The Beloved Guide Was Forced in a Love-Rival Shura Field - Chapter 72

The standoff at the Marshal’s Mansion came to a temporary halt in a way no one had anticipated.

The fleet summoned by Xiao Lin had not withdrawn.

Hundreds of cold steel behemoths hovered silently in orbit around the Imperial Capital Star, like a pack of silent predators ready to strike at any moment, silently proclaiming the untouchable boundaries of their master.

Yet the murderous aura that had nearly torn the space apart finally receded.

Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was so cold that one could practically drop shards of ice.

At the massive alloy table, the three forces were sharply divided.

Xiao Lin naturally sat at the head of the table. His tall figure stood rigid and straight like a black mountain, radiating an oppressive presence that brooked no argument.

Ning Ning was seated next to him, practically enveloped in his embrace. From the moment he sat down, Xiao Lin’s broad hand never left the back of Ning Ning’s chair. Just a fist’s distance apart, he created an absolute protective circle that was both possessive and impenetrable.

Opposite him sat Gu Qingfeng.

The Second Prince still carried that gentle, refined smile. His long fingers interlaced on the table, his posture so relaxed it was as if he were attending a trivial tea gathering, rather than negotiating matters that determined the empire’s fate and the custody of Ning Ning.

The imperial attendant, representing the royal family, cowered at the far end of the table, trying desperately to minimize his presence, praying not to be crushed by the aura of the two top-tier powers.

“Ahem.”

The attendant cleared his throat, feeling his voice waver. Summoning his courage, he faced the two nearly soul-piercing gazes and spoke:

“Your Majesty, Marshal, Second Prince… since, since we are all working for the empire, and for the safety of Master Ning Ning, then… then there is a basis for negotiation.”

He glanced at the unstable golden projection—the emperor’s face was so dark it could drip water.

“The emperor’s intention is that Master Ning Ning’s identity is special and concerns the fate of the empire. He should be escorted to the Seventh Star Region by the most elite royal guards. This ensures absolute safety and also demonstrates the royal family’s highest respect for the ‘Moon God.’”

No sooner had he finished speaking than:

“No.”

Two words burst from Xiao Lin’s throat, cold and decisive, like two iron blocks slammed onto the table.

He didn’t even raise an eyelid. His entire being screamed “delusional!”

Explanation? He didn’t bother.

His person—why would he hand them over to someone else? Royal guards? In his eyes, that would be another, more luxurious, more frigid cage that didn’t belong to him.

Cold sweat immediately drenched the attendant’s back, his shirt soaked through.

“Heh.”

A faint laugh echoed in the dead-silent conference room.

It was Gu Qingfeng.

He did not glance at Xiao Lin, whose anger was teetering on the edge. His gaze, gentle like a spring pool, landed on Ning Ning, as if soothing a frightened little rabbit.

“Marshal, of course, you are the empire’s strongest shield.”

He spoke, his voice soft and resonant, each word measured:

“But you are a Sentinel. The Sentinel’s powerful pheromones can construct the most impenetrable physical barrier, yet against the kind of invasive mental corruption the Zerg employ…”

He deliberately paused, his deep eyes shifting to Xiao Lin. The warmth vanished, replaced by a sorrowful sharpness that saw through everything.

“…it might be insufficient, don’t you think?”

Those words, like a venom-laced, soft blade, struck precisely at Xiao Lin’s only weakness.

“Only a Guide’s mental power can weave the most intricate and safest psychic shield. Especially an S-level Guide like me,” Gu Qingfeng’s smile returned to perfection, “to ensure that Ning Ning’s mental ocean remains untouched by even the slightest malice.”

“For Ning Ning’s safety, the most prudent and responsible choice is for me to accompany him.”

Each word was logical, irrefutable.

Xiao Lin’s expression visibly darkened; his aura sank to a terrifyingly low level.

He knew Gu Qingfeng was right.

This was his most frustrating, most powerless spot.

He could risk his life for Ning Ning. He could confront the entire world for him. He could use his body to shield him from all firepower.

But he could not enter that fragile, beautiful purple mental ocean. He could not soothe its pain. He could not shield Ning Ning from malicious whispers.

The room fell into suffocating silence again.

The three sides were at a deadlock.

The emperor wanted absolute control.

Xiao Lin wanted undivided ownership.

Gu Qingfeng wanted legitimate escort rights.

And Ning Ning sat at the center of the storm.

He felt like a beautiful doll being fought over by three sides. Everyone claimed it was “for his own good,” yet no one had asked him what he truly wanted.

His head buzzed; his temple throbbed painfully.

[System 89: Warning! Warning! Host! Shura-field crisis alert! Affection balance meter is about to explode!]

