Chapter 164 – Hello

After being yanked down, Ouyang Lian was heavily thrown onto the grass.

Just as the Mutation Zombie was about to pounce, Ling Mo followed closely by jumping out of the window.

“Trying to attack a little girl, what a pervert…” Ling Mo cursed under his breath while swinging his Tang Sword swiftly.

The Mutation Zombie had just placed his hands on Ouyang Lian’s shoulders and was about to bite her when the sharp blade flashed across, instantly decapitating him. Blood spurted out, but Ling Mo quickly pulled Ouyang Lian away and turned his back to shield her from the splatter.

Meanwhile, the front door area was also engaged in a zombie hunt, so not many zombies were attracted to the commotion on this side. However, a female zombie did emerge from the bushes.

“Oh come on, can’t you all just calm down a bit?” Ling Mo muttered, not wanting to fight while grappling with a headache. After dispatching the female zombie with a casual slash, he carried the now-fainted Ouyang Lian back to the sliding glass door.

A Survivor had already reached the window and helped lift Ouyang Lian inside. Ye Lian appeared nearby and pulled Ling Mo back up as well.

The sliding glass door was actually fairly high off the ground, making it difficult for ordinary zombies to enter. Given the poor defenses of the villa, these Survivors had either just settled here or there hadn’t been any zombie encounters before, leading to their complacency.

Fortunately, the lack of prior defenses allowed Ling Mo to acquire these weapons so smoothly.

Once Ling Mo was back inside the villa, two people were already dragging a cabinet to block the broken window.

Although there were dozens of zombies, the Survivors capitalized on their advantageous position, making it easier to fight them off.

The girl Ling Mo had saved earlier now climbed onto the cabinet by the door, smashed the glass, and used her Spear to stab several zombies through the broken window.

Other Survivors followed her lead, attracting zombies to the windows and taking them out systematically.

As a result, aside from two particularly troublesome Mutation Zombies, the rest were quickly dealt with.

After nearly twenty minutes of chaos, a calm finally settled over the area outside the door, and the Survivors from downstairs rushed up.

They immediately moved the cabinet that had been used to block the door and began expertly checking if the Zombies were truly dead. Finally, they hauled all the corpses into a nearby garage.

This way, the smell of blood wouldn’t spread.

The garage was essentially sealed off and used to be ventilated by an exhaust fan, which obviously didn’t work anymore. The stench wouldn’t become overwhelming, and given the remote location, Zombies wouldn’t wander here unless led by something from outside.

“That was close…”

Some Survivors efficiently dealt with the zombie corpses while others sat on the carpet, exhausted and breathing heavily.

Ling Mo observed coldly for a moment and then asked, “Why didn’t you reinforce this place earlier?”

“We only discovered this place two days ago. We’ve been living in different villas in different areas. Moving around helps us gather food nearby and search for other Survivors,” someone explained.

“Who could have predicted such bad luck today? One of the villas nearby must have hosted some wild parties. It’s full of Zombies now, which you can’t tell from the outside!”

“We didn’t initially plan to flee here, but after losing several comrades, panic set in. This was the closest place, so we ran back here. We figured if nothing else, we’d have more weapons available, which is better than running headlong into the unknown.”

One of the Survivors complained before curiously glancing at Ling Mo and his group, “By the way, who are you?”

The Survivor who had helped Ling Mo replied, “He just saved Lian Lian.”

“Oh, are you also from this neighborhood? But most of the Survivors from this part have already joined our group. Anyway, thanks. I saw you earlier, saving… Hey, Jia Yu, why don’t you come over and thank them?”

The Survivor glanced toward the door and spotted the girl crouching by the entrance. He shouted, “Jiayu, come here!”

The girl looked up at the sound of her name. Her face was partially obscured by hair and a cap, making her features hard to discern. However, it was clear she was drenched in sweat, with strands of hair plastered to her face.

Upon hearing the name “Jiayu,” Ling Mo frowned slightly but then shook his head, “No way…”

“Was that arrow you shot just now? Thanks, although you nearly took my head off. I guess I got lucky…”

The girl took a deep breath before standing up and slowly walked over, using the door frame for support. When she finally got a good look at Ling Mo, her eyes widened in shock. After a long moment, she exclaimed as if she’d seen a ghost, “You…brother?!”

She took a step closer, scrutinizing Ling Mo from head to toe, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Are you really… Meng Jiayu?” Ling Mo’s astonishment was evident. Meng Jiayu was not a stranger but his distant cousin!

Since the outbreak of the disaster, Ling Mo had only found Ye Lian and unexpectedly encountered his old acquaintance, Li Yalin.

But relatives? Ling Mo had never expected to run into any of his kin. X City was enormous; while he had quite a few relatives scattered across it, the chances of meeting one, even if they had survived, were slim.

