Chapter 113

Jiang Wenxing put on Ilya's gloves, which warmed his frozen fingers a bit. He breathed on them, stamped his feet, and looked around at the sentry carrying supplies, feeling like he couldn't get enough of looking at him.

This is the place he longed to return to and see one last time. There are towering, rolling mountains, shimmering lakes, and his comrades-in-arms with whom he shared life and death and fought side by side.

He saw the familiar black tiger, python, thylacine, snow leopard, and their sentinel masters.

Jiang Wenxing waved slightly at them. Spiritual beings are more sensitive to guides. A large tiger stared wide-eyed in disbelief, meeting Jiang Wenxing's gaze. It blinked and looked around. Jiang Wenxing couldn't help but smile. The tiger's ears perked up, and it excitedly nudged the leopard's rump in front of it, signaling it to look at the guide.

The leopard turned around impatiently and lashed the tiger's tail. The tiger roared and bit the leopard's tail. The leopard's leopard face twitched in a human-like way. Unable to bear it any longer, it turned around and started fighting with the black tiger.

Jiang Wenxing: "..."

Just as Jiang Wenxing was sizing up Kush, the sentries were also watching him.

There were five guides in Kush this time. Four of them looked cheerful and healthy. Yavin and Alena were fellow Kush natives, and they were both beautiful and capable. They led the guides straight to the dormitory, probably to do some spring cleaning.

The last one, who coughed after taking only a few steps, was carrying nothing in his hands. He was said to be the top student in the province. He followed behind the sentry, looking left and right.

He was at the age of a young, handsome poplar, with skin as white as snow and plum blossoms, and his lips were stubbornly pursed.

She had short, neat black hair, just like a sentry, covering her forehead and the back of her neck. Perhaps she was freezing, as the corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose were red, and her lips were a wild berry red.

He was probably seeing the sentinel's spirit form for the first time. He greeted it, but was startled by the animals that suddenly started fighting. After hesitating for a moment, he followed closely behind the sentinel who was carrying the luggage.

A one-eyed old wolf tilted its head, licked its paws, and stared at Jiang Wenxing.

Unaware that Kush was close to the frozen tundra, the wind carrying a chilling, icy scent of snow and ice from the mountains was quite strong. Jiang Wenxing was used to the smell. He took a deep breath but couldn't help sneezing, which caused the sentries carrying his luggage to turn around and look at him frequently.

Of the five guides, this one looked the most frail, but in Kush, frailty is not a compliment.

The delicate orchids that thrive in the city cannot bloom in Kushkhaze.

The one-eyed wolf, who had been watching him, revealed a knowing sneer on its face, flicked its tail, and leisurely ran away with the supplies in its mouth.

Ahead of the truck was a flat yard that the sentries had cleared, with two early-ripening persimmon trees growing at the entrance.

A Tiger Berek truck was parked in the courtyard, its body camouflaged and its cannon barrel cold and hard. Further back, the flagpole fluttered with the flag of the Xia Kingdom, its silver tether chains gleaming. If you looked closely, behind two rows of poplar trees was a row of snow-white bungalows, with sentries in military overcoats going in and out.

Jiang Wenxing looked around for a while, then caught up with the sentry who had helped him with his luggage.

"Comrade, is there hot water in the water room?"

The sentry was about 30 years old, with a roguish air about him. I glanced at him and thought, "This little sissy can't even carry her luggage, and she wants hot water? Dream on! Only a sentry who's been on guard duty all night in the snow gets a cup of hot water. Who does she think she is?"

The sentry smiled, but there was no smile in his eyes: "Where would you get hot water here? You'll have to wait until you've rested enough to drink it back in town."

Jiang Wenxing froze, then pursed his lips and remained silent.

The sentry snorted, remaining arrogant and silent the whole way, head held high, looking down at people with his chin, yet not letting Jiang Wenxing take anything.

Jiang Wenxing looked up at his spiritual body.

His spiritual form was an eagle, circling in mid-air before landing on a persimmon tree. The eagle's eyes were devoid of emotion as it silently observed Jiang Wenxing.

Jiang Wenxing recognized the eagle, took out a piece of candy from his pocket, placed it in his palm, and waved at the eagle.

What did that little wench pull out? The sentry glanced at it casually and was startled; his indifferent expression instantly vanished.

Mental power is the most mysterious part of the Sentinel's and Guide's brain, as is the mental body. The food that can be specially supplied to the mental body is invariably very expensive.

It can be said that even with the combined strength of the Xia Kingdom, it would be impossible to allocate a share to every sentry and guide in the entire country.

They can only allocate resources to the remote and harsh border areas first, and this is one of the benefits that the higher authorities want to provide to guides in remote areas.

But the key point is, which Kush sentry would dare to accept this benefit?

A sentry, eating the guide's candy supplies—doesn't he have any shame?!

If Captain Ilya finds out, he'll break all four of his and Eagle's legs!

Besides, its eagle has a terrible temper. It usually teases cats and tigers, and blows away other people's spirits. What if it attacks the guide if things go wrong?

"Don't move, you stinky bird!"

The sentry shouted the order, as if an honest and upright official had been inexplicably thrown a room full of gold and was loudly proclaiming his innocence.

But for some reason, the eagle did not obey its master's command. It looked at Jiang Wenxing indifferently, then suddenly flapped its wings, glided down from the persimmon tree, and perched on the arm of the pale-skinned, cold-looking guide.

Jiang Wenxing made a shushing gesture to the sentry, holding candy in one hand and grabbing an eagle in the other.

The moment the guide seized the eagle, he gripped its neck and claws, as if lifting a domestic goose—a move requiring composure, precision, and ruthlessness. Both the sentry and the spirit were caught off guard, momentarily stunned. Just as the sentry was about to unleash a torrent of curses, the guide's spiritual energy, like warm water, swiftly washed over the eagle's feathers, now stained with spiritual filth.

The once fierce and aloof eagle instantly froze like a chicken. After a moment, its face became dazed, and it nuzzled Jiang Wenxing's fingers with its beak. The eagle then lay in Jiang Wenxing's arms, revealing the fine feathers on its belly.

Sentry: "..."

Jiang Wenxing stroked the eagle's wings, let go, and put away the bait. His eyes were dark and bright, clear as snow: "Your mental state is not good. You shouldn't let it fly in the sky anymore. It's easy for it to fall. You should have felt it. It's in a lot of pain."

The sentry blushed, his face flushed, eyes wide, groaning and scratching his head.

A dignified, five-foot-tall, and indomitable man was rendered speechless and embarrassed by a greenhorn who had just entered the army. He wanted to treat his eagle well, but there was nothing he could do. There was no guide, no good medical care, and the patrol duties were heavy, so he could only let his eagle endure the hardship.

You get used to these hopeless, hopeless days.

Even if he were to fall and get injured one day, there would be no other way; he had already prepared himself for it.

With so many border guards coming, who would be willing to waste their energy guiding the sentries? Even if there were, it would be Director Liu who had to coerce and beg, only the older, helpless ones could be put in charge, not the young soldiers.

The best fate for Kush's sentries is probably to perish together with the enemy before succumbing to a mental nightmare.

The sentry's eyes were red and his face was cold. He was carrying his luggage and couldn't speak for a long time. The word "thank you" was stuck in his throat and he hadn't been able to utter it.

The pale-skinned, aloof guide with a scholarly air coughed twice, covering his mouth, and said to him, "But don't be afraid, we're here."

Behind the truck not far away, Director Liu, who had been quietly observing, looked up, sniffed, turned around, and punched Ilya in the chest hard: "You must keep this first place in the province for me."

Author's Note: