SS-Class Guide - Chapter 18

After training, by the third day of rest, An Yuan was already able to establish a mental shield without it collapsing.

On the fourth day, An Yuan took advantage of the late night to walk outside with Wen Xiuyan. He felt that having no interference was quite nice. Suddenly, Wen Xiuyan grabbed An Yuan’s hand. An Yuan hesitated for a moment but eventually pulled his hand away.

The moon was exceptionally round today. Under the night lamps and moonlight, the night appeared bright and clear. Everything looked beautiful under the gentle summer moonlight. Yet, no matter how beautiful it seemed, it could not stop An Yuan’s cold rejection.

After being rejected, Wen Xiuyan grabbed his wrist instead. Holding hands represents mutual understanding; grabbing a wrist signifies the fear of the other person’s rejection. A tightly held hand can be easily pulled away, but it is difficult to break free from a grip on the wrist.

An Yuan tried to struggle a bit but could not break free. He parted his lips, wanting to tell Wen Xiuyan to let go.

Wen Xiuyan said, “We will set out the day after tomorrow.”

An Yuan remained silent.

Wen Xiuyan added, “If I can survive,”

An Yuan interrupted him, “You will definitely survive.”

“A-Yuan, nothing is definite,” Wen Xiuyan replied.

An Yuan stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and looked at Wen Xiuyan. Their eyes met. At this moment, An Yuan’s gaze was extremely sharp.

Wen Xiuyan said, “If I can survive, I hope you will accept my request.”

An Yuan fell silent for a moment before saying, “I will consider it once you have survived.”

Wen Xiuyan smiled. “I am not satisfied with that answer.”

An Yuan frowned slightly, remained silent for a while, and then said, “Xiuyan, the future should be very long.”

The two walked in the night for over an hour before returning together. Throughout the walk, Wen Xiuyan did not release An Yuan’s wrist, and An Yuan stopped trying to struggle; after all, he could not break free.

On the fifth day, the final day before the battle, he saw no one. He did not even see Wen Xiuyan. He did not want to see anyone.

On the morning of the departure, he received the double-S-rank Guide uniform specially customized for him by the Thean Temple. It was Wen Xiuyan who delivered it to him. An Yuan was surprised that Wen Xiuyan was the one bringing it. Wen Xiuyan calmly explained that his assistant, Xing Lulu, was supposed to deliver it, but he had intercepted her to bring it personally.

Wen Xiuyan said, “I will help you put it on.”

An Yuan was silent.

The double-S-rank Guide attire still featured the color the Thean Temple always used: white, the most sacred of colors. The material was soft, adorned with silver floral patterns. Each pattern was hand-stitched, which was why it had taken so long to complete.

Wen Xiuyan helped An Yuan dress and finally pinned on the new badge belonging to a double-S-rank Guide. The new badge was white, engraved with a snow-colored phoenix bird with outspread wings, the symbol of the Hall of Divine Healing. From the past to the present, the Hall of Divine Healing had always used floral patterns; this was the first time a phoenix had been used.

Wen Xiuyan smiled and said, “It suits you very well.”

“Thank you,” An Yuan replied.

The two walked out of the isolation room together toward the gathering point. To be safe, An Yuan established a very thick mental shield, reducing his sensory sensitivity to the minimum and completely blocking out distant sounds.

Humans are very sensitive to being watched. Though he could not hear others’ voices, he could feel the gazes upon him. He was quite used to it; even when he was very young and only a D-rank Guide, he had always been the center of attention due to his appearance.

Soon, the group gathered at the assembly point. Gu Hanqing kept his eyes on An Yuan with a burning intensity, looking as if he had something to say. Wen Xiuyan skillfully shifted his position to block Gu Hanqing’s line of sight.

An Yuan glanced at Gu Hanqing and then looked away. He did not realize that wearing the double-S-rank uniform, he looked like a deity. White was naturally a sacred color, and under the sunlight, he seemed to be coated in a layer of white light: lofty, holy, and untouchable. He was a god in the hearts of many.

The Zerg Queen was located in the Unnamed District. In addition to Sentinels and Guides, legions composed of ordinary people from the Five Districts would also participate. This would be the largest war in centuries.

Three days later, the team arrived in the Fifth District. Before the battle began, the Sentinels were once again reminded that protecting the Guides was the top priority at all times. However, another rule stated that between hunting the Zerg Queen and protecting Guides, the former was more important.

Two days later, they entered a mountain range outside the protected zone. From the moment they stepped out of the protection, An Yuan felt eyes everywhere. Even with his senses at their lowest, he could feel those gazes. The types of Zerg were countless; even the ground they stepped on could be an evolution of a Zerg.

