Chapter 1613: Foreign Corpse

"How many?"

"Twenty-six, how about you?"

"Twenty-four."

"Sigh, that's fifty for the two streets combined today..."

On the bleak street, several figures were dragging two wooden carts, moving forward slowly.

It seemed the load on the carts was too heavy, and the old wooden wheels made dull creaking sounds. Accompanied by the occasional crushing of small gravel, the two small mountains piled high on the carts swayed slightly.

One of the figures dragging the cart looked back and let out a long sigh:

"This world... Alright, hurry up and pull them to the crematorium. Make sure everyone is wearing protective gear, be careful."

"What else is there to wear? You can't prevent it anyway. Who hasn't caught some disease now?"

"Stop talking nonsense. The more diseases you catch, the faster you die. Do you want to lie on the cart behind tomorrow too?"

Under this scolding, the man still reluctantly put on his mask. Just then, his peripheral vision seemed to see something, and he pointed in a direction:

"Under the corner of the wall, is there someone lying there?"

The others followed his gaze and saw that under the war-damaged, broken black wall, there was indeed a blood-colored figure lying there, motionless as if dead.

The group exchanged glances and walked straight toward that direction.

Upon getting closer, they realized it was a dying man whose body was more than half gone. His face and body were covered in blood and filth, and the jagged edges of his torso were a shocking sight, as if gnawed on by a wild beast. The group could even clearly see half a length of intestine and bone fragments spilling out from within...

Even though these people collected corpses every day, this was the first time they had seen someone die so miserably. Their faces turned pale, as if they were about to retch at any second.

"How did this person end up in such a wretched state?"

"Looks like he was bitten by a Calamity... Probably a refugee who ran over from somewhere else, hoping to seek shelter in the Cangyun Domain?"

"Seeking shelter in the Cangyun Domain? Heh, then he definitely came to the wrong place."

"Are there still that many Calamities in the Gray Realm?"

"Forget it. Since he's already inside, we can't just leave him to rot in the wilderness... Let's drag him to the crematorium and burn him together with the others."

No one stepped forward to check the man's vital signs. After all, in their eyes, it was impossible for anyone to survive after having most of their body bitten off and being left exposed in the wilderness for so long. They simply tossed the "corpse" onto the very top of the handcart and continued to creak their way toward the crematorium.

The "crematorium" they spoke of was not a real building professionally designed for burning bodies, but a patch of wasteland behind the block. A few thick logs were arranged into a structure resembling a bonfire, and barrels of gasoline were placed right next to it...

Further back was a dirt pit specifically used for storing the ashes and other remains after the bodies were burned.

"Alright, let's divide the work. Let's try to get this done before the sun sets today!"

Following the order from the man in charge, the group scattered. Some were responsible for fetching the gasoline, while others were tasked with throwing the corpses from the cart into the enclosure. Fifty-some bodies were quite a massive project for them.

"If only we could go to a proper crematorium. The incinerators there seem to be more efficient."

"Don't even think about it. With how many people are dying every day, the incinerators are already running at full capacity. Do you expect us to go wait in line? These bodies all carry infectious diseases; they must be burned as soon as possible. If we drag this out, everyone will die."

"Eh? Old Jia is here."

Just as everyone was busy, a figure wearing a filthy white lab coat strolled toward them.

Though called "Old Jia," he looked like a young man in his prime. He held a piece of bread in one hand, the other tucked into his pocket, and his mouth seemed to be chewing on something. Seeing the group busy at work, he took the initiative to tilt his chin up:

"You guys still at it?"

"Yeah, more people are dying every day... We're running out of corpse collectors. I'm planning to apply to the higher-ups tomorrow to recruit some more."

"Recruit more? Where are you going to recruit from?" The young man chewed his bread and grinned. "The streets are only left with a bunch of the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled. Are you planning to have the old folks and children help you move corpses?"

"Sigh... The elderly are out of the question, but actually, children might not be impossible."

"Dr. Jia, my mother's condition seems to have worsened again. Um... could I get some more medicine from you?" A young man responsible for carrying the corpses hesitated for a long time before stepping forward, his voice tinged with a hint of pleading.

Dr. Jia’s chewing stopped. He looked the young man up and down, then chuckled lightly:

"What do you take me for, a turtle in a wishing fountain? Where would I find that much medicine in the Cangyun Domain right now... You want me to conjure it out of thin air?"

The young man choked up instantly. He opened his mouth to stammer for a long time, not knowing what to say.

Dr. Jia glanced around, and after confirming no one was paying attention, he sighed and leaned in to whisper in his ear:

"Forget it. For the sake of our families' acquaintance, I do have a little medicine left..."

"Bring your mother to see me tonight. Keep it quiet, don't let anyone else notice, understand?"

"And... you know my fees are never cheap."

Hearing these words, the young man felt as if he had been granted a reprieve. He immediately grabbed Dr. Jia’s hand, nodding frantically in gratitude, "Thank you, thank you, Dr. Jia! I understand!"

"Mm, go back to work."

Dr. Jia stood where he was, continuing to gnaw on his bread unhurriedly, as if the piles of corpses before him had no effect on his appetite at all. He was as calm as if he were watching farmers harvesting wheat.

Body after body was piled into the enclosure, most of them elderly, with a few children. Since everyone lived in the same block, most of these were actually familiar faces.

"Tsk, the old man from the Li family really couldn't hold on for three days..."

"How come his wife is gone too... on the same day? Could it be a suicide pact?"

"What a pity for the Sun family's little one. This year, he was six, right? I remember his grades were pretty good..."

"Miss Qian is gone too... Well, never mind, it's for the best. This way, the child in her womb won't have to come out and suffer. Even hell should be better than this era."

"This one... hmm?"

When he saw half a body that clearly hadn't died of illness being tossed off the cart, Dr. Jia was slightly taken aback.

The man's face was obscured by blood and filth, but Dr. Jia was certain he wasn't from their block... and looking at his wounds, they looked strange no matter how he viewed them.

Dr. Jia stuffed the last of the bread into his mouth, put on his mask, and walked straight to the corpse, tentatively placing his fingers on the person's neck...

A moment later, his eyes widened in shock:

"What the hell..."

"Isn't this person still alive???"