Chapter 89 Investigating the Bull Warrior, Damn! The Bull Warrior is Back!

Chapter 89: Investigating Bull Warrior – Holy Shit, Bull Warrior’s Back!

No one knew what excuse Shen Tanrong used, but in the middle of the night, he successfully took Yu Xing out of the military district.

Yu Xing guessed that the military district’s defenses weren’t actually that tight; after all, it was unlikely the Pollution Sources would plant spies.

Eighth City’s D District was similar to Seventh City; by nightfall, the streets were almost empty of pedestrians. Yu Xing and Shen Tanrong walked side by side down the deserted street, with Shen Tanrong sneaking glances at her.

Nighttime, a long street, just a guy and girl alone—he truly couldn’t guess what Yu Xing was planning.

After walking for a while, Yu Xing's face suddenly lit up at something ahead. She turned to Shen Tanrong and said, “I’ve got business—need to get out of the city. I’ll definitely be back before dawn. Can you cover for me afterward to help me get back in? I’m afraid I won’t be able to re-enter the military district on my own.”

Shen Tanrong's stomach dropped. Not only was she leaving the military district, but she also wanted to leave the city?

Getting out of the city wasn’t easy. Aside from the military, everyone else had to take the train. How was Yu Xing planning to…?

While he was still hesitating, Yu Xing wasn’t actually discussing it with him—this wasn't a request—it was a heads-up. After speaking, she immediately left Shen Tanrong behind and dashed alone into the shantytown ahead.

She had stopped earlier because she spotted the shantytown. Other areas were probably monitored, but the shantytown definitely wouldn’t be.

Watching Yu Xing charge into the shantytown, Shen Tanrong instinctively moved to follow—only for a red blur to shoot past him and soar into the sky in the next second.

Stunned, Shen Tanrong stood frozen in place, looking up. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen Bull Warrior fly up close, but it still blew his mind.

In the sky, the masked Bull Warrior in her red trench coat was riding her broomstick to a height no regular aircraft could reach.

She flew so high, far beyond the height of the city walls. In the night, it looked for all the world like she was charging straight into the clouds, heading for the moon.

Shen Tanrong stood there dumbly, belatedly realizing—so this was how she planned to leave the city…

Bull Warrior’s flight was captured by Eighth City’s aerial surveillance, and the live footage was projected as a hologram in the military district’s conference room.

The room was dead quiet. Di Shensi and the other officers watched the hologram in complete silence.

On the projection, Bull Warrior flew across the sky at incredible speed, clearing D District's wall and leaving Eighth City. Once outside the city, surveillance quickly lost track of her, leaving only telescope-captured images to rely on.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke. “Bull Warrior was actually in Eighth City.”

Bull Warrior had appeared three times in Seventh City before, making everyone think she was from there—or at least based there. But four days ago, she had suddenly appeared outside the walls, very publicly eliminating a mountain’s worth of pollutants.

Then she vanished. Some in the military speculated she had returned to Seventh City, while others thought she might have stayed outside the walls. With her abilities, she could handle herself out there. The only concern was pollution, but given her strength, getting purification from a Moon God Chosen wouldn’t be difficult.

But no one had expected her to show up in Eighth City.

“How did she get here?” an officer asked, baffled. “Eighth City’s aerial surveillance and telescopes operate around the clock. If she flew in, she would’ve been spotted.”

“The direction she left in before definitely wasn’t toward Eighth City,” another officer added. “Was she covering her tracks?”

Theories started flying.

Someone quickly suggested, “There are only two ways she could’ve entered Eighth City. Either she flew in directly—but that would’ve been caught by surveillance—or… she took the train.”

Plenty of people entered Eighth City by train daily. Bull Warrior could've slipped in unnoticed.

But someone else immediately dismissed the idea. “Remember, those trains don't make stops before reaching the station. Where would Bull Warrior have boarded? She couldn’t have flown back to Seventh City first and then taken the train here, could she? Seventh City hasn’t reported any sightings of her flying in.”

Seventh City had the same security. If Bull Warrior had flown back from outside the walls, she would’ve been detected.

But with no reports from Seventh City and no sightings in Eighth, there was no way she came by train or air.

Di Shensi, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. “There’s another way to enter Eighth City.”

“What way?”

All eyes turned to him.

Sitting back in his chair, Di Shensi stroked his clean-shaven chin with two slender fingers. “Don’t forget—soldiers can drive into the city. And today, my troops brought people in.”

The room fell silent again for a few seconds before an officer called for an aide. “Pull together records of all soldiers who entered the city in the last four days, along with their details. Also, gather information on the survivors who arrived today.”

The subordinate acknowledged the order and left.

Another officer remarked, “We can rule out those four Divine Chosen today. None of them are Beloved of the God of Thunder and Lightning.”

Hearing this, Di Shensi frowned slightly. His thoughts returned to the questioning earlier—he had questioned two Divine Chosen: Yu Xing and Da Ya. They had been together, yet their stories didn't match. Da Ya had seen Bull Warrior, while Yu Xing claimed she hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

It was fishy, but he couldn't pin anything on them—after all, neither was a Thunder God's Chosen.

