SS-Class Guide - Chapter 24

Walking out of the high school with Wei Hetai, Rong Xiushi felt quite happy.

Wei Hetai asked, “Are you that happy?”

“Yes, I am a brother who makes Jiajia and Xiuxi proud,” Rong Xiushi said.

Being the pride of one’s family was inherently a very pleasant thing. The corners of Wei Hetai’s lips curved upward. “In two more years, you will be able to take those two children to other districts.”

Rong Xiushi nodded and added, “Even though I do not have much money, I still want to buy some more things for the children.”

“Alright,” Wei Hetai replied.

Rong Xiushi himself did not have a strong desire for shopping. In the life of An Yuan, money was just a number in an account, and he lacked for nothing regarding food, clothing, or shelter. However, having changed lives, a sudden urge to shop surfaced. His thoughts were simple: he merely hoped the two children, who had been used to a hard life, could live a bit more happily.

If the situation allowed, he would have loved to take the two little ones with him right now. They went to a mall together to buy household items the children might encounter in their daily lives. Suddenly, Rong Xiushi grabbed Wei Hetai’s wrist and led him into a restroom to hide. He had spotted people he used to be familiar with: a Sentinel team from the Shenwu Hall of the Se’an Temple.

After a while, they emerged from the restroom. The Sentinel team from Shenwu Hall was nowhere to be seen. They continued their shopping and later left the mall, delivering the large bags of goods to the rental house. From morning to night, Rong Xiushi could clearly feel that the patrol teams surrounding the city had increased.

That evening, when Rong Xiuxi finished school, the group gathered at the hospital to accompany Rong Xiujia. Rong Xiuxi said worryingly, “The Fifth District was never this chaotic before, but now there are so many patrol guards. They perform identity checks on every girl with long black hair they see. That escaped criminal must be an extremely vicious person, perhaps a serial killer.” As he spoke, he shook with fear.

Rong Xiushi remained silent. He thought it was fortunate that he had used a basic disguise when entering the black market with Wei Hetai. At the same time, he felt immense regret. Why did he only realize something was wrong after providing mental stabilization to that S-class Sentinel? Why did the hotel staff even send an S-class Sentinel to him for stabilization?

It was truly a situation where a real S-class Sentinel dared to let a fake B-class Guide provide stabilization, and a fake B-class, who was actually a double S-class, dared to stabilize a fake B-class who was actually a real S-class Sentinel. Thinking about it further was useless.

The eight-person ward was crowded. Hearing Rong Xiuxi’s words, a young man who was a caregiver for the neighboring bed said, “I heard it is not actually a criminal.”

Many people in the room were drawn in by the gossip and looked toward the young man. He continued, “The uncle of the wife of my friend’s brother works at a branch of the Se’an Temple. He heard that it is a Guide, an S-class Guide!”

Gasps of surprise echoed through the ward. The young man spoke again, “They say it is a wild S-class Guide!”

Rong Xiushi thought to himself that the term “wild” was quite a nuisance.

“Because of this wild S-class Guide, a large number of Hunters are reportedly heading toward the Fifth District,” the young man added.

“Of course, after all, that is an S-class.”

“How many S-class Guides are there in the entire Fifth District currently?” an old man in the ward lamented.

Rong Xiujia, lying on the bed, said, “However, if it is an S-class Guide and not a criminal, we can rest easy.”

No one wanted a terrorist in their living space. By comparison, a wild S-class Guide felt more like a legendary figure. Rong Xiujia was not in any serious danger. Rong Xiushi stroked the hair of the twins and told them he was preparing to head back to the Central District.

The twins were very reluctant to see him go, but they understood that his studies were more important than anything else. Education was their hope. Even in the mud, one must struggle upward; this was their positive attitude toward life. No matter how hard or tiring it was, thinking of a potentially better future made them fearless.

After saying goodbye to Rong Xiujia, Rong Xiushi asked Rong Xiuxi if he wanted to stay at the hotel for a night or go back to the rental house.

“I will go to the rental house,” Rong Xiuxi hesitated but ultimately chose the rental house.

Although he missed his brother, he understood that Sentinels and Guides needed a quiet environment to rest. The twins were very sensible; in every aspect of life, they would restrain their selfishness and think of others first.

Rong Xiushi and Wei Hetai took a taxi to drop Rong Xiuxi off, encountering another inspection on the way. The driver complained, “I do not know what is happening. I have been inspected dozens of times today alone.”

