Invasion [Sentinel/Guide] Section 22

Cao Junmin had urged Ni Ji to dress up and look presentable to accompany him to a banquet—the kind of high-end social gathering that ordinary people would break their necks just to get a glimpse of.

Ni Ji, however, was always tactless enough to refuse. Every single time, asking him to comb his hair or change into a formal suit felt as if he were being asked to forfeit his life. That unruly student of his would always disappear without a trace at the most critical moments, completely disregarding his mentor's reputation. No amount of punishment ever seemed to work. Eventually, after a series of intolerable incidents, the bond between mentor and student was completely severed.

The truth was, Cao Junmin liked Ni Ji. Ni Ji was a fine blade—ferocious and formidable—incredibly useful when it mattered most. But what Cao wanted was a weapon, a hound, not a young man who constantly defied him.

No matter how proud and unyielding one might be in their youth, what did it really amount to? Cao Junmin wondered to himself. Everyone had been young once; everyone had known arrogance. But who could survive in this world with their hands clean? No one.

Therefore, when he saw Ni Ji dressed up obediently like everyone else, standing before him with his head bowed, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. It was as if every pore in his body had finally opened and relaxed. He had always been a tolerant elder toward children who were both capable and knew how to read the room.

He stood up from behind his desk, walked over to Ni Ji, and patted his shoulder with a benevolent smile. "You’ve been back for a few days now, Xiao Ji. Tonight, you and Tan Shu will stay by my side at the Count’s banquet."

Night fell, and many in the city had long since drifted into dreams.

For the masters of households who had toiled all day only to remain hungry, they lay down early to stave off the pangs of starvation. For the mistresses, whose rice jars were empty and who worried about where tomorrow’s sustenance would come from, sleep was nothing but tossing and turning. Children murmured in their dreams, longing for nothing more than a shriveled little apple.

Yet, far from the slums, in the heart of the city, the true nightlife was only just beginning.

The Count’s banquet hall was illuminated in a blaze of glory. Desserts slathered in cream and syrup were spread across every corner as if they cost nothing, accompanied by the freshest fruits, freshly plucked floral branches, perfectly seared lamb chops, and oysters being pried open by chefs.

The aroma of various wines flowed through the crowd. Three-dimensional projections, sights never seen in the slums, were cast wantonly everywhere. The clinking of glasses and the blur of lights created a scene of decadent indulgence.

All the guests wore exquisite attire, moving among each other with refined manners. It was as if the world were inherently overflowing with resources, prosperous and dreamlike. There were no polluted zones sprawling across the wilderness, nor were there any man-eating, aberrant creatures.

Before raising their glasses, everyone would say, "Give thanks to the White Tower."

It was the White Tower that sheltered this city, carving out this final sanctuary for humanity—the only Garden of Eden. The holy light of the White Tower forever shrouded the land, purging filth and guarding the glory of the Empire. Unlike the outposts in the remote regions, where everyone lived in the shadow of being swallowed by the polluted zones, life here remained safe, reliable, and ripe for hedonistic indulgence.

Cao Junmin led his two sentinels through the crowd, stopping to clink glasses and exchange pleasantries with familiar colleagues and superiors.

"Her Majesty hasn't appeared in quite a while. I truly hope for an opportunity to hear her guidance soon."

"It seems there’s a newly discovered relic from the Old Days in Polluted Zone 5. The Countess has expressed great interest in the contents."

They traded such safe, intimate-sounding remarks. Cao Junmin, born into a fallen noble family, had climbed from a grassroots sentinel to the principal of the Sentinel Academy and eventually the Commissioner of the Public Security Bureau. Now over fifty, he still maintained a fit physique, possessing both the traits of a sentinel and the refined, dashing air of a long-time academic principal. As he walked with his two tall, handsome guards, he was a striking sight. Many approached, intentionally striking up conversations with him.

The Countess, lifting her gown and leading a group of noblewomen, passed by. She veiled her face with a feathered fan, her thick eyelashes sweeping toward the men with a subtle, lingering glance.

