The Beloved Guide Was Forced in a Love-Rival Shura Field - Chapter 68

The clear, piercing clang of a sword rang out like a signal.

The suffocating pressure brought by the three words “treason” was instantly shattered the moment Xiao Lin drew his sword, replaced by an even more terrifying aura emanating from him.

It was the mental pressure of an S-rank sentinel, the strongest in the empire, unleashed without restraint.

The air felt as if it had been filled with lead, pressing heavily on everyone’s chest. The Royal Guards in the front row felt as though they were facing not a person, but a living war beast that had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Their calves trembled, teeth chattered uncontrollably—that was the primal fear buried deepest in their biology.

The court officer’s face had completely drained of color. He hadn’t expected Xiao Lin to truly go mad, to openly draw his sword against the imperial edict. He gripped the communicator, shouting with all his might: “He’s resisting arrest! Prepare—”

Before he could even finish the words “open fire”, an anomaly occurred.

Above the Marshal’s Mansion, the sky seemed to twist and fold violently, as if an invisible hand had churned the waters of the air.

The next second, enormous, terrifyingly imposing metallic shadows tore through space, bursting out from a warp channel!

One warship… then another… massive interstellar vessels!

Pitch black, with hard, cold lines, each ship bore the same emblem—a fierce, roaring dark-gold wolf’s head.

The Xiao family crest! The emblem of the empire’s first through seventh legions!

Hundreds, even thousands of warships hovered in the sky above the imperial capital like a pack of silent steel giants, sealing off all airspace. Their star-crushing cannons slowly swiveled, icy light gathering at their muzzles, silently and precisely locking onto the small, pitiful, almost laughable Royal Guard force below.

At this moment, the entire capital fell completely silent.

Citizens on the streets froze in place, staring upward in terror.

Gu Qingfeng’s gentle, “let’s watch the show” smile finally stiffened, cracking piece by piece.

He had calculated everything—the emperor’s greed, the compromise of the elder council, the moment Xiao Lin would be driven to madness…

But he hadn’t counted on Xiao Lin’s army arriving this fast, this decisively.

This wasn’t mere intimidation.

This was a coup! A tearing open of the heavens!

While everyone was frozen in awe at this earth-shattering formation, a cold, steady voice—emotionless yet imbued with iron will—resonated through the public channel, echoing above the Marshal’s Mansion and spreading throughout the empire.

It was Xiao Lin’s adjutant.

“Empire’s First through Seventh Fleets, joint declaration:”

“The personal safety of Marshal Xiao Lin is the highest order of the imperial military.”

“Any organization or individual attempting in any form to harm Marshal Xiao Lin or his ‘family’…”

The adjutant paused, each word sounding as if forged from cannon fire, tinged with blood.

“…will be considered an open act of war against all soldiers of the empire!”

“Our forces will stop at nothing to annihilate!”

Boom—!

If drawing his sword was confrontation, this declaration was the very horn of war!

The court officer’s edict fell to the floor with a clatter. He went pale and trembled like a leaf.

For the first time, a flicker of genuine shock and miscalculation appeared in Gu Qingfeng’s eyes. He stared at the man protected by countless warships and finally realized: the one he had driven mad was not merely a beast.

He had awakened a god of war, commanding millions of troops.

And all this, just to protect the boy still sleeping inside the house.

A madman.

A complete, utter madman.

…

The roar of massive engines rolled like thunder over the earth, shaking even the thick walls slightly.

It was this bone-deep vibration that woke Ning Ning.

He opened his eyes drowsily. The piercing pain in his mental realm had eased somewhat, but his body was still weak, like a bundle of cotton with the bones removed.

“[Host! Host, you’re awake!]” System 89’s voice blared in his mind, almost crying.

Ning Ning frowned, pushing himself upright on his sore, soft body. His voice was still hoarse: “89… what’s going on outside? An earthquake? It’s so loud…”

“Loud? It’s more than loud! Boohoo! Host, go see! The world line is collapsing! Xiao Lin… he’s… he’s rebelling for you!”

“What?”

His heart skipped a beat. Before his mind could fully process, his body had already moved. Forgetting shoes, he ran barefoot on the icy floor, staggering toward the massive floor-to-ceiling windows of the bedroom.

And then he froze completely.

Outside the window was a sight beyond anything he had imagined in both his lifetimes.

The sky… was gone.

Black warships blocked out the heavens like an apocalypse descending. Each ship bore the familiar wolf-head emblem, sending chills down his spine.

On the ground, countless Royal Guards in silver-white armor huddled like lambs surrounded by wolves, trembling violently.

And at the center of this heaven-and-earth standoff stood a tall, upright figure, alone, sword in hand, guarding the Marshal’s Mansion.

Like a lonely peak, an insurmountable wall.

With his back alone, he shielded the house behind him and all the malice of the world.

For a moment, Ning Ning’s breathing stopped.

