The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 13

Yan Ningjin stared seriously at Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao tilted her head, chewing on a multicolored crystal, her expression unreadable as she looked back. The beast and the woman locked eyes for a long time until Yan Ningjin finally gave in.

“How about this? You fix the energy box, and I’ll handle them.”

Qin Xiao glanced at the energy box on the ground, now ripped to pieces, then looked at the remaining half of the energy crystal. She pawed at it a few times, gave it a tap, and looked up at Yan Ningjin with utmost seriousness before nudging the crystal over to her.

Outside the mech, the creatures were still relentlessly jabbing at Aiwei’er with their sharp claws.

Aiwei’er’s voice rang out, alarmed and oddly human-like. “Warning, Yan Yan! Enemy attack, enemy attack, enemy attack! Do not abandon Aiwei’er. I’m your loyal little cotton-padded jacket.”

Yan Ningjin ignored her. She crouched down, picked up the half crystal. The little beast was staring at her with eyes as bright as stars.

“Are you giving me this crystal?”

“Roar!”

Qin Xiao growled fiercely at her without a trace of politeness.

Yan Ningjin immediately understood. “Little beast, are you trying to strike a deal with me at a time like this?”

Qin Xiao nodded like a pupil finally praised by a teacher and let out a low whimper. Then she lay down on the ground, patiently waiting for Yan Ningjin’s move. In her mind, she already ran through countless possible outcomes.

Like this woman luring her out to attract the creatures, then abandoning her once the energy box was repaired.

Or perhaps, she just wanted the multicolored crystal, sending Qin Xiao as bait so she could claim it for herself.

…

Yan Ningjin tossed the energy crystal in her hand a couple of times, her heart oddly conflicted. “If you can hold out for half an hour, I promise to prepare some energy crystals for you once we return to the Capital Star.”

Seeing the deal sealed, Qin Xiao slowly stood up and tapped on Aiwei’er’s door.

Yan Ningjin offered a friendly reminder. “In thirty minutes, jump to the front of Aiwei’er so I can see you. I will open the door in three seconds.”

Qin Xiao let out a low sound to show she understood.

“Aiwei’er, prepare to open the door.”

“Okay. Countdown to open. Three. Two. One.”

Qin Xiao’s four paws spread out slightly, claws extended. As soon as the door opened, she shot out like a bullet, the crystal still clenched in her mouth. The battle had begun.

Yan Ningjin didn’t even look up, immediately working to repair the energy box. “Aiwei’er, transmit the emergency distress signal now.”

“Reporting in. We’ve received an emergency distress signal from Aiwei’er’s mech.”

“Is it locked in?”

“The General’s coordinates are confirmed.”

“Move out!”

A starship and several nimble mechs vanished swiftly into the darkness, all heading for the same planetary location.

With the multicolored crystal still in her mouth, Qin Xiao was knocked midair by the multicolored ice-sculpture king and flung into a crowd of monstrous rabbits. They bared sharp teeth and bit into her hind leg. Qin Xiao slammed back in retaliation, flattening several of them, and slashed down with her claws to shred a few more, finally getting her revenge for the bitten paw.

Still, there were simply too many of them. With one injured hind leg, Qin Xiao dashed and crashed her way through the horde. Her head spun from the impact, and both her legs and body throbbed with pain.

I kind of regret this.

How am I supposed to hold out for half an hour against so many carnivorous creatures in this tiny body?

Eyes locked on the low-tier predators surrounding her, Qin Xiao suddenly leapt and bolted toward a familiar forest. As she ran, all the beasts surrounding Aiwei’er immediately gave chase. The battlefield was emptied in an instant.

Aiwei’er reported occasionally. “Energy level below three percent, Yan Yan. I’m about to go on strike.”

Yan Ningjin replied calmly. “Don’t worry. You’re not going on strike just yet.”

A moment later, the mech interior echoed with a little girl’s pitiful sobs, simulated with such exaggerated gasps and hiccups that Yan Ningjin’s expression darkened.

“Aiwei’er, are you planning to be reassigned to Uncle Jack when we get back to the Capital?”

The annoying crying stopped instantly.

Without another distraction, Yan Ningjin sped up her repairs. Her fingers moved so fast that they left afterimages as she reconnected all the interfaces of the energy box.

“Aiwei’er, locate the little beast and assess its current status.”

Even with only two percent energy left, Aiwei’er ran the search swiftly.

