The Beloved Guide Was Forced in a Love-Rival Shura Field - Chapter 9

Xiao Lin’s gaze was like a blade tempered in ice, fixed on Gu Qingfeng’s hand pressing against Ning Ning’s head.

He had also caught that fleeting moment—the spiritual link between the two that hadn’t yet completely severed.

It was an intimate connection, probing and intrusive.

In the world of sentinels, this was worse than openly stealing someone’s partner face-to-face. It was the rawest form of provocation and violation!

“Boom—!”

Rage exploded in Xiao Lin’s mind, his fury surging to the heavens. The pressure around him plummeted, the air itself in the lab seeming to freeze.

Ning Ning was so startled by the sudden burst of sound and that murderous figure at the door that his whole body stiffened. He stared in shock at the terrifying man in the doorway, utterly clueless why Xiao Lin was suddenly so furious.

【System! Why is he here?! Wasn’t he supposed to be sulking in his office?!】

【Host! Detection complete—Marshal’s jealousy levels are skyrocketing! Shura Field warning! Shura Field warning!】 System 89’s voice quivered with excitement.

Gu Qingfeng, however, remained calm as ever. He even went so far as to lazily rub his fingertips through Ning Ning’s soft hair before withdrawing his mental threads. A faint, teasing smile curled at his lips as he stood tall, subtly shielding the bewildered Ning Ning behind him.

That small, protective gesture was like oil poured onto Xiao Lin’s burning rage.

“Gu Qingfeng.”

Xiao Lin’s voice was low and terrifying, every word squeezed from between clenched teeth, dripping with the promise of violence.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Marshal, what need is there for such temper?” Gu Qingfeng replied with serene calm, his composure a stark contrast to Xiao Lin’s explosive anger. “I was conducting necessary mental guidance for my student. After all, Ning Ning’s mental sea is far more… interesting than his physical ability.”

Xiao Lin took deliberate steps into the lab. With each stride, the oppressive force of a top-ranked sentinel grew heavier, suffocating the space until breathing itself became difficult.

“He’s my cadet. Everything about him is under my authority.” Xiao Lin’s words brooked no argument, blunt with military dominance.

“You can’t put it that way.” Gu Qingfeng didn’t back down, eyes gleaming darkly behind his glasses. “Physical training may be your domain, but his mental sea falls under mine. Besides, I’ve just discovered something… very interesting.”

Caught between the two, Ning Ning felt like a fragile cookie about to be crushed in a tug-of-war. He whispered weakly, trying to explain: “Marshal, Mentor… I-I’m fine, it was just a checkup…”

His voice was cut off by Gu Qingfeng’s gentle interruption.

Gu Qingfeng turned, gaze soft with feigned concern, though his words were aimed straight at Xiao Lin’s ears.

“Ning Ning, there’s an extremely rare abnormality in your mental sea.” He stressed the word deliberately. “It could put strain on your body. For your safety, and to ensure proper treatment, starting today you’ll need to come to my lab daily for in-depth observation.”

The words were both declaration and challenge. A blatant attempt to mark Ning Ning as his own, under the guise of necessity.

Xiao Lin’s pupils shrank to needlepoints, dangerous and sharp.

How could he possibly allow this sly fox to succeed?

Handing Ning Ning over would be like sending a rabbit straight into a fox’s den—bones and all would vanish.

His thoughts roared: No. Absolutely not. I must stay by his side. I must watch over him!

“If it’s that serious,” Xiao Lin cut in coldly, finding his counterattack, his tone as shameless as it was resolute, “then as his chief instructor, I have the duty to accompany him throughout the entire process, to ensure this so-called ‘treatment’ doesn’t harm his health or mental state.”

Gu Qingfeng’s polished smile faltered ever so slightly.

He hadn’t expected Xiao Lin to interfere with such brute force.

But there was no ground to object. What reason could he use to reject a responsible instructor’s concern for his cadet?

“Marshal’s care for his student is… truly admirable,” Gu Qingfeng said, smile once more flawless. “Of course, I have no objections.”

Their eyes locked, invisible sparks crackling in the air.

The war over Ning Ning’s ownership had only just begun.

The next day, the simulated battlefield buzzed with voices.

As expected, Ning Ning was assigned to the weakest squad. His teammates all sighed in resignation, clearly ready to surrender without a fight.

Perfect. Just what he wanted—play the role of a pretty but useless vase of a guide, lose quietly, and keep his presence low.

But even in the same drab gray training uniform as everyone else, he still shone the brightest. Silver hair gleamed under the lights, flawless features and pale skin giving him the air of a fragile spirit that had wandered into the mortal world.

“Look, that’s Ning Ning! Damn, he’s even more gorgeous than the photos online!”

“What’s the point of being pretty? He’s just a B-rank guide, a nepotism case dumped into a trash team. I heard his mental power is pathetic—bet he’ll be taken out in seconds.”

