The teacher leading the group smiled and said, “Classmates, even though you are Guides, the power you can gather together is tremendous. A trickle can converge into a vast sea. I hope you all remember this day when we fought side by side, and keep our Academy’s Guide Spirit—‘When one faces hardship, classmates offer support’—firmly in your hearts!”
The Guides were filled with passion and excitement.
“Alright!”
“We’ve got it, it’s branded into our minds, we’ll never forget!”
“Who would’ve thought I’d see the day I could hold back an Abnormal Species?”
“I didn’t feel it at the time, but now it just feels exhilarating!”
“Mom, I’ve made you proud! I just faced off against an Abnormal Species head-on, and I didn’t even lose!”
The wounded Sentinels on the ground looked at the Guides with eager faces, still waiting for their Mental Sorting.
But the Guides were now both excited and exhausted, and truly had no energy left to deal with them.
By the time the Guides finally calmed down, half an hour had already passed.
Fortunately, during this time, none of the injured Sentinels lost their lives; they just suffered a little extra hardship after being vented on.
The Former Commander’s brother-in-law, who had made quite a splash earlier, had already returned to his own squad.
The traces left by the Abnormal Species had also been completely cleaned up, as if nothing had happened at all.
But it was only as if—nothing more.
[Hehe. Hehe. He was just looking at you.]
Ning Li was slightly taken aback.
“Who?”
[The owner of the Golden Python.]
The owner of the Golden Python?
Thinking of that chain inscribed with golden runes, shining with dazzling golden light, she guessed, “You mean the Commander’s brother-in-law?”
[That’s right.]
So, this person’s Spirit Entity was the Golden Python.
Pythons are cold-blooded creatures, and as its owner, his striking looks carried a hint of chilliness.
Though the curve of his eyes and brows were so perfect they seemed carefully painted, and even when facing Abnormal Species he looked deeply affectionate, that subtle sense of distance about him was impossible to miss.
The python and him—indeed, a perfect match.
Anyone with sharp eyes could tell that the earlier ambush was clearly targeting someone in particular.
Most likely, the Commander’s brother-in-law had discovered something.
The Guides began orderly Mental Guidance once again.
Ning Li moved among them, providing support and supplies wherever needed.
This round of healing lasted for a full three days.
Only after three days had nearly all of the injured Sentinels been treated; those with more serious wounds would need a second round of Mental Sorting.
It wasn’t until a week later that this round of support truly ended.
On the way back to the Academy, the Guides continued to excitedly exchange their experiences with Mental Sorting.
Ning Li quietly listened to the lively discussions around her, learning a great deal as well.
When she returned to her dormitory, she immediately noticed that her room had been disturbed.
The intruder hadn’t even bothered to cover it up, brazenly leaving the mess from the search out in the open for her to see.
Persistent as a ghost.
That phrase floated through her mind.
Ning Li didn’t report the incident, nor did she tell anyone else.
There was no point.
Aside from the fact that all her belongings had been thoroughly searched, she hadn’t lost anything.
Not a single item was missing—she just had to tidy up her room again.
Those people probably felt uneasy and came to look for the Bead again.
Judging by the scattered mess left behind, it was easy to see how frustrated they were.
If they knew the Bead had already become nourishment for her Spirit Sea, they’d probably be even more furious.
Ning Li didn’t feel much anger.
Their ransacking seemed more like a childish tantrum, but every such tantrum had its price marked in secret.
Sooner or later, it would be paid back.
After she and the grumbling Xiao Hei finished putting the room back in order, she received news from her Homeroom Teacher that her monthly stipend would be delayed.
Ning Li calmly asked, “Is my stipend the only one being delayed?”
The Homeroom Teacher nodded awkwardly, “There seems to be some issue with your application materials, but don’t worry, it’s nothing serious, at most just a delay. I’ll give you this month’s stipend in advance, you can use it first.”
Ning Li didn’t ask what the problem was with her paperwork, nor how long the delay would be.
When someone was deliberately trying to make things difficult for her, even perfect paperwork could become problematic.
The Homeroom Teacher transferred the money to Ning Li, but she didn’t accept it and sent it back.
Teachers at the Peripheral Guide Academy didn’t earn much, barely enough to get by.
She remembered the Homeroom Teacher’s family wasn’t well-off either—elderly parents to care for, a son with autism, and a husband stationed at the Frontline all year, rarely coming home.
The whole family depended on her alone.
Seeing that Ning Li wouldn’t accept it, the Homeroom Teacher tried to persuade her a few more times.
When she saw Ning Li’s resolve, she could only sigh, “If you ever have difficulties, remember to come to me. I may not be that capable, but I can still help you.”
Ning Li replied that she understood.
Afterward, she calmly washed her dirty clothes, soothed the irritable Xiao Hei, and took care of all the tasks she needed to do beautifully.
Then, she suddenly asked, “Xiao Hei, where did you find your Universal Coins before?”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Hei shook its flower crown excitedly, petals trembling up and down in the air.
It replied mysteriously, [A really good place.]
Ning Li didn’t ask where this good place was, only said, “Let’s go there tonight.”
