Niu Wudi

Biodata

Appearance

• Human form: Powerfully built, with thick arms and an imposing presence likened to an iron tower 41 47.
• Apparent age: Looks roughly a dozen years older than Lin Qi 48.
• Giant Bear form: Covered in black fur; can grow taller than the school fence or shrink to approximately human size 19 47.
• Enhanced form: Develops two additional arms after Green Radish’s treatment, then transforms into a four-armed Giant Bear 22.

Personality

Niu Wudi is blunt and impulsive. At the village school, he disregards Green Radish’s caution and approaches the supplies despite the suspicious circumstances. When the principal blocks the exit, he repeatedly charges him even though every exchange ends in defeat 18 19.

His recklessness is paired with a strong protective streak. He tries to get his men out of the school, draws the Red-Clothed Opera Performer’s attention away from fleeing vehicles, and rescues survivors trapped in a collision. He continues fighting until nearly his entire body has become paper, then protests when an exhausted Green Radish risks herself to reach him 19 21 22 23.

Although initially aloof in Lin Qi’s eyes, Niu Wudi becomes cheerful and talkative once they grow acquainted. He freely shares Ghost Well information and initially refuses a share of Lin Qi’s haul worth more than ten thousand Ghost Cash. His competitive side surfaces when he promises to defeat the coffin-carrying woman who previously beat him 47 48.

Abilities & Skills

Giant Bear Transformation

Niu Wudi transforms rapidly into a black-furred Giant Bear and can adjust the form’s size 18 47.

• Size control: Shrinks his bear form enough to enter a narrow dry well 47.
• Strength: Throws ordinary people over the school fence, hurls villager anomalies away from the road, and wrenches open a crashed vehicle’s door 19 22.
• Leaping power: Reaches rooftops and launches himself out of the Ghost Well while carrying Lin Qi 22 47.
• Limits: The principal repeatedly overwhelms him, while the opera stage’s barrier repels his charges 18 19 21.

Green Radish’s Combat Enhancements

Green Radish repeatedly treats Niu Wudi during the escape from Liu Family Village, reversing his paper transformation and returning him to battle 22.

• One treatment gives him two additional arms, producing his four-armed Giant Bear form 22.
• This enhancement comes from Green Radish’s treatment rather than a documented permanent advancement of his own power 22.
• Their repeated healing-and-fighting cycle becomes unsustainable as Green Radish approaches her limit 22 23.

Ghost Well Retrieval

Niu Wudi regularly searches for Ghost Wells and follows rules taught to him by the captain 47 48.

• Uses corpses to distract the creatures guarding the Ghost Cash, grabs money, and immediately leaps out 47.
• Can escort another person through the retrieval, carrying Lin Qi into and out of the well 47.
• Warns that each person may steal only once per visit, must not linger, and must never attempt a second theft during the same visit 48.
• Considers other people the greater danger when collecting Ghost Cash 48.

Equipment & Items

• SUV — Drives at the front of the supply expedition into Liu Family Village 17.
• Ghost Cash — Collects it from Ghost Wells; accepts half of Lin Qi’s haul only after Lin Qi insists 47 48.
• Corpses used as bait — Carries bodies to distract the creatures beneath Ghost Wells, including charred corpses from Scarface’s group 47.

History

Liu Family Village Supply Run

Niu Wudi leads several survivor vehicles to the village school and takes his men directly to its well-stocked cafeteria. Green Radish briefly stops him from approaching the food, but he proceeds anyway. The survivors begin carrying supplies out under the watch of the principal and student anomalies 17 18.

When supernatural darkness covers the school, the principal blocks the exit. Niu Wudi transforms and attacks, only to be knocked back repeatedly. His attempt to throw Green Radish and several men beyond the gates also fails when the principal retrieves them with black mist. After Lin Qi and Green Radish suggest that the principal is protecting them from the entities outside, Niu Wudi stops attacking; the principal immediately stops fighting too 18 19.

Battle with the Red-Clothed Opera Performer

After the school’s spirits disappear, the survivors leave with their supplies, but an opera stage blocks the road. Niu Wudi attacks it to distract the performer while the vehicles pass. Falling paper spirit money begins transforming his shoulder into paper, forcing him to withdraw and pursue the convoy 20 21.

He clears attacking villagers from the road and repeatedly returns to Green Radish for treatment before rejoining the fight. During the retreat, he also frees survivors trapped in crashed vehicles. Eventually, he falls into a field with almost his entire body transformed into paper and becomes unable to move 22 23.

Green Radish runs to him despite exhausting her ability. Lin Qi draws the performer away with Ghost Cash, after which the darkness recedes. Niu Wudi returns to normal but remains extremely weak, and Green Radish helps him back to the truck 23.

Ghost Well Expedition

Niu Wudi later pulls Lin Qi out of a dry well concealing a vast underground world. Recognizing it as a Ghost Well, he demonstrates how to retrieve its money using a corpse as bait, then escorts Lin Qi through a second descent so Lin Qi can collect his own haul 47.

After accepting half the money, Niu Wudi explains the wells’ rules and his nightly searches. He also recounts a defeat by a coffin-carrying Extraordinary from another convoy, which Lin Qi connects to the earlier report of his returning covered in injuries. The two return to find that the captain has already suppressed Wang Hu’s attack 16 48.

Lin Qi subsequently recalls seeing Niu Wudi scatter Ghost Cash around the convoy. He infers that the notes are bait intended to produce corpses for future Ghost Well expeditions and suspects the captain devised the arrangement; Niu Wudi does not confirm that explanation 49.

Relationships

• Green Radish — Healer and combat partner. Her treatment sustains his battle against the opera performer; despite their frequent insults, both risk themselves for the other 22 23.
• Lin Qi — Develops mutual trust through the Ghost Well expedition. Niu Wudi rescues and guides him, while Lin Qi insists on sharing the proceeds and respectfully calls him “Brother Niu” 47 48.
• The captain — Teaches him Ghost Well rules. Niu Wudi trusts his judgment and remains confident that he and Green Radish can survive the convoy attack 48.
• Coffin-carrying woman — An Extraordinary from another convoy who defeated him. Niu Wudi attributes her victory to her weapon and wants a rematch 48.

Notable Quotes

“You're the crazy one! You've already pushed your ability to its limit! What are you coming out here for? Get back!” 23

“When you're grabbing Ghost Cash from a Ghost Well, you won't be in danger as long as you follow the rules. The real danger is other people...” 48