“Shh, careful, he’s a Ning family kid.”

“So what? Here at First Military Academy, strength is all that matters! You think Lu Ming’s team will go easy on him just because of his family name?”

The signal blared, starting the simulation.

Chaos erupted instantly, with cannon fire and mental power waves shaking the field.

A red-haired girl in a light mecha darted like lightning through the explosions, dismantling three enemy artillery points with precision, earning cheers.

Elsewhere, a silent sentinel and his black panther spirit stalked unseen, taking out two enemies with ruthless efficiency.

Ning Ning’s team, on the other hand, was crushed from the start, unable to fight back.

Their opponents were none other than the elite squad led by the hot-tempered S-rank sentinel cadet, Lu Ming.

Seated at command, Lu Ming watched the one-sided slaughter with rising fury.

He considered this an insult.

Pitting his team against such worthless trash was a waste of his time—an insult to his ability!

“Useless! Is this all you’ve got?!” Lu Ming roared over the comms, voice explosive. “Stand up! Show me the spirit of academy cadets!”

His emotions surged, mental threshold spiking wildly, teetering on the edge of collapse.

Suddenly, a towering bear spirit, massive as a hill, roared into existence in the center of the field. Its eyes blazed red, body radiating chaotic rage as it attacked indiscriminately.

Lu Ming’s spirit had lost control!

“Beep—beep—beep—”

Alarms blared across the field.

“Oh god, it’s Lu Ming! He’s having a mental breakdown!”

“Quick! Where are the A-rank guides? Calm him down before someone gets killed!”

Several A-rank guides paled and rushed to extend their mental threads, trying to soothe the raging beast.

But their power was like trickling streams slamming into a tidal wave—torn apart instantly.

“Pfft—” One A-rank guide collapsed, coughing blood, face pale.

“No good! His mental sea is a storm—we can’t get in at all!” another cried in panic.

The berserk bear roared, swiping its massive claws indiscriminately. One claw arced toward a cadet—Ning Ning’s teammate.

The gleam of death drew closer.

Ning Ning’s heart clenched.

【89! Something terrible’s about to happen!】

No time to think, no time to worry about exposure.

On instinct, the lazy moon rabbit slumbering in his mental sea stirred, opening eyes like pure violet crystal.

A wave of indescribable gentleness spread outward from Ning Ning, soft and cool like moonlit ripples across still water.

It carried no aggression, no force—yet it reached deep into the soul with irresistible calm.

The battlefield fell silent.

Every sentinel’s pounding heart and chaotic mental field eased, soothed into stillness.

The raging bear froze mid-swipe. The fury around it dissipated visibly, crimson eyes softening back to clarity.

Before the stunned audience, the beast lowered itself obediently, nudging Lu Ming’s leg with its massive head, whining like a scolded dog.

The arena was silent.

Not a sound.

Ning Ning stood there, silver hair stirring faintly, his exquisite face still tinged with worry and confusion. Against the backdrop of quelled chaos, he seemed almost divine—breathtaking and untouchable.

Everyone gaped.

The cadet who’d mocked Ning Ning earlier now stood slack-jawed, eyes bulging, speechless.

Lu Ming’s teammates were statues.

“W-what… just happened?” one stammered.

“A B-rank guide… calmed an out-of-control S-rank sentinel? Instantly?!”

“That’s impossible! There’s no precedent in the empire’s history!”

In the observation deck, Xiao Lin and Gu Qingfeng leapt to their feet, faces identical masks of shock and fevered excitement.

Xiao Lin’s fists clenched, heart hammering. So this is Ning Ning’s true power! Not seduction, not charm, but the miracle to pacify even an S-rank’s frenzy in a heartbeat. Why had he hidden it? Overwhelming desire flooded him—to shield this treasure completely, never letting anyone else touch him.

Gu Qingfeng’s eyes gleamed with ruthless determination. Now he understood—the so-called “abnormality” wasn’t a flaw at all, but a divine gift that could upend the empire’s entire guide system! A priceless treasure, the key to power, perhaps even the empire’s future.

The simulation ended hastily, but Ning Ning’s legend was only beginning to spread across the academy.

Dragging his drained body back to the dorm, Ning Ning’s mind was chaos.

He’d blown it. He’d exposed himself completely.

The moment he walked in, he found Lin Yuan pacing like a frantic ant.

“Ning Ning! You’re back! My god, you’re incredible! Did you see the forums?! One moment—‘whoosh’—and the big guy went all—‘yelp’—and behaved! How did you do it?! You’re not B-rank! You’re hiding SSS-rank, right?! A legend, right?!”

“I… I just wanted to help…” Ning Ning murmured weakly, body hollow with exhaustion.

Lin Yuan shook him in excitement, but before Ning Ning could protest, his wrist terminal lit up in urgent red—the highest priority alert.

He lowered his gaze. On the screen, a line of cold, merciless text appeared.

Incoming call: 【Imperial Military Council】.

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