Among the three double-S-rank Sentinels, Gu Hanqing was the strongest. Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan were the primary attackers for the Queen, while Gu Hanqing’s sole objective in this battle was to protect An Yuan, unless the Queen appeared directly before him.

The commander-in-chief gave the order, and a massive number of soldiers began artillery attacks on the mountains. The sounds of birds and beasts filled the forest; a flock of birds cried out and took flight. An Yuan’s ears twitched; he heard the hum of wings. It was not the sound of birds; these wings were thinner, and the frequency was much faster. They were Zerg wings.

An Yuan looked around. He could no longer see Wen Xiuyan, Jing Lan, or the S and A-rank Sentinels; they must have already gone deep into the mountains. In addition to them, an S-rank Guide and several A-rank Guides had moved ahead. The missing S-rank Guide was Master Lin of the Hall of Divine Healing.

The Deputy Master of the Hall of Divine Martial Arts looked at An Yuan and the others. “When you receive the signal, Guides will begin area-wide stabilization.” He paused. “Lord An Yuan, you are special. To avoid becoming the Zerg’s primary target, please do not release your guidance threads until we request it.”

An Yuan nodded and gave a soft “Okay.”

An Yuan and Gu Hanqing walked side by side, with others scattered around them. Gu Hanqing looked at An Yuan and said, “I missed you very much.”

An Yuan looked at him and then turned away. “Sentinel Gu Hanqing, I do not believe now is the time for such talk.”

In fact, while they were talking about personal matters, many people were already casting curious glances at them. Nothing is more interesting than gossip, especially between An Yuan and Gu Hanqing.

Gu Hanqing said, “An Yuan, I have no other opportunity to be near you except right now.”

An Yuan looked at him. “What do you want to say to me?”

“I,”

An Yuan interrupted him. “The person who let me go back then was you.”

Gu Hanqing frowned. “No, my intention then was,”

“When I said we should break up, the person who agreed was also you,” An Yuan said.

“I only thought you were speaking out of anger,” Gu Hanqing replied.

“Since Ning Yuanqiao entered our lives, we argued many times. In all those arguments, I never once mentioned breaking up,” An Yuan said.

Gu Hanqing’s brow twitched violently.

An Yuan continued, “Sentinel Gu Hanqing, we have known each other for a long time: eight years.” There are not many eight-year periods in a lifetime; continuing to be entangled would only lead to exhaustion. “That day in the underground garage, you chose him.”

“No, An Yuan, I,”

“Sentinel Gu Hanqing, eight years of feelings do not just vanish. Even if the romantic love is gone, there is a long-standing bond. To be honest, I will not wish for your life to be perfectly smooth after the breakup, but I do not wish for you to suffer either. However, this is a very special moment. Neither you nor I are guaranteed to leave this place alive. My final advice is that I hope you can confirm your own heart. You chose him then; that is your true heart.”

Gu Hanqing frowned and tried to explain, but An Yuan said, “If you are unwilling to protect me, I will request a transfer and have another S-rank Sentinel protect me.”

Gu Hanqing fell silent. In truth, even if he wanted to talk more, the chance was gone. A Zerg legion resembling mantises acted as the vanguard, clashing with their army. An Yuan was at the center of the protection. He looked around and could feel many Guide threads spreading across the battlefield. Explosions and shouts rang out everywhere.

From the moment the war began, it was the most harrowing time. An Yuan followed the team forward under heavy protection. The team moved extremely fast, and An Yuan consciously weakened his mental shield to pick up more sounds.

In another part of the battlefield, Master Lin’s legion clashed with five S-rank leader Zerg. This part of the battlefield was some distance from An Yuan. He looked toward the distance; smoke rose everywhere, and Master Lin’s mental threads spread outward.

A unique Zerg hum rang out. An Yuan could not understand the Zerg language, but he had heard Sentinels say this might be a way for them to transmit information. Following this sound, An Yuan heard more wings flapping; their target was Master Lin’s area. Explosions were continuous, and more and more Zerg swarmed toward that zone. An Yuan instinctively looked there, but he could see nothing through the obstructions.

Suddenly, Gu Hanqing covered An Yuan’s eyes with both hands. An Yuan’s eyelashes flickered. Gu Hanqing said, “Do not look, and do not try to feel it. The more you care, the more painful it will be for you.”

