Translator: flycrane01 Editor: Millman97
Two months later, in the No. 6 space port of Heavenly Saints City…
"Achiu!"
Xie Anan sneezed. Her small nose shivered slightly, and she shrank further into her red coat, as if she were trying to bury herself in it.
As a star fortress, Heavenly Saints City maintained the climate and weather by magical equipment. It was possible to set the environment to a cozy temperature.
But people living in space often missed the seasonal changes on planets. Therefore, spring, summer, autumn, and winter were simulated on Heavenly Saints City. Occasionally, there was rain, snow, and fog.
It was the beginning of spring in Heavenly Saints City. Damp, cold wind was blowing in the scarce No. 6 space port and piercing into the collars and sleeves of the travelers through the tiniest gaps.
However, what really frustrated the young girl was not the weather but the grueling task that awaited her.
Xie Anan rubbed her hands and complained to Long Yunxin in a low voice.
"Really. There are so many students in our department. Why does it have to be me to welcome the visiting scholar?"
Xie Anan and Long Yunxin both came from noble families of refining that had a long history. They had been friends from a young age.
In the previous Skyhill Sword Seminar, both of them had been in touch with Li Yao. Long Yunxin had even been defeated by him.
Since she had been eliminated from the tournament too early, Long Yunxin naturally did not receive any offers from the three main crystal suit centers.
Thankfully, since her basic skills were quite good, and her family had a lot of connections in the circle of refiners, she had finally been accepted by the Refining Department of Flying Star University, her mother school, as an associate researcher. She was currently working in a renowned laboratory affiliated with the Refining Department.
Xie Anan, Long Yunxin, and four young refiners of the Refining Department of Flying Star University had come to the No. 6 space port in order to welcome a special visiting scholar.
The hundred exchange students from Iron Plateau had mostly arrived one month ago. The young people from a desolate planet had made quite a fuss and left a lot of funny tales when they first got to the most prosperous city of the Flying Star Sector.
The visiting scholar, Sand Scorpion, however, did not come with his compatriots. He was late by one month and did not arrive until today.
The Refining Department of Flying Star University had reached a preliminary consensus as to the treatment of the unique visiting scholar.
Although none of the professors and experts believed that Sand Scorpion was capable enough to be an actual contributor to the studies of refining in Flying Star University, everybody definitely wouldn't say no if the guy decided to put his money into their projects.
It would be even better if the Iron Plateau natives, who were on his back, grew interested in the Refining Department of Flying Star University because of him and invested even more.
Therefore, it had been decided that he would be welcomed warmly.
With the prestige of Flying Star University in the world of Cultivators, it was almost a pilgrimage for the visiting scholars from other space zones when they came here. Visiting scholars, at best, would usually have someone from the school greet them at the space port.
But this time, four young teachers and researchers of the Refining Department had come to the space port to welcome the guest in person. It was unusually formal for Flying Star University.
Long Yunxin, unlike Xie Anan, had volunteered to come.
She hated boredom more than anything else and, therefore, was quite interested in the visiting scholar from Iron Plateau. She said with a smile, "It can't be helped, Anan. You are the only one in our department who has met Sand Scorpion before. Since he saved your life, you are naturally the best candidate to welcome him today. Speaking of which, what kind of person is this best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau in your eyes?"
Xie Anan suddenly blushed.
Half a year ago, after the big explosion in the Skyhill Sword Seminar, she had been kidnapped and taken to Iron Plateau by the Temple of Immortals. It was 'Sand Scorpion' who had rescued her.
However, she had only seen 'Sand Scorpion' once in the valley and was handed over to the Great Horn Exo Society soon. She had never met him again before she left Iron Plateau.
However, there was a little secret in her heart.
When the twenty hostages were still held in prison, 'Sand Scorpion' had talked to her and learned the details from her mouth before the following operations were carried out.
Does he still remember me? Xie Anan thought to herself, only to be shocked by her idea.
She replied, her face red, "I—we weren't freed until we reached some valley. My head was dizzy when he took off our facial covers, and I couldn't see him clearly. I only remember that he was wearing a hideous armor, and his face was hidden by his messy hair. His voice was coarse, and he was quite mean. Before we caught our breath, he had already asked us to dig pits.
"However, we heard a lot of tales of Sand Scorpion from the Great Horn Exo Society later. It was said that he is a super expert who rose to fame recently on Iron Plateau. No one in all the six tribes had second opinion about his invincibility. Even the previous, previous best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau was slain by him!"
Xie Anan grimaced. "Such a brutal guy must not be messed with. Now I'm part of the reception work, what—what if I piss him off?"
The four young men chitchatting nearby came over and said with smiles, "Don't be scared. We are all here for you. He is just another barbarian who has more brawns than brains!"
Although Xie Anan was a student and they were teachers, they were born in the noble families of refining, too, and had known each other since childhood. They had always considered her to be a little sister.
