"Why?" Lu Pei asked his sister with slight annoyance. Why his sister suddenly wants to move out and be all by herself?
"You have poor judgement." Lu Peng said simply. She had seen how her brother is a love struck fool to that girl. Even leaving his girlfriend behind.
"Just because of Hu Xiu? She is just a little clumsy." He said looking more and more annoyed.
"I am finding my own path. Just because we are siblings, doesn't mean we should be joined at the hip." Lu Peng pulled her mother into a hug and turned around to walk out of the house.
Outside the house she saw Lin Yu waving at her. Looking at Du Zhiruan, she explained needing to talk to Lin Yu a lone.
Lin Yu took May, Lu Pei and Lu Peng for a meeting. She showed them the size and map of their territories. Then she gave each a detailed plan of their territories upcoming structures. Including free space they can develop however they wish.
"In the future not only will you be responsible for your own mansions but several apartments will house many of your workers, soldiers and resources so each of your territory will be considerably large." Lin Yu said generously.
"Will these apartments be built using our own resources or resources you give to us?" Lu Peng asked noticing the massive amount of materials required for such undertaking.
"I have to provide the concrete powder and glass for windows and lights. If I leave that to you it will be mediocre and I will have to have it redone all over again." Lin Yu said in response.
"I can only give you the plans for the facilities but you can design your apartment buildings however you wish." She doesn't want to limit them too much.
"I called you here so you will not say you didn't know the extent of your territory. While you construct the apartments, I will provide your people with temporary houses. I will take them back when your constructionis finished and they can move in."
"For the next three years each of your territories will receive materials for construction of exactly 5 residential buildings each with 13th floors. Each building with have both family flats and single room flats. It will dependon how many bedrooms the tenants can afford."
"Be very mindful of the toilet and bathrooms pipes and canals. I want a very clean city. Hire a metal ability user to make these pipes if you can't find them outside. Each building will be thoroughly inspected by me personally."
"Your main objective is to build and train an army for me. The more you excel in this regard, the more resources I will reward you with. Other tasks are so you can amass wealth to support the soldiers and their families." She concludes sternly.
"I was wondering why you are so generous." May commented on the side.
"When someone works for you and they are injured, crippled or if they die on duty, you will give them pension in the form of points. They will use these points to redeem food packages in various places under your jurisdiction." She lectured.
"Yuyu, this..." Lu Peng hesitated.
"It's too much power." May finished Lu Peng's sentence.
"Which is why I will have my officials ensuring the lives of those living under you are up to standards." Lin Yu concluded.
"I will not disappoint your trust." Lu Peng declared. Lin Yu nodded.
"These are the pills I gave to May and now I am giving them to the two of you. Make your people drink these, then take them out for training. I will be testing your people on random times, do not disappoint me." Lin Yu gave Lu Pei and May a space jade ensuring they can carry the supplies she gives them.
"I finally have one, I can't believe it!" The one who is the most excited about having a space pocket is Lu Pei. May accepted the task and appreciated the opportunity.
"This place, shouldn't it run out of oxygen soon?" Lu Peng, the medical student, asked worriedly.
"I took care of it. Don't worry you are paying me handsomely for it." Lin Yu laughed seeing their ugly expressions.
She took out a couple of glasses and a bottle of low alcohol wine. They all poured a glass. Looking outside the window, the outside is bustling.
"I can't believe we live underground." Lu Peng said with some tension.
"Outside, I was always on edge, worried about about my mother, worried about our family getting exposed. It was exhausting." Lu Peng admitted.
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure my men were planning a scheme against me." May raised her glass and sighed deeply.
"It was all so exhausting." Lu Pei echoed.
"I thought as much, besides there's another form of ability awakener we need to keep an eye out for. Only in a safe environment can we discover them. Because these ability users usually are very fragile and need protection." Lin Yu gave them three small booklets she has written down a few important things about this apocalypse and then duplicated them. Hopefully reapers will be discovered soon.
"Is this house yours?" May asked seeing the place they are holding a meeting in.
