Chapter 26: The Right Choice
Counter-control?
Zhuang He also fell silent. In the common understanding of Sentinels and Guides today, the Guide was generally the dominant party.
But now, they were saying this was a Sentinelās counter-control over a Guide… Zhuang He pondered for a moment and asked, “How long will this last?”
Zhuang Hongyang shook his head. “That I don’t know. Your case is the first Iāve seen. Maybe itāll go away on its own after a while?”
“I need to find a way to get rid of it soon. Otherwise, itāll affect my ability to guide other Sentinels.”
Zhuang Heās brow furrowed slightly. He felt a slight rejection toward the situation.
It wasn’t a rejection of Lu Yin himself, but a dissatisfaction with being “bound” like this. At the same time, he realized that for Lu Yin, the situation was likely even more difficult.
He could clear the spiritual power Lu Yin had left behind, but Lu Yin would find it difficult to accept guidance from any other Guide.
Thinking of this, Zhuang He fell silent for a moment and changed his mind. “Never mind. Let it be for now. Iāll see if it clears up on its own after a while.”
Zhuang Hongyang didn’t understand why his nephew suddenly changed his mind, but he didn’t pry. He would respect his decision.
“Alright. Do you want to do a test? Or…”
He thought for a moment and made a suggestion. “How about you try to guide me? I can judge from that.”
It was a suggestion, but Zhuang Hongyangās eyes were filled with hope and craving. He had spent his life researching the spiritual matching links between Sentinels and Guides; he wouldn’t pass up such a golden opportunity.
Zhuang He thought briefly and agreed to his uncleās proposal.
“Uncle is S-grade, right? You should be careful. A double-S grade friend of mine found it a bit much to handle.”
He offered a kind warning. After all, Lu Yin was a 3S Sentinel; the suppression he exerted over lower-grade Sentinels was terrifying.
Zhuang Hongyang nodded repeatedly. More than the danger, he wanted to see what this dual spiritual power looked like.
Talking as they went, the two moved into the inner room. Zhuang Hongyang and Zhuang He sat side by side on the sofa, preparing for the guidance.
Zhuang He himself didn’t feel anything unusual. He released his golden spiritual power as usual, weaving a beautiful golden net to envelop Zhuang Hongyang.
What should have been a very gentle act of guidance caused Zhuang Hongyang to jolt the moment it entered his mental sea.
However, Zhuang Hongyang didn’t call a halt. He gritted his teeth and endured it.
It was beautiful spiritual powerāgolden with shimmering flecks. This was a 3S Guide. If they wished, they could soothe a Sentinelās mental sea, but they also held the power of life and death over them.
A powerful spiritual force could easily shatter a Sentinelās mental sea.
Zhuang Hongyang thought to himself: Should I say that despite the inhuman abuse he suffered, my nephew still maintains a heart of gold?
If it were possible, he would rather Zhuang He wasn’t a 3S-grade.
“Alright, stop.”
Zhuang Hongyang felt he could no longer withstand Zhuang Heās guidance and immediately called out. But the light in his eyes was exceptionally excited.
“Uncle, how was it?”
Zhuang He was also a bit worried. If something went wrong with Zhuang Hongyang because of his guidance, he would feel a heavy burden of guilt.
“Haha! Iām fine! But I think I understand whatās going on.”
Zhuang Hongyang was very excited. This major discovery might actually improve the current link between Sentinels and Guides.
Zhuang He sat to the side, quietly listening to his uncleās excited rambling. “Itās actually a very simple principle. First, a high-grade Guide can naturally guide any Sentinel without distinction. This is controlled by their powerful spiritual power.”
“Similarly, a high-grade Sentinel can accept guidance from a lower-grade Guide. This means Sentinels can be guided and soothed by any Guide of any grade, which established the Sentinelās role as the vanguard. As long as a Guide is present, they can be infinitely guided and soothed.”
Zhuang Hongyang was so excited he stood up and began pacing, his expression incredibly animated. “But until now, our Empire has only ever had you as a 3S Guide. No one knows what a 3S Sentinel would be like. Everyone just judged based on existing laws that a 3S Sentinel would be the same as others.”
“But you say this 3S Sentinel can’t be guided by other Guides and even interferes with your ability to guide others. I suspect this is a self-protection program of the Sentinel.”
Zhuang He was a bit confused by the explanation. In truth, there wasn’t a very close connection between Sentinels and Guides today, primarily centered around guidance. Only those who had tested their matching rate would be permanently guided by a partner Guide.
“Because he is a high-level Sentinel, his mental sea is more powerful than others. A low-level Guide cannot withstand the pressure of such a mental sea, so they naturally cannot guide him.”
“And between you two, besides being teacher and student, there is likely a sense of trust and dependency. This dependency makes him develop a sense of possessiveness toward you. This possessiveness results in your spiritual power being ‘sealed’ by him, preventing you from guiding others. If you attempt to guide another Sentinel, his spiritual power will launch a powerful attack on that person.”
