The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 20

After being cared for by Yu Jing for several days, Qin Xiao felt much better. The bruising on her foot had vanished, and she could now walk again. However, there was still a faint ache in her dantian. She had checked it, only to see that the tiny point of light she had painstakingly rekindled had grown dim again.

Qin Xiao could feel the deep malice of this world firsthand. She had absorbed quite a few energy crystals to restore that little point of light. But after forcing herself to use spiritual power twice, she had fallen straight back to square one.

“I asked Brother Li,” Yu Jing said all in one breath, “He said for this type of registration, you usually have to show up in person. They need to scan your face, name, and all kinds of info.” After catching her breath, she added cautiously, “But he said, since it’s me, he’ll give you a twelve percent discount.”

“Twelve percent?”

Qin Xiao didn’t have a single valuable thing on her. The most expensive item she owned, a five-colored crystal, had already disappeared into her stomach. If it weren’t for latching onto this little thing in front of her, she might have ended up sleeping on the streets these past few days.

She stared directly at Yu Jing with a vague but penetrating gaze.

Yu Jing’s scalp tingled under the stare. Nervously swallowing, she quickly added, “Then… how about I pay for it?”

Qin Xiao laughed, stepped forward, and pinched Yu Jing’s cheek. “Of course. Didn’t you say you owed me a favor? Let’s go. We’ll take care of it right now.”

Since arriving on Capital Star, the two of them had not gone out to explore. Yu Jing’s only exposure to the outside world was on the day she arrived, when she had passed countless food shops. Every storefront was plastered with promotional posters, and the images of those delicious dishes looked incredibly realistic. It was as if the air was saturated with flavor. A normal foodie wouldn’t be able to resist that kind of temptation, and Yu Jing was especially one of them, practically a gluttonous little fish.

Qin Xiao wasn’t particularly interested in food. After cultivating to the point of fasting, she no longer needed to worry about eating. But ever since she landed in this new body, her appetite had gradually reawakened.

Still, it was purely for the sake of fullness.

Unlike the person beside her, who had her entire face practically plastered to the glass window. Qin Xiao calmly looked at the reception robot standing at the entrance. “Didn’t they say the food on Aige Street is even better? Why don’t we try that after we’re done with this?”

Yu Jing reluctantly smacked her lips. After struggling for a moment, she said, “Why don’t we try this place first, then go to Aige Street afterward.”

Qin Xiao pulled a stern face and dragged her away without another word. After asking around, they found out that West Street was a well-known black market hub. It mostly sold illegal items and Empire-banned pharmaceuticals like suppressants for guides. These were highly expensive and nearly impossible to find through legal channels.

Yu Jing didn’t dare openly go against Qin Xiao’s decision and was currently stealing glances at her companion. “It’s a bit far. We’ll need to take a maglev train for about an hour to get there.”

Qin Xiao nodded. They each paid twenty credits and received a temporary access card that allowed them to board the maglev. The train shot off at high speed, covering kilometers in the blink of an eye.

Yu Jing pressed her face to the glass, squealing with delight. Her loud exclamations drew glances from nearby passengers.

Qin Xiao subtly shifted further away, clearly signaling that she absolutely did not know this person. In truth, she was also surprised that this vehicle could outpace even her own flight on the Xiao Flute. But curiosity aside, her attention was mostly focused on the other passengers.

Some, like them, had used credits to purchase temporary ride passes. But more people simply pressed their palms against the scanner, which automatically deducted the appropriate amount and confirmed their identities. That seemed to be the symbol of personal identification here.

Yu Jing had previously mentioned that IDs were embedded under the skin. It seemed likely that what she was going to register for today would be the same.

And then there was something else…

Qin Xiao spotted two Quantum beasts. One was a bird, an eagle with jet-black feathers from head to tail that stood tall and still on the shoulder of a broad-shouldered man. The other was a leopard with yellow and white fur, lying beside a young man wearing glasses. Though that man looked gentle and scholarly, his Quantum beast was anything but friendly. It was glaring at Qin Xiao, pacing restlessly as though it wanted to pounce.

When Qin Xiao shifted her gaze, she saw that the owners were also looking at her. She feigned indifference and pretended she hadn’t seen a thing. Strange. I’ve come across so many sentinels on this trip, probably because of their aggressive Quantum beasts. But I haven’t seen a single guide.

No, not a single one.

Qin Xiao thought this was suspicious. Her luck might be terrible, but it couldn’t possibly be so bad that she wouldn’t even run into a guide in a crowd this size.

