Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Pursuit of the Investigation

After leaving the office, No-Obstacle went to meet up with Xiao Yang, who had long been waiting in the mortuary.

By now everyone had already been evacuated, and the mortuary sealed off. When No-Obstacle entered, he saw Xiao Yang handling Xiao He’s corpse.

“This is getting too dangerous. These infected bodies are becoming harder and harder to destroy,” Xiao Yang said with a sigh as he soaked the corpse in chemicals, killing off the virus bit by bit.

No-Obstacle could not help asking, “Is there no way to uncover more useful information, like the other side’s allies, or how they communicate with their own kind?”

Xiao Yang shook his head. “Our technology is still too backward. Even dealing with the body is a headache. Still, I’ve already taken all the documents off him, along with his phone, tablet, and the like. Maybe we can find something useful at his place.”

No-Obstacle glanced at the evidence on the table, bagged in plastic. “Then let me go. I can ask around while I’m at it.”

“No need. I’ve already contacted the Lily sisters. They’ll make the trip.” Xiao Yang handed him the tablet. “You know girls often have an easier time of things. Look through the information we’ve gathered.”

No-Obstacle took it and read. It contained Xiao He’s background: a local-born prodigy, from a family with a history of revolutionary service. Gifted and diligent from childhood, he had earned his civil service position early on and was a rare talent in the municipal system.

Xiao He himself was also an upright sort, the classic ambitious type. He took his work seriously and was highly valued by the mayor. These past few years he had enjoyed considerable trust and responsibility. It was even said that he had a girlfriend of three years and was about to get married.

But here there was a problem. Xiao He’s girlfriend had once gone abroad to pursue further studies and returned about a year ago. Their relationship began to heat up after that, and they had even started discussing marriage.

Judging by the timing, Xiao He’s infection had begun from that same period. Could it be that the one who infected Xiao He was his girlfriend? No-Obstacle came to the same suspicion as Xiao Yang.

Xiao He’s girlfriend was suspicious.

So they searched for information on her. Aside from a photograph found in his wallet, they were unexpectedly able to discover that Xiao He’s phone was still active.

In this era, when the apocalypse had broken out and both electricity and water were hard to come by, how could a phone still be making calls?

No-Obstacle traced the phone’s records. Aside from a few text messages, there were only two numbers. One belonged to no identifiable source. The other, after cross-checking, turned out to be his girlfriend’s number.

“Damn. It looks like the Heaven-Execution Clan may have set up its own communications network. Xiao He seems to have made a call before dying. He may have notified his accomplices.”

No-Obstacle spoke with rising alarm.

Xiao Yang was stunned as well. Then, as if by mutual instinct, they both seemed to hear an alarm sound beeping inside the mortuary. No-Obstacle looked down and, beneath the operating table, found a timer bomb. It had only two seconds left.

“Run!”

He grabbed Xiao Yang and sprinted for the door. A violent explosion erupted behind them, flinging both men through the air.

After being hurled three or four meters by the shockwave, they rolled several times before finally landing safely.

No-Obstacle scrambled to his feet and looked at the ruin inside the mortuary, then said at once, “Someone wanted to destroy the evidence. We have to find them.”

“Maybe they haven’t gotten far yet, if the building was locked down just now?” Xiao Yang brushed the dust from his clothes and analyzed the situation. “I’ll check the cameras and see who came and went. You go to the mayor and make sure they don’t make a move.”

The two split up and set off separately. Just then, the special police unit responsible for maintaining order also rushed over after hearing the news. Leading them was the squad leader who had earlier gone to receive the two of them.

“What happened? Why was there an explosion?”

Xiao Yang grabbed him and said, “Someone came to sabotage things. It could be one of our own. Tell your men to hold their posts, and take me to the surveillance room immediately.”

The other man had already received orders to cooperate fully. He led Xiao Yang to the surveillance room, while No-Obstacle hurried back to the mayor’s office.

As soon as he reached the first-floor lobby, he saw a stir outside. Apparently ordinary citizens had heard the noise and wanted to rush in to help.

News spread that quickly again. It seemed the other side had planned this long ago. No-Obstacle stood in the lobby, looking around. Whoever was controlling everything from the shadows was probably watching the commotion here as well.

He boldly entertained the thought that the enemy would certainly be observing how the news he spread was received, and began paying close attention to everyone’s movements.

There were at least several dozen people in the lobby. Many who heard the commotion outside could not help but go out to see what was happening, while only some remained busy with their own tasks, though even they would glance over from time to time.

Then No-Obstacle suddenly spotted a figure on the second floor. The person turned their head, then turned and went upstairs. That back view...

A memory flashed through his mind: when he had returned earlier, he had noticed every reaction in the lobby. He had taken the suspicious figures to heart and clearly remembered that one of them had already been driving away from the parking lot, only to turn back.

Yes, that face. There was definitely something wrong with it.

No-Obstacle said nothing and chased after him up the stairs, all the way to the far end of the second-floor corridor, where he saw a door being slammed shut with force. The man must have gone inside.

He crept over quietly, pressed himself to the door, and listened. From within came a voice:

“Everyone here yet? Looks like we’ll be exposed soon. We can only move the plan up. Everyone begin at once—take the mayor hostage, seize control of the municipal building, and secure this place.”

Sure enough, it was an enemy of the Heaven-Execution Clan. No-Obstacle kicked the door open and flashed inside, raising his gun in the blink of an eye to press the muzzle against the man’s head.

“Stop. Tell your people to cease their actions. Otherwise...”

“Otherwise what?”

The other man smiled slyly, then turned his back. A Bluetooth earpiece was in his ear. No-Obstacle suddenly realized the room was empty; the man had been speaking to his accomplices through the earpiece all along.

“You took the bait. The mayor is about to fall into our hands.”

With that, he opened his mouth and bared fangs, lunging viciously forward. No-Obstacle fired wildly, the shot going wide and smashing into the glass beside them with a sharp crack. Then, using both hands and feet, he unleashed the fighting methods of the Great Forest Temple, directly blocking the man’s body as they grappled in fierce combat.

He had to warn Xiao Yang and the others immediately. The mayor was in danger. No-Obstacle realized he had been trapped and urgently shouted into his wireless mic, “Xiao Yang, do you hear me? I’ve got someone on me. They’re after the mayor. Find a way to protect him as fast as you can!”

After shouting several times, Xiao Yang, who was checking the surveillance footage in the monitoring room, finally received the message and hurriedly agreed, ordering the special police to move in and rescue the mayor.

He also immediately rushed out of the room and sprinted upstairs. At such a moment, every second counted.

***

Outside the mayor’s office, a security guard received an alarm and quickly ran over to knock on the door. “Mayor, it’s dangerous here. Please come with us at once.”

He then pushed open the door and stepped inside, facing the mayor, Old Zhang, and Xiao Song, who were still arguing. He raised his pistol.

“Who allowed you in? Can’t you see we’re in the middle of—”

Two shots rang out. Old Zhang, still furious, was taken down instantly. Then the special police captain, Xiao Song, immediately lunged forward and shouted, “Mayor, go! I’ll cover you here.”

He fought desperately to engage the intruder, but the other man neatly evaded his attack. In one impossible motion, his arm bent at an unnatural angle and shot out to Xiao Song’s temple.

“Goodbye.”

Another gunshot cracked. Captain Song offered no resistance at all and died instantly from a shot to the head.

The intruder stepped before the mayor and pointed the black barrel at him.

“Please come with me, Mayor.”

The Last Divine Warrior: Chapter Eighty-Eight, Tracking the Trail, complete.