The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 37

“Lady Luo’s warning was spot on. Good thing we had a backup plan.”

“How did Aya suddenly become so powerful? That attack just now nearly took my life.”

“Shh, stay alert on this trip. Lady Luo said Aya’s personality has changed. She might not cooperate willingly with returning.”

Qin Xiao was jolted awake by Hunqiu kneading her chest. She had no idea if it had learned this move from Tuan Tuan. The little ball rolled back and forth across her face. She grabbed it with one hand and woke up to the sound of fragmented conversation. She blinked and noticed a few strands of hair brushing her face, which tickled slightly.

After carefully identifying it, Qin Xiao realized it was Mo Hui’s long hair. She blew at it twice, but the girl didn’t react. Qin Xiao communicated with Hunqiu through her mind and found out she had been unconscious for about an hour. Their private spaceship had already flown quite far, though still within Capital Star.

The voices outside had gone silent since the moment Qin Xiao woke up.

She sat up and found that, despite being prisoners, they were treated decently. They had been placed in a very narrow room. She and Mo Hui were lying haphazardly on the bed, which was the only furnishing aside from a soft mattress and a single door.

She patted Mo Hui’s cheek. The little Guide irritably swatted her hand away, clearly still dreaming.

Qin Xiao pinched her nose. Mo Hui, unable to breathe, finally woke up with a gasp.

“Doctor, um, we…” Mo Hui suddenly recalled their terrifying ordeal and shot upright. Qin Xiao backed off to avoid a headbutt. Mo Hui stared in shock at the unfamiliar room. “Where are we now?”

“Shh.”

Mo Hui’s face filled with panic. She leapt off the bed, but before she could say a word, the door opened. Instinctively, she ducked behind Qin Xiao.

The one who entered was that same Guide from before. She gave them a gentle smile. “Good, you’re awake.”

Her eyes shifted to Qin Xiao, and she stepped closer, examining her carefully. “Aya, it’s been a while. You’ve changed so much I nearly didn’t recognize you.”

Qin Xiao looked far better than before. She was healthier, more radiant, and her figure had changed significantly. Probably from absorbing energy crystals, she had even grown two centimeters taller. Her mid-length hair had grown out, her face had filled out, and her cheeks now held a rosy flush. She looked nothing like her previously sickly self.

Guides were always kind in demeanor. Qin Xiao remembered this one as Eva’s assistant, Amy. Back then, Aya had been a normal person who couldn’t see Quantum beasts, so all her memories were of Amy’s kindness.

Qin Xiao forced down the sudden bitterness swelling in her chest. She puffed up her cheeks. “Really?”

Seeing her odd expression, Amy assumed what Lady Luo had said was true, namely that Aya’s personality had changed. Still, she gently patted Qin Xiao’s shoulder. “Eva’s been ill, thinking of you every day. Child, disappearing without a word was far too dangerous.”

Qin Xiao quickly processed the meaning. “Mom is sick?”

Amy nodded. “She worried herself sick over you. When you get back, be good and listen to Eva. Don’t be so willful again.”

Behind her, Mo Hui’s grip on Qin Xiao’s arm loosened noticeably. Once Amy left, she whispered, “Doctor, do you know these people?”

Qin Xiao was still digesting Amy’s words while watching Mo Hui’s head bob around. “Sit down first.”

Mo Hui, easily convinced, believed everything Amy had said and treated the captors as familiar faces. Her earlier tension had faded. After a moment of sitting, she became anxious again. “We disappeared so suddenly. Liu Ze must be worried. Doctor, should we send them a message?”

She fiddled with her personal communicator but gave up quickly. “It’s no use. The signal is too weak. I can’t reach Liu Ze. Doctor, can you message him for me?”

Qin Xiao gave her a sidelong look. This silly sweet girl completely misunderstood the situation. Ever since escaping Lady Luo’s clutches last time, Qin Xiao thought their connection had ended. Even if they met again, it should have been as strangers.

Yet…

Judging from Amy’s words, Lady Luo hadn’t exposed her identity to Eva and even covered for her. But why?

