Xiang Ye went to the kitchen to fry the eggs, while Ying Li took out his Communication Terminal, planning to buy a few things.
First, he ordered a full set of folding cookware and a miniature stove powered by Mutant Beast Crystal Cores, intending to take them on their next trip out of the city. The makeshift pot he’d rigged up was just too inconvenient, and making a fire to cook was far too much trouble. He would, of course, also buy seasonings, but just the basics. Too many seasonings would overpower the natural flavor of the Mutant Beast meat.
He also needed to buy some other ingredients. He and Xiang Ye couldn’t survive on just Mutant Beast meat; they needed other things too.
Following his old habits, when purchasing ingredients, Ying Li would normally add some standard meat. Even just a little, he’d buy it—after all, compared to Nutrient Paste, meat from the Ecological Zone was still tasty. But after having eaten Mutant Beast meat, he felt no need to buy it anymore. That standard meat was both expensive and unpalatable.
Ying Li’s shopping was quick, and he was done in no time.
By then, Xiang Ye had finished cooking. Scrambled eggs, steamed egg custard, egg drop soup, and a large plate of Nutrient Paste wrapped in a thin layer of fried egg.
“You made all this so quickly?” Ying Li was a bit surprised.
“Now that I’m a Guide, I can use my Mental Power to help!” Xiang Ye said. When they were in the wild, seeing Ying Li use his Mental Power to help roast meat, he’d tried to learn. It definitely worked. With Mental Power assisting, his cooking speed had increased dramatically.
Ying Li smiled and praised him a few more times. Then his Communication Terminal chimed. He opened it to find a message from his teacher, asking if he was awake.
Ying Li immediately replied that he was and said he’d visit his teacher that evening.
After responding, Ying Li said to Xiang Ye, “Xiang Ye, let’s set aside a small plate of the egg-wrapped Nutrient Paste. I’ll take it to my teacher tonight.” Giving something like scrambled eggs to Teacher Yan might make him suspicious. The egg-wrapped Nutrient paste was fine; it used very little egg and, thanks to the Nutrient Paste, didn’t taste that good anyway.
Xiang Ye agreed, setting some aside, and then they both ate the rest of the meal.
Just as they finished, the doorbell rang. Ying Li got up and saw it was his teacher. He quickly opened the door. “Teacher Yan, what brings you here?”
“How could I not come? Look at what you’ve been doing!” Teacher Yan was somewhat angry.
Ying Li had already messaged him about Xiang Ye awakening as a Guide. Back then, he hadn’t said much, only reminding Ying Li not to choose a Guide lightly. Privately, he thought Xiang Ye’s rank was too low. Establishing a Mental Bond between a Sentinel and Guide was already hard, but with a large rank gap, it was even harder. Best for Ying Li to find a C-rank Guide.
Teacher Yan hadn’t dwelled on it, but a few days ago, he’d learned from neighboring teachers at the Guide Academy that Ying Li had taken Xiang Ye outside the city to hunt! Hunting was so dangerous, how could he bring a Guide? If Xiang Ye died outside the city, Ying Li would face an inquiry, and his reputation among Guides would be ruined. If that happened, Ying Li would never find another Guide in the future!
No, no need to wait for the future—right now, many Guides in the Upper City District were already displeased with Ying Li, and the Academy teachers were even considering blacklisting him.
Teacher Yan was frantic. Yesterday, upon learning Ying Li had returned, he’d wanted to find him immediately, but considering Sentinels needed rest after a trip, he’d held back until this morning, when he knew Ying Li was awake, to rush over.
Seeing Teacher Yan’s fury, Ying Li knew he’d come for the same reason as the Academy teachers—bringing Xiang Ye outside. He rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed. It had indeed been a bold move.
“How could you take a Guide out of the city? What if something happened to him?!” Teacher Yan wanted to reason with him, but mid-sentence, he stopped. What was that incredible smell coming from Ying Li’s apartment? What was that aroma?
Teacher Yan’s gaze drifted away from Ying Li and unconsciously settled on the table. There sat a plate of egg-wrapped Nutrient Paste. The smell of Nutrient Paste was nothing special, but that egg! It had to be fried in animal fat. The richness of the oil blended with the fragrance of egg, seizing his keen, Sentinel’s sense of smell like an invisible hand.
