The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 56

A vivid red, blazing like a sheet of fire.

Qin Xiao stared in shock, afraid her eyes were deceiving her. Ever since Hunqiu had turned into a Quantum beast, it had never shown such a vibrant color. She stood frozen, awestruck, until Guan Dong suddenly screamed from the bed.

“So hot.”

“Mama, it’s burning.”

Qin Xiao as Guan Dong’s Mama: …

Guan Dong clutched the flesh of his own thigh with both hands, squeezing so hard his skin turned bruised. He remained completely still, strangely obedient, but the tension in his muscles was terrifying. They bulged in defined ridges from the force.

Qin Xiao’s head was still spinning from the earlier backlash. That near-death mental recoil had nearly ended her. Reaching into someone else’s consciousness cloud was extremely dangerous. She should really stop doing this.

The little red orb rolled gleefully across Guan Dong’s face, clearly enjoying itself. Yet each time it rolled, Guan Dong let out a bloodcurdling cry, as if someone were beating him senseless.

Qin Xiao wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but it seemed Guan Dong’s face was gradually turning red.

She curiously leaned in. “Hunqiu, are you… kneading milk on Guan Dong?”

Hunqiu squeaked proudly in response.

Qin Xiao watched for a while. Seeing no sign of it stopping anytime soon, she sat cross-legged on the floor to rest. Before long, her head tilted and she dozed off, only to be jolted awake by something scalding hot.

“Squeak squeak.”

“So hot!”

Reflexively, Qin Xiao flung the thing from her hand. Amid a series of sharp squeaks, she realized it was her own Quantum beast. It pounced back into her arms, and though she caught it steadily, it was still too hot to hold. She had to keep switching hands. “What’s going on, Hunqiu? Why are you burning up?”

Hunqiu squeaked even louder.

“Mama! Mama!”

“…”

Qin Xiao, as Guan Dong’s Mama, looked up.

Guan Dong still lay on the bed, motionless, but his mouth kept mumbling “Mama” nonstop, giving Qin Xiao a massive headache.

She had a distinct feeling that she had just shot herself in the foot.

Quickly stuffing the blazing Hunqiu back into her pocket, she stood up. Her palms were bright red from the heat. She had intended to shut Guan Dong up, but the moment their eyes met, she froze.

Guan Dong’s flushed face looked like it had been steamed. Yet the once-red eyes had cleared, revealing a pair of lucid pupils filled with longing.

That look pulled Qin Xiao straight out of her excitement and back into reality.

She hurriedly opened the treatment chamber door to announce the good news.

Outside, Guan Xia and Liu Ze, who had been anxiously waiting, rushed in without a second thought.

Mo Hui followed, equally elated, but paused beside Qin Xiao and took a deep sniff. “It smells like something’s burning. Doctor, were you burning something just now?”

Qin Xiao was about to refute her but caught a whiff herself, noticing a distinct scent of char.

Mo Hui gasped in alarm, pointing at Qin Xiao’s clothing. “It’s on fire! Your clothes are on fire!”

Startled, Qin Xiao looked down and realized her top had somehow caught fire. She hurriedly stripped it off. A round red orb rolled out with it, igniting wherever it landed.

“What’s happening?!”

“It’s nothing.”

Qin Xiao slammed the treatment room door shut, blocking Liu Ze and Guan Xia from seeing anything more. Wrapping Hunqiu in the scorched fabric, she shouted, “Yu Jing! Yu Jing! Get in here, quick!”

Yu Jing had been catching her breath outside. Hearing the frantic call, she dashed in and saw tiny flames dancing throughout the room. She grabbed a nearby container and began dousing the fires. Fortunately, they were small and easily extinguished.

“Yu Jing, hurry.”

“On it!”

As Qin Xiao shook out her clothes, she blocked Mo Hui from entering the Guide rest chamber. “There’s a fire, Mo Hui. Stay outside, or you and Qiu Qiu might get hurt.”

