The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 45

The Gu Vine was black and red throughout, distinct among the many vines clinging to the trees.

Qin Xiao circled the Tarpo tribal tree once and immediately found the uniquely colored vine. It was just over a meter long, coiled around the trunk like a baby snake not yet weaned. It hissed softly as it wrapped around the tree, unable to even form a complete circle.

Amy pulled Qin Xiao aside and stuffed something into her hands that Eva had prepared in advance. “Use this to distract the vine. But there might be a… mess afterward.”

Qin Xiao looked at it suspiciously. “What is this?”

To prevent eavesdropping, Amy erected a Guide barrier around them. “It is the mi fruit. The mi fruit can stall the Tarpo Tree for a while, but not for long.”

Qin Xiao frowned. “Wait. What exactly is the mi fruit?”

The mi fruit was a native fruit from White Wolf Star. When ripe, it released an intense fragrance that attracted all kinds of birds and beasts. More critically, it drew the attention of something highly specific, which was the white ants. These white ants were the natural enemy of Tarpo Trees. Normally, they never ventured into the forest, but under special conditions, they swarmed in. Their combat strength was formidable. If someone accidentally fell into a white ant nest, they could be reduced to a bare skeleton within seconds.

Amy’s plan mirrored the one Eva had used in the past, which involved luring white ants with the mi fruit and seizing the Gu Vine amid the chaos. The idea was solid, but the major risk was that a frenzied Tarpo Tree might attack indiscriminately. Anyone who moved too slowly would likely be left behind forever in the forest.

Qin Xiao shook her head repeatedly. “No. This plan is terrible.”

Amy sighed. “Do you have a better one?”

Qin Xiao glanced at the three outsiders. “We might be able to escape safely if everyone runs in the chaos, but if someone sabotages us from within, none of us will make it out. We have to take them out first before going for the Gu Vine.”

In her mind, they were facing both internal and external threats. The real threat wasn’t the Tarpo Trees, but Wu Yu and his companions.

After seeing how Qin Xiao had calmed the Tarpo Trees earlier, Amy’s doubts were dissolving. She quietly sided with Qin Xiao. “So now—”

Qin Xiao pocketed the mi fruit and patted it lightly. “I’ll hold onto this for now.”

While the two plotted, the others kept a sharp watch on Wu Yu’s trio, ready for any sudden moves.

“All right. Since the trees are still asleep, we can go ahead and cut the Gu Vine.” Qin Xiao tugged Yan Ningjin’s sleeve and whispered, “Take it however you see fit. I trust you, Yan Yan.”

Yan Ningjin drew her lightblade from her hip and briefly clasped Qin Xiao’s hand. “Everyone prepare to evacuate the forest. I’ll rejoin you after I cut the Gu Vine.”

Ironhead frowned. “Boss, taking the vine alone is too dangerous. Let us help—”

Brother Mi tugged on his sleeve and signaled with his eyes. “Follow her lead.”

Ironhead scanned everyone’s expressions. Su Shu and Liu Jiang looked oddly calm. Qin Xiao’s face was relaxed, completely unlike someone retrieving a dangerous item. Most importantly, Yan Ningjin was turned away, whispering something to the three outsiders. After a moment’s hesitation, he relented. “Fine.”

Mu Yan instinctively shielded Amy, squatting down. “Get on.”

Amy hesitated for a moment, then climbed onto his back. She whispered, “Thank you.”

Mu Yan turned around and casually glanced at Wu Yu’s group. “You three aren’t leaving?”

Wu Yu smiled faintly. “Of course, we are, but I’d prefer to take the Gu Vine first. You all go ahead.”

Qin Xiao wore a smug grin. “Suit yourselves. We’re leaving first. Yan Yan, hurry.”

The group of seven headed out. Liu Jiang and Su Shu kept glancing back. “Shouldn’t we wait for her?”

Qin Xiao tore several leaves from a nearby Tarpo Tree. “We are. That’s why we’re walking slowly.”

Once the others faded from view, Yan Ningjin leaped upward, grabbing the vine to climb. She quickly found the black-and-red Gu Vine.

With a flick of her lightblade, the vine detached from the tree.

“Got it!”

“Oh no, the vines are moving again!”

The once-still vines suddenly sprang to life, reacting like they sensed an intruder. One after another, they lashed out at Yan Ningjin’s position.

Agile as ever, Yan Ningjin bounded from tree to tree, shouting down to Wu Yu’s group. “Here’s the Gu Vine you wanted. Catch it!”

She sliced off a finger-sized portion of the vine and flung it toward them.

At the same moment, the awakened vines lashed out at lightning speed.

Wu Yu’s vision was sharp. He immediately spotted the vine and the oncoming danger. “Don’t catch it. Run!”

Lang Kai and Lang Fan swiftly morphed into silver wolves. They caught Wu Yu mid-leap and barely escaped the whirling barrage of vines.

Meanwhile, Yan Ningjin had vanished without a trace.

“The trees are alive again!” Su Shu shrieked, dragging Liu Jiang.

“Is the boss in danger?”

Qin Xiao winced at the shrill noise. She shot Su Shu a glare, then pulled a leaf from her pocket. She slid her fingers along its edge, brought it to her lips, and began to blow a low tune. The surrounding vines spun around her in an eerie dance, as though performing a symphony.

After a few moments, a clear path opened before them. Qin Xiao exchanged a look with Amy, who urged, “Aya wants us to leave the forest first. She will wait here for Yan. Boss, let’s go.”