Teacher Yan momentarily forgot what he had been about to say.
Ying Li was still listening for his scolding, but Xiang Ye had keenly noticed the teacher’s reaction and immediately said, “Teacher Yan, this is the egg-wrapped Nutrient Paste Ying Li asked me to make, he said he was going to bring it to you tonight. Since you’re already here, would you like to try some while it’s hot?”
Xiang Ye was all smiles, and the food smelled divine. Teacher Yan found himself saying, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly…”
“It was made especially for you, Teacher! Please, try my cooking.” Xiang Ye pressed a pair of chopsticks into Teacher Yan’s hand.
Unable to resist, Teacher Yan picked up a piece of the egg-wrapped Nutrient Paste and took a small bite. The fluffy egg skin, rich with the distinctive mellow flavor of animal fat and the sweetness of the egg, was the most exquisite thing his sense of taste had ever experienced. The only flaw was that the Nutrient Paste inside wasn’t very good. But cut by the egg, it became the most delicious Nutrient Paste he’d ever eaten in his life. Food this good, he couldn’t bear to eat it all quickly!
“Your cooking is wonderful… wait, Ying Li, you have a Guide doing the cooking?” Teacher Yan frowned again. Who made a Guide cook? Hiring someone cost practically nothing! The price of this one plate of egg-wrapped Nutrient Paste could hire a cook for a year!
“I like cooking! The food I make tastes good!” Xiang Ye said with a smile. “Teacher Yan, please don’t scold Ying Li. Going outside the city before was my idea; I begged him until he gave in. When we were out, he protected me perfectly. I was never in any danger, and I even gained weight…”
Xiang Ye repeated the same things he’d told the Guide Academy teachers yesterday, this time to Teacher Yan. His tone was different, though. Yesterday, he’d been blatantly bragging; today, he was purely defending Ying Li.
Listening to him, the anger in Teacher Yan’s heart slowly subsided.
Teacher Yan spent over half an hour at the apartment, looking at the many photos Xiang Ye had taken outside. Finally, he said, “I have to go teach a class soon. I’ll be off.”
“Teacher, wait, let me pack up the egg-wrapped Nutrient Paste for you.” Xiang Ye put the plate—from which Teacher Yan had only eaten a single piece—into a container.
“No, no need, you two eat it…” Teacher Yan said, but his feet didn’t move, rooted to the spot. His gaze remained fixed on the container. After Xiang Ye packed it, he demurred a couple more times before finally taking the box and leaving, deeply satisfied.
Watching this, Ying Li wanted to laugh, but also couldn’t help sighing. Life was hard for everyone.
After leaving Ying Li’s place, Teacher Yan didn’t go straight to the school. He went home first. His Guide was puzzled to see him return. “Why are you back?”
Teacher Yan handed him the container. “This is from Ying Li. I already ate some. You split the rest with the kids.” After saying that, he swallowed and quickly left. If he didn’t leave now, he feared he’d fight his own Guide and children for the food. He had eaten eggs before. But never eggs this delicious. Ying Li must have bought the highest quality eggs.
It was such an expensive item; he really shouldn’t have taken it. But he hadn’t been able to stop himself.
Sighing inwardly, Teacher Yan sent Ying Li a message: “Ying Li, if you truly like Xiang Ye, take the time to nurture your feelings for each other. If your feelings are deep and you trust each other, even with a big rank difference, there’s still a chance of forming a Mental Bond.”
Earlier, when he’d arrived, before he could even say two words of reproach, Xiang Ye had jumped to defend Ying Li. His words hadn’t hidden his deep affection for him. Impossible to hide. For a Guide like Xiang Ye, to follow Ying Li outside the city… he had to be deeply in love.
And Ying Li? Teacher Yan had watched Ying Li grow up; he knew him well. He was a hardworking kid, maybe even excessively so. Normally, he never gave himself a break, and on hunts, he fought for every second, always trying to catch just one more beast. For a man like that to willingly bring a Guide who would slow him down was unthinkable! Even more unthinkable—after bringing Xiang Ye outside, he’d spent time taking him sightseeing and taking photos.
The Academy teachers thought Xiang Ye was just a foolish romantic, but Teacher Yan felt Ying Li’s love was just as deep.
