Chapter 22 The Truth About Purple Moon, She’s Here

Chapter 22: The Truth About the Purple Moon—Nannan Is Here

The bus driver was normal today, and the journey home was smooth.

Pushing open the door, Yu Xing sniffed, catching the pungent aroma of spicy food. The small home offered an immediate view of her grandmother dozing at the table, a bowl of soup beside her.

"Grandma," Yu Xing said, closing the door behind her. "Did you bring back something delicious again?"

In the original owner's memories, Grandma would occasionally bring food home from the restaurant where she worked odd jobs. Sometimes it was fruit, other times cooked dishes. It wasn't a high-end restaurant, just a place selling ordinary meals, but for the original owner and her brother, who usually subsisted on nutrient solutions, it was a rare delicacy.

In this world, people lived confined within high walls. Naturally grown food from the Old Era was severely scarce; even a plate of stir-fried greens was beyond the means of families like theirs.

But ever since Grandma fell ill, she rarely brought food home. The original owner had strongly opposed her continuing to work odd jobs, and any food brought back would provoke her anger.

Her dozing grandmother stirred awake. Seeing Yu Xing, she immediately beamed like a child presenting a treasure. "Xingxing! Come, come! See what Grandma brought you!"

Ever since Yu Xing hadn't objected to the apples last time, Grandma's enthusiasm for bringing food home had been rekindled.

"What is it? Smells wonderful." Yu Xing leaned closer, seeing a reddish soup in the bowl, with some vegetables and dark brown chunks.

"Máoxuèwǎng?" Yu Xing was pleasantly surprised; she loved such rich, flavorful dishes.

Grandma touched the bowl's side. "It's still warm. Eat it quickly."

Yu Xing didn't decline. She sat down, took the chopsticks Grandma offered, and began to eat.

The portion of máoxuèwǎng was small, barely enough for one person. Given Grandma's health wasn't suited for such stimulating food, Yu Xing didn't ask her to share.

Grandma sat by, a constant smile on her face as she watched Yu Xing eat with relish.

Mid-meal, Yu Xing said, "Grandma, I'll be away from home for a while."

Grandma paused. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to study elsewhere for about a month." Yu Xing didn't plan to explain the Divine Chosen matter to Grandma; she wouldn't understand, and it would be too complicated. Talking about the Divine Chosen would inevitably lead to discussing pollutants, and knowing about those would only worry her.

"And there's good news!" To prevent Grandma from dwelling on it, Yu Xing quickly changed the subject. "The school leaders know about our family's financial difficulties and said they'd apply for a scholarship for me. They also know you're not well and want to apply for employee medical insurance for you. Then I can take you to Seven Cities Central Hospital for treatment."

Grandma seemed pleased, though not overly excited. She just smiled faintly. "Grandma's fine. You just focus on your studies; don't worry about me all the time."

"It's not just you," Yu Xing said, her lips red from the spicy food. "The school leaders also promised to help Brother find a job."

"Really?!" This time, Grandma was overjoyed. She stood up excitedly, pacing back and forth. "That's wonderful! Truly wonderful! The school leaders are so kind."

Distracted by this, Grandma no longer questioned why Yu Xing was suddenly going to study elsewhere, assuming it was a school activity. The manager at the restaurant where she worked had mentioned his own child sometimes leaving home for competitions or similar events for a few days.

So Grandma said, "I'll help you pack."

There wasn't much to pack, just a few clothes.

After dinner, Yu Xing stayed alone in her room, finally getting a chance to contact people on the forum.

Opening the Transmigrator Trade Forum, Yu Xing immediately requested a private chat with Little Li from the Magic World.

[Wasteland Charmer: Little Li, Little Li, are you okay?]

Her heart was pounding as she sent the message, even imagining she might never hear from Little Li again. To her surprise, Little Li replied almost instantly.

[Little Li from the Magic World: I'm perfectly fine! What's up?]

Yu Xing let out a huge sigh of relief.

[Wasteland Charmer: About that purple light sphere, I know what it is now. In our world, there's something called a pollutant...]

She told Little Li everything she knew about the pollution source. Since they were from different worlds, there was no harm in sharing. After explaining, she urged Little Li to be extremely careful.

[Wasteland Charmer: Try to dispose of the pollution source. Avoid contact as much as possible.]

But Little Li's reply astonished her.

[Little Li from the Magic World: But I've already used it.]

[Wasteland Charmer: ?]

[Little Li from the Magic World: I don't know what pollution is, but I found some residual mental energy on the purple light sphere. However, that mental energy showed no signs of aggression, so I didn't have much trouble cleaning it up. But after cleaning up the mental energy, the purple light sphere's inherent energy was incredibly pure and powerful. I used it to create a magical item and killed a rival with it.]

