The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 35

In recent days, more and more people were visiting Cloud Pavilion. It was not just Sentinels arriving one after another. Now even Guides were starting to show up. Most came in pairs, sometimes in threes. But there had yet to be a single one like Mo Hui who came alone. Still, it was all far beyond Qin Xiao’s expectations.

Whenever she had a moment to rest, she often wondered where she had gone wrong.

Her original intention had clearly been to make money from Sentinels. After all, given how many Sentinels lived on this planet, treating their manic symptoms should have brought in steady income. As for the guide lounge, that had only been built so she could train her little round ball. She had modeled the space on what Guides generally liked, thinking that if a Sentinel and Guide couple ever visited, it might help with hospitality. Satisfy the Guide, and you satisfy the Sentinel. Simple.

“Hey, what are you spacing out for? Those two Guides are asking for you.”

“Oh, coming.”

Qin Xiao shook herself out of her thoughts and pushed the door open, only to be met by the sharp squeaking of her round ball and bursts of laughter.

She rubbed her forehead and stepped inside. What she saw was a bird about twenty centimeters tall chasing her little round ball across the carpet, pecking relentlessly. The round ball kept rolling and tumbling to escape, occasionally getting hit. That sharp squeal was coming from it.

It was the first time Qin Xiao had seen anyone bully her Quantum beast. Her temper flared instantly.

Her gaze turned icy as she looked toward the two newcomers, a male and a female Guide. It was her second time seeing a male Guide. This one looked delicate and petite, not unlike herself. She silently reminded herself that Guides had no gender. Men could be Guides too.

The little male Guide’s Quantum beast was also a bird. It was a small sparrow, barely the size of a palm, and it was napping on his head.

The one chasing the round ball was clearly the female Guide’s beast. The two creatures looked somewhat similar, but the boy’s was dull in color and less striking.

Qin Xiao dug her nails into her palm to keep herself from reacting violently. She reminded herself that these two were protected species. Even a slap could get her locked up for five years. She had finally shaken off the shackles of the Guide Academy.

“May I ask what business the two of you have at Cloud Pavilion today?”

The little male Guide looked a bit timid, glancing frequently at the woman beside him. Clearly, she was the one in charge.

Qin Xiao shifted her attention to the female Guide. The woman was fairly attractive but not as striking as Mo Hui. Her raised eyebrows and naturally fierce look made her seem unpleasant.

Considering the behavior of her Quantum beast as well, Qin Xiao mentally categorized her as someone to avoid.

“Why don’t you even have basic tea service here? We’re thirsty. Bring us some drinks. I want Red Fruit Juice from Xiangxiu’s. He wants Blue Fruit Juice.”

“…”

Qin Xiao had never encountered such arrogant Guides before. Nor had she ever been ordered around so rudely. She glanced at her little round ball. “Hunqiu, come on. Let’s go get the drinks.”

The round ball gave a squeak and rolled over at top speed.

But the female Guide blocked its path. “Your round ball should stay and play with my Lanling. You can go by yourself.”

Qin Xiao narrowed her eyes. “You want my Quantum beast to entertain yours?”

The woman nodded. “Of course. We’ll pay two thousand credits.”

Qin Xiao raised one finger and waved it in front of her. “You’re mistaken. Two thousand credits was the promotional rate for the first hundred customers. Now, if you want my round ball to entertain, drink, and chat with yours, let’s say twenty thousand credits each. Judging from your refined appearance and manner, you should be able to afford that.”

The round ball kept rolling gleefully on the rug. Its inner calculations were clattering just as loudly as Qin Xiao’s.

The woman’s face changed. Under Qin Xiao’s mocking gaze, she forced herself to nod. “Fine. Stop talking and get the juice.”

Anyone who paid up was a boss.

But just before leaving, Qin Xiao suddenly paused and patted her head as if she had forgotten something. She turned back with a sly grin. “Oh, by the way, don’t let your Quantum beast play with the spinning rings. They’re a bit unstable and risky.”

