Chapter One: Lu Huan

"Hey, Xiaoyu, it's Lu Huan speaking!"

Lu Huan lay sprawled on his bed, idly swiping at the Starlink watch on his left wrist. A luminous screen floated in midair, and the holographic image of a young woman materialized before him.

Virtual reality calls had become so advanced that even from thousands of miles apart, one could communicate as if face-to-face. The holographic projection was indistinguishable from the real person.

The girl in the projection was in the bloom of youth, her long ponytail simply tied back, adorned with a demure hairpin fashioned from the feathers of a black phoenix bird. She wore an elegant, white, jade-silk dress, and the freshness of her youth seemed to spill from the data stream, flooding Lu Huan’s senses.

“Lu Huan, why are you calling again? Didn’t you say you had to prepare for your internship?” Su Yu sounded a little impatient. Lu Huan was always calling for a chat even though they were about to graduate from high school. She was busy with her own internship arrangements—where would she find the time to idle away with him every day?

“I am preparing! I am!” Lu Huan scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. “But I’m kind of at a loss. I really have no idea what direction to choose for my internship!”

He stroked his chin and put on a serious air. “If I go into academics, it’s all research—I mean, you know my temperament, right? I can’t sit still. I might get so antsy that I blow up the lab! If I take up martial arts, Old Lu won’t allow it. He says it’s all fighting with monsters and demons every day, and one wrong move and you could lose your life! I think Old Lu has a point. I’m the sole heir of the Lu family for eighteen generations, and I’m still single. If something happened to me, the Lu family line would end and Old Lu would cry himself to death. Still, martial artists are so cool! Look at those swordsmen and warriors, riding the clouds, every move sending a flock of fangirls into shrieking ecstasy…”

Su Yu listened blankly, “Yes, you’re absolutely right, makes perfect sense…”

“???”

“Xiaoyu, what do you mean, I’m right?” Lu Huan gazed at the screen, noticing Su Yu’s vacant look, her eyes flickering with streams of data.

Got it! She was running her cultivation technique again, multitasking and planning her own affairs. Truly worthy of being my Xiaoyu—so diligent!

“Huh? Oh!” Su Yu snapped back to herself, not flustered in the slightest. “Your dad is just looking out for you. Besides, your mental aptitude score is ninety-nine, and you’re already working on projects with Professor Cai. If you don’t go into academics, what else would you do?”

Su Yu and Lu Huan had been friends since childhood, so she knew all about his circumstances. Lu Huan’s mother had passed away early, leaving Uncle Lu to raise him alone.

Naturally, Uncle Lu treasured his son deeply. With martial arts being so dangerous, how could he possibly approve? In fact, this wasn’t unusual. Most families dreaded their children becoming martial artists. According to official statistics, nearly fifty million students graduated from high school each year, with about five million choosing the martial path. Yet every year, nearly a million martial arts students died—a staggering twenty percent mortality rate. Who wouldn’t have second thoughts?

Of course, there was another reason for urging him toward academics: his mental aptitude score of ninety-nine!

The school’s teachers were all convinced Lu Huan was a prodigy destined for scholarly pursuits. University admissions officers had already come to negotiate with the school and Lu Huan, hoping to recruit him early. If he just agreed, he’d already be a prospective college student!

“Oh, so Xiaoyu, you’re praising my talents now? I’m so excited—my heart’s pounding! My star energy’s about to go haywire!” Lu Huan clutched his chest and rolled around on his bed in exaggerated delight.

“Enough with the acting. Did you pick this up from those pretty-boy idols?” Su Yu shot him a look. She was used to Lu Huan’s clingy antics after all these years.

“With your ninety-nine in mental aptitude, if you don’t go into academics, what are you going to do, waste it?”

Su Yu couldn’t help but marvel at Lu Huan’s gifts. During the aptitude tests in middle school, the three basic scores—mental, physical, and star power affinity—he’d gotten were ninety-nine, thirty, and eighty.

The basic values ranged from one to a hundred. Generations of research had proven that high star power affinity was essential to becoming a Starforce cultivator, while high mental aptitude suited academic research into the mysteries of star energy. Physical strength, naturally, was best for martial arts, protecting the nation as a Star Warrior.

Whether one could become a Star Cultivator depended on innate talent. After a century of scientific study, the scoring system inherited from pre-Star Calendar times was adopted, with sixty as the passing mark.

