The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 38

Amy noticed that Qin Xiao kept glancing toward the distant patrol squad. She frowned slightly and whispered, “There are three or four times more patrol teams here than we saw earlier. What exactly are they searching for?”

Just as she finished speaking, two Sentinels stepped forward and flanked Qin Xiao on either side. Their tall bodies blocked her view completely.

Mo Hui, just as curious, also tried to look in that direction. When she spotted the person walking toward them at the front of the squad, she gasped in surprise and delight. “It’s Her Highness Yuzhu! Qin Xiao, it’s Her Highness—”

Amy immediately grabbed Mo Hui and pinched her hard. “Stop looking around.”

Mo Hui’s joyful cry cut off mid-word. Wincing in pain, she stole a glance at Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao’s head was lowered, and no one could tell what she was thinking. Mo Hui hesitated, then stammered, “My stomach hurts. I need to… to go—”

Amy warned her in a low voice, “Don’t play games. If something happens later, I can’t protect you.”

“Heh.”

“Aya.”

Qin Xiao raised her head again. Her black eyes had somehow turned into vertical pupils, like Lady Luo’s blue-patterned snake. Whenever it detected prey, its pupils would change just like that.

Amy tensed. “Careful. She’s launching another mental attack.”

The muscles of the two Sentinels holding Qin Xiao tensed immediately but strangely, they shook their heads afterward. They did not feel anything. The first time Qin Xiao had launched a mental attack back at the academy, it felt like being stabbed in the skull. The pain had been excruciating.

Amy’s heart sank. She supported Qin Xiao and said, “Aya, stop. Stop now, or your consciousness cloud will be damaged.”

Mo Hui sneaked a glance at Qiu Qiu. She saw the big puffball sitting on its butt and scratching its head with a paw. Upon closer look, it was gently patting a smaller orb with similar fur colors. That little creature, Hunqiu, lay completely limp and unmoving.

Suddenly, the area burst into noise.

“That person has gone manic. Evacuate the civilians!”

“Roar—”

Several Sentinels on the transfer platform had abruptly lost control and were attacking people. Even the Sentinels guarding Her Highness Yuzhu were affected. One of them, during a frenzy, was quickly injected with two stabilizers and gradually came back to his senses.

“Su Lie, I remember the medics cleared your mental instability before this mission. Why did you go manic?”

“No, Your Highness. A Guide launched a mental attack, and I was caught in the shockwave. There’s a Guide here!”

Everyone was stunned, but Yuzhu reacted immediately. Upon arriving, she had already received news from the academy about a major incident. “Seal all exits immediately. Call for Guides from the Guide Academy to assist. The two missing Guides might have just been here and… one of them is clever.”

After issuing orders, she looked around but found no one suspicious.

Amy clamped her hand over Mo Hui’s mouth. The two Sentinels lifted Qin Xiao and the group slipped quietly into a corner.

“What now? The commotion is too loud. They’ll search this place soon.”

Mo Hui struggled to support Qin Xiao. “Auntie Amy, what’s wrong with her? She can’t even stand up.”

Amy felt a mix of frustration and admiration. If she had not seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed that the one who caused so much trouble was sweet little Aya. The fire on the ship? Likely these two troublemakers again.

“She launched a mental attack. Her strength is depleted. She just needs to recover.”

Mo Hui nearly despaired. “That’ll take forever.”

Amy knew from Mo Hui’s gentle, delicate way of speaking that she was the soft-hearted type. “If she doesn’t get proper treatment, Aya’s consciousness cloud might collapse. You need to convince her to behave. No more attacks for now.”

Mo Hui instinctively hugged Qin Xiao’s arm tighter. The word collapse was terrifying to any Guide.

Amy also looked worried. “We have fifteen minutes at most. They’ll send high-level Guides soon. I may not be able to protect everyone.”

Everyone exchanged glances. In the end, all eyes landed on Mo Hui.

Mo Hui swallowed hard. “W-what are you all looking at me for?”

Her Highness Yuzhu personally led a team to search the area. Among them were two senior Guides who had graduated from the Academy and served as military medics for years. One of them, a woman, had a colorful butterfly as her Quantum beast. The other was a man with a tiny white mouse as his Quantum beast and together they were elite trackers.

