Terrorist Attack

"A terrorist attack?" Dr. Zhao's face turned pale with disbelief. As a metropolis of over twenty million people, Songhai integrated industry, finance, transportation, and shipping, holding a pivotal position in the nation. Over the past few decades, ordinary crime had been rare, let alone a terrorist attack. "Call the police! Hurry, call the police!" Flustered, Dr. Zhao fumbled for his phone and tried to dial the Public Security Bureau. But no one answered. "Everyone who can call is calling right now. The bureau's operators are swamped—they won't be able to pick up your call." Jiang Yu'er quietly shut the door and whispered, "We stay right here. Don't run around." Terror filled Dr. Zhao's eyes, and he said in frantic haste, "W-We can't stay here. The kidnappers have no humanity; they'll kill the hostages. Xiao Jiang, let's escape through the back door." Jiang Yu'er frowned, cutting him off sharply. "Stay here!" Dr. Zhao froze, staring dumbfounded at his familiar colleague. This young woman with a round, sweet, lively face, who had always seemed like an obedient good girl, had suddenly displayed an awe-inspiring, frightening sternness. It was a severity Dr. Zhao had never seen before. Jiang Yu'er's expression softened, and she said in a low voice, "Listen. The noise outside is dying down, which means most people are already under control. Since the terrorists took over the hospital, the front and back doors are definitely guarded, and someone might even be watching the surveillance cameras. Staying here is the safest option." Dr. Zhao nodded blankly. *** Inside the security monitoring room, Li Xianzong stood before the console with his arms crossed. In his left hand, he held a walkie-talkie, while his right hand idly flipped a butterfly knife. The fluorescent blue glow of the monitors illuminated his sharp, ruthless eyes. On the screens, two gunmen had already taken control of the lobby in the outpatient building. They were herding medical personnel from the pharmacy, the registration desks, and various offices toward the ground-floor lobby. Anyone who failed to cooperate was executed on the spot with a single bullet—brutal and merciless, as if completely unconcerned about Morality Points. After several people were shot dead, the medical staff and patients lost any thought of resisting and obediently crouched with their hands behind their heads. For Spirit Realm walkers, killing with class skills was far more efficient and accurate than bullets, but firearms remained the most effective tool for intimidating ordinary people. Coercing a massive crowd required firearms, not just brute force. "First floor cleared. Everyone has been gathered in the lobby." "Second floor cleared. Everyone has been gathered in the lobby." Reports crackled from the walkie-talkie. Li Xianzong pressed the talk button, brought it to his mouth, and ordered, "Check the obstetrics and gynecology ward. Drag the medical staff down. If there are pregnant women, don't hurt them." "Heh! You're a Bewitching Demon—since when do you play at being merciful?" a companion scoffed. "I don't pity the weak, but when my dad was alive, he always told me that children are the flowers of the nation and deserve appropriate mercy and care," Li Xianzong replied with a grin. *** At Fujia Bay Villa. Fu Qingyang lay languidly in a massage chair, resting with his eyes closed. His skin showed an eerie flush of crimson, and the muscles in his limbs twitched slightly. Two bunny girls knelt on either side of the massage chair, their small hands tapping, kneading, and pressing to soothe his muscular soreness. On a nearby single sofa, Ling Jun squatted, grabbed a piece of honeydew melon, stuffed it into his mouth, and said with feeling, "You're still pushing yourself so hard. I remember you started practicing slashes when you were ten. You kept practicing until you became a Spirit Realm walker—over a decade now. What level have you reached?" Fu Qingyang kept his eyes shut. "Enough to sever your dog head in a single stroke." "Nonsense!" Ling Jun protested indignantly. "I'm a Beast King with two lives. It'd take you two strikes to chop me down." Suddenly, the two bunny girls stiffened and slumped to the floor. Fu Qingyang's eyes snapped open, his gaze as sharp as a blade. Squatting on the sofa, Ling Jun struggled to keep his eyelids