FI CH 23

Chapter 23: Battlefield Memories (IV)

After Bai Hua gave his consent, the next day, Kurosawa suggested using Lu Mingyue’s mental landscape as the basis for training. He had noticed that Bai Hua was much more cooperative on the battlefield and far less resistant to establishing a mental link under such intense, high-pressure conditions.

Kurosawa could roughly guess the reason. It was during battle that Bai Hua’s mental defenses were at their strongest—when he was the least likely to overthink things.

And strangely, as Kurosawa began to understand the meaning behind these behaviors, he found them a little… endearing. Like a hedgehog, Bai Hua had armored himself with a hard exterior to protect his soft, vulnerable core, rejecting any form of intrusion.

Whatever that secret might be, Kurosawa had a feeling he’d eventually learn it.

When the two entered the battlefield memory again, they followed their original plan—deliberately dropping into Lu Mingyue’s mental landscape.

The mental world Lu Mingyue had created was a forest, ideal for stealth and camouflage.

Within it, Bai Hua’s five senses were completely disrupted—he couldn’t discern Yin Qing’s real location at all and was thrown into a tough fight from the start. Later, the two of them attempted to form a mental link. After some time spent adjusting to each other, Kurosawa gave Bai Hua a few instructions, and following them step by step really did enhance his combat performance in a short span of time.

Sentinels relied on external sensory input, while Guides relied on internal spiritual perception. When one side’s abilities were disabled, support from the other became essential. This was true for both Sentinels and Guides. And the foundation of a mental link was trust. Even if Bai Hua couldn’t see, Kurosawa was there.

Through their mental link, he could hear Kurosawa’s thoughts directly.

Kurosawa’s instructions were straightforward and clear—he’d always give advance notice before making any move. Most importantly, Bai Hua knew that Kurosawa never once tried to read his mind during their link. He could feel that, and because of it, he slowly began to lower his guard and focus on the battle.

They cut out all unnecessary communication, and from start to finish, it only took them two hours to break through the mental landscape. Though the time it took was a bit long, it was progress—at last, they actually felt like real partners.

Once you take that first step, everything that follows becomes much easier.

Afterward, Kurosawa remarked, “See? It wasn’t that hard after all.”

“Mm.”

“How do you feel?”

“Not bad.”

“Our mental link still isn’t fast enough. Just one second could be the difference between victory and defeat—you need to get used to trusting me.”

Bai Hua paused for a second, then gave a short response.

Kurosawa could feel that Bai Hua’s resistance had noticeably softened. “While we’re still in good condition, shall we continue?”

“Alright.”

That day, the two trained until late at night. Long-term mental linking was a huge strain for both of them, especially since they were still in the early stages. At most, they could only maintain it for two hours.

When Kurosawa came out of the shower, he found Bai Hua already asleep on the sofa. He was going to wake him up, but suddenly felt like doing a little test.

After spending the day mentally linked, he wondered if Bai Hua had lowered his guard a little.

Mentally bracing himself for the possibility of getting punched awake, Kurosawa cautiously reached out and touched Bai Hua’s hand—but Bai Hua remained still, eyes closed, completely unresponsive.

This time, Kurosawa used slightly more force and poked his shoulder.

Bai Hua simply opened his eyes and looked at him. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing. Your turn to shower…”

Bai Hua sleepily hummed in response. He still looked a bit groggy but sat up from the sofa anyway.

Then Kurosawa said, “I touched you just now. I thought you’d hit me.”

Bai Hua blinked, then replied, “Forgot.”

Kurosawa smiled. “That’s a good sign. Keep it up.”

“But now that you’ve mentioned it, I’m afraid I might not be able to hold back…”

“The body has memory too. That means you’ve started to understand—I won’t randomly read your thoughts. Just try… little by little, to trust me.”

Bai Hua wasn’t sure if he could really do it, but Kurosawa’s words seemed to have a strange magic to them. Their coordination had been improving rapidly. At first, Bai Hua still showed signs of struggle and hesitation every time they began, but after a week, even those had gradually disappeared.

One night, after a particularly late training session, the two of them didn’t even make it back to their bedrooms. They each collapsed on one side of the couch and fell asleep immediately.

In the middle of the night, Bai Hua caught the scent of something familiar—it was Kurosawa’s pheromones. He realized that Kurosawa was very close to him. In the past, that would’ve made him snap awake in alarm. But after a week of intense training, he had grown used to Kurosawa’s presence.

So instead of jolting away, Bai Hua did the opposite—he moved closer.

He wasn’t sure whether he was dreaming or not, though some part of him seemed fully aware of what he was doing. He didn’t think too much, just followed instinct, seeking out the source of the scent. Eventually, he leaned forward, hovering above Kurosawa.

Kurosawa was a quiet sleeper—lying on his back, perfectly still. His features were handsome and refined, with deep-set brows, a sharp nose, and thin lips. As he slept peacefully, a scholarly gentleness surrounded him.

Bai Hua’s gaze wandered across Kurosawa’s face, and without realizing it, his breathing softened with each glance.

The room was dark, yet somehow he could see clearly.

Drawn by the pheromones, his body reacted with a strong urge to touch. He slowly leaned closer, breathing in the sweet scent from Kurosawa’s exhale. His eyes fluttered shut as he instinctively moved toward those shapely lips.

Just as he was about to kiss him, Kurosawa let out a soft hum—like he was about to wake.

The sound wasn’t loud, but to Bai Hua, it was as startling as thunder. He jolted completely awake.

Though stunned, he reacted quickly. Before Kurosawa could open his eyes, Bai Hua had already scrambled back to the far end of the couch.

Kurosawa, stirred by the sudden movement, sat up—only to see Bai Hua darting off the couch and practically sprinting back to his room like he was fleeing from danger.

Had Bai Hua not reacted so strongly, Kurosawa might not have suspected anything. But at the exact moment Kurosawa was waking, he’d suddenly and involuntarily received a very intense mental impulse from Bai Hua.

He had wanted to kiss him… perhaps even go further.

Kurosawa had thought at first that he was dreaming. But in that moment, he knew with perfect clarity—it was real. He understood that Bai Hua wouldn’t have such a thought for no reason. Most likely, it was because they had been too close, and in that unguarded state, the pheromone reaction had triggered a temporary collapse of Bai Hua’s Guide suppression.

But Kurosawa wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination.

Even though the room was almost pitch black, at the exact moment Bai Hua turned and ran off, he thought he saw something fluffy sweep past the leg of the chair—a soft, furry tail. He couldn’t make out what creature it belonged to. It was only visible for a split second before vanishing completely.

If his guess was right… that was likely Bai Hua’s spiritual form.

When two people have a high compatibility, it’s very possible for them to see each other’s spiritual forms—but only under conditions of deep trust and perfect resonance.

Aside from that… there was one more possibility.

Though it was the least likely of all, it was also the most fitting explanation for what had just happened.

Bai Hua was moved. Emotionally.

(To be continued…)
T/L: OMGGGG YOU GUYS!!! I’M SMILING SO HARD RN ꉂ(ˊᗜˋ*)