Finally thinking it is time, she took out a scroll and tore it into two pieces. She disappeared from her spot.
Above ground, Lin Yu found herself in the middle of a fierce fight. Elemental abilities are flying carelessly killing others, the snow is covered in bright red blood and many are injured.
Looking closely, she van see a few fresh corpses.
"Oh my, it seems I have come at a wrong time." She walked to the side and watched.
"Lin Yu?" How annoying! What is this guy doing here? Lin Yu turned to face her brother in law whose eyes are blazing with deep seethed rage.
"Brother in law, why are you making a mess in my territory?" She had planned to stay aside and watch, but Xu family interests are of interest to her.
"What do you mean by that?" Xu Jing asked her hands releasing a blazing orange flame. "What right does a thief have to a territory?"
Hearing someone calling her a thief, Lin Yu couldn't help the smile that crept to her face. After so long, someone finally recognized her. Nevertheless, she slapped Xu Jing in the face with a back hand.
The eldest daughter of the Xu family fell on the ground unconscious, her earlier loud voice silenced for the time being.
Lin Yu waked away from the angry Xu Jun.
Looking at the battle in a small distance. It's actually her sister. Lin Yu watched as Lin Mei released several ice shards towards the grim looking Gu Fang who raised his hand and dispersed all of the ice with a dazzling blue flame.
The scene is so colorful, if not for the half brother who would occasionally attack Gu Fang from all sides using the incredible speed of his lightning body.
Lin Yu suddenly appeared in front of her brother and with a swift kick to his chest, she sent him flying a distance away.
"Isn't it a bit too bullying to fight two to one?" She asked Lin Miyue as his body crashed in a nearby building.
Lightning crackled as Lin Miyue shot back up appearing in front of her with a punch to her stomach.
Lin Yu didn't dodge but covered her stomach with black crystal scales,because they are harder than diamonds, her brother's hand broke on impact.
"Urgh.." Lin Miyue glared at Lin Yu's stomach wondering if it's made up of a tree bark. His hand healed almost instantly and he got ready to continue fighting. But Lin Yu erected a black crystal barrier in front of her keeping a distance between them.
"Elder brother, can you not be so violent? After all, I am your own youngest sister." She sounded pitiful as if she is not the one who disrupted a fight that had nothing to do with her.
Hearing her words, Lin Miyue exploded in anger. "You!.. do you know how much trouble you're in?" There's a touch of reprimand in the tone.
"Listen to elder brother throw around accusations." For a moment she felt the longing and heartache the original body felt for family.
Hearing him talk to her like this gave her a sense of delight. This elder brother would usually ignore Lin Yu in the past, treating her like air or simply acting like she is a nuisance.
Lin Yu, who admired her older brother was belittled and called 'illegitimate' or 'mistresses child' by him all the time.
It chipped away at her self confidence and self worth for all these years. Especially when she was young. His harsh and unforgiving words made the light in her naturally cheerful eyes deem bit by bit, and he seemed to enjoy this development.
Thinking up to here, Lin Yu became angry remembering her last life's elder brother who always treated her like trash just because she wasn't able to awaken the family flame seed.
In this life, she is despised because her mother is different. That tone of reprimand from Lin Miyue is really annoying after recalling the kind of brother he has been to her all these years.
"Don't speak to me like you care about me." She shouted at him with eyes showing anger and hurt. Lin Miyue saw this and pursed his lips in silence.
Then he changed the subject. "Why are you obstructing our business?" The anger from before seems to have evaporated into thin air.
His feelings towards this younger sister were complicated.
Lin Yu didn't answer but directly attacked him sending him a few steps back with kick to the side.
"Answer me!" Lin Miyue's anger flared up again. Attacking with a flurry of pushes and kicks almost driving Lin Yu to a corner.
"Here is my answer." She moved her hand and razor sharp claws appeared in place of her fingers. She swipped lightly at his chest, making five bloody lines appear instantly.
"Urgh!.."