While Xiao Hei was delighted at the prospect of visiting a good place, after swaying its head for a bit, it suddenly asked fiercely, [What about the jellyfish?]
Ning Li replied, “No rush on the jellyfish.”
Ever since that person sent the Abnormal Species to target her, their relationship had become one of mutual destruction.
She’d solve her financial troubles first, then worry about other things.
After all, right now, filling her stomach was the most important thing.
If she couldn’t even eat, how could she care about anything else?
As usual, Ning Li went to the cafeteria for dinner with Yuan Zi.
During the meal, Yuan Zi shared something with her in a low mood, “In a few days, it’ll be the Former Commander’s death anniversary.”
In the blink of an eye, he had been gone for five years.
The past five years had passed both quickly and slowly—quick because so much had happened, the whole world had changed; slow because, for those who truly admired and respected him, every day felt painfully long.
Thinking of her plans for the evening, Ning Li casually said, “Let’s bring him some flowers then.”
At least as a gesture of remembrance.
Yuan Zi listlessly poked at her food, her voice full of disappointment, “The Commander’s body was never found, so there’s never been a tombstone for him. Even though many people want to bring him flowers, no one knows where to send them.”
Ning Li was a little surprised—was that really the case?
“If his body is never found, does that mean there’ll never be a tombstone?”
Yuan Zi stirred her rice with her chopsticks, having lost her appetite.
“A high-level Sentinel’s body can be preserved for ten years. It’s already been five years. If five more years pass and his body is still missing, the Sentinel Association will erect a tombstone for him at the Lingyuan on Heavenly Island.”
Her eyes gradually filled with tears.
“But Heavenly Island is too far. For an ordinary Guide like me, I could never set foot on Heavenly Island, not in my whole life.”
The wish to bring him a bouquet of flowers had become an impossible dream.
Ning Li softly murmured the name “Heavenly Island,” then asked, “Why? Is it really that far?”
Yuan Zi shook her head.
“No.”
She bit her chopsticks, thought for a moment, and explained, “That’s a world where nobles live. I can’t go there.”
Unconsciously, Yuan Zi had poked her food to mush.
“Actually, five years ago, when the Former Commander was still here, anyone could visit Heavenly Island. The housing and living costs there were high, but we could still go sightseeing. It was so beautiful there—even though I only saw photos, it was enough to make me dizzy with awe. But for the past two years, it’s been closed to outsiders…”
Heavenly Island, huh?
Ning Li thought it should really be called “Shut-In Island.”
If it’s not open to outsiders, isn’t it just shut in?
Ning Li comforted her, “It’s okay, you can send him flowers in your heart.”
Yuan Zi replied with a sad “Mm.”
“Ning Li, where do you think he is? Why can’t he rest in peace?”
“He really was a very, very good person.”
By the end, Yuan Zi’s voice was choked with emotion.
Why was it that not even his body was ever found?
Ning Li did not deny this.
It’s just—
“Yuan Zi, people should look forward.”
She didn’t understand Yuan Zi and the others’ feelings for the Former Commander.
After all, she hadn’t lived through his era.
She’d never met him, never truly experienced what kind of person he was.
She could only piece together his image from others’ descriptions.
Undoubtedly, he was a Commander with great personal charisma.
But all things must move forward.
This Commander died in the battle at Deep Valley Pass, which was nearly ten thousand kilometers away from their Border District 191.
The Commander’s body could turn up anywhere—except here.
It really was too far away.
She didn’t understand such feelings, but she respected them.
After dinner, Ning Li and Yuan Zi returned to the girls’ dormitory together.
The two of them fed Ning Li’s cats and dogs.
Some time had passed, and they’d grown quite a bit.
Ah.
Seeing how much rounder and fluffier the two little pets were compared to when she first picked them up, Yuan Zi played with them and said, “They’re so cute.”
In Ning Li’s Spirit Sea, Xiao Hei was frantically agreeing.
[Cute! Cute!]
[Super cute!]
[Kitty, cute!]
[Puppy, cute!]
[All super, super cute!]
Ning Li: ……………
She was suddenly surrounded by a barrage of “cute.”
The cats and dogs really were adorable, but she’d gotten them with Universal Coins.
Worried she wouldn’t be able to raise them well, Ning Li hadn’t even given them names—they were just “cat” and “dog.”
As they grew, their appetites increased, and they’d need deworming on schedule.
That would be another expense.
For a family as poor as hers, it was really hard to afford pets.
Ning Li didn’t mention her delayed stipend to Yuan Zi, nor her financial troubles.
She wasn’t in the habit of complaining to friends.
It was just a small matter—she could handle it herself.
By the time Yuan Zi returned to her own dorm, it was already ten at night.
The night was dark and the wind high—the perfect time to go treasure hunting.
The Dormitory Supervisor Auntie had already locked the doors.
But the wall on the first floor was only half as tall as a person, so she could easily climb over it.
Ning Li had long since packed her backpack, with a flashlight, tissues, water, and other supplies inside.
She slung it over her shoulder and called out to Xiao Hei, “Let’s go pick up some Universal Coins.”
Xiao Hei, [Alrighty!]