Chapter 84 Guide 12

In the world of the Federation, there is naturally no concept of marriage, but people are not machines. There are many private romances between sentinels, guides, and sentinels and guides. There are also some improper private relationships—for example, if they find that they are highly compatible, they silently form a stable, "mutually helpful" relationship.

In such a relationship, the Sentinel and the Guide are not bound together, yet it is more like a bond. At first, it may be to stabilize each other's state as soon as possible, or it may be because of some vague "evolutionary" possibility. They comfort each other from physical contact to the heat of bonding. Even if there is no emotion at the beginning, they will gradually fall into the peaceful mental chain.

Such a relationship is obviously illegal, and the federal government defines it as "psychic manipulation."

Wan Hong tilted his head: "Why?"

Lu Xuejin said calmly, "For the sake of stability. I believe you have also felt it. Even without the heat of combination, our mental energy still becomes more active due to the encounter, which will affect my operational precision. As the commander, any mistake I make will lead to irreversible consequences, and I don't want to regret it afterward."

Even if it violates the law?

“If anything comes to light one day, I will take full responsibility. You are under my control.”

...A guide with a morbid sense of responsibility, willing to dedicate everything to the Federation?

Wan Hong leaned back, the soft chair back supporting him, just like the feeling Lu Xuejin had when she guided Su to be surrounded by him.

Adam's apple bobbed.

"Out of some despicable desire, I cannot refuse you, Commander."

He still cherishes the moment when Lu Xuejin entered his world, when all the pain and restlessness were enveloped in tranquility, and his will was no longer his own, but was being slowly held in someone's hand; he misses the scent that emanated from his guide gland, the scent that represented Lu Xuejin.

He had been eyeing the prey with predatory intent for a long time, but today the prey delivered itself to his doorstep.

Perhaps because they had established a secret relationship, Lu Xuejin suddenly exuded the aura of a noble superior. He pursed his lips slightly, looking somewhat shy. Wan Hong remembered that this commander, who had served for nearly three years, had only recently come of age and was three years younger than him.

“We can try making contact first.” After a moment of silence, the guide slowly raised his hand, which was then grabbed by Wan Hong.

The sentry was frighteningly proactive; his palms were rough and calloused, the skin pressed tightly against the guide's hand, burning hot. As he touched it, he wondered, "Why are the commander's hands so cold? Is he unwell?" It felt like a pile of cool snow.

He remained expressionless, seemingly oblivious to anything amiss with such intimate behavior, remaining remarkably calm. Lu Xuejin turned her head, only to catch a glimpse of his bright red earlobes.

[Dedication Points +5]

"They don't even have a mental link, yet they blush just from touching hands?" Lu Xuejin thought casually, a shy smile playing on her lips, but she deliberately pulled her hand away, causing the sentry to reflexively tighten its grip.

“…I’m sorry.” Wan Hong thought he had hurt him, so he let go.

[Dedication Points +5]

The two exchanged a glance, each lost in thought across the long table.

...

"Captain, how many merits did that table of food cost? It smells amazing."

Back in the dorm that evening, the elite team was still discussing lunch. Wei Jing looked savoring the memory, He Cang sat in a daze, and Luo Mang was flipping through a paper book. Hearing this, he didn't even look up: "The cost-effectiveness is very low, and there are restrictions on the exchange qualifications. Don't even think about it."

Wei Jing instantly deflated and collapsed. Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.

Hearing the sound of someone entering, the three of them turned to look at the doorway. Their eyes, one honest, one cold, and one calm, all held a mixture of curiosity and subtle hostility.

Wan Hong ignored their gazes and walked towards the bathroom. As he passed Luo Mang, the young captain's nose twitched slightly, and he suddenly frowned.

Luo Mang began to pay attention to this taciturn sentinel with a controversial background. In the following days, Wan Hong's whereabouts became a mystery, and he often did not return to his dormitory until night. The scent he smelled that night was not an illusion—a faint guide essence lingered on the young sentinel, which was repulsive.

The vast population disparity between Sentinels and Guides gave rise to the pheromone preparation industry. The official Federal preparations are generated from natural chemical reactions. Although they can have a guiding effect, they are unpopular due to their cold taste and stinging side effects. As a result, the underground industry is booming and highly sought after. Sometimes, guide pheromones that are deliberately made based on a particular guide can sell for exorbitant prices.

In the Federation, as far as Luo Mang knows, the most popular product is Lu Xuejin's preparation, which is worth a fortune per vial, and the southeastern border is currently the largest dumping ground for it.

After Wei Jing and He Cang left, leaving only him and Wan Hong in the dormitory, he said, half-jokingly and half-disdainfully, "It's better to buy preparations discreetly. Although the higher-ups don't pursue it, they don't encourage such behavior."

Not to mention that it uses a guide essence directly from Shangguan.

Román scoffed at this. If they had even the most basic sense of shame, they should stop using it immediately.

However, Wan Hong merely glanced at him indifferently upon hearing this. He returned the next day and remained unchanged.

...

