Chapter 131: Giddy-Up, Horsey! p2
“Meimei, Dandan, come here and listen to this. Doesn’t it sound like the younger sister who brought you here?”
She called over the two little girls, the twins the Lin sisters had left behind.
The fungal tendrils within their bodies had been removed before Lin Jiayao left; they were no longer under her control, their memories of her abilities suppressed.
“Yes,” Dandan, the older twin, now Awakened, nodded hesitantly.
Meimei, the shyer one, seeing her sister nod, also nodded.
They both remembered that voice, a voice they both loved and feared, a voice they would never forget.
Even through the static, the calm, even tone, instantly recognizable.
Seeing both girls confirm, Wan Zi froze.
She remembered asking the sisters where they were going, that early morning.
They had said Kun City… she’d been curious then, why such a distant destination.
And now, the radio was reporting the deaths of three B-rank Voodoo Cult members in Kun City…
Holy shit… I don’t know what to think anymore…
Could it be true? Were those two part of a secret Awakened organization based in Kun City?
An organization that, tired of the Voodoo Cult’s tyranny, had finally decided to act, to eliminate them?
It sounded absurd, but more plausible than that “Little Sister Lin” single-handedly wiping out the Voodoo Cult.
It was far-fetched, but the only explanation that made sense.
Otherwise, how could three B-rank Voodoo Cult members have died in Kun City? And how could “Little Sister Lin’s” voice be on the radio, broadcasting from Kun City?
A strange sense of calm washed over her as the message repeated.
“Quickly, get some containers, collect the rainwater!”
“Send someone to the mountain, see if those Voodoo Cult bastards are still there.”
“The rest of you Awakened, come with me to the main gate…”
Wan Zi began issuing commands, the previous despair replaced by a sense of purpose, their faces, even under the dark, rainy sky, showing a flicker of hope.
And this scene wasn’t unique to the Qingzhou camp. Across Guangdong Province, in fleeing convoys and besieged camps, hope rekindled. And even in a convoy nearing Kun City…
…
“Mm…”
Yun Province, Kun City, near the border between the burned wasteland and the lush green jungle, a giant, semi-circular “vine cocoon” hung suspended in the air.
Large enough to comfortably hold several people, its interior spacious.
Inside, Lin Jiayao, coaching Huayibai on what to say for the broadcast, suddenly stopped.
A soft moan from her sister, who was lying nearby. She turned and saw her sister shift, her hand reaching out, searching.
Her sister’s peaceful expression turned to panic as her hand grasped at empty air. She sat up abruptly.
“Yao?!!!”
“Thump—”
Although the vine cocoon was spacious enough for her to stand, jumping wasn’t a good idea.
Hitting her head on the vines, Lin Xiwan sat down, rubbing her head, her gaze instantly fixing on Lin Jiayao.
“Yao!”
Without hesitation, she lunged, pulling her sister into a tight embrace.
“Sob… Yao… sob…”
To Lin Jiayao’s surprise, her sister, instead of asking questions, started crying, like a child.
Lin Jiayao didn’t interrupt but hugged her back, gently patting her back.
“I… sob… I thought I’d lost you…”
Lin Xiwan clung to her sister, her body shaking.
Hearing her sister’s sobs, Lin Jiayao felt her own eyes welling up.
“It’s okay… it’s over… it’s all over…” She gently stroked her sister’s back, her voice soothing.
Her sister’s words finally triggered Lin Xiwan’s memory.
She’d been so relieved to see her sister that she’d forgotten about the B-rank Awakened, the lightning…
She quickly pulled away, her hands anxiously checking her sister for injuries.
“Huh?”
She’d expected to find wounds on her sister, but instead, she noticed something odd about her own hands.
They had been badly injured… her entire body burned…
Even an Awakened’s regeneration wouldn’t be this fast.
But her wounds… were gone…
And as she remembered her injuries, the memories of the battle, the confusion, the questions, came flooding back.
The vines connected to her sister… the strange tendrils within Huayibai, its B-rank abilities… how had they even survived last night…?
