The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 28

The little boy’s name was Mi Ya. He was nine years old and still just an ordinary person. His older brother was called Mi Lin, a young Sentinel who had just turned nineteen. His Quantum beast was a black hawk.

“My brother’s Quantum beast has a problem.”

“…Hm?”

Qin Xiao wondered if she had misheard. Sentinels and Guides shared a unique bond with their Quantum beasts, manifestations of their mental power. Before she had bonded with her own little Hunqiu, she had assumed Quantum beasts were just summoned creatures. Now, her understanding of them had shifted entirely. If a Sentinel’s Quantum beast was malfunctioning, didn’t that suggest something was wrong with the Sentinel’s mental state too?

Yan Ningjin’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.

Qin Xiao glanced at the black hawk shrinking in fear into its master’s arms under Tuan Tuan’s glare. She turned her attention to the little boy beside her. “How do you know your brother’s Quantum beast has a problem?”

Mi Ya was just an ordinary person. Ordinary people couldn’t see Quantum beasts. That much was clear from the way he had walked over.

Mi Lin stepped forward, trying to pull his brother back. But Mi Ya had already blurted out, “I can hear Xiang Tian’s cries. Lately, it’s been so quiet. When it does cry, it sounds weak. And its flying is getting slower too. It must be sick.”

Qin Xiao and Yan Ningjin exchanged a look, both startled by what they saw in each other’s eyes.

Mi Lin quickly scolded, “Mi Ya, stop talking nonsense.”

Mi Ya looked hesitantly at Qin Xiao and lowered his voice. “Sister, it’s my secret. Can you heal my brother?”

That put Qin Xiao in a difficult spot.

To be honest, she was just a novice. She wasn’t a trained doctor.

Mi Ya stared at her with pitiful eyes. “If this goes on, Xiang Tian will die. Please, sister. Help my brother.”

To a Sentinel or Guide, the death of a Quantum beast was devastating. Some never recovered. It was enough to break them.

Qin Xiao rubbed her thumb and forefinger together while her left hand rested in her pocket, squeezing the round form of the little Hunqiu. Its surface was smooth and soothing in a way completely different from Tuan Tuan’s fur, yet equally addictive. She couldn’t stop herself from fidgeting.

Yan Ningjin noticed her little Guide staring blankly ahead, clearly lost in thought. She turned to Mi Ya. “You said you can hear the Quantum beast’s cries and the sound of its wings when it flies. Are you a Guide?”

Mi Lin jumped in quickly. “General, Mi Ya isn’t lying. I thought he might be awakening too, so I took him to be tested. But the doctors at Ezilin Hospital said he was just an ordinary person.”

Qin Xiao tilted her head, observing Mi Ya. The little boy blinked up at her.

“Mi Ya, let’s try an experiment. If you can guess where my Quantum beast is, I’ll treat your brother.”

Yan Ningjin’s brow rose slightly. Qin Xiao had Mi Ya turn his back, then beckoned to Tuan Tuan with a wave. The golden beast didn’t hesitate and began walking toward her.

Suddenly, Qin Xiao pulled out the small purple orb in her pocket and tossed it in the opposite direction.

Yes, she threw it.

Squeak!

The little orb let out an ear-piercing screech as it plummeted toward the ground.

Roar!

Tuan Tuan froze, then dashed forward, catching the orb just before it hit the ground. He growled softly in protest at Qin Xiao.

“Tell me. Where is it?”

“Umm.” Mi Ya paused. “There are two. Over there.”

He pointed exactly to where Tuan Tuan and the little Hunqiu were.

Unconvinced, Qin Xiao repeated the test several times. Each time, Mi Ya correctly identified the two Quantum beasts.

“Mi Ya, can you guess what my Quantum beast is?”

He tilted his head toward the sound. Though his eyes were covered, he looked right at Tuan Tuan.

“Sister, your Quantum beast sounds very energetic. Its cry is like a baby rooster.”

Qin Xiao: …

Yan Ningjin: …”

The little Hunqiu screeched indignantly.

Mi Ya giggled. “Okay, maybe it’s a baby hen.”

The orb exploded in a fit, bouncing on Tuan Tuan’s forehead and squeaking furiously.

