C19 The Female Martial God, Lin Ya

Lin Ya cautiously navigated her way, unaware that Lin Chen's spiritual power enveloped her, keeping a vigilant watch over the zombies nearby. She was actually safe from harm. Should any danger arise, Lin Chen was ready to swoop in for a timely rescue.

She sensed something of Lin Chen's mental energy but mistook it for the comforting presence of her brother by her side.

The incident with Liang Zibang had been a harsh lesson, prompting Lin Ya to hone her ability to sense her surroundings with her spiritual power, attuned to both the environment and the emotions of fellow survivors.

Descending the stairs to the reception hall at the building's base, Lin Ya dispatched roughly thirty zombies.

The staircase was now effectively clear.

Should anyone choose this moment to flee, they could likely succeed without drawing undue attention.

Over twenty zombies roamed the lobby.

As Lin Ya readied herself to fight through them, Lin Chen held her back, struck by a sudden strategy.

He had intended to recruit a group to take over the hotel as a makeshift stronghold. In the dead of winter, the hotel offered a prime refuge.

The Cloud Hotel's advantageous location, near the southern gate, was ideal for scavenging supplies.

He had been concerned that others might claim the hotel in his absence, leading to conflicts.

Lin Chen preferred to avoid bullying the weak unless absolutely necessary. But if the weak insisted on courting death, he couldn't deny them without betraying his own morals.

His current approach was to minimize disputes wherever possible.

He planned to use the zombies as sentinels for the hotel entrance.

Leading Lin Ya back to the second floor, they arrived at the dining area.

The restaurant, open around the clock, was typically sparse with only a few patrons and a handful of staff around midnight, and last night had been no exception.

Now, three skeletons lay among the tables, with just four zombies meandering. Four survivors were concealed in a small private room nearby.

Lin Chen preferred not to disturb the hidden survivors too soon, so he chose to leave the aimless zombies be. He plotted a path to bypass them and exit through a window tucked in the dining room's corner.

Upon entering the restaurant, the siblings took advantage of its vastness and the zombies' limited detection range. They stealthily bypassed the undead at the center and made their way to a corner window, which they quietly opened.

With his backpack weighing him down, Lin Chen leaped out and landed with a soft thud, then gestured for Lin Ya to follow. She paused briefly, then jumped, landing safely beside him.

"Hehe, brother, I just realized I've truly become a hero," she said with a giggle.

"Yes, let's go. The world awaits your heroism," Lin Chen replied, affectionately ruffling Yaya's hair.

Deep down, he was against the idea of her harboring such heroic fantasies. In a world gone to ruin, without formidable strength, such notions could lead to a swift death.

In his past life, revered figures lived by a principle that had been handed down through the ages in Hiekith: the poor must fend for themselves, while the wealthy should aid others.

Want to fend for yourself? That's fine. But why do you have food and I don't? Why do you have weapons and I don't? Why do you have companionship and I don't?

So, I'll take what you have.

Thus, those who sought self-preservation had no choice but to arm themselves.

You want to help the world? We support that. But why is your base a fortress, while ours is a sty? Why are you flush with resources, while we're destitute?

In the end, they were besieged.

And so, those who sought to help the world had to resort to warfare.

With the clash of arms, countless lives were lost.

In truth, there were no innocents.

Heroes were a construct of the times, a balm for the human spirit craving solace.

But for now, Lin Chen didn't want to shatter Lin Ya's dreams, so he played along.

Yaya's shift in thinking needed to be gradual, not forced. Lin Chen couldn't bear the thought of her enduring hardship as her perspective changed.

The guilt of his past life's failings towards his sister haunted him. This second chance at life was an opportunity to make things right, and without realizing it, Lin Chen had become the very epitome of a doting brother.

Moreover, Lin Chen wasn't just any ordinary brother obsessed with his sister; he was the ultimate sister-con.

To what extent, you ask?

Well, if you got on Lin Chen's bad side, he might spare you on a whim, much like an adult might ignore an ant strutting its stuff on the sidewalk. But if you upset Lin Ya? A murderous intent would instantly bubble up in Lin Chen's heart. Push him a little further, and your head could very well roll.

Thankfully, Lin Ya was known for her even temper, so no one had yet to suffer the consequences. But it seemed inevitable that someone eventually would.

The siblings left the Cloud Hotel and stealthily made their way to the No. 47 dormitory building, roughly six to seven hundred meters away. The path was clear and open, with few zombies in sight, as most were drawn to the livelier sounds and movements near other buildings.

Lin Ya effortlessly dispatched the few zombies they did encounter along the way.

The winter sun shone feebly on the earth, unable to chase away the cold that clung to their hearts. A lingering red mist filled the air, casting an eerie calm over the world. Occasional distant screams and cries for help shattered the quiet, only to be swallowed by silence once more.

Those still alive had intuitively learned the value of silence.

