Volume One, Chapter 13: The Crimson-Clad Sovereign
Outside the alley entrance, Wang Defa was crouched down, gathering the body of Li Wei. After all, they had once shared a fleeting romance. Having covered Li Wei’s corpse with a makeshift cloth, he saw Wei Hongying emerge from the alley carrying the ghostly mirror.
“Si… sister-in-law?” He hesitated, unsure if this was truly the Wei Hongying he knew.
“Let’s go. The outside world is in turmoil; we need to reassure the people of Dayan City,” Wei Hongying said, regaining her usual decisive demeanor.
Wang Defa immediately recognized the real Wei Hongying. He craned his neck but saw no sign of their leader, Chu Xinghe. “Where’s the boss? Isn’t he coming with us?”
Wei Hongying glanced back into the alley, her eyes clouded with complexity. “No, just say he got slightly injured while containing the anomaly and needs some time to recuperate. About… a day.”
Hearing “a day,” Wang Defa understood enough and didn’t press further. He followed Wei Hongying closely, fully revealing himself this time, pondering what to say during the upcoming interview.
...
In Beijing, the refined study room was bathed in the glow of a television broadcasting the 7 a.m. morning news—
“According to the latest reports from our field correspondent, the anomaly in downtown Dayan City was contained and secured by Major General Chu Xinghe at six this morning. The roadblocks are being lifted and normal traffic is expected to resume by noon.
Citizens are urged not to panic. Should you notice any irregularities, please immediately call the Anomaly Control Bureau hotline at 86xxxxxx…”
Before the female anchor could finish, the TV screen was shattered by a punch. The study was soon filled with the crashing of furniture and furious, impotent curses.
“Why!”
“Why!”
“Why won’t you just die already!”
...
Dayan City, Old Town, Classroom 1, Grade 9, Middle School No. 13.
The empty classroom held only a young woman with a cold expression, idly seated at the back row, one hand propping her cheek while scrolling through the latest developments.
“Injured again? Most likely while trying to save some insignificant people. Foolish,” she muttered icily, though her furrowed brow betrayed her true concern.
“Um… Commissioner Leng, according to intelligence, the anomaly codenamed ‘Roll Call Book’ is about to appear. Should we not deal with it first before…” a timid female voice crackled through the earpiece, the tone dripping with meekness.
“Are you instructing me?” Leng Huaping’s voice carried an unspoken authority.
“W-well, no! I’ll be quiet now,” the voice whimpered, barely holding back tears. This job was truly difficult.
“Why is the intelligence so vague? It only says Chu Xinghe is slightly injured—how, where, and how’s the treatment progressing? None of that is mentioned,” Leng Huaping flipped through her phone, finding nothing further.
...
“The intel was relayed by Commissioner Wei Hongying. For more details, you’d have to ask her directly,” the meek operator explained.
“Connect me to Wei Hongying’s channel immediately,” Leng Huaping said, shaking her head in frustration. None of those pretty faces around Chu Xinghe were reliable.
“B-but that’s against protocol...” The operator almost burst into tears. She had summoned all her courage just to say this.
“Hm?” Leng Huaping snorted lightly.
“Protocol is dead, people are alive. I’ll apply to transfer the channel now,” the operator decided on a whim.
Beep—
“Leng Huaping, what’s the matter?” a familiar voice came through the earpiece.
“I heard… that guy is injured?” Leng Huaping wanted to ask but couldn’t quite bring herself.
“Which guy? You don’t mean Xinghe, do you?” Wei Hongying took a moment to catch on.
“Hmph, who else could it be? Hurt from dealing with a minor B-level anomaly? He’s really going backwards in life,” Leng Huaping said, hiding her true feelings.
“Sigh~” Wei Hongying sighed over the phone. “Leng Huaping, since you’ve helped Xinghe before, here’s some advice.”
“I don’t need it, but if you want to say it, I won’t stop you,” Leng Huaping pricked up her ears.
“These days, being tsundere is a dead end,” Wei Hongying’s words pierced Leng Huaping’s guarded heart.
“W-who’s tsundere? What ridiculous nonsense are you talking about?” Leng Huaping almost toppled from her chair.
“Suit yourself. If you have time, come by. Xinghe has some problems and needs your help,” Wei Hongying reminded her, not forgetting that someone at headquarters wanted to harm Chu Xinghe. She had to rally support for him as much as possible.
“What kind of problem? Hey, speak up! Wei Hongying? Wei Hongying?” Leng Huaping stood anxiously, but only static came through the earpiece, as if the signal was jammed.
At that moment, a voice she longed to hear rose behind her, like a haunting dream tethered to midnight reveries.
“Hua Ping~”
“Hua Ping~”
“Hua Ping~”
A gentle, enchanting young voice enveloped her ears, tempting her to respond.
“That guy would never call me that,” Leng Huaping’s expression shifted from joy to disappointment in an instant. “Anomalies are anomalies—no flexibility whatsoever.”
...
The anomaly could not comprehend the notion of youthful sentimentality; it relentlessly stirred the deepest desires within the human heart.
Already vexed by Wei Hongying’s words, the anomaly’s actions only added fuel to Leng Huaping’s fire.
“Shut up!”
In a burst of fury, the white garment Leng Huaping wore rapidly turned blood red. Her once pale face flushed with two streaks of color. Adorned with a phoenix crown and a flowing cape, her cold and striking features radiated an alluring charm; every movement exuded incomparable grace.
One minute later.
Leng Huaping strolled out of the classroom leisurely. Outside, a squad of soldiers fully armed stood at attention. Just as an officer opened his mouth to speak, a golden box was casually tossed toward him.
“This anomaly is in your custody now. I have other matters,” Leng Huaping said and walked off without hesitation. No one dared to stop her.
The officer glanced at the golden box in his hands, almost trembling. Holding a B-level terrifying anomaly like this was enough to make anyone shake.
Is this the power of the Red-Clad Sovereign? It seemed comparable to the famed Captain Chu.
...
The same scenes unfolded across the nation. Anomalies that once caused massive casualties in previous lives were now eradicated before they could wreak havoc—contained, sealed off, or driven back.
The colossal machinery of the state was operating at full throttle; even the fearsome anomalies had to retreat.
Amid the nationwide chaos, Chu Xinghe, at the heart of the storm, found moments of respite and peace.
Dayan City, beside the Green Pearl River, inside Wei Hongying’s apartment.
“Xinghe, watch a movie with me.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Xinghe, have dinner with me.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Xinghe, take a bath with me.”
“Oh, okay… ah?”