Chapter 17: Looked Down Upon
"Xiao Hao, don’t say that..." Lin Yueyao immediately tried to persuade him.
"Sister Yue Yao, stop defending her!"
Lin Hao completely lost control. He grabbed Lin Yueyao’s wrist, his voice rising in agitation.
"To clean up my mess, you agreed to such harsh conditions, you even had to go... counsel *them*! Look at her... has she ever cared about me? She can’t wait for something to happen to me!
Anyway, in this lifetime, you’re the only sister I’ll ever acknowledge! I will absolutely never acknowledge *her*!"
Yun Sheng listened to the torrent of accusations, her gaze calm as she watched Lin Hao.
"So, you’re saying that you going to a bar, drinking, getting into a fight, and ultimately losing control of your spiritual power and attacking a guide... I’m responsible for this string of foolish acts? Is that it?"
She took a step forward.
Though she stood facing Lin Hao at eye level, she somehow gave off an oppressive, condescending aura.
"Lin Hao, if we follow your logic, does that mean your life, your choices, and your future and dignity as a Sentinel all hinge on someone else’s every word and action? Is such a fragile future truly valuable?"
Lin Hao was left speechless, the color draining from his face, which was now flush with humiliation and anger.
"What right does a cold-blooded person like you have to criticize me!"
"Enough!" Lin Zhenye barked. "Both of you, shut your mouths! Isn’t this enough of a mess?!"
He glared at Lin Hao. "Get back to your room. You’re not to come out without my permission!"
Lin Hao’s chest heaved. Under his father’s furious gaze, he finally, reluctantly, lowered his head and let Lin Yueyao help him upstairs.
Yun Sheng averted her gaze from the various expressions of the people in the hall. She turned and walked straight toward the front door.
"Where are you going?" Lin Zhenye demanded, his voice cold.
"The Tower summoned me," Yun Sheng said without breaking her stride.
"The Tower?" The weariness on Lin Zhenye’s face was instantly replaced by sharp alarm. "What do they want with you?"
At these words, both Lin Hao, trudging upstairs with his head bowed, and Lin Yueyao, who was supporting him, froze and looked back.
"I don’t know. They just said it was a routine notice that requires an in-person meeting," Yun Sheng replied evenly, pausing at the door.
’The situation is unclear. The less said, the better.’
Lin Zhenye’s brow furrowed as he scrutinized her.
’Why would the Tower suddenly summon Yun Sheng?’ he wondered. ’She failed her awakening!’
"Yun Sheng, are you going by yourself? The procedures at the Tower can be complicated. Would you like me to go with you?" Lin Yueyao offered, her concern seeming almost too perfect.
"No, thank you." Yun Sheng’s refusal was blunt. "The Tower’s notice specified I am to go alone."
With that, she walked straight out the door.
Lin Yueyao watched the figure disappear through the doorway, her gaze darkening.
’The Tower... Why would they suddenly summon Yun Sheng?’
Her expression unreadable, she raised her wrist, tapped out a quick message on her terminal, and sent it.
[Hey, could you keep an eye out for me? There’s a girl named Yun Sheng heading to the Tower this afternoon. Let me know immediately if there’s any movement from her. Thanks.]
A reply came back almost instantly.
[Sure. I’ll look into it. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.]
...
「2:10 PM」
Yun Sheng stood before the Tower’s headquarters.
Before her stood a colossal, silver-gray structure of cold, sharp lines—the supreme central command for all Sentinels and guides on the Capital Star, and indeed, the entire Star Alliance.
People moved in and out of the building with brisk steps and solemn expressions. Each was wreathed in a Spiritual Force Field—some strong, some weak, some stable, some turbulent—like an invisible insignia.
But Yun Sheng, in her simple clothes, her own aura so clean it was almost "barren," was completely out of place in this stream of people, sticking out like a sore thumb.
Sure enough, the moment she set foot on the steps to the main entrance, a security guard posted by the door raised a hand to stop her.
"Please present valid identification and your access permit."
The uniformed Sentinel guard’s eyes were sharp as lightning as they swept over her. Beneath his professional tone lay unconcealed scrutiny.
Yun Sheng handed over her ID card and the electronic notice on her terminal.
The guard took them and verified the information on a handheld scanner.
In the few seconds she waited, subtle glances from all around converged on her.
Not far off, two young guides about to enter the building paused, their eyes landing on Yun Sheng.
They exchanged a glance and began to converse in low, unabashed tones.
"A civilian? Look at her aura... not a hint of spiritual power."
"What’s she doing at headquarters? She must be lost. Civilian matters are handled at the Municipal Administration Hall next door."
"Who knows. Maybe she’s from some backwater planet and doesn’t know any better."
Their casual remarks were laced with obvious contempt.
"The notice is valid. Section B, straight ahead. Third transparent elevator to the 3rd floor."
The guard, having completed the verification, handed back her ID card and stepped aside to clear the way.
"Thank you." Yun Sheng retrieved her ID, her face impassive, as if she hadn’t heard their chatter at all.
With her back straight, she walked into the Tower, meeting the curious and scrutinizing gazes head-on.
Behind her, the two guides’ whispering continued.
"She got in? So she really is going inside the Tower..."
"Weird things happen all the time. Come on, let’s not keep our mentor waiting."
Their conversation faded with their footsteps, but the feeling of being invisibly categorized as an outsider—that sense of alienation—was almost tangible, pervading the cold, solemn air of the Tower.
Yun Sheng followed the directions to Section B, where a transparent elevator whisked her upward.
DING.
The elevator arrived at the 3rd floor.
She stepped out of the elevator and followed the signs toward Room 302 at the end of the hall.
Just as she reached the door, the heavy automatic door to Room 302 slid open silently.
A woman walked out, dressed in the deep blue internal uniform of the Tower, a mid-level guide’s insignia pinned to her chest.
She was about thirty, with exquisite makeup, holding a file folder. She was looking down at it and nearly collided with Yun Sheng, who was standing right outside the door.
"What department are you with? Are you lost?"
When the woman saw that the person she had almost run into was a civilian, the annoyance on her face instantly shifted to unconcealed contempt and suspicion.
"This is the Special Affairs Processing floor in Section B. It’s not a place for... ordinary clerks or outside visitors like you. Has your appointment been verified? Who let you up here?"
Her tone and her gaze clearly said, ’You don’t belong here.’
Yun Sheng met the mid-level guide’s gaze. "I received a notice from the Tower, requiring my presence in Room 302 at 2:30 PM sharp today."
"A notice? What notice? Who issued it? Do you have any idea what kind of matters are handled in Room 302? Someone like you?"
The guide looked as if she’d heard a joke. She sized Yun Sheng up, the corner of her mouth twisting into a mocking sneer.
"All right, stop wasting my time. Get out of here."
With that, she took a step to the side, directly blocking the entrance to Room 302, clearly intending to bar Yun Sheng from entry.
"According to the Star Alliance Public Affairs Administration Act, Chapter Three, Article Twelve: the summoning party is obligated to ensure the notified party’s unimpeded arrival and shall not be obstructed without due cause."
Yun Sheng tilted her head slightly, her gaze landing on the nameplate on the guide’s chest.
"Guide Li Wei, your current actions are an attempt to invalidate an official Tower notice based on your personal judgment. Does this mean you believe your own authority is sufficient to override the Tower’s internal administrative procedures?"