Yu Xing was stunned by Little Li's message. Had the pollution source been dealt with so easily? Then why were Bai Qinghe and his team so incredibly tense?

[Little Li from the Magic World: If you get another purple light sphere—oh, I mean pollution source—remember to sell it to me first! I also have magic wands with other functions, and many other magical items.]

[Wasteland Charmer: ...Okay.]

Since the pollution source wouldn't harm Little Li, Yu Xing had nothing to worry about. She thought it might be because their worlds were different; perhaps the pollution source was very dangerous in her world, but trivial in the magic world.

Exiting the forum, Yu Xing pondered Little Li's words.

Little Li said the pollution source contained residual mental energy, and after cleaning it up, what remained was pure energy. Did this mean pollution sources were composed of energy and mental contamination?

She recalled how the driver and passengers looked after being contaminated. If it was just energy and mental energy, why did it turn them into that?

How did energy and mental energy contaminate people?

Oh no, not just people. According to Bai Qinghe, everything in this world had the potential to be contaminated.

She pulled out her terminal, intending to contact Bai Qinghe or Su Wenmo to ask more about the pollution source. But she noticed the time; it was already late night. Sending messages at this hour might seem too ambiguous, so she gave up.

After sending goodnight messages to Gu Ya and Mei Hexuan, she rolled over in bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Having forgotten to cancel her alarm, Yu Xing woke up at the usual time the next day. She turned off the alarm, thinking she could sleep in since she didn't have school today. She adjusted her position to go back to sleep when her terminal pinged.

Opening it, she saw a message from Su Wenmo.

[Awake?]

[If you're awake, give a shout. We're in District D right now and can take you to the church.]

Ugh...

Yu Xing squirmed in bed. Su Wenmo was clearly deeply smitten with her.

After much dawdling, she finally replied:

[Awake.]

Su Wenmo, clearly captivated, replied instantly.

[We'll be at your place soon.]

Yu Xing: "..."

With no other choice, Yu Xing got up and washed up. Just as she finished getting ready, she heard the sound of a car outside. Peering out the window, she saw the familiar, unassuming hovercar parked at the gate.

Taking the items Grandma had prepared, she opened the door to see Su Wenmo waving at her from outside the car.

"..." Yu Xing dragged her feet as she approached, muttering, "There was really no need to go to such lengths."

Su Wenmo didn't hear clearly. "What?"

Yu Xing sighed. "Thank you for going out of your way to pick me up."

As she spoke, the car door opened, revealing a muscular man in a sleeveless vest sitting in the back seat. The man grinned, baring his teeth, when he saw her.

Yu Xing: "..."

Bai Qinghe, in the passenger seat, was resting with his eyes closed. Without opening them, he said, "It's not just for you. We're heading back to District B anyway."

Yu Xing thought to herself that explanations were just excuses. Without another word, she got into the car and sat beside the muscular man.

The man chuckled. "Hello, first Chosen of the God of Misfortune. I'm Li Sen, a member of the Seven Cities Divine Chosen Team, Second Squad."

Yu Xing offered a polite smile. Just then, Su Wenmo started the car, and Yu Xing asked, somewhat puzzled, "Is this the fastest route to District B?"

"Oh, we have something to take care of before heading to District B," Bai Qinghe said, his eyes still closed, looking utterly exhausted. "We searched all night, but the pollution source seems to have completely vanished."

It wasn't "like," it *had* vanished.

It seemed they really had searched all night. Yu Xing didn't dare speak, afraid that if she opened her mouth, her guilt would show.

Su Wenmo seemed more alert than Bai Qinghe. She asked, "Aren't you curious where we're going?"

"Uh..." Yu Xing thought to herself that she wasn't curious; she was more interested in knowing more about the pollution source.

"We're going to the home of that contaminated driver," Su Wenmo said.

"Huh?" The driver's image flashed through Yu Xing's mind. She asked, "Why go to his home?"

"Investigating the cause of pollution sources is also part of our job," Bai Qinghe said, opening his bloodshot eyes. "Generally, there are two main reasons why someone gets contaminated: either they came into contact with a pollution source, or there was something wrong with the person themselves."

"What kind of problem?" Yu Xing asked.

Bai Qinghe frowned slightly, seemingly pondering how to explain.

Li Sen, the muscular man beside Yu Xing, said, "It means their mental state was compromised. Ordinary people, especially commoners, have very weak mental strength and are easily influenced. Especially when they've suffered a blow or have strong desires, they're vulnerable to being exploited."

Yu Xing still didn't quite understand. "Exploited by what? And where do pollution sources come from?"

