Chapter 14 The Plan

The burly man opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to shout an angry curse, but life left him before the sound could escape.

Zhang Yuanqing examined him several times, confirming his death, before turning to look at his aunt.

Jiang Yu'er was dumbfounded, her small mouth open wide enough to fit an egg, staring at her nephew in disbelief.

*I like this expression.* Zhang Yuanqing's gaze shifted, a warning glance at the middle-aged female doctor cowering under the table. He raised his hand and knocked her unconscious with a chop to the neck.

The female doctor grunted and slumped to the ground.

Zhang Yuanqing retracted his hand, instinctively feeling that this was too violent and impolite, but then again, it felt normal, so he didn't dwell on it and looked at his aunt.

"Yuan... Yuanzi..."

His aunt stammered, her watery eyes filled with shock and confusion, as if she couldn't process her nephew's sudden appearance.

But at the same time, amidst the shock and confusion, there was also the joy of the person she trusted most appearing from the sky when she needed to be rescued the most.

"Aunt, are you okay?"

Jiang Yu'er burst into tears with a "wah" and, like a swallow returning to its nest, hugged her nephew, sobbing softly.

Zhang Yuanqing gently stroked his aunt's back and whispered soothingly, "Now is not the time to explain. Stay here, and 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 made such a big scene that anyone who survived would have to sign a confidentiality agreement. And since his aunt had witnessed the Fire Controller's actions and his own appearance, he couldn't hide the existence of "superpowers" from her.

Besides, he had come in a hurry and hadn't disguised himself. Since the Spirit Realm didn't have a wiping mechanism anyway, he might as well "reveal" his identity.

Zhang Yuanqing believed that there was no need to be secretive about saving family. He hadn't revealed it before because he didn't want to disrupt his family's peaceful life. Now that she had been drawn into the Spirit Realm Walker incident, he would let things take their natural course.

"Don't go!" Jiang Yu'er hugged her nephew's waist tightly, terrified. "They have guns!"

Zhang Yuanqing wasn't used to such intimate contact. He gently pushed her away and said in a low voice,

"There are bombs downstairs. If I don't take care of them, everyone in the hospital will die. Trust me."

He put on a serious expression and saw his aunt sniffle and nod obediently. Zhang Yuanqing thought, *Looks like I have a mature air about me. My aunt is subdued by my domineering aura.*

He gestured for his aunt to sit down and pondered his next move, quickly analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of both sides.

Li Xianzong's disadvantage was time. He wouldn't dare to linger in the hospital for too long. Once the deacons and even elders from other districts arrived, Li Xianzong would be doomed.

So, the Temptation Demon's plan must be to force "Yuanshi Tianzun" into the hospital as quickly as possible and then detonate the bombs.

The bombs were the thugs' advantage. If they were detonated, there would be countless casualties, and it would be headline news.

All the official Spirit Realm Walkers in Kangyang District would be disciplined.

So, the most important thing now was to deal with the bombs.

"The bomb detonators definitely aren't in Li Xianzong's hands. He dares to carry out this terrorist attack because he's taking advantage of the Guile Eye Judge's 'servant' wanting to go down in flames. It's a suicide attack, but Li Xianzong wouldn't go down in flames. In the minds of people like him, how could ordinary people's lives compare to his own?"

"There are still five thugs. I can't possibly take out so many Spirit Realm Walkers in such a short time. Locking down the detonators is key."

Zhang Yuanqing's mind was very clear. He quickly formulated a plan: first, take out the thugs controlling the bomb detonators and deal with the bombs. Then, he could take his time dealing with the rest.

But how to locate the bomb detonators? Zhang Yuanqing planned to use Spirit Interrogation, searching for clues from the Fire Controller's body.

No sooner said than done, a dark surge welled up in Zhang Yuanqing's eyes. He communicated with the spirit remaining inside the corpse, summoned it, and swallowed it in one gulp.

Jiang Yu'er widened her eyes, her eyes slightly red. She looked like a little girl who didn't understand the situation and didn't dare to ask too many questions.

A dozen seconds later, Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes, his face incredibly grim.

There were two bombs, one on the first floor and one on the second floor. The detonator for the bomb on the first floor was in the hands of a thug on the second floor, and the detonator for the bomb on the second floor was in the hands of a thug on the first floor.

In other words, he had to take out two thugs, each holding a detonator, at the same time.

"I can't kill the thugs on the second floor and the first floor simultaneously on my own. Should I ask Teng Yuan for help? No, the bombs would explode the moment he entered the hospital lobby."

Zhang Yuanqing took out his phone, quickly composed a message, and sent it to Li Dongze.

Then, he looked at his aunt and said in a low voice, "Hide here and don't go out. If there's an explosion, don't panic."

His aunt nodded obediently and said worriedly, "What about you?"

