The day of the operation had finally arrived. Dawn was just breaking, and dim gray light shone through the abandoned factory's windows into the courtyard. Lin Ye and Fei Lan had finished all their preparations. Fei Lan wore a black trench coat, with his old-fashioned revolver at his waist, loaded with bullets infused with his Nen, and a long saber strapped to his back. His aura was completely suppressed, yet he still carried the sharp edge of a man who had survived life and death. Lin Ye wore a tight black combat suit, with a katana at his waist and a dagger strapped to his leg. He, too, had completely suppressed his aura with Zetsu. Only his eyes shone with startling brightness. His Observation Haki was already spread to its fullest extent, monitoring every movement within a dozen or so kilometers and watching for anything unusual. As the two reached the courtyard gate, Lina ran over with two protective charms she had braided from her own hair and carefully tied them around their wrists. "Master, big brother, you have to come back safely." Lina looked at them, her eyes full of worry. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she fought to keep them from falling. "Don't worry, little one." Fei Lan smiled and ruffled her hair. "We'll be back soon. Tonight, we'll have your braised pork." "Okay!" Lina nodded hard. Lin Ye crouched down, looked at her, and instructed her earnestly, "Lina, once we leave, seal the gate immediately. Use the method I taught you to spread your hair around the courtyard. That way, you'll sense anyone coming in right away. Whatever you hear, don't open the gate and don't come outside. Do you understand?" "I understand." Lina nodded firmly. "I'll protect our home. You have to come back." "We will." Lin Ye stood and exchanged a glance with Fei Lan. They nodded, turned, and left the courtyard, shutting the gate behind them. Outside lay Meteor City's gray dawn. A cold wind swept scraps of trash over the barren garbage heaps, carrying a bone-piercing chill. "We'll follow the plan. I'll slip into the hotel from the side, find out what's happening inside, and signal you," Lin Ye told Fei Lan quietly. "In fifteen minutes, go through the front entrance and draw their attention." "All right." Fei Lan nodded and patted his shoulder. "Be careful. If anything feels wrong, retreat immediately. Don't try to fight your way through." "Understood." They parted ways. Lin Ye instantly melted into the shadows of a nearby garbage heap, activated Zetsu to conceal his presence completely, and used Geppo to rise silently into the sky, heading toward the abandoned hotel in the center of District 13. He moved incredibly fast, flying soundlessly through the air with Sky Step. Several hundred meters above the ground, no one could spot him. Before long, he arrived above the abandoned hotel. The building stood more than a dozen stories tall. It was the tallest structure in District 13 and the Wild Lion Gang's headquarters. Guard posts surrounded it, armed gang members were everywhere, and more than a dozen Nen users guarded the entrance. Security was extremely tight. Lin Ye hovered high overhead and spread his Observation Haki to its fullest extent. Like an invisible net, it instantly covered the entire hotel. Every person inside, every ambush, and every trace of flowing aura appeared clearly in his mind. But a moment later, his expression changed. Something's wrong. The situation inside was completely different from what he had found on his earlier scouting trip. Back then, the hotel had contained only Wild Lion Gang members, a little over a hundred people, with just a dozen or so Nen users. Now there were more than three hundred people inside, and over thirty Nen users! Moreover, their auras bore the hallmarks of the Blood Hand Gang. These were the people Karen had brought! What made his scalp prickle even more was that ambushes lay everywhere. Every floor was littered with Nen traps, and gunmen and Nen users hid in every room. Every exit had been sealed off. The entire hotel was a giant cage, an inescapable net! Karen knew we were coming! This was no meeting. It was a trap Karen had laid, waiting for him and Fei Lan to walk straight into it! Lin Ye's heart sank. He immediately pulled out his communicator, intending to signal Fei Lan to stay away and retreat at once. Just then, his Observation Haki detected an extremely terrifying presence speeding toward the abandoned factory where they were hiding! Not just one-there were five auras belonging to elite Nen users, all heading toward the abandoned factory with intense killing intent! No! He's luring us away! Karen's goal had never been to ambush them at the hotel! His true target was Lina, who had stayed behind in the courtyard! He had deliberately turned the hotel into an inescapable trap to draw Lin Ye and Fei Lan's attention, then sent elite fighters to raid their hideout, capture Lina, and use her to threaten them! Lin Ye's eyes instantly reddened, and all the blood in his body rushed to his head. Lina's still in the courtyard! She can't fend off a surprise attack from five elite Nen users alone! Without a moment's hesitation, he changed direction and used Sky Step to fly toward the abandoned factory at top speed, frantically messaging Fei Lan on his communicator. "Master! We've been tricked! It's a trap! Karen's target is Lina! He's sent people to attack our home! Get back now!!" The instant the message went out, Lin Ye pushed Sky Step to its absolute limit. Like a streak of black lightning, he tore through the sky, racing desperately toward the abandoned factory. His Observation Haki stayed locked onto the five auras heading there. They were incredibly fast and were already almost at the factory! Faster! Faster! Gritting his teeth, Lin Ye squeezed out every last bit of aura in his body and drove Sky Step furiously. His speed reached its limit, and the friction of his body against the surrounding air produced explosive cracks. Meanwhile, in the abandoned factory's small courtyard, Lina was following Lin Ye's instructions, sealing the gate with her hair and spreading strands like steel wire across the courtyard walls. If anyone touched them, she would sense it immediately. She had been uneasy the whole time, unable to shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Just then, the hair she had spread across the wall suddenly shuddered violently! Someone's here! More than one! Lina's expression changed instantly. She immediately recalled her hair and unleashed her aura, controlling her strands like countless black steel wires to form a barrier in front of her as she watched the courtyard gate warily. A moment later, there was a deafening boom! Someone kicked the gate clean off its hinges. The heavy iron gate flew like a sheet of paper and crashed into the courtyard. Five men in black suits walked in. The man at their head had a knife scar across his face and held a machete. With cruel amusement in his eyes, he looked at Lina and licked his lips. "So this is the little girl? Fei Lan and that brat's weak spot?" the man said with a grin. "Lord Karen was right. With this little girl, we can make Fei Lan and that brat surrender without a fight." "Grab her! Don't let her escape!" The five men charged at Lina at once, unleashing their aura together. Five violent presences bore down on her. Lina went deathly pale, and her body trembled uncontrollably, but she gritted her teeth and refused to take a single step back. She remembered what Lin Ye had taught her and the Nen Ability Fei Lan had taught her. I can't retreat. This is my home. I have to protect it until big brother and Master come back. "Aah!" Lina let out a fierce cry and unleashed all her aura, sending countless strands of black hair stabbing viciously toward the five charging men like venomous snakes. A hopelessly uneven battle erupted in the small courtyard. Meanwhile, Lin Ye was still in the sky, racing back with everything he had. His Observation Haki had already sensed the battle erupting in the courtyard and Lina's aura rapidly weakening. His eyes were so red they seemed about to bleed, and only one thought remained in his mind. Lina, hold on! Your big brother will be back any second!
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