After she asked this, silence fell in the car.

The silence was so profound that Yu Xing wondered if she had asked the wrong question. "Did... I ask something I shouldn't have?"

"No," Su Wenmo replied while driving. "It's just a bit complicated to explain."

Finally, Bai Qinghe spoke. "Do you know what marks the division between the Old Era and the New Era?"

Yu Xing knew this; everyone in this world did. She answered without hesitation, "It was the day an extra purple moon appeared in the sky. Before the purple moon was the Old Era, and after its appearance was the New Era."

Bai Qinghe's voice was faint. "On the last night of the Old Era, a purple moon suddenly appeared in the sky. The earth was enveloped in purple, and madness descended upon the world. That day, humanity lost over ninety-nine percent of its population, and all of it was caused by the purple moon."

Yu Xing frowned, searching through the original owner's memories. "...The books say the purple moon emitted radiation, causing mutations in most of the world's plants and animals, making the land unable to grow normal plants. To combat the danger, humans built high walls."

Bai Qinghe nodded. "That's just a version that won't cause panic and is easier for ordinary people to accept. The truth is, the purple moon is an evil god."

Yu Xing never expected this answer. "Huh?"

"Why are you so surprised?" Su Wenmo scoffed. "If there are gods who protect humanity, isn't it normal for there to be evil gods too?"

That made sense...

"The purple moon brought endless madness and destruction to this world. If things had continued like that, the extinction of all life on this planet would have just been a matter of time. But on the second night after the purple moon appeared, the Moon God descended." Bai Qinghe made a gesture over his chest. "The Moon God appeared in the sky to fight the purple moon, greatly weakening its power. That's what gave humanity a chance to breathe."

Yu Xing swallowed hard, looking out the window.

The sky wasn't fully bright yet, and the silhouettes of the two moons were still visible.

Bai Qinghe noticed her gaze. "If you ever get the chance to go outside the walls, remember one thing: never look directly at the moon."

"What?" Yu Xing was startled. She had looked up at the moon countless times since coming to this world.

"The purple moon outside the walls is different from the one inside," Su Wenmo explained. "Building the walls wasn't just about physical isolation. After each city was built, a celestial canopy was erected with the help of the Cardinals. The canopy is above our heads right now; it can block most of the pollution from the purple moon. That's why people with stable mental states can look directly at the purple moon inside the walls. But outside, no. The pollution outside is too severe."

"But this isolation isn't one hundred percent effective," Bai Qinghe continued. "Pollution still exists within the walls. You could say wherever there's moonlight, there's pollution. You asked where pollution sources come from?"

Bai Qinghe pointed his slender finger upwards. "The purple moon is the biggest pollution source of all."

As he spoke, the car stopped in a dilapidated residential area. It was a rather rundown complex, with no property management and seemingly few residents.

Of course, most neighborhoods in District D were like this. The truly well-maintained areas were in the other three districts.

The four of them got out of the car. Su Wenmo looked at her terminal and said, "The data shows the driver's name was Chen Chao. His family was simple: just a wife and a daughter."

Su Wenmo paused, then added, "However, the data also shows that they didn't live in this complex before. They lived in a better complex in District C. They moved here two months ago, for unknown reasons."

Li Sen, standing at the back, looked around. "Bus drivers are employees of agencies under the Federal Government, right? Their salaries and benefits should be good. They should be able to afford to live in District B, shouldn't they?"

Su Wenmo glanced at her terminal again. "Chen Chao was just a temporary worker, and... he'd been a temporary worker for over a decade."

"What?" Li Sen was surprised. "He couldn't get a permanent position in over ten years?"

"For buses traveling between District D and District B, because many people are unwilling to come to District D, there are fewer buses and more shifts. Few drivers take this route, and the work is very tough. In the past, many drivers on this route would switch routes or simply change jobs when they had the chance, leading to very unstable drivers on this route."

Su Wenmo had clearly looked into this. She explained, "So, to deal with this problem, the bus company stopped creating permanent positions for this route. All drivers on this route are temporary workers."

This only confused Li Sen more. "Wouldn't temporary workers be even less stable?"

Su Wenmo shook her head. "Temporary workers have low wages and almost no benefits. Drivers can't accumulate wealth through this job, and if they lose their job, they immediately fall into poverty. And finding a job is not easy now. To keep their jobs and stable income, these drivers dare not make any mistakes during work, nor dare to take leave or resign. Paradoxically, drivers on this route are now much more stable than before."

This sounded rather absurd: permanent employees with high salaries and benefits were unstable, while temporary workers with low wages and no benefits were stable.

