Chapter 19: Soothing Training; What Right Does This Guide Have… What Qualifications Does He Possess?
A title that clearly carried a hint of fraudulence—though old-fashioned, it still possessed the most fatal attraction.
Other young people might have glanced at it and scrolled past, at most clicking to read the first line. But the twenty-four-year-old Guide, who clearly couldn’t quite keep up with the trends, was successfully drawn in.
Zhuang He clicked the title and scanned the content. He realized it was just sensationalism, but the Imperial media wouldn’t dare report such things casually. There was a high probability it was true.
He pondered for a moment and sent a message to Du Yu. She didn’t reply for a long time, so Zhuang He put his light-brain aside for the moment.
The weather today was good. Zhuang He stood under the sunlight and gave a yawn.
Recently, the frequency of his yawning had increased. It was no longer that previous state where it was difficult to feel sleepy, which brought him a bit of a pleasant surprise.
But even if he yawned and felt sleepy, he still couldn’t fall asleep once he lay in bed.
Tossing and turning, Zhuang He wondered if it was because taking on a student had made him feel a long-lost sense of exhaustion.
But regardless, it was a good sign.
The light-brain on the table beep-beeped, then floated into the air by itself, drifting slowly to Zhuang He’s side.
The butler-cat was curled up in a small patch of sunlight, sleeping. its beautiful, smooth fur shimmered under the sun.
Zhuang He let out a breath, his gaze gradually softening. He looked at the kitten and couldn’t help but reach out and stroke the fur on its head, earning a “meow” of coyness.
He took the light-brain in his hand and opened the reply Du Yu had sent him. It contained only one line: [Star Wish Cafe.]
This meant she wanted him to go out for a face-to-face talk. Zhuang He lowered his head, silent with lowered lashes.
The mechanical arm reached over and handed him a cup of coffee emitting a cold chill. Zhuang He drained it in one go, turned to his room to change, and headed out after putting on a strange transparent mask.
When he reached Star Wish Cafe, Du Yu had already been waiting for a long time. she was savoring the bitter yet aromatic coffee. As she looked up, she saw a tall figure pushing the door and walking in.
Since both of them were public figures in the Empire, she had specifically worn a protective mask to avoid drawing attention—the same kind Zhuang He had put on before leaving home.
Unlike the protective masks used on the battlefield, this kind of mask was like being transparent when worn, yet it could briefly change one’s appearance.
She was also acting out of helplessness; their situation was special, with undercurrents surging around them, and they truly didn’t dare let down their guard.
This cafe was opened by one of their comrades who had retired due to injury, so Du Yu naturally felt much more at ease here.
Zhuang He walked into the cafe. His dark green shirt was tucked into his waistband, a color that made his already fair skin appear even whiter, like pine needles covered in a layer of pristine snow.
The brown belt and black casual trousers wrapped his long, straight legs. Although those powerful and slender legs couldn’t be seen, the lean waist cinched tight by the belt was fully visible.
He wore his light-brain on his wrist, a small thing that looked like an ordinary black bracelet, adding a bit of fashion to the outfit.
The arms revealed by the short sleeves looked thin, yet they could bulge with large muscles when exerting force.
Du Yu took a sip of her coffee, inwardly marveling that his physique was simply too hot; even casual clothes couldn’t hide it.
“It’s rare to see you wearing clothes like this.”
She smiled and handed him another cup of coffee, but Zhuang He declined with a wave. “I had a cup before coming.”
“Alright then.”
Du Yu took the coffee back, her expression carrying a hint of regret. “The cats and dogs at home have been fighting a lot lately. I don’t know why.”
Zhuang He ordered a cup of grape water, his expression as relaxed as if they were just chatting about domestic life. “Tell me about it.”
“The dog stole and ate the cat food. The cat caught it and gave it a beating. The dog acted all aggrieved, saying it wasn’t the one who ate it—that a mouse had gotten into the house.”
Du Yu laughed out of anger. “The mouse is such a small thing; how could it eat that much cat food?”
Zhuang He nodded with a serious look. “Mhm. You have a point. but there’s nothing to be done if the dog doesn’t admit it.”
“Exactly. They’re both the family’s darlings; I can’t hit them, and I can’t scold them. I can only deal with the mouse first.”
