Ni Ji supported Tan Shu's drooping head and laid him flat, ensuring that he could sleep longer.
Then he washed the cup with the added substance in the sink.
He completed all of this skillfully, with a calm expression, without even the slightest emotional fluctuation.
Tan Shu thought he was still the sentry in the school, arrogant and simple.
But in fact, during these years at the Northern Outpost, he grew faster and changed more than anyone else.
Things that I was not good at or could not do before, I can now do them with ease.
Ni Ji settled Tan Shu, who was knocked down by the medicine he had given him, observed the environment, walked out and locked the door of the lounge.
He took off his coat, shirt, and boots, folded them, and put them in the closet.
Wearing only a tight black tank top and tight trousers, he put on a pair of black gloves, bit a thin dagger in his mouth, and finally wrapped his hair with a dark towel and tied it tightly behind his head.
After tidying up everything, he looked up at the roof of the tea room, reached out to remove the shutters of the vent, exerted force with his fingers, and like a swimming fish, he dived into the ventilation duct on the roof.
The Earl's Palace was very magnificent, even the ventilation ducts were built very wide.
Even a tall sentinel like Ni Ji had no difficulty crawling inside. The difficult part was not making even the slightest sound along the way.
There are countless sentries walking around in this mansion at this moment.
Sentinels are creatures with acute five senses.
Fortunately, the noisy banquet that had already begun provided a good cover for his actions.
Ni Ji concentrated his strength on his fingertips and toes, and crawled silently in the dim pipe as lightly as a cat.
He released his perception to the maximum extent, almost covering most of the mansion.
He knew it was dangerous, as such voyeurism could easily touch someone's nerves and be discovered.
So you have to go all out, be extremely meticulous and careful, find out everything in advance, and avoid the areas where the strongest sentinels are located in advance.
The overload of perception made his head ache.
Every step is like walking on a knife's edge.
But it doesn’t matter, Ni Ji licked her lips, only then did she feel alive.
In his mind, he had a picture of the architectural design of the Earl's mansion firmly in mind.
That was the map he had worked so hard to find and memorized and engraved in his mind before coming here.
Now, that picture overlapped and verified his outward-expanding perception, allowing him to quickly find his goal.
At this moment, he was a hunter in the deep sea, and after lurking for a long time with a hungry stomach, he finally smelled the scent of prey.
Then it swam out from the abyss and quietly pounced on its prey in the darkness.
Along the way, Ni Ji heard many voices and felt many people walking under his feet.
He moved very carefully.
But he was also very surprised. After walking for such a long time, he inevitably passed carefully over the heads of those sentries, but he did not detect any fluctuations in mental alertness.
The sentinels guarding the imperial capital, dressed in gorgeous and neat clothes and receiving high salaries, were drinking and talking loudly under the lights.
Indulging in the excitement brought by alcohol and spices, shouting some meaningless words.
Almost no one has the vigilance that a warrior should have.
They are far inferior to the soldiers I have led.
The capital of the empire is a prosperous holy land in the hearts of border sentinels. Almost all border sentinels living in the bitter cold have longed for this place in their dreams.
But they don't know that there is only a layer of colorful shell left here, and the inside is rotten.
From an inconspicuous room, there was the sound of a small conversation.
Ni Ji's forward movement paused.
He listened carefully.
"Why did you give me a green dress?" It was probably a non-commissioned officer serving in the Earl's Palace, and he was complaining to his wife.
"Don't you know that the Count is also wearing a green dress tonight? My God, I never thought I would have such an embarrassing moment."
"How should I know?" his wife whispered, and in order not to embarrass herself in front of her friends, she reached out and pulled her husband's clothes.
Ni Ji heard the faint sounds of clothes being pulled and hands being thrown away.
The friend next to my wife got up and left, and before closing the door he said, "Yunyun, I'll wait for you outside."
Just a few words, spoken in a calm and cold voice, were like a thunderbolt that exploded in Ni Ji's mind.
Is it her?
Is she here too?
As soon as I heard the sound of the words, the person's appearance appeared clearly in my mind.
The person with a fair face and a cold look pushed through the crowd, stepped onto the platform, and stood in front of him.
From the closed room, the sentry's constant complaints could still be heard.
"I told you to have less contact with her."
“That’s not a serious guide.”
"The Jiang family broke off the engagement."
"I don't want my wife to become that kind of person."
…
But Ni Ji was not in the mood to listen anymore. He couldn't help but follow the person who was walking slowly outside the house.
She picked up a glass of water.
She walked to the pond.
She sat by the water and looked at the water lilies.
Because I smelled a faint floral scent.
