The Beloved Guide Was Forced in a Love-Rival Shura Field - Chapter 17

The next day, Huo Ze came uninvited under the pretext of “re-examining mental power stability.”

His cold, businesslike tone had barely sounded through the communicator when, before Ning Ning could even think of a way to refuse, the door to his dormitory was forcibly unlocked from the outside.

The moment the door swung open, two completely different yet equally powerful auras poured in, one after the other.

Xiao Lin was dressed in his immaculate military uniform, the epaulets on his shoulders gleaming under the light, his whole being exuding a cedar-like chill. The instant he entered, his gaze locked firmly on Ning Ning, as if confirming that his possession was intact and unharmed.

Close behind him came Gu Qingfeng. Still in his academy instructor attire, his jade-like face carried a perfectly measured hint of concern, yet the sharp glint hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses cut through the room like a blade, sweeping every corner with quiet scrutiny.

One represented the military, the other the royal family.

They took their positions on either side of Ning Ning, like two immovable mountains pinning him in place, silently confronting each other while “overseeing” this sudden re-examination.

The air in the room felt frozen, the pressure so low that Ning Ning struggled to breathe.

Yet the culprit behind it all, Huo Ze, seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere, or simply didn’t care.

In his eyes, always filled with the frenzy of research, there was room for only one person—Ning Ning. The two S-rank titans who could shake the Empire might as well have been nothing more than inconvenient furniture.

He brushed past them and stopped in front of Ning Ning, handing over a palm-sized spherical device made of countless translucent crystal chips. A faint glow pulsed within it, delicate yet intricate.

“Hold it.” Huo Ze’s tone was commanding, his gaze urging and impatient, as if every second’s delay was blasphemy against science.

“Wait.” Xiao Lin’s deep voice rumbled. He instinctively stepped forward, his tall frame nearly swallowing Ning Ning whole. His eyes, fixed on the device, were filled with scrutiny and disapproval. “What is this?”

Gu Qingfeng pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the lenses catching the light. Though his voice remained gentle, the pressure behind it was undeniable: “Pharmacist Huo Ze, we require an explanation. Any device not cleared for safety cannot be used on Ning Ning.”

His question broke Huo Ze’s concentration, giving Ning Ning a brief moment of reprieve.

At last, Huo Ze tore his gaze from Ning Ning, casting the two men a dismissive glance. His voice dripped with open mockery: “It’s just a B-rank Guide mental activity detector. What, are you two S-rank elites afraid I’ll dissect him for specimens?”

The words made Xiao Lin’s expression turn even colder.

Caught in the middle, Ning Ning looked pleadingly first at Xiao Lin, then at Gu Qingfeng. But under Huo Ze’s pressing stare, he hesitantly extended his hand.

The moment his pale, slender fingers brushed the device, it thrummed with a low hum and lit up instantly.

Soft white light streamed from between the crystal chips, illuminating Ning Ning’s delicate face until it seemed almost translucent. His violet eyes, under the glow, were like flawless amethysts—untouched by dust, yet carrying a fragile, deadly allure that made hearts tighten.

Inside the device, countless threadlike golden lines wove together in a rapid flow, forming a miniature star system.

At its center pulsed a radiant point of light, throbbing in rhythm with Ning Ning’s heartbeat, as if it were the very core of his life.

A faint lavender halo then projected outward, unfolding midair into a three-dimensional mental power structure of incomprehensible complexity.

It was dreamlike—unlike anything ever documented in textbooks.

It resembled a rose sculpted from stardust and mist, slowly blooming in real time. Each petal was composed of billions of glittering points, each unfurl carrying an irresistible pull, drawing observers to sink deeper until their souls were consumed.

Huo Ze’s breathing turned ragged. His eyes burned with feverish devotion, like a believer beholding divinity. He muttered under his breath: “…Yes, that’s it…perfect…”

“What does that mean?” Xiao Lin’s voice was laced with suspicion.

Snapping back, Huo Ze forced down his mania and explained, “I’ve discovered that his ‘charm’ ability soothes when he is calm, but when agitated—or frightened—it produces a kind of…mental ‘beacon’ effect.”

“Beacon?” Ning Ning tilted his head, confused. The word felt ominous on his tongue.

Huo Ze’s gaze returned to the projection, his voice trembling with excitement: “Yes. A beacon. Like a lighthouse suddenly lit in the endless dark of space. It draws in everything that seeks light—whether a passing ship…or a predator.”

He flicked a glance toward the two sentinel guardians at Ning Ning’s side, then added with clinical detachment:

“For example, Sentinels as strong as you. Or…”

He paused deliberately before dropping two words that froze the room solid.

“…the Zerg.”

The word detonated like a silent depth charge, sucking the air from the room.

What had been tense now plunged into something darker, more terrifying. Xiao Lin’s killing intent flared without restraint, tangible and suffocating. Gu Qingfeng’s mild smile vanished, replaced by bottomless gravity.

“Do you have proof?” Xiao Lin’s voice was frigid, each word ground out like ice shards. “Huo Ze, this is not something you joke about.”

“Joke?” Huo Ze shrugged dismissively, utterly unmoved by Xiao Lin’s suffocating aura. “I never joke with research. To confirm this theory, I’ll need a sample of Ning Ning’s mental power for deeper structural analysis.”

The words “sample of mental power” made Ning Ning blanch instantly.

The thought was unbearable—like someone carving out a piece of his soul with a spoon. Memories of the last time, the agony and draining weakness, surged back all at once.

He flinched violently like a startled rabbit, shaking his head, terror clouding his violet eyes with tears.

A soft, pitiful whimper escaped his throat.

Almost simultaneously, a snowy white moon-rabbit spirit body leapt out of his spiritual sea. Its long ears drooped anxiously, tiny claws gripping his shoulder while its amethyst eyes glared at Huo Ze, hissing in fear and warning.

“No.”

Xiao Lin rejected it instantly, the word low but absolute.

The next moment, his tall frame moved like lightning. With one long arm, he swept Ning Ning completely behind him, his stance radiating total possession, leaving no space for argument.

The warmth and strength of his chest, carrying the scent of cedar, enveloped Ning Ning in a cocoon of safety, shielding him from Huo Ze’s invasive stare.

“Any,” Xiao Lin’s tone was like iron, each word forged from ice, brimming with the authority of the Empire’s Marshal, “research that poses even the slightest harm to Ning Ning—the military will never authorize.”

Huo Ze looked at the pair guarding Ning Ning like a priceless treasure, only a tuft of silver curls peeking out. He sighed with regret, slowly packing away the still-glowing device.

Spreading his hands, he gave a crooked smile. “Fine. With both the Marshal and the Second Prince saying so, what else can I do?”

He hefted his medical kit and headed for the door.

As he passed Gu Qingfeng, he paused, leaning slightly to murmur in a voice only the two of them could hear:

“Your Highness, you of all people know what it means if the Zerg learn of a ‘spiritual beacon.’ Instead of hiding him like a fragile jewel…”

His gaze flicked meaningfully over Xiao Lin’s broad back.

“…wouldn’t it be better to make him stronger?”

With that, he left without another word.

The door shut, leaving only the three of them inside.

Xiao Lin felt the slight tremor still running through the boy in his arms. His killing aura dissipated instantly, replaced with gentleness. Turning around, he held Ning Ning’s shoulders as if cradling a priceless treasure, lowering his head to study the pale face closely.

“Don’t be afraid,” his voice was quiet and awkwardly tender, offering clumsy comfort. “It’s over now. I’m here.”

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