The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 67

No one knew when Qin Xiao had quietly approached. Her voice emerged from the shadows so suddenly that it gave both Yan Ningjin and Bai Xuan quite a scare.

Only then did they realize that all the rustling around them had vanished from their minds. It must have been the guide’s unique protective barrier. That realization let them speak freely.

“There are two extra people among the ones I brought.”

Qin Xiao froze. “Two extra? Are you sure it’s not two missing?”

She had only ever heard of headcounts being short, never extra. The idea struck her as downright bizarre.

Yan Ningjin looked at Bai Xuan. No wonder Bai Xuan’s face had briefly stiffened earlier. Bai Xuan nodded. “I counted three times. There are definitely two more than we should have.”

Qin Xiao was still dizzy from being spun by Aiwei’er. She tilted her head and asked, “Don’t you usually tally headcounts before departure? Who was in charge this time?”

“Madam, it was me,” Bai Xuan replied.

That only made Qin Xiao more confused. “If you did the tally, then you should recognize everyone, right?”

Yan Ningjin stepped in to explain. “The military has too many personnel. Even I don’t recognize every single person, especially new recruits or those working in logistics.”

Qin Xiao nodded. Without hesitation, she exposed the core issue. “So basically, even you aren’t completely sure who among your team is one of yours and who might be an outsider.”

Yan Ningjin truly had not cared about such details. What she did care about was whether this team of dozens could coordinate well in combat.

Bai Xuan hesitated. “Madam, I can recognize everyone. After all, we have lived and worked together aboard the ship daily. But there is something strange. With two strangers added, no one noticed any difference. If I hadn’t counted today, we would still be in the dark. How did those two blend in so seamlessly in such a short time? There was not even the slightest sense of unfamiliarity.”

Every part of that puzzle, if broken down and examined closely, became increasingly horrifying.

Qin Xiao rolled her eyes. She dove back into the crowd, looking unimpressed. This was child’s play. She could already think of several ways to pull off such a thing.

“Simple. If I were them, the first thing I’d do after seeing your uniforms would be to find two identical sets. While everyone was busy and split up, I’d slip in unnoticed. If I got caught, I’d kill someone and have a third person try again. If that person got caught too, kill again and repeat the cycle. Add a human-skin mask on top of that, and you’ve got a flawless infiltration. You probably wouldn’t even have time to react.”

Yan Ningjin and Bai Xuan were no longer smiling. Which meant the intruders might not be limited to just two.

Qin Xiao also sensed that the atmosphere had grown grim. She looked around seriously. “The clothes were probably modeled after what you’re wearing, Yan Yan. We spent quite some time exploring below. That would have given them ample opportunity to prepare. Judging by your outfit, they could easily identify your team and start infiltrating one by one. As for the human-skin mask theory, we’ll find out soon enough.”

Neither Yan Ningjin nor Bai Xuan looked particularly reassured.

Qin Xiao assumed they were worried her test might not work. “Right. Yan Yan, besides human-skin masks, do you have anything like disguise pills or other tools that change appearances?”

Bai Xuan was stunned. “Disguise pills? Those only exist in ancient Earth legends.”

Qin Xiao shifted her gaze awkwardly. She did not know much about this ancient Earth business.

“Human-skin masks are easy to remove. Just have everyone play a little face-rubbing game. Whoever turns red first is likely wearing a mask.”

Bai Xuan was so shocked by Qin Xiao’s confident method that she could not say a word. So this was the kind of woman the madam really was. No wonder she once tried to pull down her pants. Bai Xuan instinctively tightened her waistband.

Yan Ningjin nodded. “Bai Xuan, go test it. See who breaks first.”

Qin Xiao quickly reminded her, “Bai Xuan, make sure to protect Yu Jing. She’s just a civilian. She can’t take much rough play.”

Yan Ningjin rubbed Qin Xiao’s cheeks. “Good thing my Xiao Xiao is real.”

Qin Xiao’s face was red from the rubbing. She smacked Yan Ningjin’s hands away, stood on tiptoe, and rubbed her cheeks back just as hard. “My Yan Yan is real too.”

Yan Ningjin picked her up off the ground and pressed their foreheads together. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “This place is dangerous. Xiao Xiao, don’t run around. Stay close to me.”

Qin Xiao grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ve got Dreambringer. And if that fails, there’s always Hunqiu.”

“Squeak!”

The game began.

