Resolution

"Is it over?"

Shen Qing was stunned, finding it hard to believe it could be this simple.

The reality, however, was exactly that.

With a clattering sound from the pile of rubble, the Walking Corpse crawled out again, dragging one arm; because it ignored pain, losing a limb had little effect on it.

With a "whoosh," it lunged forward, and Shen Qing instinctively raised his arms to block.

The Walking Corpse actually used its severed arm like a whip, striking with a "crack" that instantly caused a hairline fracture in his arm.

"You really are a persistent ghost."

Shen Qing endured the pain, stepping back instead of advancing, then slammed his right foot down and unleashed a Collapse Fist, sending the Walking Corpse stumbling back several steps.

"Damn it!"

Following a roar and a thunderous rumble, Xie Chong drove the cement mixer in from the side again, slamming the Walking Corpse back into a pile of ruins.

After who knows how many rounds.

Through their coordination and relying on the restraint his blood held over ghosts and monsters, they finally managed to win.

In the pile of rubble, the unrecognizable Walking Corpse lay on the ground, its limbs completely mangled and twisted like a pretzel.

[Slayed demon, Walking Corpse (awaiting transformation), obtained trait: Sha Zombie (Green · Strange Tale).]

[Sha Zombie: Sha enters the tendons and fascia, tough as iron cables. Yin Sha enters the body, Defense +50%, body shrouded in Sha Qi; those who approach will have their minds eroded by the Sha Qi, and the user is not immune either.]

Several lines of black text flashed before his eyes.

Confirming that the Walking Corpse was truly dead, Shen Qing could no longer hold himself up; his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

It was just a pity that after such a great effort, it was another trait with side effects.

Karma Cutting Value +36.

Xie Chong climbed laboriously out of the cement mixer, its front end now crumpled beyond recognition, and staggered over to Shen Qing, grabbing him for support as he panted:

"Did you have cheats on?"

This Walking Corpse didn't even fear being hit by a truck; ordinary firearms were likely useless, and it would probably take a rocket launcher or a team of captains working together to secure a victory.

To think they had ground it to death by sheer force—even he found it hard to believe.

What he found even harder to believe was that Shen Qing, an F-rank, could go toe-to-toe with it. What kind of humanoid monster was this?

Shen Qing let out a laugh, which immediately made his chest ache, and he hissed through his teeth: "Just pretend I never turned them off. It's better than being dead, right?"

Both of them were too lazy to move and slumped onto the ground.

Xie Chong winced, clutching his chest as he said: "Tell me, wouldn't it have been easier to just run away earlier?"

He was aching all over; he had never suffered like this before.

Shen Qing paused, instinctively looking at the residential complex next door, where the lights were still on, looking completely out of place with the scene here.

"...I forgot."

Running away would have indeed been easier, but he truly hadn't thought of it at the time.

"By the way, how did you manage to start that cement mixer?"

As soon as he heard this, Xie Chong perked up, smugly propping himself up on one elbow, though he winced again from the pain.

"What's so hard about that? In the construction industry, what kind of machinery or vehicles haven't I touched? This old-model mixer is just a matter of hot-wiring; I could do it with my eyes closed."

"Innate Civil Engineering Saint Body?"

Shen Qing turned his head to glance at him; no wonder his innate abilities were all related to earth and construction.

The two chatted back and forth, slowly regaining their strength, when suddenly, the sound of light footsteps approached.

"What on earth is going on here!"

A roar rang out. The two looked toward the source of the sound to see a bald middle-aged man staring wide-eyed at the chaotic construction site.

The cement mixer with its crumpled front, half-solidified concrete covering the ground, scattered building materials, and the lingering dust made the entire site look as if a war had just been fought.

"Isn't the repulsion device supposed to be on?" Shen Qing asked, stunned.

"It is on."

Shen Qing followed Xie Chong's gaze, only to see that the rod-like device had been snapped in two at some point and lay scattered in the rubble.

"Holy crap, what is that?!"

The bald man finally noticed the rotting Walking Corpse on the ground, its protruding eyes staring fixedly at him.

The bald man was so terrified he tumbled backward, shrieking as he scrambled away on his hands and feet.

"It's already dead, what are you afraid of?" Xie Chong called out casually.

Startled again by the sudden voice, the bald man finally noticed Shen Qing and Xie Chong, who were struggling to stand up.

He cast a terrified glance at the corpses around him, then looked at these two disheveled, living people who were the only ones left standing.

The bald man reacted in an instant, scrambling over with a trot and a fawning expression on his face.

"You two are the members of that... special department, right?"

He had only heard vague rumors about that department and didn't know the specifics, having always dismissed them as urban legends.

The last time he had reached out just to see what would happen; people had come, but they hadn't managed to uncover anything.

But he didn't need to understand it anymore; the situation before his eyes was the best introduction possible.

Anyone capable of slaughtering these monsters all over the ground and turning the factory into a chaotic mess, as if a war had been fought, was not someone he could afford to provoke.

Hm?

There seemed to be a handgun at their waists?! This was the modern era, and in the Xia Kingdom, that sort of thing was incredibly difficult to obtain.

Thinking of this, the smile on the bald man's face became even more eager.

"Correct, the matter here has been resolved."

Xie Chong nodded and pulled an antique bronze mirror from his breast pocket. "Once our logistics personnel arrive, you can resume work by tomorrow or the day after."

He intended to wipe the bald man's memory while he was at it; after all, the man had seen the Walking Corpse.

As for the chaotic state of the construction site, that was a matter for the logistics team.

However, before he could make a move, he was quietly interrupted by Shen Qing.

He turned to look at Boss Zhao. "Let's go outside to talk; it's too messy here. You don't mind finding us a temporary place to rest, do you?"

With seven coffins buried beneath this ancient tree, he didn't believe for a second that the man knew nothing about it.

"I don't mind, I don't mind at all. This way, please."

Boss Zhao hurriedly led the way, and the three of them walked toward the prefabricated cabins at the front of the construction site.

Meanwhile, at the main gate of the site.

Jiang Cheng suddenly snapped out of his daze, looking at the sheet-metal gate before him in confusion. "Why am I here?"

Hadn't he finished his shift? Why was he wandering around here? He looked around, but it felt as if a chunk of his memory was missing, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall it.

It wasn't until three figures walked over from the back of the site...

Under the moonlight, he recognized that signature bald head. Jiang Cheng immediately remembered: he had watched Skinflint Zhao enter the site, and he was here to collect a debt!

"Boss Zhao!"

Jiang Cheng hurried over and shouted, terrified that the man might slip away again.

"Foreman Jiang, didn't I tell you all to clock out?"

Boss Zhao's brow furrowed instantly, and he instinctively tried to block him. "Whatever it is, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Jiang Cheng, however, froze, his gaze shifting past Boss Zhao to look at Shen Qing behind him.

"...Qingzi?"

"Big Brother?!"

Shen Qing was instantly dumbfounded. Hadn't he told everyone to go home? Why hadn't his big brother left yet?

Jiang Cheng covered the distance in two or three strides, grabbed Shen Qing by the arm, and began to inspect him under the faint moonlight.

His clothes were tattered, his body was covered in wounds, his skin was bruised and purple, and he looked as if he had been struck by a car.