Qin Xiao sighed and stood up to retrieve it. “You said there were two. What about the other one? What do you think it is?”

Mi Ya stepped forward and stopped beside Tuan Tuan. “It’s a strong lion. Its roar is deep, but there’s a hint of playfulness. I think it’s a female lion. The way it walks is very light. If it hadn’t been in a rush just now, I might not have noticed it at all.”

Yan Ningjin’s eyes flickered with surprise. The child had not only heard the sounds but described Tuan Tuan’s anxious demeanor perfectly. This ability clearly went beyond that of an ordinary person.

Mi Lin looked conflicted. The evidence was undeniable. Mi Ya’s sense of hearing was far beyond the norm.

Qin Xiao tucked the little orb back into her pocket and pulled off the cloth covering Mi Ya’s eyes.

“Mi Ya, how do you hear Quantum beasts? Can you see them too?”

His newly uncovered eyes blinked. He looked toward Tuan Tuan and shook his head. “No, Sister. I really can’t. I’m just an ordinary person.”

Sheesh. I’m nearly twenty and only recently awakened. This kid’s nine. He’s got a long future ahead of him. Anything is possible.

“We’ll talk about your situation later. Let me check on your brother first.”

Yan Ningjin watched over them protectively. “Xiao Xiao, need my help?”

Mi Lin’s Quantum beast, Xiang Tian, flapped anxiously and tried to hide under his clothes, clearly terrified of Tuan Tuan, who stood quietly nearby.

Mi Ya said with concern, “Xiang Tian is scared of that big lion. They’re enemies in the food chain.”

One ruled the sky, the other the land. Their conflict was only natural.

Qin Xiao glanced at Yan Ningjin. The latter blinked innocently. “Tuan Tuan won’t attack Xiang Tian. Right, Tuan Tuan?”

Tuan Tuan, sitting on his haunches, dropped his head onto his front paws and looked at Qin Xiao with wide, innocent amber eyes.

Qin Xiao was helpless against that look. Every time the big fluffball acted pitiful, her heart melted. She forced herself to turn away and subtly signaled to Mi Lin several times until he finally relaxed. As he calmed, the frantic black hawk settled down, too.

Qin Xiao extended her mental touch into Mi Lin’s mind to check his consciousness cloud. She retreated shortly after.

“Sister, is my brother okay?” Mi Ya asked anxiously.

Yan Ningjin noticed Qin Xiao’s thumb and forefinger had started rubbing again. It had become a habit.

She signaled Mi Lin.

He stood and nodded. “Thank you, General. Thank you, Madam. I feel much better.”

Mi Ya beamed. “Brother, are you really feeling better?”

Mi Lin ruffled his little brother’s hair. “This isn’t just a sister. She’s the General’s Guide. From now on, you need to call her Madam. Don’t be rude, understand?”

Mi Ya’s eyes widened. He glanced from Qin Xiao to Yan Ningjin. A shadow of disappointment crossed his face. “I understand.”

Qin Xiao hesitated briefly. When she sent them off, she reminded Mi Lin, “Come see me again in a few days.”

Mi Ya asked, pretending to be mature, “Is that for the second treatment?”

Qin Xiao chuckled. “Yes.”

“Madam, can I come too?”

Qin Xiao blinked. “Of course. But your brother has to agree. Mi Lin, remember. Come in three days.”

After the brothers left, Yan Ningjin asked, “Xiao Xiao, did you find something unusual in Mi Lin’s consciousness cloud?”

Qin Xiao wrinkled her nose. “No. Nothing at all.”

She had sensed a trace of manic energy in Mi Lin’s mind. But compared to Yan Ningjin and that other guy, it was practically nothing. In fact, it showed how strong Mi Lin was. She added, “He’s very healthy.”

He had the lowest level of manic energy she’d seen in any Sentinel. There wasn’t even a need for a professional Guide healer.

If not for Mi Ya’s uncanny gift, she might have thought the two brothers were just messing with her.

Yan Ningjin noticed her frown. “Xiao Xiao, did you want to talk to Mi Lin alone earlier? What did you want to say?”

Qin Xiao had been considering it. “His situation is a little… troubling.”

