Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Luo Ci perked up one ear.

By the champagne tower stood two exceptionally striking young men.

The one on the left wasn't particularly eye-catching at first glance, but his features were well-defined and enduringly handsome, exuding an air of steady reliability. He was the one who had spoken earlier, now staring in astonishment at the little snowball nestled in Roland’s arms. The other young man, standing beside him, possessed features as exquisite as a painting, and he knew precisely how to leverage his good looks. Dressed in a meticulously tailored tailcoat, his smile was humble yet elegant, making him the undisputed center of attention wherever he went.

At his companion’s uncharacteristic lapse in composure, the exquisitely handsome young man’s eyes flickered with momentary confusion. But upon hearing the name “Xiao Nuo,” a sudden understanding dawned, and his gaze subtly shifted.

“Is that… Xiao Nuo?”

The reliable-looking young man’s gaze remained fixed on the little snowball, his expression less one of joy than of sheer disbelief.

He instinctively took two steps forward, eager to confirm the snowball’s identity, but hesitated, mindful of Roland’s watchful presence and A Jin’s menacing stance nearby.

Roland’s eyes moved, recognizing the man as Tu Lang, a Class A Sentinel from the A-grade Guild Tuyue. Tuyue was a private guild, ranking in the middle-to-lower tier among A-grade Guilds.

Luo Ci looked at the man with a puzzled expression. He had no recollection of him, yet for some inexplicable reason, he felt a profound sense of familiarity.

As he tried to recall, a flurry of fragmented memories flashed through his mind.

The Tu family—its earliest founder was a beast-form ability user. The beast-shifting genes could be passed down, so nearly the entire Tu family consisted of Sentinels, earning them the nickname “the Carnivorous Rabbit Family.”

Yet, in a family full of carnivorous rabbits, Tu Nuo was born—the youngest, a vegetarian rabbit. Not only did his body remain small, but he was also neglected since birth, rejected by his family and bullied at school. When Tu Nuo tearfully said he didn’t want to go to school anymore, his family called him a disgrace.

Growing up in such an oppressive environment, Tu Nuo’s only pillar of support was his elder half-brother, Tu Lang.

“Brother…” Little Tu Nuo had once again ranked last in a training exercise and was locked in a dark room as punishment. After two days without food, he lay limp on the cold floor as a dirty little snowball. Tu Lang secretly brought him candy, and little Tu Nuo licked the candy from his palm. “I’m sorry… I disappointed you again.”

Tu Lang gently stroked the snowball’s soft back. “It’s okay. That was Sentinel training. You’re not a Sentinel.”

“B-but I want to be like you…” Little Tu Nuo lowered his head dejectedly.

From birth until now, Tu Nuo’s body had barely grown. He placed all his hopes in training, believing that if he worked hard enough, he could become as strong as Tu Lang and escape the scorn and bullying.

“It’s fine. I’ll never think less of you.” Tu Lang’s eyes flickered as he comforted the curled-up snowball.

In truth, he had long suspected Tu Nuo might awaken as a Guide. Once, when he returned from a gate on the verge of losing control, it was Tu Nuo who stayed by his side and helped stabilize him. From then on, he began to wonder.

Guides were far rarer than Sentinels. Even among top-tier A-grade Guilds, Guides were valuable assets, let alone in a private guild like Tuyue. The number of Guides was few, and unless a Sentinel was on the verge of losing control, they rarely had a chance to receive psychic soothing.

After realizing Tu Nuo might awaken as a Guide, Tu Lang planned to make him his exclusive Guide.

Rather than competing with dozens of others for one Guide, why not manipulate a child into providing him with soothing?

After all, Tu Nuo wanted his company, didn’t he?

Two years passed like this. Gradually, Tu Nuo noticed his brother spending less and less time with him. They used to talk every day after training, then it became once a week, and eventually, ten days or sometimes half a month would pass without a meeting.

Little Tu Nuo was still frequently punished with solitary confinement, and his only hope was his brother pushing open the door with candy, bringing light into the dark little room.