An Yuan signaled Gu Hanqing to remove his hands and continued forward. In less than an hour, he perceived more and more guidance threads. Suddenly, the team stopped. Through information transmission, An Yuan roughly knew what had happened. Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan had gone to the coordinates, but the Zerg had moved. The Queen was not in that area. In her reproductive state, the Queen was not suited for moving, but to avoid the clash, they had moved anyway. Where they were now was the question. They had to find her and prevent her from breeding a large number of S or even SS-rank soldier ants.

Suddenly, a piercing screech rang in everyone’s ears. An Yuan’s eyes widened. This was his first time hearing it, a voice filled with surging mental energy, a terrifying scream from the depths of the soul that seemed ready to destroy everything. Even Gu Hanqing’s body swayed slightly. Every Sentinel was affected.

Deputy Master You said, “It is the Queen!” As he spoke, his area-wide guidance spread in all directions. An Yuan felt anxious. Just as he wanted to use his own area guidance, the Master of Divine Martial Arts looked at him and stopped him.

Their luck was actually very good. The Zerg had received news early and managed to move, albeit with difficulty. Perhaps the most dangerous place was also the safest; they had moved closer to the Unnamed District. With layers of mental energy as a shield, it was difficult to detect the Queen’s exact coordinates even if double-S-rank Sentinels dropped their shields for a search. However, their legion had a Sentinel who was very skilled at digging holes.

This C-rank Sentinel was responsible for protecting an A-rank Guide. One could imagine how nervous he was. Normally, he would not even be qualified to enter the main Temple, let alone touch a lofty A-rank Guide. He fled in a panic, using his ability to dig randomly. By chance, he dug right into the Queen’s temporary shelter.

The S and SS-rank eggs had not yet hatched. Unhatched eggs had no offensive capability. While digging, the C-rank Sentinel destroyed the mental shield surrounding the Queen and accidentally crushed two S-rank eggs. The Queen’s angry screech pierced the sky. The A-rank Guide nervously embraced the C-rank Sentinel to provide close-range guidance, trying to reduce the impact of the Queen’s mental shockwave. Even so, the C-rank Sentinel’s face turned pale instantly. Driven by survival instinct, he quickly changed direction and continued digging a new path.

At the same time, the legions protecting the Queen mobilized. Looking up, the sight was terrifying. The sky was covered with Zerg of all kinds. The Queen screeched again.

Deputy Master You looked at An Yuan and warned him that it was not yet his time to act, for once he did, he would likely become the target of all Zerg fire. When the screech rang out for the third time, more Sentinels within the radiation range were affected.

When An Yuan perceived fewer and fewer mental threads from the other Guides, he could no longer hold back. Whether it is a Sentinel or a Guide, they are strongest when they drop their mental shields and let their senses extend infinitely; however, the side effect is that they must endure intense pain.

An Yuan stopped and closed his eyes. Gu Hanqing and the others protecting him also stopped, looking at him nervously. Gu Hanqing shouted, “An Yuan!”

He felt it. Driven by his own will, the mental shield surrounding An Yuan’s mental landscape shattered! At that moment, under absolute pain, he felt dizzy. But he knew he could not faint. His face turned pale instantly, his lips bloodless, as waves of guidance power spread out from him.

An Yuan felt that though he had closed his eyes, he saw many people. Nearby, he saw Gu Hanqing holding him tight. Further away, not actually that far, he saw Wen Xiuyan, Jing Lan, and Master Lin. Their lips were moving, seemingly calling his name. Everyone was calling for him.

An Yuan also saw someone. No, not a person, but the Zerg Queen. It was more perceived than seen. The Queen had a human face, very fair skin, bright red lips, a red vertical mark on her forehead, and long, shiny black hair; but she had the body of an ant and no wings. In An Yuan’s perception, the eggs surrounding the Queen moved, seemingly about to hatch.

No! Unlike humans, the Zerg followed an inheritance system; those born from hatching were natural war machines! The Queen issued a command. Upon receiving it, almost all Zerg surged toward An Yuan at the same time.

Centered around Gu Hanqing, a cold aura spread, and ice walls were built one after another. He held An Yuan. “An Yuan, I am sorry I could not protect you before, but now, I will definitely protect you.”

When the Queen opened her mouth for a fourth screech, An Yuan did not think twice; he instinctively used his mental energy to clash with her. Massive mental waves spread everywhere. At this moment, every Sentinel knew An Yuan’s location. They could feel his power guiding them. At the same time, countless Zerg swarmed toward him.

An Yuan started running toward the direction he perceived. There were eggs there, powerful eggs about to hatch! Before they hatched, they had to die! Sweat soaked An Yuan’s bangs. Gu Hanqing held his wrist and asked, “An Yuan, what happened? Tell me.”