This was the main reason Rong Xiushi was eager to return to the Central District with Wei Hetai. Amidst the driver’s complaints, they sent Rong Xiuxi back to the rental house and then returned to the hotel. Rong Xiushi took out his phone to buy high-speed rail tickets for the next day.

Initially, he had planned to stay in the Fifth District for four days, but considering the current situation, he did not want to stay a single day longer, especially after hearing that a large number of Hunters had arrived. Rong Xiushi tried to purchase tickets to the Central District for the following afternoon, but he was stunned by what he saw. The entire Fifth District was currently under lockdown; entry was permitted, but exit was not.

Blinking, Rong Xiushi looked at Wei Hetai with disbelief and said, “It seems the Fifth District is in a state of lockdown.”

Compared to Rong Xiushi’s shock, Wei Hetai appeared very calm. He said, “That is normal.”

“What?” Rong Xiushi could not understand.

Wei Hetai paused before saying, “This just shows that this matter is significant enough for them to seal off an entire area.”

“But then we cannot return to school,” Rong Xiushi said worriedly.

He feared this would affect his advancement. He had to obtain his graduation certificate from Fanse Academy to be able to take the twins out of the Fifth District.

“Xiushi, you do not need to worry too much. The lockdown is temporary. Conditions will gradually relax after a while,” Wei Hetai comforted him.

“I am sorry. It is because of me that you are locked here,” Rong Xiushi said apologetically.

Wei Hetai smiled and said, “I have been in a very bad mood lately. Coming to the Fifth District with you counts as a change of scenery.”

Rong Xiushi felt bad making Wei Hetai accompany him for everything. Since the lockdown had occurred, he wanted Wei Hetai to do whatever he wanted without worrying about him, but Wei Hetai refused. Although they had grown up together in the Fifth District, Wei Hetai always had a subtle feeling that this place was very dangerous for Rong Xiushi. On closer inspection, it was not because Rong Xiushi was a high-level Guide; it was simply that the man himself gave off a sense of fragility, like glass or porcelain that might shatter with a light touch.

The next day, Rong Xiushi went out feeling apprehensive. He had to go out because his sister was still hospitalized, and it would be wrong not to visit her while he was still in the Fifth District. In fact, staying in the hotel was not safe either, as people would occasionally come for door-to-door searches.

After entering the ward, through the young caregiver at the next bed, Rong Xiushi and Wei Hetai heard more rumors of uncertain truth. They heard that every city patrol team now included one or two Hunters who were particularly sensitive to Guide pheromones. Fine beads of sweat broke out on Rong Xiushi’s forehead as he felt anxious. Wei Hetai took out a handkerchief and handed it to him. Rong Xiushi took it and wiped his brow.

When the twins heard that Rong Xiushi and Wei Hetai could not leave for the time being, they were both happy and worried. Wei Hetai comforted the children, saying, “It is fine. Do not worry. The Fifth District will surely open up in a few days.” He was not in a great hurry.

On the same day, Rong Xiushi and Wei Hetai contacted Fanse Academy to apply for a leave of absence. The academy did not make things difficult in such a situation of force majeure and easily granted the leave. Somewhat unexpectedly, many students from Fanse Academy heard that Rong Xiushi and Wei Hetai were stuck in the Fifth District and contacted them through various means to ask about the situation.

News travels fast. While the local people of the Fifth District were still unclear about what was happening, many students at Fanse Academy already knew about the presence of a wild S-class Guide. They wanted to learn more about this wild Guide through Rong Xiushi and Wei Hetai.

Every time Rong Xiushi heard these students, familiar or not, add the word “wild” when mentioning the Guide, his mood became very subtle. However, this small thing allowed him to establish a strange friendship based on gossip with many students over the phone. Even though he was the subject of the gossip himself, Rong Xiushi felt he must never let them know the truth.

On the eighth day of their stay in the Fifth District, they were finally able to purchase return tickets for the high-speed rail. However, the controls were very strict. First, everyone leaving the Fifth District had to have a legitimate reason; otherwise, they would not be allowed to pass. Furthermore, every person leaving had to undergo rigorous testing.

As students of Fanse Academy, even if they were afraid of the tests, they had to return under the current circumstances. Rong Xiushi purchased the tickets that same day for the following morning. That evening, Rong Xiushi said goodbye to the twins. This time, the farewell felt real, and he did not know when they would meet again.

