Chapter 131 - Everything's Fine

"Aunt..." Lin QiYe's body trembled slightly as he saw the incoming call on his phone.

In the next instant, a lightning-fast whip kick came hurtling toward him!

Lin QiYe crouched down, dodging the strike in an instant, and countered with a sweeping leg aimed at the back of Scorpion One's ankle.

Scorpion One only staggered slightly, but his stance remained unshaken.

"That's tough!" Lin QiYe cursed inwardly. He raised his Starblade to block a flicked-out folding knife, but the tremendous force from the blade still sent him flying!

He barely managed to steady himself on the snow, but his phone was knocked from his hand and landed in the snow.

"oh～ cute little smurfs～ oh～ cute little smurfs～"

Scorpion One glanced at the phone in the snow and sneered.

"Family calling? Is it that woman? Or that kid?"

Lin QiYe slowly got up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and his black eyes turned cold with killing intent.

Scorpion One showed no fear in the face of Lin QiYe's gaze, shrugging and continuing.

"Yeah... Today's New Year's Eve. They must be calling to check if you're having a good time out there, if you've made any preparations for the New Year's dinner, and then telling you that they're all fine…

Heh…"

Before Scorpion One could finish, Lin QiYe's figure darted across the snow, his blades twirling like butterflies, the faint blue gleam of the Starblades aimed directly at Scorpion One's neck.

Scorpion One blocked several of Lin QiYe's strikes in quick succession. He let out a low growl, and his blood surged, amplifying his power several times, sending Lin QiYe flying!

Lin QiYe adjusted mid-air and landed heavily on the ground, his single blade plunged into the snow to steady his body.

In truth, with his terrifying dynamic vision, the difference in speed between them was not insurmountable. However, the disparity in strength constantly placed Lin QiYe at a disadvantage.

At this rate, he wouldn't be able to defeat Scorpion One. There had to be another way...

Lin QiYe fixed his gaze on Scorpion One, his mind racing.

"Such a warm family..." Scorpion One said, gripping his folding knife and casually walking toward Lin QiYe, "I bet they have no idea what you're doing, have no idea you're so close, yet so far away...

They're all probably reveling in the New Year's festivities. How would they ever guess that you're out here, fighting for your life?

Oh, right...

After I kill you, I should hang your head outside their balcony. When the New Year bell tolls, they'll be in for quite a shock, huh?"

Scorpion One's grin grew more grotesque.

Lin QiYe gripped his blade tightly, suppressing the blood surging in his chest. He staggered to his feet, and the surrounding darkness subtly gathered around him...

After a long battle with the Wild Scorpion team, the duration of his Dark Realm ability was nearing its end, and his mental energy was nearly depleted. If he couldn't end the battle quickly, he would be a sitting duck.

"On the other side of the mountain, beyond the sea, there's a group of smurfs..."

The cheerful ringtone echoed once more across the snowy battlefield. It was the second round of music, and Auntie seemed to have no intention of hanging up.

Lin QiYe took a deep breath, and once again the darkness in his eyes deepened, stabilizing the Dark Realm.

Zing—

With a sudden flash, he pulled out the Starblade lodged in the snow, holding both blades diagonally toward the ground as his figure shot toward Scorpion One!

"Out of strength," Scorpion One sneered, shifting into a fighting stance.

Lin QiYe rapidly closed the distance, and just as they were about to collide, Lin QiYe stomped down hard, his foot sinking into the snow.

Boom—

Under the influence of the Dark Realm, the snow under their feet exploded, sending a massive snowstorm into the air, momentarily blinding Scorpion One's vision.

Scorpion One's brow furrowed as his combat experience kicked in, reacting swiftly.

Clang—

Without hesitation, his folding knife swung out, successfully blocking one of Lin QiYe's strikes from the side. Scorpion One smiled a self-assured grin, thinking, I knew you'd try this.

But then, his smile faltered.

In the swirling snow, Lin QiYe struck his folding knife with one blade, and with his other hand... nothing was there.