The Sentinel who had earlier suffered the mental attack followed behind them. “Your Highness, there was just a report from the spacecraft lot. About twenty minutes ago, a private ship suddenly caught fire and affected nearby vessels.”

Yuzhu’s eyes darkened. She stared at the little white mouse sniffing around. “How convenient. By that timing, when we passed through the main hall, they must have been nearby. Otherwise, that mental attack wouldn’t have reached you. Take them back to that spot. There should be traces left.”

Once the area was confirmed, the search range became much smaller.

The white mouse squeaked as it sniffed along the wall’s base. Wu Wei crouched down to sense the energy. He followed the scent around the corner and found a stairwell large enough to fit several people. “They stopped here.”

Li Jie communicated with her butterfly. The Quantum beast searched the stairwell up and down. “Their presence is blocked. One of them is a very powerful Guide. Or… there may be more than one.”

Yuzhu thought for a moment. “If you wanted to cause chaos, what would you do?”

Li Jie exchanged a glance with Wu Wei. “Your Highness means the sudden manic episodes among the Sentinels?”

Yuzhu nodded. “Yes. What do you think?”

Li Jie scoffed. “Must be a coincidence. Even high-level Guides can’t attack multiple targets from a distance at once.”

Wu Wei raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Yuzhu had already asked the affected Sentinels. Their answers were all the same. Their consciousness clouds had been attacked, and then everything went blank.

“If someone really pulled that off, they’d be completely drained.”

“And unable to walk,” Wu Wei added. “Which is why the mouse detected their presence here. They only stayed briefly before hiding their energy. That means the one who launched the attack and the one who hid the energy are not the same person.”

“Check everyone who’s physically weak.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Amy and another Sentinel were escorting Qin Xiao south, heading straight toward the very checkpoint now under strict inspection. Anyone trying to leave would have to go through an exhaustive screening process. Lines were already forming.

“Aya, if you don’t want anything to happen to your friend, then cooperate. You know exactly what Lady Luo is capable of.”

Qin Xiao’s mind was spinning. She felt nauseated from the backlash. Her limbs were weak, and her body floated as if she were walking on clouds. She curved her lips in a faint smile. Her gaze tilted sideways.

“Heh. Weren’t you planning to wipe out her temporary mark?”

Amy did want to take that little Guide too. But after everything Qin Xiao had done, taking both of them was nearly impossible.

“Aya, I don’t understand why you suddenly hate us so much. But you should know we would never harm you. Everything we’ve done is for your sake. Don’t let Eva worry. Don’t waste Lady Luo’s efforts.”

A nearby Sentinel snapped, “Aya, you’re being reckless. Lady Luo has spent years preparing for you. Do not test her patience. If you keep this up, your friend won’t be found safe and sound.”

Qin Xiao remembered how Lady Luo had shaken off Aiwei’er and forced Yan Ningjin to retreat. She also thought of that little crybaby who went on and on about having a baby Sentinel. She closed her eyes. Maybe, just maybe, if she handed over Mo Hui, she could find another way to escape.

Amy noticed she was quiet and let out a breath of relief.

…

“This way.”

“We’re getting close to their trail.”

Her Highness Yuzhu urged, “The injured Guide needs immediate treatment. If her consciousness cloud is harmed, the damage could last a lifetime. You must hurry.”

The two senior Guides worked in tandem. Soon, they detected a Guide’s consciousness cloud. One of them exclaimed, “We found it. But it’s on the top floor.”

A squad rushed up the stairs. There, they found Mo Hui tied to a pillar, weakly calling for help like a kitten. Her Quantum beast, Qiu Qiu, had squeezed half its body out, pawing desperately at the pillar.

Beneath her were dozens of open floors.

The sight made everyone break out in a cold sweat.

“Quick! Get the girl down safely!”

“And her Quantum beast too!”

eey

Chapter 38.2: Lover

Everyone scrambled in a panic, trying to reach the pillar where Mo Hui was tied. The pillar was suspended in midair, and Mo Hui did not dare to move at all. She did not even dare to look down. Her tears had long since dried up. Her legs were so weak that she could not stand.