Before going to sleep, he received more calls from Fanse Academy students. Without exception, they were asking about the Fifth District. The person on the other end of the line said that a wild S-class Guide hiding among the people was such a dreamlike thing. They mentioned that since he and Wei Hetai were in the Fifth District, if they were lucky, they might have already come into contact with that S-class Guide in their daily lives.

The person on the other end continued to imagine, suggesting that perhaps without even knowing it, they had already successfully held onto the powerful legs of that wild Guide. Rong Xiushi’s eyelids flickered as he listened to the various theories. He thought to himself that reality might be far more fantastical than their imagination. Others did not know, but he was certain that the person on the other end was currently speaking with the double S-class Guide.

After chatting for about fifteen minutes, they hung up. Wei Hetai looked at Rong Xiushi and asked, “Was that another classmate?”

Rong Xiushi nodded. Thinking about it, he found it quite amusing and shared the other person’s imagination. It was indeed funny, and a smile appeared on Wei Hetai’s face. Their thoughts synchronized as they both imagined how interesting it would be if that student ever found out that Rong Xiushi himself was that S-class wild Guide.

The next morning, the two woke up early and went to the high-speed rail station. Rong Xiushi said, “There should be many Hunters at the station.” He was very worried.

Wei Hetai paused and then comforted him, saying, “There will be no problem.”

“I hope so.”

The high-speed rail to the various districts had just opened, but there were already many people queuing in the station. Since the Fifth District had been locked down for several days, many people were trapped there; once they received the news, those with legitimate reasons applied to leave immediately.

The two waited in line. The inspections were much more tedious than in the past, with the primary targets being women, people with black hair, and those with ice-gray eyes. Rong Xiushi glanced around and saw many Sentinels in uniform, many of whom were likely Hunters. Rong Xiushi instinctively reinforced the spiritual barrier in his mental sea, trying his best to control the leakage of Guide pheromones.

Following the queue, checking luggage, he felt as though he was passing through levels of a game; he had to pass each one until he boarded the train to truly succeed. It was very difficult. Suddenly, a commotion broke out nearby. Rong Xiushi felt a bit nervous and pricked up his ears to listen. Although he was curious, even at a moment like this, he did not dare to consciously lower his spiritual barrier to enhance his senses.

To avoid the dispersion of Guide pheromones, he built an even thicker spiritual barrier. “What happened?” someone in the crowd asked in confusion.

“I am not sure.”

“I happen to know someone who works at the station. It seems a Hunter detected a B-class Guide.”

“B-class?”

“Is it a wild one?”

Rong Xiushi noticed that since the rumor of the wild S-class Guide had spread, the word “wild” seemed to have become a popular term. Shortly after, the crowd understood the situation. It was a misunderstanding; a Guide from the Se’an Temple was not wearing a uniform and had been detected by a Hunter and pulled from the line. Once the Guide’s identity was confirmed, they were quickly released.

The people queuing around Rong Xiushi seemed very disappointed. “So it is not a wild one.”

“Where would there be that many wild Guides?” someone muttered.

After the first round of inspection ended, everyone underwent a second round. Wei Hetai was in front of Rong Xiushi and was tested first. At the staff’s request, Wei Hetai looked directly into the camera, and his basic information appeared on the computer screen. Compared to Guides or ordinary people, the inspection for Sentinels was the fastest and they generally passed directly.

After Wei Hetai, it was Rong Xiushi’s turn. A staff member in a military-style uniform sat in a chair and called out, “Next.” Rong Xiushi could hear the sound of his heart accelerating. He stepped forward and stood before the camera.

“Take off your glasses and look at the lens,” the staff member said.

Rong Xiushi followed the instruction and took off his glasses. The staff member looked up at him, frowned slightly, and said, “Do not cover your eyes. Move your bangs aside.”

Rong Xiushi complied. The people standing behind him could see his uncovered face and the information on the electronic screen. “He is really handsome,” someone exclaimed.

“Was he born in our Fifth District?”

“No wonder he uses his bangs to hide his face.”

The staff member looked at Rong Xiushi on the screen and then observed him several times. Their attitude improved significantly as they asked, “A student of Fanse Academy?”

“Yes,” Rong Xiushi replied.

“You may pass,” the staff member said.

Rong Xiushi breathed a sigh of relief. He put his bangs back in place, put on his glasses, and joined Wei Hetai. Suddenly, he heard low voices. “Did you see that person?” someone in the crowd asked.

“Which one?”

“The one at the front of the line being inspected.”

“Do you mean the one with white hair who said he is a student of Fanse Academy?”

