Chapter 77: The Mischievous Sister-in-Law

If you think about it carefully, the little princess of the Belling tribe did say that her tribe was merely a minor branch of the Belling, not holding any high status among the Eight Great Clans. The term "Eight Great Clans" does not mean there are only eight powerful sea tribes; rather, it signifies that eight of the strongest clans stand above all others. Beneath these lie even more formidable groups—top-tier tribes that either attach themselves to or belong to the eight greatest clans, each brimming with masters of their own.

“Hmph, just you wait. And don’t you dare bother my sister again. Next time we meet, it’ll be your turn to be humiliated.” The Sea Clan general glared furiously at Ma Yi, then led the cohort of sea folk behind him, slowly sinking beneath the waves.

“As if I’d be afraid of you.” Ma Yi muttered under his breath before returning to shore. Throughout the entire encounter, he had never dared set foot in the water, wary that the general would use some aquatic trickery on him. It was no joke—he’d seen the man control water at will. If he got pulled underwater and caught off guard by some strange maneuver, he’d be at a clear disadvantage.

“Did you get it?” Ma Yi glanced at Erha. In truth, he had only demonstrated the level of Erha’s current strength, putting on a show for him on how to handle such long-range opponents—standing still and taking it head-on was never the answer.

“I understand. I won’t embarrass myself again next time. I’m confident I can take him down in an instant,” Erha muttered, head bowed. Indeed, the boss had just said: never pit your weaknesses against your opponent’s strengths. Though it seemed directed at the general, the advice was meant for Tie Zhu as well.

“But boss, if we don’t transform, we can’t fly…” Tie Zhu pointed out the key issue, but Ma Yi’s next words quickly put him in his place.

“Can’t fly? Then jump across and strangle him! Even if you hold back, just drag him off the crest of the wave—it’s close-quarters combat, do I need to teach you that?” Ma Yi looked at the simple-minded fellow, unceremoniously ordering, “Let’s go home.”

Whether it was the result of his increased power or simply eagerness to return, Ma Yi’s pace was clearly faster on the journey back. Tie Zhu, having evolved once again, struggled but managed to keep up.

They’d been away for days. This unexpected boost in strength had cost Ma Yi a good deal of time. Were it not for his great power, Liu Wen would surely be worried about him again.

On the far side of the mountain range, the temperature was mild—even though it was now winter, it remained temperate. Yet on this side, it was frigid cold, the ground still buried beneath thick layers of ice and snow. No houses or trees could be seen; it was a veritable land of ice and frost.

After encountering such extraordinary races on this trip, Ma Yi became all the more concerned about everyone’s strength. There were now not only the evolved beasts and zombies, but also these foreign tribes. Even if humanity had, eons ago, split off from some branch of the Sea Clan, the two peoples were now strangers to one another. There were rumors among the Sea Clan that some humans were descended from the Shana branch, but in the annals of human history, such things had long been swept away by the relentless river of time.

This was not to say that humans were a forgetful species, but rather that they were far too fragile, too insignificant. In a mere century, a calamity, a war, or a plague could easily wipe out anyone who might have remembered such things.

Ma Yi returned to P City. He sent Tie Zhu and Erha back to their own teams, then quietly flew toward the villa. Quietly, because he looked a mess: when he’d left, he was dressed in special forces combat gear. Now, he wore nothing but a beast hide tied around his waist with animal tendons. Were it not for his bald head and the fact that, since mutating into a zombie, he hadn’t a single hair on his body, he’d look every bit the wild man draped in a wig.

Thinking himself cautious, Ma Yi crept into the garage beneath the villa. But as he snuck toward the house, he was spotted by Liu Xue, who stood at the window. Seeing his state, she instantly recalled that the last time Ma Yi had carried her away from home, he’d ended up fighting a J-class zombie. Judging by his appearance, he must have just returned from another battle.

Liu Xue quietly slipped out of her room, making her footsteps and breathing as soft as possible.

In the underground garage, Ma Yi was searching for the combat uniform he’d brought back. These were the best-quality garments humanity produced, allowing a warrior to train and fight in any harsh environment—unsurpassed in comfort, durability, and appearance.

After finding the size that fit him, Ma Yi began removing the beast hide from his waist. Unbeknownst to him, a head peeked stealthily from the stairwell, a large eye fixed unblinkingly on him.