Yu Jing, on the other hand, remained blissfully unaware. She chattered excitedly all the way, ignoring the stares of the passengers. Only when they neared their destination did she notice how tense Qin Xiao looked. “What’s wrong?”

Qin Xiao’s mouth twitched. Right now, both Quantum beasts were staring directly at her, especially that leopard. It had wandered over and was circling her feet like a dog, sniffing around.

Its fur was soft and fuzzy and pleasant to the touch. But compared to Tuan Tuan, it fell far short.

Qin Xiao resisted the strong urge to reach down and give it a few pats. Especially since the owners were still watching her closely, making her sense a vague threat.

That creeping fear and rapidly accelerating heartbeat were setting off alarm bells in her mind.

“Dear passengers, please be advised. The next stop is West Street. If you are preparing to disembark, please gather your belongings. Thank you for riding with us.”

“Wow, we’re here.”

Qin Xiao glanced meaningfully at Yu Jing. She was now certain. Yu Jing, this poor thing, couldn’t see the Quantum beasts. Which ruled out her being a sentinel or a guide. “Yes, we are getting off at the next stop.”

They stood at the door, ready to disembark. Qin Xiao ignored the leopard still circling her feet. But what surprised her was that the two men stood up as well.

That uncomfortable, spine-prickling feeling immediately put her on edge.

Yu Jing’s face was full of delight, like a country bumpkin entering a palace for the first time. She wanted to check out everything. Qin Xiao kept her calm and accompanied her, though she found herself growing uneasy. West Street was teeming with sentinels. Their Quantum beasts stood, squatted, curled around necks, or perched on foreheads. There was every kind imaginable.

Yet not a single guide.

Eva tricked me, didn’t she? I haven’t seen even half a shadow of a guide this whole time. Just sentinels and regular people.

She inhaled deeply. The air on West Street suddenly felt thick and suffocating. Qin Xiao instinctively tugged on Yu Jing, who was still in a playful mood. “Let’s take care of our business first. We can look around later.”

Yu Jing nodded earnestly but kept staring at the various stalls. “Qin Xiao, this place is amazing. Someone’s selling rocks! Look, there are so many colors. Even gray ones. Would anyone actually buy these?”

Qin Xiao glanced over and stopped walking. She stepped forward and picked up a few of the stones, rolling them between her fingers. Threads of spiritual energy seeped out from the rocks, and she absorbed them.

She examined several more. But the vendor, seeing their plain clothes, scowled and snapped, “If you’re not buying, don’t touch anything.”

Yu Jing tugged on her sleeve. “Qin Xiao, let’s go. That guy seems mean.”

Qin Xiao glanced at the vendor and the fierce-looking hyena-like Quantum beast beside him, clearly ready to pounce. Not wanting trouble, she stood up. “Let’s go.”

They had barely turned the corner when they saw a surge of people running madly toward the intersection ahead. The commotion made one thing clear as someone had discovered treasure.

Qin Xiao was the kind of person who couldn’t resist such excitement. As she got closer, she overheard, “Quick, someone spotted a wild guide. Looks like they’re waking up. The scent spread too far.”

The words ‘wild’ and ‘awakening’ made her brow twitch. She had a terrible feeling about this, but guides were rare.

She grabbed Yu Jing and ran toward the crowd.

Yu Jing shrieked, “Qin Xiao! We’re going the wrong way! Brother Li said we were supposed to turn left at the next street.”

But Qin Xiao’s legs couldn’t compete with the speed of the sentinels. The ones in front seemed to fly and some actually leaped over rooftops like acrobats. Their Quantum beasts clashed in mid-air.

It was chaos.

Yu Jing was out of breath. She shook off Qin Xiao’s hand. “Why are we running?!”

Qin Xiao was panting. She licked her lips, her heart racing. Then she sniffed the air, and her expression turned strange. “Do you smell something really sweet? Like…”

That sweetness sparked a memory. After a moment, Qin Xiao murmured, “Like purple yam glutinous rice balls. That used to be her favorite.”

Yu Jing’s eyes lit up at the mention of food. She sniffed furiously but came up empty. “Nope. Just sweat and body odor. Everyone here reeks.”

Qin Xiao: …

She followed the scent, feeling more and more agitated. Something inside her felt ready to break free. Her heartbeat quickened. Then she perked up her ears. Sounds of fighting and beast-like roars echoed from nearby.

Curiosity overcame caution. “You rest here. I’m going to take a look.”