Her sister must know.
She stared at Lin Jiayao.
And just as Lin Jiayao took a deep breath, about to speak, her sister covered her mouth.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” she said, looking at her sister.
“Hmm?” Lin Jiayao blinked, puzzled.
“Your secrets,” Lin Xiwan smiled. “It’s okay if you don’t want to share them.”
“Sister trusts you.”
From the moment she’d been rescued by that bone-white zombie, and then later, her sister being rescued by a zombie seemingly controlled by the same Awakened, she’d had her suspicions.
But her sister had been acting normally, so she’d dismissed them.
And now, after everything that had happened, it was clear her sister was hiding something, something she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, reveal.
But she didn’t care; she trusted her sister completely.
Lin Jiayao blinked again, this time not from confusion, but from the tears threatening to spill. She’d been so worried… and now…
All thanks to that battle, to her actions.
Fighting alongside her, even to the death, whether they were zombies or not… it no longer mattered to her sister.
They knew they could trust each other with their lives.
Actions spoke louder than words.
And Lin Jiayao would no longer hide her abilities from her sister.
She would tell her everything, within the system’s limitations.
She had practiced this conversation with Huayibai and had heard the system’s warning.
She could reveal anything except the system’s existence.
Not even indirectly, not even hinting at it.
“I… I had a dream… I dreamed I became a zombie, wandering in Yangzhou City…”
“And then one day… I realized I could actually control the zombie in my dream… I even went to the camp… I saw familiar faces…”
Slowly, haltingly, she described her dreams, controlling zombies, rescuing her sister, meeting Huayibai, fighting giant monsters in America, facing tsunamis and terrifying sea creatures in Japan…
Her sister listened, her mouth agape, then even more shocked to hear that after each dream, she gained an ability…
Lin Jiayao demonstrated each of her abilities, explaining how she had used the building-trees to defeat the B-rank Awakened.
Even after she finished, Lin Xiwan still stared at the bone claws extending from her sister’s hand, stunned.
“Sister?”
Lin Jiayao gently nudged her frozen sister.
“Uh…” Lin Xiwan snapped out of it, rubbing her temples and taking a deep breath. “Let me… process this… just… give me a moment.”
Lin Jiayao knew her story was… unbelievable; she didn’t expect her sister to accept it immediately.
After a long silence, Lin Xiwan, having absorbed the information, looked at her sister.
Under her sister’s gaze, Lin Jiayao’s heart pounded nervously.
How would her sister react?
Would she be angry… or disappointed…?
“So… you’re saying… your legs… they might recover? If you keep gaining these… physical enhancements?” Lin Xiwan asked, gently stroking her sister’s legs.
“Uh…” Lin Jiayao blinked, then nodded. “Theoretically… yes.”
“That’s wonderful~” Lin Xiwan beamed, cupping her sister’s face and gently rubbing her cheeks. “You’ll be able to walk again!”
“That’s… that’s the idea…” Lin Jiayao didn’t resist, then, after a moment, asked, “Don’t you have any other… thoughts… about my abilities…?”
“Other thoughts?” Now Lin Xiwan was curious, her expression mirroring her sister’s earlier confusion.
Then, realization dawning, she sighed dramatically. “So… my dear little sister is so powerful now… she doesn’t need my protection anymore…”
She squeezed her sister’s cheeks playfully, pretending to cry. “Sister is no longer needed… sob…”
She would miss seeing her adorable little sister hiding behind her, seeking her protection.
Of course, she wasn’t truly sad.
The stronger her sister, the higher her chances of survival. Knowing she was now capable of protecting herself was a huge relief.
Loving her sister meant always putting her first; they shared the same values.
And if she were in her sister’s shoes, unsure of her own nature, whether she was even still human, she, too, would hesitate to reveal such things, to avoid causing unnecessary worry.
She would have told her eventually, just… not yet.
But then, she looked at Huayibai, who was watching them intently.
