Apocalypse: My Apartment Has Traits

Chapter 58: Chapter 52: Change

The journey back was silent.

It was only when the familiar village sentry post appeared in view that Su Lin and Zhao Yaxin simultaneously sighed in relief.

In this brutal post-apocalyptic world, the sense of security a village provided was unmatched by the wilderness.

Even though someone as ambitious as Zhong Wubin was still lurking in the village.

The two, covered with heavy snake-skin bags, attracted all the attention as soon as they entered the village.

Anyone could tell that the pair had returned fully loaded.

In this tense period, their harvest was enough to make others envious.

The villagers whispered among themselves:

“Looks like that Su family kid is really turning over a new leaf.”

“With these big bags today, he’s probably going to make a fortune.”

“What a change! Just last week, he was a coward afraid of dying, and now he’s out gathering resources.”

“He’s been forced… Deputy Captain Su and his wife spoiled him too much in the past.”

“Tch, I’m telling you, this change is something else! Yesterday, with just a few words, he forced Squad Leader Zhong to agree to join the lord hunt at the end of the month! Such guts! If it were me, I’d be shaking just standing in front of Squad Leader Zhong. Where did this kid get the courage?”

“Haha, I think you just go weak in the knees when squeezed by your wife!”

“Get lost!”

…

Zhang Jinlian, who was helping to dry wild vegetables at her doorstep, immediately spotted Su Lin and widened her eyes in surprise.

Her girlfriend nudged her with an elbow, whispering, “Jinlian, it’s Su Lin!”

Zhang Jinlian’s expression shifted, and she lowered her head, voice filled with awkwardness, “So what if it’s him?”

She already knew she had been played by Su Lin the last time.

But she was also aware that Su Lin’s status in the Su Family was no longer the same as before.

She also knew that yesterday, he had dared to confront Zhong Wubin in the name of the Su Family and even forced him to agree to participate in the lord hunt at the end of the month!

Anyone with eyes could see that Su Lin was no longer the same person.

Her girlfriend urged impatiently, “He’s changed so much, why not go rekindle the old flame? What’s there to be afraid of! At most, he’ll play you again; you won’t lose anything! Last time, he only acted to fool you, didn’t really lay a hand on you, which means he still has some feelings left, right? Maybe there’s a bit of truth in his ’live and die together.’”

Zhang Jinlian was persuaded, gritted her teeth, and mustered the courage to chase after him.

“Su, Su Lin!”

The pair turned around at the voice.

Zhao Yaxin recognized her immediately before Zhang Jinlian could speak.

She was the one who previously tried to seduce her younger brother-in-law, causing him to spend tons of money, and even recently tried to coax him into transferring the house title deed to her.

Zhao Yaxin’s brows furrowed slightly, and she stepped forward to shield Su Lin.

On her aloof and stunning face was an expression as cold as perennial frost, her red lips parted slightly to utter only one word, yet it carried an indisputable sharpness:

“Scram!”

Zhang Jinlian shivered with fright, unable to withstand the aura of a Tendon Lock Martial Artist.

Zhao Yaxin then shot a fierce look at Su Lin, signaling him not to engage with such women.

Su Lin shrugged indifferently and smiled; he hadn’t intended to pay her any mind.

Without further hesitation, they turned and walked away, leaving Zhang Jinlian standing there, forlorn and frozen.

…

At the Su Family’s Old Mansion.

Su Qi had yet to return home, and GrandpaSu was currently instructing Su Tongxi in martial arts.

“…As for pre-apocalypse martial arts, this old man was but a regular security officer, unfamiliar with those mystical inner strength methods. But this Dawn Breathing Technique, we practice is all about Qi and Blood!”

Su Can extended his tiger-like hand, which was twice the size of an average person’s, “In my understanding, unlocking layer after layer of Genetic Lock is to make our Qi and Blood more powerful and vigorous! Place your hand here.”

Su Tongxi pursed her small lips, her expression serious, as she obediently placed her delicate, pale hand onto the coarse back of Grandpa’s hand.

“Good.” Su Can’s gaze sharpened, and Qi and Blood quietly surged through his hand.

“Ah!” Su Tongxi exclaimed, her face full of astonishment, “GrandpaSu, my hand… feels tingly, like it’s electrified!”

