The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 8

Qin Xiao had a rather notorious reputation back in the cultivation world. She was known as the Golden Palm. The name came from her uncanny ability to find rare and valuable items, whether they were spirit pills or enchanted artifacts. If it made the rankings of divine weapon registries, chances were she had at least three or four in her possession. She especially liked to trade unneeded items for shiny golden treasures and had a habit of fidgeting with them, which earned her the nickname.

After all, sometimes luck counted as a form of power.

Countless people had coveted Qin Xiao’s spatial pouch. She had entire squads of people try to ambush her, yet she was still alive and kicking. Every single person who dared to cross her ended up blacklisted. Even if she had something they desperately needed, she would rather let it rot in the pouch than sell it to them at a high price. The frustration had driven more than a few people half-mad.

So the moment Qin Xiao saw the lion-tiger beast glistening with golden light, she froze in place. She was absolutely dying to touch it.

She wasn’t just tempted. She took action. Her little legs marched her right over. Tilting her head way up to peer at the massive creature towering over her, she pawed at the ground with anxious energy. The lion-tiger, Tuan Tuan, stared at her warily. As she inched closer, its fur seemed to stand on end.

Yan Ningjin’s expression grew tense, her breathing almost stopping entirely. Just as the little beast was about to brush against Tuan Tuan, Yan Ningjin spoke up. “We hunted plenty tonight. Enough for a full meal. Little beast, go help Tuan Tuan gather some firewood.”

The mention of food jolted Qin Xiao back to reality. Her little belly gurgled in agreement. The filling sensation from that packet of nutrient paste had long since worn off. She let out two yips toward Tuan Tuan, who shot her a cold look before turning and trotting into the dark part of the forest.

Naturally, Qin Xiao trailed after him with eager little hops. Her short legs couldn’t keep up, and soon she fell behind. Yan Ningjin silently breathed a sigh of relief.

While the two beasts were away, Yan Ningjin used her dagger to roughly process the animal carcasses. She skinned and gutted them, tossing out everything unnecessary. Then she retrieved some stored water from Aiwei’er and began washing the bl00d off the meat.

Tuan Tuan carried back several bundles of branches in his mouth, making four or five trips. Qin Xiao followed close behind, her eyes constantly glued to that golden fur, her paws itching to touch it. It looked so sleek. It had to feel amazing.

Yet each time she got close, Tuan Tuan somehow sensed it. With a quick pace, he dodged just in time.

Later, the trio gathered around the campfire. The savory scent of roasting meat drifted all around. Qin Xiao stared wide-eyed at it, torn between licking her lips and swallowing her drool.

She blamed this entirely on the fragile body of Aya. It’s definitely not my fault. If I were in my real body, I’d have more self-control.

To avoid doing something truly unforgivable, her gaze shifted toward Tuan Tuan, who had curled up beside Yan Ningjin and was dozing peacefully.

The massive lion-tiger beast had curled into a ball, nestled close to Yan Ningjin with complete trust. The intimacy of the scene struck Qin Xiao deeply.

She had long suspected there was something unusual about Yan Ningjin. Now she finally understood that this woman was hiding her strength. She had a summoned beast. It must have been the strength of those mutant rabbits that forced her to call it out.

Still, Qin Xiao found it odd. Since when could ordinary people summon their pets? This world really is bizarre.

Tuan Tuan must have felt the intensity of her stare. He raised his head and gave her a derisive snort.

That only made her paws itch more.

Without expression, Yan Ningjin wrapped a roasted mutant rabbit in a leaf and pushed it toward her. “Eat.”

Qin Xiao leaned in and gave it a sniff. The meat was fragrant and tender, with golden juices glistening on the surface. She took two big bites, only to nearly spit it back out. It was juicy and tender, certainly, but completely flavorless.

She turned suspiciously to look at Yan Ningjin, who was calmly slicing meat from her own rabbit with a dagger and eating at a steady pace. In front of Tuan Tuan, there was nothing.

Qin Xiao suddenly felt a bit sorry for the big guy. He was huge, had just helped with chores, and yet hadn’t been given a bite.

Compared to her own situation… well, actually, her treatment was pretty top-tier. Yan Ningjin at least fed her before putting her to work, even if she hadn’t caught a single animal herself.

With a massive beast like that around, surely tomorrow’s hunt would go better.

With that thought, she picked up her half-eaten rabbit and carried it around before plopping it down in front of Tuan Tuan. “Awooo.”

Tuan Tuan blinked in confusion. He looked at her, then stood up, shook his fur, and relocated to the other side of Yan Ningjin, curling up once again.

Qin Xiao: !

Undeterred, she picked the rabbit up again, trotted around, and placed it once more in front of him. She even nudged it closer with her nose.

Tuan Tuan opened one eye with extreme reluctance, stared at the meat in distaste, then shifted his position again, this time turning his rear to her.

Qin Xiao grinned.

She rubbed her little paws on the ground, then zipped forward and sneakily patted Tuan Tuan’s fluffy backside.