Yu Jing noticed everyone looking tense and edged closer to Qin Xiao. Somehow, she bumped into her.

Qin Xiao turned and saw Yu Jing’s strange expression. She blinked. “Wanna play the face-rubbing game, Xiao Yu? Let me rub your face. Heh.”

She reached out and began rubbing Yu Jing’s cheeks. It started as a joke, but the more she rubbed, the stranger the texture felt. Before the mask even came off, Qin Xiao raised her foot and kicked Yu Jing flying. “You’ve got some nerve trying to fool me!”

Yu Jing let out a shrill scream.

Qin Xiao had truly not expected Yu Jing to be a fake. If Yan Ningjin had not joked with her earlier, she would never have suspected her. Yu Jing had been with her ever since they disembarked. The only time they separated was when Yu Jing went looking for water.

Water. That was the moment.

“Dreambringer!”

“Xiao Xiao, what is going on?”

Qin Xiao pressed her flute against Yu Jing’s neck, unrelenting. If she screamed again, the weapon might pierce her throat. Qin Xiao sneered. “Yu Jing and I are just playing. Keep the game going.”

Yan Ningjin rarely heard Qin Xiao use Yu Jing’s full name. Normally, she only called her Xiao Yu. Her eyes narrowed. Bai Xuan was also staring at the scene.

“Xiao Xiao is just playing with Yu Jing. Bai Xuan, carry on.”

She wanted to see how many impostors had slipped in.

Qin Xiao crouched down and ripped the human-skin mask from Yu Jing’s face. What appeared beneath was a narrow, sharp face that looked part monkey and part human. Ugly did not even begin to describe it.

Thankfully, Qin Xiao had mentally prepared herself. She was not frightened, only thoughtful. When had Yu Jing been swapped? She remembered Yu Jing trailing behind her since leaving the ship. The only break had been when she had gone off in search of water.

Water.

Meanwhile, her method had proven remarkably effective. As the game continued, five more masks were torn off. Everyone was stunned. Even more so were those who had removed the masks. Fortunately, the sentinels reacted swiftly and suppressed the chaos.

Including Yu Jing’s imposter, six people had vanished in the blink of an eye.

The six disguised creatures were quickly tied up together.

Qin Xiao asked curiously, “What are these things?”

Yan Ningjin had Aiwei’er scan them. But the results returned nothing. They were beyond known classification. “Looks like this cursed planet still has many surprises waiting for us.”

“General, they all seem incapable of speech,” Bai Xuan said.

Qin Xiao added, “They just screech. It’s a horrible, piercing noise. Gag their mouths.”

Morale was low. Some had lost brothers or close friends. Most still could not believe it. If they had not personally unmasked them, if they had not just been sitting and talking with those impostors so naturally, they never would have suspected anything at all.

“General, what now?”

“Everyone, on your feet. Remember what I said. Break into groups of three to five. Set a password for your group and ask each other daily. That will prevent this from happening again.”

“General, will my brother come back?”

“Will any of them come back?”

Yan Ningjin scanned each face. “If they are still alive, I will do everything in my power to bring them back. Every last one.”

“We’ll follow the general’s lead,” Bai Xuan affirmed.

Morale was instantly lifted. Seeing those monsters wrapped in their comrades’ uniforms stirred anger and renewed purpose.

“General, are these monsters wearing our people’s clothes because they…”

The worst-case scenario was death.

Yan Ningjin did not deny the possibility. What mattered now was ensuring those who remained could return to Capital Star alive.

Bai Xuan spoke calmly. “Take a look at the clothing pattern. That fabric was designed by General Aige. Our uniforms changed five years ago. Do these look like ours to you?”

Everyone had been too panicked to notice such details. A quick glance had made them think the monsters wore Xiao Corps uniforms.

“That means our people might still be alive.”

Qin Xiao inspected the clothing closely. “These are definitely older than what you are wearing. If not for the dim light, someone would have spotted it. They must be taking advantage of the darkness. Still, while your uniforms might exist here, Yu Jing’s outfit was one of a kind.”

Everyone else wore identical military gear. Only Qin Xiao and Yu Jing had come in casual clothes. Because they were not standard, they could not be easily duplicated.

Qin Xiao grabbed the creature’s outfit, sniffed it with distaste, and confirmed, “This is the exact set Xiao Yu was wearing earlier.”

The faces around them grew increasingly grim as the weight of realization sank in.