An Yuan endured the pain and briefly explained his requirement. Even at this moment, his guidance power covered the entire field. The team moved at high speed. Before they arrived, Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan had reached the scene, saving the digging C-rank Sentinel and the A-rank Guide while clashing with the Queen. A massive number of Zerg protected her at the center. The eggs squirmed as if they could hatch at any moment. The Queen continued to ripen the eggs with her pheromones. Just as Wen Xiuyan’s vines were about to destroy an egg, it hatched, and a powerful aura spread.

An Yuan endured the pain and quickened his pace. Once the first egg hatched, others would follow, and the pressure on Wen Xiuyan and Jing Lan would multiply. They needed rescue. An Yuan felt he had to get there; the closer he was, the better the guidance effect. Moreover, if he went there, the Zerg’s attacks would scatter. He would be the primary target they wanted to attack, bar none. The mental energy of a double-S-rank Guide was the greatest threat to the Zerg.

Gu Hanqing said, “An Yuan, I will carry you.” He picked An Yuan up and moved forward at top speed.

Everything that followed happened in a daze. An Yuan felt his actions were driven by instinct. They successfully reached the Queen’s area. The situation An Yuan most feared appeared: the S and SS-rank soldier ants were born, their strength immense. One even had the ability of possession.

From a distance, the Queen’s dark eyes looked directly at An Yuan. For her, he was the primary target. The Zerg with possession ability targeted an S-rank Sentinel protecting An Yuan. It all happened in an instant. To protect An Yuan, Gu Hanqing had to clash with that Sentinel. Energy light scattered, blocking everyone’s vision.

The Queen screeched, the sound echoing in everyone’s soul like an aftershock. For the Sentinels, it was a terrible feeling, but it was followed by a guidance power so thick it felt tangible: An Yuan’s power.

An Yuan was stunned. He looked at a stone beneath his feet. When the energy light vanished, many people instinctively looked at him. An Yuan crouched down and pinched an ant the size of a fingernail from beneath the stone. He looked at the Queen surrounded by Zerg, and then at the black ant in his hand. He had not expected this to be the Queen’s true body.

He squeezed his hands hard. Though there was no sound, a shockwave more violent than the previous ones spread from the small insect, bringing a massive impact. At that moment, many saw the Zerg in battle looking at An Yuan with eyes full of hatred.

Then An Yuan’s body completely dissolved. Yes, a purification-like dissolution. When he crushed the Queen’s true body, her massive mental energy clashed with his in a final struggle. Yet, until the end, An Yuan did something. Everyone felt his guidance power envelop them: gentle, surging waves of power falling on everyone to protect them. He was their strongest support.

They realized a reality: An Yuan was dead.

An Yuan felt a pain in his brain. A jumble of information entered his mind, memories of someone else’s past. There were fragments and complete parts, though somewhat incomplete. It took about half an hour for him to shake his head and pull himself out of this daze. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he felt a very strange sensation. One moment, his consciousness was at the final clash with the Queen; the next, he was receiving the memories of another person.

The person was a young man named Rong Xiushi, nineteen years old, a sophomore at Fanse Academy. Fanse Academy was one of the top ten academies in the Five Districts, requiring excellent grades to enter. Rong Xiushi got in because of his good grades and because he was a Guide: a very ordinary D-rank Guide.

The time seemed to be two years after that great war. Yes, two years had passed. Two years ago, after the Five Districts mobilized almost everyone for the final battle, the Thean Temple lost a large number of Sentinels and Guides, especially Guides. Because so many Guides died, the admission standards for the ten academies were lowered, allowing a D-rank like Rong Xiushi to enter Fanse Academy.

Rong Xiushi was born in the Fifth District, also known as the Unnamed District. People born there dreamed of entering the other four districts. He came from an ordinary family with parents and a pair of twin siblings. His father died after an accident, followed soon by his mother, leaving Rong Xiushi with his younger siblings. He was in his second year of college, while they were in their first year of high school. Education in the Fifth District was particularly hard because it was the only way out for ordinary people. While the other four districts had nine years of compulsory education, the Fifth District did not. His parents worked themselves to death to support him. To lighten the burden, Rong Xiushi studied hard and won scholarships every year. Fortunately, at age twelve, he awakened as a D-rank Guide.

An Yuan remembered that he had been identified as a D-rank when he was very young. Many thought D-rank Guides were dispensable. In fact, even C-ranks could not enter the main Temple. For high-level officials, D-rank was negligible, but for the bottom layer of the Fifth District, it was a hope to take the family away. Rong Xiushi made it to Fanse Academy in the first district, but the tuition was massive. His parents left him no money. He relied on scholarships, help from his childhood neighbor Wei Hetai, and money from his teenage siblings who worked part-time.

