The Stars Beyond

Chapter 12: Benevolent Condescendence

Zhou Yun's abdomen throbbed with pain. He sat on the ground in a fetal position. Due strike to his spine had rendered the lower half of his body incapable of moving. Fatigued, Wang Xuan used him as a makeshift seat, sitting atop his back near the shoulders.

The middle-aged man who disembarked from the airship was dressed in traditional Tang-style attire. Despite his slightly plump figure, strength radiated from his form. His expression was cold when he laid eyes upon the scene unfolding before him. He did not speak, but his eyes bore into Wang Xuan with an intense gaze.

Ignoring the man's presence, Wang Xuan remained seated on Zhou Yun. A group of black-clad men shadowed the middle-aged man. Their burly physique was a sign that they were bodyguards, and they each armed with firearms. One of them shouted at Wang Xuan, "Get up!"

Wang Xuan held his silence. His right hand descended, and almost casually, his two fingers settled upon Zhou Yun's temple. Among those present, all well-versed in the Old Arts, the meaning of this gesture wasn't lost on them. At Wang Xuan's caliber, he was able to carry on his threat out of reflex even when faced with the unexpected. If his fingers buried themselves into Zhou Yun’s temples...

"I didn't quite expect you to join in as well. This situation isn't exactly ideal," Zhao Qinghan stepped forward, her voice measured. Zhou Kun, Kong Yi, Su Chan, and the others politely greeted the middle-aged man. Their familiarity with him was unmistakable.

The middle-aged man turned his gaze, his glance piercing, directed at the bodyguards. Wordlessly, they melted back, retreating to the shelter of the airship.

"Wang Xuan takes the victory... and is Zhou Yun serving as his human cushion?"

The young woman, who had walked behind the middle-aged man with an air of discontent, seemed to awaken from a reverie. Her eyes widened, clearly caught off guard.

She was acutely aware of Zhou Yun's strength, and he had often spoken about transcending the ordinary. In the past, Zhou Yun had more than once declared with great fervor that the new era had arrived and that the future might witness the emergence of immortals.

It was simply unthinkable for someone like him, a master of the New Arts with an ambition to become immortal, and a strong personality to be defeated by his prey. He was even being used as a cushion!

"Get up, Wang Xuan!" the woman snapped, she shot an icy glare at Wang Xuan, who was perched atop Zhou Yun's back.

Wang Xuan, unperturbed, remained seated. He was silently employing his techniques to recover from his fatigue. The middle-aged man seemed surprised. Though not a practitioner of the Old Arts himself, his life experiences had imparted him with insights into many matters.

"You're quite young, yet you've managed to advance so far in the Old Arts," he remarked, “Do you mind standing up from poor Zhou Yun there?” he then asked gently.

Upon hearing the words, Wang Xuan promptly rose to his feet, his weariness all but gone. In the moonlight, he stood tall and poised, his gaze sharp and focused. If the other party was willing to engage in civil discourse, he saw no reason to hold a grudge. His decision to remain seated earlier was merely to convey his wish to be treated as an equal.

Such had always been Wang Xuan's way. He preferred to maintain a distance and a respectful demeanor when dealing with individuals of commanding presence who were accustomed to overseeing the bigger picture. He projected an air of confidence to the middle-aged man, neither showing dominance over him, nor displaying an intent to back down.

Qin Cheng was quick to step forward, positioning himself beside Wang Xuan. The young woman hurried over to Zhou Yun, helping him up. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” she asked.

"And how shall I address you?" Wang Xuan politely inquired of the middle-aged man.

"My surname is Zhou. You can call me Uncle Zhou," the middle-aged man replied. He scrutinized Wang Xuan with an intense gaze, as if he was trying to see through the young man.

Wang Xuan remained composed. He was never fazed even by the likes of Ling Wei’s father. The middle-aged man standing in front of him who was slightly less imposing was nothing he could not deal with.

Qin Cheng nudged Zhou Kun and whispered, "Are all the people surnamed Zhou tonight related to your family?"

Zhou Kun shook his head. "Of course not. The New World is a big place. How could everyone sharing the same surname be from my family? He’s Zhou Mingxuan, Ling Wei's uncle."

Zhou Yun, who had mastered the basics of the New Arts, was Zhou Mingxuan's eldest son and also Ling Wei's cousin. The young woman who had seemed to be immersed in her own world earlier was Zhou Yun's younger sister, Zhou Ting.

Zhou Mingxuan remained motionless. He locked eyes with Wang Xuan for a full three minutes. He relented when even his own body finally felt numb. He let out a resigned chuckle at the young man.

"Youth is truly a wonderful thing. I've heard your name before, and now that I see you, I find you quite impressive," he said with a smile, nodding in approval.

Wang Xuan also smiled, such words were to be taken with a grain of salt.

"Uncle Zhou, what brings you all here today?" Su Chan spoke up, voicing the discontent that resonated among some present.

After all, this was a gathering of their classmates, and Zhou Yun's unexpected arrival disrupted the occasion, even though many were aware of the situation.

Zhou Mingxuan sighed, "It's all for the sake of Zhou Yun. I’m here to bring him home. He barely scratched the surface of the New Arts and yet here he is acting recklessly, challenging over a dozen people in just a few days. I came as soon as I heard word that he’s here. I’m not letting him off lightly this time. He’s grounded for six months.”