“You felt it?” Su Can spoke sternly, “That ’electric’ sensation is the Qi and Blood of us Genetic Martial Artists! It also goes by other names such as active factors, bioelectric currents, life energy… there are all sorts of terms; just grasp the main idea. The old man doesn’t dwell on it, what matters is knowing how to use it!”

“Yes, GrandpaSu, I’ll remember!” Su Tongxi nodded vigorously.

“Good!” Su Can appreciated her attitude, “Most martial artists who’ve just unlocked their Skin Lock only use brute force; they haven’t yet learned to harness the Qi and Blood within them. This will be the hurdle you need to overcome next.”

“Yes!” Su Tongxi responded loudly and immediately began trying.

The old man’s teaching method was simple and direct: punch with all her might to find the sensation of Qi and Blood boiling through intense movements, and guide it to flow.

This, for novice martial artists, was as challenging as a baby learning to walk; developing an entirely new physical instinct.

A good while passed.

Tiny beads of sweat formed on Su Tongxi’s forehead as, despite her efforts, her Qi and Blood remained dormant like a sluggish dragon, proving difficult to arouse during actions, leaving her somewhat anxious.

Seeing this, the old man took a sip from his large tea bowl, and gently comforted her:

“Don’t rush; this is normal. Ordinary people can only clearly perceive the circulation of Qi and Blood while practicing breathing techniques. To stimulate it during mundane actions usually takes a week of hard training to find the knack and nearly a month to start applying it in combat effectively.”

“Really?” Su Tongxi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

’Brother Kirin, Second Uncle Su, and GrandpaSu all have high hopes for me; I cannot disappoint them,’ she silently encouraged herself, ’I need to train doubly hard to gain enough strength to protect Brother Kirin soon!’

She had seen Su Lin’s recent strive for improvement with her own eyes.

Training in martial arts and marksmanship diligently from dawn till dusk, going out to hunt and scavenge before daybreak. Yesterday their household finally ate some long-awaited tender, delicious meat… all of these results were because of Su Lin’s solitary efforts.

This made her feel a considerable amount of pressure and a strong desire to quickly become useful, to share Su Lin’s burden.

GrandpaSu sat back in his armchair, gazing at the little girl’s taut face with a smile:

“Do not burden yourself too much. Your talent in training is outstanding, with rapid Qi and Blood accumulation, so taking it slowly with techniques and moves is fine. To be capable of initially using Qi and Blood against enemies within a month will be quite the achievement.

“My own understanding of Qi and Blood isn’t the best, so later, I’ll have your Second Uncle teach both you and Linzi.

“He’s much more knowledgeable than this old brain of mine about these things; those ’emission’, ’soldier’, and other terms, only he understands in the whole village. I can’t remember them, forget as soon as I hear them.”

“Yes!” Su Tongxi replied softly, but did not halt her punching motions.

Su Yingying, watching curiously on the side for a while, quickly lost interest and began playing with her dolls.

Until a familiar figure appeared at the door, upon which she let out an excited squeak, leaped over like a little joy-filled bird:

“Mommy’s back!”

The little one dashed into Zhao Yaxin’s embrace, tightly clasping her mom’s long and graceful legs.

Zhao Yaxin’s frosty gaze instantly softened, turning unbelievably tender:

“Yingying, be good. Mommy’s hands are holding things, let’s get inside first.”

“Hee-hee!”

The little girl displayed an adorable, gapped-tooth smile, promptly letting go and then turning her eyes to Su Lin behind, eagerly calling:

“Little Uncle’s back too! The meat Little Uncle brought yesterday, Yingying ate it! It was so yummy!”

Su Lin teased her with a smile, “Good! As long as it’s tasty, from now on, we’ll have meat every meal, okay?”

“Okay, okay!” Su Yingying clapped her hands happily.

With laughter and chatter, the two entered the house, piling up the heavy eleven snake-skin bags beside the Eight Immortals Table in the middle of the hall.

Su Can gazed at the mound of harvest on the ground, surprise flickering in his aged eyes:

“Oh! Did you raid the Mutant Beast’s lair today? Such a massive haul?”

“Who made a massive haul?”

Before Su Lin and his sister-in-law could respond, Su Qi happened to return from outside.

Though his face was expressionless as he stepped through the door, an unmistakable glint of joy lurked deep in his eyes.

“Hmm?” Su Lin looked up, and immediately understood, it seemed today’s harvest wasn’t his alone.