He had previously advised Ying Li not to be with Xiang Ye. Now, looking back, that didn’t feel right. If Ying Li’s feelings were genuine, there was no reason they couldn’t be together. Even with a rank gap, if they cultivated their feelings properly, a Mental Bond was still a chance. That was the whole purpose of the Guardian Contract in the first place—to allow time for a Guide and Sentinel to nurture their bond.
Ying Li, reading his teacher’s message, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Meanwhile, Xiang Ye received a message from Luo Qiming. He and Shi Tai had both booked appointments with Guides to have their Mental Seas combed today. For Xiang Ye’s convenience in observing and learning, they had deliberately chosen different times—Luo Qiming had the 10 AM to 11 AM slot, and Shi Tai booked the afternoon.
Xiang Ye told Ying Li about it. Ying Li said, “Go ahead. Just be back for lunch.”
Xiang Ye nodded. He definitely planned to come home for lunch. Food outside was expensive and bad.
“Before you go, buy yourself a few outfits,” Ying Li added.
This time, Xiang Ye didn’t object. “I’ll go buy some right away!”
He didn’t mind wearing Ying Li’s old clothes, but it made others misunderstand and think Ying Li was mistreating him. He didn’t want that. Ying Li was so good to him, he didn’t want Ying Li misjudged. Besides, now he was providing Ying Li with food, so he no longer felt awkward spending Ying Li’s money.
Time was a bit short, but since he had to buy clothes, Xiang Ye quickly tidied up and headed out.
Many of the buildings had shops, including the one they lived in. Xiang Ye found a popular, well-known clothing brand store and went in to pick things out. This brand was quite expensive for ordinary people. In the past, if a staff member at the orphanage bought a jacket from this shop, they’d brag about it for ages.
But for a Sentinel, a few hundred credits for a shirt wasn’t expensive at all. The clothes Ying Li wore were from this brand. Xiang Ye wanted to buy the same style as Ying Li. Unfortunately, even the smallest adult size was still a bit too big for him. There was no helping it; these were adult clothes.
“This outfit is a little big on you now, but you’re growing. By next year it’ll fit perfectly, and loose clothes are comfortable to wear anyway,” the salesperson said, helping him straighten the outfit. They also recommended a pair of thick-soled athletic shoes. Dressed like this, Xiang Ye looked much better—a young, handsome man, though a bit on the slender side.
“Yeah!” Xiang Ye was very satisfied with the clothes. He never imagined he’d ever wear something like this. He bought three outfits and two pairs of shoes, spending over three thousand credits. It made his heart ache a little. But then he remembered that the water chestnuts he’d eaten cost even more than all these clothes and shoes combined, and he calmed down.
Newly dressed, Xiang Ye hurried to the Calming Center. Ordinary people couldn’t enter, but he was a Guide. He swiped his Communication Terminal to get in, found the room Luo Qiming had booked, and went inside.
He hadn’t spent much time trying things on, so it was early. He arrived at the Center around 9:30 AM, but Luo Qiming was already there.
Seeing Xiang Ye, he greeted him with a smile: “Xiang Ye, you look especially handsome today.”
Delighted, Xiang Ye immediately said, “Luo Qiming, take a picture of me! I want to send it to Big Brother Ying!”
In the beginning, Luo Qiming had harbored a tiny interest in Xiang Ye. But over the last few days, that had completely vanished. Now, he helped Xiang Ye take the photo and then watched Xiang Ye send it to Ying Li.
They chatted for a while. Just before 10 AM, the Guide Luo Qiming had booked arrived.
She was the Guide Luo Qiming regularly used. She was quite elderly, over a hundred, but because of that, very experienced. Even at D-rank, she could effectively comb the Mental Sea of a C-Rank Sentinel. Most importantly, this Guide exuded a gentle warmth from the inside out, with a kind, grandmotherly gaze—like the beloved grandmothers or great-grandmothers often seen in films. People like her easily earned the trust of Sentinels, especially young ones.
As soon as she arrived, she greeted Luo Qiming warmly, asking about his last trip outside.
Luo Qiming told her he’d joined an excellent Hunting Team, that the Team Leader was an exceptionally good person, and that his spoils had been plentiful. She congratulated him with a smile.
And so, Luo Qiming’s Mental Combing began, smoothly and naturally.
