CH 51

Xiao Jiali took a deep breath, nervously but determinedly closing his eyes. The white horse comfortingly licked the back of his hand, resting its head on his thigh. This gesture reminded Xiao Jiali of Xiao Zhenyun’s stag; at home, Tian Lu would often do the same, placing its chin on Xiao Zhenyun’s leg, either begging for food or taking a little nap.

As a sentinel with an eagle spiritual body, Xiao Jiali rarely experienced such treatment, feeling envious but reluctant to admit it. Unexpectedly, today, thanks to Xiao Jingfeng’s intervention, he got to enjoy it.

The chairman, with such a docile white horse spiritual body, although he always appears carefree on the outside and specializes in spiritual attacks, is, in fact, a very gentle guide at heart… Thinking about this,

Xiao Jiali felt slightly relaxed…

—Then, he was whipped by a brutal and powerful spiritual force, the pain silencing him. It felt like someone had split open his skull and forcibly hammered it with a pestle. The intense pain made him struggle uncontrollably, wanting to destroy and shred the source of his agony.

The white horse immediately got up and leaned against Xiao Jiali, using its 700-pound weight to restrain his limbs, preventing him from moving.

Xiao Zhenyun heard a chilling roar, as if someone was ruthlessly tearing apart a throat. Si Di’s gaze deepened, like the ocean at night, quietly embracing Xiao Zhenyun’s shoulders, a comforting and protective posture. Each sentinel seemed naturally inclined to care for and protect their guide.

However, Xiao Jingfeng, as he claimed earlier, remained unmoved, sitting with closed eyes in his original position. Regardless of Xiao Jiali’s screams and pleas, he steadfastly continued to disrupt and intrude. Progress seemed extremely unfavorable, and he sternly shouted, “Xiao Jiali, don’t resist me!”

“I can’t, please stop…” Xiao Jiali, tears streaming down his face, suffered in silence. Xiao Zhenyun could hardly imagine the pain he endured. Having experienced severe spiritual injuries himself, nearly fainting from the pain, Xiao Jiali just sweated profusely, not uttering a word. But at this moment, he was crying and begging for mercy.

Xiao Zhenyun maintained an almost cruel silence, silently observing Xiao Jiali’s reactions. Si Di, who had always been wary and suspicious of Xiao Jiali, couldn’t help but say, “Chairman, if it’s too much…”

Suddenly, Xiao Jiali’s cry abruptly silenced, and he collapsed on the sofa, curling up in a defensive posture unconsciously. Xiao Jingfeng’s body also relaxed slightly, entering a trance.

The white horse stood up; its back and neck were scratched, and some places were even bleeding. It shook its tail, walked to the bathroom, stuck its head in, and brought out two towels, tossing them to Si Di.

Si Di: “?”

The white horse nodded towards Xiao Jiali, then nodded at itself. Afterward, it stood proudly, waiting for service.

Si Di: “…”

Helplessly, Si Di got up, soaked both towels in hot water, wrung them dry, and let Xiao Zhenyun wipe the horse’s wounds while he went to wash Xiao Jiali’s face.

Both of them thought that since Xiao Jiali suffered so much for Xiao Jingfeng to enter his spiritual domain, Xiao Jingfeng should spend some time there, helping him tidy up. But before Si Di could finish cleaning the horse, Xiao Jingfeng suddenly opened his eyes, staring at Xiao Zhenyun in shock.

Xiao Zhenyun had never seen such a terrifying and fierce gaze from Xiao Jingfeng. In a low and ominous voice, he asked, “Zhenyun, where did he come from? Tell me the truth.”

“Peach Blossom Club. He had already lost his memory when he entered, and I brought him out,” Xiao Zhenyun said calmly. “Is there something wrong with his spiritual domain?”

Xiao Jiali, weakened, woke up with a complexion even paler than Xiao Zhenyun’s. Xiao Jingfeng didn’t answer immediately, but Xiao Jiali already understood that whatever followed wouldn’t be good news. After a brief hesitation, Xiao Jingfeng seemed to contemplate whethis to have Xiao Jiali step aside. In the end, he chose to grant Xiao Jiali the right to know.

“His spiritual domain isn’t naturally awakened… it’s artificial. I encountered a similar case just two months ago,” Xiao Jingfeng said. “In the Caldari Republic, a 46-year-old sentinel’s spiritual energy strangely depleted, and his spiritual body died suddenly. On the fourth day, the sentinel’s brain died.”

“Like Xiao Jiali, his compatibility with any guide was extremely low, but not zero—hovering around 20-50. Six months ago, he began feeling unwell, his spiritual energy consistently declining. His guide tried everything, but it was futile. The chairman of Caldari’s union invited me to participate in treating this rare case. When I forcibly entered his spiritual domain, I witnessed a situation almost identical to Xiao Jiali’s.”

“That sentinel later confessed, desperate for survival. He had undergone an experimental, illegal level change due to severe self-esteem issues related to his D-level spiritual energy. Traces of artificial alteration were evident in his spiritual domain. His spiritual level changed, but it was a one-time occurrence. His spiritual energy recovery ability couldn’t meet the requirements of a B-level, so he continuously overdrew on his brain and gland functions.”

The room fell into a silent hush. After a two-second pause, Xiao Jingfeng revealed the brutal truth: “Xiao Jiali is even worse… his spiritual domain has no natural traces—all of it is artificially manufactured. He’s a one-time sentinel, lacking any genuine spiritual recovery ability. The spiritual energy he uses relies on consuming his own life. I suspect Xiao Jiali isn’t a sentinel at all; he’s an ordinary person transformed into a S-level sentinel through experiments. That’s why he awakened at twenty.”