“Save… save Qin Xiao. She… she was taken away.”

Princess Yuzhu crouched down and examined the clothes scattered nearby. She picked up two pieces, one of which carried a faintly sweet scent. The fragrance was light, nearly masked by a domineering Sentinel’s pheromones. Still, that lingering sweetness was enough to make her pores tingle with ease. She caught it instantly. She sniffed again. A red gleam flickered in her eyes, and something that had been locked away for over twenty years suddenly burst from its cage.

“There was another person. Where is she!”

After being rescued, Mo Hui sat on the ground with her Quantum beast, Qiu Qiu, bawling loudly. When she saw Her Highness Yuzhu holding Qin Xiao’s clothes, she ran up and snatched them into her arms, crying even harder. Between sobs, she hiccupped, “Qin Xiao… waaah—”

“Qin Xiao?”

The name sounded familiar to Yuzhu. Someone nearby reminded her, “She’s the Guide who made General Yan do some wildly out-of-character things. Recently, she’s caused quite a stir on Capital Star. Your Highness… you didn’t know she was one of the missing Guides?”

Yuzhu truly did not know. She only understood that a Guide being abducted from the military academy was a matter of grave importance. Her expression turned contemplative, with a trace of disappointment.

“It’s her.”

She still remembered Qin Xiao. A seemingly delicate Guide who liked to act coy…

But that image clashed entirely with the Guide they had speculated about earlier.

“Miss Mo Hui, are you alright?”

“No,” Mo Hui shook her head over and over, her eyes swollen from crying. She urged, “You have to find Qin Xiao. Her consciousness cloud is injured. It’s dangerous.”

“Do you know where she is?”

As soon as the question came, Mo Hui only cried harder. She cried until Liu Ze rushed in, and still, no one could extract any useful information from her. In short, she knew nothing.

Meanwhile, the inspection had reached its most critical point.

Amy cloaked both Guides’ auras with her consciousness cloud. She kept patting Qin Xiao’s forehead.

“Oh dear, Aya seems really unwell. We should give her an injectable dose in advance.”

The inspector looked at Amy, then at the nearby Sentinel.

“Are you all family?”

Amy nodded without hesitation. “Yes, sir. Is there a problem?”

The officer’s gaze lingered on Qin Xiao. “What’s wrong with her? Should we call a military medic?”

Amy smiled and gently posed the question again, this time with a trace of warning in her tone. “Aya, how are you feeling right now?”

Qin Xiao forced her eyes open and glanced at the officer. In her mind, she calculated her odds of escape if she suddenly screamed. Before she could act, chaos broke out behind her.

“A Guide! There’s a Guide here!”

“Oh my god, what is going on today? These Sentinels are all losing it!”

Qin Xiao turned her head and saw that the orderly line had dissolved into chaos. A quick glance revealed Lady Luo standing in the crowd, arms crossed and calmly watching the spectacle unfold.

The woman even smiled provocatively at her. That cursed blue-patterned snake flicked its tongue in her direction.

Qin Xiao leaned into Amy’s shoulder without hesitation.

“Mom, I’m exhausted. When can we leave?”

The Sentinel standing beside them added, “Sir, if there’s really a Guide, you need to inform the Academy. Otherwise, the Sentinels won’t be able to restrain themselves. May we go now?”

The officer’s attention shifted toward the source of the commotion. He waved his hand. “Go.”

As Qin Xiao turned her head, she caught sight of Princess Yuzhu rushing over with a team. She stared for a long moment, then sighed.

“Auntie Amy, you really should’ve told me Lady Luo was here. If I had known, I would’ve behaved.”

At least, she would not have tried to escape from the transfer station.

Amy shook her head helplessly. “If you hadn’t caused such a mess, Lady Luo wouldn’t have stepped in. The fact that she has means she’s furious. Aya, you’d better think hard about how to calm her anger.”

Qin Xiao rolled her eyes dramatically. She was furious, too.

…

As soon as Qin Xiao left, Princess Yuzhu arrived at the checkpoint.

“Did you notice anyone suspicious just now?”

The officer thought carefully.

“To answer Your Highness, no one in a wheelchair or visibly unable to walk passed through here.”

