[T/N: Alternative title ‘This is Laozi’s person’]
After a moment of stunned silence, the virtual venue erupted into chaos. Having recovered from the initial shock, most people started whispering, speculating whether the AI had malfunctioned or displayed the wrong name. Yet, many were already inquiring about the origins of this newly minted “SS-level” professor.
Currently, there were only a handful of “SS-level” and “S-level” professors in the empire—just a dozen or so across the entire universe. Each had long been claimed by the royal family and Major General galactic factions, who treated them like treasures, handling them with the utmost care.
Everyone knew that the path back to Earth could only be discovered by piecing together fragments of knowledge reconstructed bit by bit by these experts and scholars. Whoever succeeded in finding the route back to Earth would become a hero of all humanity, with a reputation surpassing even the royal family that had existed for tens of thousands of years.
So, when a young, new professor suddenly appeared, many factions began to stir.
To act first is to gain the upper hand.
This was the shared thought of all the eager factions.
“We’re already here, so why not have some fun?”
“Sorry, I went a bit overboard.”
These two phrases seemed to still echo in Doyle’s ears, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
He stared blankly at the teenager not far away, his mind a complete blank.
The black-haired youth sat calmly on the floating chair, with dark hair and bright, black eyes that glimmered with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
Amidst the intense attention of the crowd, the teenager remained remarkably calm, showing no signs of excitement or agitation. Even his clasped fingers hadn’t moved. He sat there smiling as if all this was only natural.
The calmer the teenager appeared, the more humiliated Doyle felt.
He recalled how, not long ago, he had looked at the teenager with disdain and mocked him mercilessly.
Now, all the contempt and ridicule felt like a doubled slap back on his face, leaving him in utter disgrace.
Doyle’s gaze drifted to the side.
He saw Count Valli, who had always been supportive of him, staring fixedly at the teenager, unwilling to look away for even a moment. Standing beside the Count, Doyle’s teacher also looked at the teenager with a stunned expression.
While Doyle felt that his embarrassment was on full display, the truth was that no one was paying him any attention. All eyes were fixated on the teenager not far from him, and no one had the time to spare him even a glance.
For someone who had always been outstanding, growing up under the envious gaze of others, this was more humiliating than being seen in a state of disgrace—
Impossible.
He thought.
Absolutely impossible!
He was supposed to be the one under the spotlight today.
Becoming an Advisor at just over forty years old—the youngest Advisor in history—Doyle had already prepared to bask in the envious gazes of those around him, to attract the attention of Major General powers. He planned to shake off his current teacher and Count Valli, who were merely stepping stones, and join a more powerful faction with greater resources. Ideally, he would gain the favor of an “S-level” professor, become their disciple, and receive better training—he had it all planned out!
Everyone should have been marveling at him today, not at some fraud under a nouveau riche!
… A fraud?
That’s it… a fraud!
“You cheated!”
Doyle suddenly stood up, glaring fiercely at Miao Te, and shouted.
“You must have cheated!”
His shout reverberated throughout the virtual venue, spreading his voice in all directions. The venue, which had only just started to quiet down, was once again thrown into an uproar.
“That’s right. This kid is way too young; he doesn’t even look of age…”
“I thought the AI had malfunctioned from the start.”
“But this is a universe-class autonomous AI; the error rate is almost zero.”
“But this is a virtual venue projected by the AI; everyone’s actions are under its monitoring. Cheating…”
“Errors are impossible, but avoiding AI monitoring through new devices or methods—maybe.”
“So, did that kid cheat?”
“I think so. I just checked his data; he’s only sixteen. Even the youngest beginner scholar is twenty-seven.”
“I’m sure he used some method to fool the AI. The last time we saw this emblem was over eighty years ago—I was there. That old professor was extremely talented, reaching the professor level at just over a hundred. But it took him another hundred years to advance to ‘S-level’…”
“No matter how much of a genius, there are limits. Are you telling me he did in ten years what takes others centuries?”
Many whispered among themselves, saying all kinds of things, but most agreed with Doyle’s claim.
If Miao Te had been a middle-aged man in his hundreds, no one would have doubted him; they would have considered him a rare genius.
If he were a seventy-year-old youth, people would still think he was extraordinary.
But at just sixteen… even geniuses have their limits, right?
In comparison, most found the idea of cheating the AI through some special means far more believable.
Well, technically speaking, mentally, I’m probably thousands of years old…
If Miao Te knew what they were discussing, he might say something like that.