“My communicator can’t send messages either. Let’s wait a bit.”

“Ah, how could this happen…”

Qin Xiao wanted to yell at her. We’ve been kidnapped, not on vacation! Lady Luo might appear approachable, but she was ruthlessly calculating. Her blue-flowered snake in particular was silent yet always watchful. If they got taken back, escaping again would be near impossible. Qin Xiao leaned closer and whispered, “Mo Hui, why didn’t you run back then?”

They had been intercepted at the military academy. Logically, there should have been plenty of people around. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared walk out. But the situation was hard to describe because it felt strange, as if all sound around them had vanished in an instant before she saw those three people.

If Mo Hui had turned and run, Qin Xiao wouldn’t have blamed her. She was a Guide, after all, with no combat ability.

Mo Hui shivered and hesitantly murmured, “My legs… wouldn’t move.”

Qin Xiao: …

Hunqiu bounced onto Qiu Qiu, who rolled freely in the cramped space, completely unaffected by its owner’s distress. The two played happily. The calming aura from Hunqiu quickly helped Qiu Qiu adapt to the unfamiliar environment.

Qin Xiao wasn’t worried if the three captors overheard. She asked without shame, “Before I was taken, I noticed how quiet everything got. But how could there be no sound in a military academy?”

Mo Hui’s cheeks flushed. Listening to Qin Xiao’s description, she quietly explained, “That was… the barrier set up by the Guide outside. Inside that barrier, no one can detect anything unless their mental strength surpasses hers.”

Qin Xiao understood immediately. It was like a formation or spiritual array, which served as a seal that hid everything happening within. No wonder the situation had felt so off. They had clearly come prepared.

Qin Xiao reflected. She had grown too complacent living on Capital Star and forgotten how danger could be hiding nearby. She sighed softly. “No wonder.”

Mo Hui didn’t quite understand what she meant and simply watched Qiu Qiu and Hunqiu playing together. “Doctor, why did she call you Aya?”

This silly girl might be slow, but at least she asked the right question. Qin Xiao glanced at her, huddled up with arms wrapped around herself, looking pitiful. Without thinking, she spun a story. “I ran away from home and entered a trial marriage with Yan Ningjin. My mother and Lady Luo probably disapprove, so they’re trying to bring me back. You… got dragged into this because of me.”

Mo Hui instantly imagined a tragic love story between Qin Xiao and Yan Ningjin, as if they were star-crossed lovers thwarted by disapproving families. She looked at Qin Xiao with sympathy. “Then… what will happen to us once we’re taken back?”

Qin Xiao bit her lip and deliberately frightened her. “They might assign you to another Sentinel and make you bear lots of little Guides. As for me… they’ll probably use me as labor.”

Given Lady Luo’s ruthless nature, she’d likely wait until their temporary markings faded, then find another way to trap them. After all, two more Guides would be a windfall for the organization.

But Qin Xiao wasn’t one to be manipulated.

She absentmindedly rubbed her fingers until she heard soft sobbing beside her. She looked over and saw Mo Hui crying uncontrollably, her face turning red, nearly fainting from holding her breath.

Mo Hui hiccuped between sobs. “I don’t want to have babies with someone else.”

Qin Xiao’s head ached at the sight of her tears. “Okay, okay. You’ll have babies with Liu Ze.”

Mo Hui pouted. “Little Sentinels.”

Qin Xiao: !!!

Is now really the time to debate whether to give birth to Sentinels or Guides?!

Seeing that Mo Hui was about to start crying again, Qin Xiao impatiently scolded, “Stop it. No more crying, or I’ll throw you out.”

Mo Hui’s tears stopped instantly. She stared at Qin Xiao in fear.

Qin Xiao crooked her finger, and Mo Hui obediently leaned closer. “It’s okay to cry. Cry louder so they can hear you.”

Mo Hui, now told to cry, didn’t feel like crying anymore. She sniffled and asked, “What do we do now? Liu Ze will definitely come for me.”

Qin Xiao figured Yan Ningjin must have noticed her disappearance by now. “He will.”

