The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 44

There was only one tribal Tarpo Tree in the entire Tarpo Forest. Its appearance was nearly indistinguishable from the other trees, all hunched beneath the weight of their own vines. The Tarpo Gu Vine was a rare, peculiar strain hidden among countless others. It was thin and short, nearly impossible to spot.

More importantly, a Gu Vine only appeared once every twenty years.

Based on the timeline, since Eva and Lady Luo retrieved the last vine more than a decade ago, the current one was likely still immature and probably even shorter than usual.

“You are also here for the Tarpo Gu Vine?”

“Yes.”

The swift and straightforward admission caught them off guard. Before anyone could respond, the man offered a gentle proposal.

“This forest is riddled with danger. Since our goal is the same, why not cooperate? Once we find the vine, we can split it evenly. What do you think?”

Qin Xiao rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her disdain.

“Absolutely not. You’ve contributed nothing. Why should you get half just because you happen to be here when we find it?”

Brother Mi and the others nodded in agreement, watching the three strangers with growing suspicion.

The man had a charming face that could easily deceive. His hands were pale and slender, and even in his disheveled state, there was an air of scholarly grace about him. When he looked at someone, his eyes were steady and sincere, giving the illusion of being deeply valued.

Unfortunately, the one he stared at with such focus was Qin Xiao.

Yan Ningjin did not appreciate this. She stepped in to block his view with her body.

“Unless you are willing to share your information.”

Information sharing was common among adventurers. One party might have a clue the other lacked. By working together and combining what they knew, they stood a better chance of success.

Qin Xiao was not thrilled by the idea, but she understood. Eva had not left them with much to go on. The exact location of the vine, the method to locate it, and the way to harvest it all remained a mystery.

The man gave a soft chuckle.

“We can lead you to the tribal Tarpo Tree where the Gu Vine grows.”

Yan Ningjin exchanged glances with the group, then stepped aside to discuss. Brother Mi, Ironhead, and Mu Yan had already been told by Lady Luo to follow Yan Ningjin’s lead on this mission. Amy had no objection either. Yan Ningjin looked toward her little Guide.

“Xiao Xiao, what do you think?”

Qin Xiao pouted.

“I trust about thirty percent of what that man says.”

Amy asked, “Aya, are you against the idea of cooperating?”

Qin Xiao shook her head.

“No, we can cooperate. It’s still better than wandering around blindly.”

Amy grew anxious. “Then what exactly are you trying to say?”

Qin Xiao shot her a glance.

“We’ll work with them, of course. But once we find the vine, that’s when things change. We don’t have to be polite about it.”

Yan Ningjin agreed on behalf of the group. Eleven people now traveled together, each with their own unspoken thoughts. To conserve energy, they decided to rest a while longer.

As night fell, an eerie silence settled over the forest. Even the wind stopped. Since they could not light a fire, everyone found a spot they considered safe and tried to get some sleep.

Brother Mi took the first night watch alongside Liu Jiang, who was now fully rested, as well as Ironhead and Su Shu. The rest quickly seized the chance to rest.

Qin Xiao dozed off beside Yan Ningjin. In her sleep, she leaned into Yan Ningjin’s embrace.

Out of instinct, Yan Ningjin caught her. Her hands gently cupped the warmth of her Guide’s face. Qin Xiao nuzzled against her palm like a sleepy kitten. The soft sensation sent a shock through Yan Ningjin’s body. Something unfamiliar stirred deep inside her. She straightened up, letting Qin Xiao rest against her.

Hidden beneath the darkness, she tilted her head slightly, concealing the yearning etched into her heart.

Tuan Tuan, not to be outdone, sniffed around Qin Xiao, especially her left pocket. He nosed at it repeatedly until a small, round object rolled free. The little sphere rolled toward the trio from the Beast System planets and stopped there. Tuan Tuan followed it, settling protectively nearby.

Yan Ningjin frowned suspiciously and inadvertently met the smiling gaze of the same man. She shut her eyes, choosing to ignore it.

Dawn arrived in faint light. Everyone took out their rations and focused on filling their stomachs.

Yan Ningjin gently cupped her hands over Qin Xiao’s ears, trying to let her sleep a little longer. It worked for a moment, until Qin Xiao slapped her hands away with two loud smacks.

Startled awake by the sound so close to her ear, Qin Xiao lifted her head with a sore neck and frowned. Before she could complain, two warm hands reached over and began to massage her neck.