Therefore, Lu Huan’s talents were clear as day: suited for academics, ill-suited for martial arts. As for technical trades, those weren’t even considered; with his talents, he was destined to shine in the world of Star Cultivators. Most technical workers chose that path only because their talents weren’t enough to walk the way of the stars.

“Umm… So, Xiaoyu, are you really going to be a volunteer teacher?” Lu Huan scratched his head bashfully, then grumbled, “Why do you insist on going? Sure, there are government incentives for volunteer teaching, but you won’t be back for three years! Three years! With star energy developing so rapidly, if you come back after three years, you’ll be left behind. I know you always wanted to go to Capital University, but if you’re three years late, you’ll always be three years behind your peers!”

“I know. But this is my dream… and my promise to him. Please don’t try to talk me out of it. I’ve said it many times—I’m set on the academic path; whether it’s three years early or late makes little difference. Besides, he’ll be at Capital University keeping an eye on courses for me, and I can self-study while I’m teaching. I’ve already checked with the teachers—I’ll be able to borrow university books for self-study, it’s allowed under the current policy.” As she spoke, Su Yu couldn’t help but smile.

“Aaah!” Lu Huan howled in frustration, rolling around on his bed. “What’s so great about that guy? He’s not as handsome as me, his literary talent can’t compare, it’s just his talent scores got him a spot in Capital. If I hadn’t caught a cold during the aptitude test and messed up my physical score, who says I wouldn’t have made it to Capital too! So unfair!”

“Oh, stop it. All you do is talk. That guy’s got all three basic scores over eighty-five, and now they’re all past ninety-five!” Su Yu ignored him, used to his nonsense after all these years.

“Hmph! He was just sneaky, confessing a little earlier than me and stealing a march! Otherwise…” Lu Huan gritted his teeth.

“Otherwise what? If he hadn’t confessed, would I have accepted you? How many times do I have to say it? We’re too close, it’s not appropriate.” Su Yu tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, sounding exasperated.

She had explained it to Lu Huan countless times, but he never listened. At this point, there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t just distance herself because of so-called feelings—they’d been friends since childhood, and besides her parents, he was probably the person she was closest to. Yet, precisely because they were so familiar, she regarded him as family, not as a possible partner.

“Hey, hey, hey! Okay, I get it! Do you have to say it every time? You’re hurting me, you know! I’m wounded! The kind of wound that only a barbecue can heal!” Lu Huan pouted, then made a series of exaggerated faces.

“Alright, Young Master Lu, your humble servant understands!” Su Yu smiled sweetly, imitating the elegant bow of a consort from an old pre-Star Calendar drama, “The Empress Returns,” and played along. “I’ll be leaving next week, so I’ve invited our friends for dinner as a farewell. Would Young Master Lu care to join us?”

“Huh? Leaving next week?” Lu Huan was stunned; the news caught him off guard.

“Yes. Volunteer teaching starts a bit earlier than internships. Everyone who can make it will be there. Are you coming?”

Lu Huan was silent for a moment—he understood her meaning. All their friends would be there, including Su Yu’s boyfriend, that infuriating interloper who’d stolen her heart.

“Of course, I’ll be there. I haven’t had the pleasure of a good chat with your boyfriend yet. I must see for myself the so-called number one prodigy of Dezhong!” Lu Huan, a little sour, stroked his chin and tried to look sinister.

“Ugh! I’m trying to talk to you seriously, and you’re already pushing your luck? I’m warning you, if you try any funny business, I’ll chop you up!” Su Yu put her hands on her hips and threatened him.

There was no helping it—Lu Huan was like a child, always up to mischief and never serious. It was impossible to be solemn around him!

“How could I dare? Xiaoyu, you know me—I’m always good! And about that, you still owe me a barbecue! You’d better get me two golden mountain goat kidneys, or else I’ll be cross!”

“Yes, yes, kidneys, right? You’re not afraid of overdoing it? I’m logging off now—I’ll send you the restaurant address later. I’ve got a lot to handle before dinner. And about your internship, just stop hesitating. You’re born for academics; don’t torment yourself. If you don’t make up your mind, Uncle Lu may not say anything, but he’ll keep worrying!”

The light screen dissolved into a scattering of starlit sparks, and the room fell silent once more.

Left alone, Lu Huan lay back on his bed, gazing silently at the ceiling, where galaxies spiraled in endless circles, full of mystery and beauty.

…

Volunteer teaching…