Although Zhuang Hongyang was excited, to Zhuang He, this wasn’t good news. “Uncle, you mean if I guide him, Iāll be interfered with by his spiritual power and thus unable to guide anyone else?”
“I feel like this is a bit like a married Sentinel and Guide… If I remember correctly, Sentinels who have done a matching test also develop possessiveness toward their Guide, right?”
Zhuang Hongyang nodded. “Exactly. Thatās how I made the judgment. Itās just that you haven’t done a matching test and haven’t truly merged… yet he can already directly interfere with your spiritual power?”
“Er… maybe itās because the matching rate is relatively high?”
Zhuang He wasn’t sure himself, because currently, only he and Lu Yin were 3S-grade. There were no other cases for reference.
Zhuang Hongyang pondered for a long while before finally sitting back on the sofa. “Itās possible. Because your matching rate is too high, you can influence each other even without a test. And because of this high compatibility, he skipped that step and went directly to the stage where he can’t accept other Guides and you can’t guide other Sentinels.”
“Mhm. Itās a possibility. But since we haven’t truly merged, it should vanish on its own after a while.”
Zhuang He looked down at his handsāvery white, very slender. Yesterday, these hands had been pinned to the cold floor by Lu Yin. Lu Yinās hands were very large; a single hand could completely encircle his wrist…
Realizing what he was thinking, Zhuang He was startled. He quickly shook his head to toss those messy thoughts away.
“It shouldn’t be a big problem. But if this research is confirmed, it might be a huge leap for the relationship between Sentinels and Guides.”
Unlike Zhuang Hongyangās excitement, Zhuang He was thinking of something else. “But, although the Guide holds the initiative right now, once a matching test is done, both parties are essentially bound to each other. Therefore, everyone is very cautious about the tests.”
“If this research is confirmed, does it mean that if a Sentinel takes a fancy to a Guide, as long as the matching rate is high, they can forcibly interfere with the Guideās spiritual power and make it impossible for them to guide others?”
“This…” Zhuang Hongyang calmed down, realizing this was indeed a major potential issue. Sentinels and Guides currently lived in peace because of complete legal regulations that offered protection to both parties.
But if a case like Zhuang Heās was discoveredāwhere a Guide was inexplicably bound to a Sentinel and unable to guide others…
“You have a point.”
Zhuang Hongyang sighed. In the century-long history of the Empire, Sentinels had occupied the vast majority of the initiative. It was only in the last few decades that Guides had reclaimed equal rights.
This research needed to be handled with caution.
“Iāve troubled Uncle today. Iāll head back now. Letās keep this between the two of us for now.”
Zhuang He picked up his light-brain, preparing to leave. Zhuang Hongyang nodded; he understood the situation well.
“Don’t worry too much. This case currently only exists with you and that 3S Sentinel. It hasn’t appeared with other lower-grade ones. There won’t be any issues in the short term.”
“I know. Thank you, Uncle.”
Zhuang He smiled at Zhuang Hongyang and turned to leave.
Looking at the departing back, Zhuang Hongyang let out a silent sigh. 3S-grade… was it ultimately a blessing or a curse?
…
Back home, Zhuang He first sent a message to Zhou Chiye to check on him. Soon, Zhou Chiyeās rogue-like reply came. Zhuang He glanced at it and tossed the light-brain aside.
He seemed fine.
Zhuang He sat on the sofa, deep in thought. He didn’t quite understand why two 3S-grades would have such an interaction, and it was difficult to find an answer.
His thoughts were a mess. Zhuang He pulled out a pen and paper from the drawer and began to organize his thoughts in the simplest yet most effective way.
3S Guide – Guides any Sentinel at or below 3S grade.
3S Sentinel – Can only be guided by a 3S Guide?
After those last few words, Zhuang He added a question mark. He still wasn’t sure if Lu Yinās inability to accept others was because of the 3S grade, or because…
It was a bit of a headache. Zhuang Heās brow furrowed. He knew of Lu Yinās little feelings for him; it was too obvious, and quite normal.
He had seen countless instances of love; Lu Yin was just one of many. The only special part was that the boy was a 3S-grade.
So was this directional guidance a result of the 3S grade suppression, or because of Lu Yinās own feelings for him?
Zhuang He had a hunch in his heart, but he was somewhat afraid to admit it.
Undeniably, Lu Yin was a good talent. With proper training, he wouldn’t be much worse than Zhuang He. Such a good talent, who happened to have those thoughts about him…
If he didn’t agree, Lu Yin might eventually move on and accept other Guides, or he might be trapped in place for a lifetime. That would be a great pity.
But if he did agreeāleaving aside his own wishesāmaking Lu Yin bound only to him… what if he sacrificed himself one day? What would Lu Yin do then?
Zhuang Heās head was pounding. He tossed the pen and paper aside and lay on the sofa to rest.
No matter what, he had to find a way for Lu Yin to accept other Guides.
That was the right choice.
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