Sensing her gaze, Huayibai flinched and quickly moved out of reach.
“Come here,” Lin Xiwan said, her voice firm.
“Eep…” Huayibai glanced at its Mommy, who seemed… embarrassed, then, its face crumpling slightly, it shuffled closer.
“Snuggle—”
The moment its face was within reach, Lin Xiwan grabbed it, her fingers playfully pinching its cheeks.
“So you and Yao were already acquainted… in your ‘dreams,’ huh? A B-rank, pretending to be a D-rank… deceiving me…”
She continued to pinch Huayibai’s cheeks, her mock-accusatory tone making Huayibai giggle.
“Whimper… Yibai is sowwy… Yibai won’t do it again… whimper…”
The fungal tendrils beneath Huayibai’s skin cooperated, flushing red, creating the illusion of a blush.
Where had it learned this? From watching Mommy, of course.
A live demonstration. Monkey see, monkey do.
“Speaking of deception… I’ve… remembered a few things…” Lin Xiwan’s eyes narrowed, turning to her sister.
“It seems… a certain someone, despite being so powerful, pretended to be a weak, helpless little girl, clinging to me for protection… I wonder who that could be? Hmm? Who indeed?”
She looked at her sister, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Was it… you~?”
“Ahem…” Lin Jiayao blushed, a genuine blush, not a fungal flush. “Yibai, could you… excuse us for a moment…?”
She couldn’t be… punished… in front of her “daughter.” It would ruin her image.
“Okay!”
Huayibai, thinking it had escaped, eagerly climbed out of the vine cocoon and jumped to the ground, landing face-first with a “thump.”
Alone in the cocoon, the two sisters looked at each other.
“I… I didn’t mean to, Sis…” Lin Jiayao said, trying to explain her earlier deception, her words weak and unconvincing.
“Oh? You didn’t mean to?” Lin Xiwan smiled, a playful glint in her eyes, shifted closer, and opened her arms wide. “Come on then, show Sister how you pretended to be so weak and helpless.”
“Huh?” Lin Jiayao blinked, confused.
“Show me… how you did it… It’s your punishment~” she said, her eyes crinkling with amusement. “Do it, and I’ll forgive you~”
Then, seeing her sister hesitate, she added softly, “Or do you want Sister to be angry at you… forever…?”
Lin Jiayao, her lips pursed, looked at her smug sister.
Since her sister had deliberately moved away, she had to crawl towards her, until she could smell her familiar scent, before stopping.
“Hmph~” Her sister’s grin widened, her arms opening even wider.
Lin Jiayao, looking at her sister, slowly extended her right hand, her index and middle fingers forming a pincer, and pinched her waist hard.
“YOW!!!” Lin Xiwan yelped, jumping back.
“Good girl, good girl, aah, let go! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again!”
Not satisfied, Lin Jiayao tickled her sister mercilessly until she collapsed, helpless with laughter.
Looking at her sister, sprawled on the ground, Lin Jiayao finally felt slightly better.
Where had she learned that… that annoying little act…?
Just as she was replaying her sister’s irritatingly smug tone, a hand grabbed her, and she fell onto her sister.
“Hmm?”
Her sister had pulled her down, into a tight embrace.
“No matter what, you’re still my precious little sister, and I love you more than anything… that will never change, understand?” she said, her earlier playfulness gone, her voice soft and sincere.
Her sister’s playful anger had dispelled any lingering doubts or worries.
No matter what they became, how strong or weak, their bond wouldn’t change.
And that was all that mattered.
She was still the loving older sister, and her sister, despite her cold demeanor and sharp words, still loved and relied on her.
“Mwah~”
“Ptoo, ptoo—Ew! Yao, your forehead is so dirty! Covered in blood and ash!”
“You’re the one who kissed me!”
“So gross! Mwah, mwah, mwah~ Come on, is there any clean water in Kun City? Sister will give you a bath~”
“Stop kissing me! And yes, there is!”
“Mwah, mwah, mwah~”
“Stop it!!!”
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