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Chapter 15: The Scavenger - Mu Qing
🕑 Added 2024-12-17 11:25:38 +0000 UTCAfter learning about Mu Qing’s situation, Feng Qi suddenly understood her earlier reactions.
In her eyes, she was a freak. For the students at Star City Academy to fear her was entirely reasonable, but for someone not to fear her—that was abnormal.
Through forum posts, Feng Qi also discovered that before entering Star City Academy, Mu Qing had been a scavenger.
Scavengers referred to individuals who had escaped from cities engulfed by domain fields. Due to their large numbers, many cities lacked the capacity to absorb them en masse, leaving these individuals to become wanderers outside city walls.
Compared to city dwellers, their living conditions were abysmal. Trust was nonexistent among them; sometimes, they would even kill their companions for food.
The children of scavengers were born and raised in such an environment, adhering to a strict survival-of-the-fittest ethos.
Star City once tried to accommodate a group of scavengers, providing them with a settlement zone and arranging work for them. However, Star City’s public order quickly deteriorated, and the crime rate soared. Reluctantly, the city ceased all efforts to integrate scavengers.
Other cities implemented similar initiatives to aid scavengers, only to encounter similar failures.
Although scavengers were fellow humans, many viewed them as untamable outcasts.
Feng Qi, however, didn’t share these prejudices.
He first learned about scavengers during Old Wang’s history lessons. Old Wang’s perspective on scavengers was not as extreme as the majority.
Old Wang believed that as fellow humans, people should coexist harmoniously. He pointed out that some scavengers were even trained cultivators and could become an important force in humanity’s prolonged resistance against domain invasions. He often emphasized that humanity’s hope for the future lay in collective effort.
According to Old Wang, the primary reason city dwellers couldn’t understand scavenger behavior was the stark difference in their living environments.
Scavengers lived in resource-scarce, hazardous areas outside city walls, while city residents didn’t have to worry about food or safety. This disparity in survival conditions created a significant gap in behavior and thought processes. Old Wang argued that this divide could be addressed through dialogue and eliminating bias.
During his lectures, Old Wang even recounted instances where scavengers had assisted field combat units in dispersing domain fields, further deepening Feng Qi’s impression of them.
Thus, Feng Qi felt no animosity toward Mu Qing.
What puzzled him, however, was why Mu Qing had become a Rune-Enhanced Human when the project had been abandoned due to severe risks. How had she entered Star City Academy despite these circumstances?
To unravel his doubts, Feng Qi delved deeper into the Star City Academy forum.
While searching, a trending post on the forum caught his attention.
[Breaking News: The New Exchange Student Lin Ran Is Amazing—Totally Convinced After Just One Class!]
Poster: Star City Academy’s Little Overlord
Post Content:
I’m sure everyone’s heard of Lin Ran, the exchange student from Winterfell Academy, and knows he’s already been pre-admitted to the Tiger Soul Research Institute. At first, I wasn’t convinced. I thought, “What’s the big deal? He’s just proposed some ideas for cultivation techniques. It’s not like he’s developed an entirely new technique. If that’s all it takes to get preferential treatment, I could do it too!”
But after interacting with him in person, I realized the gap between individuals is very real.
He’s incredibly young, yet his research into cultivation techniques has already carved out a completely new path. After attending his lecture, I went to the training room to put his theories into practice, and once again, I was blown away.
Lin Ran’s theories are not just hypothetical; they’re actionable and effective. For the first time, I felt like I was witnessing the rise of a new star in humanity’s history.
Comments Section:
“Where was this lecture held? Is there a video recording? I want to hear it too!”
Feng Qi raised an eyebrow as he read through the post.
The first lecture was held in Combat Class One. I’m not sure if there will be follow-ups, but I have to say his lecture was truly fascinating. After listening, I gained a lot of insights. It’s not just theoretical research as some might think; I’ve already become a fan. It’s no surprise he was pre-admitted to the Tiger Soul Research Institute as a gifted student.
"Can it really be that amazing? No matter how talented he is, we’re all humans. What’s the big deal? Does he have three heads and six arms or something (insert confused emoji here)? Did anyone record the lecture? Let me see for myself."
Below the post, a large number of students had already joined the discussion.
Among the many comments about Lin Ran, one reply from a teacher stood out and caught Feng Qi’s attention:
"As a combat instructor at this academy, I can personally attest to how vast the talent gap between individuals can be. Sometimes, the disparity is so extreme that it feels like comparing humans to pigs.
Back when I was studying at Future Academy, I majored in Cultivation Research. I can confidently say I was one of the hardest-working students in my class. But in a class of 100 people, I couldn’t even break into the top 50. The worst part was one of my roommates—he copied my homework all the time and never took studying seriously.
Yet, at the end-of-term exams, he scored 489 points while I only managed 271.
That was when I realized—some people are just born with it, and I wasn’t one of them. Accepting my limits, I switched to Combat Studies. From there, my path became much smoother. I joined the Domain Combat Squad, and later, Star City Academy recruited me to teach Combat Class Three.
I no longer feel bitter, but I do envy those who continued on the path of cultivation research. Many of them went on to join major cultivation research institutes—an unattainable dream for me. In my eyes, they’re like radiant gold. Lin Ran is probably one of those rare, gifted individuals."
The forum thread’s widespread praise for Lin Ran reminded Feng Qi of someone: Wang Jinsheng.
Like Lin Ran, Old Wang had also been an exceptional graduate of Star City Academy. He was pre-admitted to the Tiger Soul Research Institute before he even graduated.
The only regret was that Old Wang chose to become a history teacher, effectively burying his talent.
Fortunately, Old Wang had now awakened to his potential, having decided to leave teaching and take up a position at the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
Otherwise, letting such a gem gather dust would have been a loss for all of humanity.
Recognizing that Lin Ran might possess a talent level comparable to Wang Jinsheng’s, Feng Qi felt a strong urge to meet him.
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