Chapter 7: Contract

Contract

Fu Guang lazily rubbed the blanket against her cheek, opened her eyes and saw Qing Feng by the table lifting his gaze toward her.

"Awake? You look well rested."

"Mm." Fu Guang's voice hoarse, she sensed her mental landscape had recovered one‑quarter, her eyes flashing bright.

Has she encountered a male bodhisattva?

She sat up, a few strands of gold hair clung loosely to her cheek, and a few more hairs, due to static, floated above her head.

Like an antenna.

"Hn." Fu Guang just woke up, her thoughts still a bit fuzzy, following Qing Feng's gaze she smoothed the floating hairs on her head.

Qing Feng flashed a motion in his hand and passed over a green comb.

Thick with a wooden grain texture, in the flickering light a warm‑wet comb surface revealed a carved bird in flight.

The comb's head is shaped like a bird's head, its tail formed from the beautiful tail feathers of a green bird.

In the sunlight it casts the shadow of a green bird spreading its wings and flying.

"Is it a green bird?" Fu Guang played with the wooden comb, somewhat reluctant to let go.

The green bird is a symbol of auspiciousness and renewal; when it arrives, vitality flourishes and all things revive.

"Yes." Qing Feng's eyes deepened with smile, thud thud thud, the green bird pecking at the wood worked even harder.

In the blink of an eye a statue of it was carved.

"Chirp chirp chirp." It flew high within the mental landscape, singing joyfully, wanting to send out the new gift.

Qing Feng turned his head to look outside the carriage, his earlobes slightly flushed.

He cleared his throat and said, "We've arrived, Fu Guang."

"Welcome to the White Tower." He looked back at Fu Guang and spoke earnestly.

The hovercar gradually descended, landing outside the transparent barrier.

Inside the unmanned hovercar a robotic voice sounded: "Destination reached, White Tower."

Fu Guang stood and handed the wooden comb to him. Qing Feng waved his hand to refuse, the warm‑spoken man said, "Just take it as a gift for our first meeting."

The car door opened, but what met her eyes was not the towering white spire Fu Guang had just seen.

"The towering White Tower is where Guides work."

"This is also the White Tower; the capital star has separately zoned an area where only Guide activity takes place, with no Sentinels."

The two passed through the shimmering barrier; Fu Guang observed the barrier flowing over her like water, and the environment inside made her involuntarily widen her eyes.

Qing Feng continued, "The barrier is formed by the mental power of each S‑rank Guide; any Guide may move freely through it."

He pointed to the three rotating doors ahead, "One side is ordinary people's dwellings, one side is Guides' residences, and the other side is the exchange."

Fu Guang paused and asked, "Ordinary people?" She had seen very few ordinary people along the way; this world is dangerous, and even the attrition rate of Sentinels as war machines remains high, let alone ordinary people.

One could say that due to the harsh interstellar environment and varying planetary gravities and rotation speeds, few ordinary people can adapt to two planets' conditions.

Therefore, ordinary people rarely stray far from their home planet.

Thus, once this planet suffers an alien invasion, it will be utterly annihilated.

"Undifferentiated ordinary people receive some assistance from the White Tower; agriculture, animal husbandry and the like also have many excellent talents." Qing Feng walked half a step ahead of Fu Guang, speaking without visible emotion.

"Each to their own reliance, each to their own sustenance—pretty good." Fu Guang replied.

She followed him into the central light gate, noticing houses of various styles.

The brick‑stone houses shifted with her steps into mortise‑and‑tenon built lofts, and the streets also changed to resemble the opposite houses' style.

A step changes the view; for Fu Guang this is utterly ordinary scenery, only here it is not the fading‑flower garden vista.

One household's owner lives in pavilions, terraces and towers; another dwells in a mecha three meters tall; the neighbor is a purple‑hued magic cottage; two windows become a sun and moon, while hanging on the door is a string of wind chimes that tinkle at every breeze.

At some point a purple‑robed girl wearing a pointed hat that could reach the roof appeared, sitting on the moonlit windowsill, legs swinging up and down, her same‑colored eyes flashing, she spoke cheerfully, "Sir Qing Feng, are you a newcomer?"

"Yes, this is Fu Guang."

"Zi Yun."

The girl nodded, then suddenly changed expression, glanced at Fu Guang and quickly looked away, as if she dared not meet Fu Guang's face, she whispered, "It's you."

She leaned back, the purple curtain billowed, and she disappeared from Fu Guang's sight.

"That child..."

Soon after, the bamboo‑paved path sounded with thud thud thud; Fu Guang turned, the purple‑haired girl placed an object in her embrace, spun quickly and returned indoors. "Fu Guang, sorry."

"What is this?" Fu Guang lifted a silver bracelet bearing a sun‑and‑moon pattern; striking it produced a clear resonance.

"Zi Yun excels at making protective gear; this is an A‑rank defensive device."

"No need to be embarrassed; preparing gifts for new Guides is a tradition of the White Tower."

Since getting off the vehicle, Qing Feng has never once looked directly at her.

His tone was light and breezy, not like he was lying: "No need for mental pressure; the White Tower is the Guides' home, and it's normal for kin to exchange gifts."

"Is that really the case? Then why does the girl dare not look at her?" Fu Guang gripped the bracelet lying in her palm.

She lifted her eyes and asked, "Sir Qing Feng, did you come specially to pick me up?"

"Yes."

"I understand."

The White Tower has eight S‑rank Guides who jointly decide on matters.

Surely Qing Feng is one of them.

No wonder the White Tower gave her this discard instead of an A‑rank Guide's S‑rank defensive device; now the highest combat power is SS, so the value of an S‑rank defensive device can be imagined.

Though the White Tower's methods are harsh, they still retain a hint of warmth.

Harsh yet gentle.

"I understand." she murmured.

There are eight White Tower guides, who together discuss and decide on events.

"I'm sorry..." Qing Feng noticed Fu Guang's sharpness, his face turned slightly pale, his gaze dimmed a bit, intending to unveil the naked reality beneath the gentle facade.

"No need to say." Fu Guang softly interrupted his words.

She caught a glimpse of the curtain embroidered with a purple moon being lifted at one corner, and the little girl Ziyun sneakily glanced over here.

"I understand."

For the greater good, some people must inevitably be sacrificed; it just happened to be her.

As expected, things without value will be abandoned.

Fu Guang wasn't angry; she had no ties to the White Tower, so this choice truly couldn't be blamed on anyone, and even if she were in the decision-maker's position, she would choose the option with the least impact.

Still, there would be some regret; it turns out that in this world, no one will treat you well for no reason.

She also considered it acceptable to accept Qing Feng's patronage; upon arrival, she was personally received by an S-rank guide, and the Xue Yuan, out of respect for Qing Feng, would also have the Sentinels restrain their behavior.

Since the other party is open and aboveboard, she also need not hide anything.

"Lord Qing Feng, you need not feel guilty about this."

Fu Guang stepped forward and gazed at his somewhat dim green eyes.

"My contract with the White Tower has been reached, with both sides clearly defining the terms and benefits."

"As long as the White Tower promises not to shortchange the generous remuneration they offered me, any later regret would be sufficient."

"This is my choice; I have no regrets and will not retreat."