Mo Hui had no idea what was going on. She hesitated, unsure whether to help or not, and eventually waited obediently outside.

Qin Xiao’s entire top was burned to a crisp. Hunqiu, still glowing bright red, ignited anything it touched. When she attempted to handle it again, the heat seared her palm, blistering her skin and charring the flesh.

“Quick! Pour water on Hunqiu!”

“Ah, I—I see it!” Yu Jing, flustered, could barely get her words out. Coming from a beast-type planet, she normally couldn’t see a Sentinel or Guide’s Quantum beast, yet now there it was, a blazing red orb.

Qin Xiao watched her precious Guide rest chamber go up in flames. “If you can see it, then hurry up and douse it. Otherwise, Hunqiu will burn Cloud Pavilion to the ground.”

Yu Jing quickly released a flood of water onto the orb.

Hunqiu, covered in flames, chirped joyfully as the water rained down, standing proudly amid the stream.

While Yu Jing handled the fire, Qin Xiao dashed around, stomping out small blazes. The scorched floor pained her to look at. In such a short time, Hunqiu had burned through all her expensive carpets.

“Qin Xiao, your Quantum beast can control fire?” Yu Jing found the flames unnaturally persistent. Unlike ordinary fire, they refused to die down. She had been at it for half an hour and was starting to tire.

“I’m not really sure.” Qin Xiao looked at the red orb, her expression complex. If Hunqiu hadn’t instinctively helped the patient, she might never have discovered this ability.

By now, Hunqiu’s performance had far exceeded her expectations.

She used to think it was a useless pet. Well, maybe it still was a money-burning troublemaker, but its strange powers kept surprising her.

Sweat poured from Yu Jing’s forehead. She looked pleadingly at Qin Xiao. “I can’t keep going.”

Qin Xiao glanced at her burned palm. “Hunqiu, can you stop now?”

Hunqiu spun in place, flicking the remaining water off its body. It squeaked nonstop.

Qin Xiao grabbed Yu Jing’s hand. “Try stopping.”

Yu Jing didn’t even have to withdraw. She had already run dry. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor. “Qin Xiao, can we even put this fire out?”

Qin Xiao was worried too. Her mental strength had not recovered yet. Hunqiu had helped stabilize her earlier. If she had to use her abilities to suppress the flames now, she might be finished.

“Hunqiu, come here, or I’ll have to use our energy credits to buy new carpet. We’ll run out of credits again.”

Yu Jing: …

Miraculously, Hunqiu seemed to understand. As it rolled toward her, the carpet no longer caught fire, though it still radiated intense heat.

Qin Xiao gently poked it with a finger. The surface felt firmer, but the temperature was now bearable. She cradled it in her palms. “Hunqiu, you’re really something.”

It gave a couple of happy squeaks, then fell still in her hand.

Qin Xiao’s outerwear had burned to ashes, and her inner shirt was full of holes. She was practically indecent. She asked Yu Jing to buy her something to wear. Only after changing did she step outside, and as soon as she did, someone lunged forward and clung to her leg.

“Madam, I’ll repay your kindness even if I have to work like an ox for life.”

Qin Xiao: …

Yu Jing: …

Liu Ze looked at her, slightly concerned. “Madam, did you find the source of the fire?”

Qin Xiao instinctively glanced at Mo Hui, who also stared back. They exchanged a blink. She feigned ignorance. “I used some fire during the treatment. I must’ve singed my clothes by accident. Good thing Mo Hui noticed.”

Mo Hui widened her eyes and opened her mouth but said nothing in the end.

Liu Ze nodded. “Madam’s healing hands truly work wonders. You brought Guan Dong back. Though… why does he keep muttering ‘Mama’ like he’s in a nightmare?”

His puzzled expression made Qin Xiao choke on her own saliva. She coughed hard. “It’s nothing. He’ll be fine after a while.”

That “while” turned into three days.

When Yan Ningjin arrived, she heard Guan Dong calling out “Mama” to Qin Xiao again and again. The devotion in his voice left everyone speechless.

