Chapter 14: Fourteen spirits, dare not speak

The Chief Academic Officer smiled and said, “Let’s go, your classmates are already waiting for you.”

Ning Li gave a deep bow to the Chief Academic Officer. 

“Thank you.”

This leader was the Chief Academic Officer, looking to be in her fifties, with short hair streaked with a bit of white. 

She was no longer young, but her features were gentle, and she had the air of someone with strong convictions—a senior woman who exuded warmth.

Ning Li understood that the Chief Academic Officer’s earlier words, “The child says she doesn’t remember, maybe you should hurry and look for yourselves,” was meant to let them search on their own, without dragging her into it further.

In that brief confrontation, this leader had shielded her once.

The leader hadn’t expected her to be so perceptive. 

She sighed softly, “Child, you are a student of our academy. I have a responsibility to protect you. Don’t worry, this matter is over now.”

Was it really over?

Ning Li couldn’t shake the feeling that things wouldn’t be so simple.

When she arrived at the girls’ dormitory, Yuan Zi rushed up to Ning Li and hugged her, crying, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Under the Jellyfish’s Spiritual Attack, she had accidentally exposed that Ning Li had a bead in her hand.

She was utterly consumed by a tidal wave of guilt.

Ning Li patted her shoulder and comforted her, “I know, I don’t blame you. It wasn’t easy for you either.” 

As one of the six suspects, Yuan Zi’s interrogation must not have been gentle. 

She was timid to begin with—facing that group of Sentinels, she must have been terrified.

At that time, not only was she anxious and uneasy, but she also had to endure the nervousness after exposing a secret.

Hearing this, Yuan Zi cried even harder. 

Ning Li really did understand her.

Some things didn’t need to be said aloud. 

Ning Li knew very well that Yuan Zi had deliberately handed her leverage before. 

Ning Li held Scarface’s life in her hands, and Yuan Zi, afraid she’d be uneasy, had taken the initiative to badmouth Commander Qi Sigui in front of her.

She’d said, “I think, he doesn’t really love us.”

For a Commander whose people couldn’t feel love from him—if word of this got out, it would be enough to ruin her entire Guide career. 

She knew very well what the consequences of saying that might be. 

She could have kept it to herself, but she still said it.

That was the trust she placed in Ning Li.

Now, they both had little secrets of their own.

After talking with Yuan Zi for most of the day, Yuan Zi finally calmed down, and only then did Ning Li return to her own dorm with her cats and dogs in her arms. 

While she was away these past few days, Yuan Zi had taken good care of them.

She also finally learned what exactly that officer had asked Yuan Zi.

Just as she’d guessed, that officer hadn’t even mentioned Scarface.

Scarface was nothing more than a dispensable pawn. 

By now, they must have discovered that Scarface was dead, but no one cared. 

In the eyes of those in power, Scarface was just a failed operative—no one even cared about his cause of death. 

As long as he failed his mission, he was worthless.

It was a bit pitiful, really.

If Scarface knew that the person he’d served so faithfully was so heartless, would he regret risking his life for him?

Unfortunately, that answer would never be known.

Xiao Hei was sleeping soundly in Ning Li’s Spirit Sea, and even the recent attack by the Jellyfish hadn’t woken him up.

Well, she had been unconscious for a whole day and night on the Frontline before, and Xiao Hei had stayed up the entire time to guard her.

Ning Li didn’t disturb Xiao Hei, letting him continue his sleep.

It seemed as if this whole matter had just blown over.

Ning Li’s life returned to normal, and she heard no more about the bead.

Once things stabilized at the Frontline, the Homeroom Teacher announced some news: all Guides in the academy were required to go to the Frontline to soothe and treat the Sentinels.

There were too many injured soldiers on the Frontline. 

Even with support from the Guides of the First Guide Academy, it was still far from enough. 

Now that the Frontline was safe, even though they were just freshmen, they had recently learned first aid, and could finally put theory into practice.

Upon hearing this, most of the Guides were excited, eager to rush into action and heal as many Sentinels as possible.

Though they were just ordinary students with average talent, they still had the heart to serve their country.

Ning Li packed some simple daily necessities, slung her bag over her shoulder, and blended into the group, taking the bus with the others to the Frontline.

