How filthy.
After taking each of them out of the cave and severing their tendons, Lin Ya finally let them go.
Upon returning to the cave, he did not see any signs of fear in their eyes. Lin Ya sat down to rest, feeling a sense of relief inside.
“Brother-in-law, are you tired? Come have some water.” Xu Jin looked at him with bright eyes, pouring tea for him and massaging his shoulders while indirectly asking if he could learn those few moves from earlier.
Lin Ya: “…”
“Your physical condition is too poor; you can’t learn it for now.”
Xu Jin instantly felt deflated.
“If you want to learn, once we settle down, I can teach you.”
“Really?!”
“Daddy, I want to learn too!” Ren Zhao ran over, grabbing his arm.
“Okay.” Lin Ya glanced at Ren Lin, who was looking at him with envy, and gestured, “Girls can learn self-defense too. No matter what happens in the future, at least you can protect yourself.”
“Brother-in-law, can I learn too?” The usually gentle Xu Yue also mustered the courage to inquire.
“Everyone can.”
“Yay!!!”
Lin Ya knew that it was likely that everyone realized he was not the original owner of this body. After all, his acting skills were hardly exquisite, so he simply accepted this.
He told them he had gone out for a while, during which he had hunted two dead wild rabbits from the mountains and also brought back a small bag of rice, a bag of flour, and some vegetables, preparing to have a good meal today and continue their journey once the snow melted in a couple of days.
“Rabbits!” The rabbit meat was fresh and delicious, and the fur could be used to sew clothes and shoes, keeping them warm during winter.
Xu Jin glanced at the green items nearby. After focusing, he exclaimed, “Is that actually green leafy vegetables?!”
“Brother-in-law, you’re amazing!” The boy’s praise was heartfelt.
Lin Ya smiled, pointing at the food.
“Let’s eat these tonight. Tomorrow we can make cakes or steamed buns with the flour to take on our journey. When we reach Qingzhou City, we can eat something better.”
Two days later, the sky cleared up, and brilliant sunlight spilled from the horizon, creating a dazzling golden painting.
Lin Ya held Ren Lin’s hand while Xu Yue held Ren Zhao’s arm. Xu Jin held the reins of the mule; it trotted slowly, carrying Zhang Shi and Xu Father on its back.
Both Zhang Shi and Xu Father didn’t have great stamina, and they felt uncomfortable after walking for a long time. Their build was not overweight, so the mule could still carry both of them together, but it was somewhat laborious. Thus, the children took turns sitting on the mule while occasionally walking alongside.
As they walked slowly, the disaster survivors trailing behind gradually caught up.
However, something felt off about those people toward the back.
Lin Ya observed their reddened eyes and the greedy glances they cast in their direction, and he felt a chill in his heart.
“Those people are acting strange; don’t pay too much attention to them while we’re on the road. If there’s any danger, I will block them. You all run quickly, and it’s best not to scatter; otherwise, I won’t be able to find you later.” It was the first time he had solemnly expressed the danger, and the Xu family members nodded gravely.
Xu Yue subconsciously tightened her grip around Ren Zhao’s arm, only to quickly release it after hearing a painful cry: “Zhao’er, are you okay? Did Auntie hurt you?”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore! Auntie, are you scared?” He proudly thumped his chest, a proud look on his face, “Once Zhao’er and Daddy learn martial arts, I’ll protect you!”
“Lin’er will protect Grandfather and Grandmother as well as Uncle and Auntie!” Ren Lin nodded in agreement with Ren Zhao, although a trace of worry appeared on her face.
Zhang Shi and Xu Father exchanged glances, and in their hearts, they made a resolution: if danger arose, they must minimize dragging the children down.
There were about a thousand people following behind. However, upon closer inspection, almost a hundred of them had reddened eyes, and this was still without Lin Ya having seen everyone.
These individuals had completely lost their moral compass, transforming into beasts like hyenas.
He was unsure of his ability to flawlessly protect them if all these people charged up at once, so he had to warn them in advance, advising them to run quickly when they encountered danger. This way, he could unleash his strength.
Sure enough, those individuals had their sights set on them, or rather, on the mule. Some also focused their gaze on the two children.
Lin Ya’s icy gaze fell on one of those people, only to be met with an extraordinarily perverted glance in return.
Feeling the lewd smile directed at him, Lin Ya for the first time in this world felt a murderous intent toward someone.
“I want to kill him.”
[Host, this is the first time I’ve seen you like this; it indeed feels like you’re a big shot!]
“…”
“Shut up.”
[Okay.]
At night, everyone huddled with their family in an open area, small campfires burning here and there. Lin Ya chose a spot close to the road.
He leaned against the fire, keeping watch while pretending to sleep. After about an hour, during the deep of night, as he was sound asleep, faint footsteps began to approach—
Someone with a knife was gradually getting closer…
Lin Ya calmly opened his eyes, and with a grip on the hilt, he swiftly knocked the knife out of the attacker’s hand.
In the next moment—
With a strained “Hah—” heard from the attacker’s throat, blood splattered out, and they collapsed stiffly.
Lin Ya closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the corners had a tint of blood; he had cut a throat—no matter how quickly he dodged, some blood would inevitably splatter on his face.
He expressionlessly turned his head to look at the others, only to see them frozen in place, their expressions gradually filled with horror.
Yet Lin Ya’s lips curled slightly, revealing a wicked grin: “You—are you here to die? Trash.”
Although he could not beat a dozen people at once, he never said he couldn’t kill them.
The commotion was gradually attracting attention. Upon seeing the body on the ground, screams erupted, waking many people up. The group with red eyes gathered together, their gazes fixed on him, eager to make a move.