Yan Bubu could see that Feng Chen was speaking to him, but he couldn’t hear a thing. Feng Chen wrinkled his handsome eyebrows. He rubbed Yan Bubu’s ears and pinched his limbs, checking to see if he was injured anywhere.
Yan Bubu felt something moving by his thigh. When he looked down, a large rat crawled out of the satchel and jumped to the ground.
The rat was obviously from the fashion outlet. It also seemed stunned by the explosion, crawling forward like it was drunk.
Feng Chen didn’t care about the rat, but Yan Bubu rushed over, picked a rock off the ground and smashed it down. The rat stopped moving instantly.
“Don’t be scared. Leave the rats to me.” His voice was unusually loud because his ears weren’t working.
Feng Chen came over and massaged the acupuncture points near his ears.
“Where are we going now, Young Master?”
Feng Chen thought about it. “To the 2nd Battalion where the one who can help us is.”
“What?”
“He’s one of my father’s subordinates that hasn’t evacuated Haiyun City yet. I’ll try my luck with him.”
“What?”
Feng Chen didn’t bother to explain further. He said only two words, “Let’s go.”
“Okay.” Yan Bubu understood now.
The two continued to walk forward. The store hit with a molotov cocktail continued to burn. No one would put out the fire, because it would go out on its own eventually, right?
“Young Master, look.” Yan Bubu suddenly tugged at the corner of Feng Chen’s shirt and pointed to the left.
On the side of the street, illuminated by firelight, stood several strange people in floor-length robes. They all held paper cards filled with symbols.
When one of them saw Yan Bubu looking at them, he roared:
“Behold this divine commandment! God is summoning us. Accept it and obey. God is summoning us to the Sanctuary of Annujia…”
“Don’t look.” Feng Chen turned Yan Bubu’s head around and led him away without looking back.
Yan Bubu really tried not to but had to ask, “Young Master, what’s Annujia?”
Feng Chen’s eyes looked straight ahead: “A cult.”
“What’s a cult?”
“A very reprehensible church.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“What does reprehensible mean?”
Mfcu Jtfc mbeiv bcis gfqfja atf kbgvr atja tlr ojatfg erejiis abiv tlw, “Ktf Qfrafgc jcv Sjrafgc Fclbc Cgwlfr jgf pera glnjir, yea atf Jtegmt bo atf Ccceplj lr atflg mbwwbc fcfws. Cii wfwyfgr bo atja bgujclrjalbc jgf jcal-tewjc ojcjalmr mjqjyif bo lcmgfvlyif ygeajilas.”
Tjc Deye gfqfjafv tfrlajcais, “Ccal-tewjc–“
“Ktf Sjrafgc Fclbc Cgws lr Dlcece, jcv atf Qfrafgc Fclbc Cgws lr Vjrjxj. Ktf Jtegmt bo Ccceplj lr atf Gjgx Qlamt.”
“Got it.”
After a moment of silence, Yan Bubu asked, “So are these people Dark Witches?”
“No, these guys are just fanatical followers.”
Yan Bubu muttered in disbelief, “There are actually people who like the Dark Witch…”
The man Feng Chen was looking for was called Angus. Nominally a captain in the Western Union Army, he was actually a secret pawn planted by the Eastern Union Army.
The reason Feng Chen knew this was because he ran into his father, Feng Zaiping during one of his secret meetings with Angus.
The United States of Einhart consisted of five allied nations where the largest two firmly held all military power. Since they were situated to the east and the west, their forces were referred to as the Eastern and Western Union Army respectively.
The two nations kept expanding and fighting over territory. They even once waged war against each other, bringing the United States to the brink of dissolution. When they agreed to put an end to the civil war, seven major cities were divided between the two sides, with Haiyun City being the exception where both sides stationed forces as a form of mutual check.
Yet with the presidential election fast approaching, perhaps East and West came to a private agreement of sorts, for the Eastern Union Army temporarily withdrew from Haiyun City.