“Their indicators are within the normal range, but you still have to be careful. Two are S-level and two are A-level, young and hot-blooded, and conflicts are likely to occur. We appointed Luo Mang as the captain... With his background and low aggression, he might not be able to control people. Lu Xuejin, you have to keep an eye on him.”

The commander-in-chief sounded exhausted over the communications channel. She had just led a battle involving more than 5,000 people and hadn't closed her eyes for three days. The first thing she had to do after the battle was over was to handle the guard post duties.

The command sequence and the administrative sequence are not on the same line. In the appointment of some positions, even the theater commander has to make concessions.

"Okay. Please take care of yourself. The entire Southeast region will rely on you. I need to get into the elevator, so I'll hang up now."

The elevator doors parted, and a pungent smell of blood wafted out. The tall sentry stood in the center, looking disheveled, covered in blood and wounds, his pupils shadowy. Upon seeing Lu Xuejin, he slowly took two steps back.

Lu Xuejin pressed the button for the top floor, and the elevator went up.

Chu Jianfeng stared at the guide's fair neck beneath his light golden hair, slowly grinding his teeth. Suddenly, his nose twitched, revealing a look of disgust.

His voice was hoarse and grating: "Whose scent?"

Chu Jianfeng craned his neck somewhat nervously, leaning close to Lu Xuejin: "My Commander Lu, you haven't fallen in love with any of the Sentinels, have you?"

His pale green eyes trembled, and he said meaningfully, "Be careful, the Tower won't allow you to do this. You're our most valuable asset; which wild dog sentinel would dare lay a finger on you?"

"Who is it?" he wondered to himself. "Is it that curly-haired jerk? Or the new girl you hit it off with at the celebration party?"

The tongue clicked, making a strange rubbing sound, reminiscent of fallen leaves in a polluted area.

"Why does Commander Lu value compatibility just like ordinary people?" Chu Jianfeng chuckled, then suddenly raised his voice, "Do you think I should apply to transfer him to the team? After all, you've said that I care about my subordinates the most."

Since Chu Jianfeng took over the team, the team members have either died or been injured, and none of them have had a good ending. This sounds like a hellish joke.

Lu Xuejin, who hadn't uttered a word or even glanced at the sentry the whole time, finally deigned to look up at him and ask a different question.

"What is your emotional peak right now?"

The smile on his face faded slightly. Chu Jianfeng closed his eyes and leaned back lazily against the elevator. "I don't know."

Lu Xuejin turned around and said calmly, "No matter what your opinion of me is, come find me if you can't take it anymore."

The elevator stopped.

"You've arrived at your floor."

Chu Jianfeng chuckled and shook his head as he walked out.

[I didn't realize this character was so annoying; they should have deleted him from the start.]

Lu Xuejin: "What's his storyline?"

[He appeared once as the highest-ranking person on the list of the dead.] Dong Yao said humorously, [He probably died from his own foul mouth. Baby, why bother with a dead man?]

“Because it’s quite interesting.” Lu Xuejin smiled deeply.

At night, he was awakened by an urgent communication.

She quickly changed her clothes and headed to the thirteenth floor. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she saw the senior executive's assistant waiting outside, his expression revealing his anxiety. After passing through layers of security, the moment Lu Xuejin entered the room, her gaze passed over the worried senior executive and landed on the sentry with his back to her in the glass room.

Less than five hours after the breakup, Chu Jianfeng was in such a sorry state.

"He went berserk, but fortunately he locked himself up before anything happened, so there were no casualties." This high-ranking official, who seemed to have some connection with Chu Jianfeng, frowned and said, "However, the situation is still very dangerous. Right now, only you can save him. Chu Jianfeng is still usable; he hasn't reached the point of being unusable."

Through the one-way glass, Chu Jianfeng seemed oblivious to the countless gun barrels pointed at him. He sat atop a corpse, repeatedly slicing open the skin with his tactical knife, tearing away flesh. Blood splattered everywhere, along with unrecognizable human tissue. His mental energy was in a chaotic, turbulent state, unbelievably disordered; someone in this state would usually have gone mad long ago.

The high-ranking official said coldly, "I think the Southeast needs a thorough cleanup. Someone actually infiltrated and ambushed him to lure him into a berserk state prematurely."

"I understand, I will do my best." Lu Xuejin walked towards the door, but was blocked by heavily armed guards.

"You can't go in!" A senior official followed and said firmly, "It's just Chu Jianfeng, we can't let you take such a big risk. Xiao Lu, try it through the glass, if it doesn't work... then it's his fate, he can't blame anyone else."

At the same time, he took out Chu Jianfeng's report and reminded him: "His brain has been subjected to an electric shock and has developed certain lesions. If you encounter difficulties in the intervention, withdraw immediately. Do not hesitate or take any risks!"

Summoning Lu Xuejin without informing the people of the White Pagoda was the greatest explanation he could give Chu Jianfeng. He couldn't allow this invaluable guide to suffer any loss as a result…

The high-level facial muscles trembled slightly.

He could fully imagine the miserable death he would suffer later.

