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My Angels, ( ꈍᴗꈍ)
Quick announcement before the chapter! The FL's name has been a bit confusing — switching between her apocalypse name and the name of the body she transmigrated into.
To avoid this, I'll now only use Ling Ai as her name.
And that's all. ←_←
Happy reading
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The atmosphere in the room was akin to a charged magnetic field as if the gravitational pull had doubled, with a weight like a hammer pressing down on everyone.
The murderous aura emanating from Ouyang Jian was enough to terrify even Ling Ai. Just as she began regretting her actions, the marshal's lips twitched before he spoke with chilling coldness. "I won't deny that what you just said shook me a little."
Though his expression was grim, brimming with anger, and even a hint of sorrow if one looked closely, the oppressive tension in the room gradually eased.
Ouyang Jian paused briefly, then continued in a tone slightly less frigid than before. "I indeed want to save my father, the former Marshal, at any cost, but I never intended to threaten you or use you without your consent."
"It's also true that I desperately need your power, but I won't stoop to any despicable acts to obtain it." As he finished speaking, the suffocating pressure in the room vanished completely, along with the crushing spiritual energy. Finally, Bernard and Hua Rou could breathe freely again.
Ling Ai was drenched in sweat, doing her best to regulate her breathing and hide her fear. It wasn't that she feared fighting this man, but the sheer force of his aura was hellish. Even she, who prided herself on slaying thousands of zombies and beasts, couldn't replicate such a blood-soaked presence. It was proof that he had killed far more than she had—enough to create an ocean of blood.
Frowning deeply, Ling Ai fixed her gaze on Ouyang Jian's piercing green eyes, as though trying to read his thoughts or discern the truth behind those serene, jade-like orbs. Was he being honest, or was it a ploy to hide his true intentions?
Nevertheless, she decided to remain silent, avoiding the trap of his words.
As the destructive aura gradually receded, the Marshal took a deep breath to regain control of his emotions. Bernard, who had felt as though he was trapped in a whirlpool of deadly energy, let out a relieved sigh but couldn't resist a sarcastic remark. "Can't you control your energy a bit, Marshal? I almost suffocated."
Ouyang Jian shot him a sharp glare, but Bernard seemed unaffected, muttering complaints under his breath.
Ling Ai cast Bernard a blank look before turning back to Ouyang. She spoke coldly, "Whether you're telling the truth or lying, I don't care. What I said wasn't false—I have no intention of living my life as a guide."
Ouyang, now composed and analyzing the situation before him, realized that reasoning with this girl was futile. No matter how he tried to explain that he wasn't her enemy, she wouldn't take his words seriously.
A faint smile crept onto his face. It had been a long time since he'd faced such a challenge. He had to admit that this girl's strength, her difficult personality, and those black eyes—sometimes resembling an abyss and other times a starry night—made her incredibly intriguing.
The Marshal's smile widened, causing Ling Ai to frown. His voice carried a mix of mockery and seriousness as he said, "Since you misunderstand me and don't trust me, there's nothing more to be done. Did you say your name is Ling Ai? Then listen closely, Ling Ai, because I'll only say this once: I'll give you two choices.
"First, accept the help I offered earlier. Second, I'll carry you to the Academy of Guides myself, throw you there, and never look for you again. I won't care if they use you, if you escape, or if you choose to end your life to avoid that place."
"What... What? You... you..." Ling Ai's words caught in her throat. The Marshal's arrogance was insufferable. His words infuriated her, and she wished she could give him a good beating. Her hands itched for action.
Hua Rou, who had been silent all this time, sitting on the hospital bed and catching her breath, stepped forward hesitantly. "Marshal Ouyang, please. This girl, Ling Ai, is kind-hearted. She's just been through a lot with her family and struggles to trust others. Please help her."
"Aunt... What are you doing?" Ling Ai hurriedly grabbed Hua Rou's arm before she could kneel before Ouyang Jian. "Auntie, I'm fine. You don't need to beg anyone."
The tenderness in Hua Rou's voice reminded Ling Ai of her mother from her original world. Memories she thought long buried under the weight of death and survival in the apocalypse resurfaced—moments of happiness spent with her family, living a peaceful life.
Ling Ai cherished Hua Rou deeply and couldn't bear to see her humiliate herself for her sake.
Hua Rou cupped Ling Ai's cheeks with trembling hands, her worried expression softened by the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "Ling Ai, my dear, please accept the Marshal's offer. I know you hate your power and don't want to be a guide, but there's nothing we can do now that your abilities have been discovered. Marshal Ouyang is a good and honorable man. At least you can trust that he'll keep his promises and won't harm you. Please."
She hugged Ling Ai tightly, trembling as she whispered, "This is all my fault. If you hadn't tried to help me and my husband, you wouldn't be in this danger. The world is a dangerous place, and you're just a child—not even of legal age yet. You can't handle everything alone. If you don't accept the marshal's help now, things will only get harder for you."
Hua Rou held Ling Ai for a long time, sighing and weeping in despair. Ling Ai remained motionless, gently patting Hua Rou's back. Her mind, however, was clearer than ever as she weighed the pros and cons of her choices, analyzing how each decision would affect her future.
She was truly torn. None of the options before her were what her heart truly desired. She didn't want to become a caged bird, even if the cage was made of the world's finest materials—it would still be a cage. Nor did she want to die. She had fought tooth and nail to survive the apocalypse and had never once considered giving up her life, no matter how dire things became.
For Ling Ai, life was precious—a gift not to be discarded for any reason.
Lost in her thoughts for what felt like an eternity, though only a couple of minutes had passed, her black eyes gleamed with sharp resolve.
Ouyang Jian, standing opposite her as she embraced Hua Rou, could see her face. The determined and confident look in her eyes told him his gamble had paid off. He realized this was the only way to persuade such a difficult girl.
However, he also knew he'd have to work hard to earn her trust in the future—especially after threatening her.
Wait a moment. Why did he care about earning her trust? He was the marshal, after all. He'd never tried to please anyone before, not even the king and queen. He respected them, but that was all.
Yet, he found himself genuinely wanting to grow closer to this stubborn, petite girl. No matter how much he thought about it, Ouyang Jian couldn't pinpoint the reason. Even if she claimed to possess the power to save his father, that alone wasn't enough to sway his thoughts about her. It wasn't that he didn't want to save his father—he did—but he had always been a rational man. He was simply contemplating an effective strategy to make her willingly agree to treat his father.
Then, what was it? Perhaps it was her identity as a guide, or maybe their spiritual compatibility was unusually high. That might explain it, at least partially...
The great Marshal decided not to dwell on the matter. He'd always enjoyed surprises, and this girl before him promised to be a source of many.
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Author Rinna has something
To say :
So sorry my angels; I didn't
Update for 2 days (〒﹏〒).
P.S: I'll try my best not to do
that again ^_^
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