You couldn't fault him for not suspecting Yu Xing and Da Ya. Since the first Divine Chosen appeared, no one had ever been Chosen by two gods simultaneously.

Absorbed in his thoughts, he barely registered the officers’ ongoing discussion.

“I don’t understand why she refuses to reveal her identity. Why won't she just come forward?”

“I don’t think Bull Warrior is that kind of person. From what we know, she’s appeared four times, and each time she took out a major Pollution Source. Isn’t that contributing?”

“So she’s just a Pollution Source Hunter who wants to stay off the grid?”

“At her level, nobody could make her do shit she didn't want to, right?”

“What if we actually find Bull Warrior?”

“Should we bring her in?”

“Bull Warrior's already gone.”

“But we might still ID her, no? From those lists—by tomorrow morning, anyone who's missing by morning is probably Bull Warrior…”

Di Shensi lowered his hand from his chin, his mind returning to that lightning-filled photo. That image had captivated him—it showed power beyond his grasp.

He had been stuck as a Third-Level Divine Blessed for years, with no breakthrough in sight. Once, he had consulted a high-ranking Thunder God's Chosen, who told him only to remain devout—advancement would come when it was meant to. He believed his devotion was flawless, yet after all this time, he still hadn't budged an inch.

If only he could meet Bull Warrior…

After leaving Eighth City, Yu Xing flew even faster, making a beeline for Tomorrow Village.

Tonight, Tomorrow Village was as dark as it'd been for generations. Yu lay on his bed in his small house, the tiny window letting in no light.

Restless, he tossed and turned—he'd never been this restless before. He wondered if his days were numbered.

The arrival of those four Divine Chosen had given him hope, a glimmer of light in the ninety years of darkness. Seeing the villagers Purified, their tumors gone and their minds restored—he had been overjoyed. He thought Tomorrow Village’s “tomorrow” had finally arrived.

But after one night, the four Divine Chosen vanished without a trace.

His heart sank into an abyss, as if falling into an endless hell.

Sitting up in the darkness, he was alone in the house. He was already in his twenties—and still childless.

His mother had him in her teens, and his grandfather had his mother in his teens. Life expectancy in Tomorrow Village was short, so to keep humanity going, they all had to marry and have children in their teens.

By the time their children reached their teens, their own time would be up.

Yu was already twenty-three and still unmarried. Since his mother's death, he had lived alone.

As the village's only teacher, he had special standing. Back then, several eligible young women were willing to start a family with him. But he refused—his heart wouldn’t let him.

Ever since he could remember, he lived in constant fear of mutation and death. The idea terrified him that his child would grow up in the same terror.

So he remained unmarried, thinking that at least he could break his family's curse with himself.

But guilt ate at him. Everyone in Tomorrow Village was working to keep alive human civilization, while he had turned his back on that.

At least, he had once thought, he could raise a student. The village could get by without him, but not without a teacher.

But now he knew—outside the village, there was a real human world. Normal-looking people, vast in number, not only sustaining their civilization but developing cutting-edge tech. So what was the point of his persistence? What did it matter if Tomorrow Village perished?

He sat quietly in the darkness, falling into a weird headspace.

On one hand, his mind had never been sharper. On the other, he could distinctly feel the growths on his skin twitching, rapidly growing, like they'd each come alive.

He understood perfectly what was going on, yet he had no desire to act. He didn’t want to bid farewell to the villagers, nor did he want to leave the village.

His awareness grew freakishly acute. The mutation was happening silently, yet he felt no pain—just relief.

Just then, he felt something land upon Tomorrow Village.

Yu Xing soared through the dense fog above the swamp and returned to Tomorrow Village, landing outside the wall of Tomorrow Elementary School.

The village lay silent—everyone must have been asleep. Yu Xing was about to wake them when a door's creak startled her.

*Squeak…*

The sound of an old wooden door.

Yu Xing turned. Under the moonlight, she saw Yu standing not far away.

He stared wordlessly in her direction, the exposed growths on his body squirming wildly. Some were growing rapidly, their ends sprouting finger-like protrusions.

Yu stared at the figure drenched in moonlight. Even covered head-to-toe, he picked up on something familiar—one he had only vaguely perceived before, now unmistakably clear.

"Yu Xing," his voice scraped out, still remembering her name.

Yu Xing blinked in surprise. Even like this, he recognized her at a glance? Was it because he was turning into a pollutant, or was this love's doing?

Since he had already recognized her, Yu Xing didn’t hesitate. She pulled off her mask, revealing her face, and walked toward him. "Open your mouth," she said.

Yu remained unnaturally still, watching her silently, a stark contrast to the squirming tumors on his body.

When he didn’t respond, Yu Xing reached out, gripping his chin with one hand while shoving something hard but warm into his mouth with the other.

The moment it touched his tongue, Yu went rigid. The tumors on his body stilled almost instantly.

His thoughts cleared. He looked at Yu Xing, opening his mouth to speak.