A strange “gurgle” echoed in the garage. Though the noise was faint, Ma Yi’s hearing was keen. He whipped around just in time to see a wisp of hair vanish from the stairwell.

“Liu Xue? Was that you?” In a flash, Ma Yi appeared at the stairs, looking at Liu Xue pressed nervously against the wall, lips pursed, cheeks flushed. Her pretty features were tinged with shyness, anxiety, and a hint of fear.

Then he reconsidered—after all, there were only a few women in the villa. The other three, he’d had varying degrees of intimacy with; they had no need to sneak around. Only Liu Xue, as his sister-in-law, was still treated with indulgence, but their relationship was not as close as with the others. She clung to him more than anyone, but after all, she was still underage. Even in these end-times, and even though the sisters now depended upon him, it would be ridiculous to claim he had no thoughts about her. But with this young girl, his fantasies would go no further than dreams; he’d wait until she was of age and see what the future might bring.

“Brother-in-law, I just saw you come back and wanted to check on you.” Liu Xue would never admit she’d been spying on him, let alone that she had seen everything, especially now that she’d been caught in the act. There was no way she’d confess to peeking at him when he was nearly naked.

“Alright then, let’s go upstairs.” Ma Yi, too, said nothing more. After all, what did it matter if his sister-in-law saw him? It wasn’t as if he’d lost anything. Let her look if she wants. But best to pretend nothing happened; otherwise, how could he explain it to Liu Wen, not to mention their mother-in-law and father-in-law?

“Carry me upstairs, brother-in-law.” For reasons unknown, Liu Xue suddenly blurted out this request, so startling that Ma Yi gawked at her in disbelief. What had gotten into this girl today?

“What’s that supposed to mean? Little minx, you’re taller than I am and you want me to carry you? Besides, though you’re not yet grown, you’re as developed as your sister. Let’s not play with fire.” So he mused, but outwardly he only said, “Don’t be silly. Come here, just a quick hug.”

He did indeed spread his arms and give Liu Xue a hug, patting her gently on the back, then guided her up the stairs.

It looked casual and dignified, but inside Ma Yi’s heart trembled—this little girl’s chest was not small, perhaps even larger than Liu Wen’s, and so very soft. While delighting inwardly, he kept his face straight, striving to appear upright and rational.

Resisting the urge to sneak a few more glances at places he shouldn’t, Ma Yi led the shy Liu Xue into the living room. Liu Wen, with nothing to do all day, spent her time either working out in the villa’s gym, reading in the study, or watching romance series DVDs in the screening room.

As Ma Yi entered, Liu Wen stood up in delight, running over to give him a big hug before looking him up and down.

“What are you staring at?” Ma Yi asked with a smile.

“Did you get into a fight again? That’s clearly not the outfit you left in—it looks brand new.” Liu Wen eyed him thoughtfully; she could always tell if he was lying.

“Yes, I did fight, but the clothes weren’t ruined in the fight.” Ma Yi smiled, cupping Liu Wen’s lovely face and kissing her greedy on the lips, then sat down on the sofa.

Hearing the commotion, Ruhu and Li Li also emerged from their rooms. Liu Wen and Li Li might not sense the change in Ma Yi, but Ruhu, being a fellow zombie, immediately noticed the surge in his aura—he was much stronger than before.

“Did you break through again?” Ruhu came over and sat on Ma Yi’s other side. Now, with the two women of the house flanking him, Liu Xue sat across the sofa, Li Li at one end. All four women fixed their eyes on Ma Yi, waiting for his answer.

“Yes, I had another breakthrough, quite by accident. Not just me—Tie Zhu and Erha advanced as well. It’s a long story.” Ma Yi looked at the beautiful women around him and began to recount his recent experiences.

“So it was a volcano—that explains why the view from our mountain seems broader than before. The ground must have tilted.” Liu Wen mused.

“Yes, and the snow is deeper now. Luckily I’m diligent; I’ve piled up all the snow in the yard, made snowmen, and cleared plenty away, but outside, it’s like the Arctic in those documentaries. I measured it—the snow is over five meters deep,” Liu Xue exclaimed excitedly. In recent days, she’d been happily digging tunnels in the snow, playing at being a cave dweller. The snowdrifts outside the villa now formed a maze, crisscrossed by her handiwork.

Ma Yi laughed, “The snow here is just a few meters thick. You’ve no idea—nearer the mountains, the snow’s dozens of meters deep. Erha even dug a huge ice tunnel down to the ground, and we all went down it.”