But after he was classified as a B-class Guide, those visits grew fewer and fewer—until one day, he saw Tu Lang walking with that exquisitely handsome young man. Other Sentinels whispered enviously, and only then did Tu Nuo learn that the young man’s name was Xie Yin—an A-class Guide.

Later, the S-class gate appeared. A top-tier A-grade Guild approached them, suggesting a joint mission. The other side was confident, but the Tuyue Guild leader believed challenging an S-class gate was suicide. Yet, they specifically chose Tu Lang.

One afternoon, Tu Nuo saw Tu Lang again—but in terrible condition, with a long, bleeding wound below his ribs. Tu Nuo’s tears nearly fell. “Brother, how did you get so badly hurt…?”

“Just came back from an A-class gate,” Tu Lang said. “It’s nothing serious. Has there been any news at home lately?”

Tu Nuo told him about the S-class gate. Tu Lang pressed a hand to his wound and sighed. “I’d like to go, but in my condition, how can I?”

“Can’t you talk to them? If only I could go in your place…”

“Would you really?” Tu Lang pressed.

Tu Nuo had no concept of what an S-class gate meant. He had never even entered a C-class gate, let alone understood the dangers of an S-class. In his innocence, he nodded.

Tu Lang immediately contacted the A-grade Guild and explained the situation. Normally, Guides were closely guarded by their guilds—after all, they had no combat abilities, only soothing skills. Few Guides were willing to enter gates.

Though they were losing an A-class Sentinel, gaining a B-class Guide was still an acceptable exchange.

And so, little Tu Nuo entered the S-class gate in his brother’s stead. He was the only Guide to enter that year, standing out conspicuously among the tall, burly Sentinels. When the gate opened, families and reporters gathered around. Tu Nuo searched the throng, hoping to see his brother—but even as they stepped inside, that familiar figure never appeared…

To Tu Nuo, his brother had always been warm and reliable—the only person who ever showed him kindness. But for Luo Ci, who now pieced together these fragments of memory, Tu Lang was far from warm. On the contrary, he was selfish, offering only cheap candy scraps and empty sweet words before discarding Tu Nuo once he was no longer useful.

Still, blood ties remained. Even after years apart, Tu Lang recognized the familiar little rabbit at a glance.

When the snowball ignored him, Tu Lang wondered if he’d mistaken the identity—but upon closer inspection, he confirmed it was Tu Nuo. He stepped closer, wearing the smile Tu Nuo knew so well. “Xiao Nuo, don’t you remember me?”

“Guh?” Luo Ci had no interest in acknowledging him. He turned his head away.

Tu Lang opened his mouth to speak again, but his view was abruptly blocked by a wall.

A Jin glared at him, open hostility in his expression.

He’d been holding back for a while now—the little snowball hadn’t even called *him* “brother” yet! Where did this wild brother come from?

The chandelier overhead swayed violently as an S-class Sentinel’s pressure crashed down on Tu Lang like a storm. A Jin crossed his arms, his gaze openly vicious. “*I’m* our little snowball’s brother. What, you looking for me?”

Tu Lang’s face paled. An A-class Sentinel might throw their weight around elsewhere, but against an S-class, the gap was insurmountable. The cold wind sliced like blades, leaving thin cuts on his cheeks. He immediately stepped back. “N-no, I—”

A Jin pressed aggressively. “Then you’re looking for the snowball?”

“You think you’re worthy of knowing *our* snowball?”

As an A-class Sentinel, Tu Lang hadn’t faced pressure this overwhelming in years. The wind blades hovered at his neck like executioner's blades—one wrong answer, and he’d lose his head.

Drenched in cold sweat, he couldn’t speak. Xie Yin stepped forward, placing a hand on his back, and Tu Lang finally snapped out of it. “My apologies… I mistook him for someone else.”

Roland stood quietly to the side, gently stroking the snowball’s back. The little snowball was usually a warm, affectionate ball of fluff, never shying away even from terrifying or unpleasant people. This was the first time Roland had seen him so averse to someone, burying himself deeper into his arms.

Roland’s pale purple eyes shifted, watching Tu Lang and Xie Yin’s retreating figures. A chilling light flickered in his pupils.

“Ha…” A Jin gloated. “They’re in for some bad luck.”