“Roar!”

Tuan Tuan let out an explosive growl, leaping to his feet. He crouched low, a deep rumble rising from his throat, his entire posture ready to strike.

Qin Xiao’s ears shot straight up. “Awooo!”

Startled, Yan Ningjin dropped the rabbit meat from her hands. A shiver of alarm ran down her spine, leaving half her body numb. She gripped her dagger tightly, hesitating whether to chop off the little beast’s paw.

Qin Xiao wondered if she could handle it if the big guy really went on the attack.

The thought barely crossed her mind before he lunged. His sharp claws swiped fast. She dodged left and right in a panic, but soon scratches began to appear all over her small body.

She grew annoyed. Seriously? Just for patting your butt once? Do you really have to be so violent?

“Awooo!”

“Roar!”

Using Aiwei’er as a springboard, Qin Xiao leaped and landed squarely on Tuan Tuan’s back. Faced with that mass of glorious golden fur, she couldn’t resist. She stroked here, she stroked there. It was love at first touch.

Tuan Tuan’s fur bristled. He rolled violently, tossing her off.

Covered in claw marks, Qin Xiao finally crawled beneath the mech to hide. She licked her wounds silently.

She ended up with a mouthful of fur and a bitter taste in her heart.

To think I was once a mighty Nascent Soul cultivator. I could ride any mount I pleased, yet now I get beaten up just for patting a tiger’s butt. One day, I’ll recover my spiritual power. When that day comes, I’ll pin Tuan Tuan down and stroke him as much as I like.

If Yan Ningjin had known what the little beast was thinking, she wouldn’t be pacifying Tuan Tuan. She’d be chasing Qin Xiao down with a laser sword.

Tuan Tuan whimpered pitifully, and Yan Ningjin genuinely wanted to chop off that little paw. However, the strange little beast carried too many unknowns. For now, killing it was not an option.

The next day, Yan Ningjin checked her hiking gear. She slid her dagger back into her boot, clipped the lightsaber to her belt, grabbed her canteen and a few packets of nutrient paste, then picked up a small black box.

“Today we need to go farther. Our goal is to find an energy crystal.”

Qin Xiao had already felt the benefits of the energy box. She had no objections.

The trio headed east. Qin Xiao occasionally tried to cozy up to Tuan Tuan, only to be met with a withering glare.

Yan Ningjin noticed that the wounds Tuan Tuan had inflicted on Qin Xiao the previous night had mostly scabbed over. The little beast was once again leaping and tumbling around, full of energy.

After playing for a while, Qin Xiao settled down and began scanning the surroundings with alert eyes.

Half a day later, Yan Ningjin suddenly halted.

She had heard breathing other than their own. It was faint, but numerous.

“We may have stepped into the wrong territory.”

Tuan Tuan crouched low, a growl rumbling deep in his throat.

Qin Xiao glanced at Yan Ningjin in confusion. Ever since her cultivation regressed, she had to rely on this human to notice danger. She looked down at her tiny limbs and not-so-sharp claws and comforted herself.

When she raised her head, she saw several four-legged creatures emerging from the forest. Their skin was green and glossy, their eyes bulging atop their heads. Each had a long, thin tail dragging behind. They were about her size but far more numerous. Their coloration blended so well with the greenery that spotting them was nearly impossible.

Yan Ningjin’s lightsaber flashed. The creatures lunged.

Qin Xiao had just been casually sharpening her claws. Suddenly, these things leapt a whole person’s height and could cover frightening distances in a single bound.

The comparison stung. She was crushed in both size and agility.

With determined bravado, she charged forward… then immediately turned tail and ran.

Those green things slammed into her. Some landed on her head. Others smeared across her eyes. She couldn’t see a thing and smacked into a tree. Picking herself up, she kept running, flinging the clinging creatures off one by one.

After a while, their numbers dwindled. One last creature dangled lifelessly from her paw, having been dragged the whole way.

With a disgusted jump, she scraped her paw clean in the dirt. When she looked back, neither Yan Ningjin nor Tuan Tuan were in sight.

She had run too far. Out of the forest entirely.

The sprint had drained her energy. She rested a bit, still alone.

Did they abandon me on purpose?

She circled the area twice, then marked a tree and continued onward.

She came across a ring-shaped body of water. A small lake, its water was a brilliant blue, even deeper than the sky. It reminded her of the river where she had encountered the fish monster. She dared not approach but was terribly thirsty.

She picked a spot, dug a hole, and buried herself inside, covering it with grass. With only her eyes peeking out, she stared intently at the lake.

The hole had been dug to fit her tiny form. After a while, her eyes grew heavy, and she drifted off.

When she woke, the sun was high in the eastern sky.

She yawned and blinked. A new presence had appeared by the water.

Bathed in sunlight, it shimmered in vibrant colors. It resembled a finely carved ice sculpture shaped like a squirrel, both transparent and dazzling.

It was alive, lowering its rainbow-hued head to drink from the water.

Qin Xiao flexed her little paws.

I want to catch it.