Chapter 127: That Is a Female Benefactor!

"Brother," Tie Ying approached, mustering his courage, and cupped his hands in a salute. "Are you with the Second Young Master?"

His voice was thick with exhaustion, and dark circles hung heavily beneath his eyes. Having fought off wave after wave of attackers, his legs were trembling to the point where he could barely stand, yet he had been pushed forward by the others to face this harbinger of slaughter.

The worst part was that it wasn't just his fellow constables and colleagues pushing him on with teary eyes; the men from the Ministry of Justice were also fueling the fire, insisting—for heaven's sake—that he was the "last hope of the Imperial Court."

Damn it! Why didn't the Ministry of Justice send their own people?

Kun Er turned back and replied with a crisp nod. "That’s right. Something the matter?"

Seeing that Kun Er seemed relatively normal—not the raving lunatic the rumors suggested—a weight lifted from Tie Ying's heart. He asked, "Since this is the Second Young Master's arrangement, are there any further plans? I fear our men won't be able to hold out much longer."

He looked bitterly at the people within the defensive circle. The sounds of battle were constant, but only those on the outermost perimeter were still resisting the living dead. Those in the center were collapsed on the ground, exhausted, trying to meditate and recover.

Master Wen, having exhausted himself casting spell after spell to blast back the living dead with torrents of water, was now lying flat on his back, twitching all over, yet still mumbling incoherently, "Help me up... I can still charge."

Only that young man, Li Zhi, was an anomaly. For some reason, he had been wielding a long blade, hacking from the start to the finish without showing a hint of fatigue. On the contrary, he seemed increasingly exhilarated, occasionally letting out low, "Hehehe" chuckles.

Tie Ying had seen this young man before; he was the son of the Imperial Preceptor, a sorcerer by trade, but Tie Ying now suspected his true vocation was a butcher.

At this moment, having fought for so long, they were approaching the darkest hour before dawn. Everyone was spent, relying solely on willpower. Furthermore, there had been no news since the First Young Master entered the Imperial Palace; no one knew what the situation was inside. Many felt a gnawing anxiety, fearing that one wrong step would lead to their total annihilation.

Kun Er glanced at him and said calmly, "My boss is currently leading the Flying Bear Army to storm the city, killing the living dead along the way. The one-hundred-thousand-strong Flying Bear Army is the final solution for dealing with these creatures."

Tie Ying nodded, feeling a slight sense of relief. At least the living dead would not be left to roam; disposing of them entirely was the best outcome.

"As for your concern about whether we can hold on until the Flying Bear Army arrives..." Kun Er paused, looking at Tie Ying with a faint, enigmatic smile that made the constable’s heart skip a beat.

Then, Kun Er added with a chuckle, "I received word before the operation tonight that we would have reinforcements. They should be arriving soon."

"Reinforcements? How many?" The people nearby, who had been eavesdropping, felt their spirits lift at once, and they began asking questions in a flurry.

Before Kun Er could answer, his peripheral vision caught something in the corner. His previously mocking expression softened, and for the first time, a gentle smile appeared in his eyes. He nodded and said, "Speak of the devil."

The dark street, which had been packed with the figures of the living dead, was devoid of any light from the surrounding houses. Only in the flashes of lightning could one see the ghastly, pale silhouettes.

Suddenly, a streak of crimson light appeared.

Deep in the darkness, it flickered like a red lantern. Upon closer inspection, it was a primitive, bright red paper umbrella, spinning incessantly. It looked as though it had been soaked in fresh blood, gleaming with a vivid, uniform crimson, even down to the jade-like red ribs.

The red umbrella spiraled, shedding a strange red glow.

A small, delicate hand reached out from the darkness to grasp the handle. It was a little girl, refined as a porcelain doll, dressed in a bright red gown, her feet bare. Her skin was as white as fine china, and her cheeks were plump with a childlike roundness. She wore her hair in two small pigtails tied with red ribbons, looking incredibly adorable.

However, with the living dead howling all around and the child hovering in mid-air in such an outfit, she looked for all the world like a villain making an entrance.

As soon as she appeared, she moved toward the group with the speed of a ghost. She hovered in the air, seemingly requiring no leverage, moving with the legendary "void-walking" grace. As she sped down the street, the red umbrella emitted an eerie crimson light. Wherever the light touched, the living dead were drained of their essence and collapsed instantly.

She flew down the entire street, and the creatures didn't even have time to groan before they were dead.

"Red... Red..." A constable from the Six Doors recognized her, his finger trembling as he pointed at the approaching "Little Red Sugar," his voice stuttering.

Before he could finish, several other constables clamped their hands over his mouth. Tie Ying whispered urgently, "Red what? That is a benevolent benefactress here to save us!"

"Yes, yes!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

Little Red Sugar flew over the defensive perimeter and touched down. She didn't even bother with the pretense anymore; her small feet hovered half an inch above the ground, floating without any effort. This uncanny movement made everyone’s hearts race. Many of the martial artists had guessed her identity, but no one dared to speak, all pretending they hadn't recognized her, feeling a strange sense of relief.

"Sister Red Sugar!" The other members of the Earthly Fiend squad bowed their heads in respect. They were newer recruits, not part of the original seventy-two, but they all knew to call this ten-year-old girl "Sister."

"Hmm." Little Red Sugar’s expression was cold as she scanned the crowd, her gaze finally settling on Kun Er.

"What took you so long, Little Red Sugar?" A smile appeared on Kun Er's face.

The corners of Little Red Sugar's eyes showed fatigue as she shook her head. "Something came up and delayed me."

She swept her gaze over the nearly one thousand people present, and finally, her eyes landed on the pillar of light surrounded by the group. She understood the situation immediately.

She summoned the red umbrella, tossed it high into the air, and formed a seal with her hands. The umbrella hung suspended above. With a surge of crimson energy in her hands, she thrust upward, and the power slammed into the umbrella.

"Crimson Barrier."

A wave of red energy surged from the umbrella, shrouding the entire group and extending hundreds of meters around them. The living dead caught in its wake were instantly drained of their blood. In the blink of an eye, a firm barrier of crimson energy enclosed them, completely cutting off the living dead.

This barrier resonated with the light of the "Salary Fire," yet the two did not interfere with one another.