[System 89: Ding! Emergency survival class begins! Lesson: How to survive the tricky waters between three top powers! Option A: Choose the Marshal—offend the royal power and the green-tea predator instantly! Option B: Choose the Prince—jealous Marshal goes full berserk immediately! Option C: Choose the royal family—receive double-crazy pursuit combo! Please respond!]

Ning Ning went momentarily black.

This was a death sentence. Every option ended in disaster!

He could clearly feel the destructive, repressed madness emanating from the tense man beside him, burning his skin even through the fabric.

On the other side, Gu Qingfeng’s seemingly gentle gaze carried an undeniable pressure; beneath the soft facade was the unyielding sharpness of a top predator determined to succeed.

No, it couldn’t continue like this.

If the standoff persisted, Xiao Lin, this lunatic, would drag him straight out of the capital!

Then he’d be the “traitorous mischief” known throughout the galaxy. Forget scoring points, he might as well reincarnate on the spot!

Ning Ning took a deep breath, summoning all his courage.

He extended his trembling little hand and gently, tentatively, tugged on Xiao Lin’s perfectly creased sleeve.

A tiny, almost insignificant, cat-like scratch of a motion.

Yet it instantly drew the full attention of the man who radiated “keep away, or die” energy.

The golden beast-like eyes, once ablaze with fury and annihilation, calmed miraculously upon meeting Ning Ning’s gaze, leaving only tension mixed with a hint of anxious questioning.

As if asking: Are you alright? Were you scared?

“Xiao Lin…”

Ning Ning’s voice was soft and weak, with a slight hoarseness from fright, pitifully fragile.

He lifted his small face, those wet, beautiful purple eyes reflecting the deep, cold outline of the man before him.

“I…”

He gathered his courage, enunciating each word clearly:

“I… want to go with you.”

One sentence, like a divine light, split the dark clouds and illuminated Xiao Lin’s shadowed world.

His heart, once sinking in helplessness, was abruptly pulled upward, beating fiercely in his chest.

What he received was not a command, not a transaction.

It was Ning Ning’s personal, emotional acknowledgment of belonging.

Enough.

That alone was enough.

Xiao Lin’s lingering madness instantly melted into burning, almost melting deep affection. He violently grasped that small, slightly cool hand, tightly, forcefully, as if holding his entire world.

However, before he could voice the ultimate, most satisfying decision, Ning Ning, summoning the greatest courage of his life, turned toward Gu Qingfeng.

A trace of imperceptible hesitation appeared on Gu Qingfeng’s perfect smile.

Ning Ning’s eyes slightly averted, unwilling to meet the fathomless gaze. He lowered his head, voice soft, tinged with embarrassment and deliberately portraying a natural dependence:

“Also… please, Teacher…”

He paused just enough, gathering courage while showing modest shyness.

“…protect me.”

The word “Teacher” struck Gu Qingfeng’s heart like a thunderclap.

The address was perfect: polite enough to maintain distance, yet establishing an unrefusable bond of “guidance and protection.”

A fragile student, with such soft and trusting posture, asking for the teacher’s protection—who could refuse? How could anyone refuse?

Gu Qingfeng gazed at the young boy’s clear, innocent eyes, seemingly just seeking help. His lips curved back into flawless perfection.

He nodded slightly, his voice soft enough to drip like molten jade:

“It is my honor.”

He had won.

He had obtained what he wanted—a legitimate, unassailable reason to be by Ning Ning’s side.

“Bang!”

A muffled sound.

Xiao Lin’s fist slammed hard onto the armrest of his chair, the sturdy alloy denting clearly under the blow.

His face was black as a frying pan’s bottom.

The golden beast-like eyes that had just burned with flames now glared at Gu Qingfeng, wishing to tear the fox-like smiling man into pieces.

Yet, holding Ning Ning’s hand, feeling the small, dependent warmth in his palm, he could not utter a single word of protest.

It was Ning Ning’s choice.

His little Guide, in a clumsy way, was trying desperately to balance the situation for him.

What else could he do but swallow this glass-shard-laced candy, blood and all?

In the end, the top-level negotiation that shook the entire empire concluded in a strangely shocking agreement, leaving both the imperial attendant and the emperor dumbfounded:

Marshal Xiao Lin of the Empire and Second Prince Gu Qingfeng would jointly escort Master Ning Ning to the Seventh Star Region frontline.

The attendant felt as though pardoned, immediately scurrying to report the result to the nearly-infuriated golden projection.

The conference room doors opened, signaling a temporary truce among the three parties.

But unknown to all, in a faraway corner of a distant star system, a massive trap, carefully woven to capture the “Moon God,” was tightening, perfectly primed by the seemingly naive yet strategically perfect decision of a boy driven by survival instinct.

The net was closing in.

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