Chapter 119: Rescuing the Hostages

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The burly man opened his mouth, seemingly about to curse, but before a word could escape his lips, his life departed.

After confirming his complete demise with a few glances, Zhang Yuanqing turned to his aunt.

Jiang Yubai stared in disbelief, her mouth wide open as if it could fit an egg, looking at her nephew in utter astonishment.

Zhang Yuanqing liked this expression. He shifted his gaze downward, glancing at the middle-aged female doctor cowering under the table, then raised his hand and knocked her unconscious with a swift blow of his hand blade.

The female doctor let out a muffled groan and slumped to the ground.

Zhang Yuanqing put away his hand blade, feeling that his actions might have been too impulsive and impolite but also considering it necessary. He then turned his attention back to his aunt.

"Yuan... Yuanzi," his aunt stammered, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and confusion, seemingly unable to comprehend her nephew suddenly appearing here.

But within her astonishment and confusion, there was also the joy of having the person she trusted most come to her rescue when she needed it the most.

"Aunt, are you okay?" Jiang Yubai burst into tears, embracing her nephew tightly as if seeking refuge.

Zhang Yuanqing gently patted her back and whispered, "It's not the time to explain now. Stay here, and I'll take care of those criminals. If you have any questions, come to my room tonight, and we'll talk."

With the situation having escalated to this point due to the criminals, everyone who survived would have to sign a confidentiality agreement. Moreover, his aunt had witnessed the Fire Manipulator's abilities and the existence of "superpowers," so there was no point in hiding it anymore.

"Don't go," Jiang Yubai clung tightly to her nephew's waist, fear in her voice. "They have guns."

Zhang Yuanqing, not accustomed to such intimate contact, gently pushed her away and said quietly, "There's a bomb downstairs. If we don't deal with them, everyone in the hospital will die. Trust me."

He adopted a stern expression and saw his aunt sniffle, nodding obediently. Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, it seems like I'm exuding a mature and authoritative aura now. My aunt is clearly impressed by my presence.

He gestured for his aunt to sit in a chair and contemplated the next steps, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each side.

Li Xianzong's disadvantage was time. He wouldn't dare to linger in the hospital for too long, as waiting for other district enforcers or even elders to arrive would spell certain death for him.

So, this bewitching fiend's plan must be to force "Yuan Shi Tian Zun" into the hospital in the shortest time possible and then detonate the bomb.

The bomb was the criminals' advantage. Once it went off, there would be numerous casualties, and it would make headlines. All official practitioners in the Kangyang district would face disciplinary actions.

Therefore, the most crucial task now was to defuse the bombs.

"The remote control for the bombs is definitely not in Li Xianzong's hands. He dares to carry out this terrorist attack using the idea of 'Slave' Yu Shi Ju Fen, a self-destructive mission, but Li Xianzong won't self-destruct. In his mind, the lives of ordinary people can't compare to his own."

"There are still five criminals left, and I can't take down that many spirit practitioners in a short time. Locating the remote control is the key."

Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts were clear, and he quickly formulated a plan. His first step would be to eliminate the criminals controlling the bomb detonators, allowing them to defuse the bombs, and then deal with the rest at his own pace.

As for how to locate the bomb's remote control, Zhang Yuanqing planned to consult the spirits and search for clues on the body of the fire practitioner.

He acted on his plan without hesitation, summoning the lingering spirit from the corpse and swallowing it in one gulp.

Jiang Yubai widened her eyes, her eyes slightly red, appearing bewildered, like a young girl who didn't understand the situation and was afraid to ask questions.

After about fifteen seconds, Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes, his complexion extremely grim.

There were two bombs—one on the first floor and one on the second floor. The remote control for the first-floor bomb was in the hands of the second-floor criminal, and vice versa. In other words, he had to simultaneously eliminate two criminals holding the remote controls.

"I can't take down both the second-floor and first-floor criminals by myself. Should I ask Teng Yuan for help? No, if he enters the hospital lobby, the bomb will immediately explode."

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

Then he looked at his aunt and whispered, "Stay here. Don't go out. If an explosion occurs, don't panic."

His aunt nodded obediently but also worriedly asked, "What about you?"

