Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1238 - 601

"Bang!"

A dull thud of flesh meeting flesh reverberated deep within the water factory.

Like a discarded sandbag, Zhou Ming was sent flying, crashing heavily into a heap of rusty pipes.

He lay on the ground, retching violently, spitting out a mouthful of foul-smelling, dark water.

As the black liquid sprayed, a shadow that had been clinging to him let out a piercing shriek before rapidly vanishing into thin air.

The signs of Zhou Ming’s vacant, rolled-back eyes began to recede, his pupils regaining their sharp focus.

He stared blankly for a couple of seconds, then sharply inhaled.

"Hiss—my face!!!"

Zhou Ming clutched his cheek, which was noticeably swelling, and cried out in pain.

He then struggled to rise, using both his hands and feet.

At this moment, the black-framed spectacles perched on his nose had only one arm clinging to his ear, dangling precariously with his movements.

Zhou Ming looked around, a sense of bewilderment clouding his expression.

Finally, his gaze landed on Fang Cheng, who was calmly rotating his wrist, and he mumbled,

"Fang, Fang Cheng? What happened? Why does it feel like a massive truck just plowed into my face?"

Fang Cheng’s countenance remained unperturbed.

He stepped forward, bent down, retrieved the broken arm of Zhou Ming’s glasses, and offered it back.

"Did you forget? A monster had latched onto you. To free you, I had to employ some rather forceful physical measures."

"Forceful measures?"

Zhou Ming winced, his face contorted in pain and utter confusion.

"What… what did you do?"

Fang Cheng glanced at Zhou Ming’s face, now as swollen as a steamed bun, and stated with sincerity,

"After you were possessed, you lost your balance and fell. It just so happened that your face collided with this pile of pipes. Fortunately, the monster was expelled from you."

Standing nearby, Wang Lan couldn't suppress a violent twitch of her lips.

She instinctively touched her own neck, which still throbbed with lingering pain.

Suddenly, she grasped why her throat had felt so searingly hot earlier.

It appeared she, too, had just undergone this very same "forceful physical treatment."

Wang Lan clenched her teeth, her expression a mixture of bewilderment.

Contemplating Fang Cheng’s composed profile, she remained uncertain whether to feel indebted for his life-saving intervention or resentful of his heavy-handedness.

..................

Half an hour elapsed.

Five high school students were sprawled across the weed-choked stone steps before the water plant’s entrance.

Apart from Fang Cheng, the other four were uniformly bruised and battered, covered in a layer of dust and dark smudges, appearing utterly disheveled.

"Cough cough… My goodness, I truly believed I wouldn’t emerge from this day alive."

Zhou Ming panted heavily, cradling his swollen left cheek.

"Mm, mm, thankfully I didn’t lose the snacks I brought…"

Li Dazhuang unzipped his backpack, shook out an assortment of food items, and distributed them among Fang Cheng and the others.

He himself unscrewed a bottle of cola and took several long gulps to steady his nerves.

In reality, he was likely the least affected by fear among them, having barely witnessed the events unfold or comprehended why he had been possessed.

The tales from his classmates sounded so terrifying that he felt a slight unease recalling them.

Lin Xue tightly gripped the now-damaged detector, her face still pale.

Yet, her eyes gleamed with unconcealable excitement, her mouth unable to cease its chatter:

"Our Supernatural Research Society has been in existence for nearly a year, and today, we finally encountered the genuine article."

"So, ghosts and monsters truly exist in this world! It’s simply astonishing!"

Hearing this, Zhou Ming couldn't help but quirk his lips.

The unspoken meaning was, doesn't your family manage a Shrine? Isn’t your mother a medium?

Do you genuinely require this excursion to confirm such matters?

"Indeed, we must offer our sincere gratitude to Fang Cheng for this incident."

Wang Lan stood nearby, gently massaging her aching neck, and remarked with heartfelt sincerity,

"He generally appears so refined; who could have foreseen he’d be so dependable when danger arose? Those blows earlier possessed incredible power, far exceeding the effectiveness of Lin Xue’s talismanic water!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xue, seated on the steps, flushed with embarrassment.

She lowered her head, glancing at the brightly colored water guns resting by her feet, and awkwardly nudged them with her toe, sheepishly defending her actions:

"That… that’s because the talismanic water from my mother at the Shrine is primarily designed for dealing with lesser nature spirits."

"This water plant is a relic of modern industry; its magnetic field and feng shui are different. It’s… operating outside its usual domain."

"Right, outside its domain. And perhaps the talismanic water had passed its prime, hence its effectiveness was not demonstrated…"

Her earnest attempt to save face prompted Wang Lan to roll her eyes without reservation.

In the shared relief of having survived the ordeal, the atmosphere gradually lightened considerably.

The group took a break on the steps, their breaths slowly returning to normal.

By this point, the sky outside had completely darkened.

The suburban area, lacking in streetlights, seemed especially deserted.

A cold autumn wind swept through, carrying a sharp chill.

"It's dark now, we should head home quickly, or our families will start to fret,"

Lin Xue tightened her light coat and proposed.

Everyone nodded, offering each other support as they proceeded down the dirt path toward the main road.

"Fang Cheng, I really owe you for this. I'll get you a big pork chop at lunch tomorrow!"

Zhou Ming walked alongside him, speaking with enthusiasm, eager to further boast about his earlier courage against the shadow.

"Hold on..."

Fang Cheng abruptly halted, uttering two words.

"What is it?"

Zhou Ming spun around, looking at him with bewilderment.

Instead of replying, Fang Cheng lifted his gaze to the sky, a hint of confusion on his face.