"I'll be fine." Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand and then felt his phone vibrate. Li Dongze had sent a message:

"Captain Yuan will arrive in two minutes."

On the other side, outside the outpatient building, Teng Yuan, wearing a baseball cap and mask, pressed the button on his walkie-talkie:

"Li Xianzong, you should be able to see me."

A casual laugh came from the walkie-talkie: "How do I know you're Yuanshi Tianzun? Take off your mask and hat and let me see."

Teng Yuan said calmly, "Even if I take off my mask and hat, you'll be sure it's me?"

"That makes sense!" Li Xianzong's laughter came again:

"Then I'll assume you're Yuanshi Tianzun. Here's a hint: there's a bomb installed under the information desk on the first floor. It'll automatically explode in a few minutes. The detonator is on that guy wearing the black jacket. If you want to save the ordinary people in the hospital, you'd better act quickly."

"Yuanshi Tianzun, let me see what you're capable of."

Teng Yuan raised his hand, pressed it to his ear, and said in a low voice, "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 detonator for the bomb on the first floor is in the hands of a thug on the second floor. The moment you rush in, the thug on the second floor will detonate the bomb on the first floor."

Teng Yuan: "How do you know that?"

Li Dongze: "Yuanshi has infiltrated the hospital. He assassinated a thug and obtained the information through Spirit Interrogation."

Teng Yuan: "That kid is really reassuring. I'll give him a raise when we get back."

Li Dongze:

"I'm the squad leader!!"

Li Dongze: "Don't go in yet. Pretend to hesitate. Stall for as long as you can. Li Xianzong is watching you."

Teng Yuan: "Judging by the time, the deacon and other teams should be arriving soon. Have you thought about why Li Xianzong still dares to stay in the hospital? What's his confidence based on?"

Li Dongze: "Are you saying he's confident he can get away?"

Halfway through his sentence, Li Dongze changed his tone: "Yuan Ting is here. Get ready to move. Teng Yuan, provide support as needed."

Teng Yuan: "Understood."

"Yuan Ting has infiltrated the hospital. He's responsible for taking out the thugs on the first floor, and you're responsible for the second floor. In three seconds, I'll have Wang Tai cut off the hospital's surveillance system."

His phone vibrated slightly. Zhang Yuanqing read the message and silently counted to himself, "One, two, three..."

He entered Night Wander and darted out like a wild horse.

On the other side, in the surveillance room, Li Xianzong shifted his gaze from Teng Yuan, first checking the time and then scanning the first, second, and fourth floors.

He didn't have much time left. This game was all about exploiting the time difference. If he continued to drag it out, he would be dead. He had a maximum of five minutes to evacuate.

With that thought, Li Xianzong subconsciously touched his pocket to make sure the item was still there.

This item had no offensive power, but it was of a very high level. Aside from some special sealing methods, no one could trap him.

This was the source of his confidence to take risks and carry out a terrorist attack. In a big city, even experts at the Saint stage wouldn't dare to do something like this unless they had a death wish.

He suddenly frowned and picked up the walkie-talkie:

"Four, let me see you. Four, let me see you."

The walkie-talkie was silent; there was no response.

Li Xianzong raised an eyebrow and instead asked, "Five, what's going on?"

The gaunt man in the waiting room on the fourth floor grabbed the walkie-talkie and replied with a grin, "Four is inside playing with a woman. I heard he found a real beauty."

"Go check it out. I suspect Yuanshi Tianzun has already infiltrated." *Wasn't he at the entrance?*

Li Xianzong chuckled. "You believe what the officials say?"

The gaunt man immediately abandoned the hostages and walked toward the obstetrics and gynecology corridor. At the same time, Li Xianzong saw the screens flicker and turn into static.

*Here it comes!* Li Xianzong issued an order over the walkie-talkie:

"Someone has cut off the surveillance. Detonate the bombs immediately!

Someone has cut off the surveillance. Detonate the bombs immediately!"

On the second floor, the thugs received the message from the walkie-talkie. One of them, a dark-skinned, taciturn man, reached into his pocket without hesitation.

He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. From the moment he learned that Black Impermanence had been killed and the Holy Grail had fallen into the hands of the authorities, his life had been nothing but despair.

And a life of despair should end in a spectacular blaze of glory.

"Bang! Bang!"

Just as his finger touched the detonator, two bullets exploded in the back of his head. The force and the burst of fire caused the man to stagger backward.

The expected scene of brains splattering didn't occur. This was an Earth Hermit.

Behind the two men, the figure of the attacker emerged. He was young and his face was covered in black and red scorch marks.

Faced with the sudden attack, the two thugs were prepared. One raised his gun and fired, while the other continued the interrupted "detonation process."

"Bang! Bang!"

