The Beloved Guide Was Forced in a Love-Rival Shura Field - Chapter 61

The buzzing murmurs in the hall suddenly disappeared, as if someone had grabbed them by the throat.

The air seemed to freeze.

A pressure that made it hard to breathe spread from the throne at the far end of the hall, heavy and suffocating on everyone’s chest.

The sickly gaze perched on the throne shifted.

The old emperor leaned half-reclined in his oversized chair, thin as a skeleton, seemingly on the verge of crumbling. Yet when he spoke, his dry, hoarse voice felt like an invisible hand, choking the breath out of the entire hall.

“Everyone, be silent.”

He was not giving an order; he was merely stating a fact.

The hall fell completely silent, every breath held subconsciously.

The emperor’s cloudy eyes swept across the rigid faces before him, finally locking onto Ning Ning as though targeting prey.

“Ning Ning.”

When he spoke the name, there was a familiarity and approval in his tone that sent chills down Ning Ning’s spine.

“You are the greatest contributor to the Empire’s success in repelling the Insect Tide.”

At these words, Ning Ning’s heart sank violently, his stomach churning.

Instinctively, he tried to step back, but the moment his legs gave way, Xiao Lin’s hand clamped onto his, the grip so strong that he couldn’t move.

A weak yet affectionate smile appeared on the emperor’s face, and he continued slowly, each word falling like a small hammer on everyone’s nerves.

“A treasure of the Empire like you deserves the very best. Living in the Marshal’s residence is ultimately inconvenient.”

He deliberately paused, each word striking the listeners’ senses like a precise blow.

“I have already built a ‘Moon God Palace’ for you inside the Imperial Palace.”

“That is the safest and most magnificent place in the entire Empire. From today onward, you shall reside there, receiving the Empire’s full support and… protection.”

Moon. God. Palace.

Three words, like three poisoned needles, pierced Ning Ning’s ears.

[Warning! Warning! Keyword detected: Moon God Palace!]

[Ultimate Prison activated! Once the host enters, mission failure rate will soar to 99.9%! Immediately take all measures to avoid!]

The system’s sharp alarms nearly split his brain, buzzing relentlessly.

Ning Ning’s vision instantly darkened.

He seemed to see that this was no palace—it was a cage.

A cage built of gold and jewels, so splendid it was suffocating. No windows, no doors, walls all around, designed to trap him alone forever, turning him into a soulless, ornamental specimen.

“No…”

A faint sound escaped his throat, as light as a feather, yet trembling uncontrollably.

A chill shot up from his feet to the crown of his head. He felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen. His face went deathly pale, lips drained of color, body shaking uncontrollably like the last leaf about to fall in autumn wind.

He wanted to run, but his legs were as weak as noodles, unable to support him.

Beside him, Xiao Lin’s aura dropped suddenly to freezing levels. His chiseled face showed no emotion, but in his dark-golden eyes, a storm was gathering.

He gripped Ning Ning’s hand so tightly it was almost painful, yet the scorching warmth, softened by calluses, was the only thing Ning Ning could cling to at that moment.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingfeng’s face, usually adorned with a perfect, gentle smile, showed its first crack.

The corners of his mouth remained curved, but the warmth in his eyes froze like ice. What once had the gentleness of spring now held only bottomless, bone-chilling cold.

What “reward”? This was outright robbery!

The emperor’s scheme was now fully exposed.

The hall fell into deathly silence. Everyone held their breath, not daring even to move. Even a fool could see that the imperial authority was openly declaring war against the military and the power of the Second Prince.

And at the center of this chessboard, determining the Empire’s future, was the beautiful boy who was almost fainting from fear.

In the midst of this suffocating standoff, Gu Qingfeng suddenly moved.

He stepped forward half a pace, slightly bowing, his posture flawless and elegant, his voice still gentle and pleasant.

“The grace of the father, Ning Ning is naturally grateful for.”

He seamlessly continued, then shifted tone. Though still polite, his words carried an unwavering insistence.

“However, Ning Ning has been weakened from his recent sacrifices for the Empire. I believe what he needs most now is rest. It is truly unsuitable to move him about further.”

He pronounced the word “weak” lightly, but it was a subtle reminder to the one on the throne: this chess piece is not so easily moved.

The emperor’s cloudy eyes narrowed slightly, his dried lips about to speak—

“Vvv—vvv—vvv—”

A sudden, sharp vibration rang out in the hall!

Everyone turned in surprise to see dozens of crystal goblets on a nearby long table vibrating visibly, emitting a crazed hum.

The champagne in the glasses formed delicate ripples.

This was not sound—it was the resonance of power.

The Empire’s strongest sentinel silently released a terrifying mental force, powerful enough to tear a starship apart.

Xiao Lin said nothing.

He didn’t even lift an eyelid. He stood expressionless, like a god of death on the verge of rampage.

But the palpable killing intent radiating from him, combined with the unmasked, furious mental pressure, answered everything.

The message was clear:

—Try to touch him, just try.

One response was gentle refusal; the other was the threat of overwhelming force.

Light and dark, soft and firm.

The Second Prince and the Marshal of the Empire, two men legendary for clashing at the slightest provocation, had, at this moment, formed an impenetrable shield.

They shielded the trembling boy behind them.

Ning Ning’s teeth chattered, a soft “clack-clack” sound.

He was engulfed by two equally powerful, yet completely different forms of protection.

One came from Gu Qingfeng’s calm, restrained mental soothing, like cool spring water, trying to wash away his fear. The other came from Xiao Lin’s scorching, domineering warmth, like a wall of fire, blocking all malice and cold from the outside.

Fear threatened to drown him.

Yet in this icy sea, he clung desperately to two scorching, solid rocks.

He realized he had become the center of the storm.

And these two men, at the pinnacle of the Empire, were willing to defy the supreme imperial authority for him, right there in the golden, magnificent hall.

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