Cao Junmin calmly set down his glass and smiled at those around him. "Forgive me, but I believe I should go and inspect the perimeter. One cannot afford the slightest mishap at the Count’s banquet."

Everyone praised his dedication and expressed their understanding. After all, everyone knew that this Commissioner of the Public Security Bureau had reached his current position solely through the patronage of Count James.

The Count’s banquet hall was vast, featuring gardens, promenades, ponds, and countless beautifully appointed lounges outside the main hall. After all, on such nights, fueled by copious amounts of alcohol and enchanting lights, things that everyone understood but never spoke of were bound to happen.

As the Count’s confidant, the Commissioner even had his own private lounge, complete with fine sofas, a comfortable bed, a wardrobe, and a wine rack. Cao Junmin picked two glasses from the rack and toyed with them.

Tan Shu, familiar with the routine, slid open a drawer, retrieved some specially crafted incense, and lit it in the burner. A faint, lingering, sweet fragrance immediately began to drift through the air.

Ni Ji stood there, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

He was a sentinel—all three of them were. A sentinel’s five senses were sharp, and their sense of smell was the first to be assaulted. The scent burning in the room seemed to burrow from his nose deep into his body, as if it could rot his bones and nerves. It made him feel profoundly uncomfortable.

Tan Shu pulled him out of the bedroom to keep watch by the door, winking at him. He wore an expression that suggested Ni Ji would get used to it sooner or later.

Not long after, the noble Countess appeared, her face veiled by her feathered fan, walking with a graceful, swaying gait. Tan Shu hurriedly bowed low and opened the door for her. The Countess said nothing, not even glancing at him as she went straight inside.

Tan Shu closed the door and remained bowed, standing still for a long while. Only after confirming there were no further instructions from within did he straighten up and let out a breath. He pulled Ni Ji into the adjacent pantry to rest.

"You don't need to stay so tense, Ni Ji. Relax a little," Tan Shu said, flopping into the only armchair in the pantry and propping his legs up on the table. "Look at you, why do you always stand so straight? We aren't in the army anymore."

To thrive in a place like this, the most important thing was to be like him: able to bow, able to bend, and ready at any moment to handle every private matter for his superior.

"You have to listen to me now. I’ll teach you slowly. After all, we were such good friends in the past." He found Ni Ji ridiculous—the man still stood as rigidly as a frontier soldier, his gloved hands clasped in front of him, like a taut bowstring.

"It’s no big deal; this is quite common among people like them. The Count has his own lovers, too. As for our teacher, rather than saying he relies on the Count’s patronage, it’s more accurate to say he relies on the Countess's skirts."

"For now, we can make some tea, rest for a bit, or even take a nap," Tan Shu said with a smile, gesturing with his chin toward the tightly closed, soundproof door of the bedroom, showing Ni Ji that he was the true confidant who understood everything about Cao Junmin.

"They’ll be in there for a long time—an hour or two. Do you know how many layers the Countess’s dress has? And then there’s the incense. Oh, that incense is top-tier; you’ve certainly never experienced it. That fragrance makes one intoxicated, forgetting all troubles, and time passes incredibly quickly in there. You should experience it yourself when you get the chance."

He sat in the chair, legs crossed, his eyes fixed on Ni Ji as he spoke.

Upon hearing this, Ni Ji finally moved. He walked over to the tea table, used his gloved hands to pick up a gold-rimmed ceramic teacup, carefully brewed a cup of black tea, added milk and sugar, and served it to Tan Shu.

*Once a man’s spine is broken, he learns to crawl very quickly,* Tan Shu thought. In the past, it was only he who had to flatteringly trail behind Ni Ji, serving him tea. That Ni Ji would obediently brew tea for him and lower his head to serve it was something he had never dared to imagine.

Tan Shu sat there, watching the teacup being presented before him. The slender, black-gloved fingers held the delicate, fragile ceramic cup steadily, waiting subserviently for him to reach out and take it.

He took the cup with great satisfaction and took a slow, leisurely sip.