“Yes, him. I just looked at the electronic screen. Under that camera, he looks a lot like Lord An Yuan.”

“You have made me curious about him.”

Rong Xiushi’s eyelids flickered. He tried his best to maintain his composure as he and Wei Hetai underwent the third round of inspection. The third round was actually an inquiry. Was there a reason they had to leave the Fifth District during such an emergency? Some people had very poor excuses, but Rong Xiushi and Wei Hetai had legitimate reasons, so they passed easily.

What was quite subtle was that the person questioning Rong Xiushi was a woman who appeared to be around thirty years old. She reached out and took the glasses off his face. Rong Xiushi tried to stop her, but she said solemnly, “This is our routine inspection. Every person with ice-gray eyes must undergo this check.”

Rong Xiushi could only allow her to take his glasses. The woman brushed aside his bangs and looked at him with an admiring gaze. Only under the urging of others did she reluctantly let him go. However, before he left, she took out a business card, pressed her bright red lips against it to leave a kiss mark, and tucked it into his trouser pocket. She licked her lips and smiled charmingly. “I hope you will contact me.”

Rong Xiushi’s cheeks turned slightly red as he quickened his pace to escape with Wei Hetai. Seeing his panicked state, Wei Hetai laughed and teased, “You look like a pure young virgin right now.”

Rong Xiushi’s already red face grew even redder. He hurriedly put on his glasses and did not speak. News traveled fast. Before long, word of a beautiful white-haired person at the high-speed rail station spread rapidly. Without seeing the person in question, the news became more and more exaggerated.

This led many curious people to circle around Rong Xiushi. Some could not contain their curiosity and asked if he could take off his glasses and move his bangs so they could see his face. Rong Xiushi’s mouth twitched. Wei Hetai frowned and looked at them sharply. “It is because of people like you that he needs to hide.”

The gossip-seekers felt the terrifying aura emanating from Wei Hetai and slunk away. Even so, many people hurriedly stuffed their business cards into Rong Xiushi’s hands. The meaning was self-evident. After overcoming many obstacles, Rong Xiushi and Wei Hetai finally managed to board the high-speed rail back to the Central District.

However, even inside the train carriage, many people continued to circle around them out of curiosity. Wei Hetai sighed softly. He took Rong Xiushi to the staff and indicated they wanted to move to a private compartment. Even Wei Hetai had not planned to rent a private compartment, but there were simply too many people expressing curiosity about Rong Xiushi in the same carriage.

After spending a large sum of money, the two moved to a different location, isolating themselves from everyone’s gaze. In the private compartment, Rong Xiushi looked at Wei Hetai and felt very sorry. “I am sorry. It is because of me that you have been troubled.”

Wei Hetai shook his head. “It is fine. Do not worry about it. Everyone’s interest is only temporary.”

Rong Xiushi hoped that was true. He threw all the business cards and contact information he had received into the trash. Sitting in his chair, he finally felt his tense spirit relax, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him. However, he soon realized he had relaxed far too early.

A phone rang. Compared to Wei Hetai, Rong Xiushi undoubtedly had a much better temper, which led the gossip-seekers at Fanse Academy to prefer contacting him. The person calling was a student who loved gossip. Coincidentally, this student was also in the Guide department, in the same grade and class as Rong Xiushi, and was also a D-class Guide named Yu Tianlu.

Yu Tianlu’s excited voice came from the other end. “Xiushi, you are on the high-speed rail, right?”

“Yes.”

“I just heard that a beauty appeared at your station. I heard rumors that the person looks a lot like Lord An Yuan. Did you see them?” Yu Tianlu’s voice was full of excitement.

It could be said that Yu Tianlu was the most gossipy and familiar person Rong Xiushi knew. Rong Xiushi thought to himself that the gossip had found its way back to him. He paused and said, “No. Besides, I do not know what Lord An Yuan looks like.”

The person on the other end said, “He is exceptionally handsome, recognized as the number one beauty in our five districts!”

Rong Xiushi thought that there was absolutely no official recognition for being the number one beauty. Yu Tianlu said, “Xiushi, do me a favor.”

“What?” Rong Xiushi asked warily.

“That little beauty seems to be on the same train as you. Could you secretly take a photo for me?”

Rong Xiushi’s eyelids flickered as he asked, “What do you want that for?”

Yu Tianlu replied candidly, “Oh, it is nothing. I just want to post a photo of a little beauty on my social media.”

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