Chapter 72. Mission Plan
What was Su Tang doing?
As spiritual power belonging uniquely to Su Tang arrived, Ya Suo couldn’t stop himself from trembling.
What stupid thing did Xiao Yu do now?!
The moment that strand of spiritual power surged toward him through the link with the cat, Ya Suo felt his every nerve as if it had been soaked in warm water.
Su Tang’s unique, clear, and refreshing scent carried a warmth that traveled from his spine all the way to the back of his neck, heating him until his Adam’s apple rolled.
“Hiss…”
He took a shallow breath, his hand propping him up on the floor, gripping it until his knuckles turned white from the force.
The sensation was too clear. It was as if her fingertips were pressing against his skin, wandering freely. Everywhere they passed, they carried a perfect temperature, teasing his most sensitive nerves with just the right amount of weight.
“Is that enough?”
Waves of pleasure hit his mind. He didn’t know how many times his rationality had been tested. He felt like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Then, the warmth vanished, and Su Tang’s voice seemed to ring in his ears.
Su Tang withdrew her hand and lightly scratched Xiao Yu’s chin as the cat lay limp on the sofa.
It’s been so long; it should be full now. Seeing the cat lying there with a look of utter satisfaction, Su Tang sat back in her seat and finally finished her breakfast without any burden.
Back in the Medical Department, Ya Suo snapped his eyes open. His eyes were watery, and the tips of his ears were red enough to bleed.
The tingling from his chin spread all the way down his jawline to his sensitive neck, making him tense his spine. He was panting uncontrollably.
“Truly… nonsense…”
He cursed quietly, having already learned the truth through his connection with Xiao Yu.
He lay on the floor for a long time before finding his strength. Then, he opened his wristband and typed out a few lines before sending them to Su Tang.
[If the spiritual entity isn’t with its Sentinel, you can just give it normal food to replenish its energy. You don’t have to give it your spiritual power.]
Reading the message from the unknown account, Su Tang raised an eyebrow. If she wasn’t mistaken, this account was Ya Suo’s. Oh, is that how it is? That’s a bit of a hassle.
Feeding it her spiritual power required no preparation since she had plenty, but if she had to prepare food, she would have to add an extra share to her mission supplies.
[Does that mean my spiritual power is useless for it?]
Seeing her reply, Ya Suo bit his lip.
[It’s not useless. I’m just reminding you not to waste your spiritual power on such trivial things.]
Su Tang smirked. If it was useful, then things were simple.
[Then Captain Ya Suo needn’t worry. I think Xiao Yu prefers my spiritual power.]
Reading the final message Su Tang sent, Ya Suo’s entire face burned bright red. He buried himself under the covers to calm his pounding heart.
What… what does she mean by that?!
How could the little beast not like a Guide’s spiritual power? Could he interpret her words as her being willing to feed Xiao Yu her own power?
Does she even know what that implies?
Ya Suo couldn’t help but rub his face against the soft duvet. Really… I can’t do anything with her. Thinking that he might be harassed by this “sweet burden” from time to time in the future, his heart beat even faster.
“Truly… there’s no helping you.”
…
Mo Xiao sent her a message in the morning saying the mission content had been adjusted. He had arranged with Zhan Ye to come over and discuss it this afternoon. Su Tang readily agreed.
The afternoon sun spilled through the window into Su Tang’s dorm. Mo Xiao and Zhan Ye arrived promptly. They had come from the office together, and when Su Tang opened the door, she saw them standing side-by-side.
“Good afternoon, Little Beauty. Haven’t seen you all morning—did you miss me?”
The smile on Zhan Ye’s lips froze the moment he detected another Sentinel’s spiritual power fluctuation in the room.
“Oh, Little Beauty, you heartless thing. I’ve been refining the mission plan from yesterday until now for your safety. Not only do you not pity me, but you’ve actually hidden a man in your ‘Golden House’?”
Mo Xiao’s expression wasn’t much better either. The Silver Wolf at his feet began scraping its claws on the floor uneasily, and the Golden Eagle was in no better state, flying back and forth in the hallway.
“Come in first. Where have I hidden a man?”
Welcoming the two men and their entities inside, Zhan Ye strode into the living room and immediately began scanning. When his eyes landed on the black mass curled on the sofa, his brows furrowed so deeply they could have crushed a fly.
“You still say you didn’t hide one? What is that thing?”
Compared to Zhan Ye, Mo Xiao appeared much calmer.
“Is that Ya Suo’s spiritual entity?”
Su Tang nodded to Mo Xiao and explained A Ning’s story about delivering Xiao Yu, then gestured for them to sit.
Zhan Ye sat beside the black cat, his eyes lowering in a look of utter disdain as he scanned the brat.
What is this pitch-black thing? It’s not even as dazzling as my Eagle’s feathers. The Golden Eagle on his shoulder seemed to sense its master’s thoughts and raised its chin haughtily, refusing to give Xiao Yu even a single glance.
But despite the disdain, they didn’t say anything about refusing the cat’s company. They knew Ya Suo’s skills; the Fifth Squad was far more familiar with the Abyss than they were. Furthermore, Su Tang was in a critical period; bringing this brat along was purely beneficial for them.
So, no matter how much Zhan Ye despised the fellow, he restrained himself from striking it or speaking rudely.
After going over tomorrow’s plan again with the two of them, Su Tang felt a bit more prepared.
“Monitoring equipment might fail in the Abyss. We aren’t sure if the location of the ‘cocoon’ provided by the Bai Ta has changed. In any case, after arriving at the Abyss tomorrow, the Third Squad’s Sentinels will check the coordinates first. We’ll act uniformly once the location is confirmed.”
The Third Squad’s spiritual entities were mostly birds, which offered much higher flexibility than the First Squad. Zhan Ye had brought all the high-flexibility Sentinels from his team, so the task of scouting and demolition was most suitable for them.
Su Tang agreed with Mo Xiao, but she had one thing to add.
“If the cocoon isn’t at the original spot and the equipment fails, then… let me try.”
“No!” “Absolutely not!”
Translator’s Note: “Golden House Hiding a Beauty” (金屋藏娇) is a famous Chinese idiom referring to a man keeping a mistress in a secret, luxurious place. Zhan Ye is being his usual dramatic self! Also, did you see the tension? Three S-Class Sentinels (or their entities) in one room… things are getting crowded!
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