After settling Yu Yan, You Fuzhou didn’t head back to his room to sleep. Instead, he freshened up, changed into clean clothes, and brought his spiritual body to the simulation training room aboard the warship.
He had no intention of training so late at night. Instead, he conjured up a vast expanse of grassland and patted the white lion lounging at his side. “Go on, run around a bit.”
But the white lion, who normally loved this sort of thing more than anything, just sprawled out on the ground. It swished its tail in clear refusal.
You Fuzhou felt a twinge of helplessness. “You’re just banking on the fact that spiritual bodies don’t get fat, aren’t you?”
The white lion grew even more irritated, whipping its tail hard enough to smack against You Fuzhou’s leg.
You Fuzhou knew exactly what it meant.
A spiritual body was a manifestation of a sentinel or guide’s psyche, and the white lion’s current state was a glaring sign that You Fuzhou’s own mental condition was in dire straits.
He stroked its fur, which had already grown coarse and rough, and let out a silent breath. Then he simply sat down, leaning back against his spiritual body.
The serene grassland couldn’t ease the turmoil in his heart. The moment he had a scrap of downtime, his mind flooded with a jumble of chaotic thoughts and emotions teetering on the edge of self-destruction.
Guilt. Agony…
If it were possible, he’d trade his life for Rong Yao’s in a heartbeat.
But it wasn’t. Life didn’t work that way—no such bargains on offer. No time machine to rewind and fix the past.
The white lion flicked its tail in agitation and raised its coiled head, staring off in a particular direction.
You Fuzhou didn’t budge. He just patted one of its paws. “We can’t go see her.”
The white lion’s tail lashed against him again, a low growl rumbling from its throat.
A spiritual body embodied a sentinel or guide’s innermost will, so You Fuzhou was really just torturing himself in a loop of conflict and contradiction. His face might look utterly calm and composed, edged with a chilling sharpness that could slice through anything, but at his core, he was nothing more than a pathetic soul who hid away, swallowing every emotion to deal with it alone.
You Fuzhou murmured lowly, “Even in her coma, our bond lets her sense my mental fluctuations. She’d feel you… feel how bad off we are right now. It’d only cause her pain.”
The white lion let out a pitiful whine and nudged its head against You Fuzhou’s side.
He reached over to stroke its head, only for the white lion to rumble another low growl.
“No.”
You Fuzhou said softly, “With how Yu Yan sees things right now, he’d nod along to whatever I said… but that wouldn’t be his real choice. It’d betray her ideals. And it’s way too risky. If she found out, even after waking up, she’d never forgive herself.”
Rong Yao was too kind—that’s why she’d been hurt so many times.
This world had no room for someone like her.
That’s why You Fuzhou wanted to tear it all down, reshape it so people like Rong Yao could thrive without fear, so tragedies like Yu Yan’s would never repeat.
Everyone… deserved to be free.
Yet a sliver of hesitation lingered in his heart.
When they’d first heard about the auction featuring Yu Yan, Ye Songhua had lit up with excitement. “Fuzhou-ge! If he enters Rong-jie’s spiritual world, he might be able to wake her up!”
You Fuzhou had frowned back then. “No way—it’s too dangerous. You barely made it out alive last time.”
“I’m only A-Class. Yu Yan’s S-Class! It’s not just one rank apart; it’s worlds different… He could be our hope to save Rong-jie!”
Ye Songhua had gazed at him pleadingly. “Fuzhou-ge, worst case, just ask if he’s willing. If not, we drop it. No forcing him.”
You Fuzhou had pinched the bridge of his nose. “You already told him we hoped for some help when you rescued him. If you were in his shoes, would you say yes?”
Even knowing the risks, he’d have agreed.
But the dangers of Rong Yao’s spiritual world were unknown. Ye Songhua had nearly died trying. How could You Fuzhou let anyone else gamble with their life?
In the end, they’d let it go unresolved, but her words had burrowed deep into his mind.
He wanted to save Rong Yao. God, he wanted her awake, chatting with him like old times—teasing him with that sly glint, sending him on errands, sharing the little details of her day…
You Fuzhou’s mental fluctuations spiked sharply, broadcasting a hazard warning.
Yu Yan, just settling into bed, frowned and zeroed in on the source. Less than half a second later, he made up his mind and headed over.