The bullets hit the attacker but seemed to hit a reflection.

Hidden in the corner, Zhang Yuanqing took out the "Straw Man." The Straw Man's face twisted and changed, spiraling and growing eyes and a nose, exactly like the Earth Hermit.

Zhang Yuanqing pinched the Straw Man's head with two fingers and pulled hard.

The Straw Man showed a "painful" expression.

The Earth Hermit suddenly choked and made a difficult "heh-heh" sound. His face was shrouded in a layer of ashen gray.

Various negative emotions flashed through his mind—anger, pain, slaughter, hatred, sadness. The Earth Hermit's reason was lost in degradation, turning him into a wild beast dominated by negative emotions.

He locked his target on the only other person who posed a threat, the other thug, and lunged at him.

"Crap!"

The grim-faced companion cursed and retreated, pointing his gun at the Earth Hermit and pulling the trigger.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The bullets struck the Earth Hermit's head, as if hitting steel armor. Stray bullets flew everywhere, startling the surrounding hostages into a frenzy of panic, screaming and scrambling to escape.

The grim-faced man dropped his empty gun, dodged the Earth Hermit's chaotic punches, and reached for the Earth Hermit's pocket.

He needed to get the detonator.

At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, the grim-faced man saw the attacker reappear, a few meters to his left. Unlike the previous phantom, this attacker had a pair of black-rimmed glasses on his face.

The attacker raised his gun and aimed at him.

Bang!

The large-caliber pistol spewed smoke and flames. The fiery red bullet spun at high speed, creating a spray of water as it struck the thug, like a pebble thrown into a pond.

This was a Water Imp!

He could briefly ignore any physical attack.

The grim-faced man gave the attacker a mocking smile. He had successfully reached into the Earth Hermit's pocket.

But just then, the attacker dropped his gun and donned a pair of crimson half-finger gloves. He slammed his fists together at his chest.

"Boom!"

Flames and heat surged, as if a high-explosive grenade had exploded in the waiting room. The shockwave shook the walls, and the flames licked at flammable objects.

The Water Imp and the Earth Hermit were sent flying in the violent explosion.

Fortunately, the previous fighting had allowed the nearby hostages to escape. Otherwise, this one explosion would have killed most of them.

Of course, it was precisely because the hostages had escaped that Zhang Yuanqing dared to use this move.

He picked up the exploded pistol and pulled the trigger at the Water Imp, forcing him to constantly roll away.

Zhang Yuanqing continued to fire as he approached the groggy Earth Hermit, like a cold-blooded killer walking through a hail of bullets.

At that moment, the Earth Hermit shook his head and staggered to his feet.

Zhang Yuanqing leaped up and kneed the Earth Hermit's cervical spine, causing him to fall to the ground again.

He grabbed a forty-centimeter-long silver broken blade from the void with his gloved hand, raised it high, and stabbed it forcefully into the Earth Hermit's head.

"Thud!"

The armor-piercing effect of the Bloodthirsty Blade directly destroyed the Earth Hermit's prized defense. Half the blade pierced his skull.

The Earth Hermit immediately stopped struggling.

The Water Imp took the opportunity to escape into the depths of the examination area.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't bother with the fleeing Water Imp. He took out the detonator from the Earth Hermit's pocket. Just as he put it away, he heard a muffled thud in the hallway outside the waiting room.

Following the sound, he saw Yuan Ting.

The King of the River was wearing black trousers, a black shirt, and an indescribable air of nobility about him.

Beside him was a burly man with a pale face, a rigid expression, black and sharp fingertips, and cloudy eyes.

It was a zombie.

"The two thugs downstairs have been taken care of, and the hostages have been evacuated. Did you get the detonator?" Yuan Ting spoke very quickly.

"I've taken care of it too." Zhang Yuanqing shifted his gaze from the zombie and said, "But a Water Imp escaped. There's also a thug on the fourth floor, and... well, there's Li Xianzong."

The operation was smoother than he had expected.

With the bombs dealt with, the hostages could escape. With the current number of thugs, it would be difficult to control the hostages again. And at this time, Li Dongze and the others must have already begun their operations.

Yuan Ting nodded. "Well done. You're growing very quickly. Elder Sun is confused. Don't waste time. Go to the fourth floor."

As soon as he finished speaking, a thick fog suddenly enveloped the area.

The white fog obscured the vision and blocked Yuan Ting from Zhang Yuanqing's sight.

"Be careful! The Enchantress Demon at the Saint stage is called the Mist Lord. They are invincible in the fog. This must be Li Xianzong's item!" Yuan Ting's voice stopped abruptly.

All around, everything was silent. Zhang Yuanqing couldn't tell which direction was which. The whole world seemed to have been abandoned, leaving only him.

ps: Fixed typos after the update, code the next chapter first.

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