Were it not for the heavy scent of blood and decay, the sporadic cries and screams from the campus, and the intermittent sounds of gunfire and explosions from the city center, Lin Ya might have mistaken their trek for a desolate, peaceful picnic in the wild.

Turning a corner, they came upon a vast sports field, nearly ten thousand square meters in size, shared by the Industrial Management College, the Education College, and the Teacher College.

A hundred meters to the east of the field stood three seven-story buildings, the male dormitories of the Industrial Management College, numbered forty-seven, forty-eight, and forty-nine.

Beyond the dormitories, separated by an activity stadium, were the two female dormitories of the Engineering Department.

These five buildings were Lin Chen's rescue targets for the day. To form a team, he knew he had to start with the low-hanging fruit.

As fellow students from the Engineering Department, there was a natural affinity for him among the student body.

Organizing a team was quite a hassle. His primary goal was to ensure a safe environment for Yaya and to identify potential core members from the large student population.

They were just about to step onto the sports field after crossing the intersection when a commotion and the sound of people running, along with the excited moans of zombies, erupted from the left.

Lin Chen turned to look.

His keen vision allowed him to quickly assess the situation to the left.

From afar, four individuals were sprinting from the dormitories of the Education College—one man and three women.

The man trailing behind wielded a seven-section steel whip, swinging it with a whooshing sound. A striking woman with an air of valor gripped a red-tasseled spear, while the other two women each held a steel pipe over a meter long.

The two with steel pipes were more for show than combat, their primary function being to fend off zombie bites.

Over thirty zombies were in pursuit. The group fought as they retreated, occasionally breaking into a run.

In their panicked flight, they spotted Lin Chen and Lin Ya, which gave them a burst of energy to head in their direction.

Once they had run a distance, some zombies lost the scent of their prey and wandered off. Yet, the noise of their escape drew more scattered zombies into the chase.

The leading man, spotting the pair at the intersection from a distance, could tell they were no ordinary survivors—both were armed with swords.

He called out, "Friends ahead, please lend a hand. Allow me a moment's rest. I'm accompanied only by girls with little combat ability. I ask for your understanding. Just half a minute to catch my breath, and we'll be out of your way."

Initially displeased with this group for leading zombies their way, Lin Chen's expression softened upon hearing the man's plea, and he signaled to Lin Ya with a glance.

Lin Ya, ready to leap into action, had been awaiting her brother's cue.

With Lin Chen's nod, she positioned herself in the middle of the road, eager and ready for combat.

Lee Jun, with the three women in tow, passed Lin Chen and his sister, then stopped to catch their breath, hands on knees. He gasped for air and directed, "Ting Ting and Mei Mei, stay put and keep watch. Little Sister and I will circle back to join the fight!"

Lee Jun was utterly stunned as he turned around.

What had he witnessed?

Before his eyes was the petite beauty Lin Ya, unleashing her might.

Gracefully, Lin Ya navigated through the horde of zombies like a butterfly flitting among flowers. Her strikes were precise and merciless, each one a clean beheading!

She weaved left and right across the expansive concrete, skillfully avoiding encirclement. She engaged only two or three zombies at any given time.

Thanks to her Extrasensory Perception, Lin Ya had an exceptional grasp of the battlefield, controlling the situation with ease. Her physical strength, three to four times that of an average person, allowed her to execute complex tactical maneuvers effortlessly. Moreover, the zombies' mobility was inferior to that of a normal human, and with her alloy sword's razor-sharp edge, she created a spectacle: the fearsome undead were being slaughtered, their heads rolling at Lin Ya's feet!

Lin Chen, with a massive backpack slung over his shoulders, followed Lin Ya nonchalantly.

On occasion, zombies would breach Lin Ya's defenses and lunge at Lin Chen, only to be sent flying three or four meters by his powerful kick, without him bothering to pursue them further.

In the brief moments while Lee Jun and the others caught their breath, Lin Ya had already claimed seven or eight zombie heads.

About seventeen or eighteen zombies remained on the scene.

Under the transfixed gaze of Lee Jun and his companions, it took Lin Ya just over thirty seconds to finish off the remaining undead.

Lin Ya felt a bit of fatigue and a slight soreness in her arms, but nothing serious.

Switching the sword to her left hand, she shook out her right wrist, retrieved the small bottle her brother had given her, and took a modest sip. Instantly, she was revitalized.

Lee Jun and his sister Lee Ying exchanged bewildered looks.

Lee Ying broke the silence, "Brother, could it be that the martial arts we've been practicing are a sham?"

Lee Jun responded, disheartened, "I'm starting to think the same. It feels like the martial arts we've dedicated over a decade to are a farce."

Jiang Mei murmured in awe, "This girl is incredible. She's truly an inspiration for us women!"

Ye Tingting's eyes sparkled with admiration. "She's like the reincarnation of a Valkyrie. I've made up my mind; I want to be her apprentice."

Approaching them, Lin Ya greeted them with a clear, bright voice, "Hello!"