The burly man opened his mouth as if to curse, but his life slipped away before the words could escape.
Zhang Yuanqing examined the body several times to confirm the man was truly dead before turning to his aunt.
Jiang Yu'er stared in disbelief, her mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg, as she gazed at her nephew.
I like this expression, Zhang Yuanqing thought, his gaze shifting downward to the middle-aged female doctor cowering under the table. With a swift chop of his hand, he knocked her unconscious.
The doctor groaned softly and slumped to the floor.
Zhang Yuanqing retracted his hand, instinctively feeling that his actions were too violent and impolite. Yet he also felt they were perfectly justified, so he dismissed the thought and turned back to his aunt.
"Y-Yuanzi..." she stammered, her beautiful, tear-filled eyes brimming with shock and confusion, as if unable to process her nephew's sudden appearance.
But beneath the shock and confusion, there was also the joy of having the person she trusted most appear like a savior in her moment of greatest need.
"Aunt, are you alright?"
Jiang Yu'er burst into tears, throwing herself into her nephew's arms like a swallow returning to its nest, sobbing softly.
Zhang Yuanqing gently stroked his aunt's back, whispering soothingly, "This isn't the time for explanations. Stay here and rest. I'll take care of those thugs. If you have any questions, come to my room tonight, and we'll talk then."
The thugs had escalated the situation to such a scale that all survivors would have to sign confidentiality agreements. Since his aunt had witnessed the Fire Master's actions and his own appearance, the existence of "superpowers" could no longer be concealed from her.
Moreover, he had arrived in such haste that he hadn't bothered with a disguise. Since the Spirit Realm lacked any memory-wiping mechanisms, he decided to simply reveal his identity.
Zhang Yuanqing believed there was no need for secrecy when rescuing family. He had only refrained from disclosing his true nature to avoid disrupting their peaceful lives. Now that she had been drawn into the world of Spirit Realm Walkers, he would let things unfold naturally.
"Don't go!" Jiang Yu'er clung tightly to her nephew's waist, her voice trembling with fear. "They have guns!"
Uncomfortable with such close physical contact, Zhang Yuanqing gently pushed her away, whispering, "There are bombs downstairs. If we don't stop them, everyone in the hospital will die. Trust me."
He adopted a serious expression, then saw his aunt sniffle and nod obediently. Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, Looks like I'm exuding a mature, commanding aura now. Even Aunt is intimidated by my imposing presence.
He gestured for her to sit down and began strategizing, quickly analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.
Li Xianzong's weakness was time. He wouldn't dare linger at the hospital too long; if Deacons or even Elders from other districts arrived, his fate would be sealed.
Therefore, the Seductive Demon's plan likely involved forcing "Primordial Heavenly Venerable" into the hospital as quickly as possible and detonating the bomb.
The bomb was the terrorists' advantage. Once detonated, the massive casualties would make headlines worldwide.
Every Official Walker in Kangyang District would face severe disciplinary action.
The immediate priority was neutralizing the bomb.
The remote detonator isn't in Li Xianzong's hands. He's orchestrating this terrorist attack by exploiting the Eerie Eye Judge's "Minion's" suicidal tendencies. It's a suicide mission, and Li Xianzong would never sacrifice himself. To someone like him, the lives of ordinary people are worthless compared to his own.
"There are still five assailants left. I can't take down that many Spirit Realm Walkers in such a short time. Securing the Controller is key."
Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced, quickly formulating a plan. First, he would eliminate the assailant controlling the bomb's Controller to disarm the device. Then, he could proceed more methodically.
But how to locate the Controller? Zhang Yuanqing decided to Inquire the Soul, searching for clues within the Fire Master's corpse.
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing's eyes swirled with dark energy as he communed with the lingering Spirit within the corpse, summoning it forth and devouring it whole.
Jiang Yu'er watched with wide, slightly reddened eyes, her expression a mixture of confusion and fear, like a young girl who didn't understand the situation but dared not ask too many questions.
After a dozen seconds, Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes, his face grim.
There were two bombs, one on the first floor and another on the second. The Controller for the first-floor bomb was in the hands of an assailant on the second floor, while the Controller for the second-floor bomb was held by an assailant on the first floor.
This meant he had to simultaneously eliminate two assailants, each holding a Controller.
"I can't kill both the first-floor and second-floor assailants at the same time alone. Should I ask Teng Yuan for help? No, the moment he enters the hospital lobby, the bombs will detonate."
Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his phone and quickly typed a message to Li Dongze.
Then, he turned to his aunt and whispered, "Hide here and don't come out under any circumstances. If there's an explosion, don't panic."
His aunt nodded obediently, but her voice was filled with worry as she asked, "What about you?"
"I'll be fine," Zhang Yuanqing waved dismissively, just as his phone vibrated. Li Dongze had sent a message:
"Captain Yuan will arrive in two minutes."