However, sitting at the center of the venue, he couldn’t hear the conversations outside. He remained seated on the floating chair, slightly tilting his head, looking at Doyle, who had just shouted at him.
He didn’t bother to argue because he felt it was unnecessary.
But while he remained silent, his friend Maya wouldn’t stand for it. Having been in shock from Miao Te’s new rank, Maya snapped back to reality the moment Doyle yelled at him.
For the past few days, Maya had seen herself as the protector of the teenager who was younger than her. Although Miao Te’s rank now even surpassed her grandfather’s, Maya hadn’t yet adjusted her mindset. So when Doyle shouted at Miao Te, she instinctively stood up, positioned herself in front of Miao Te, and shouted back at Doyle.
“Can’t win, so you call others cheaters? Doyle, have you no shame!”
“That’s utterly impossible!”
Doyle’s eyes were bloodshot.
“He must have cheated! The AI has been deceived! There’s no way a kid like him could advance to ‘SS-level’—”
“Exactly.”
Someone stepped forward.
The elderly professor standing beside Count Valli spoke, his expression dark as he looked at Miao Te and called out to the AI.
“Tellus [T/N: Tellus is a Latin word meaning “Earth”], I demand a re-evaluation.”
“Seconded.”
“Investigate thoroughly.”
“Agreed.”
It wasn’t just that old professor; more people began stepping forward.
These were all members of the Earth Ancient Civilization Alliance, mostly at the Advisor level, though many were elder professors from the Professor level who also raised doubts.
They could not accept the sudden appearance of a teenager who would rank above them.
With a soft beep, a virtual image of a gentle-looking woman with long black hair appeared in the air.
“With more than half of the members requesting a re-evaluation, the request is accepted.”
The AI, named Tellus, spoke in a soft voice that spread throughout the venue.
“Sending a request now to randomly invite five ‘SS-level’ professors.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a platform slowly rose from the ground and hovered in mid-air.
Simultaneously, five streaks of light fell onto the platform. As the light dissipated, several elderly figures appeared before the crowd.
When these elderly figures appeared in the venue, the previously noisy crowd fell silent.
These elderly figures were regarded as towering figures in the field of Earth’s ancient civilizations. Usually, their respective factions would shield them carefully, and just a brief appearance could cause a massive stir.
They normally wouldn’t show up at the triennial evaluation venues, but this time, the AI had summoned them to adjudicate a new ‘SS-level’ candidate.
After so many years, a new ‘SS-level’ had finally emerged, so these reclusive elder professors naturally wanted to take a look.
Before arriving, they had eagerly speculated which ‘S-level’ veteran had finally advanced. But when they reached the venue and saw the AI’s information, the elderly professors were left dumbfounded.
They looked at the teenager below, their wrinkled faces showing nothing but bewilderment.
Is Tellus bored and playing a joke on us old folks?
The venue remained silent, with only Tellus’s gentle voice explaining the situation to the elderly professors.
Then, a light screen appeared before each professor, displaying the paper that Miao Te had submitted to the AI.
Participants could choose the difficulty of their test voluntarily, meaning even a first-time participant could choose a professor-level difficulty—though no one before Miao Te had dared to do something so foolish.
Now, the elderly professors quietly reviewed Miao Te’s submitted paper.
Everyone watched the professors, anxiously observing their expressions.
As time passed, the professors’ faces gradually furrowed, their frowns growing deeper with each minute, looking increasingly displeased.
As expected, the teenager had cheated.
Those watching the professors thought this.
Soon, the elderly professors began whispering among themselves, their expressions darkening as they almost broke into an argument.
Seeing this, Doyle’s eyes brightened; he was certain they had discovered something wrong and were now debating over it.
After a while, the professors stopped arguing among themselves. The shortest of the elderly professors placed his hand on the slowly rotating crystal orb in the center of the platform.
After tapping on the orb a few times, it lit up, and the platform slowly descended to the ground.
“Kid, come over here.”
The short elderly professor said solemnly to Miao Te.
His expression was the worst among them, his eyes boring into Miao Te with a hint of anger as if he were about to devour him.
Seeing this, Doyle felt a surge of joy.
“A fake is always a fake; it can never become real.”
He sneered at the teenager, who, in his eyes, was still feigning calmness.
How dare he try to cheat the AI in such a setting? Well, now he’s been caught, hasn’t he?
Get ready for a fall from grace!