Where's the second blade?

The thought flashed in Scorpion One's mind, and a strong sense of danger flooded his heart. Just as he was about to move, Lin QiYe's eyes blazed with a dazzling golden light!

The power of the Seraph's divine might surged through the air, crashing into Scorpion One's mind, leaving him momentarily stunned.

Lin QiYe let out a muffled grunt, his face turning pale as he stumbled backward, his mental energy completely drained.

At the same time, his left hand gave a subtle beckon...

Zhao Kongcheng's Starblade cut through the flurry of snow, silently embedding itself into Scorpion One's neck, and effortlessly severed his head.

Blood sprayed out in torrents!

Lin QiYe staggered to the ground, the blade falling beside him, its reflection clearly showing his face and the faint smile on his lips.

"I won..." Lin QiYe gazed at the completely lifeless Scorpion One, breathing heavily as he lay in the snow.

His mental energy had run dry.

This last-minute counter-kill of Scorpion One had been too close. If Lin QiYe had made even one wrong move, it would have been the end.

Fortunately, he had won.

"oh～ cute little smurfs～ oh～ cute little smurfs～"

The phone rang once more, and Lin QiYe struggled to his feet, using his sword to prop himself up. He staggered to the snow and picked up the phone.

He then reached down and searched Scorpion One's body, retrieving a silver insignia and slipping it into his pocket.

"Hello, Auntie."

"You little brat! I've been calling you for ages, why didn't you pick up? What's going on? Are you avoiding Auntie now?" The familiar voice from the other side of the phone was filled with concern.

Lin QiYe smiled faintly, dragging the blood-stained sword as he trudged past the fallen bodies, each step leaving a crimson footprint in the snow.

"I was talking to a fellow soldier, didn't see the phone," he replied softly.

"You! Can't you just call home? You're not too busy, are you?"

"I was planning on calling later…"

"Later, later, always later… hmph." Auntie paused, her tone softening. "So how are you doing over there? Are you okay?"

Lin QiYe wiped the blood from his face, walked to the corner of a nearby stairwell, and gazed at the small building from a distance. From here, he could clearly see Auntie on the balcony, holding the phone to her ear.

His hand holding the phone trembled slightly, but after a moment, he spoke softly.

"I'm doing well, everything's fine."

"Good, you better eat well over there. Are you having New Year's dinner with your team?"

"Yeah, the team leader is preparing it. I'll be eating soon."

"Really? You're not home?"

"... No, I meant I'll eat when we get back to the dining hall."

"Oh..." Auntie's voice paused for a moment, then continued, "Well, be sure to eat more."

Lin QiYe noticed a change in Auntie's tone, so he gently spoke up.

"Auntie, make sure you have a nice big dinner. Don't go light because I'm not there."

"Of course! I've got fish stew cooking here, it smells wonderful. We're also having pork, but... it's just the two of us now, we might not finish it all."

"Make sure A-Jin eats more, he's still growing."

"Mm. Oh, do you want to talk to your brother?"

"Sure."

On the balcony, Auntie wiped away a tear, then went inside and handed the phone to Yang Jin.

"Hey, brother."

"A-Jin, you haven't been clumsy while I've been gone, right?"

"Of course not, why would you ask that?"

"... Just asking."

"How's life over there?"

"It's good, don't worry."

"Don't push yourself too hard. If it gets too tiring, you can come back. I'll always have your back."

Lin QiYe stayed silent for a moment, then simply nodded.

The two brothers kept the phone to their ears in silence for a long while.

"Hey, you two aren't talking much anymore. Don't get all distant just because you're away!" Auntie, noticing the silence, took the phone back.

"Alright, little Seven, I need to go—my fish is ready, I'm going to take it out."

"Alright, Auntie."

"Mm..."

"Auntie."

"Mm?"

Lin QiYe stood in the stairwell, gazing at Auntie's busy figure. After a long while, he smiled softly and spoke gently.

"Happy New Year."

"Mm, Happy New Year."