32: troops under the command

Moonlight filtered through sparse branches and leaves, spilling onto the bench of the remote park.

"Hiss—" Lin Luo couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air. His upper body was bare, and several bloody wounds were being carefully dabbed with medicinal liquid before being wrapped in circles of snow-white bandages. Though the technique was somewhat amateurish, it was exceptionally gentle and cautious.

Kato Megumi knelt beside him, her eyes red like a startled little rabbit. Lingering teardrops still hung from her long eyelashes. Every time she applied the medicine, her fingers trembled slightly, as if the pain were falling upon her own body.

After waking up, she saw the wounded and weakened Lin Luo, along with the equally disheveled Fat Wave nearby, whose fur was charred in several places. She instantly understood what had happened. At the thought that they were injured like this to protect her, especially seeing those shocking wounds on Lin Luo's body, her heart felt as if it were being violently squeezed. Tears fell uncontrollably, silent yet heartbreaking.

Fat Wave lay sprawled on the nearby grass, belly up, weakly flicking its tail. Looking at the scene, the cat's eyes were full of complexity. It was thick-skinned and recovered quickly; its main issue was the excessive consumption of Demon Power.

"It's fine, they're just superficial wounds. They only look scary." Lin Luo endured the stinging pain of the medicine on his wounds, trying his best to make his voice sound relaxed. He wanted to raise his hand to pat her head in comfort, but it tugged at his shoulder injury, causing his movement to stiffen.

At his movement, Kato Megumi's tears fell even harder. She quickly pressed down on his arm, her voice thick with nasality and sobs: "Don't... don't move around..."

She lowered her head, bandaging him even more carefully, murmuring in a barely audible voice: "I'm sorry... it's all because of me..."

"Don't say such silly things." Lin Luo interrupted her with a firm tone. "Protecting you is what I should do. Besides, that guy was coming for me; it's my fault for involving you."

Kato Megumi shook her head vigorously without further argument, silently and more meticulously finishing the last bandage knot.

Under the moonlight, the youth was covered in bandages, the girl's eyes were red and swollen, and a Fat Cat lay sprawled to the side, forming a picture of survival after a disaster—one filled with pain yet showing an even closer bond. The evening breeze blew past with a chill, but it could not disperse the heaviness and mutual reliance permeating between the two at this moment.

The heaviness and mutual reliance of survival in the air were suddenly broken by a burst of hurried and orderly footsteps.

Lin Luo's eyes sharpened. He quickly grabbed his damaged jacket to cover his bandage-wrapped upper body while instinctively shielding Kato Megumi behind him. Fat Wave also jolted upright, and despite its weakness, it bared its teeth to stand at the very front.

Several figures quickly approached. They were uniformly dressed in uniforms made of a certain black special fabric, with matte, form-fitting iron armor covering key areas. Their movements carried a clear military style. Except for the leader, the faces of the rest were obscured by face-covering helmets of the same material, making their features invisible.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a square face, resolute brows, and sharp yet steady eyes. At a glance, he gave off a sense of reliability and trustworthiness. He walked quickly to Lin Luo and stopped a few paces away, standing tall and giving Lin Luo a crisp, clean military salute.

"Mr. Lin Luo," his voice was loud and clear, with the characteristic decisiveness of a soldier. "We are the Rapid Response Force under the 'Special Affairs Management Department'. The scene of the attack has been fully taken over and cordoned off by our Department Headquarters."

His gaze swept over the blood-stained bandages on Lin Luo and the terrified Kato Megumi behind him. A flash of heaviness and apology flickered in his eyes as he continued:

"This vicious attack is a serious dereliction of duty by our Department Headquarters. We failed to detect an 'upper rank' level evil ghost infiltrating the city's core area in time, and there was a major loophole in our early warning and interception mechanisms. Preliminary statistics show that it has already caused several deaths and injuries among innocent nearby residents... We feel deep pain and self-reproach."

The square-faced man turned his gaze to Kato Megumi, who was protected behind Lin Luo, his tone solemn and serious:

"Young Miss Kato," he nodded slightly. "According to the intelligence we currently possess, you have been marked by upper rank three Akaza. Considering your safety and the severity of the incident, from now on, you and your immediate family will be included in our Department Headquarters' priority protection list."

He paused and added: "We will dispatch specialized personnel to provide you with 24-hour continuous attention and protection, provided it does not affect your normal life. At the same time, we will also strengthen Spirit Energy monitoring and defensive arrangements around your residence and daily activity areas to ensure such incidents do not happen again."

These words were both a promise and a tone that brooked no refusal. After all, being targeted by an upper rank ghost was not something an individual could handle alone.

Kato Megumi instinctively grabbed the corner of Lin Luo's clothes, her face turning slightly pale, but she still nodded gently and said in a low voice: "I... I understand, thank you."