“Miao Te…”
Maya, seeing the professor’s stern expression directed at Miao Te, panicked and tugged on Miao Te’s sleeve.
Though Maya was terrified, Miao Te remained calm, patting her hand reassuringly.
“Don’t worry.”
He said with a smile, then unfolded his legs, stood up, and walked toward the scowling elderly professor.
Countless eyes followed his movements, and many people nodded knowingly.
So, it was cheating after all.
That’s what many were thinking.
It’s unclear how he managed to fool Tellus, but his method of cheating was particularly stupid. He could have raised his rank a few levels, but instead, he jumped straight to ‘SS-level,’ attracting all this attention and getting caught.
Now, with these esteemed professors personally involved, the teenager would likely be expelled from the alliance.
***
Seems like I overdid it.
Miao Te thought, suppressing the urge to scratch his head.
He hadn’t intended to create such a shocking scenario. He’d originally planned to get a mid-level rank, just enough to earn Major General Taylor’s attention so he could persuade him to work together to find the route back to Earth.
But when those people sneered at Major General, calling him a nouveau riche, he’d gotten annoyed.
So what if he’s a nouveau riche? He’s still better-looking and stronger than you a lot.
Upset, he had accidentally pulled out a big move…
Oh well, since things had escalated this far, he was determined to see it through!
Besides, he wasn’t just showing off. Honestly, none of these people, including those so-called towering professors, would be a match for him when it came to knowledge about Earth.
So when Doyle shouted that he’d cheated, when the crowd demanded a re-evaluation, and when the short elderly professor angrily called him over, Miao Te didn’t panic at all.
As Miao Te calmly stepped onto the platform, the venue fell eerily silent.
Everyone watched, waiting to see the first person in history bold enough to cheat during an evaluation be reprimanded and publicly disgraced.
Didn’t you see how dark the professors’ faces were?
“Is the information in your paper accurate?”
In the suffocating silence, the short professor’s urgent question left those expecting scolding utterly confused.
However, the professor ignored the bewildered crowd and spoke eagerly to Miao Te.
“The solar system only has eight planets?!”
He asked impatiently.
“But according to the historical records we’ve had, there are nine planets!”
Another professor chimed in urgently.
Only those who had reached ‘S-level’ knew that one of the requirements to advance to ‘SS-level’ was to fill a gap in Earth’s historical scholarship. It couldn’t be some trivial information; it had to be something with significant impact—this was a strict requirement.
Thus, an ‘SS-level’ advancement couldn’t involve cheating.
The process required submitting a paper that thoroughly demonstrated one’s thesis from every angle, which the AI would then evaluate. If the details were insufficient, it would be rejected; if the details were sufficient but didn’t align perfectly with existing information, or couldn’t be backed up by facts, it would still be rejected.
In simple terms, Earth’s historical knowledge was like a puzzle with billions of pieces, and humanity had only managed to piece together a few thousand—barely a drop in the ocean, with no clear picture of the full image.
It seemed like there were vast open spaces where one could insert any piece, but any fabricated puzzle piece wouldn’t fit with the existing ones.
Only the correct piece could fit.
The AI, Tellus, existed primarily to determine whether new pieces were correct.
This was something only professors of ‘S-level’ and above were aware of.
Tellus’s approval of Miao Te’s paper meant that his thesis had undergone rigorous evaluation by the AI’s powerful computational processes and had been verified as accurate. That was why the professors who reviewed the paper looked so troubled.
People below saw their grim expressions and assumed they had discovered Miao Te’s cheating, but in reality, the more they read Miao Te’s paper, the more disheartened they became.
The paper detailed a reclassification of a planet that had been downgraded from the solar system, with the AI marking hundreds of minor details about the planet and annotating them to confirm the paper’s flawless accuracy.
Thus, the thesis was confirmed to be correct.
Knowing that a star system has nine planets versus eight was a massive difference. Previously, all their attempts to find the route back to Earth had been based on the assumption of a nine-planet system.
Miao Te’s paper effectively overturned all their previous research.
Centuries of work had gone down the drain, reduced to worthless efforts. No one could maintain a good face after that.
Still, the frustration lasted only a moment. The elderly professors, devoted to scholarship for their entire lives, were wise enough to understand.
Finding the correct path was better than continuing down the wrong one.
With that thought, their spirits lifted, and they began planning how to redo their research from scratch. The short professor, while considering this, glanced at Miao Te, who was skimming through his paper via the light screen, and his eyes sparkled.
Despite his youth, this teenager was knowledgeable.