She sighed and drank the coffee she had just offered to Zhuang He. The Zhuang He sitting opposite reminded her: “Drinking that much, you’d better be careful about not sleeping tonight.”
“Eh, I noticed it last time I went to your house. You seem… a bit different?”
“What?”
Zhuang He furrowed his refined brow in confusion, not understanding what Du Yu meant by “different.”
“I can’t put my finger on it. Anyway, it’s not the same as before. Forget it. I’ll head back first if there’s nothing else. I still have to soothe the cat, or it’ll tear the house down.”
“Alright.”
Zhuang He watched Du Yu pick up her bag and leave, her agile figure weaving through the crowd before vanishing.
He picked up the grape water he had only half-finished. It was filled with plenty of ice cubes, and one sip brought an incredible chill.
His long knuckles tapped unconsciously on the table, his eyes filled with thought.
It was hard to say how many years “they” had been preparing. Was it before he appeared? Or after? He didn’t know.
＊
To handle the assessment, what the Sentinels had to face wasn’t just physical training, but also their adaptation ability with Guides.
This was also a test for the Guides, as they couldn’t always match with a suitable Sentinel. On the battlefield, even if two people had a compatibility of only one percent, they had to grit their teeth and perform soothing if they were the only survivors.
And for Sentinels and Guides with low compatibility, soothing was no longer gentle and comfortable, but extremely painful.
But this was a required course.
Zhuang He looked at the Guide sitting obediently beside him. The person was a double-S grade, considered one of the more capable ones among the freshmen. He had specifically asked for this person to come and undergo training with Lu Yin.
As soon as Lu Yin entered the training ground, he saw a pretty and clear-looking boy with delicate features. He was looking up and talking to Zhuang He, the admiration for Zhuang He in his eyes practically overflowing.
This made Lu Yin’s heart ache with a dull pain. Last night, he had finally convinced himself that his heart-throb for Zhuang He was just the compatibility playing tricks. He had barely managed to prepare himself mentally, only to see Zhuang He talking to someone else.
Previous training sessions had clearly been just the two of them. Why was there an extra person today? What was this person’s goal? Was it Zhuang He?
Jealousy distorted his heart, making Lu Yin’s consciousness a bit chaotic. He took large strides inward. His hard boots stepped on the floor with a “thud-thud” sound, which also caught the attention of the two people inside.
Zhuang He looked up at the approaching Lu Yin. Today, the boy wore a military green short-sleeved training suit. the small sleeve openings were stretched nearly to the point of bursting by his biceps. the clothes below seemed a bit tight on him, outlining his abdominal muscles in a fleeting way. His entire being exuded a strong male pheromone aura.
Lu Yin walked over with a long face. Zhuang He was puzzled: Who upset him?
But clearly, he wouldn’t get an answer. Zhuang He turned, about to introduce the little Guide beside him, only to see the person looking at Lu Yin with infatuation.
He raised his hand and lightly patted the little Guide’s shoulder. “Don’t daze off.”
The little Guide was startled. Turning to see Zhuang He’s cold and indifferent face, he immediately felt timid and hurriedly apologized in a low voice: “S-sorry! Chief, I…”
“This is Lu Yin; you should know him. Lu Yin, this is Cheng Cheng, a double-S grade Guide. He’ll be doing simulation training with you today.”
Zhuang He interrupted his apology and introduced the two to each other.
Lu Yin’s gaze didn’t shift for a moment from where Zhuang He’s hand had been. Did he just use his right hand to pat his shoulder? What right does this Guide have… What qualifications does he possess…
“Lu Yin?”
Zhuang He’s voice exploded in Lu Yin’s ear. He snapped out of it, seeing the slightly furrowed brow of Zhuang He. A sudden urge to smooth it out surged in his heart.
“Okay, Teacher. I understand.”
Lu Yin walked to Cheng Cheng’s side. When the latter looked at Lu Yin again, the infatuation was gone, replaced by seriousness.
After all, Sentinels were easy to find, but only one Chief of Guides had appeared in centuries.
Cheng Cheng felt that nothing could be stronger than the guidance from Chief Zhuang himself.
