Chapter 36: Entering Xuanwu City

The night wind blew, lifting dust from the ground, bringing a bone-chilling chill.

Under the cold moonlight, Gui Ying and his subordinates of the Night Blade team stood like sculptures, silently stationed a hundred meters outside Xuanwu City.

But their inner feelings were far from as calm as their stance.

"Captain..."

The young squad member with the call sign "Cai Niao" couldn't help swallowing, his palm gripping the electromagnetic rifle slick with sticky sweat.

"We... really have to go up?"

Gui Ying didn't answer, merely taking a deep breath and forcibly suppressing the thoughts in his heart.

As he lifted his head, his gaze collided with Lin Yue's on the watchtower.

Just a single glance, and Gui Ying realized his little thought had likely been seen through by the other.

This guy... is even more troublesome than last time we met!

Just then.

"Boom—"

The two-meter-thick earthen stone wall of Xuanwu City slowly opened a gate, and a broad stone staircase condensed, extending before them.

This almost supernatural sight once again made the Night Blade team's pupils contract.

"My heavens... what... what kind of ability is this?"

"No wonder... no wonder we lost so badly last time..."

Several exclamations rang out in the ranks, their gazes toward Xuanwu City filled with awe.

Gui Ying's Adam's apple also trudged up with difficulty.

He forced himself to look away, took a deep breath, straightened his military bearing, and walked toward that floating staircase.

Last time they had been preparing to deal with Lin Yue and that giant beast, but before they could act, the entire Night Blade squad was collectively taken captive.

This time, however, they came to fight side by side with them.

Truly, life is unpredictable—like intestines wrapped around intestines!

Behind him, a female military doctor in a white coat and two soldiers carrying supply boxes gritted their teeth and hurriedly followed.

As Gui Ying stepped onto the floating stone staircase, he could clearly feel that the sensation underfoot was indistinguishable from real rock.

"Mr. Lin."

Arriving before Lin Yue, he performed a standard military salute with utmost solemnity, his posture extremely low.

"We've brought the doctors, medicines, and the latest intel on the Rotten Corpse Spider Queen you need."

Lin Yue merely nodded lightly and stepped aside to clear a path.

"Medics, hurry and save the people."

Gui Ying felt relieved and immediately gave orders to the three behind him.

The female military doctor and the two soldiers dared not delay, rushing the supplies into the city at top speed.

Lin Yue closely followed and entered as well.

Gui Ying hesitated only a moment, then followed.

When the scene inside the city came into view, his whole body froze.

"This... is really on the back of that giant beast?"

Level land, freshly plowed fields, two crude yet orderly earth-and-stone buildings...

How could this be a survivors' struggling camp? It's clearly a prototype of a utopia.

The air mixed the fragrance of soil with the aroma of food, and in a daze, several felt as if they'd returned to a pre-apocalypse countryside.

Meanwhile, in front of the small building, a bonfire still burned, an old man cheerfully adding firewood to the flames.

"Captain..."

From behind came Cai Niao's voice, dreamlike and murmuring.

At some point, the other Night Blade members had also caught up, now each standing frozen, staring blankly at the sight before them.

"Stand straight! Look at yourselves!"

Gui Ying lowered his voice to scold,

"Don't embarrass our Night Blade!"

Yet his own voice had lost some of its usual coldness, gaining a hint of longing he himself hadn't noticed.

Just then, a sharp gaze shot in from the side.

Gui Ying's heart jolted; his battlefield-honed instinct made him instinctively assume a defensive stance while following the gaze.

At the small building's entrance, a young girl in a black tactical vest, holding a military dagger, stared at them with an extremely wary and scrutinizing gaze.

Her gaze was like that of a mother wolf guarding her food, full of aggression.

She was the woman named Han Ya.

Gui Ying recognized her; she'd been mentioned in the intel.

He noticed the girl's position was very particular, exactly between the military doctor treating a child and their group of 'intruders'.

Gui Ying had no doubt that any slight movement from them would prompt the girl to strike first.

She's an expert.

Gui Ying silently gave his assessment in his mind.

"Enough, Han Ya; they're not enemies."

Lin Yue's voice came from not far away.

Han Ya then withdrew her hostile gaze, but her grip on the knife remained unchanged.

Lin Yue ignored these, walking straight to the female military doctor administering emergency aid to Han Yu.

"How's the situation?"

"The fever has already started to subside."

"The female military medic's forehead was covered in sweat, but her voice was very steady,"

"I've already given him a broad-spectrum antibiotic and an antipyretic, and set up a glucose drip. This kid's constitution is good, his will to live is strong; as long as he can make it through tonight, he should be fine."

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Lin Yue nodded, turning his gaze toward Han Ya beside him."

"Hearing those words, the perpetually tense Han Ya could no longer hold herself together."

"She clenched her lips tightly, gazing at her brother whose breathing was gradually stabilizing on the bed, her eyes full of heartache."

"In her heart, her brother was everything; for him, she was willing to give everything."

"That was also why she risked her life to come seek Lin Yue's help."

"Fortunately, she bet correctly!"

"Mr. Lin."

"Just then, Gui Ying walked up to Lin Yue and handed over a specially made tactical tablet."

"This is something Commander Zhang asked me to pass on to you—the latest intel on the Corpse Spider Queen."

"Lin Yue took the tablet and opened it."

"On the screen, a three-dimensional schematic of a shopping mall immediately appeared, with various figures scrolling rapidly beside it."

"Gui Ying looked at Lin Yue, took a deep breath, and said in a low voice:"

"\"Mr. Lin, just before we came, we received an urgent report. Commander Zhang insisted I personally convey it to you. \""

"\"Speak. \""

"\"Regarding that spider queen, \""

"Gui Ying's tone became extremely grave,"

"\"According to our latest high-altitude drone reconnaissance, it seems… it's about to evolve. \""

"\"Moreover, according to feedback from our life-sign detectors, the number of corpse spiders in that area… is at least ten times higher than we estimated! \""

"Gui Ying's words made Lin Yue's heart jolt."

"\"The Corpse Spider Queen is about to evolve? \""

"\"Its numbers have increased tenfold? \""

"It seems the decision to move against the Corpse Spider Queen tomorrow is… truly wise."

"If we drag it out a few more days, waiting for the queen to finish evolving, even if he has great confidence in the Black Tortoise, he'd probably have to think twice."

"\"I understand. \""

"Lin Yue slowly closed the tactical tablet."