open, his body swaying unsteadily. "S-So sleepy... Damn it, it's... it's a Dream Envoy..." His head tilted to the side, and he fell fast asleep. "Yichuan Mei?" Fu Qingyang gave a cold snort, closed his eyes, and willingly entered sleep. *** At Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. Just as Zhang Yuanqing stepped out of the restroom, a clerk hurried up the steel stairs to the second floor. Looking anxious, she called out to Guan Ya, who was lounging on a chair: "The bureau just received an emergency report! Terrorists have attacked Pingtai Hospital! The medical staff and patients in the outpatient building are trapped inside!" "What?" Guan Ya shot to her feet and sprinted toward the Decurion's office. Even Wang Tai, who never cared about external affairs, raised his head in shock, his expression turning solemn. *Pingtai Hospital?!* Zhang Yuanqing felt as if he had been struck on the head with a blunt club, his ears ringing loudly. His aunt worked at Pingtai Hospital! His face turned ashen. Pulling out his phone, he asked urgently, "What's the situation at the hospital? Any casualties? How many kidnappers are there?" The clerk shook her head. "N-Not that much detail yet. The bureau is mobilizing personnel to rush to the hospital. The specifics require further investigation." *At least that means it just happened...* Zhang Yuanqing stepped aside, brought up his phone, and dialed his aunt's number. "Sorry, the number you dialed is switched off. Please try again later!" *Switched off?!* Zhang Yuanqing cursed under his breath in fury. At that moment, Guan Ya rushed out of the office, followed by Li Dongze, Jiang Jingwei, and Teng Yuan. Li Dongze strode forward with a steady expression, his words clipped and swift. "We're moving out immediately!" The group quickly prepared. Guan Ya dragged two holsters out of her desk drawer, not even having time to strap them to her thighs. Wang Tai picked up his beloved laptop and headed out. The team walked out of the glass building and climbed into Li Dongze's business van parked by the entrance. The driver stepped on the gas and sped toward the gates. Pingtai Hospital was not far from the Public Security Bureau. Running several red lights along the way, the group arrived in just over ten minutes. Outside the hospital gates, police cars with flashing lights packed the street. Over a dozen armed officers were in a standoff with a middle-aged man in a hospital gown. The patient blocked the hospital entrance with a walkie-talkie hanging around his neck, holding a scalpel to his own throat as he roared hysterically, "Don't come near! Don't come near! Tell Yuanshi Tianzun to come see me!" The van pulled over, its door sliding open. Zhang Yuanqing spotted his cousin leading the police unit right away. He quietly put on a baseball cap and a mask. Carrying his cane, Li Dongze strode toward Chen Yuanjun and asked in a low voice, "What's the situation?" Chen Yuanjun clearly recognized Li Dongze. Glancing briefly at the van behind him, he said in a hushed tone, "The kidnappers have taken the patients and medical staff hostage. Casualties are still unconfirmed. The other side refuses to negotiate and warned that if we breach the hospital, they'll detonate explosives." Pausing, he added with a look of slight confusion, "Their demand seems to be a conversation with someone named Yuanshi Tianzun. I suspect the hostage-taker might be mentally unstable..." Li Dongze nodded slightly, studied Chen Yuanjun for a few seconds, and frowned. "Captain Chen, composure is an essential quality for an officer. You're overly tense and impatient. What's going on?" He could tell at a glance the anxiety and unease beneath the police captain's serious exterior. Chen Yuanjun gave a bitter smile. "My younger aunt is a doctor at Pingtai Hospital..." Li Dongze's expression grew solemn. He patted Chen Yuanjun on the shoulder without a word and turned back to the van. "Jingwei!" He looked at the red-haired girl and pointed toward the patient at the gate. "Snatch his walkie-talkie. Go easy on him—don't kill him." Jiang Jingwei nodded excitedly. She immediately hopped out of the van, staying low and using the police cruisers and officers as cover to circle quietly to the patient's flank. Then, she bent her knees slightly. The next second, like a wild dog slipping its leash, she charged at the man. The police officers on site only saw a dark blur flash past. By the time they reacted, the red-haired girl was already beside the patient. With a high kick, she sent the scalpel flying from his hand. Twisting her slender waist, she spun into the air and brought her other leg sweeping down hard against the back of the man's neck. *Smack!