She even demonstrated the controls, which had low, medium, and high speed settings. Each level increased the speed of the suspended rings. At the highest setting, the rings blurred like lightning. Watching for too long could cause dizziness, even for Quantum beasts. They would spin until they were dazed.

As soon as she left, the female Guide looked up at the three spinning rings suspended above them. They spun unevenly. She fiddled with the controls, and the rings began to turn. She and her companion leaned in to watch, eyes following the motion, clearly fascinated by the novelty.

The ball Hunqiu had already jumped up onto the color-coded platforms, hopping about in warm-up stretches.

The woman was named Mo Ru, a trial-matcher. The male Guide was Qin Chen, also a trial-matcher. They had met briefly in the Guide Academy but only became friends after bumping into each other post-graduation. Since both their Quantum beasts were birds and they were in similar circumstances, they had lots to talk about. Over time, they started going out together.

This time, it was their curiosity about the rumors on the Star Network that had brought them here, curious about the notorious Guide.

After a few jumps, the ball began hopping through the spinning rings in mid-air. One, two, three. It zipped back and forth effortlessly, always staying just ahead of Lanling, the female Guide’s bird.

Lanling, annoyed, chased after it.

Thud.

Disaster struck.

As Lanling flew through the air after Hunqiu, one of the spinning rings clipped its wing. The bird dropped sharply and struck a wooden post, then collapsed onto the floor with its eyes dazed.

Hunqiu squeaked with glee, then turned transparent, perfectly camouflaging itself like a harmless prop.

“Oh no, my Lanling!”

“Is it alright?”

Mo Ru rushed over and gently cradled her Quantum beast. The once-energetic Lanling now looked limp, one wing stuck awkwardly open.

Qin Chen, who had never seen anything like it, panicked. “Sister Mo Ru, what do we do? Lanling’s not going to die, is it?”

Mo Ru glared at him. “Nonsense. My Lanling won’t die.”

…

Qin Xiao had spent fifty credits to buy two drinks. One was a vivid red, like bl00d. The other was a brilliant blue, prettier by far.

Yu Jing looked puzzled. “These are the juices for the Guides? Want me to take them in?”

Qin Xiao took a sip of the red one. It was surprisingly good. “Tastes nice. That Guide’s only redeeming quality might be her refined palate. Still, fifty credits for two drinks…”

She generously handed the blue one to Yu Jing. “This color suits you. Try it.”

Yu Jing wanted to but hesitated. “If we drink them, what about the Guides?”

Qin Xiao licked her lips and shot her a look. Yu Jing shivered. That look always meant Qin Xiao had a wicked idea.

Yu Jing took two steps back, already sensing doom.

Qin Xiao glanced around, then whispered, “Hey, Xiao Yu, I’ve never seen you manipulate water before. Fill these two glasses for me.”

Yu Jing was speechless.

She pointed at Qin Xiao, lost for words. Her shamelessness was beyond measure.

Qin Xiao scowled at her. “Listen, those two Guides are no saints. Especially the woman. Her bird kept bullying my Hunqiu.”

Her poor dumpling-sized Hunqiu had been chased all over. Just thinking about it made her furious. Only she was allowed to bully her round ball. She had naïvely believed Guides’ beasts would get along, but clearly, they mirrored their owners. Good-tempered ones like Mo Hui’s Qiuqiu played alone, just like her obedient Hunqiu. But the nasty ones, like that woman, picked on the ‘weak.’

Yu Jing gasped. She couldn’t see, but with Qin Xiao constantly chatting her ear off about Quantum beasts, she was well informed.

Qin Xiao nodded solemnly. “So I’m going to teach them a lesson, so they don’t think I’m a pushover.”

Yu Jing murmured in agreement, though she still found it hard to believe anyone could bully Qin Xiao’s beast. She took a big gulp of the blue juice, instantly feeling energized. “Wow. Tasty.”