The warship had patrols on duty, so when they spotted Yu Yan, one of them asked, “Mr. Yu? Everything alright?”
“I can sense Mr. You’s mental state isn’t stable.”
Dressed in You Fuzhou’s clothes, Yu Yan shed any hint of the vulnerability he’d shown in the cage. He looked every inch the sentinel now—tall, commanding. His voice was deep rather than soft, though he softened the cadence just enough to sound approachable. “Mind if I check on him?”
The guards traded glances. One hissed softly, “Boss is off again…”
Another eyed Yu Yan. “Boss isn’t big on guides doing spiritual guidance—he’s got a real hang-up about it. But if you can help him out, we’d be over the moon. Seriously grateful.”
He stepped aside. “I’ll walk you there.”
It was mostly to protect Yu Yan—sentinels on the edge could turn aggressively feral.
By the time Yu Yan reached the door with them, You Fuzhou’s turbulent mental state had mysteriously steadied. A quiet peace bloomed unbidden in his chest. His spiritual world, a perpetual warzone scarred by endless barrages and devoid of any calm, now held something impossible: a tiny wildflower unfurling in the desolation.
Yet You Fuzhou didn’t linger on it. He furrowed his brow and rose to his feet. The white lion behind him shook out its fur and stood too, a colossal, intimidating shadow glaring at the door.
A knock came, followed by a sentinel’s voice. “Boss? You good in there?”
You Fuzhou killed the simulation and swung the door open. Surprise flickered across his face at the sight of Yu Yan. “…What are you doing here?”
Yu Yan’s eyes seemed alive with expression.
You Fuzhou thought they held volumes, striking and beautiful.
Just like that gem Rong Yao had adored.
They’d been too broke back then—way out of his price range, even pooling allowance and grants. He couldn’t exactly tell his father it was for her, so he’d never bought it as her birthday gift.
Yu Yan spoke quietly. “I felt your mental fluctuations acting up…”
You Fuzhou realized he’d let nostalgic memories surface right in front of him, and his frown deepened. “You’re projecting mental energy to calm me.”
Too sharp.
Yu Yan ducked his head, looking contrite. “Sorry.”
“…It’s not that.”
You Fuzhou caught how sharp he’d sounded and eased up. “I’m not mad at you. You don’t have to do this.”
Yu Yan glanced up, puzzled. “Why not?”
“If physical contact bothers you, we can skip it,” he explained. “I can still perform spiritual guidance without touching.”
S-Class was on another level…
You Fuzhou stared at Yu Yan, words failing him.
Good intentions aside, he sighed and shot a glare at the gawking sentinels. “Not getting back to your posts? Hoping for a pay cut tomorrow?”
“Right, outta here.”
The chattier sentinel shoved his buddy along. “Hang in there, boss! Wait, no—go get him, Mr. Yu! Seal the deal tonight!”
You Fuzhou: “?”
He fished a paper cutter from his pocket and lobbed it at the guy’s head.
No real force behind it, leisurely speed—it was caught easily.
Blank-faced, You Fuzhou said, “You lot are getting bold.”
The sentinel grinned and scampered off.
You Fuzhou turned back to Yu Yan. “Come on, I’ll walk you back.”
Yu Yan didn’t stir. “Your mental state is rough.”
He eyed the white lion behind You Fuzhou, which seemed oddly restless. “It’s in bad shape too. Keep this up, and it’ll die.”
You Fuzhou went still for two beats. The white lion’s tail lashed, lunging toward Yu Yan—
He snagged it mid-swing without turning.
The tail went limp in his grip, the white lion giving Yu Yan a pathetic little wag.
Yu Yan nearly cracked, one eyebrow twitching upward.
Spiritual bodies mirrored the deepest psyche of sentinels and guides… The white lion hadn’t radiated hostility, so… You Fuzhou secretly wanted this, even if his words said otherwise.
Yu Yan couldn’t fathom the drama. Were all twenty-year-olds this dramatic?
He barely recalled his own time at that age—fleeing hunters while building his strength.
Straight to the point, Yu Yan asked, “What’s eating at you?”