Yuzhu sniffed the air, and her Quantum beast twirled excitedly above the ground. She caught a faint sweet scent. Had her beast not shown signs of excitement, she might have missed it entirely.

“No. She walked through here.”

“What?”

Yuzhu yanked the officer forward.

“Think again. Did a small, fragile-looking girl who needed support pass through here?”

The officer blinked. Just earlier, a couple had come through with a frail girl. Her description matched exactly.

“Your Highness, there was a couple just now. Their daughter was very weak. She fits your description perfectly.”

Yuzhu shoved the man aside and dashed through the corridor.

Behind her, Lady Luo watched with a faint smirk. Her fingers tapped lightly on her smart terminal.

…

Qin Xiao slept for days. From the third day onward, she awoke each time to find Lady Luo sitting beside the bed, watching her.

That snake had claimed half her bed and stared at her with visible hostility.

Whether it was instinct or because she and Yan Ningjin had marked each other, Qin Xiao found the overwhelming pheromones from other Sentinels intolerable.

She spoke weakly.

“You don’t need to watch me this closely. You know I won’t be able to escape this time.”

Lady Luo crossed her arms, her tone as cold as ice.

“Circling between Yan Ningjin and Her Highness Yuzhu… I underestimated you.”

Qin Xiao pursed her lips. Wonderful. The old witch knows everything. What doesn’t she know at this point?

She slouched against the bed and spoke lazily.

“Lady Luo, let’s not play games. You went to such lengths to catch me only because I’m a Guide.”

Lady Luo lifted her chin. “Go on.”

Qin Xiao smiled sweetly.

“You want an obedient Guide, not one who keeps stirring up trouble. So why don’t we make a deal?”

“A deal?”

“I want to stay on Capital Star. If you give me a bit of freedom, I can help your little rebel group neutralize manic episodes. I can even pass on intel from time to time. How about it?”

Lady Luo tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Tempting offer. What if I say no?”

Qin Xiao sucked in a breath and wrinkled her nose.

“Then we have no choice but to fight to the bitter end. You’ll have to explain to Eva why I died. As long as I’m alive, I’ll make sure your rebel group never knows peace. If you’re willing to risk the whole operation on a gamble, then I’m all in.”

Lady Luo laughed from sheer frustration.

“You’re betting I won’t risk the organization.”

Qin Xiao shrugged.

“Not exactly. I just don’t think you’d make Eva sad. Auntie Amy said she’s sick and worried about me. I don’t want to hurt her.”

That was half true. Qin Xiao had guessed as much from how Lady Luo never exposed her. Perhaps the woman had her own agenda.

If the gamble paid off, everyone could live in peace. Frankly, she didn’t have the strength to go up against an entire rebel network.

Especially after discovering how absurdly expensive energy crystals were, all she could think about was finding a mineral-rich planet.

Lady Luo rested her chin in her hand.

“Your proposal is quite alluring. Why should I trust you?”

Qin Xiao blinked innocently.

“I was with Yan Ningjin for ages and never once mentioned you, Eva, or your crew. Our goals never conflicted. If you stop chasing me, I’ll even give you free updates from Capital Star.”

She had never done such a bad deal before. This buy-one-get-one-free scheme was her biggest concession.

If Lady Luo dared ask for more, she would cancel everything.

Lady Luo eyed her appraisingly. Just as she was about to respond, Amy burst through the door.

“Lady Luo! Someone is attacking our ship! The sniper’s skill is incredible. If this keeps up, we’ll be forced to land or worse—”

Since they had used private vessels to avoid inspections, their ships lacked strong defenses. One hit could bring them down before they had time to react.

Lady Luo gave Qin Xiao a long, meaningful look and hurried to the control room.

The display screen showed a mech she immediately recognized as Aiwei’er.

Aiwei’er was a top-tier combat mech. Fast, powerful, and lethal. Though its defenses were slightly weaker, it was more than enough to take down their unshielded ship.

Qin Xiao had followed her into the room at some point. When she saw Aiwei’er on the screen, she exclaimed in delight.

“It’s Yan Yan! She actually came for me!”

Lady Luo gave a humorless chuckle.

“Just got rid of your new flame and now the old one’s back. Damn it. How did she find us again?”