It was not clear how long they would be gone. At least until the new president took office.
Before the earthquake, the Eastern and Western Union Armies were superficially on good terms and abided by the rules. This was why Feng Zaiping was able to hold off moving even after the Eastern Union Army withdrew from Haiyun City.
Then this earthquake happened. In the absence of any oversight, the two armies tore that veil of civility asunder and began fighting again.
This city was full of Western Union Army troops. Feng Chen had no choice but to seek refuge with Angus for himself and Yan Bubu .
He could not openly ask the Western Union Army about Angus’ whereabouts, but he knew the man was a captain in the 2nd Battalion. If he was still alive, they should be able to meet him in the vicinity of their camp.
The 2nd Battalion’s camp wasn’t far, just a few blocks away.
The high walls around the camp were gone. The whole camp could be seen from outside. Although several buildings had collapsed, tents were erected in the open space and many soldiers came and went.
Taking advantage of the cover of night, the duo snuck their way to the edge of the camp and crouched in the shadow of a tent.
Yan Bubu was very nervous at first, afraid to even breathe too loud where he was crouched. But waiting for this guy was so very boring that he couldn’t hold on anymore. He took some rocks nearby and reenacted scenes from cartoons like a one man show.
Feng Chen let him be. He only turned to give Yan Bubu a look when the rocks clinked together. Yan Bubu immediately went quiet, waiting for Feng Chen to turn back around before continuing to play.
After an undetermined amount of time, Feng Chen suddenly tensed as a man came out of the middle tent.
Yan Bubu sensed this and immediately put down the rocks. He also stared fixedly in that direction.
It was a man in an officer’s uniform. He lit a cigarette outside his tent and looked around before walking out of the camp in the other direction, disappearing into the darkness.
“Let’s go.”
Feng Chen kept his head down as he moved out. Yan Bubu copied him and they followed the man who had disappeared.
“Is that the person we’re looking for?” Yan Bubu was made to run by Feng Chen after they left the camp.
“Yes, that’s him.”
“Then let’s hurry–”
Yan Bubu suddenly stepped into a crack. His body pitched forward. Feng Chen grabbed him by the back and lifted him into the air.
Instead of putting him down again, Feng Chen simply tossed him over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes and continued running.
“Young, Master, catch, catch, up, with, him.” Yan Bubu insisted on finishing his sentence even as he bounced up and down.
As he ran, Feng Chen was somewhat surprised.
He has been undergoing military training from a very young age. He had a clear grasp of his capabilities when running with additional weight. Yan Bubu should be about forty pounds, so he shouldn’t be having such an easy time.
But he couldn’t think much on it now because Angus was already in sight.
Angus walked far into the rubble without a flashlight. The lit cigarette he brought to his lips occasionally was the only way his vague outline could be seen in the darkness.
Feng Chen didn’t dare to call out loudly. He continued chasing until he saw Angus walk into an open space and look around. The man seemed to be waiting for someone.
A car came up on his right, its bright military headlights making the area around Angus snow white. Feng Chen came to a stop, observing vigilantly.
It was a tracked vehicle capable of hovering that came to a stop in front of Angus. A few people jumped out and greeted him familiarly.
Their leader was a man in a leather vest. He had a beard and his thick, muscular arms were bare. The left had a large tattoo and the right was mechanical. Cold metal glinted in the glow of the headlights.
He was followed by a young woman with a shapely figure under her exceptionally provocative black jumpsuit. A silver mask covered the left side of her face, while the right revealed peerlessly beautiful features.
Feng Chen blinked. He felt these two looked familiar, so he carried Yan Bubu soundlessly behind a rock and peered out from the gap.
Yan Bubu was not having a good time.
He was hung upside down the entire way, so his head hurt from all the blood rushing there. His stomach also was upside down and felt uncomfortable. But since Feng Chen stood still, he endured without saying a word and continued to hang upside down.
“…Angus, my friend.”
“Long time no see, Deacon Chu.”
The conversation not far away carried clearly over.