Zhou Yun, who was standing a distance away, stiffened. Zhou Ting, on the other hand, rolled her eyes. While Zhou Yun was wrong in coming all the way here to pick a fight with Wang Xuan, it was far-fetched to believe that her father would come such a long way just because he wanted to bring him back. He was even thinking of having Zhou Ting apologize on her brother's behalf during the flight for injuring Wang Xuan as a show of goodwill..

“What brings you to the Old World?” Kong Yi asked.

“Mainly for business, and to check on Ling Wei for her parents.” Zhou Mingxuan replied casually.

"I heard Ling Wei's parents are planning to visit in a couple of days," Zhao Qinghan casually remarked.

"Oh, yes, they'll be coming later to pick her up themselves, so they won't be traveling with you all," Zhou Mingxuan responded.

Zhao Qinghan's bright, clear eyes glistened as she continued, "Uncle Zhou, is it possible that your families have stumbled upon something significant in the Old World? Is that why everyone's coming over?"

Zhou Mingxuan chuckled, "You're quite the clever one, always connecting dots and coming up with elaborate ideas. But this time, it's not the case. It's simply about our interstellar trade relations. As you know, both the Zhou and Ling families have quite a bit of business dealings in this region."

He then added, "What else is here in the Old World? The tombs of the Immortals remain elusive, and the grand tombs of the Early Qin practitioners have all been thoroughly excavated. It's all barren underground, nothing left. Nowadays, the powerful organizations, influential factions, and even the government are all focusing their efforts on deep space exploration. They've uncovered things of far greater value than anything here."

With that, he fell silent, realizing there were still students from the Old World present.

He turned toward Wang Xuan with a friendly expression and said, "I heard that you're dedicated to the Old Arts. You’ve put your heart into your practice. I wonder if you could give me a little demonstration. When I was younger, I once encountered a master who could punch through steel plates with his bare hands. I'd like to see if you have that same determination. Of course, you won’t be doing it for free. I'll give you a scroll in exchange."

"Wow, I didn’t expect him to be so generous," Qin Cheng whispered under his breath.

Wang Xuan smiled, "I can’t hold a light to the master you mentioned. I’m simply doing this for my own amusement."

"You're being too modest. How about this: give me a little demonstration. It'd be best if you have someone to practice with. Of course, I’m not expecting you to fight another person again," Zhou Mingxuan explained. "You can fight a robot instead. We’ll set it to defense only. You can go all out with your attacks, don’t worry about breaking it. I just want you to showcase your skills."

Wang Xuan chuckled and said, "I'm too tired today, and am not in the state for a demonstration. I'll spare you from my mediocrity."

Zhou Yun called out to Zhou Mingxuan before he could offer a response. The middle-aged man gave Wang Xuan a nod with a smile before walking away.

"Come on, man, just throw a few punches for him. The scrolls in his possession must be something rare. Whatever his intention is, just do it for the scrolls." Qin Cheng whispered.

Wang Xuan responded, "Do you think he'll hand me an ancient secret technique right after I've beat up his son? Even if he does offer an Old Art scroll, it probably wouldn't be much stronger than Professor Lin’s. Besides, have you forgotten that he's Ling Wei's uncle? Do you think he’s genuinely caring for me?"

He added, "This guy's a sly old fox."

"What do you mean?" Qin Cheng inquired.

"He's being benevolently condescending. He put on the mask of a kind elder, but his true aim was to subtly humiliate me through casual conversation. What sort of robots do you think he was talking about? It’s either the combat automatons like Zhao Qinghan’s, or their own domestic service robot.” Wang Xuan explained, “I fight his robots and then what? I’ll receive a reward from him and then realize that we’re not on the same level.”

“That old man is leagues above his son.” Qin Cheng sighed, “Well, if we can’t handle him... We’ll just have to beat up his son again the next time we meet!”

Su Chan and Zhao Qinghan, standing nearby, couldn't help but burst into laughter at his words.

"Uncle Zhou, I must apologize. I'm not in the best shape today. I’m feeling quite fatigued. I won't be able to put on that demonstration for you. But I’m grateful for your offer to gift me your scroll." Wang Xuan called out to Zhou Mingxuan.

Zhou Mingxuan hesitated before his smile returned, “Don’t worry about it. Another chance will come, and then I shall witness your mastery of the Old Arts." With a casual wave of his hand, he signaled to one of his men to retrieve the Old Arts manual from their airship.

Qin Cheng was shocked. "Way to go, Old Wang! You literally got it for free. And what do they say? If it’s free, it’s for me!"

Zhou Mingxuan handed over a weathered paperback book to Wang Xuan personally.

"Young man, you've certainly got something going on. It's a shame you weren't chosen this time, but since you've chosen to stay in the Old World, make the most of your time here. Do your best to become a master of the Old Arts." He then turned around to leave alongside Zhou Yun and Zhou Ting, vanishing into the night sky aboard their small craft.

"It's time for us to take our leave as well," Wang Xuan said to Qin Cheng.

He was stopped by Zhou Kun, "Aren't you waiting for Ling Wei? I suspect her uncle must’ve did something to delay her arrival. She should be joining us soon."

Wang Xuan shook his head, a hint of resignation in his voice. "I've said it several times already. There's really nothing between us anymore. We've been apart for over a year. You've all seen how her family was like. I’ve long since moved on, and I wish her well."

The group started to disperse, fading into the night like the stars above.

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