One could see from that paper that it couldn’t have been written without a deep foundation.
When starting new research, what could be better than working alongside the person who proposed the theory?
“Ahem, Miao Te, right? As your elder, I’ll call you that directly. I don’t know where you’re currently employed, but if you’re interested…”
“Hold on, you old fox! Isn’t that a bit too fast?”
“First come, first served. Kid, if you plan to delve deeper into your studies…”
Just as the professors began to bicker, the only one who hadn’t joined the fray—a smiling elder—stepped forward and clasped Miao Te’s hand.
“I am the Dean of the Royal Research Institute.”
The elderly man said warmly, looking at Miao Te. “If nothing unexpected happens, you’ll receive a formal invitation from the Royal Research Institute shortly.”
The other professors fell silent as he spoke.
Although the royal family had lost some of its power, as an ancient dynasty with tens of thousands of years of history, it possessed the most extensive and complete records of Earth’s past.
Honestly, if it weren’t for the complex entanglements of family and faction, purely on academic grounds, they would have all chosen the Royal Institute.
However, the young man probably also had some family heritage to achieve such a deep foundation at his age, so he might not accept the royal invitation…
The royal family?
Miao Te thought of the beautiful blonde lady and the black panther with icy blue eyes.
Then, he shook his head.
“Sorry, I already have an employer.”
He replied.
While the royal family sounded appealing, it was too conspicuous, and joining would surely limit his freedom.
Besides, compared to the royal family, he trusted Major General Taylor, who had saved his life multiple times.
He had too many secrets, and exposure could lead to unpredictable consequences, perhaps even capture and experimentation. But he instinctively felt that no matter what happened, the Major General would protect him.
So, he decided to stick with Major General’s golden thigh.
He bowed slightly to the elderly professors, then turned and quickly walked off the platform.
The professors, though slightly disappointed, were dignified individuals and couldn’t bring themselves to force him. So, they could only watch Miao Te leave.
Then, they nodded to Tellus, signaling their acknowledgment of the evaluation results before disappearing from the platform.
After all, they were eager to return and restart their new research.
“Wait, isn’t this guy… isn’t he a fraud?”
The sudden turn of events left everyone momentarily stunned. They could only watch in confusion as the previously stern professors suddenly spoke amicably with the teenager for quite some time, then even began competing for him.
It was well known that behind these authoritative professors were colossal galactic factions with prestige comparable to the royal family. Many would kill for an invitation from even one of these factions—
Then they watched, dumbfounded, as the teenager casually rejected every invitation.
As the black-haired youth stepped down, the emblem with the blue planet background slowly shrank, flew toward him, and attached itself to his chest.
This marked his acceptance by the five ‘SS-level’ professors, solidifying his status as one of the elite at the top of the pyramid.
Once Miao Te returned to the real world, he would soon receive a specially crafted emblem from the AI.
As long as he wore this emblem, all alliance members would bow in respect when they saw him.
After stepping off the platform, Doyle, who had been waiting for Miao Te to be denounced and disgraced, watched in a daze as he saw the emblem on Miao Te’s chest and muttered those words in despair.
As he spoke, the short elderly professor was still on the platform, preparing to leave. Upon hearing Doyle’s remark, his face turned icy.
The professor didn’t care if Doyle’s target was Miao Te or anyone else; he only knew that he had given his approval, and Doyle’s words were a challenge to his authority. Moreover, Miao Te now held equal status with him, so Doyle’s disrespect couldn’t be tolerated.
So, the professor gave Doyle a cold stare.
“Fraud?”
He said icily.
“Kid, watch your tone. Even your teacher would bow before this gentleman.”
With a cold huff, his figure vanished.
Doyle’s face turned pale, then flushed.
And it wasn’t just him—his white-haired teacher, who had also heard the professor’s words, looked equally grim.
But he dared not lose his temper at the short professor, nor did he have the guts to lash out at the newly minted ‘SS-level’ young professor. After all, the professor was right; even Doyle’s teacher would have to bow respectfully before the young man. So, he could only glare furiously at Doyle, venting his anger on the troublesome disciple.
He blamed everything on Doyle, conveniently forgetting that he had been the first to call for a re-evaluation of Miao Te.
Miao Te glanced down at the blue and white emblem on his chest.
Not really that much like Earth…
He thought to himself, looking at the emblem representing Earth, and then lifted his head, searching for Maya to ask how to leave the virtual venue.