Yan Ningjin stood frozen, silent for a long time before she finally asked, “Xiao Xiao, why is he calling you Mama?”

Faced with the question, even Qin Xiao blushed. She had originally implanted a cue for him to shout “Old Lady.” Thankfully, it hadn’t gone that far.

“General, Madam has already found a solution.”

“I saw it, General Liu.”

Qin Xiao sensed a chill in Yan Ningjin’s tone. She had been excited to share the good news. Now, that joy was doused like cold water.

“Yan Yan, did you come here for something?”

Yan Ningjin took her hand. “It’s late. Time to go home and rest.”

Qin Xiao tried to pull away, but the dull throb in her head reminded her she truly needed rest. She instinctively reached for Hunqiu. The previously scalding orb now felt warm and soft in her hand.

“Can someone stay to look after Guan Dong? Or take him home? Once the mental suggestion wears off, he should be fine.”

Guan Xia chose to take his brother home with Liu Ze’s help, and the group quickly dispersed.

Yan Ningjin led Qin Xiao away. She tried to wriggle free several times along the way.

Yan Ningjin frowned. “Xiao Xiao, you’re angry.”

Qin Xiao flatly denied it. “I am not!”

Her tone was sharp, but it only made Yan Ningjin laugh. “If not, why is your face puffed up like that?”

Qin Xiao even felt a finger poke her cheek. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. She had wanted to be the first to tell Yan Ningjin about this breakthrough. It was good news. At last, there was hope for the berserk Sentinels.

She had planned to treat the Sentinels under Yan Ningjin’s command first, then negotiate with the others, yet all her excitement had been ruined by the General’s indifference.

Feeling wronged, Qin Xiao mumbled, “I found a solution, but you’re not even a little happy.”

Yan Ningjin stopped abruptly, her expression dark. “You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

Qin Xiao froze in surprise.

She didn’t even need to answer. Her reaction was enough for Yan Ningjin to confirm it. “Xiao Xiao, if saving someone means getting yourself hurt each time, what’s there to be happy about?”

It was no different from a life-for-life trade.

Qin Xiao: …

It felt like Yan Ningjin had misunderstood something.

She quickly grabbed her wrist. “How did you know I wasn’t feeling well?”

Yan Ningjin gave her a helpless glance and gently touched her earlobe. “After being marked, Guides and Sentinels share sensory feedback. I can feel your joy, sorrow, and even your anxiety.”

Qin Xiao’s ears burned from the touch. “Isn’t that like having a telepathic bond?”

Yan Ningjin was visibly pleased by the phrase. “Once the permanent mark is made, then even at a distance, a Sentinel and their Guide will miss each other.”

There were even cases of Guides finding injured Sentinels through sheer instinct.

So yes, it truly was a heart-to-heart bond.

Qin Xiao, now fully convinced, closed her eyes and focused. She felt a heavy, weighty emotion. “Mm, Yan Yan, you’re unhappy.”

Yan Ningjin was indeed in a sour mood. She had told Qin Xiao not to get involved, but the little Guide did the opposite and even roped in Liu Ze and the others to complete the mission. More importantly, she had gotten hurt again.

A Sentinel’s possessiveness toward their Guide could be frightening. For her to be injured out of sight was the ultimate humiliation.

Guilt consumed her.

Adding to that, Qin Xiao’s concern over Princess Yuzhu triggered an irrational fear and restlessness in her.

“Where are you hurt?”

“It’s nothing serious, just some backlash.”

Qin Xiao had barely finished speaking when her feet left the ground. She clung to Yan Ningjin’s coat. “Ah! Yan Yan, what are you doing?”

Yan Ningjin gathered her into her arms and walked forward with unwavering focus. “Our temporary bond is fading. We need to strengthen it. Also, since your consciousness cloud is injured, borrow my strength to heal.”

That suggestion stirred a strange sense of shame in Qin Xiao, reminding her of the time they had dual cultivated in the forest, when she had drawn from Yan Ningjin’s mental power…