"I'll be fine," Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand, and then he 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 duckbill cap and mask, pressed the button on the walkie-talkie:

"Teng Yuan, you should be able to see me."

A careless laughter came through the walkie-talkie, "How do I know if you're really Yuan Shi Tian Zun? Take off your mask and cap, let me see."

Teng Yuan replied calmly, "If I take off my mask and cap, how can you be sure it's me?"

"Fair point!" Laughter emanated from the walkie-talkie. "Then I'll assume you're Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Now, here's a hint for you: there's a bomb installed under the first-floor reception desk. In a few minutes, it will detonate automatically. The controller is with the guy in the black coat. If you want to save the ordinary people in the hospital, act quickly."

"Yuan Shi Tian Zun, let me see your skills."

Teng Yuan raised his hand and placed it near his ear, whispering, "Did you hear that?"

Through the wireless microphone, Li Dongze's voice came, "He's lying to you. There are bombs on both the first and second floors. However, the controller for the first-floor bomb is in the hands of the second-floor criminal. Once you enter, the second-floor criminal will detonate the first-floor bomb."

Teng Yuan asked, "How do you know this?"

Li Dongze replied, "Yuan Shi has already infiltrated the hospital. He assassinated one of the criminals and gathered information through spirit communication."

Teng Yuan chuckled, "This kid is really reassuring. I'll give him a raise later."

Li Dongze responded with silence, and Teng Yuan continued, "Never mind, I was just kidding."

Li Dongze said, "Don't go in just yet. Pretend to hesitate. Li Xianzong is watching you."

Teng Yuan pondered, "Let me calculate the time. The enforcers and other teams will arrive soon. Have you thought about why Li Xianzong still dares to stay in the hospital? What's his confidence and assurance?"

Li Dongze asked, "Are you suggesting he has an escape plan?"

But before the conversation could continue, Li Dongze changed the subject, "Yuan Ting has entered the hospital. He's responsible for taking out the first-floor criminal, and you're in charge of the second floor. In three seconds, I'll have Wang Tai cut off the hospital's surveillance system."

Teng Yuan's phone vibrated lightly, and after reading the message, he counted silently, "One, two, three." Then, he entered the Night Roam and burst out like an unbridled horse.

Meanwhile, in the monitoring room, Li Xianzong shifted his gaze away from Teng Yuan and first checked the time. Then, he scanned the first floor, second floor, and fourth floor.

Time was running out, and this strategy relied on timing. If he continued to delay, there would be no way out. He had at most five minutes to withdraw.

With this in mind, Li Xianzong subconsciously touched his pocket to confirm that the item was still there.

This item had no offensive capabilities, but its level was very high. Besides some special sealing techniques, no one could trap him.

This was the confidence that allowed him to take such a risk and play this kind of terrorist attack. In a major city, conducting a terrorist attack like this, even for a Saint-tier practitioner, was something most wouldn't dare attempt.

He suddenly frowned and picked up the walkie-talkie, "Number Four, show yourself to me. Number Four, show yourself to me."

The walkie-talkie remained silent, and no one responded.

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

The slim man in the fourth-floor waiting area picked up the walkie-talkie and replied with a sinister smile, "Number Four is inside playing with women. I heard he found quite the catch."

"Go check it out. I suspect Yuan Shi has already infiltrated," Li Xianzong ordered.

"Wasn't he at the entrance?" the slim man asked.

Li Xianzong sneered, "Do you believe the official statement?"

Without further delay, the slim man abandoned the hostages and headed towards the maternity corridor. At the same time, Li Xianzong noticed that the screens in the monitoring room flickered, all turning into static.

"It's happening!" Li Xianzong issued a command through the walkie-talkie, "Someone cut off the surveillance. Detonate the bomb immediately."

Someone cut off the surveillance, detonate the bomb immediately.

On the second floor, one of the criminals, a dark-skinned and taciturn man, did not hesitate for a moment. He reached for his pocket.

He had been waiting for this moment for a long time. From the moment he learned that Hei Wu Chang had been killed and the Holy Grail had fallen into the authorities' hands, his life had been filled with despair.

In a life of despair, one should end with a brilliant spark.

"Bang! Bang!"

Just as his finger touched the detonator, two bullets exploded in his head, causing him to stagger backward.