“Troubling?”

That didn’t match what she had just said.

Qin Xiao explained, “When he first came in, I noticed his Quantum beast was shedding.”

Quantum beasts could show signs of injury by mimicking physical wounds. Shedding fur was similar. It often meant weakened mental energy.

She glanced at Tuan Tuan’s thick fur. “I’ve never seen Tuan Tuan shed. Hmm… have you ever shed fur, Tuan Tuan?”

Tuan Tuan rubbed affectionately against her and nudged her pocket with his head. Qin Xiao set the little Hunqiu on his forehead, patted his fur, and said, “Go play.”

Yan Ningjin looked at her with subtle meaning. “That’s definitely concerning. Quantum beasts only shed when they are young or still growing. But Xiang Tian doesn’t seem like a cub.”

Quantum beasts were very unstable at birth. They needed their master’s attention and comfort to stay manifested. Back when her little orb first appeared, one slap from her had scared it out of existence.

She hadn’t realized this at first. But while clearing Mi Lin’s manic energy, she had felt the sensation of fur falling off his Quantum beast. When one strand touched her wrist, she sensed a faint mental fluctuation. Subtle. Hard to detect.

“It’s just like a person aging or falling ill. That’s why I believe what Mi Ya said might be true.”

They looked at each other. It was the first time either had encountered something like this.

Yan Ningjin thought for a moment, then made a call. A projection screen about a meter wide appeared, showing a sweet-looking woman in a white coat standing in a corridor.

“General, you called?”

“My Guide has come across a difficult problem. Could you help us? Are you free now?”

Qin Xiao noticed the woman’s eyes dim slightly before she perked up. “Of course. Right now?”

Yan Ningjin looked at Qin Xiao, who calmly took a seat beside her. “Doctor, my question is about Quantum beasts. Besides youth and growth stages, are there other times when a Quantum beast might shed fur?”

Yan Ningjin suspected that as Sentinels aged, their Quantum beasts weakened with them. It was part of life. But for Qin Xiao, who had cultivated for centuries, aging wasn’t something she could relate to yet.

The woman, Caidie, added, “When a Sentinel or Guide is injured, their Quantum beast might also shed, become unwell, or even disappear. It’s quite common. The beast reflects the person’s state. If the person is healthy, the beast is vibrant. Madam, is your Quantum beast shedding?”

Qin Xiao shook her head, her expression serious. “There is a Sentinel whose Quantum beast frequently sheds, but he’s extremely healthy. What could cause that?”

Caidie froze. It took her a while to respond. “Without the patient’s data, it’s hard to say. But such contradictions should not happen.”

“Understood.”

“General, did I say something wrong? Madam seems unhappy. Was it something I said?”

Yan Ningjin glanced at her little Guide nestled in the corner. “No. Thank you for your answer.”

With that, she ended the call.

Qin Xiao came to a conclusion from the doctor’s reply. She’s probably never seen anything like this before.

“Is she your military doctor? Can I borrow some medical books?”

“Of course.”

The next day, Qin Xiao followed Yan Ningjin to the Xiao Corps headquarters. The base was in the outskirts, far from the city center. As soon as she got out of the vehicle, she sensed many eyes on her.

“Wait.”

“What is it?”

Yan Ningjin touched her earlobe. It was small and delicate, like the rest of her features. The red mark there, once bright crimson, had faded to a soft pink. It now nearly matched her skin.

“Xiao Xiao, the temporary mark is fading. You’d better stay home in a few days to be safe.”

Qin Xiao’s jaw dropped. She had completely forgotten about the mark.

“No way.”

“…Hm?”

She still had so much to do. She wanted to earn more credits, buy energy crystals, and accomplish something that would shock the Sentinels. Now was not the time to hide at home.

Weighing the options of getting bitten again or buying several expensive suppressants, she surrendered to financial reality. She looked sheepishly at Yan Ningjin.

“Hm?”

The moment she saw Yan Ningjin’s clear gaze, guilt washed over her.

She ate her food, used her resources, and now she was going to use her again just to save money on suppressants.

“Ahem. Yan Yan, maybe you could help me establish another, stronger temporary mark?”