Hearing this, Lin Luo's brow furrowed slightly. His tone remained polite and respectful, but the concern in his words was very clear:

"Officer, forgive my intrusion." He chose his words carefully. "I just perceived that you and the brothers you brought... do not seem to be people of cultivation, nor do you possess special transcendent abilities."

He paused and continued candidly: "I know that within the 'Special Affairs Management Department', there should be elite teams composed entirely of Cultivators. It's not that I underestimate your strength or your sincere heart for the country and the people, but if you were facing a Lower Rank level evil ghost, you might be able to contend with or even kill it using modern weapons and your skills."

His gaze became grave: "But an upper rank... at least regarding the upper rank three Akaza I encountered tonight, his strength, speed, and recovery abilities are far beyond imagination, already beyond what human power can contend with. If brothers without transcendent power are the ones to face them, I'm afraid... casualties will be unavoidable."

Throughout, Lin Luo's tone carried respect for these defenders of the country, without the slightest hint of condescension. It was entirely a rational analysis based on harsh reality. He knew these people were the nation's shields and blades, heroes worthy of respect. For that very reason, he couldn't let them make senseless sacrifices.

After the square-faced man finished listening, no displeasure at being slighted appeared on his face; instead, his expression became even more solemn. He nodded and said deeply: "Mr. Lin has a Wisdom Eye."

He admitted frankly: "It is indeed as you say. My brothers and I, though we are all 'Soldier Kings' selected through layers of competition from various war zones—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call us the elite of the elite—in the end, we still haven't left the ranks of 'ordinary people'. We have no cultivation Spirit Energy in our bodies, nor do we have innate supernatural powers."

Changing the subject, his spine straightened, and an aura of iron blood and confidence naturally flowed out: "But who says ordinary people can't kill those monsters and ghosts, or slay those vicious anomalies?"

He raised a finger to point at the seemingly ordinary black fabric and matte iron armor on his body: "What we rely on is not just this burst of courage and our honed killing techniques." His gaze was sharp, carrying a powerful confidence backed by national strength. "The state naturally has means to grant us 'ordinary people' the ability to confront and even execute anomalies!"

He did not explain in detail what those means were; it was clearly a high-level secret. But the unquestionable certainty in his words and the faint Evil Qi of iron blood he emitted made Lin Luo understand that this was by no means an empty boast.

"So, Mr. Lin can rest assured." The square-faced man promised solemnly. "Protecting this land and its people is our sacred duty. We know our position; we won't blindly seek death, but we will never retreat a single step before an anomaly. Facing any threat, we have corresponding plans and power."

Lin Luo's gaze instinctively swept over their uniforms again. The black fabric and iron armor looked ordinary, but he knew there must be secrets hidden within that he was unaware of. Since the other party spoke with such conviction, he stopped questioning and silently followed. The priority now was to get Kato Megumi home safely.

Kato Megumi's home was already in chaos. Their daughter had not returned for a long time, and no one answered the phone no matter how many times they called. They had searched everywhere to no avail and heard that a murder had occurred in a nearby alley which was now fully cordoned off. All sorts of ominous premonitions intertwined. Kato Megumi's mother was in tears from worry, and her father was also restless, sighing repeatedly.

When they saw Kato Megumi appear at the door escorted by a group of capable-looking, uniformly dressed personnel, their hanging hearts finally settled. But immediately after, seeing Lin Luo, whom their daughter was supporting, his upper body wrapped in blood-seeping bandages, their hearts jumped back into their throats.

"Megumi! Are you alright? This is..." Kato's mother grabbed her daughter, checking her over, her voice still carrying a sob.

The team leader, Zhong Tao, stepped forward, showed his ID, and explained in a steady tone: "Please don't worry, both of you. Young Miss Kato is not injured. We are police officers responsible for handling the sudden case in the nearby alley tonight."

He continued according to the established narrative: "It happened like this: on her way home, Young Miss Kato unfortunately encountered a vicious murderer we are currently tracking. This student, Mr. Lin, happened to pass by. To protect Young Miss Kato, he engaged in a fierce struggle with the criminal and finally managed to subdue him, though he sustained some injuries himself. Young Miss Kato might be a bit startled, but she is fine now."

He naturally would not reveal the truth about the evil ghost attack. Although the national level was gradually adjusting its response strategies and information management regarding supernatural events, fully disclosing it to the general public would still require a prudent and lengthy process. Using a 'fugitive murderer' to explain was currently the most acceptable explanation and the best way to cover up the truth.

Hearing the account of events, the Kato couple felt both lingering fear and gratitude. They repeatedly thanked Lin Luo and warmly invited everyone inside. Captain Zhong Tao politely declined, using the excuse that Lin Luo needed to assist with the investigation as a reason to tactfully help him out of the situation. Although the Kato parents found it hard to insist further, they were adamant that they would bring their daughter to visit and thank him in person in the future. Lin Luo couldn't refuse and had to agree for now. Before leaving, he exchanged a reassuring look with Kato Megumi and then quietly departed with the Special Affairs Management Department's convoy.