The expected scene of brain matter splattering everywhere didn't occur because this man was an Earth Elemental.

Behind the two criminals, the attacker's figure became visible. He looked young, with his face covered in black and red scars.

Facing the sudden attack, the two criminals were prepared. One raised his gun to fire, and the other continued the interrupted "detonation process."

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Bullets struck the Earth Elemental's head, but it was as if they hit steel armor, causing shrapnel to scatter. This sudden turn of events sent the nearby hostages into a panic, screaming and fleeing.

The grim-faced man dropped his empty gun and tried to avoid the Earth Elemental's erratic punches, reaching for the detonator in the process.

He needed to get hold of the detonator.

At this moment, the attacker reappeared, standing several meters away to the left of the scene. Unlike the previous illusion, the attacker now wore a pair of black-framed glasses.

The attacker raised his gun, aiming it at the grim-faced man.

Bang!

A high-caliber handgun belched smoke and flames. The fiery projectile spun rapidly, creating a splattering burst of water-like splashes as it hit the criminal.

This was a Water Elemental!

He could temporarily ignore any physical attacks.

The grim-faced man smirked mockingly as he successfully reached into the Earth Elemental's pocket.

But at that moment, the attacker dropped his handgun, and two red semi-fingered gloves appeared on his hands. He clenched his fists and struck his chest.

Boom!

Flames and heatwaves rolled out as if a high-explosive grenade had gone off in the waiting area. The shockwave shook the walls, and flames licked at flammable materials.

The Water Elemental and Earth Elemental were both sent flying in the violent explosion.

Fortunately, the earlier battle had allowed the nearby hostages to escape, or else many of them would have perished in this blast.

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

He picked up the exploded handgun from the ground and aimed it at the retreating Water Elemental, forcing him to roll around.

While shooting, Zhang Yuanqing approached the bewildered Earth Elemental, like a cold-blooded assassin walking through a hail of bullets.

At this moment, the Earth Elemental shook his head and staggered to his feet.

Zhang Yuanqing leaped into the air, bringing both knees down on the Earth Elemental's neck, forcing him back to the ground.

Wearing his gloves, the attacker reached into the empty air and conjured a silver, 40-centimeter-long blade. He raised it high, and then, with a powerful thrust, stabbed it into the back of the Earth Elemental's head.

Crunch!

The armor-piercing effect of the bloodthirsty blade directly shattered the Earth Elemental's proud defense, and the half of the blade pierced through his skull.

The Earth Elemental stopped struggling.

The Water Elemental, taking advantage of the situation, fled deeper into the consultation area.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't pay attention to the fleeing Water Elemental. He retrieved the detonator from the Earth Elemental's pocket. Just as he secured the item, he heard muffled footsteps in the corridor outside the waiting area.

Following the sound, he spotted Yuan Ting.

The River King was dressed in black trousers and a black shirt, exuding an indescribable air of nobility.

Beside him was a pale-faced, stiff-looking, burly man with jet-black sharp fingers and cloudy eyeballs.

This was a zombie.

"Two criminals downstairs have been dealt with, and the hostages have been evacuated. Did you get the detonator?" Yuan Ting spoke rapidly.

"I've taken care of it," Zhang Yuanqing replied, his gaze shifting away from the zombie. "But one Water Elemental escaped, there's another criminal on the fourth floor, and, well, Li Xianzong is still here."

The operation was going more smoothly than he had anticipated.

By defusing the bombs, the hostages could escape, and given the current number of criminals, it would be difficult to maintain control over the hostages. Moreover, at this point, Li Dongze and the others must have already taken action.

Yuan Ting nodded. "You've done well. Your growth has been remarkably swift. Elder Sun is being foolish. Don't waste any time, head to the fourth floor."

As he finished speaking, a thick fog suddenly enveloped the surroundings.

The white mist shrouded everything, obscuring Zhang Yuanqing's vision and even the presence of Yuan Ting.

"Be careful; the Fogmasters are invincible in combat within dense fog. This should be one of Li Xianzong's artifacts," Yuan Ting's voice abruptly ceased.

All around, there was silence, and Zhang Yuanqing couldn't discern his surroundings. The entire world seemed to contain only him.

(End of the chapter)

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