The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 49

Ripples spread across the surface of a pitch-black pool, each wave expanding toward the center. All surrounding sound was pulled away in an instant. Wu Yu felt himself sinking into the ripples, trying to escape, yet unable to. An invisible force seemed to hold him in place, pressing in from all directions. His head throbbed in painful pulses.

Qin Xiao’s black pupils abruptly turned into vertical slits, dangerous yet laced with a strange allure.

The Lang brothers were still chasing the Dreambringer, completely unaware of Wu Yu’s state. Mid-pursuit, they suddenly felt a weight lift from their backs. Then with a thud, it was as if they had fallen flat from the air.

“Lord Wu.”

“Lord Wu.”

In their panic, Lang Fan and Lang Kai blurted out the formal title without hesitation. They had barely transformed back into human form, hurriedly covering themselves with a pair of pants before scooping up Wu Yu’s limp, unconscious body.

As for the treasure… they paid it no mind at all.

The Dreambringer, with the messy orb still lodged on its head, had circled back after realizing the two silver wolves chasing it were distracted. Bold beyond reason, it darted back to Wu Yu and smacked him hard on the forehead.

That single strike was the final straw. Wu Yu, already pale, abruptly coughed up bl00d. The splatter drenched both Lang brothers from head to toe, bright red streaks streaming from all five of Wu Yu’s senses.

“You—”

“I neng—”

Having accomplished its mischief, the Dreambringer dashed away on all fours.

Yan Ningjin couldn’t see Qin Xiao’s expression, but upon hearing the Lang brothers’ panic, she felt a sudden weight drop onto her shoulder. A warm breath brushed her cheek. This must have been the first time the little guide had clung to her so naturally. Yan Ningjin’s heart tightened. “Xiao Xiao?”

Qin Xiao’s vision blurred, and her head pounded. She still hadn’t regained full control of her powers. She forced her eyes open and strained to look in Wu Yu’s direction. “Quick. Check on them.”

Slightly roused by the Lang brothers’ shaking, Wu Yu’s eyelids twitched. Bl00d still flowed from his features. Gripping Lang Fan’s arm, he uttered a single word. “Run.”

Through the haze, Qin Xiao could see moving figures. She summoned her strength and bit down hard on Yan Ningjin’s shoulder.

…

“I’m worried that one strike might not be enough to kill Wu Yu. If that happens, I’ll need you to act.”

“That plan is flawed.”

“It’s crude, yes, but it’s the most unexpected approach. If he’s even slightly on guard, we’ll lose our chance entirely.”

“And if I fail to kill him in one blow, you must help me finish it.”

“Alright.”

…

Recalling their plan, Yan Ningjin drew her laser sword without hesitation and swiftly carved a path through the tangled vines. Cradling the soft, limp guide in her arms, she landed steadily.

The Lang brothers were already vanishing into the dense forest with Wu Yu on their backs.

As for the Dreambringer, still wearing that strange orb on its head, it stood dumbfounded along the path, completely ignored by everyone.

“Xiao Xiao, wait for me here.”

“No.”

Qin Xiao’s headache was intense. Her body was heavy and weak, but her mind remained clear. Leaving Yan Ningjin to face three people alone was too risky. One misstep could cost her life. If they turned back and ambushed her, Qin Xiao would surely die out here in the forest. She swallowed down her nausea. The sensation of spiritual backlash was unbearable. “Take me with you.”

She grabbed Yan Ningjin’s wrist with all her strength. “Take me.”

Yan Ningjin had no choice. She shoved the Dreambringer, the one with the orb, back into Qin Xiao’s arms. She had expected the treasure to bolt again. Surprisingly, it stayed put, obedient in an almost unsettling way.

Qin Xiao clung to Yan Ningjin’s back, closing her eyes to rest as much as she could. She felt the wind rushing past her cheeks, wild and sharp, like when she rode the Dreambringer into battle. She reached out and touched the coarse surface of the Dreambringer. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Help me… later.”

The Dreambringer was covered in gray grime. When Qin Xiao rubbed it gently, the muck from the swamp fell away, carried off by the wind. A brilliant green surface was soon revealed.

The orb on its head bounced defiantly, as if it had just cleared its meridians. Mud trickled down from the hollow at its center.

Qin Xiao calmed herself and tuned into Yan Ningjin’s steady heartbeat, along with her increasingly rapid breathing. The howling wind gradually faded.

