Under the blood moon, Uesugi Chigenki transformed into a demon, possessing power at the peak of the Candle Realm, while Meng Xingyao was at the early stage of the Lamp Realm.
Before that, Meng Xingyao had already guarded against two nights of blood moon alone. On the second day, Uesugi Chigenki arrived just before dawn.
Now she was fighting in a daze, her bleeding wounds making her feel disoriented. She pressed her earpiece and spoke to the ghost officer supporting Dust City:
"Sector Six, requesting backup."
Countless demons, deformities, and supernatural forces launched dazzling attacks toward them.
"Huaxia Ghost Officer Chu Yang, en route to provide support," came the calm voice through the earpiece.
Meng Xingyao took out a chili pepper from her pocket and bit into it, forcing herself to stay alert.
She gripped her straight sword and charged back into battle.
In Sector Five, a young man carrying a black sword case took a deep drag of his cigarette and flicked the butt off the towering building. Standing straight on the rooftop, he gazed at the blood-red moon, then took a step forward, his figure flashing to appear a kilometer away. After several more steps, he arrived directly at Sector Six!
Standing on the high-rise, watching Meng Xingyao and Uesugi Chigenki being surrounded below, he hurled his sword case toward where the demons were most concentrated.
The straight sword case tore through space, embedding itself into the ground almost instantly.
BOOM!
A muffled sonic boom erupted as a shockwave burst from the embedded sword case! It shattered all demons within a hundred-meter radius like dried twigs in a storm.
Meng Xingyao gazed dazedly at the tall, straight figure on the high-rise. Seeing the arrival of support, Uesugi Chigenki immediately rushed to grab Meng Xingyao and ran.
The supporter named Chu Yang, this legendary young man of Huaxia and captain of the Wandering Troupe, appeared beside the sword case without warning. He lightly tapped the case, and powerful sword energy instantly sliced apart the demons that had begun to gather again.
He surveyed the damaged and collapsed buildings. Among the demon corpses littering the ground were civilian bodies, exposed under the blood-red moonlight, with wailing children and devastated mothers and elderly.
Everywhere his gaze fell was human tragedy.
"Those who dare harm Huaxia shall die."
His figure suddenly blurred from view. Countless cold sword lights instantly flashed across the blood-stained streets - chaotic, disordered, covering the entire street, killing all demons in an instant!
Uesugi Chigenki stared in shock, quickly checking herself for any sword cuts.
Fortunately, this powerful warrior had shown excellent judgment during his outburst and hadn't left any marks on her.
Chu Yang's figure suddenly appeared not far in front of her.
"Take her to the hospital. I'll take over here."
Looking at the dazed Meng Xingyao in her arms, Uesugi Chigenki hesitated for a moment before carrying her toward the hospital. She knew where it was, having seen it while wandering around looking for her sister last time. There was a powerful supernatural being guarding that place.
In front of Sector Five Hospital.
A tall young man stood at the hospital entrance holding a straight sword, his gaze sharp.
Injured people kept being brought into the hospital, both guards and civilians. The sound of crying and shouting was chaotically disturbing. When Uesugi Chigenki appeared carrying Meng Xingyao, two medical staff who had been standing ready immediately ran over and transferred Meng Xingyao onto a stretcher.
Guards had priority treatment in such situations.
This was reasonable - after all, only by saving them could they return to the battlefield to save more people.
Watching Meng Xingyao being taken into the hospital, Uesugi Chigenki quietly walked to a park not far from the hospital and crouched down in a hidden corner, hugging her legs.
She didn't know what to do now. Meng Xingyao's sector had been taken over, and she was sent to the hospital. In Huaxia, Meng Xingyao was the only person she knew. Now she could only wait in confusion, not knowing what to do next.
"You're Uesugi Chigenki, right?" Someone walked over from nearby. Uesugi Chigenki immediately recognized him as the young man guarding the hospital entrance.
"I'm Huaxia Ghost Officer, Zhou Zijie." This young man had already received information from Captain Chu Yang.
"Thank you for defending Huaxia during the blood moon. As thanks, we'll find your sister as quickly as possible," Zhou Zijie said kindly. "Now, I'd like to invite you to the rest area to enjoy some hospitality."
Truthfully, Uesugi Chigenki had never met such an approachable ghost officer before. From international public opinion, she had thought all ghost officers were madmen.
"Alright." After some thought, Uesugi Chigenki followed Zhou Zijie to the rest area prepared specifically for guards in the hospital.
Zhou Zijie brought boxed meals and lots of snacks. This person was extremely gentle and casual to interact with.
She had originally not wanted to accept anything from Huaxia, and had even knocked over the porridge Meng Xingyao gave her.
But now, hearing her growling stomach, she no longer refused.
Later that blood moon night.
Meng Xingyao was wheeled into the ward, her body wrapped in many bandages as she stared listlessly at the ceiling.
"Sister Xingyao, you're here too." A muffled voice came from the next bed. She turned her head to see a mummy trying hard to look at her.
"Who are you?" Meng Xingyao didn't recognize them at first.
"It's me, Qingsheng, Sister Xingyao." The mummy named Shen Qingsheng tried hard to turn his head, but suddenly lost balance and fell face-first off the bed with a thud.
"Are you okay?!" Meng Xingyao tried to get up to help, but as soon as she tried to rise, her back went weak. There was a long sword wound there, and with the anesthesia not yet worn off, she couldn't get up at all.
"I'm fine, Sister Xingyao. I have thick skin, it's no problem."
"But you fell face-first, didn't you?"
"Yeah, if my wallet was half as thick as my face, I'd be the richest person alive right now."
"Hehe..." Meng Xingyao couldn't help but laugh.
After the nurse helped Shen Qingsheng back onto the bed.
They chatted for a few minutes.
"Which school did you and Su Ze choose?"
"Huaxia University," Shen Qingsheng said proudly. "Impressive, right, Sister Xingyao! You'll have to look after us in the future."
Meng Xingyao currently attended Huaxia University. After Su Ze and Shen Qingsheng enrolled, they would be her juniors.
"Sure." Meng Xingyao lifted her chin and smiled: "But with Su Ze's strength, does he really need my protection?"
"Yes! Absolutely, Sister Xingyao!" Shen Qingsheng hurriedly said, "One day when that screw-loose Su Ze does something outrageous with his thick skin - even thicker than mine - and gets beaten half to death by everyone, we'll really need you to collect our corpses!"
Meng Xingyao smiled with crescent eyes, only feeling the wound on her lower abdomen hurt more. She tried to suppress her laughter as she bit out the needle in the back of her hand, "Alright then, I'll see this through to the end. Tell me, what should we write on the tombstone?"
"Forever Young Shen Qingsheng."
"Shameless Su No-Face."
"Hehe... Alright, I'm heading back now." Meng Xingyao held her stomach and left the ward while trying to hold back her laughter. She already had a low laugh threshold, and if she continued chatting with this unserious junior, she might laugh until her wound split open.