But based on what she knew about Lady Luo, Amy and the two Sentinels weren’t the only ones involved. There would be more. The farther they got from Capital Star, the slimmer their chances of escape. Relying on rescue wasn’t Qin Xiao’s style.

“Oh, you must’ve learned a lot at the Guide Academy. That barrier technique you mentioned, do you know how to use it?” Qin Xiao suddenly looked very eager. She winked at Mo Hui. “We’re not doing anything right now. How about teaching me?”

Mo Hui was a bit confused. When Qin Xiao winked again, she finally nodded. “Okay. I’m not very good at it though.”

Outside, the three captors had enhanced their senses and could hear everything. Once they were sure the two Guides were focused on learning, they spoke softly.

Amy sighed in frustration. “This is bad. I thought she was just an irrelevant little Guide. I didn’t expect she was tied to Liu Ze, the madman from the Third Corps. We should dump her while we can.”

The other two shook their heads. “We’re about to reach the transit station. If we throw her off now, we’ll be pursued. More importantly, she’s seen our faces.”

They all frowned at the troublesome situation. Getting rid of her was risky. Keeping her was just as bad.

Meanwhile, Liu Ze had realized his little Guide was missing. After searching the academy, he ran into Yan Ningjin, who had come to pick up Qin Xiao. They exchanged information and discovered both their Guides had vanished.

Two valuable Guides disappearing from Capital Star’s military academy was a blatant provocation to the Empire.

The Xiao Corps and the First and Third Armies on Capital Star mobilized entirely. They locked down every checkpoint, but it was too late. They had lost the lead. All they found was a faint trace left behind by Amy’s group.

Liu Ze slammed the control panel in rage. “Damn it!”

Yan Ningjin heard his curse and frowned slightly. “They’re organized, fast, and clearly premeditated.”

Liu Ze’s eyes were bloodshot. “Why would they kidnap Mo Hui?”

Yan Ningjin saw signs of an oncoming mania and said coldly, “If you plan to pursue them in this state, I suggest you calm down first.”

This mission gave her a strong sense of deja vu. She also felt certain that if someone had kidnapped a Guide, their real target was probably her little Guide. Qin Xiao was full of secrets.

Bai Xuan seemed to have sensed it too. After cutting off communication with Liu Ze, she touched her chin and said, “Boss, I heard from Yu Jing earlier that Miss Mo Hui went to see Sister-in-law first. Then the two of them went to the military academy, and that was when the incident happened. But I think… it feels like those people were after Sister-in-law all along.”

On the surface, it looked like Mo Hui was the target.

Yan Ningjin did not want to mix up this incident with the previous one, but she knew very clearly. The same person must have been responsible for returning the Little Prince, infiltrating the Xiao Corps to snatch the little beast, and now kidnapping her little Guide. As for Mo Hui being taken too, that might have just been a coincidence.

She marked several planets outside Capital Star, heavily noting even the location where they had lost the little beast.

Bai Xuan stood behind her and asked, “Boss, why did they take Sister-in-law?”

The only reason Yan Ningjin could think of was that her little Guide had become too famous on the Star Network. Most recent events were tied to Qin Xiao, including her trial marriage, Madam Qin’s resignation, the opening of the Cloud Pavilion, and more. All of it pointed to one fact that her little Guide had turned into a minor celebrity, drawing massive attention.

“This was my oversight.”

Bai Xuan disagreed. “Boss, this isn’t your fault. The other side is just too cunning. You already assigned guards outside the academy. Who would have imagined someone would dare make a move inside the academy itself? They clearly don’t take us seriously.”

Yan Ningjin tapped her finger on the planetary map. “You will take command here and keep playing hide and seek with them. Maybe we can make them drop their guard. I will pilot Aiwei’er and block them at this point.”

Bai Xuan glanced at the place she had indicated. “That’s Lion Star. Why?”

Yan Ningjin was not sure either. It was just instinct. The last ambush had also happened there, and then the enemy had vanished without a trace. She could only bet on it.

“Pass the order. All transfer stations along the route must have increased personnel. Also, get every experienced Guide to join the search.”