* Before the middle-aged man could comprehend what had happened, he was knocked out cold. Among the orthodox professions of the Five Elements Alliance, Fire Masters ranked first in sheer speed. The police officers swarmed forward to secure the patient, while Jiang Jingwei scooped up the walkie-talkie and sprinted back to the van. Li Dongze took the walkie-talkie, pressed the button, and said, "This is the Decurion of Kangyang District Team Two. If you have demands, speak to me." After repeating it three times, an arrogant laugh came through the speaker. "I want to speak with Yuanshi Tianzun." Zhang Yuanqing was about to speak, but Guan Ya pressed a hand onto his shoulder. Seamlessly, Li Dongze took over: "Yuanshi Tianzun isn't here. What do you want with him?" The arrogant male voice chuckled. "Not here? Looks like I didn't pick the best time. I'll give you ten minutes. In ten minutes, I want to see Yuanshi Tianzun. Otherwise, I'll execute one hostage every minute. If you dare storm the hospital, I'll have someone blow up the bombs and kill everyone." Li Dongze looked at Guan Ya and mouthed, *Contact Centurion Fu.* Then, in a resolute tone, he said, "You can try detonating them. The authorities will never compromise. If you want to be buried with the people inside, I'll grant your wish." Loud laughter burst from the walkie-talkie. "Mr. Decurion, you overestimate me. I don't have the courage to die alongside these ordinary people. Like I said, I'll have someone *else* set them off. They're all thralls of the Deceitful Eye Judge that I recruited. They were already backed into a corner, so when they heard I wanted to get revenge on the authorities and society, they agreed immediately. Of course, my bewitchment helped a fair bit." *Thralls of the Deceitful Eye Judge...* Li Dongze's heart sank. "You're a Bewitching Demon?" "You should have heard my name. I am Li Xianzong." The moment the name was uttered, everyone inside the van changed color. With the large-scale killing dungeon approaching, they had expected Yuanshi to be targeted by walkers of evil professions, but they had never imagined it would be Li Xianzong. And this bloodthirsty Bewitching Demon had gone big right from the start. No covert assassinations, no sneak attacks—he had launched a full-blown terrorist attack outright. It was brazen to the extreme. "A minute and a half has already passed. Your time is running out. I await your good news." The walkie-talkie went dead. Li Dongze lowered the device and looked at Guan Ya. Her brows knit slightly. "Fu Qingyang isn't answering his phone..." Everyone's hearts sank once more. Li Dongze rubbed his cane, lost in thought. "It seems the other side came fully prepared. If he doesn't see Yuanshi within ten minutes, Li Xianzong will withdraw, and not a single soul in that hospital will survive. Hah, you heard him just now—the hostage-takers are thralls of the Deceitful Eye Judge. This terrorist attack was planned as a suicide mission from the start." With only ten minutes, Deacons from other districts couldn't possibly arrive in time; the window was far too tight. Teng Yuan remarked, "This guy has a sharp head on his shoulders. Even if Yuanshi doesn't show up, he can withdraw cleanly and leave us with a massive disaster." Zhang Yuanqing spoke in a heavy voice, "He's after me. He wants to hunt me down. Decurion, let me go in." He felt frantic, not knowing his aunt's condition inside or whether she had been hurt. Li Dongze glared at him. "Going in would just be throwing your life away!" "No!" Guan Ya objected immediately, frowning. "You aren't usually this reckless..." Only Jiang Jingwei supported him, rubbing her fists together with her small face glowing with fighting spirit. "Let's charge in! Watch me smash his dog head with one punch!" At this moment, the experienced Li Dongze displayed the poise and calm of a veteran walker, speaking slowly: "Don't panic. There are always more solutions than problems. We need to formulate a tactic..."