He instinctively gripped the gun in his arms, cursing under his breath, and sleepily, warily, and impatiently leaned halfway out, peering in the direction of the sound...

A surge of spiritual energy entered the guard's skull!

"puff--"

Red and white substances splattered instantly, staining the dilapidated walls of the guard post and his own body.

He didn't even get a scream out before his protruding half-body slumped down, lifeless, leaving only his headless corpse in that comical outstretched position...

The whole process was faster than anyone could imagine; from the moment the brick hit the ground to the moment the guard was killed, it took only two or three seconds.

Looking at the guard post that had instantly become incredibly bloody, He Zhuo couldn't help but grin and mutter under his breath, "Sister, Brother Xu...did we really have to make it so...so shocking?"

Shi Xu withdrew his mental energy expressionlessly: "When I take action, the noise is minimal and the efficiency is maximum."

Judging from your actions just now, you didn't intend to kill with one blow. The other party will inevitably struggle and shout, which will only increase the risk.

Only by taking action can I ensure that nothing goes wrong and that I don't alert the enemy.

Besides, doesn't this crimson hue suit the scenery of this rocky outcrop perfectly? It's not out of place...

He Zhuo pursed his lips, rolled his eyes, and mimicked Shi Xu's tone: "This blood color, doesn't it perfectly match the scenery of this rock?"

Ugh...you're such a faker! ...I think you're cuter when you call me "uncle"!

Shi Xu lifted his foot and walked forward: [I absolutely cannot pay any attention to this idiot, otherwise this old grudge will never end!]

Gu Qi: "He Zhuo, stop joking around, it's your turn to shine..."

"Quickly clean that thing up and put it back, and cover up the bloodstains too, so that if a patrol comes by, they won't spot the problem immediately."

"I know, I know, you only know how to make me do this dirty and tiring work..." He Zhuo complained, but his movements were not slow at all.

He used his earth-based abilities to roughly shove the headless corpse back into a corner of the guard post with a single earth spike...

Then, he manipulated the soil to quickly cover, bury, and compact the shattered skull fragments and splattered red and white matter on the ground.

While it cannot be completely restored to its original state, at least from the outside, it is no longer so shocking...

After dealing with this minor incident, the group passed through the gap in the makeshift barbed wire fence and entered the shantytown.

Stepping inside feels like instantly falling from modern society into a forgotten medieval slum, or even worse...

The odor in the air became more tangible and more suffocating...

What came into view was a densely packed, low, and dilapidated shack.

These so-called "houses" are mostly cobbled together from tattered plastic sheets, dirty canvas, salvaged wooden sticks, and rusty iron sheets. They are crooked and look as if a slightly strong wind could completely overturn them.

The roofs mostly had holes, barely enough to keep out light rain, but definitely not enough to keep out the bitter cold...

They moved silently along the edge of the narrow, muddy, sewage-filled "road".

Through the gaps in some of the shacks that were not completely covered, one could glimpse the interior—the so-called “beds” were nothing more than some blackened and moldy straw, tattered cotton wadding, or a few rickety wooden planks spread on the ground.

The space inside the shed is extremely cramped, often crammed with several people, or even more...