“MP…” Xiao Zhenyun muttered. He looked up at Si Di, and their eyes met, coinciding with the sentinel. “Xiao Jiali is one of the escapees from the MP Research Institute!”

Not because he was prophetic, but Xiao Jingfeng’s description of the spiritual domain immediately brought Xiao Zhenyun’s thoughts to the contents of the Hard Shell Book. Until the end, the MP research institute hadn’t created genuine special individuals; they had only researched numerous ‘one-time’ sentinels. Their spiritual energy was like the charge of a battery—whatever it was when they left the factory was all they had. They couldn’t recharge. When their spiritual energy depleted, it was the moment of their death.

MP had created Xiao Jiali with a top-tier, luxurious S-level spiritual grade, but they had also chosen the maximum consumption rate for him. A D-to-B sentinel would die after ten years of experimentation, but Xiao Jiali, once an ordinary person transformed into a S-level sentinel, wouldn’t last more than a year from the depletion of his spiritual energy.

Xiao Jiali widened his eyes, seemingly wracking his brain to recall, “MP… MP?”

In the novel, Xiao Jiali met his demise at the hands of ‘Xiao Zhenyun’ before even awakening, leaving behind a trail of blood and sin concealed by darkness. In reality, Xiao Zhenyun accidentally saved Xiao Jiali, but it seems he couldn’t prevent his destined demise. Jiali plummeted from the skies, transforming from the elite S-rank Sentinel prodigy to an illegal experimental subject with a lifespan not exceeding a year.

“After the plane incident, the MP Research Institute shifted its focus to the sovereign territory of the Sorenland Union. Their government loyally supports this research, repeatedly obstructing our cross-border investigation with claims of lacking evidence,” Si Di murmured. “Chairman, if your deduction is correct, Xiao Jiali is our prime evidence.”

“…” Xiao Jingfeng nodded, turning to the man beside him. Xiao Jiali gazed blankly ahead, unable to recall anything about his past or the experiences he went through.

While B-rank Sentinels willingly underwent experiments, what about him? Did he voluntarily become an experimental subject out of dissatisfaction with an ordinary life? If so, was everything he endured now a consequence of his own choices?

Xiao Jiali’s mind was a blank slate. Though he obediently let Xiao Jingfeng forcibly breach his spiritual domain, enduring inhumane pain, a bleak fate awaited him. Helplessly, he raised his head, glancing past Xiao Jingfeng to Xiao Zhenyun sitting nearby.

This ethereal and graceful man had once saved him during the initial confusion of his amnesia. Now…

Xiao Zhenyun waved at him, softly saying, “Little bird, come here.”

Xiao Jiali stared at him, only rising after a while, kneeling in front of him. A cool hand caressed his head, allowing him to rest on Xiao Zhenyun’s thigh. Xiao Zhenyun lowered his gaze, not entirely convinced by the words he was about to say. Even if it was fabricated, he spoke with unwavering belief and certainty.

Because the little bird was on the verge of collapse.

“It’s okay, Jiali. Look, I managed to save Senior Si Di’s spiritual domain from complete collapse. You’ll find a way too,” Xiao Zhenyun ruffled Xiao Jiali’s hair. “Jiali, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

“…” Xiao Jiali closed his eyes, tears streaming down. “Mr. Xiao, I want to go home…”

“Then let’s go home,” Xiao Zhenyun said. “Withdraw from the competition and go home.”

At one in the morning, Xiao Nian, still half-asleep, watched Xiao Zhenyun, Xiao Jiali, and Si Di enter the house covered in dust, thinking he was sleepwalking. Then, one by one, they walked in. Despite Jiali’s extremely low spirits, he habitually greeted Xiao Nian with a weak “Nian Nian, good evening…”

“Good evening,” Xiao Nian said bewilderedly. “Why are you all back? Weren’t you participating in the coastal city simulation? Did everyone get eliminated?”

Xiao Zhenyun had Si Di take Xiao Jiali to their room and comfort him with his own experiences. Then, he forcefully pulled Xiao Nian into the room.

Before the administrator could celebrate at all the Sentinel grass being eliminated, ensuring no impact on the main characters’ plotlines, Xiao Zhenyun bombarded Xiao Nian with news about Xiao Jiali and, in a hushed tone, asked, “Is there any way to save him?” 

Xiao Nian stared blankly, dumbfounded for quite a while before saying, “What can I do?”

“Aren’t you the admin?”

“I’m just an admin, not the creator. I can’t intervene too much in matters of life and death,” Xiao Nian averted his gaze. “Besides, Xiao Jiali was meant to die, living an extra year is already a bonus.”

“Really, there’s no way at all?” Xiao Zhenyun pondered, gritting his teeth. “After the plot ends, can I give him my healthy body? I’ve gotten used to this sickly one, and living here with high intelligence, not having legs isn’t much of an inconvenience.”

“Are you crazy?” Xiao Nian said incredulously. “There are countless deaths in the subsequent plotlines, just in the MP Experimental Facility line, there are hundreds of experimental subjects with deaths similar to Xiao Jiali’s. You want to save them all? Xiao Zhenyun, don’t casually change the plot just because you know the future storyline. Your own storyline involves few characters, is in the early part of the novel, and is relatively light-hearted. Even if there are changes, the consequences won’t be too severe. As for the others… it’ll only get worse if you keep changing things.”

Xiao Zhenyun pursed his lips, sighed, and said, “But who asked me to encounter him? I can’t just not do anything when there’s something within my power, right?”

After a while, Xiao Nian softened his tone, his expression emotionless. “No, have you forgotten? When we made the deal, to make you, who was so suspicious, believe in the truth of my words, I already encoded the conditions for the end of the plot into the world program. I can’t change it with my abilities. If you want to save Xiao Jiali, at least it’s not possible through my route.”

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