“Xiao Xiao, how do you feel?”

“Harder. A little more pressure.”

Qin Xiao, used to being pampered, gave orders out of habit. After a while, she rotated her neck and sighed.

“Much better. Yan Yan, you’ve got some skills. Where did you learn that?”

Before Yan Ningjin could answer, Tuan Tuan trotted over and flopped in front of Qin Xiao, wagging his tail. He even raised his front paws and stepped lightly along her outstretched legs.

Each step was perfectly gentle, landing only on soft spots. Qin Xiao was blissfully comfortable.

She glanced back and forth between Yan Ningjin and Tuan Tuan with amusement.

“Yan Yan, your technique rivals Tuan Tuan’s. Don’t tell me you learned from him?”

Yan Ningjin choked on her own spit. She turned away abruptly, coughing as her cheeks flushed pink.

“Everyone get ready. We’re moving out.”

Qin Xiao gave Tuan Tuan a good rub on the head and winked at him.

“Tuan Tuan, Yan Yan is embarrassed, isn’t she?”

Yan Ningjin kept her face serious as she turned her back on Qin Xiao, but her ears had turned red.

As they resumed their journey, they discovered something surprising. Stepping on the vines no longer triggered any response from the Tarpo Trees. Even the three Beast System members seemed amazed.

“If we’re working together, then show a bit of sincerity.”

“Lang Fan.”

One of the two silver wolves Qin Xiao had seen earlier stepped forward. He pulled out a transparent glass bottle from his coat. Inside was a silver insect, no larger than a thumb. The creature remained perfectly still until Lang Fan removed the lid, allowing it to fly free.

Qin Xiao watched in fascination as the silver insect fluttered through the air, leaving a trail of glimmering dots behind it.

“What is that?”

Wu Yu, walking ahead, answered calmly.

“Follow it. It will lead us to the Gu Vine.”

Qin Xiao was stunned. Her fingers itched with curiosity.

“It’s really that powerful?”

Yan Ningjin seemed to understand what was going through her little Guide’s mind and offered a quiet explanation.

“It is probably an extremely poisonous insect. Its diet consists primarily of other toxic substances, and the more poisonous they are, the more it prefers them.”

Qin Xiao nodded thoughtfully.

“So the tribal tree that bears the Tarpo Gu Vine must have absorbed a great deal of venom, which led to the vine’s mutation. And that mutated vine happens to be the insect’s favorite food?”

Their explanation clicked into place for the others.

Wu Yu looked at Yan Ningjin in surprise.

“Miss Yan, you are quite insightful. You even know about the King of Gu Insects.”

Yan Ningjin merely nodded calmly.

“We should keep up. If your insect eats the vine before we reach it, we’ll be in trouble.”

Qin Xiao panicked.

“Then hurry up.”

They followed Wu Yu deeper into the forest. The arrangement of the Tarpo Trees began to change. They no longer grew in symmetrical pairs. Qin Xiao noticed the layout was deliberate, almost resembling the pattern of a five-element array.

“Hey, you better not tell me the tree we’re looking for is all the way at the far end of the forest. That would take us days.”

Wu Yu smiled calmly, ignoring her rudeness.

“We are almost there.”

Qin Xiao pressed him.

“How do you know we’re close?”

Wu Yu pointed to the glowing specks left by the insect.

“Once it finds food, it secretes more silver dust. That means it is extremely excited.”

Qin Xiao’s fingers rubbed together again, her habit when she was intrigued.

“You released the King of Gu Insects. So how do you plan to catch it again? More importantly, how are you going to harvest the Tarpo Gu Vine without alerting the Tarpo Trees? I doubt my music will keep them asleep if you start hacking off vines.”

Her questions struck one after another, quickly dampening the mood.

Wu Yu replied steadily.

“If we can catch it once, we can catch it again. As for harvesting the vine quietly, that is up to you. We have located the Gu Vine. Now it is time for you to show your sincerity.”

As he finished speaking, they reached a towering Tarpo Tree.

Its vines glittered with silver light, as if dusted with stardust. The entire tree looked breathtaking.

Similar trees had appeared along the way, but none had sparkled like this one. It was clear the King of Gu Insects was still flitting about, scattering silver light.

Qin Xiao muttered to herself.

“To avoid unnecessary casualties, you should first collect your King of Insects. Then we will retrieve the Tarpo Gu Vine. And after that—”

She smirked, casting Wu Yu a sideways glance.

“Split it fifty-fifty? Really?”