“Reporting, Yan Yan. The little beast is by the riverside in the forest. A large aggressive organism has appeared nearby!”

Qin Xiao was losing bl00d rapidly, her entire body covered in injuries. Her head spun with dizziness. Curled under a tree, she watched as the monstrous rabbits were one by one captured by vines and tossed into the waiting mouths of man-eating flowers.

She shook her head and used her teeth to nudge the multicolored crystal, checking if it was still with her.

The inconvenience of not having a spatial pouch was painfully obvious.

Just as she was about to slip away, she turned and saw the ice-sculpture creatures standing just a meter away. Without hesitation, she turned tail and ran.

Her wounds burned, her limbs went numb. As she passed the river, the fish monster’s tail lashed out again. Qin Xiao circled wide and lured the ice creatures right into its path.

Crack crack crack crack—

Something shattered behind her.

She had no time to look back. All she knew was that she couldn’t hold out much longer.

Exactly how long is thirty minutes?!

After circling back to where she started, she spotted Aiwei’er and prepared to leap on top. But there was no support underneath. She couldn’t jump high enough. Anxiously, she darted back and forth beneath the mech, incidentally trapping several of the ice creatures.

“Squeak squeak squeak squeak!”

“Woo!”

She retreated a bit, then threw herself forward with all her might. Using the backs of the ice creatures as stepping stones, she finally jumped, nearly landing on the mech—

Halfway through, the multicolored ice-sculpture king mimicked her move.

Boom!

Qin Xiao felt a heavy blow. Pain exploded in her body. Her vision darkened. She plummeted, helpless.

Below, the ice creatures were already lined up, their tails fanned out, waiting to receive her.

What matters more? The treasure or my life?

Before she could decide, something grabbed her midair and stopped her fall.

A powerful beam of light swept across, turning the ice creatures red. The blinding light forced Qin Xiao to shut her eyes. Her four paws flailed slightly. She realized she couldn’t move. Something was holding her still.

Yan Ningjin opened the door. “Little beast, it’s time to come home.”

Inside the mech, Aiwei’er’s voice turned cheerful. “Congratulations, little beast. You survived the full thirty minutes.”

Qin Xiao opened her eyes. Outside the mech, the ice creatures were fleeing in panic. Something was shooting at them, each hit triggering squeals of pain.

Yan Ningjin gently placed the creature in her former resting area. As she withdrew her hands, she noticed they were covered in bl00d.

“You’re injured.”

Qin Xiao still held the multicolored crystal in her mouth. She lay motionless on the blanket and closed her eyes.

Yan Ningjin pulled out the medical kit from beneath the control panel. Just as she was about to administer first aid, Aiwei’er’s voice burst with excitement. “Reporting, Yan Yan! The rescue has arrived. The rescue has arrived. The rescue has arrived!”

Yan Ningjin looked up and saw a starship hovering above. Several mechs floated nearby.

“Aiwei’er, get me on board. The little beast needs a recovery pod.”

After days stranded on this desolate planet, Aiwei’er transformed. From mech to mini starship, she lifted into the sky, extending a staircase. Yan Ningjin, carrying the little beast, climbed aboard the larger ship.

The crew cleared a path at once. “General.”

Once onboard, Yan Ningjin retrieved Aiwei’er back into her spatial button.

“I need a medical pod.”

Bai Xuan stepped forward, examining her head to toe. Her gaze lingered on the bundle in Yan Ningjin’s arms.

“I knew you’d be fine. Come, I’ll take you.”

As they walked, Bai Xuan updated her on events at Capital Star. Then she suddenly stopped and stared at Yan Ningjin, her expression turning strange.

“You didn’t disappear with Her Highness, so then—”

She gestured between the two of them, suddenly realizing something vital they had overlooked.

The Xiao Corps had assumed Her Highness vanished with Yan Ningjin. So they focused entirely on searching for her whereabouts, never considering the possibility that the Princess had gone missing alone.

Then where was the real Princess?

Yan Ningjin’s face went cold. “Let’s get to the medical pod first.”

Bai Xuan gave her a suspicious glance. Once inside the pod chamber, she watched as Yan Ningjin carefully unwrapped the bundle she’d been carrying all this time.

A hideous creature lay inside, covered in bl00d.

“What is that?!”

Seeing her shocked expression, Yan Ningjin guessed the creature’s miserable state had given her a fright.

After some mental effort, she replied, “A little beast who has fought beside me for days…”

“…my comrade in arms.”