Luo Ci tilted his head up in confusion. “Ji?”

A Jin: “Roland’s ability is ‘Word of Power.’”

The incident had drawn quite a crowd. Wherever Tu Lang passed, whispers and pointing followed.

Most assumed he’d been trying to cozy up to Tansapa. Humiliated, Tu Lang kept a low profile.

Then, the crowd suddenly parted—Chen Wang and the Bureau Director had arrived.

The Bureau Director, Ao Qi, appeared to be in his early thirties, with broad shoulders and a cautious, steady demeanor. A two-meter-tall grizzly bear loomed beside him, marking him as a mental variant ability user.

Chen Wang’s hands were tucked in his pockets as he swept a glance across the room. Wherever his gaze landed, heads instinctively bowed—a primal fear.

"Quite a crowd this time," Chen Wang's voice remained lazy, "probably not just for the meeting, huh?"

The annual auction rotates among the territories of major A-grade Guilds. Last year it was held in Snowbird City, and this year it's Linhai City's turn—no wonder so many people showed up, likely with the auction in mind as well.

Chen Wang: "Any must-follow principles for today's meeting?"

Ao Qi sighed and said, "Don’t damage anything here. You know how expensive these things are."

Chen Wang shrugged, "I'll try my best," he said.

Ao Qi took the list from his secretary and, after confirming everyone was present, gestured for them to take their seats: "Thank you to all the guilds in attendance today. As the president of Linhai Guild and director of the Ability Management Bureau, the main purpose of convening this discussion meeting is..."

Luo Ci was listening intently to Ao Qi when Sha Ni Lu beside her swirled his wine glass and scoffed, "Hah, Ao Qi’s hair gets thinner every year. He looks older every year."

Zhong Shijin adjusted his glasses, nodding in agreement: "He’s under too much pressure."

Ao Qi was originally just the president of Linhai Guild. But as inter-guild competition grew increasingly vicious with no one to mediate, the idea of establishing an Ability Management Bureau emerged.

By ability, Chen Wang would have been the obvious choice, but he had no patience for it. In his own words: "Who wants to waste time mediating petty squabbles all day?"

So Ao Qi voluntarily took on the role and has held it dedicatedly for years, gradually earning widespread recognition for the Bureau.

Midway through introducing the prison escapees, Ao Qi—just as Sha Ni Lu mocked his receding hairline—paused briefly in his speech: "..."

Luo Ci wondered if Ao Qi, with his S-class Sentinel senses, might have overheard.

After a few seconds, Ao Qi continued: "Especially the most wanted escapee, Class A Sentinel Xinjila. After his child died unexpectedly without a Guide’s intervention, Xinjila willingly entered a rampant state, harboring intense hatred for Guides. Even after psychological intervention, he’s been heard saying things like, ‘I can’t live without something to hate.’ He’s an extremely dangerous individual."

After presenting the basic information, leaders from various guilds began voicing their opinions.

Luo Ci, her little belly slightly rounded from eating, crawled from Roland’s lap to Zhong Shijin’s and stretched out a tiny paw to tug at Chen Wang. Since she was a Guide, bonding with Chen Wang would be beneficial, right? Though she didn’t understand why he wouldn’t hold her, she knew he still cared deeply about her.

The fist-sized snowball-like creature stood on tiptoe, her tiny paws fumbling at Chen Wang’s sleeve. Zhong Shijin grew slightly worried Chen Wang might lose patience, but his concern proved unnecessary—Chen Wang indulged the little snowball far more than expected.

Though he didn’t actively reach for her, when she wobbled like a melting milky-white sticky rice cake and nearly slipped off the knee’s edge, Chen Wang swiftly steadied her.

Zhong Shijin’s glasses glinted faintly.

This meant Chen Wang’s attention never left the little snowball.

Then an unusual voice spoke up: "If Xinjila despises Guides, then his accomplices hiding his prison escapee status couldn’t possibly be Guides, right? It’d have to be a guild with many Sentinels... In that case, doesn’t Tansapa fit the profile perfectly?"

Luo Ci glanced at Chen Wang, who rested his chin on one hand, his expression smirking.