SS-Class Guide - Chapter 12

Three days later.

The Sean Temple’s direct high-speed rail entered the Fifth District, also known as the Nameless Zone.

An Yuan looked out the window. Through the buildings and the flow of people on the streets, he could catch glimpses of the local customs and social conditions of the Fifth District. This was his first time entering an area outside the Central District and Shuhuan District.

Shuhuan, founded by great families, was filled with a scholarly atmosphere. The Central District was ordinary. But the Nameless Zone was different. The internet described the Nameless Zone as a living hell. People here were born into the worst environments, performing the most grueling labor for meager wages while dreaming of entering the other four districts. Their only way out was to excel in their studies.

Every place has a prosperous side and a dark side. Looking through the window, An Yuan could only see the tip of the iceberg, and even that gave him a sense of being dirty, chaotic, and poor. To be fair, An Yuan felt that if he had a choice, he probably would not want to step foot in such a place.

Each of the five districts had different rules. For example, the Jiuming District was composed of criminals and thugs. There, human trafficking, contraband weapons, and drugs were all within the local rules. However, the Central District, which was managed jointly by the five districts, did not allow such things. Even the Fifth District, where evil flourished, officially forbade them.

The Fifth District was a controlled zone. Strictly speaking, it had no master. The Yunhai, Shuhuan, and Jiuming Districts strictly regulated it to prevent the spread of its influence, but they also did not allow other regions to covet it. This led to a proliferation of various small and large factions. Under the macro rules, the Fifth District maintained a surface level harmony, but in the shadows, shady dealings persisted.

For instance, the trade of Guides was an evil act strictly forbidden even in the Jiuming District. An Yuan once heard a Sentinel say that they feared the Nameless Zone even more than the Jiuming District. At least the Jiuming District had strict regulations, but the Nameless Zone had none. History even recorded an instance where a Guide from the Sean Temple, while executing a mission in the Nameless Zone, was suddenly murdered by a thug on the street. Although the thug was imprisoned and his relatives were implicated, the innocent Guide could never open their eyes again.

Similar events occurred frequently in the Nameless Zone. Rules and systems were the reasons why people living in the Fifth District tried every possible way to enter the other four, even if it meant moving to Jiuming. Here, the low level inhabitants found it hard even to breathe due to the lack of actual enforcement of protection.

As the high-speed rail passed certain areas, An Yuan’s keen hearing picked up the exclamations of the locals.

“Look! Over there! Those are people from the Sean Temple!” “Wow! Those are the people at the top of the power hierarchy in our Five Districts!” “Yes, you must work hard. If you become a Sentinel or a Guide, it is very likely you can enter the Sean Temple!”

While An Yuan pondered the issues of the Fifth District, the train arrived at the Sean Temple’s branch in the Fifth District.

When An Yuan and his group stepped off the train, the management of the Fifth District branch was there to greet them. All four Hall Masters of the Divine Martial and Divine Healing branches were present, followed by a group of Sentinels and a few Guides.

An Yuan scanned them. The two Hall Masters of the Divine Martial branch were S-level Sentinels, while the two in the Divine Healing branch were A-level Guides. They greeted An Yuan and the others respectfully.

Among the group, An Yuan was the most eye-catching. According to the rumors in the other four branches, An Yuan was the treasure that the Main Temple had always cherished. The fact that he had managed to get permission to go on a mission this time had shocked all the branches. Some Sentinels and Guides from other branches had even applied for temporary transfers to the Fifth District, not out of a desire to sacrifice themselves for the Five Districts, but because they wanted to catch a glimpse of the Main Temple’s most mysterious person.

Everyone repeatedly turned their gazes toward An Yuan. When An Yuan’s ice grey eyes swept back over them, they instinctively looked away, not daring to stare.

The branch Hall Master enthusiastically invited An Yuan and the others to rest. After three days of travel, even if the Sentinels were not tired, the Guides certainly were. The team would rest for a day while Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan organized the group for the next day’s mission.

A C-level Guide stepped forward to lead them to the rest area. An Yuan and Bai Jinghui, also an S-level Guide, were housed in the most luxurious part of the branch, where unauthorized personnel were strictly forbidden.

The Guide leading the way looked at An Yuan’s group with some pride. “We are equipped with the latest white noise room here!”

An Yuan remained silent.

This was An Yuan’s first time in the Nameless Zone. In the Main Temple, and even in the residential buildings of the Jingye District, almost every household was equipped with the latest isolation rooms. He could not understand why this C-level Guide spoke of something so standard with such a proud tone.

Soon, they reached their destination. Curious about the unfamiliar place, An Yuan extended his perception to capture more sounds. He heard the voice of the C-level Guide from a moment ago.

He was excitedly telling someone, “I saw Lord An Yuan!” “Oh my god! As expected of someone from the Main Temple. Especially Lord An Yuan; it feels like he is from a completely different world! His silver white hair seemed to be plated with light!” He added seriously, “Holy light!” “Lord An Yuan’s aura is so powerful; it feels like he could wipe out the stars and the sea with just a gesture!”