Therefore, they were not as restrained as normal teacher-student relationships.
The young refiner in the lead was as slender as a monkey and had a mole below his left eye. His name was Hou Zitao, and he specialized in guns boosted by spiritual energy. He had quite a few patents despite his young age and was a rising new star in the circle of refiners.
He joined Flying Star University five years ago, but he had been working as an assistant for other people and did not apply for his own project until this year. He was quite ambitious, planning to make a career out of the project.
He had never realized the importance of funding when he was an assistant. But now that he was leading a project team on his own, he immediately found that the arts of refining were too, too, too costly.
Flying Star University was never short of experts and professors. Thus, it was extremely difficult for a young genius like Hou Zitao to apply for research funds.
Naturally, when he heard that a silly yet rich landlord was coming to the Refining Department as a visiting scholar, Hou Zitao was the first to offer to join the reception team.
Hou Zitao smiled. "Anan, don't think too much. Just go up there and say nice words to him for saving your life when he shows up. When he is overwhelmed with self-satisfaction, we'll come close and adulate him to the point that he will forget his name. Then, we'll show him the few projects that we've been working on. Awesome as the guy may be, he has nothing but muscles. Does he really know anything about refining? By then, hehehehe…"
Hou Zitao was smiling cunningly.
The other young refiners were more or less the same. They were all laughing and rubbing their fists, making plans to seize the rarely-seen opportunity to let the goose lay more golden eggs for them.
Long Yunxin sniffed and dragged Xie Anan to aside. Coldly eyeing the guys who were enjoying such fantasies, Long Yunxin lowered her voice and said, "Anan, don't listen to the jibber-jabber of those people. Just do what you are asked to do and don't presume that the man is really a wealthy idiot. It is not going to be easy to take advantage of him. In my opinion, the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau will not be easy to deal with!"
Xie Anan was dazed. "Sister Long, do you know Sand Scorpion?"
With a mysterious smile, Long Yunxin replied, "Of course I don't. But I have a good friend in the Cross Wind Space Zone who told me a piece of shocking news yesterday!
"Anan, do you know why Sand Scorpion was delayed for so long?"
Xie Anan was still confused. "The Cross Wind Space Zone?"
"Yes. There's a small family of Cultivators in the Cross Wind Space Zone known as the Wu family, who did not have many experts. One of the least famous noble families, I would say."
Long Yunxin told the story merrily. "However, twenty years ago, a quite capable young expert named Wu Mafei emerged in the Wu family. He reached the high level of the Building Foundation Stage before he was forty years old. He joined the White Dragon Society, a fairly influential sect in the Cross Wind Space Zone, and became a pillar of the sect, making quite a fortune for his family.
"Too bad that the geniuses always seem to be cursed. A few years later, when Wu Mafei went to visit his in-laws with his wife and his child, they encountered space pirates and went missing.
"At that time, everyone thought that Wu Mafei and his next-of-kin were dead. The great fortune that Wu Mafei made and the insurance compensation that the White Dragon Society provided naturally fell into his other family members.
"The seniors of the Wu family were too old. But Wu Mafei had two brothers who claimed all the money.
"But as it turned out, although Wu Mafei perished, his only son Wu Mayan survived on Iron Plateau.
"Now that the communication between Iron Plateau natives and space residents has been reestablished, Wu Mayan naturally went back to the Cross Wind Space Zone to visit his family with his father's ashes.
"However, his visit put the Wu family in an embarrassing situation. It had previously been an unknown family and only earned some fame by Wu Mafei's hard work. Its prosperity later was based on Wu Mafei's insurance, too!
"Now that Wu Mafei's only son suddenly showed up, how should the assets of the Wu family be divided?"
Xie Anan listened to the story in confusion. She tilted her head and thought for a while. "Since Wu Mafei still has a son, his son is naturally the rightful heir to the compensation, pension, and the money that Wu Mafei earned previously."
Long Yunxin smiled knowingly. "That's common sense, but Wu Mafei's two brothers have enjoyed his legacy for so many years. How could they bear to hand over everything that was once theirs?
"The communication has just begun. Iron Plateau is still a mysterious place for most space residents. Nobody knows much about the situation on Iron Plateau.
"When Wu Mayan went back, he looked like a teenager no more than fifteen years old, and his mother was a strengthless doctor. His uncles thought that they could take advantage of the widow and the fatherless child, and they planned to keep the legacy for themselves. According to my friend, they provided a very harsh agreement, trying to kick away the mother and the young man with petty benefits.
"However, other than being the only son of Wu Mafei, Wu Mayan has yet another identity. He is the disciple of Sand Scorpion, the best warrior of the six tribes of Iron Plateau!
"Besides, Sand Scorpion went to the Cross Wind Space Zone together with Wu Mayan!"