Though his mind was momentarily disoriented, Ling Mo quickly deduced that Meng Jiayu’s family might live nearby. Despite being cousins, their interaction had always been minimal due to Ling Mo’s parents passing away early and Meng Jiayu’s family being rather wealthy.

The two would meet during the annual New Year’s Eve dinner, but they rarely spoke much.

The sudden reunion left Ling Mo feeling bewildered. From the earliest memories, he had never been to Meng Jiayu’s home. He only knew that her family resided in a high-end villa community… which seemed to match Crescent Moon Community indeed.

Meng Jiayu stared blankly at Ling Mo for a long moment before suddenly launching herself at him, wrapping him in a tight hug. After a while, she reluctantly let go, “I can’t believe I get to see family again. Ling Mo, you being alive is the best thing that’s happened! And right after we met, I already owe you my life!”

Her voice tinged with a hint of tears, though it was clear she was trying to stay strong. She sniffled a few times but managed not to break down completely.

The other Survivors in the room turned their curious gazes towards Ling Mo, whispering among themselves. Their looks softened, becoming more friendly and intrigued.

From their reactions, it was evident that Meng Jiayu was a central figure among them. Her earlier actions indeed showed her dedication, perhaps earning her significant respect within the group.

After the disaster, this unexpected reunion revealed just how emotional Meng Jiayu was. Despite her strong exterior, she must have been deeply afraid. Seeing Ling Mo, her relative, allowed all her pent-up feelings to surface.

“Yeah, being alive is what matters…” Ling Mo replied, unsure of what else to say. Though he felt a wave of emotions, expressing them wasn’t his forte.

Meng Jiayu took several deep breaths to regain her composure, then turned her attention to Ye Lian and the three girls, “And who are they?”

“Oh, let me introduce you,” Ling Mo said, pulling Xia Na and Ye Lian closer. “These two are my girlfriends.”

Xia Na’s stylish appearance, Ye Lian’s striking beauty, and Li Yalin’s alluring charm had not gone unnoticed by the Survivors. However, they had been too occupied to ask questions.

Hearing Ling Mo’s introduction, several Survivors looked envious, though their recent brush with death tempered their feelings. Admiring beauty is one thing, but it doesn’t matter much if you’re not alive to appreciate it.

The story of Ling Mo jumping out of the Villa, instantly killing the Mutation Zombie, and saving Ouyang Lian had already spread quickly among the Survivors.

Everyone now knew that Ling Mo was quite formidable.

“Hello, sisters-in-law,” Meng Jiayu greeted, nodding politely despite her surprise.

Ye Lian and Xia Na, typically cold and reserved, were visibly moved by being addressed as “sister-in-law.”

“H-hello,” Ye Lian stammered, pressing her lips together.

Xia Na also nodded with a bit of formality, “Hi there.”

She seemed to be trying to convey both authority and warmth as a sister-in-law, but holding a scythe and looking like an innocent girl, she seemed younger than Meng Jiayu, and the attempt came off somewhat amusing.

“By the way, this is my Senior Sister,” Ling Mo introduced Li Yalin, beckoning for her to come closer.

Perhaps due to Li Yalin’s intense gaze, Meng Jiayu couldn’t help but glance at her twice, “Hi there.”

Li Yalin, however, did not respond. If one looked closely, they’d notice she was completely tense, her hand tightly clenched into a fist. The presence of so many people and the tempting scent of blood made it really difficult for her to control her primal urges and frenzy. Expecting her to greet others might be asking too much.

Ling Mo quickly changed the subject, “How’s the little girl?”

“Lian Lian?” Meng Jiayu turned her head just in time to see Ouyang Lian lying on the sofa, while the solemn-looking man, who had just finished attending to his injured companion, was now examining Ouyang Lian.

Upon hearing Ling Mo’s question, the man looked up and managed a strained smile, “She’s just scared, she’ll be fine. Thank you. If it hadn’t been for your selfless bravery…”

“This guy is really strong. He took down a Mutation Zombie in an instant,” another Survivor interjected.

“Have you trained in martial arts?” someone asked.

“Was it really a single slash?” another marveled.

“Yeah, I saw it when I arrived to support them. He reacted so quickly. There’s no way we could match that.”

“That’s truly impressive. And to think, he’s Jiayu’s brother… but are you siblings by blood?” The man scrutinized Ling Mo and suddenly asked, “Are you a superhuman?”

Ling Mo was taken aback for a moment. The man then stepped closer and said, “Actually, we used to have a superhuman in our group, but they went missing. You have to be a superhuman, right? Otherwise, killing a Mutation Zombie wouldn’t be that easy.”