Everyone hesitated. Mu Yan even asked, “Are you sure?”

Qin Xiao simply made a courteous gesture.

As they walked away, glancing back now and then, Yan Ningjin swung toward them on a vine. She was even doing acrobatics mid-air. A few flips later, she landed beside Qin Xiao and held out her hand. “Xiao Xiao, they’re coming.”

Qin Xiao’s gaze flicked to the black-and-red Gu Vine wrapped around Yan Ningjin’s waist. She reached out. Their hands clasped, and suddenly she was soaring into the air.

“They didn’t die?” Qin Xiao was out of breath from playing the leaf tune and paused to recover.

Yan Ningjin frowned. “Someone among them seems to control wood. I saw the vines hesitate every time they tried to attack.”

Qin Xiao slapped her forehead. “That can’t be. They’re wolves…”

Speaking of wolves, Yan Ningjin remembered catching a glimpse of the Lang brothers mid-transformation. Their beast forms really were silver wolves, just as Qin Xiao had said.

Her little Guide had known from the beginning. How did she see it?

Qin Xiao was still annoyed at herself for missing the detail about their wood-controlling ability. The two silver wolves had already reappeared, sprinting rapidly. Each time the vines tried to strike, they paused for a split second.

“Roar—”

“It must be hard for you two to carry the Gu Vine. Why not let me hold onto it instead?” Wu Yu’s face turned cold. The playful smile vanished, replaced by deadly seriousness and veiled rage.

Yan Ningjin held a vine with one hand and cradled Qin Xiao with the other. They flew through the air as the trio on the ground kept shifting positions to dodge.

Qin Xiao narrowed her eyes and muttered, “It’s not wood control.”

Yan Ningjin asked, “What?”

Qin Xiao immediately put up a barrier around them. “I’ve seen someone who could manipulate time. He could shorten or extend it. I call it the Time Domain. Within it, everything can stop. Wu Yu isn’t controlling wood. He’s freezing time. His domain isn’t stable yet, so it lasts only a second or two.”

Yan Ningjin inhaled sharply. “Time freeze?”

Qin Xiao nodded. Even one or two seconds could be lethal. In a crisis, that was all the time needed to turn the tide.

Her expression turned grim. After a pause, she said coldly, “He cannot be allowed to leave alive. We have to kill him.”

Yan Ningjin carried her back to the fork in the path. Wu Yu and his companions arrived at nearly the same moment.

“Boss, are you okay?”

“The Gu Vine is ours.”

“You went back on your word!”

Yan Ningjin frowned. “We gave you a piece. You failed to catch it. How is that our fault?”

“You wanted us dead!”

Qin Xiao scoffed. “Didn’t you say you were staying behind willingly? Now you want to blame us. We let you have a share, told you to leave, and you refused. Now you want to fight us for it?”

Ironhead stepped forward protectively. “You want a fight?”

Brother Mi and Mu Yan looked just as ready to brawl.

Wu Yu raised a hand to stop Lang Fan and Lang Kai. “In that case, we part ways. I hope we can cooperate again someday.”

“Wu—That’s it?”

“They outnumber us. Let’s go.”

They had secured the Gu Vine. It should have been a cause for celebration.

Amy studied the two women suspiciously. “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the vine?”

Qin Xiao saw everyone’s relieved faces and shook her head. “Let’s rest here for a while.”

Amy eyed her skeptically. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Qin Xiao patted Yan Ningjin’s waist, who flinched slightly. “We’ve got the vine. What else could be wrong?”

Amy nodded. That made sense.

While everyone rested, Qin Xiao and Yan Ningjin slipped away.

“You go first.”

They spoke in unison, then laughed. Qin Xiao did not hold back. “Yan Yan, I think Wu Yu tricked us.”

Yan Ningjin nodded. “I feel the same.”

Though filled with doubt, she knew priorities mattered. “He gave up too easily. It’s like—”

“It didn’t matter to him,” Qin Xiao finished. “I’ve seen plenty of treasure hunters who would fight to the death. This was too easy. They gave up too fast.”

Yan Ningjin shared the unease.

Qin Xiao continued, “If I had his time-freezing ability, even alone, I’d find a way to take out every rival. You never know who wins until the end.”

Yan Ningjin glanced at her thoughtful Guide. “So you think they’ll try again later?”

Qin Xiao shook her head. “Maybe. But I think their goal isn’t the Gu Vine. They’ve been holding back this entire time.”

The initial vine attack might have been a fluke. Since then, Wu Yu and his companions had stayed in the background. Even when they caught Qin Xiao exploiting a loophole, they didn’t argue much. They just left.

That smugness and that sense of superiority made it clear they were being underestimated.

Yan Ningjin murmured, “They’re conserving their strength.”

Qin Xiao’s mind raced. “Maybe they’re after something even more valuable. This was a feint. Or they’re lying in wait, planning to strike when we drop our guard.”

Another possibility was that Wu Yu knew a treasure existed but did not know its exact location. That might explain why he followed them into the forest.

Yan Ningjin gave a quiet nod. “Don’t worry. I won’t let them succeed.”

Qin Xiao shook her head, her face solemn. “Wu Yu doesn’t seem like someone who forgives. After what we pulled, he’ll remember. Letting someone like that walk away is dangerous.”

If one day his Time Domain lasted more than a few seconds, she would have dug her own grave.

Yan Ningjin understood. “Xiao Xiao, what do you want to do?