This trip to the Frontline was very different from the last.

Last time, she had been alone. 

This time, she was surrounded by energetic, idealistic classmates. 

The bus was filled with laughter and lively conversation.

Yuan Zi was excited too. 

She clutched Ning Li’s hand, eyes sparkling. 

“Li, I’ve never helped a Sentinel with their Spirit Sea before.”

Ning Li: ………………

Actually, she hadn’t either.

But she knew Yuan Zi just needed someone to listen, so she quietly listened, nodding from time to time in agreement.

The bus was filled with joy and laughter.

Several hours later, the bus stopped at the rear and middle of the Frontline.

Suddenly, a wave of thick, overwhelming blood stench rushed at Ning Li, making her instinctively squint and tear up. 

Yuan Zi and the others fared even worse—one by one, their energetic spirits deflated.

Yuan Zi turned pale and vomited violently, only stopping when there was nothing left to throw up.

Before they came, the Homeroom Teacher hadn’t told them the Frontline would be this terrifying.

Yes—terrifying.

The scene here could only be described as frightening and eerie.

Everywhere were seriously wounded Sentinels, blood—dried or still fresh—splattered on the ground, even severed limbs in sight. 

Besides the Sentinels’ groans, the only other sounds were the Guides’ quickened breaths from fear.

The Homeroom Teacher said these were just the moderately wounded Sentinels. 

The severely injured ones would never be placed in front of a bunch of freshmen like them.

The moment Ning Li stepped onto this land, she felt an intense surge of Resentment—dozens, hundreds of times stronger than at the Outskirts.

She had never set foot here before.

It was clear the Homeroom Teacher had brought them much closer to the real Frontline. Before, she had just been wandering around the Frontline Outskirts. 

The Sentinels resting in tents on the outskirts were mostly lightly wounded.

Feeling the heavy, cloud-like Resentment, Xiao Hei grew excited.

As an undead sorcerer, he was naturally drawn to places thick with Resentment and death. 

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have snuck off to the Frontline every few days before.

Not far ahead, bursts of cheers, exclamations, and applause could be heard from time to time.

Ning Li knew that was where the Elite of the First Guide Academy were stationed.

The most critically injured Sentinels were all handed over to those Guides from the First Guide Academy.

If the students of the Peripheral Guide Academy were all ordinary Guides, then the Guides of the First Guide Academy were the Elite of the First Guide Academy—prodigies, the cream of the crop. 

Since there was applause, another one of those prodigies must have just saved a Sentinel on the brink of death.

Here, no one could afford to waste time, because time here meant life.

As soon as the Guides arrived, their supervising teachers assigned them tasks.

Yuan Zi was assigned to a Sentinel who had lost an arm; Ning Li to a Sentinel who had lost a leg.

This Sentinel was clearly in great pain, his face drenched in cold sweat. 

When he saw her approach, the male Sentinel forced a smile. 

“Little Guide, I’ll be counting on you.”

Ning Li felt unsure, but didn’t let it show.

In cooking class, any dessert she touched was either burnt to a crisp or left raw.

In flower arranging, any flower she touched ended up wilted and withered.

So what about the Sentinels she handled? 

What would happen to them?

A trace of curiosity rose in her heart, and she felt a bit eager to try.

As she tentatively began to help this Sentinel with his Spirit Sea, Xiao Hei’s excited voice sounded in her own Spirit Sea first.

【So much Resentment!】

【Hehe. Hehe.】

【So happy, super happy!】

【There are even Universal Coins!】

【I’m rich! Rich!】

Ning Li: ???

She had never liked to restrain Xiao Hei. 

Even though he’d brought back stray cats and dogs a couple of times, making her already poor family even poorer, as his owner, she still gave him plenty of freedom. 

After all, it was his nature as her spiritual body—playful, greedy, fond of cute animals, loves to act spoiled, loves to be mischievous.

But the prerequisite for not restraining him was—he couldn’t cause her trouble!

From the sound of it, Xiao Hei had clearly gone wandering off somewhere again. 

The Frontline was huge and dangerous.

Ning Li raised her voice a bit. 

“Where did you go?”

Xiao Hei, wandering around the Mass Grave: Hehe, not gonna say a word.