You Fuzhou wasn’t even sure why Yu Yan tied him in knots. Other guides? Easy to shut down. But here… “I don’t know how to put it…”
He hesitated, then spilled it. “It’s not straightforward. Not just from skipping guidance too long—there’s trauma involved. I don’t like guides touching me… Not prejudice, just… reasons.”
You Fuzhou’s triggers ran deep.
He dreaded guide contact, especially from high-rankers. Feared the subtle hypnosis, the loss of control, and whatever came after…
You Fuzhou’s mental fluctuations faltered for an instant once more. Yu Yan’s mental power was no longer faint; instead, it was precisely calibrated, like a comb gently teasing apart that stubborn knot.
You Fuzhou steadied himself and murmured, “Sorry.”
But… Yu Yan’s mental power was truly formidable.
“Then no touching.”
Yu Yan intensified his mental power just a touch. “See? Nothing’s wrong, right?”
The nerves You Fuzhou had kept taut for so long finally eased a fraction. His hand unclenched from the White Lion’s tail of its own accord.
The White Lion flicked its tail and swayed cautiously before Yu Yan.
Yu Yan let out a soft chuckle, though his question was directed at You Fuzhou. “May I touch it? Its condition is truly dire… It needs me.”
You Fuzhou felt as if one foot had already sunk into a warm, inescapable mire. He glanced back at the White Lion. It let out a low growl, growing visibly more restless. With a casual shake, fur flew everywhere.
Its condition really was awful.
“…If you’re not scared.”
You Fuzhou felt like a utter failure, undone so easily. “But be careful. I’m not sure I won’t lash out at you.”
Yu Yan’s eyes curved in a smile as he stepped closer to You Fuzhou—and into the room. “Don’t let my status as a Guide fool you. I’m no slouch in a fight.”
At those words, You Fuzhou instinctively scanned Yu Yan’s frame.
He could tell it had been honed by training… So how had he been captured? And how had he formed such notions?
Yu Yan’s mental power was stroking away all the tension in You Fuzhou’s mind, leaving not a trace of aggression. Sentinels could sense that clearly, especially one as scarred as You Fuzhou. He felt Yu Yan’s pure goodwill, knew there was no malice—and experienced no fear or tension as a result. Even Ye Songhua, confronted by You Fuzhou’s terrifying Spiritual Oppression, had shown an instinctive, irrepressible flicker of dread. That only wound his already frayed nerves tighter, fueling rejection.
Yet Yu Yan offered something different. Though You Fuzhou couldn’t pinpoint the mental power itself, he sensed it through another channel—a mystical emotional intuition beyond words.
It drew him in effortlessly, making it impossible to extricate himself. His thoughts grew hazy, rational judgment slipping away.
Thus, in that moment, You Fuzhou failed to notice how utterly Yu Yan had transformed from the man he’d met half an hour prior.
It had been ages since he’d received any guidance from a Guide—even shallow-layer. The soothing flow now was in a league apart from Ye Songhua’s attempts at Shallow Guidance. Yu Yan’s mental power was simply too potent.
Yu Yan reached out and touched the White Lion.
The touch was soft. The body heat, scorching. Yu Yan smiled gently, and the White Lion tilted its head, nuzzling the beautiful figure before it with exquisite care.
As Yu Yan emanated his mental power, the White Lion shivered, then blissfully lowered its head. It sprawled out, inviting pets and strokes along its fur and crown.
Spiritual Bodies were far more honest than their owners, Yu Yan mused.
Raising a young White Lion to this state took real talent—You Fuzhou’s doing, no doubt.
Yu Yan’s gaze swept over the White Lion’s dull coat. The brittle, lackluster strands fluffed up and gleamed smooth in an instant. So comforted, the White Lion swished its tail.
Yu Yan paused.
He glanced at the tail now coiled around his waist and laughed softly, turning to You Fuzhou—who leaned against the wall, eyes closed in feigned repose.
Whatever words had been on his tongue died unspoken.
He could sense it: this Sentinel hadn’t enjoyed a sound sleep in ages, perhaps not at all for far too long.
If he was going to claim You Fuzhou, then of course he’d nourish him back to health.
Silently, Yu Yan released more mental power. The White Lion stirred, shifting closer until its massive head pressed against him. The vibrant scarf—restored by Yu Yan’s touch—threatened to engulf him entirely in its fluffy mass.