Qin Xiao urged her. “Quick. Those two Guides have no patience.”

Yu Jing hastily tapped the glasses. The diluted juices filled again, but the vibrant colors were gone.

“The color faded. They’ll notice.”

Qin Xiao saw Yu Jing used her fingers to control the water. She patted her shoulder. “Relax. They’re too distracted to care.”

Yu Jing soon understood. She waited three minutes before carrying the drinks in.

Inside, the little male Guide stayed silent while the female one raged.

“This place is awful. Look what your contraptions did to Lanling. It still hasn’t recovered. If anything happens to it, I won’t let this go.”

Qin Xiao impatiently picked at her ear. “Are you finished?”

Mo Ru choked on her anger. “And your Quantum beast is the worst. If it hadn’t started it, Lanling wouldn’t be hurt.”

Qin Xiao had never seen a Guide twist facts like this. She gave Mo Ru a cold smile. “Why do you think your bird ended up like that? Don’t you know your own beast?”

Mo Ru: …

Qin Xiao pointed toward the corner. Mo Ru followed her gaze. Two glowing red dots blinked back at her like hidden eyes.

“This thing is expensive. It’s the latest tech from Capital Star. It can detect Quantum beasts in high-dimensional space.”

In other words, the toy Qin Xiao almost didn’t buy could actually scan for Quantum beasts.

“Ever since you arrived, it’s been running. If you want to make this official, we’ll hand it over to His Majesty. He values justice. I’m sure he’ll sort this out and clear Cloud Pavilion’s name.”

Yu Jing watched the once-arrogant Mo Ru turn pale. She silently lit a candle for the woman in her heart.

Mo Ru stayed silent.

Qin Chen had kept his head down this whole time. Now he tugged her sleeve. “Sister Mo Ru, let’s just go.”

While they were distracted, Qin Xiao snatched up Lanling and tugged at its wing, checking it roughly. The dazed bird squawked and fluttered back to Mo Ru’s head, a few feathers sticking straight up.

“Well, look at that. It’s got spirit. Didn’t you say it was unconscious? Seems healthier than my poor Hunqiu. Speaking of which, where is my little round ball?”

…

After sending off the two Guides, Yu Jing shook her head with a sigh. “Pitiful, really.”

Qin Xiao cradled her little rascal in her arms and gently stroked it for a long while. “What part of them was pitiful? Those two were clearly here to pick a fight. But I don’t think I’ve offended them before.”

Qin Xiao had always believed in treating others with respect as long as they did the same. But now her precious little puffball had been bullied without reason. That could not be left unchallenged.

Yu Jing thought about the situation on the Star Network and muttered under her breath, “You did bring down Madam Qin, whom they admired. Those two could be considered her students, after all. Naturally, they would resent you. And you married a General, one of the Sentinels they probably dreamed of. From their point of view, you stole their perfect lover. Honestly, it’s surprising they didn’t do worse.”

Qin Xiao looked astonished. “How is Madam Qin’s downfall my fault? She got punished for being too greedy and reckless, or rather, for trying to harm others. That’s what happens when you try to steal and end up losing everything. And weren’t those two already engaged in trial marriages? How are they still entangled with Yan Yan?”

Yu Jing wasn’t sure if Qin Xiao was naive or just especially ruthless. She offered comfort. “It doesn’t matter. You’re stronger than them, anyway. In the end, they’re the pitiful ones.”

Qin Xiao shot her a glare. “Do you still want to be with your Sentinel?”

Yu Jing blinked in confusion, then shook her head.

Seeing her indifferent response, Qin Xiao rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Hold on. Your Sentinel isn’t one of those who showed up at the banquet that night, is it? I leave for a moment and you somehow get lucky enough to find the person you were searching for?”

Yu Jing was so startled by her sharp intuition that the scales hidden beneath her clothing nearly stood on end. She stared at Qin Xiao with wide, alarmed eyes.