“Yes.”

Qin Xiao had no idea that their disappearance had caused an uproar on Capital Star. She was diligently practicing the technique Mo Hui had taught her, which involved forming a Guide’s barrier. It involved drawing on strong spiritual energy to create a conscious shield, enclosing the people she wished to protect within it. This allowed them to evade detection by other Guides.

The barrier was originally meant to provide privacy. Over time, it had become a tactical tool. During conflict, a Guide could raise it to avoid mental scans. However, against someone with powerful mental strength, the barrier was practically useless. They could locate a Guide or Sentinel’s consciousness node and capture them with ease.

Qin Xiao had no formal training as a Guide. She did not even know this was a function they possessed. That was likely why Amy had managed to catch her off guard so easily.

She practiced repeatedly. After each attempt, she would ask the same question. Eventually, only a simple back-and-forth could be heard in the room.

“Can you still feel it?”

“Yes.”

“Can you still feel it?”

“No.”

Amy would occasionally open the door to check on them. But after seeing the two adorable little Guides sitting cross-legged on the bed, playing the “can you feel it or not” game, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Auntie Amy, we’re hungry. Can we have something to eat?”

“Of course. AYa, what does your friend like to eat?”

“She’s not picky. Anything will do.”

Mo Hui stared fixedly at Qin Xiao, her eyes glimmering with curiosity. “You… you’re acting different today.”

Qin Xiao put a finger to her lips and shushed her gently. Then she resumed the game. She extended her consciousness tentacles, enveloping the entire room and the small, round creature within it.

“Can you feel it now?”

Mo Hui closed her eyes. She had clearly seen the person sitting across from her just a moment ago, but in an instant, it was like she had vanished into thin air. She shook her head. “I can’t feel it.”

Qin Xiao then tried to include both Mo Hui and the creature in the barrier. She repeated the process until her shield slowly began to expand outward. When she saw Amy approaching, she quickly withdrew it.

“It’s strange, though. If Auntie Amy had set up a barrier, how did you suddenly appear here?”

“Ah, me?” Mo Hui tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. “I don’t know either. I think… maybe Qiu Qiu went first. I think it heard Hunqiu’s voice.”

Qin Xiao looked suspiciously at the black-and-white round creature that was rolling around with her little Hunqiu. Though its movements were clumsy, its giant body was undeniably adorable. It rolled, got up, rolled again. Cuteness level: off the charts.

She glanced again at her own puffball, who was also rolling around on the floor. It showed no fear of being crushed by the much larger Qiu Qiu, even though the size difference was at least a few hundred times.

Amy had overheard their conversation and recalled the earlier scene carefully. Her gaze toward Mo Hui shifted again. “Eat well and get some rest. We will reach our destination in a few hours.”

Qin Xiao nodded obediently like the old AYa and gave her thanks.

As soon as Amy left, she put down her food and quietly cast a consciousness shield over the entire room, including the two playful Quantum beasts.

Mo Hui looked at her in surprise. “AYa, we’ve played all day. We can’t keep doing this. If you exhaust your spiritual energy, it could harm you as a Guide. That’s not good.”

Qin Xiao did feel a bit tired. Each time she created the barrier, her energy was rapidly drained, but she did not bother to explain.

“Listen carefully. We need to find a way to escape. Once we reach their destination, we might lose our chance.”

Mo Hui had not even swallowed the food in her mouth before she spit it out in shock.

Qin Xiao quickly patted her back. “Mo Hui, I ran away from home, and I do not want to go back. If I do, I will lose my freedom. I might have to say goodbye to Capital Star, but they will definitely take you back, too. You’ve seen Amy and the others. You get it, right? That’s why we must escape.”

Mo Hui had never experienced such a nerve-wracking day. She swallowed hard to force down the food stuck in her throat, but her appetite was gone.

“AYa, we can’t beat them. Auntie Amy is really strong. And those two Sentinels guarding the door…”

“My name is Qin Xiao.”

“Oh, right.”