The man with the mechanical arm hugged Angus and patted him on the shoulder. “How have you been these days?”
“Ugh, don’t get me started. I almost got fucking buried under a house.” Angus took a step back and strangely pressed his right hand to his left breast. His tone became noticeably respectful and solemn, “Deacon Chu, is everything all right with Lord Bishop?”
The man with the mechanical arm likewise pressed his right hand to his left breast. “Lord Bishop is very well. I was told to tell you to finish your mission soon. The Sanctuary always welcomes your return.”
Angus became somewhat emotional. “Thank you for your kindness, My Lord. This subordinate will do everything in his power to carry out Your orders. May the light of our God Cassandra shine on the Earth.”
The last ember of hope inside Feng Chen went out.
Cassandra was the main god worshipped by the Annujia faith. It turned out that Angus, in addition to being a pawn planted by the Western Union Army into the East, has an even more hidden identity as a member of Annujia.
Now looking at the man with the mechanical arm and the masked woman, the information about Annujia he learned during his training immediately came to mind.
Chu Shi: one of the deacons of the Church of Annujia. 36 years old, 1.98m in height, 96kg in weight. Formerly a colonel in the Qingya City Eastern Union Army. During a military physical examination, he achieved an instantaneous explosive power of 359 SJ , and a rapid force of 50 kN/s. After his identity was exposed, he lost his right arm while escaping and installed a mechanical prosthesis.
Chu Shi was a blood knight who organised and participated in several religious massacres that resulted in the deaths of over 4000 civilians and 800 soldiers of the Eastern and Western Union Armies. He was a key member of the Annujia organisation.
A-Dai: Identity and age unknown. Attack power details unknown. Estimated instantaneous explosive power of 280 SJ and a rapid force of 26 kN/s. Identifying characteristics include the silvery white krypton mask on the right side of her face. Obeyed Chu Shi’s orders without question and participated in several religious massacres. Chu Shi’s right-hand woman.
Hanging upside down with his face pressed against Feng Chen’s chest, Yan Bubu could hear the teen’s heartbeat starting to speed up. He reached out and patted him soothingly.
Only then did Feng Chen remember he was still carrying someone on his shoulder. He quickly squatted and set him down on the ground.
“Shh!” Feng Chen pointed ahead.
Yan Bubu nodded, indicating that he understood.
Feng Chen, however, wasn’t reassured. He was afraid that Yan Bubu would start asking questions and simply tugged him to the boulder too. The two of them peered out the gap together.
“Did you find it?” Chu Shi asked Angus.
Angus was chagrined. “I got caught up in a few things after the earthquake and let the Western Union Army get the jump on me. The people I sent to Feng Zaiping’s residence went through the ruins but couldn’t find anything.”
Chu Shi rubbed his chin with his mechanical arm. “According to the information I gathered, it should be in that house. Feng Zaiping didn’t trust anyone else with it, after all.”
Angus frowned and thought for a while. “Right, there’s one other thing. The villa’s security said the Feng family young master returned, but the Western Union Army’s people didn’t see him. The child of one of the maids also disappeared.”
“The Feng family young master returned after the earthquake?”
“Yes, three hours after the earthquake.”
Thanks for the update
To trust Angus, or not to trust Angus… That is the question. They buried the dead after all… If moral why bad?
Angus (nor his men) weren’t the ones who buried the dead. Angus says the Western Union Army got there first so it was those guys our MCs hid from. His people probably got there after.
Oh, this makes sense now … So they are the bad guys…
Thanks for the explanations
Oh my~ I thought it was going to be too easy to find an ally. The plant is another group’s plant.
Lucky they followed him, if not they would not know the truth and blindly follow him.
Thanks for the chapter
Lucky escape! Blergh, bad guys 360! Thanks for the update 🤣❤️
Thanks for the chapter. Is Angus planted by western union army or eastern union army? Because before, they say he was a spy of eastern army in western army but in this chapter “planted by the western union army into the east”.
I think he’s a triple agent…