“They’ve vanished.”

Qin Xiao had placed a mental marker on either Wu Yu or one of the Lang brothers earlier. When she focused now, she sensed the markers had split apart.

Wu Yu really was a tricky one.

“They split up.”

“…Huh?”

Yan Ningjin caught on quickly. “That man has to die.”

Qin Xiao grew still. In his place, she would have made the same decision. Clearly, the Lang brothers viewed Wu Yu’s words as sacred. They had obeyed without hesitation, even knowing one of them might be sacrificed. Such loyalty was rare.

Yan Ningjin crouched and carefully studied the tracks. The grass to the left was slightly more trampled than the right.

“Wu Yu likely went left.”

Qin Xiao tapped the Dreambringer with a finger. “Wait.”

She glanced at it with disdain, then brought it to her lips and played a soft, haunting melody.

As the lingering notes floated into the forest, Yan Ningjin felt her heart calm for the first time. She turned her head and saw the little guide’s focused expression. Her fluttering lashes trembled with every breath. She looked irresistibly lovely.

Then the music stopped abruptly.

“Yan Yan, they went right.”

“…No.”

Yan Ningjin eyed the two sets of tracks. “I think it’s left.”

Qin Xiao smiled, eyes curving like crescent moons. “Wu Yu left that path to mislead you. He knew a sentinel’s senses are sharp and would notice such a detail. If you don’t believe me, let’s wager. If I’m wrong, I’ll grant you a wish. But if I win, you’ll grant me one. Deal?”

“Is this about searching for energy crystals?”

Qin Xiao: …

Sure enough, when Yan Ningjin followed Qin Xiao’s direction, she found one of the silver wolves from the Lang brothers trapped in a pit. Wu Yu lay nearby, unconscious in the grass.

“It’s you!” Lang Kai had shifted into human form. A sharp wooden spike had pinned him to a tree. Bl00d poured from the wound. He stared at the two women walking toward him.

“We gave you the treasure. Why do you still want to wipe us out?”

Qin Xiao had not intended to go so far. But Wu Yu’s ability to manipulate time and his cunning were terrifying. Even someone as clever as Yan Ningjin had nearly been fooled.

“Yan Yan. Help me.”

Lang Kai roared in fury. Veins bulged on his forehead as he tried to tear himself free from the tree.

Yan Ningjin cradled her guide. For the first time, they tried true synchronization.

Qin Xiao let her mental feelers enter Yan Ningjin’s consciousness cloud. The open, unguarded trust made her oddly emotional. She plunged deeper, her heart racing. But she respected boundaries. She only danced lightly across their shared space, quickly intertwining their energies.

This had already broken the rules Qin Xiao once swore to uphold.

Yan Ningjin trembled. It felt as if someone had split her open and examined every inch of her. Yet knowing it was her guide made it exhilarating.

After a few moments of dual cultivation, Qin Xiao’s depleted energy refilled in an instant. She raised the Dreambringer and played again.

Lang Kai was just about to strike when the flute’s killing melody struck him like a blow. He flew backward, bl00d spraying from his mouth.

Wu Yu’s prone body convulsed violently. Bl00d poured from his nose, mouth, and ears.

Qin Xiao watched as Wu Yu’s eyes snapped open. The sight was so gory, she looked away.

In that split second, all sound around her vanished.

The Dreambringer’s music. The noises from the Dreambringer, Tuan Tuan, and even the rustling of the forest. Everything froze in place.

Her skin prickled. She realized she had entered Wu Yu’s time domain.

One or two seconds was a fleeting moment. Most would call it a blink or a heartbeat.

But for Qin Xiao and Yan Ningjin, those seconds stretched to infinity. Wu Yu, who had seemed barely alive, suddenly sprang upright. In midair, he shifted between human and beast form. Though his body was still drenched in bl00d, his claws gleamed like polished blades.

Qin Xiao snapped out of the stillness. Her surroundings sharpened again, yet her back was soaked in cold sweat. In just those two seconds, her entire body had tensed to the brink.

Before she could react, her world spun. Her position switched with Yan Ningjin’s.

And she saw it—

A white claw tore through Yan Ningjin’s back.

“Ah.”

Bl00d exploded, spraying across Qin Xiao’s face. Her vision turned red.