She lifted the cup and took a sip.
I heard the sound of swallowing in the throat.
Ni Ji felt a strange tingling sensation somewhere on her face.
He remembered how it felt to have his chin pinched by those white fingers and to be forced to lift his face.
The man's movements were ferocious, but what he was fed was a cup of warm, pure water, without truth serum or any other mess.
That bit of sweet water flowed into his thirsty body, lifted him up from the brink of mental collapse, and gave him the strength to fight again.
She's a bit like a graceful paladin on the battlefield.
Before a duel, the opponent will be given respect and fairness.
In that deep sea of spiritual power, what she wanted was a hearty confrontation, and she disdained to use despicable means to defeat her opponent.
That is a rare kind of bearing that only the truly strong ones on the battlefield possess.
The arrogance that belongs to the truly strong.
But she is just a weak guide.
Ni Ji shook his head, refocused his attention, and continued moving towards his set goal.
Perhaps he himself did not even notice that, on that journey where he was ready to die at any time, on the seabed covered by blood and deep hatred, a small pure white pearl was quietly formed.
Pure and white, it lies quietly in the soft clam shell, emitting a faint glow.
***
There is a large fish tank in the bedroom of Earl James. The Earl stands in front of the fish tank and feeds the precious species he has collected in the fish tank.
The banquet outside was in full swing, and my wife went out early to attend the social event.
James is not interested in endless parties. His hobby is collecting, and he likes to collect things that are strange and shiny.
Those who live at the top of the White Tower all have some strange interests.
After all, the living space is too small and too oppressive, while the power and wealth in their hands are too great.
"Thank you, White Tower. Thank you, Her Majesty."
James recited a prayer, picked up a pale severed limb from the plate, and threw it into the fish tank.
At the bottom of the fish tank, energy stones of various sizes and shapes are piled up, emitting a five-colored glow, illuminating the creatures floating in the water.
Those things that are worth so much money that they can even drive airships are just decorative fish tank stones in his bedroom.
A strange creature with a human face and a fish body swam up, its eyes red, and it gnashed its teeth as it ate the piece of meat that was thrown into the fish tank.
It was a mutant, caught from pollution. It might have been a human once, but now it was hard to tell what it was.
The places where the limbs may have been originally grown have been artificially cut off, leaving only the trunk and tail. The scales on the tail are colorful and glowing, revealing a kind of weird beauty.
James particularly liked this fish. He remembered that it took a lot of effort to get it. Perhaps many sentinels who went deep into the contaminated area died.
But it's all worth it, after all, it's so beautiful and makes me feel happy.
James leaned close to the fish tank and watched the fish eat with a look of pain and despair like a human.
I wonder if this monster still has any memories of its time as a human?
I've never heard its sound before, he thought with a smile.
A figure was faintly reflected in the glass of the fish tank.
The man appeared almost suddenly, his cold eyes reflected among the water plants and beautiful stones, like a ghost suddenly appearing in the water.
James turned around in shock and subconsciously released his spiritual body.
His spirit form is a caiman, with reinforced armor, fangs with a strong bite, and amazing short-term explosive power.
As soon as the crocodile appeared, it grew huge and opened its bloody mouth to bite the invader.
Seeing the crocodile being caught, the count felt that he was not too panicked.
Although he has been pampered for many years, he is still an A-rank high-level sentinel. He has a powerful spirit body that can change its body shape at will.
Besides, he didn't seek to defeat the invaders, he just needed to hold them off for a short moment.
It only took a short gap for him to press the alarm under the table.
His spirit body would also swell to a gigantic size in a short period of time, and the rolling and fighting would crush the furniture and destroy the door, which would definitely attract a large number of guards outside the door.
The Count began to calm down, and he looked coldly at the man who had invaded his bedroom. He felt extremely angry in his heart.
The man was wearing a black tank top, a turban on his head, and holding a short knife in his mouth. He quietly sneaked into his bedroom like a ghost and broke into his most private territory.
This crime is simply unforgivable.
He would make the intruder pay the price, just wait until the next moment when the guards rushed in.