His heart felt as if an invisible hand had crushed it, then mashed it into pieces—aching, swelling, blinding him.

He was not a fool.

He saw the sky-blackening wolf emblems, saw that lone, heroic figure, and realized: Xiao Lin was not fighting an army.

He was fighting the emperor, the elder council, the empire’s laws.

He was committing treason…

For… him.

Why?

Ning Ning’s fingers grew cold.

He recalled all he had done, all the risks he had taken to complete his missions, all the trouble he had caused Xiao Lin, all the hurtful words he had spoken.

He was just a regular office worker transported into a novel, playing the part of a despised villainous cannon fodder.

Yet…

Why would someone risk everything for someone like him?

It was a feeling so heavy he could barely breathe.

Like a mountain crashing onto his heart.

Like fire, threatening to burn his soul alive.

[Host…] System 89’s voice grew cautious.

“Quiet,” Ning Ning muttered.

He reached out, his fingers tracing the outline of the figure outside through the cold glass.

He saw the tension in Xiao Lin’s shoulders.

He could imagine the typically expressionless face, now set in icy resolve and determination.

No.

He couldn’t just hide and watch this man shoulder the crime of treason for him.

He was not a treasure, not worth it.

Ning Ning spun around, ignoring his weak body and the dizziness in his head, stumbling toward the bedroom door.

Bang—

He flung it open.

Blinding light and the taut air surged in.

Inside the living room, all eyes turned toward the sudden movement.

When they saw the thin, pale, barefoot boy standing at the doorway, everyone froze.

Even the oppressive aura of the steel giants in the sky seemed to pause.

“Ning Ning!”

The first to react was Xiao Lin.

The clear sword clang still echoed in the air, but the violent, space-ripping aura vanished the moment he saw the boy.

He spun around and, in his dark-gold eyes, all the coldness, decisiveness, and madness was replaced by panic.

He strode forward, forgetting even to sheath his sword, wanting to scoop up the boy who seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

“How did you get out?!” His voice was hoarse, trembling in a way even he hadn’t noticed. “Go back! It’s dangerous here!”

“Xiao Lin…”

Ning Ning looked at him, into his eyes, seeing the worry, the tense jawline, the fear of being abandoned. His heart ached even more.

At that moment, a gentle voice interjected.

“Ning Ning, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

Gu Qingfeng’s shock had faded, replaced by a carefully measured, concerned smile. He stepped past Xiao Lin, his gaze settling on Ning Ning. His voice was soft as spring wind.

“You’ve seen everything, haven’t you? Marshal Xiao Lin… he’s too reckless. He’s willing to go against the entire empire for you.”

He sighed lightly, wearing the appearance of a helpless mediator.

“Ning Ning, don’t be afraid. Come with me, and I guarantee none of this will happen today. I will convince the emperor and the elder council to retract the edict. No one will hurt the Marshal, and no one will disturb you again.”

He spoke so sincerely, as if he truly were torn between sides, only wanting to resolve the crisis.

This statement was flawless. It placed all blame on Xiao Lin’s recklessness, while handing the solution to Ning Ning.

It seemed that as long as Ning Ning nodded and followed him, this crisis capable of overturning the empire could be instantly resolved.

All eyes were on Ning Ning again, waiting for his choice.

To choose the man who publicly committed treason for him, now nervously like a child?

Or the prince who could easily resolve everything, promising him peace?

Xiao Lin’s body stiffened after Gu Qingfeng finished speaking.

He said nothing, merely staring at Ning Ning, dark-gold eyes revealing a fragility almost pleading.

He was afraid.

He feared the boy would, out of fear or to avoid burdening him, choose Gu Qingfeng.

That possibility terrified him a thousand times more than being surrounded by armies or being charged with treason.

Ning Ning did not look at Gu Qingfeng.

His gaze remained solely on the one man.

He looked at Xiao Lin’s pale face, his white-knuckled grip on the sword, the panic in his eyes that feared abandonment.

Suddenly, Ning Ning found his previous thoughts of “not worth it” laughable and infuriating.

Worth it or not, was not for him to decide.

This man had already given his answer through action.

Now, it was his turn.

The boy took a deep breath, stepping forward under the weight of every gaze.

He did not walk toward Gu Qingfeng.

Barefoot, he stepped on the cold, hard floor, ignoring the refined prince beside him, and walked straight toward the man who, sword in hand, was holding back the entire world.

He stopped in front of Xiao Lin.

Under the astonished gazes, he reached out with his still-weak hand and gently grasped the sword-holding hand.

Then he raised his head, his clear, dreamlike purple eyes staring seriously at Xiao Lin. His voice was quiet but carried clearly through the deathly silent living room.

“I’m not leaving.”

“Nowhere.”

He imitated Xiao Lin’s earlier tone, speaking slowly, every word deliberate, using all his strength to declare:

“I’m staying right here.”

“With you.”

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