Chapter 28: Mr. An Wei

Yue Li only cared about gossip; as for other matters, he was largely indifferent.

"Perhaps they just don't want to be around us smelly Sentinels," Yue Li remarked.

The youth lazily rolled over, lying on the sofa and propping his head up to watch Wen Li. "Little Butterfly."

Wen Li continued reading her documents without shifting her gaze, merely turning her profile toward him and emitting a soft, "Hmm?" Her response was both earnest and tinged with a hint of cuteness.

Yue Li’s eyes darkened slightly before he whined, "Little Butterfly, Little Butterfly, Little Butterfly."

The youth’s vibrant voice finally drew Wen Li’s attention. "What is it, Yue Li?"

The Sentinel’s eyes brightened as he asked, "Little Butterfly, you won't be deceived by the Association, right?"

Wen Li lowered her head, appearing lost in thought, as if she were carefully considering his words. The youth, fearing he had overstepped, looked panicked and began to stammer an explanation.

Suddenly, the girl let out a soft laugh. "I’m teasing you. Of course I won’t."

Yue Li let out a silent sigh of relief and rolled over to pull her into his arms. "I knew it! Little Butterfly is the best. Just make sure you don't get fooled by the Association’s facade!"

*Of course I won't,* Wen Li thought.

The letter left by the original owner’s mother contained only three short sentences. One of them concerned the Association: *Do not trust the Association!*

Naturally, Wen Li would not touch this poisoned apple wrapped in sugar. To be courted so aggressively—when things are abnormal, there must be a demon at work.

The voyage took about two hours. During that time, Wen Li performed a purification for the rowdy Sentinel beside her. After petting her red panda to her heart's content, Cyril knocked on the door. "Little girl, come out and take a look at the Association!"

The ship’s side hatch opened. Outside the glass stood a magnificent steel wall, and in the distance, clusters of exquisite villas. Cyril pointed upward. High in the sky, thousands of meters above, floated an island. Surrounded by a faint, dreamlike halo under the sunlight, it looked ethereal.

"What place is this?" Wen Li could not hide her shock.

A trace of mockery played on Cyril’s lips. "This is the City in the Sky, built by the Association specifically for high-level Guides."

At that moment, only one thought crossed Wen Li’s mind: *A cage. A beautiful cage.* She had expected the Association to be something like an academy; she never imagined it was an entire city where Guides lived.

"Sixty percent of the Federation's Guides are here," Cyril continued. "Even a D-class Guide can live in a villa here and enjoy a high-quality life."

The word "absurd" was all Wen Li could think. When wealth is concentrated in the hands of the few, it inevitably intensifies conflict. These pampered Guides did not have to work, go to the battlefield, or shed blood and sweat. They merely lived by siphoning the vitality of Sentinels. Because Sentinels required the purification of Guides, they were both consumables and necessities.

Compared to the outside world, filled with pollutants and war, this place was a paradise. But the people who built the Association clearly intended to control every Guide.

Wen Li asked Cyril, "Has no one else noticed this?"

Cyril narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Of course, little girl. There’s more than one smart person, but not many lucky ones."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... they all died."

The girl felt as if struck by lightning, stumbling backward until Yue Li caught her. *Then, the original owner’s mother as well?* A sharp pain pierced her heart—the original owner’s grief.

The ship passed through an invisible barrier, and they arrived at the Association. Following Cyril’s guidance, Wen Li met a middle-aged man in a suit. He appeared to be in his forties, though his temples were streaked with gray. His demeanor was refined and scholarly; it was hard to imagine he was a Sentinel.

He greeted her first, his tone amiable. "Guide Wen, you’ve had a long journey."

Cyril introduced him: "This is the person in charge of the Association's Sentinels, Mr. An."

Wen Li smiled in return. "Nice to meet you, Mr. An."

An Kui replied, "I had heard that a beautiful and powerful Guide had arrived from the White Tower. Seeing you today, the rumors were true."

Wen Li observed the man discreetly. His phrasing and conduct were much like the Easterners from her original world, giving her a sense of inexplicable familiarity. The Southern War Zone where the original owner lived had many Eastern faces. Perhaps due to her mother's heritage, Wen Li had golden hair, but her features were not as sharply defined as typical Westerners; she possessed a blend of Western skin and Eastern bone structure.

An Kui kept his gaze on her, as if reminiscing about someone. He smiled and said, "No need to be nervous, Guide Wen. Your mother was my proudest student. I even held you when you were a child."

*Wen Li: ...*

*Sure enough, these polite pleasantries never change, even after thousands of years.*

An Kui led Wen Li to the City in the Sky. Along the way, Wen Li noticed that the Guides living in the lower villa area were terrified of the visiting Sentinels. Her own Alpha squad seemed to them like ferocious beasts. Furthermore, every Guide, whether male or female, was surrounded by at least three Sentinels for protection.

When Wen Li greeted them in a friendly manner, they acted as if they hadn't seen her, smiling at An Kui instead and hurrying away. *Strange.* Even at the White Tower, things hadn't been this way. Though her colleagues didn't like her, they didn't treat her like she was contagious.

An Kui noticed but said nothing, continuing to promote the Association's welfare policies. To be honest, the Association treated its Guides exceptionally well. The monthly quota was only five purifications, with extra rewards for anything beyond that. The environment was beautiful, safety was high, and there were neither pollutants nor aberrant Sentinels. Apart from the marriage restrictions, it seemed full of freedom.

An Kui proudly pointed to a statue standing in the distance. Just then, the transparent elevator reached the City in the Sky. As Wen Li looked up, she saw the pristine, white sculpture glowing with a hazy halo under the blue sky. It depicted a female Guide standing tall, her gaze gentle as she looked into the distance. At her feet knelt a docile sheep.

"This is the Federation’s first SSS-class Guide, Mia," An Kui said, recounting her deeds with such sorrow that he nearly broke into tears.

Wen Li glanced at Yue Li. Both of their expressions conveyed the same thought: *Is this a rather... sensitive Sentinel?*

Cyril, as if expecting this, ushered them away. "Don't mind him. He’s like this every time."

The island was vast, divided into a front section and a rear section. Looking at the map, Wen Li was curious about a red building. "Cyril, what is that?"

"That is the Home of Guides, where they study," Cyril explained. Only high-level Guides could enter the City in the Sky, and the rear section was their residential area. Next to it was the Home of Guides, used for research and study. The front section was for exhibitions and guests, housing a museum that displayed the achievements of great Guides.

There was one place Wen Li really wanted to visit: the Association’s library. She heard it contained every book on Sentinels and Guides, including the forbidden ones. Unfortunately, she didn't have the clearance.

As for the competition, it was to be held in the Exchange Center in the front section.