等抓到了他，就砍斷他的手臂和雙腿，不讓他死去，一點一點細致地折磨他，讓他明白自己犯下了多麽不可饒恕的罪。
詹姆斯看見自己的鱷魚張開巨大的嘴，已經擋住了那個沖過來的哨兵，鋒利的尖牙下一刻就會把他的雙腿咬斷，如果他不後退的話。
但是。簡直令人不可置信。
那入侵的刺客竟然沒有退。
他非但沒退，雙眼還燃起了紫色的熒光，像從地域裏燒起來的冥火。
那紫色的螢火不管不顧地前沖，呼吸之間就逼近到眼前。
塵埃落定時候，冰冷的紫眸居高臨下地凝視。那把冰冷的刀已經抵在伯爵帶着精美項鏈的脖頸上。
一切都發生在電光火石之間。
伯爵後知後覺地察覺到自己的鱷魚咬到了什麽東西，牙齒深深嵌入血肉骨頭的感覺明明那麽清晰。
他茫然看去，發現自己的精神體咬住的是一條虎鯨。
人在危機到生命的時候，都會下意識地趨利避害。
眼前的這男人，這個擁有虎鯨作為精神體的哨兵，他在面對致命的危機時，連哪怕一個呼吸的瞬間都沒有停滞。
只是把自己的精神體召喚出來，肉盾似地塞進了巨鱷閘刀一樣的大嘴中。
精神體受到的創傷，一樣會給本體帶來極大的痛苦，會嚴重影響到哨兵本人的行動。
虎鯨的尾部在巨大的咬合力下，露出白色的魚骨。
但他的本體，那個哨兵，卻穩穩地站着，尖刀抵住伯爵的脖子。
能量石的微光映着他冰冷的雙眸，沒有看見一絲痛苦的波動。
這是一個瘋子。
詹姆斯的額頭上流下真正的冷汗。那已經幾乎觸碰到按鈕的手指，只好慢慢地收了回來。
只差了零點幾毫米的距離。他就可以按到報警器。
到現在他甚至還沒有回過神來。他幾乎不敢相信，自己這樣的高階哨兵，竟然會敗落在一個照面之間。
雖然他也知道，自己的級別是靠着家族用各種昂貴的基因藥物強推出來的。也很少有真正的戰場經驗。
但在往日那些表演性質的演練場上，他一直都能輕松打敗身邊的護衛，A級哨兵的資質亮堂堂地挂在身上。理所當然地享受着身邊簇擁者們低三下四的恭維。
他一直以為，自己也算是一個強者。
“你，有什麽需求……”伯爵低下頭顱，想要談判，想要争取時間。
畢竟他手握如此巨大的財富，應該沒有買不下來的東西，包括自己的性命。
不算什麽大事。
能夠轉危為安的。
“我從35號污染區回來。”眼前的哨兵只說了這麽一句話。
35號污染區？那個活着蟲玉的地方？
這個念頭剛剛晃過的時候，冰冷的刀刃已經切開他喉嚨的肌膚。
毫無猶疑，不容置疑，奪取性命。
沒有留給他任何讨價還價的餘地。
詹姆斯想喊，他喊不出聲。
薄薄的刀刃，精準割斷了他的聲帶和氣管。
他捂住脖子，一臉的不可置信，慢慢地跪了下來，
大量的血液從被切開的氣管流入肺部。
他嘗到了一種溺水般的極端痛苦。
痛苦得令人想死，卻還一時間死不掉。
從不把他人性命放在眼中的伯爵大人爬在地上，一手捂住流血的脖子，一手伸向前，扭曲着表情發出細小的喉音，祈求眼前的刺客饒他一命。
在死亡的面前，尊貴的伯爵褪下了他身為貴族的光環，和任何一個普通人沒什麽區別。
一樣的驚恐，一樣的脆弱，一樣畏懼着死亡，渴望活下去。
倪霁蹲下身，看着血泊中的人，把一張白紙擺在他的面前。
“我知道你們不止一個人，把其它人的名字寫出來。或許你還來得及進治療艙。”
他的語氣很平靜，仿佛浮在血海上的一根稻草，讓瀕死之人忍不住想要伸手去抓。
詹姆斯捂着脖子，流着眼淚，流着鼻涕，拼命搖頭。
他想說別這樣，那都是些大人物，哪怕是我都惹不起，不是你這樣一個單槍匹馬的哨兵能搞定的，
然而他說不出聲音來。
那死神一樣的哨兵不想聽他說話，只蹲在他面前，等着他去夠那根唯一的稻草。
瀕臨死亡的伯爵只好伸出手，顫抖着手指沾了血，寫下一排的名字。
他看見那個哨兵拿起那張血紅的名字，在半空中抖了一下，認認真真把那些血紅的名字看了一遍。
最終，在他渴求的目光裏，那個兇徒雙目重新燃起了紫色的熒光。
***
倪霁覺得自己把現場弄得有點糟，但他也沒有別的辦法，他必須砸了那個貴族的腦子，以防有人再一次看見屍體腦中的記憶。
他坐在濺滿血污的豪華卧室裏，就着魚缸裏能量石的光，打開詹姆斯手臂上的個人終端。
最可笑的是，這具屍體上戴着的個人終端，總控着伯爵府內的所有電子設備。