Qin Xiao grinned. “Come to think of it, you should be thanking me. If I hadn’t dragged you to that banquet, you’d probably still be wandering around Capital Star searching aimlessly.”

Yu Jing hesitated for a long time before she finally said with a tinge of sorrow, “Actually, I’m not even sure if that person is really her. But if it is, I think I’ll be disappointed.”

Qin Xiao was even more curious now. “Why? Is she not what you imagined?”

Yu Jing didn’t know how to explain the sense of confusion in her heart. She even wondered whether her journey to find this person had been a mistake. “You said before you were looking for Princess Yuzhu, but now you’re in a trial marriage with the General. How are you still going to search for the Princess? Is she the one you’re looking for?”

Qin Xiao’s tone was confident, with a faint touch of pride. “Her temper, her appearance, everything matches the past. She is Ah Qin.”

Yu Jing glanced at her with envy. “But you’re trial-married to the General. This isn’t right.”

Qin Xiao noticed several Sentinels arriving at the door. She could not be bothered to explain that this so-called trial marriage was nothing more than a temporary arrangement. It was beneficial for both her and Yan Ningjin. It was a win-win. “Enough about that. Right now, earning credit points is the priority.”

Yu Jing perked up immediately when she thought of the delicious fruit juice from earlier.

Five Sentinels arrived, all in uniform. Qin Xiao knew that Yan Ningjin’s military uniforms were usually dark green. These newcomers, however, wore sky-blue uniforms, which made them quite eye-catching.

“Doctor, we’re here to treat mania.”

“All five of you?”

“Yes.”

Having customers was always a pleasant surprise. However, based on her past experiences, Qin Xiao knew that cleansing deep mania in a Sentinel took several days of rest afterward. So it was either none or five all at once.

Who could endure that?

“Here are the treatment fees and rules. Take a look. Decide among yourselves who goes first.”

“Me.”

Qin Xiao had planned to push herself and treat at least two, for the sake of credit points. But after checking, she realized that this man’s manic energy had already been partially cleared. There was not much left. It was an easy session.

She went on to cleanse several more. All five were finished within an hour.

After paying their credit points, they all left.

Qin Xiao rubbed her chin. “Strange. The Sentinels coming recently have all been unusual.”

Yu Jing looked puzzled. “Isn’t it good that more Sentinels are visiting Cloud Pavilion?”

Of course, it was good. Qin Xiao had no grudge against credit points. However, the sudden influx was unusual, and they were all dressed in uniform. “Hmm. Do you know which military branch they belong to?”

Yu Jing was clueless. She could not make sense of Capital Star’s military divisions at all.

About half an hour later, another group of five Sentinels entered.

As expected, their manic symptoms were mild. After receiving her credit points, Qin Xiao extended her consciousness like several tendrils, stealthily following them. About thirty meters away, she spotted another Sentinel.

“Third Young Master, we’ve already brought over twenty people here in the past few days. But with a thousand to go, when will it end?”

“Why are you whining? If you have the guts, go complain to my second sister.”

“Right, right. Shall we keep going?”

“They’re getting a bargain anyway.”

…

Qin Xiao withdrew her consciousness and looked toward the door with a playful smile. She pinched her little puffball. “One thousand Sentinels, Hunqiu. We’re about to get a lot of energy crystals.”

The little ball squeaked excitedly. If it had arms and legs, it would have been dancing with joy.

Yu Jing remained oblivious. She had no idea why Qin Xiao was so pleased but Cloud Pavilion’s business was booming.

One morning, Qin Xiao arrived early to open the shop, only to find a round little creature curled up outside. Behind it, someone was hiding, huddled into a ball. The person and the creature looked equally round and squishy.

“Mo Hui.”

“Doctor.”

Mo Hui looked up, and two crystal-clear streams of tears fell from her eyes. They shimmered.

Qin Xiao: …

Creatures that cried like this were even more troublesome than energy crystals.

