Translator: CinderTL
By the ti Feng Qi closed his notebook, it was already afternoon.
He stretched lazily, preparing to head out.
Lin Ran had called earlier, inviting him to study at the library, but Feng Qi declined. He planned to visit Bai Fusheng that afternoon to inquire about Mu Qing.
Since Bai Fusheng was the principal of Star City Academy, Feng Qi figured he would have detailed information about Mu Qing.
He pulled out Bai Fusheng's business card, dialed the number, and Bai Fusheng's voice answered from the other end.
"Who is this?"
"Grandmaster, it's Feng Qi. I wanted to ask you about sothing."
"Ah, Feng Qi! Co to my office directly," Bai Fusheng replied readily.
After a brief chat and noting the location Bai Fusheng ntioned, Feng Qi left his dormitory and headed toward the principal's office.
Star City Academy was vast, and it took him half an hour to reach Building 1, as Bai Fusheng had instructed.
Entering the building, Feng Qi went straight to the top floor, found the room marked "Principal's Office," and knocked.
Bai Fusheng's voice imdiately called out from inside:
"Feng Qi, right? Co in."
Pushing the door open, Feng Qi saw Bai Fusheng watering the office plants with a sprinkler.
A smile lit up Bai Fusheng's face when he saw Feng Qi. "Co, sit down. What do you want to ask about?"
Feng Qi sat down at the desk, paused for a mont, and then said, "Grandmaster, I want to know more about Mu Qing."
Hearing Mu Qing's na, Bai Fusheng's expression shifted, and he asked in surprise, "Why do you want to know about her?"
"She's my friend."
"Friend? I advise you to stay away from her."
"Why? Do you also discriminate against her because she's a rune augnt?"
Bai Fusheng didn't get angry at this. Instead, he explained, "Since I allowed her into Star City Academy, how could I discriminate against her? The main issue is her unstable emotions and imnse power. She might accidentally hurt you. Mu Qing has lost control more than once during her ti at the academy."
Realizing Bai Fusheng was worried about him getting hurt, Feng Qi pressed further, "Grandmaster, can you tell what you know about Mu Qing?"
"I don't know much about Mu Qing. The main reason she was admitted to Star City Academy was due to a request from the Scarlet Research Institute, which is why I agreed. What's certain is that Mu Qing is an observation and research subject of the Scarlet Research Institute. Her transformation into a rune augnt was also a result of their experints."
Hearing this, Feng Qi was puzzled:
"Wasn't the rune augnt project banned? How can the Scarlet Research Institute still conduct such research openly?"
"It is banned, but the Scarlet Research Institute is a special case. It's an organization completely independent of all other research institutions, directly under the military's command. They have the authority to conduct small-scale, specialized experints, including the rune augnt project. After all, even a path that once seed impassable might still have a chance of success. If they succeed, it could undoubtedly advance the progress of all humankind."
"Even if the Scarlet Research Institute has the authority to conduct rune augnt experints, does that an they can disregard others' wishes and forcibly subject people to human experintation?" Feng Qi couldn't help but frown.
Bai Fusheng was taken aback by Feng Qi's words:
"All experints conducted by the Scarlet Research Institute are reported to the military. Moreover, all living subjects participate voluntarily. How could there be coercion? Did you hear this from Mu Qing?"
Bai Fusheng's response made Feng Qi realize sothing.
It seed many of the Scarlet Research Institute's actions were officially sanctioned, but he refused to believe they were innocent.
In Mu Qing's mories, there was a scene:
A woman in black took the orphaned Mu Qing away, claiming she needed to continue unfinished experints.
At that mont, Feng Qi could clearly sense Xiao Muqing's inner resistance and struggle.
He was convinced the Scarlet Research Institute was hiding sothing!
With this in mind, he turned to Bai Fusheng and pressed further:
"Are you saying Mu Qing's transformation into a rune augnt was also voluntary?"
"Of course it was voluntary," Bai Fusheng replied. "I've inquired about this with the Scarlet Research Institute myself. They told Mu Qing's parents were originally scavengers from outside Star City. Years ago, Star City accepted and resettled a group of scavengers, and her family was among them."
"After settling into the city, Mu Qing's family volunteered as live test subjects for the Scarlet Research Institute's external recruitnt program. They underwent a series of rune augntation experints, but due to severe rejection reactions between their bodies and the rune energy, none of them survived."
"That doesn't make sense. Why would Mu Qing's family willingly participate in rune augntation experints? Didn't they understand the potential risks? If sothing went wrong, what would happen to young Mu Qing? How could they not realize that?"
"I had the sa doubts as you at the ti," Bai Fusheng replied, watching Feng Qi's puzzled expression. "I asked the Scarlet Research Institute staff who were my contacts the sa questions. Their answer was that Mu Qing's family had indeed volunteered, because they knew they didn't have much ti left to live."
Bai Fusheng continued, "According to my information, Mu Qing's family was attacked by a Domain Transcender outside the city. Although reinforcents arrived promptly, Mu Qing and her family had already inhaled the toxic mist exhaled by the Domain Transcender. While the small amount they inhaled wasn't imdiately fatal, modern dicine couldn't cure them. They were only expected to live for about three more years. That's why they made a series of requests to the Scarlet Research Institute and then volunteered for the rune augnt project."
"What were their demands?"
"They wanted Mu Qing to grow up healthy and receive the best possible education. So, a year ago, the Scarlet Research Institute fulfilled its promise and sent Mu Qing to Star City Academy."
Bai Fusheng's answer left Feng Qi puzzled.
If Mu Qing had been forced into rune augntation experints by the Scarlet Research Institute, why would they voluntarily release her and allow her to study at the academy?
Information Feng Qi had gleaned from the future confird that the Scarlet Research Institute never interfered with Mu Qing's life afterward. After graduating, she joined a domain combat team and beca a domain warrior.
If the Scarlet Research Institute truly was an evil organization, they should have imprisoned Mu Qing and continued their experints.
This realization made Feng Qi question his previous perception of the Scarlet Research Institute as irredeemably wicked. Perhaps they weren't as evil as he had initially believed.
Feng Qi's thoughts beca tangled.
Could there be hidden circumstances he was unaware of?
Having only witnessed a brief scene from Mu Qing's mories and now hearing Bai Fusheng's explanation, Feng Qi began to doubt his earlier assumptions.
If Mu Qing later chose to continue participating in rune augntation experints, what could have driven her to turn against all of humanity?
Unable to unravel this mystery, Feng Qi felt a headache brewing.
The truth he thought he was about to grasp seed to dissolve back into a fog.
After chatting for a while longer, Feng Qi bid farewell to Bai Fusheng and returned directly to his dormitory.
Since he couldn't make sense of it, he decided to venture back into the Dream Realm to search for clues that might help him piece together the answer.
(End of the Chapter)
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