Seeing that both of them had entered the zone, Zhuang He checked their values. Both were at a stable level, so he put the equipment on them.
“If there’s any discomfort, pull off the equipment immediately; it’ll automatically disconnect.”
He reminded them carefully. He wasn’t worried about Lu Yin, but about Cheng Cheng.
In the centuries since the Empire was founded, a 3S-grade Sentinel had appeared for the first time. No one knew how destructive his spiritual power could be. If an emergency truly occurred, having Zhuang He here would allow for a safe resolution.
Soon, the two sitting some distance apart both closed their eyes. Cheng Cheng controlled his spiritual power to crawl slowly toward Lu Yin. The beautiful white spiritual power made a timid attempt, and a snowy-white, fluffy ermine poked its head out, crouching curiously at Lu Yin’s feet.
The moment the spiritual power touched Lu Yin, he gave a whole-body jolt, and the spiritual power was repelled. Cheng Cheng hesitated, but heard Zhuang He’s trustworthy voice in his ear: “Don’t be afraid. Try once more.”
He summoned up his courage and tried to get close to Lu Yin again. This time, perhaps because he was prepared, Lu Yin’s reaction wasn’t as intense as before, but it still took quite a while before they managed a strained link.
During the mental link, Lu Yin gave a low groan, suppressing the violence within him. He told himself over and over: This is training. This is training.
The enraged White Tiger picked up the ermine by its scruff and tossed it aside without mercy. The little ermine was tossed into a daze, sitting blankly on the ground for a long while. Tears were about to fall, making it look incredibly aggrieved.
Cheng Cheng also felt the ermine’s emotions and suddenly grew anxious. Zhuang He hurried forward, wrapping the little ermine in his own spiritual power and holding it in his arms.
“Calm down. Continue.”
Cheng Cheng felt the ermine being soothed, and his emotions stabilized. He continued to pilot his spiritual power to explore Lu Yin’s mental space. He didn’t know with his eyes closed that Lu Yin’s hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms until blood marks appeared, with wisps of blood flowing through his fingers.
Only then did Zhuang He notice Lu Yin’s anomaly. He was about to call a halt to the training when suddenly, a violent wave of spiritual power exploded in the room. It blew up the long hair hanging over Zhuang He’s shoulder, and the spiritual power instantly filled the entire training room.
Not good, Zhuang He thought. The little ermine in his arms immediately broke free, turning into points of light that drilled into Cheng Cheng’s body. He opened his eyes and turned in horror toward Lu Yin.
Lu Yin’s spiritual power had completely exploded, yet the boy himself hadn’t woken up.
“Chief!”
Cheng Cheng frantically pulled off the equipment and lunged to Zhuang He’s side, trembling with fear.
“It’s okay, don’t be afraid. Is your spiritual power damaged?”
Cheng Cheng shook his head with a pale face. Zhuang He said in a low voice, “You go out first. Lock the door from the outside.”
“…Okay. Chief, be careful.”
He left, looking back with every step. The little ermine poked its head out again, tilting its small head to look at Zhuang He’s back.
Too terrifying. Is this what 3S is? He was clearly only one grade lower than Lu Yin, yet it shouldn’t have been like this… too terrifying. He would never soothe a Sentinel higher than his grade again!
Such a savage Sentinel… perhaps only Chief Zhuang can suppress him. The Chief isn’t as cold as others say… his attitude toward me was very kind, but toward that Sentinel…
Cheng Cheng looked back at the closed door, a lingering fear in his heart.
Translator’s Note:
The “Star Wish Cafe” (星願咖啡館) scene is so coded! The “cats and dogs” talk is a classic way for high-ranking officials to discuss sensitive matters in public.
And poor Cheng Cheng! He’s just a 2S Guide trying to do his job, but he’s caught in the crossfire of Lu Yin’s jealousy and overwhelming 3S power. In this world, a 3S-grade Sentinel is basically a walking tactical nuke.
Lu Yin’s obsession with Zhuang He is reaching a breaking point. He’s not just jealous; he’s becoming possessive. “What right does this Guide have?”—that’s the thought of a Sentinel who has already claimed his Guide in his heart.
Can Zhuang He bring Lu Yin back from the brink of a spiritual collapse?
See you in Chapter 20!
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