She invited Mo Hui into the Guide’s lounge and sent her little puffball to keep the other curled-up creature company. The two round beasts rolled together in perfect harmony. If one ignored their vastly different body types, it would have been a beautiful sight.

Hunqiu did its best to cheer up Mo Hui’s black-and-white puffball. Soon, the ball broke free from its master’s gloomy mood and began to play gleefully.

“Stop crying and tell me what happened.” Qin Xiao could not stand whiny girls. Unfortunately, Guides seemed to be made of water. Mo Hui’s crying was giving her a headache.

And Mo Hui’s crying was truly poetic, her tears falling like petals, quiet and sorrowful. She cried in complete silence, which somehow made it worse.

But Qin Xiao’s sharp tone startled her so much she nearly choked on her own sobs.

“He… he hasn’t come back in days.”

“…”

From Mo Hui’s fragmented explanation, Qin Xiao finally pieced the story together. After Mo Hui followed her advice and used her thought tendrils to touch the Sentinel, he had rushed off without a word. Since then, he had not returned for several days.

“He… he must not like me. Your method doesn’t work.”

“!!!”

Qin Xiao shot her an annoyed glare. Mo Hui shrank away but still looked up at her with watery eyes, clearly blaming the method.

Normally, Qin Xiao would have flipped the table, but she quickly calmed herself. “After you touched him, did he growl like a beast or show any strange signs?”

Mo Hui thought hard. “Yes, but then he shoved me away and stormed off.”

Qin Xiao rolled her eyes. She slung an arm around Mo Hui and pulled her closer with a sly grin. “My method didn’t fail. You’re just too dense. He pushed you away because he was scared he’d lose control and eat you alive.”

Mo Hui gasped. “He wants to eat me?”

Qin Xiao gave her a knowing look. “Don’t be silly. You want to have a baby, right? Of course, he has to eat you alive. How else would you get pregnant? My method works. You just lacked follow-through. I’ll teach you a few more tricks. If he doesn’t come back, you go find him.”

Having been duped once, Mo Hui now listened earnestly. “Okay.”

Qin Xiao cleared her throat. “This next part builds on what you did before. First, find a way to examine his consciousness. Then, when he lets out that growl, you do this.”

“Ah~”

“Ah.”

Qin Xiao corrected her. “Softer. Add that upward lilt you use when you speak normally. Ah~~~~”

Mo Hui, still lost, opened her mouth. “Ah~ ah~~ ah~”

Qin Xiao felt a chill down her spine. Something about that sound made her want to scream. “Now do this. Oh~~~~”

Mo Hui tried, “Oh oh oh~”

Qin Xiao nearly lost her mind. “My goodness, why am I teaching such a silly girl?”

Mo Hui looked at her with wounded eyes, and her tears started to gather again.

Qin Xiao quickly stopped. “Keep going. I’ll teach you until you master it.”

Mo Hui finally smiled through her tears. “Doctor, is there more?”

Qin Xiao wracked her brain and recalled all the seductive sounds she had overheard in the past. “Ah~~ ha~~ And your expression must look like you’re lost in bliss. It needs to be soul-stealing.”

Mo Hui’s cheeks turned crimson, her eyes misty. She struck a dreamy expression that was quite alluring, mostly because she had been crying so much.

Qin Xiao praised her. “Perfect expression. The sound still needs work.”

“Ah~~~~”

“Yes, that’s the one!” Qin Xiao cried, overjoyed. Finally, this foolish disciple had grasped her essence. She felt almost faint. This was more exhausting than cleansing a Sentinel’s mania.

Mo Hui lowered her head. “But… but that wasn’t me.”

Qin Xiao: …

The two stared at each other, wide-eyed.

“Oh~~~~”

Qin Xiao: …

Mo Hui swallowed and waved her hands in denial. “It really wasn’t me.”

A round puffball rolled up to Qin Xiao and spoke in a perfect imitation of her delicate voice. “Ah~~ ha~~”