The cuts are very deep, the warm jacket is ripped to shreds and the skin under his clothes had five deep cuts with blood oozing out to the ground generously.
She clenched her fist and after s series of movements aimed at maximizing the power of one punch, she sent him flying with a single punch.
"Brother!" Lin Mei shouted in worry.
"Your opponent is me." A cold voice sounded from her opponent, Gu Fang. He used her distraction to knock her down after a few slight movements of his blade.
The last decisive strike left her nailed to the ground with a heavy long blade on her upper thigh.
"Damn! That's cold." Lin Yu commented seeing her sister on the ground. She lamented that the big boss doesn't seem to be soft to the fairer seem
"You filthy piece of..."
'Slap'
Lin Mei couldn't finish her string of insilts before she is slapped silly by Gu Fang. She is unconscious after that and he quickly went to help his men who are being slaughtered by Xu Jun.
He didn't even acknowledge Lin Yu as if she doesn't matter to him as long as she is not a threat to him.
"That's rude." Lin Yu bent down besides her sister and pulled away all her jewelry. The nice silver necklace, the jade bracelet she was given by her mother in law and the space ring on her finger.
It has been a while after seeing Lin Mei. Did she find another space stone mine already? Or is she simply flaunting her headmaster bling?
'Meh, who cares? I have a space ring now.' Waving her fingers, she wrote a few inscriptions in the air with the ring floating in the middle of golden symbols.
When Lin Yu pushed her spirit power into the ring after removing the contract between the ring and Lin Mei. She found it is not even bigger than the three football fields space she had given her three mansion masters. Seeing the basic things inside, she is more than a little disappointed.
After the two siblings are down, it didn't take long for Gu Fang to take care of Xu Jun and his men.
"Why are you helping him?" Xu Jun asked Lin Yu curious. Hearing his tone, Lin Yu looked at her brother in law.
"You seem different. Did you change your hair?" She asked not seeing what is it about him that suddenly irks her, more than before.
It's as if she is looking at someone else. The way he has been looking at her this entire time after getting subdued is a bit unsettling.
"Wait, are you a reaper?!" She realized something. It's the psychic energy around him!
"Hahahahahahaha...." She let out a laugh. Reapers may be powerful but in the early stages, they can do no more than lift pens with their minds.
Being engaged to a powerful woman while you are burdened by a frail body? It's the biggest joke since the invention of the clowns red nose.
"Reapers are normally frail little girls." She saw him more and more confused by her words but she didn't bother to explain.
"Aaaahh...!" Just then, a man under Gu Fang started creaming and rolled on the snow as if he is in a lot of pain.
His hand trembled and fur sprouted at the back of his hand. Lin Yu's expression changed when she saw this and ran to the man "Quick! Open his mouth." She told the helpless Gu Fang and threw a glistening white pill into the guy's mouth.
The man's loud screams gradually turned into whimpers and then, he sat up straight. An incredulous scene unfolded in front of everyone, an ilusory image of a white tiger grew behind him.
The image grew larger and clearer until everyone can clearly see the mejestic tiger surrounded by an ice storm. The cold temperature from the ice storm seem to seep out from the image to everyone watching, making them all shiver.
"What a powerful spirit body!" Gu Fang's eyes sparkled in wonder as he watched the tiger merged with his right hand man. Then the man grew white fur on his skin but this time it did not feel wrong. It even seem very fluffy, making people's hands itch.
"What did you give him?" Gu Fang looked at Lin Yu who threw a small bottle at him.
"Congratulations on gaining a powerful allay. Now, do you want to tell me why you were fighting with my half siblings?" She tilted her head.
"What's it to you?" He changed his expression looking cold all of a sudden.
"Oh? Can you hide it from me?" Lin Yu looked amused and turned to Xu Jun who has been staring at her this entire time.
"Brother inlaw?" She asked him sweetly.
"What are you doing here?" Xu Jun seems to be calm after getting a beating from the top boss. Lin Yu gave Gu Fang a thumbs up.