Yu Xing pressed a finger to her lips. "Shh."

"Don’t talk. Just listen."

Since Yu was awake, there was no need to wake the entire village. She only needed to explain things to him clearly.

"What I just put in your mouth is Spirit-Nourishing Warm Jade—something priceless beyond measure. It’s enough to solve your village’s pollution problem..."

As Yu Xing spoke, Yu’s body began changing.

By the time she finished, he was a completely different person.

The large tumors on his body had mostly disappeared, his skin tone returning to normal. Though some small growths remained, his original delicate features were now visible.

Before leaving, Yu Xing handed him two books—

*Terrors of the Deep Void* and *Hazardous Celestial Bodies*, the ones she had been reading on the train.

"Your poetry book is unusable now. Use these as replacements for now." Seeing Yu’s transformation, she smiled. "I can’t take you into our world yet—there are complicated reasons. But don’t worry, I won’t abandon you."

Yu’s mind was fully restored now, his thoughts clear again.

After hearing Yu Xing’s explanation of the Spirit-Nourishing Warm Jade, he couldn’t help but touch his face. For the first time, he didn’t feel tumors—just the shape of his jawbone.

Choked up, he spat out the jade as Yu Xing turned to leave. "Did a god send you to save us?" he asked urgently. "Was it the merciful Moon God?"

The question threw her. What did the Moon God have to do with this? It was all her, the God of Misfortune, working hard to save them!

"What Moon God?"

Morning was coming—she couldn’t delay any longer. "It was the God of Misfortune who saved you," she said. "If you want to thank anyone, thank the God of Misfortune!"

With that, she slipped her mask back on, mounted her broomstick, and soared into the sky under Yu’s gaze, disappearing fast over the horizon.

Yu stood there, clutching the jade tight, watching her fade from view.

Like a shooting star...

He slowly knelt, staring at his now-smooth hands under the moonlight, and whispered with total devotion, "Thank you for the God of Misfortune’s grace. I vow to serve the god for life... to heed the god’s will... to listen to the god’s teachings..."

Meanwhile, in Eighth City, the requested list had been delivered to the conference room.

Though the focus was on women, they considered that the Bull Warrior might have concealed her gender to hide her identity, so everyone on the list was investigated.

The process wasn’t difficult—everyone listed was still in Eighth City, while the Bull Warrior had left not long ago. So whoever wasn’t in the city now could potentially be her.

The whole army base went nuts.

Not just the military—even the train passengers staying at hotels were checked.

Nobody would sleep tonight...

Since the number of people to investigate wasn’t too large, results came quickly. Everyone was accounted for—no one on the list had disappeared from Eighth City.

Faced with this outcome, the brass was stumped.

Had their earlier deductions been wrong? Had the Bull Warrior never entered the city with the military?

"Was everyone checked?" the commander asked the subordinate delivering the report. "Every single person who entered the city in the past four days?"

Even now, the subordinate still didn’t understand what was happening. Faced with such questioning, he was a little flustered but tried to remain calm as he replied, "Sir, reporting. Yes. Except for the four Divine Chosen who entered the military district today and the soldier Shen Tanrong who left four hours ago, everyone else has been accounted for."

Hearing this, the Commander’s eyes lit up. "Shen Tanrong? He left the military district?"

"Yes," the subordinate added under the Commander’s eager stare, "But I’ve already contacted him on comms just now. He’s still in Eighth City."

"..."

"Really?" Someone wasn’t buying it. "Are you sure? Wasn’t he one of the soldiers rescued earlier today? Why didn’t he rest properly? Why did he leave the military district?"

"Uh..." The subordinate hesitated for a moment before answering, "He said he was out on a date—uh, with Yu Xing, the Beloved of the God of Misfortune, one of the four Divine Chosen."

"..."

Another awkward silence fell. They couldn’t help but recall the friend request mess from this afternoon, and for a moment, everyone’s expressions turned complicated.

"So we’ve got everyone," someone asked, "Do we keep searching for the Bull Warrior?"

They certainly wanted to, but the question was—how? Every trail for the Bull Warrior went dead.

A sleepless night, hours of work—down the drain.

The room was thick with frustration, and the faces of those present grew increasingly grim.

Di Shensi pushed to his feet, covering a yawn. He lowered his head slightly, his red bangs falling to obscure half his face. Having spent a long time outside the walls, his hair had grown out.

"I’m leaving first," Di Shensi said, hands in his pockets as he turned away. "Haven’t slept in two days."

With that, he walked out of the meeting room under everyone’s gaze. The air outside was slightly chilly. Di Shensi took a deep breath after stepping out, looking up at the sky, which was beginning to pale—dawn was approaching.

Despite his calm exterior, he was actually the most unwilling to accept this outcome among those present.

Just as he was about to leave with a cold expression, he suddenly sensed something and instinctively looked up. The moment he did, his gaze froze.

There, at the edge of the sky, atop the towering wall—a figure was leaping over it.

With just one glance, Di Shensi knew—no fucking way—that’s the Bull Warrior!

Shit! The Bull Warrior was back!