Xiang Ye sat quietly to the side as it happened. This kind of observation was allowed. If Xiang Ye had attended the Guide Academy, he would have been brought by his teachers to observe such sessions from the age of sixteen.
The entire process lasted about an hour. When the time was up, the elderly Guide smiled as she withdrew her Mental Power, even praising Luo Qiming: “I can feel your Mental Power has grown stronger. You’re a very hardworking young man.”
Luo Qiming was overjoyed at the praise. Besides the agreed-upon fee, he also gifted the Guide a handful of beautiful feathers. These feathers were worthless to Sentinels, sold by weight, but they were stunning. If a Guide in the Upper City District wanted to buy them, they’d cost a fair bit of money.
“These feathers are lovely, I adore them! Thank you so much! My granddaughter is very crafty; I’ll have her make them into ornaments when I get the chance,” the elderly Guide said with a smile.
Hearing this, Luo Qiming was ecstatic, feeling like he’d been praised by a family elder.
Suddenly, the elderly Guide turned to Xiang Ye. “You must be Xiang Ye?”
“Yes, I am. You know me?” Xiang Ye was surprised.
She smiled, the lines at the corners of her eyes crinkling. “I do. A Guide who awakened after reaching adulthood, and then immediately followed a Sentinel out on a hunt… many people know who you are.”
Xiang Ye blinked in confusion, a little embarrassed.
He thought she, like the others he’d met, was going to tell him how dangerous it was outside and warn him not to go. Instead, she asked, “Why did you want to follow the Sentinel out of the city?”
Her tone was very gentle, so Xiang Ye answered, “The outside world is so beautiful, I really like it. And the places they went weren’t dangerous…”
As she listened, the elderly Guide said, “Would you like to chat with me for a bit? You came here hoping to learn how to comb Mental Seas, yes? I can teach you.”
Xiang Ye nodded, and the Guide led him to the Guide Lounge, where they sat and talked.
When she first heard about Xiang Ye leaving the city, she had disapproved, thinking Ying Li shouldn’t have done it. But seeing Xiang Ye today, looking so full of energy, she became curious about what his trip had been like. Happiness or unhappiness—you couldn’t hide it. Just looking at Xiang Ye, it was obvious he was in a good mood. And something that put a person in such a good mood couldn’t be bad.
There were other Guides resting in the lounge. They all recognized the elderly Guide and greeted her warmly. But when their eyes fell on Xiang Ye, their expressions became slightly strange. The Guides of the Upper City District had their own circles. Since yesterday, the legend of Xiang Ye had been circulating among them.
Xiang Ye could feel the odd looks people were giving him. All this was his own doing; he was the one who’d asked to go outside. He had to defend Ying Li!
Having already boasted to the Academy teachers and pleaded his case to Ying Li’s teacher, Xiang Ye had gained experience. Now, he spoke even better, his voice full of emotion.
He described his first time leaving the city, the sheer awe and impact of it. He spoke of how beautiful the sunset was from the Observation Deck. He recounted the feeling of Ying Li driving him across the wild expanse, the wind on his face, how wonderful it felt.
“Ying Li’s been building team synergy lately. The places they went weren’t far from Starlight City; it was mostly D-rank beasts around, even C-rank was rare. I was either in the car or right beside Ying Li. It was very safe. I knew that, which is why I followed him out.”
As he spoke, Xiang Ye again pulled out the photos he’d taken. There were landscapes and also pictures of him and Ying Li, together and alone.
The Underground City was dusty and gray, but outside was completely different. That world looked like someone had knocked over a paint box on a canvas, gathering all the colors. Before the Great Cataclysm, some might have found the abundance of color too chaotic, lacking sophistication. But the overall palette of the Underground City was drab. Who didn’t love a vibrant, colorful world?
The Guides who had initially pitied Xiang Ye were now looking at him with envy.
The elderly Guide chatting with him tilted her head back to look at the ceiling, her eyes filled with longing. She had been to the surface. She had seen the sunset. But the true wilderness… that was a world never shown to her. Her entire life, she had been confined within this Underground City. She had been angry with Ying Li before, but now she thought he wasn’t so bad.
Bringing a Guide on a hunt was genuinely inconvenient. Yet, he still took Xiang Ye to see that outside world. She wanted to go too. Too bad no B-rank Sentinel was willing to protect her. C-rank Sentinels… well, they were still a bit too weak.
