Sentry: The guide who's getting extra help is very busy today.

They couldn't possibly be unaware of Zhou Miao's situation; investigating her wouldn't overlook information about her partner.

"I can tell you part of it, but I need to read your memories first," Mingye said with a stern face.

I want it all.

"Impossible. They only know part of it; anything more is out of the question." Only the Speaker can know 'the whole story'.

Shu left early and asked for the next best thing: "Then let's talk first."

Du Linna Rui struck what he thought was a cool pose, his eyes flashing (Shu Zao's perspective: his eye twitched): "Director, don't rush us. You have to let us know whether what you're saying about the circle is true or false." His long orange-brown hair covered half of his face.

"It's fake, can I leave now?" Shu Zao wasn't buying it.

Dulinnari: "…………"

"Miss Guide—"

"Stop tossing your malnourished hair and posing like that. Do you have fleas? I'm too full, and looking at something too greasy makes me want to throw up."

Dulinnari: "…………"

She has such a beautiful face, so effortlessly beautiful, you should just rip out her tongue and admire her.

"The consequences of lying to us are beyond what you can afford."

Shu Zao wasn't intimidated; she retorted, "If I lied to you, I would kill you all, and then there would be no consequences."

The sentries: "…………"

They looked toward the underworld, waiting for him to make his choice.

"Don't let me down."

"The circle protects the White Tower and the central city. Some things inside eat the sentinels and force the guides to reproduce."

Shu Zao tapped the table with her index finger: "Knock knock knock, the writing is terrible. The beginning is not attractive. It's unacceptable."

"It seems you've truly seen something different."

"Chairman Meino, my time is precious. Next time you lie to Director, remember to prepare a draft beforehand. I have to go now."

Shu Zao pulled out a chair and stood up, her face showing obvious impatience.

"Wait, sit down."

Shu Zao didn't stop walking.

"Shu Zao!!!" Mingye roared, he hadn't lost his composure like this in a long time.

"Speak," Shu Zao said without sitting down.

"The circle is indeed there to protect us."

"Nonsense, I've been inside, of course I know." Without the circle, she would have been eliminated long ago.

Mingye quietly took a deep breath: Hold back, don't act impulsively.

"That was left behind by the first generation of Sentinels and Guides. How did it happen? There's no record of it. The contaminants inside are extremely powerful, something that ordinary Guides and Sentinels today can't handle."

The abilities of Sentinels that appear after SSS rank are nothing special, no matter how powerful they are.

But special guides are different; some of them have very strong abilities, even if the cost is ridiculously high.

"The pollution increases with each layer of concentric circles. The heavily polluted areas used to have concentric circles around them, but they disappeared 21 years ago."

Shu Zao waited for a minute before confirming that Mingye was no longer speaking.

That's it?

Mingye retorted, "Otherwise what? Do they know that much?"

"So, were there many SSS-level or higher Sentinels and Guides in the past, or were the SSS-level Guides and Sentinels in the past far more powerful than they are now?"

"The latter, you're very smart." You do know how to grasp key information.

"Then why are you paying attention to special guides?" Shuzao's words made the other sentries look at Mingye as well.

They wanted to know too.

"The prophecy, do not ask about it anymore."

Shu Zao lowered her eyes and stared at the table, her brain working frantically.

He both cherishes and doesn't cherish his special guide, and he's willing to take risks with her. What is he testing?

And then there was that voice saying to itself: You are not her.

Who is she?

Is Yue An alright?

Mingye wished he could sit in her lap and eavesdrop on her abilities, but he didn't give any explicit orders.

Do you think the director will hide it?

If it were her, she would really keep it a secret.

Anyway, there's nothing to prove they're lying.

Thinking about it that way, it would be better for Meino to test them one by one, since there are only a few special guides anyway.

Shu Zao looked up, pulled out a chair, and sat down: "You can access my memories now."

Unexpectedly, it was Bai Su who read her memories; this guy's background is not simple.

The video begins when she arrives at Fu Yuan and the others and ends when they leave the group.

Shuzao took in the expression on Mingye's face when he saw the "Sentinel" midway through the journey.

Hide, keep hiding, just smother them to death.

"You are not her."

Meino said the same thing.

"and then?"

"You deserve to die. You know too much. If you had asked fewer questions earlier, I might have spared your life. You can't use any of your abilities in this house."

Shu Zao, not believing in superstition, tested it and found that it really couldn't be used, but her expression remained calm.

"Aren't you afraid?" Mingye couldn't help but ask.

She looked at Xue Nao's father, "Are you going to continue pretending to be mute?"

Xuenao's father reluctantly began, "Venia consulted a prophecy, about her."

"What is it?"

"Welcome back," Xuenao's father paused for a moment, then continued, "She'll have to see that person again in a few months."

Mingye didn't speak. He pondered those four words in his heart. It wasn't her, yet it contained her prophecy.

He only found out about this now.

Do you think I wouldn't kill you because of a prophecy?

Shu Zao bowed her head and clapped, "Clap clap clap, well done, no trace of acting. Speaker Mingye, you should know that ants are not worthy of prophecy."

She is important, though we don’t know why yet, but the truth will come out sooner or later.

There's no need to rush. Even Mingye, who is at the pinnacle of power in this world, only has a partial understanding.

"Shuzao, you've really impressed me."

Shu Zao teased, "Then try kneeling down and see."

"I will kill you once I've determined you're no longer of any use."

"Then I'll say something harsh: the moment you leave this meeting room, I'll kill you."

The two argued so badly that the sentries present tried to smooth things over, and the compensation was negotiated throughout the entire incident.

The previously amicable atmosphere cooled again when the topic of whether a guide could also serve as a commander came up.

"Can't I? Why not? I checked, the Director used to be able to serve as a commander."

Du Linnaei earnestly advised, "The guides of the past weren't this temperamental."

"Is Patriarch Dulinnare referring to Guide Ratfa?" Shuzao asked again, mentioning Ratfa's name.

The other party is a role model with a volatile temper.

"You're not talking again. How boring. Only a guide who can perform the duties of a commander can become a commander. Look, everyone, I've prepared all the requirements."

"Your family's connections can try to get in through connections, but they need to have the ability; they can't just occupy the position without doing anything."

Shu Zao Dian turned on his own screen projection, which had many rules and restrictions, just like the Sentinel's requirements.

The most vehement opponent of this matter was Mingye, but after Shuzao directly threatened him, he reluctantly agreed.

Du Linnari stood up to leave, and Shu Zao said with a smile, "Give my regards to Director Ratfa."

When only Shuzao and Mingye remained, Mingye's dark expression disappeared.

"It was a pleasure working with Director Shu Zao." It was easier than he had expected.

"Same to you, Speaker Meino's performance was spot-on."

There's not much time to discuss things in three minutes; they were escorted by other sentries the entire way to the central city.

There were ears on the other side of the wall, so not a single word was exchanged.

The questions I just asked were all things Shuzao wanted to know, except for the matter of restoring Xiangdao to the position of commander, which was something Mingye asked her to work together to push forward.