用他的虹膜和指紋打開之後，再加上一點點的技術，就可以輕易抹去一切兇手想要清除的安保記錄。
人類的科技倒退了數千年，生産力嚴重斷層。哪怕勉強用舊日遺骸裏搜尋出來的産品充充門面，也終究是一些東拼西湊的虛假架子。真正想要破壞起來，非常容易。
特別是對一個出身于哨兵學院，又混跡污染區多年的高材生來說。
倪霁仔細清除了一切，确定沒有留下任何個人信息之後，站起身來。
“我看見了。”一個聲音在魚缸裏響起。
倪霁轉過頭，看見魚缸裏游動着的那只怪魚。
“我，看見一切，殺了。”
“很好。我很高興。”
那只沒有人形的生物，說出不太連貫的，斷斷續續的人類語言。
“殺了我。”
“我不想活了。”
“替我結束一切”
“否則我看見了。”
到了最後，他說不出別的話語了，只翻來覆去地說他不想活了。
倪霁隔着玻璃，盯着他看了一會，那個生物的眼睛很像人類，充滿着血絲，布滿了痛苦的神色。
“沒事，不用害怕，我的手很快。”他的語氣很淡，冰冷中透着一點溫柔，把手浸入了五彩的魚缸。
回去的時候，倪霁特意換了一條線路，繞了很多圈子。
将來，哪怕有人搜尋到通風管道，也不可能從四通八達的管道留下的痕跡裏，判斷他的出入口。
他沿着冰涼的密閉管道向前爬動。
虎鯨的尾巴受了重創，過度使用感知帶來腦海深處一陣陣的抽痛。讓他身體裏翻江倒海的難受。
但這些都不算什麽，至少完成了第一步。
昏暗的通風管道內滿是塵土，有一點點從那些通風口內透上來的光。
在這狹窄的空間裏，傳上來喧鬧的交談和調笑聲，充斥着各種各樣對哨兵來說，格外刺鼻的酒精味。
倪霁沉默着，維持着不發出任何聲音的輕盈，安靜地向前爬行。
突然間，就在他眼前不遠。灰黑的管道裏，冒出了一截小小的觸手。
那小小的一段觸手尖尖，像探索未知環境的好奇生物。
它冒出來之後，在空氣裏張了張大大小小的吸盤，扭動身軀開始四處摸索。
倪霁一瞬間僵住了。
大部分時候，哨兵和向導都不會在人群中随意放出自己精神體的實體。
他不知道那位向導的精神體為什麽會突然出現在這裏，出現在這樣莫名其妙的隐蔽地方。
他只知道，那個人就在附近。
也許她現在就坐在下面，捧着一杯水，露出她那副百無聊賴的表情。
倪霁一動也不敢動了。
不能讓她知道，也不想讓她發現這一切。
他盯着黑暗中，那條還沒有發現自己的小小觸手。
他知道向導和哨兵是不同的，向導們沒有哨兵那麽敏銳的五感。他們不能捕捉到細微的聲音、氣味和遠處的動靜。
向導的強大之處，是在于精神層面。
譬如眼前的這些觸手，它們沒有眼睛，看不見自己。它們能捕捉到的是來至生物情緒上的細微波動。
只要我能控制住情緒，不産生任何情緒上的外洩，就不會被它們發現。倪霁想。
在沒被本體看到的時候，它們是發現不了自己的。
保持安靜。
精神上的安靜。
我可以做到的。
他府下身體，讓自己像是通風管道中的一塊石頭，一片鐵塊，一個毫無生機和情感的物件，一動不動。
精神海守護着海底深處的那片花園。海面上湧動的波濤慢慢地緩和下來，漸漸結起一層浮冰。冰層封住了整片海洋。
海洋沉默，寂靜，不再有一絲波瀾。
小小的觸手伸出在通風管道裏，開始左摸摸，右摸摸，四處探索。
這裏沒有發現情緒，也就沒有活着的東西，在它只有簡單意識的大腦裏，這種地方可以肆意亂來，本體是不會生氣的。
它摸到了一個奇怪的物體。
觸手拱了起來，扭成一個問號的形狀。
它覺得有些奇怪。
明明這裏沒有感覺到任何情緒的波動，是一個死物。為什麽會帶給它一種熟悉的感覺呢？
As long as it is a living creature, it has emotions, it will feel pain and happiness. It has never encountered anything that can block its emotions.
Another companion came out of the pipe, and the two tentacles touched each other, exchanged ideas, and decided to explore the "thing" in front of them.