Meanwhile, outside the clinic building, Teng Yuan, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, pressed the intercom button:
"Li Xianzong, you should be able to see me."
A mocking laugh came through the intercom: "How do I know you're the Primordial Heavenly Venerable? Take off your mask and hat. Let me see your face."
Teng Yuan replied calmly, "If I remove my mask and hat, will that prove I'm him?"
"Good point!" Li Xianzong's laughter echoed through the intercom. "Then I'll assume you are the Primordial Heavenly Venerable. Here's a hint: there's a bomb under the information desk on the first floor. It's set to detonate automatically in a few minutes. The controller is on the guy in the black jacket. If you want to save the civilians in the hospital, you'd better hurry.
"Primordial Heavenly Venerable, show me what you're made of."
Teng Yuan raised his hand to his ear and whispered, "Did you hear that?"
Li Dongze's voice came through the wireless microphone:
"He's lying to you. There are bombs on both the first and second floors, but the controller for the first-floor bombs is in the hands of the second-floor terrorists. If you breach the building, they'll detonate the first-floor bombs."
Teng Yuan: "How do you know this?"
Li Dongze: "Primordial has already infiltrated the hospital. He assassinated a terrorist and obtained this information through Inquire the Soul."
Teng Yuan: "That kid... he's surprisingly reliable. I'll give him a raise later."
Li Dongze: "..."
I'm the Chief!
Li Dongze: "Don't go in yet. Pretend to hesitate and stall for as long as possible. Li Xianzong is watching you."
Teng Yuan: "Judging by the timing, the Deacon and the other teams should be arriving soon. Have you considered why Li Xianzong is still daring to stay in the hospital? What's the source of his confidence?"
Li Dongze: "You mean he's confident he can escape?"
Mid-sentence, Li Dongze's tone shifted abruptly. "Yuan Ting has arrived. Prepare to move out. Teng Yuan, provide support as needed."
Teng Yuan: "Understood."
"Yuan Ting has infiltrated the hospital. He'll eliminate the terrorists on the first floor, while you handle the second floor. In three seconds, I'll have Wang Tai cut off the hospital's surveillance system."
Zhang Yuanqing's phone vibrated softly. After reading the message, he silently counted down: One, two, three...
He entered Night Roaming and bolted forward like a wild horse freed from its reins.
Meanwhile, in the surveillance room, Li Xianzong shifted his gaze from Teng Yuan, first checking the time before scanning the first, second, and fourth floors.
He was running out of time. This strategy relied on exploiting time differences; prolonging it would lead to certain death. He had no more than five minutes to evacuate.
With this thought, Li Xianzong instinctively patted his pocket to confirm the Item was still there.
This Item possessed no offensive capabilities, but its high level meant that, aside from a few specialized containment methods, no one could trap him.
This was the source of his confidence to take such risks and carry out terrorist attacks. After all, even Saint Stage experts wouldn't dare pull off such stunts in a major metropolis unless they had a death wish.
Suddenly frowning, Li Xianzong grabbed the walkie-talkie:
"Number Four, show yourself. Number Four, show yourself."
Silence. No response.
Li Xianzong raised an eyebrow and switched channels. "Number Five, what's going on?"
The lean man in the fourth-floor waiting area snatched up his walkie-talkie and replied with a sinister chuckle, "Number Four's busy with a woman inside. Heard he found a real prize."
"Go check it out. I suspect the Primordial Heavenly Venerable has infiltrated the building."
"But isn't he at the entrance?"
Li Xianzong sneered. "You believe what the Officials tell you?"
The wiry man immediately abandoned his hostage and headed toward the obstetrics and gynecology corridor. At the same moment, Li Xianzong noticed the surveillance screens flickering, all turning to static.
He's here! Li Xianzong barked into the intercom:
"Someone's cut the surveillance. Detonate the bombs immediately!"
Someone's cut the surveillance. Detonate the bombs immediately!
On the second floor, the terrorists received the intercom message. Among them, a dark-skinned, taciturn man reached into his pocket without hesitation.
He had been waiting for this moment ever since learning of the Black guard of Impermanence's death and the Holy Grail falling into the Officials' hands. His life had been reduced to despair.
A life of despair should end with a spectacular burst of flames.
Bang! Bang!
Just as his fingers brushed the detonator, two bullets exploded against the back of his head. The force and fiery blast sent him staggering backward, his body twisting violently.
Contrary to expectations, there was no splatter of brain matter. This was an Earth Fiend.
Behind the two men, the attacker materialized, his youthful face marred by crimson burn scars.
Prepared for the ambush, one of the thugs raised his gun and fired, while the other resumed the interrupted detonation sequence.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bullets struck the attacker, but it was as if they had hit a reflection.
Zhang Yuanqing, hidden in a corner, pulled out the Scarecrow. The Scarecrow's face twisted and writhed, sprouting eyes and a nose, transforming into the Earth Fiend's likeness.