"I live here. Why are you guys all the way here?" It is a long way to C city from here. What are they here for?
"I'll tell you if you give me something." Xu Jun didn't even get angry when knowing her fiancé is pinned to the ground with a heavy blade.
"Curious..." Lin Yu nodded.
"The space ring to just took from Lin Mei." He said with a glint in his eyes.
Lin Yu threw the space ring still with its contents to him. She didn't need it and it is lacking anyways.
"We found a mine near here. Mid level spirit stone mine." He said without reluctance knowing they have lost here today.
"I see." She frowned. Although this is undoubtedly a very good resource, it is not worth fighting the formidable Gu Fang for. Even though he looked to be losing before she came over.
"Nothing else?" She looked disappointed when Xu Jun shook his head. She 'tsk' and turned to leave.
Gu Fang is incredulous when he didn't see any desire for the mine. In fact she looked disappointed. "What? Not interested?" He stopped her.
He had wanted her to offer him a partnership seeing as he had been over powered before she came. Gu Fang had not thought that she would be unaffected by such significant prospect of wealth.
"I have things to do." She walked around him.
"What would it take for you to help me set up a base here? I need to secure my assets before my family makes it east." The cold and arrogant look from before is gone.
"Your Gu family is moving here?" She asked incredulous. In the novel, he had made a base and when it was complete, he brought over his family. 2 years later. Why so early this time around?
"Yeah. They ran into some trouble in central city now I have to move my preparations along. This mine, I need it but I can share it with you. 70/30. What do you say? I just need you to help me keep away the riffraff." He glanced at the Xu family.
"There's something else that is making you move here isn't there?" She blinked studying him carefully.
He blinked, surprised. Seeing her wait for an answer patiently, he gave up trying to deny it.
"Alright. I won't hide it from you. There are three low level mines, one mid level and one high level." After saying this he looked wary.
"This is why the Xu family, the Yun family and other small powers may be headed here."
That's it! Knowing her sister's proud nature, she wouldn't fight for a mid level mine so much.
"Hahaha..." She is extremely pleased. Seeing her elated expression
Gu Fang pursed his lips. Is she going to demand a large share now? What did he expect from a woman who stole jade from his own home?
Frustration bubbled up. Then he heard her say:
"Don't worry, I will be sure to help you guard your things from my siblings and their little followers. What do you need?" She looked at him with a very happy expression. She seem to be in a very good mood.
"First say your terms." He said looking at her.
"Ah! Well, I will take two low level mines and that mid level one from your hands." She had wanted to directly offer her help to him for free because she is very pleased as long as her siblings are getting tripped.
However, upon thinking about it, she realized she needs to feed an entire city of people which is very demanding. Not to mention those inscriptions running the city's oxygen and lights. The future waste disposal and sanitation conservative tank will all run on spells. She felt a bit helpless.
"You don't want the high level mine?" He asked tentatively, feeling she is not asking much at all which challenges the greedy image he has of her.
Lin Yu looked around and sighed. "You lost so many of your well trained and loyal men defending your things, it will be unfair for me to come in at the last second and take all your things." She said generously.
In fact, she still needs this man to use all these resources to grow a powerful army that will go against her sister in the future.
"That's considerate of you." He sounded unconvinced.
"What do you need besides guarding against a few thieves?" She ignored his tone dripping with disbelief and asked directly. He turned to the city full of destroyed buildings and zombies.
Remembering her power, he asked tentatively "You said your power gets rid of nuisances for you. Can this include buildings, corpses and carelessly packed vehicles?"
"That's a lot of work. Are you sure you wish to remove all the buildings?" She looked at the large city feeling tired already.
"I found that buildings buit from ground up with an ability will last in the atmosphere full of sprit energy corrosion." So that's it!
"I also happen to have a concrete powder that is impervious to such things. I can sell it to you." She smirked at him as if he is about to be robbed blind by her.
"First things first." Gu Fang said looking serious. The two of them talked with each other completely ignoring the people on the ground.
....