Lu Xuejin nodded, stood still, and released her mental synapses.

Although the sentry was in a frenzied state, his vision remained highly alert, employing some kind of technology that made him virtually impenetrable. Lu Xuejin observed him from outside for a while, and unlike his gentle guidance of the other sentries, he chose a direction and directly, sharply, and ruthlessly pried open the sentry's mind.

The feeling was no less than someone drilling open his skull. Chu Jianfeng suddenly screamed and howled, his tactical knife viciously plunging into the corpse's eyeballs. His tall body crashed into the glass with heavy thuds, his scarlet eyes staring straight in Lu Xuejin's direction.

Lu Xuejin remained expressionless as she stared at him through the glass.

Chu Jianfeng's mental image was a morgue piled high with corpses, each body's face clearly visible. Lu Xuejin calmly scanned the images and saw several familiar faces of her colleagues.

A huge, ferocious spirit landed on a mutilated corpse, its sharp beak pecking down and tearing off a piece of fresh flesh, while a satisfied gurgling sound came from its throat.

Its head and neck were covered with sparse, grayish-white downy feathers, stained with congealed blood clots and bits of rotting flesh. The feathers covering its entire body were disheveled, a dark brown mixed with dark green stains. Huge claws gripped the corpse tightly, their hooked toes displaying an ominous rust color.

The vulture's cold, beastly eyes locked onto Lu Xuejin. A shrill, ear-piercing shriek filled with endless malice tore through the deathly silence. The vulture flapped its wings, its wingspan bringing with it a foul gust of wind, and its massive body soared into the air, swooping straight down on him.

"Smack!"

As if struck by an invisible whip, the vulture's body lurched violently in mid-air, dark spiritual energy emanating from the wounds torn by the whip. It lost its balance and crashed to the ground, creating a huge crater. The pain continued; it struggled, emitting agonizing and furious howls, its crazed eyes fixed on the humans, filled with resentment and bloodlust.

Just as the mental synapse whipped the vulture and unleashed its power, a gust of wind carrying the scent of blood suddenly erupted from behind without warning!

Chu Jianfeng had already stealthily appeared behind Lu Xuejin like a ghost, his eyes burning with the same madness as a vulture.

The outline of the guide's cervical spine was faintly visible beneath the thin skin, with slightly protruding spinous processes supporting his upright and elegant posture. So beautiful, so fragile.

Lu Xuejin's expression remained unchanged as she unleashed a torrent of pure, powerful, and overwhelming spiritual energy.

Chu Jianfeng immediately let out a muffled thud of extreme pain as he was violently thrown away by this unparalleled force, crashing heavily into a pile of corpses seven or eight meters away.

His body convulsed violently, and a large mouthful of dark red blood gushed out, staining the filth beneath him. He struggled to lift his head, his crazed eyes filled for the first time with intense pain and a terror from the depths of his soul. His spiritual form also rapidly dimmed.

Lu Xuejin slowly turned around, her gaze icy cold as she swept over the sentry curled up on the ground, convulsing and bleeding from his mouth and nose: "You still don't recognize me. It's okay, just remember this feeling."

The guide smiled, and another round of torture began.

The clash of mental forces was only a brief moment in the outside world. The sentinel maintained his attack stance as if it were made of glass, and a few seconds later his tense back suddenly relaxed, and a clear look flashed in his eyes.

Upon receiving the tranquilizer, he plunged it into his neck without hesitation. As the condensed liquid was injected, the madness in his eyes vanished.

After several rounds of testing confirmed that he was out of danger, Chu Jianfeng was released. However, his hands and feet were still bound by shackles, and a destructive device was installed around his neck; if anything went wrong, the higher-ups could kill him.

Chu Jianfeng twisted his head, making a cracking sound, and lazily walked out.

The higher-ups said sternly, "If it weren't for Commander Lu's intervention, you would have died in there long ago. Don't go crazy! I've never bothered with you before, but you better behave yourself now! From now on, you'll go to the elite squad, be under Commander Lu's supervision, and help him out. I will hand over control of the device to Commander Lu, and if anything goes wrong, don't come back."

Then, turning around, he thanked him with a kind smile: "Xiao Lu, you've really worked hard tonight..."

Chu Jianfeng didn't comment on the fact that his life was in someone else's hands. He just glanced at Lu Xuejin with his vulture-like eyes and said with a forced smile, "Please give me your guidance in the future, Commander Lu."

Lu Xuejin glanced at him indifferently, nodded politely to the senior executive, and turned to leave.

The sentry quickly followed behind.

"Why bother saving a cripple like me?" Chu Jianfeng said nonchalantly, his smile still carrying the lingering scent of blood. "Aren't you afraid I'll turn around and invade your mental landscape?"

Lu Xuejin stopped and said coldly, "You disturbed my sleep."

He glanced at them coldly and added sarcastically, "If you want to die, jump off here now. Nobody's stopping you."

“As for the invasion,” Lu Xuejin smiled, her expression dismissive and disdainful. As she brushed past the sentry, she softly tossed out a sentence—“You’re not qualified.”