Another person replied, “No, wake up. Guides do not have that kind of power. If you said a Sentinel could wipe out the stars and the sea, I would believe it, but a Guide definitely cannot. Not even Lord An Yuan!” “It is true! Their aura is just so strong. Not just Lord An Yuan, but Lord Bai Jinghui and the others too. They really are completely different from us!” “Are you sure you do not just have “Filter Eyes”?” “Once you get a chance to see them, you will realize I am not exaggerating at all!”

A set of footsteps reached An Yuan’s ears. He knew it was Bai Jinghui, the S-level Guide staying next door. An Yuan walked to the door and opened it just as the other knocked.

Bai Jinghui entered, and An Yuan invited him to sit and poured him tea.

“Lord Gu Hanqing contacted me,” Bai Jinghui said.

An Yuan paused, locking eyes with him. Bai Jinghui sighed softly. “He wanted me to tell you that the reason he could not come this time was because Ning Yuanqiao had surgery. He only found out on the day the mission departed.”

An Yuan’s lips curved slightly. “None of that has anything to do with me.”

Bai Jinghui sighed again. An Yuan looked out the window with a flat expression, appearing truly indifferent. Gu Hanqing and An Yuan had been together for many years. Initially, they were the most recognized loving couple in the Sean Temple, but as the saying goes, public displays of affection end quickly.

The atmosphere in the room became a bit heavy. Bai Jinghui changed the subject. “I have been to the Fifth District several times.”

An Yuan was interested. Bai Jinghui smiled as he spoke of the past. “I was not an S-level from the start.”

An Yuan nodded. Sentinels and Guides alike could level up regardless of age. Some remained fixed after awakening, but others could climb the ranks. Bai Jinghui had reportedly started as a C-level.

“I am from the Central District. While others at B-level can only enter branch temples, I entered the Main Temple from the start because of my background and decent grades.” Bai Jinghui’s eyes crinkled with nostalgia. “During one mission to the Nameless Zone, I had a stroke of luck that was both a blessing and a curse. I lost my phone, I was not wearing my Sean Temple uniform, and I had nothing to prove my identity. I was stranded outside.”

An Yuan did not see this as a huge problem. He thought that if it happened to him, he would just find the branch temple.

“I asked for directions in the sweltering heat and walked for three full hours before finding the branch,” Bai Jinghui said. An Yuan imagined that walking for three hours must have been exhausting.

“I accidentally stepped into a mud pit, my clothes got filthy, I tripped, one shoe fell into a deep well, and then I was chased by a dog. I struggled all the way to the Sean Temple. I told them I was a B-level Guide, and then they kicked me out.”

An Yuan remained silent.

Before An Yuan could wonder why, Bai Jinghui continued, “They said, ‘Where did this beggar come from, daring to impersonate a B-level Guide? Get out, get out!'”

“You could have asked a passerby to borrow their phone,” An Yuan suggested.

Bai Jinghui’s expression was complex. “Borrowing a phone is very difficult, especially in the Fifth District. People are wary; they will not easily lend their phones to a stranger.”

An Yuan remained silent.

“Furthermore, our generation does everything electronically. Who actually remembers phone numbers?” Bai Jinghui added. “You only remember the numbers of the most important people in your life, one or two, and even then, they might not answer if they are busy.”

An Yuan thought about it. He remembered three numbers: Mrs. Wen, Wen Xiuyan, and Gu Hanqing. He asked worriedly, “How did you get through that time?”

Bai Jinghui touched his face. “At first, I just thought I was pathetic. Later, I realized my luck was not that bad. I was young then, in my twenties, which is the best age. I looked decent, but after all those mishaps, I was covered in filth and looked like a beggar.” He paused. “And I smelled terrible.”

An Yuan visualized it and felt Bai Jinghui’s situation was truly dire.

“In the Fifth District, people who look decent might be bought and sold, even if it is not allowed,” Bai Jinghui continued.

An Yuan’s brow furrowed with worry. Bai Jinghui gave a reassuring smile. “My luck was bad, but also good. I got to see the hidden side of the Fifth District: the Black Market.”

“The Black Market?” This was a place completely foreign to An Yuan.

“There are always people unwilling to reveal their true identities who go to the black market to trade: weapons, contraband, luxury goods of unknown origin,” Bai Jinghui said. “And among them are some who do not want to reveal their identity as a Guide.”

An Yuan was surprised. “Are there Sentinels or Guides who do not want to disclose their true identity?” Born into the An family and entering the Temple at a very young age, he could not understand such people.

“Different people have different ideas,” Bai Jinghui nodded. “To you, Lord An Yuan, the Sean Temple is a wonderful place.”

An Yuan agreed.

“But, Lord An Yuan, have you ever thought that perhaps some A or B-level Guides are forced to execute missions after entering the Sean Temple?”

An Yuan went silent. He knew about this. The Temple cherished every S-level Guide, but even they lacked full autonomy at times, let alone others.

“Rather than a life without freedom, they yearn to be free, to go anywhere in the Five Districts without being controlled,” Bai Jinghui said.

An Yuan’s eyes widened in surprise. His entire life had been controlled; he was used to it. What Bai Jinghui was describing felt like a brand-new world. He became curious about the Black Market of the Fifth District. He thought that after the mission was over, he would ask Wen Xiuyan to take him there.

With these thoughts, An Yuan continued to ask Bai Jinghui about the Fifth District. For the first time, he realized that his life until now had been very simple and very sheltered.

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