Qin Xiao figured that Lady Luo must have planted people along their path again, just like last time when they took her from the Xiao Corps. Many undercover agents had been exposed then. So these past few days must have been used to reassign operatives.

“Amy said we are almost there, but from what I know, traveling from Capital Star to Mercury Star should take several days. Plus, the journey depends on the ship’s speed.”

Mo Hui looked even more worried. “Qin Xiao, maybe we should leave signs along the way. Let Liu Ze and the General find us.”

A flash of insight hit Qin Xiao. “What if Auntie Amy meant that we are arriving only at a transfer point, where we will board another ship? Then any marks we make will be useless or, worse yet, might mislead Yan Yan.”

Mo Hui’s face crumpled with despair. She looked like she was about to cry.

Qin Xiao glared at her. “Hold back those tears, or I won’t take you with me.”

Mo Hui took several deep breaths to force back her tears. “You still have to take me. Otherwise, Hunqiu won’t have a playmate.”

Qin Xiao: …

Qin Xiao conserved her energy and rested for a few hours. Mo Hui also followed suit and took a nap.

Amy had not heard a sound from the room, so she peeked in and found the two girls fast asleep with rosy cheeks. Even the Quantum beasts were not playing. She looked around for Qin Xiao’s Quantum beast but could not find it, so she let it go.

“Any updates?”

“Aya’s Quantum beast is strange. I searched the room and could not find it.”

“It’s probably still a cub. She just awakened her Guide ability.”

“Yes, and Lady Luo’s earlier concern was right. Aya and that General Yan have already formed a temporary mark. We need to find a way to erase it. That other little Guide has a mark too. It might be tricky.”

“Lady Luo will handle it, but Capital Star’s last checkpoint will be tightly guarded. We need to stay alert.”

In the room, Qin Xiao touched the little orb in her pocket, rolled over, and went back to sleep. Then she heard an odd alarm and sat up instantly. She rubbed her fingers together until a tiny flame ignited. It was barely the size of her pinky.

She threw it onto the bed.

Then she rubbed her fingers again. Nothing happened.

Qin Xiao almost choked on her own frustration. Her fire-element spiritual root was as unreliable as the little orb in her core. Without energy crystals, it refused to work.

The little orb popped out of her pocket and jumped into her palm. It rolled around and gently rubbed against her fingertip. Suddenly, the flame shot up.

“Hunqiu, you… never mind. If we escape today, I’ll give you one merit.”

“Mua—”

Qin Xiao set more fires while scooping up her puffball to give it a kiss.

Then she shook awake Mo Hui, who was truly asleep. The fire had already spread.

Mo Hui rubbed her eyes and immediately screamed at the sight of flames. “Help! Fire! Qin Xiao, the room is on fire! Help!”

Qin Xiao grabbed her hand and whispered, “Someone will have to stay and put out the fire. You pick the easier opponent. Aim true. One strike.”

Mo Hui had never used her thought tentacles to attack anyone. She trembled all over. “I… I’m scared.”

Qin Xiao wiped the sweat off her forehead. “This is self-rescue. You heard them. They want to erase our temporary marks. If we don’t run, they will control us. Then you can forget about having babies with Liu Ze.”

One person opened the door after hearing the commotion. “Damn, it’s on fire! Get water, fast!”

Qin Xiao and Mo Hui clung to each other and walked into the hall from their room.

One of the Sentinels was already pouring water to put out the fire. It was burning fiercely, and they had to run back and forth several times. Just then, their private spacecraft arrived. They had to transfer.

Amy’s eyes narrowed. “This fire is suspicious and spreading fast. We don’t have time. Abandon the ship. We’re moving out.”

One person protested. “But if the ship burns, it will be discovered quickly, and then—”

Amy glanced at Qin Xiao and Mo Hui. “Forget it. Go.”

Mo Hui looked anxiously at Qin Xiao. This wasn’t the plan.

Qin Xiao had not expected Auntie Amy to abandon the ship so decisively either. Her mind spun rapidly. She kept her head down and followed Amy. As they changed ships, she saw a patrol unit in the distance. They wore military academy uniforms. Leading them was the person she had been dreaming of.