His income came from providing guidance to students in the combat department. As a D-rank, he was at the bottom, and his effectiveness was limited, so the pay was low. This money, combined with tutoring and part-time jobs, was barely enough for tuition. He relied on his siblings and friends. His greatest worry was how to manage once his siblings reached college. His life was hard, and as someone from the Fifth District, he faced discrimination and school violence.

In that situation, the school’s idol, Wen Xiuyu, happened to see him being bullied and stepped in to help, giving him a peaceful school life. Rong Xiushi fell in love with Wen Xiuyu instantly, an uncontrollable, deep love. A year passed, and they were now both in their second year. Rong Xiushi hid his love. In early September, at the freshman welcome party, he usually would not attend due to work, but hearing Wen Xiuyu would be there, he went just to watch him silently.

However, he got drunk: the first time in his life. He stumbled up to Wen Xiuyu and said, “I, I like you!” His face was flushed with wine and shame. The venue went silent. One was at the top, the other at the bottom; theoretically, they should never have interacted. Wen Xiuyu, naturally cold, looked at him without expression and walked away. Rong Xiushi was met with mocking gazes. Before this, he had shiny black hair. Then, perhaps due to heartbreak, he woke up with entirely white hair, eyebrows and eyelashes included.

He became the school’s laughingstock. If he could choose, he would not go to school, but he had to for his siblings. Students were amazed by his white hair; some even suspected he was cosplaying the late double-S-rank An Yuan. His childhood friend took him for a checkup, and the result was that it was a natural phenomenon: heartbreak. He became a celebrity at Fanse Academy, a figure of pity.

An Yuan realized the reason he had taken over Rong Xiushi’s body was because the young man was exhausted. Regardless of his own condition, he provided guidance whenever a Sentinel needed it; his mental shield was destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly. He tutored three times a week, studied in the library, and worked part-time on weekends. He had worked himself to death.

The timing was delicate: about three days after the confession, and coincidentally, today was the anniversary of the great war. Theoretically, his death anniversary. An Yuan looked around. It was class time. Rong Xiushi’s life was not his own; he had to study to keep his scholarship. This was a Guide department class. The teacher was teaching how to establish mental shields. There were dozens of ways, from one-time shields to strong ones, and special shields for A-rank and above. A-rank Guides could establish an external shield to block eavesdropping; those below A-rank could not due to talent limits.

Class ended. Someone whispered, “I miss Lord An Yuan.” An Yuan was stunned. On his first day in this body, he heard his own name. Others agreed. Some said their goal was to visit the place where An Yuan used to work. Someone turned on the television. It was a news channel broadcasting the anniversary of the war two years ago. The host’s voice was gentle. Even though everyone knew what had happened, the classroom was silent as they watched the screen.

“Lord An Yuan disregarded his own life to perish with the Queen. Until the last moment, everyone in that battle felt his gentle guidance protecting them. Because of him, we won. Today, tens of thousands have come to the central district to commemorate him.”

An Yuan heard a student sobbing. The camera showed a long line of people with flowers. In a flash, he saw Gu Hanqing. Gu Hanqing’s eyes were blood-red, his hands clenched tight.

He clenched his fists, and bright red blood seeped out from between his fingers.

In An Yuan’s memory, Gu Hanqing had always been fastidious about his appearance, but now he looked to be in terrible condition. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his jaw was covered in stubble. Even though for An Yuan it felt as though only a moment had passed, for everyone else it had been two years. He felt as though Gu Hanqing had aged at least five years since they last met.

An Yuan thought of the others.

Wen Xiuyan and Madame Wen.

Were they all right?

He reflected on the fragments of memory he had received from Rong Xiush. Although Rong Xiush was very fond of Wen Xiuyu, Wen Xiuyan’s younger brother, there was no trace of Wen Xiuyan himself in Rong Xiush’s sea of memories. It was not because Wen Xiuyan lacked fame or excellence in the Five Districts, but simply because Rong Xiush’s life had been too bitter. He barely had enough time for study and work, let alone for thinking about other people.

Even though he liked Wen Xiuyu, he had no opportunity to give more thought to anything regarding him; he had to earn money.

A somber atmosphere filled the classroom.

One student said, “If we did not have class today, I would have wanted to go too.”

Many students voiced their agreement.

Just like Rong Xiush, many people in this class had to study hard for various reasons.

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