migrate to mankind’s new frontier were missing out on the biggest turning point they would ever get in their lives.
The only console they had was that employment was already guaranteed by those who funded their research. Wang Xuan remained in the city as his home was in a nearby city. Even if he was denied entry to the New World, he would still work in the city.
His best friend had been missing for a few days. He was a local, and he had been busy gathering information using the close links his family had accumulated with their interstellar trade business.
Qing Chen appeared back on campus a few days later, “I finally know why they set up the Old Arts Research Department! It has something to do with the ‘special situation’ in the New World!”
It was early in the morning when he returned. His face was a thin shade of red, but he was not gasping for air. Thanks to the nature of his family’s business, he was able to receive information that supernatural phenomena had occurred all around the New World.
“Some sort of supernatural force might actually exist in our universe!” he shouted.
The discovery was unprecedented in human history. Qin Cheng, who was known to be sentimental, was exhilarated. But when he laid his eyes on Wang Xuan…
“What the hell is that!? You’ve actually managed to come this far!”
Despite knowing beforehand that Wang Xuan had mastered the art of chi gathering, he was still surprised. His best friend was glowing under the morning light. It was as if there was a thin layer of flame flowing around him.
“Hold on.” Wang Xuan stopped his channeling. He felt much better than he was a few days ago. His body was soaked in a slimy excretion when he expelled the “impurities” within his body while he was practicing his inner cultivation. He was in need of a shower.
When Wang Xuan emerged from his room again, he was freshly showered and had a change of clothes, “I knew it. It must’ve been some rich old folk over there who had taken an interest in the occult. That’s why they’re digging for myths and legends in the Old World. To commit such an amount of resources here… They must’ve found something.”
Despite their old age, they were all elites among elites. There was no way they would waste their resources on mere rumors. The existence of students from influential families in the department was also proof of that.
“They probably sought supernatural abilities through the study of the Old Arts.” Wang Xuan continued, “But things seem to have changed.”
He could guess the truth from his conversation with Xu Wenbo, Su Chan, Zhou Kun, and Li Qingzhu. He could still remember the passion in Xu Wenbo’s eyes when he looked up into the sky.
“Perhaps they found another way to the occult. That’s why the Old Arts have been abandoned.”
It was the conclusion that came to Wang Xuan.
Footnote:
[1]Li Qingzhu (李清竹): 清 carries the meaning of "clear", and "竹" or "bamboo" is often associated with books.
Jimmi & Dorlaken's ThoughtsJust when you think that wuxia in-universe is just fiction, the author throws you a curveball and goes "Tadaa! It's actually a thing in my novel!"
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