Yu Xing frowned. Hearing such things first thing in the morning made her uncomfortable.

By now, the sky was fully bright, and the morning light bathed the dilapidated neighborhood. Residents began to emerge, and the area gradually grew noisy. Yu Xing then realized that quite a few people lived in this rundown complex.

"This way," Su Wenmo said, leading the way.

They arrived at an old, seven-story building. These old residential buildings had no elevators; going up and down relied entirely on legs.

Su Wenmo said, "Chen Chao's family lives on the seventh floor, 702."

Yu Xing hated climbing stairs the most. The climb was painful for her, so she asked, "Why didn't they live on a lower floor? Like my home, living on the first floor is great."

Su Wenmo, walking ahead, replied, "Oh, because the rent is cheapest on the seventh floor."

After finally climbing to the seventh floor, they found the rusty door of 702 tightly shut. Su Wenmo went up and knocked. "Hello, is anyone home?"

"Is anyone there?"

"Anyone?"

After several knocks, slow, shuffling footsteps finally sounded from inside. Then the door opened slightly, revealing the haggard, aged face of a woman peering through the gap.

Su Wenmo frowned, looked down at her terminal again, and asked somewhat uncertainly, "Are you Xie Zhi, Chen Chao's wife?"

The woman's dull, bloodshot eyes shifted, sweeping over the four of them, and she nodded silently.

"Oh, we're from the bus company," Su Wenmo said with a polite smile. "We're here to understand your husband's situation."

The woman said nothing, simply opened the door wider, and let the four of them in.

It was a two-bedroom apartment, not small in area, at least enough for a family of three.

The decor and furniture were very old and worn, the paint on the walls peeling in patches, with some areas showing signs of mold.

Upon entering, there was a strange smell in the house, like something burnt. The curtains were drawn, making the room very dim.

The woman motioned for the four of them to sit at the dining table, as there was no other place to sit in the room.

Yu Xing observed and found a small table in the living room with a metal container on it. Under the table was an iron basin filled with ashes and unburnt paper, and some joss paper was scattered on the floor beside the basin.

The others also noticed it. Su Wenmo said, "Regarding your husband's matter, please accept our condolences. Although your husband was a temporary worker, he had worked for the bus company for over ten years. The bus company is willing to pay some compensation."

After she finished speaking, the woman remained silent, standing still. Her expression was also motionless, and her whole being exuded an aura of decay. She was alive, yet she seemed already dead.

Su Wenmo exchanged a glance with Bai Qinghe and continued, "Although this money is not a lot, it's enough to support you and your daughter for several years, and you'll have enough time to find a job."

Still, the woman showed no reaction, leaving Su Wenmo, who wanted to ask about the driver, unsure how to begin.

Yu Xing looked around and asked, "Where's your daughter? Is she still sleeping?"

Only when Yu Xing asked this did the woman finally react. She slightly raised her head, her dull eyes peering out from beneath her disheveled, graying bangs. She looked at the four of them emotionlessly, turned around, and slowly walked to the small table.

She extended her hands and picked up the metal container on the table. Only then did Yu Xing notice that the metal container had cartoon stickers on it. The woman's dry, cracked lips parted, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Here, Nannan is here."

...

At that moment, the reason why the woman, barely forty, looked so haggard and aged was self-evident. And the question of why the driver had been contaminated seemed no longer necessary.

Yu Xing and the other three stood frozen, staring at the woman, unable to utter a word.

To prevent panic, the Federal Government prohibited disclosing information about pollutants to ordinary citizens. The official explanation for this incident was merely a traffic accident.

The five of them remained silent in the dim, dilapidated house. The longer the silence stretched, the more restless Yu Xing felt; the atmosphere made her want to flee.

After a long while, Su Wenmo placed the compensation she had brought from the bus company on the table, pointed at Yu Xing, and said, "This student was also on the bus that day, one of the three survivors, and the last person to see your husband. Do you have anything you'd like to ask her?"

Only then did Yu Xing finally understand that they hadn't specifically come to escort her to the church in District B. Their purpose in picking her up was precisely for this. She was the last person to see the driver, and the one who had ended his life.

The woman held the metal container, adorned with a cartoon sticker of a white kitten.

Her dull, vacant eyes turned to Yu Xing. Her lips trembled, and she asked, "Did... did he suffer when he died?"

Yu Xing didn't know if the driver had suffered when he died. Perhaps once he turned into a monster, he no longer felt pain.

So she shook her head and said, "No, he didn't."

The woman seemed to find some comfort in that. She asked again, "Did... did he say anything at the end?"

The driver had spoken at the end. Yu Xing thought for a moment and said, "He said... to let him out. His daughter was sick and waiting for him."