Yu Yan smiled and pressed a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture to the White Lion, signaling silence toward its owner. Then he amplified his mental power further.
Guides could commune directly with their Spiritual Bodies. Sentinels could not; they managed only vague telepathic nudges.
You Fuzhou’s inner self proved woefully immature, swiftly betraying him to this sly, slightly older Guide. It rubbed against him, purred throatily—short of rolling belly-up in utter surrender.
Yu Yan’s hand stilled on its head. Unobtrusively, he frowned.
You Fuzhou… had known a Guide before?
He’d brushed against deeper layers and sensed it: prior Deep Guidance.
Yu Yan eyed You Fuzhou.
Had some past Guide gone awry, leaving him like this?
He felt no taint on You Fuzhou—just a stifled regret at not having found and secured him sooner.
When You Fuzhou’s eyes fluttered open, four hours had slipped by.
It took him two seconds to register that he’d napped standing, deeply at ease. “…”
Silently, he smacked his forehead.
It made him look so spineless.
But truly—not as an excuse, but because Yu Yan was exceptional.
An S-Class Guide… You Fuzhou had seen it for himself.
In that instant, it wasn’t mere logic or Yu Yan’s looks convincing him the exorbitant price was justified. No, it was heartfelt awe.
He still rejected the auction itself, but S-Class prowess was undeniable.
A far cry from A-Class.
Indescribable…
You Fuzhou hadn’t felt this liberated in ages upon ages.
The world even seemed brighter somehow (?).
Drawing a deep breath, he met the gaze of Yu Yan, who watched him steadily.
The White Lion’s tail had uncoiled from Yu Yan, so You Fuzhou remained oblivious to his inner self’s exposures—exposures he himself hadn’t even fathomed.
“Thank you.”
You Fuzhou spoke with gravity. “You’re incredible.”
Yu Yan hesitated. “…”
He ducked his head with a soft laugh, his posture pitch-perfect to veil his feelings as bashful modesty. “It’s my duty, after all.”
“No.”
You Fuzhou grew earnest. “Even as a Guide, you can refuse Spiritual Guidance if you wish. You needn’t accept every request. You choose whom to guide.”
Guides differed from doctors. High-rank or not, Spiritual Guidance drained their own essence.
Guide was merely an identity, not a profession—no inherent “duty.” Women were women, men were men. No woman was duty-bound to bear children; no man to rule a household.
Just an identity.
So You Fuzhou believed. He rejected forcing Sentinels into the military as mere fodder in power struggles, or Guides into endless guidance… especially outside wartime.
Bluntly put, the powerful ignited those wars. Pawns like them bore the sacrifices, bereft of choice.
Yu Yan gazed at him, stunned—his persona rendered flawlessly. “But… that’s my value.”
You Fuzhou sighed softly. “…Your value runs far deeper.”
Yu Yan feigned incomprehension.
You Fuzhou shook his head. “It’s nothing.”
Silence stretched a few seconds. Perhaps the guidance’s bliss loosened his tongue; You Fuzhou couldn’t hold back. “Could I… ask a favor?”
Precisely the outcome Yu Yan had coaxed with his mental power. Unfazed, he prompted, “What is it?”
You Fuzhou hesitated, reluctant. “You can say no… I’d like you to check on my sister.”
Yu Yan blinked inwardly. “…?”
No records mentioned a sister.
You Fuzhou’s eyes lowered faintly. “She suffered… something. As my blood sister, she was once my Guide. She’s been comatose for three years.”
Blood kin required no physical link for Deep Guidance—their Spiritual Worlds intertwined naturally.
Three years.
Three years since Ares Planet branded You Fuzhou a traitor, wanted for defection and stolen secrets…
Should records err, and this S-Class Sentinel truly have a blood sister? She’d be A-Class at minimum.
What fate befell an A-Class female Guide—one fertile, no less? Yu Yan could surmise.
Thus, he swallowed his planned words: I can save her, if you submit to my guidance.
“…All right.”
In that moment, Yu Yan regretted his facade. He could have pledged openly; You Fuzhou might have solicited his terms outright.
A blunder.
Yet You Fuzhou was truly exceptional…
Yu Yan regarded him intently.
He was falling in love.
