Chapter 71: Liberation of the Soul

  Zhang Qiang gave a thumbs up to Li Ling, then stood up and walked a few steps to Li Ling's side. He patted Li Ling's shoulder with a pleased expression, his eyes filled with a sense of pride. Patting his chest, he said: "Yes, I had almost forgotten about Brother Li Ling! With Brother Li Ling around, I'm sure Miss Anjing will have a safe and happy life from now on! I guarantee it!"

  Li Ling smiled slightly and nodded quietly in encouragement, her eyes full of encouragement.

  She furrowed her brow quietly, a hint of doubt appearing on her beautiful face, but in her intelligent eyes, a flash of understanding suddenly appeared, and she looked at Li Ling: "Li Ling, did you promise Grandfather to protect me?"

  "Yes, I agreed to this from the start. Now it's just a matter of proving the value of this mission, but I've found that the value of this mission is the highest value task I've ever received in my life." Li Ling said with an unyielding gaze at Anjing, his face smiling.

  "Who made you promise, this is arbitrary, I don't need anyone's protection. I have the right to choose my own body, I have the right not to let anyone protect me! Do you understand or not?" Anjing quietly turned her head away, with a hint of anger, her eyes were exceptionally firm, as if even nine horses couldn't pull back Anjing's decision.

  "Quiet miss, you're wrong this time. You should consider the feelings of us who care about you." Zhang Qiang was a straightforward person by nature, with a personality that always spoke directly and never beat around the bush.

  Silence is no longer spoken, just sitting quietly like this.

  Zhang Qiang looked at Li Ling, with a hint of helplessness in his eyes, knowing that once An Jing made up her mind, even An Lan couldn't change her decision.

  "Zhang Qiang, you go out first, I want to talk to Anjing alone." Li Ling nodded at Zhang Qiang and said calmly.

  Zhang Qiang knew that his straightforward personality would be of no use in persuading here, and on the contrary, it would only make the atmosphere more awkward. He let out a faint sigh and said, "Brother Li Ling, it's all up to you now. I'll stay outside and not let anyone come in to disturb your conversation." After speaking, he shook his head helplessly, walked out of the room, gave Li Ling a meaningful glance, and closed the door behind him.

  Li Ling looked at An Jing, who had been facing away from her since Zhang Qiang left. Li Ling could understand An Jing's feelings at this moment, because of An Jing's impulsive behavior in the past, which indirectly led to the death of her adoptive father. This guilt has been deeply buried in her heart, causing An Jing not to want to involve anyone else again.

  "Shh..." Li Ling softly called out.

  "There's no need for you to say anything else. I won't agree to let you stay by my side, no matter who tries to persuade me." An Jing said resolutely.

  "I'm not shamelessly asking you to keep me here to protect you, I'm not that cheap. I just want to tell you that I and you are both orphans without parents, but you at least have a foster father and a kind grandfather. But I only have the cold reality and constant self-tempering, making myself stronger! The fate of being able to survive in this cruel world." Li Ling said up to here, even the usually strong Li Ling couldn't help but reveal true emotions.

  A faint movement in his calm expression revealed Li Ling's loneliness and helplessness, but the determination in his quiet eyes remained unwavering, with all emotions suppressed.

  Li Ling knew that An Jing was not heartless, but she had been suppressing her emotions all along.

  "You should think about it for the people who care about you, your grandfather An Lan, and your missing foster father. And also for those military uncles who surround you every day!" Li Ling said, looking at the quiet back figure.

  She bit her lip quietly, her slender body trembling slightly, trying not to be affected by Li Ling, but when Li Ling mentioned his adoptive father, An Jing's emotions suddenly fluctuated violently, and her eyes were filled with tears of guilt for a moment.

  "Can't you find your foster father, the one who loved you the most?!" Li Ling felt An Jing's heart slowly opening up, and he quietly came to her side, sat down gently, and stroked her long black hair.

  "Perhaps, you will feel very guilty and think that you owe your adoptive father an apology, but your adoptive father would not blame you. Even if he were dead and in heaven, he would only hope that you could live well in this world, happily and joyfully spending every day, wouldn't he?"

  "Stop talking, stop talking! If it weren't for me, Father wouldn't have died, he wouldn't have died, it's all my fault! Going to that ancient tower, searching for that ancient tomb, it's all my fault! I'm a jinx! Whoever gets close to me will be killed by me!" Anjing bit her lip until it bled, desperately covering her ears, desperately not listening to Li Ling's advice, desperately crying, desperately suppressing her emotions.

  Li Ling pulled down An Jing's arm that was covering her ears, and without any hesitation, she hugged An Jing tightly in her arms.

  "You're not a troublemaker! You're just an ordinary girl who needs protection." Li Ling's eyes were filled with an unyielding determination, he knew he had to protect this girl from any harm.

  She quietly opened her eyes, and tears had already been streaming in them. She couldn't help but let them all flow out. She buried her head in Li Ling's arms and sobbed uncontrollably, with tears soaking through his collar. The girl cried so hard it hurt, she hadn't cried like this in a long time.

  "Cry, it's okay to cry, Li Ling can swear to Anjing that he will definitely find Anjing's father. I believe, Anjing's father is not dead, he's just trapped in the ancient tomb of Guloulan and can't get out for a while. We just need to go rescue Anjing's father, right?" Li Ling smiled slightly and whispered softly into Anjing's ear, gently patting her back as it shook with sobs, like an older brother comforting his wronged little sister.

  She slowly raised her head, looking at Li Ling with tearful eyes: "It's impossible, the ancient tomb of Loulan is very complicated, people who fall in can't survive, it's impossible. Father can't be alive."

  "According to General An's description, I am confident that An Jing's father is just trapped in the ancient tomb of Loulan. An Jing, think about it, would an ancient tomb only have one exit? In ancient times, when building a tomb, there would be many exits, the purpose was to allow the people who built the tomb to come and go freely, and to transport materials for building the tomb." Li Ling muttered to himself, after all, he didn't know much about ancient tombs, but just wanted to temporarily comfort An Jing.

  "Don't joke around." Anjing wasn't stupid, she naturally knew Li Ling's intention. After wiping away the tears from her eyes, she used both hands to support Li Ling's sturdy chest and slowly got up, her pretty face slightly red.

  "How could I be joking? Back then, so many soldiers went in and out of the tomb, and they moved a large number of skeletons, but none of them found Quiet Father's body. That means that the speculation about Quiet Father being dead is not reliable." Li Ling had a thread of confidence in his eyes, this confidence also made Quiet gradually believe that her father was really alive?