However, as he raised his head, he noticed something amiss. Almost everyone was staring at him, but it was different from before when they looked at him in shock or doubt.
Now, the eyes on him were filled with scrutiny, calculation, and even a hint of greed, making him uncomfortable.
“Miao Te…” The brown-haired girl rushed over, almost tripping over her words as she stammered, “…Sir.”
The teenager was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.
“No need for that, Maya.”
“N-no, it’s disrespectful…” Maya suddenly panicked. “Never mind, there’s no time to discuss this now, Miao Te, we need to leave immediately! Otherwise, we’ll—”
She cut herself off, her face turning grim.
“…be in trouble.”
She finished quietly.
Miao Te looked up to see six or seven people approaching from different directions, some in Imperial military uniforms, some in servant attire, and others in ordinary clothing.
Though their appearances and outfits varied, they all shared one trait: tall builds, sharp gazes, and signs of special training.
The insignias on their Imperial uniforms and servant clothing indicated the factions they represented.
They approached from various directions, almost in sync, and stopped in front of Miao Te and Maya.
“Lieutenant General Hel invites you for a talk.”
“Marquis Fiali hopes you’ll join him for tea.”
“The young master of the Natchel family requests your presence—”
The professors had their pride. Backed by the largest factions in the universe, they wouldn’t lower themselves to hound a young man. But for the other factions, there were no such qualms.
After all, Miao Te was very young, and youth meant he didn’t need years of nurturing. If he could be recruited, he could serve for hundreds of years—
Some smaller factions knew their limits. They might have taken a shot at an Advisor level, but this teenager had already caught the attention of the Major General powers, and they couldn’t get involved. So they stood by, watching with curious eyes.
Maya clung tightly to Miao Te’s arm.
Miao Te pressed his lips together, saying nothing.
He knew that refusing wouldn’t help. The people who had come to invite him were polite in their words but carried a veiled pressure that was hard to ignore.
Though he now had the emblem and was highly respected in the academic circle, this was still a world where power spoke loudest. Even the most revered scholar was powerless against a gun to the head.
Those esteemed professors commanded respect not just for their knowledge but also because of the massive factions backing them. To offend the professors was to offend those powerful factions. Naturally, no one dared act rashly against them.
“…I’m not sure whose invitation to accept.”
Miao Te said cautiously, trying to buy time.
He hoped that the factions would start arguing amongst themselves, giving him a chance to slip away.
But his thinking was too naive. The leader of the group merely chuckled lightly.
“No need to worry about that; just come with us.”
The man said.
The inter-factional struggle was beyond this teenager’s participation.
As the spoils of their battle, he just had to await the outcome and comply—whether he was willing or not. With his location pinpointed via the projection, if necessary, they could forcibly abduct him and make him cooperate.
With that, the man grew impatient and reached out, intending to grab Miao Te’s hand.
Miao Te instinctively stepped back, noticing the man’s face darkened instantly.
Not just him—the others’ expressions shifted the moment he stepped back. But it wasn’t anger or impatience; it was more like sudden anxiety as if they had seen something terrifying—
A hand suddenly appeared from behind, grabbing the back of Miao Te’s collar.
With a yank.
Miao Te stumbled backward, his body spinning around, and before he could react, he fell right into someone’s chest.
A pale cloak billowed, drawing a soft arc in the air before gently settling over him.
On the pitch-black floor stood a handsome Major General, with dark, wind-tossed hair framing his eyes.
His narrow, phoenix-like eyes arched sharply, exuding an air of cold menace.
Thin lips, pale and cool, cut like a blade.
Standing before the crowd in his black uniform with silver trim, he held the teenager firmly in his arms. A golden cord hung from his left shoulder, and the pale cloak draped from his left arm, encircling the teenager he was embracing.
His left arm was raised, clasping the teenager’s shoulder, and the pale cloak cascaded down, shielding the teenager’s body from the neck down.
His deep blue eyes held a faint, eerie glimmer, captivating and unnerving.
One icy glance sent a jolt through the hearts of the approaching men, tightening their chests and quickening their breaths.
“Is there a problem?”
The young Major General asked, his tone chilling.
The pale cloak hanging from his arm almost completely enveloped the teenager, leaving only his dark hair visible.
***
Author’s Note:
The AI is named Tellus, after the Roman goddess of the Earth, representing the planet Earth.
In 2006, Pluto was reclassified, leaving the solar system with only eight Major General planets.
***
Translated by NightOwll
***