Zhang Yuanqing pinched the Scarecrow's head between two fingers and squeezed with all his might.
The Scarecrow contorted in a grimace of "pain."
In the next instant, the Earth Fiend clutched his throat, gasping hoarsely as a pallid grayness washed over his face.
A torrent of negative emotions flooded his mind: rage, agony, bloodlust, hatred, sorrow. The Earth Fiend's rationality crumbled, transforming him into a savage beast driven by these dark impulses.
He locked his gaze on the only remaining threat—the other thug—and lunged at him.
"Fuck!"
The grim-faced companion cursed, retreating while leveling his gun at the Earth Fiend and pulling the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets slammed into the Earth Fiend's head, ricocheting off its armored skull like they were striking steel. Stray rounds scattered wildly, sending the surrounding hostages into a panic, screaming and scrambling for cover.
The grim-faced man tossed aside his empty pistol, dodging the Earth Fiend's clumsy punch with a swift sidestep. He reached into the creature's pocket, aiming to retrieve the detonator.
Just then, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the attacker reappearing a few meters to his left. Unlike the earlier phantom, this time the attacker wore black-framed glasses.
The attacker raised his gun and aimed.
Bang!
The large-caliber pistol roared, spitting smoke and flame. The crimson bullet spun at high velocity, striking the grim-faced man's chest and erupting in a splash of water droplets, like a pebble thrown into a pond.
This was a Water Ghost!
He could briefly ignore any physical attack.
The grim-faced man smirked mockingly at the attacker, his hand successfully slipping into the Earth Fiend's pocket.
But in that instant, the attacker dropped his pistol. A pair of crimson, fingerless gauntlets had materialized on his hands. He clenched his fists and slammed them together against his chest.
Boom!
Flames and a searing heatwave erupted, as if a high-explosive grenade had detonated in the waiting room. The shockwave rattled the walls, and flames licked at flammable materials.
Amidst the deafening explosion, both the Water Ghost and the Earth Fiend were hurled backward.
Fortunately, the earlier battle had scattered the nearby hostages. Otherwise, this single attack would have killed most of them.
Of course, it was precisely because the hostages had fled that Zhang Yuanqing dared to use this move.
He picked up the Explosive Pistol from the ground and fired at the Water Ghost, forcing it to roll repeatedly to evade the shots.
As he fired, Zhang Yuanqing advanced toward the dazed Earth Fiend, moving through the hail of bullets like a cold-blooded assassin.
At that moment, the Earth Fiend shook its head and staggered to its feet.
Zhang Yuanqing leaped forward, driving both knees into the creature's Cervical Spine. The Earth Fiend collapsed to the ground once more.
His gloved hand reached into the Void, summoning a forty-centimeter-long silver broken blade. He raised it high and plunged it down into the Earth Fiend's skull.
Thud!
The Blade of Bloodlust's armor-piercing effect shattered the Earth Fiend's vaunted defenses, driving half the blade deep into its head.
The Earth Fiend immediately ceased struggling.
Seizing the opportunity, the Water Ghost fled deeper into the examination area.
Zhang Yuanqing ignored the fleeing Water Ghost and retrieved the detonator from the Earth Fiend's pocket. Just as he secured the device, a muffled thud echoed from the corridor outside the waiting room.
Turning toward the sound, he saw Yuan Ting.
The River King stood there, dressed in black trousers and a black shirt, his bearing radiating an indescribable noble aura.
Beside him stood a hulking man with a deathly pale complexion and a rigid expression. His fingers were black and sharp, and his eyes were cloudy.
This was a Zombie.
"The two thugs downstairs have been dealt with, and the hostages have been evacuated. Did you get the detonator?" Yuan Ting asked, his words rapid-fire.
"I've secured it," Zhang Yuanqing replied, shifting his gaze from the Zombie. "But one Water Ghost escaped, and there's still a thug on the fourth floor. Oh, and Li Xianzong is there too."
The operation was proceeding more smoothly than he had anticipated.
With the bomb neutralized, the hostages could escape. Given the thugs' dwindling numbers, they would struggle to maintain control. Moreover, Li Dongze and his team must have already launched their assault.
Yuan Ting nodded. "Well done. Your growth is remarkable. Elder Sun was foolish to underestimate you. Don't waste time—head to the fourth floor."
As his words faded, a thick mist suddenly enveloped the area.
The blinding white fog obscured all visibility, concealing Yuan Ting from Zhang Yuanqing's sight.
"Be careful," Yuan Ting's voice warned, cutting off abruptly. "Seductive Demons at the Saint Stage are called Mist Lords. They're invincible in dense fog. This must be Li Xianzong's Item."
Silence descended. Zhang Yuanqing lost all sense of direction, feeling utterly alone in the world.