Chapter 80: Racing Against Time

The bullet pierced straight into the monster’s skull in an instant, but it didn’t go clean through; instead, the creature seemed to chew on it, then suddenly stuck out its tongue and spat the bullet back out. The speed at which it happened was no less than the speed of the previous gunshot. Fortunately, he had been wary and managed to dodge to the side just in time.

But the bullet struck the maid who had been seized by Xiao Yang, killing her instantly. Helpless, Xiao Yang had no choice but to lay the corpse down, then shed his outer garment, revealing the armor beneath. A mortar had already appeared in his hand as he aimed at the monster and shouted, “Die!”

With a thunderous boom, the shell exploded against the monster, blasting the ugly creature away. Wu Jue seized the opportunity and leaped forward, channeling his full strength into his palms. A hail of bullets followed, riddling the monster with countless holes.

Not allowing the creature a chance to strike back, Wu Jue grabbed it and demanded, “Where is Xiao Han? Where have you taken him? Hand him over now, or you’ll regret it!”

The monster stuck out its long tongue and sneered, “If you have the skills, why don’t you try finding him yourself? Let me tell you, Wu Jue, you’re already marked. Our Heaven’s Retribution Clan will never let you or your companions go.”

Before he could finish, Wu Jue unleashed his mighty Vajra Palm, tearing off one of the monster’s legs. The creature howled in agony, rolling on the ground in pain.

“I don’t have much patience left,” Wu Jue said, crouching down and pressing the gun muzzle to the wound, disengaging the safety. “If you don’t talk, the next shot will let you feel what it’s like for a bullet to glide through your body.”

Absolute terror shook the monster, and it pleaded, “I’ll talk! Xiao Han is hidden in a secret room at the top floor. Our people will be coming for him soon.”

“That’s all?” Wu Jue sensed there was more. Xiao Yang, having dealt with the rest of the enemies, was preparing to head upstairs.

The monster frowned. “There’s more... I already activated the timed bombs in the hotel. In a few minutes, this place will be blown sky-high. You’d better hurry.”

The others present were stunned by this revelation, breaking into panic. “What are we supposed to do?”

Wu Jue looked back and said, “Whether he’s telling the truth or not, Meimei, Lili, take everyone out. Leave the rest to me.”

Meimei and Lili agreed at once, quickly ushering everyone away. Before leaving, they took two pistols from Wu Jue, offering a composed smile. “Don’t worry, big monk. We’ll get everyone out safely. Remember—wait for us downstairs!”

Wu Jue merely smiled without replying, then crushed the monster’s head with a single stomp and turned to head upstairs.

Truth or not, about the timed bombs, every second now counted. Wu Jue hurried up, met with Xiao Yang, and said, “There might be bombs in the building. Let’s split up and search fast. Hopefully Xiao Han hasn’t been taken yet.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yang immediately activated the micro-computer on his armor—an upgrade he’d installed since coming to the tribe. In an instant, it tapped into the hotel’s network, scanning for suspicious locations.

Wu Jue raced up to the rooftop, searching for any place Xiao Han might be held, only to find the stairs above the third floor locked tight.

Damn it, Mike hadn’t mentioned this. Clearly, there were more accomplices. Wu Jue kicked the iron door hard, making it tremble, then grabbed the chain and prepared to break it with his strength.

Suddenly, a figure lunged from behind, locking Wu Jue’s throat and trying to drag him back. A martial arts expert had arrived. Wu Jue didn’t hesitate—he seized the attacker’s wrist, twisted it, then drove his left elbow back hard, pushing with his legs and ramming the person straight into the wall.

With a crash, chunks of plaster fell from above. The attacker was forced to let go, then sprang onto the windowsill and vaulted up the wall.

As Wu Jue turned, he saw the figure draw a dagger—it was another maid from the hotel, apparently bought off by Mike as well.

“So, you’ve been taken over by the Heaven’s Retribution Clan too?” Wu Jue sneered, readying himself for a fight.

The woman tossed her hair with a smirk. “You’re wrong. I’m just here on behalf of the organization to give you a warning—you’ve ruined our plans.”

She lunged, blade flashing in a flurry of attacks. Wu Jue countered each move, parrying and grappling. After four or five exchanges, he wrested the dagger away but not before taking two cuts himself.

The female assassin fared little better—Wu Jue’s kick sent her sprawling outside the staircase.

Wu Jue touched the blood at his wound, wiped it on his clothes, and said, “Again!”

The woman sprang at him, knees bent, feet flying toward Wu Jue’s face. He sidestepped, grabbed her by the waist, and flung her aside.

She was about to crash into the railing when she punched out, rebounding onto the windowsill. She smashed the glass with her foot and said, “Seems I have no time to play with you—go save your friend. And remember, don’t cross our organization again.”

With that, she leapt from the window. Wu Jue glanced out to see her land awkwardly, then flee into the distance.

Now a mysterious new organization had appeared. Wu Jue felt the situation growing ever more complex, but there was no time for that—finding Xiao Han was the priority.

Returning to the door, he saw that the assassin’s earlier kick had nearly broken it. With a swift slash of the dagger, he cut the chain and pushed the door open.

He reached the rooftop, searched, and found cut ropes in a shed—clearly, he was a step too late. He scanned the surroundings and spotted some strange figures darting away, moving at an inhuman speed.

He radioed Xiao Yang. “Xiao Yang, do you hear me? Xiao Han’s been taken! You should be coming out now—let’s meet downstairs.”

With that, he slid down the hotel’s drainage pipe to the ground below.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yang was hurrying down as well. Wu Jue reached the entrance and peered inside. Almost at the same moment Xiao Yang appeared in the lobby, a violent explosion erupted from the rooftop above.

The bombs had indeed been triggered. Wu Jue rushed forward, kicked open the main door, and waved. “Hurry, there’s no time!”

Xiao Yang sprinted with all his might, launching his rocket pack just as the flames erupted behind him. He shot a dozen meters through the air and landed beside Wu Jue, who caught him. Together, they leaped clear as the hotel collapsed in flames behind them.

Xiao Yang asked, “Who took Xiao Han? Do we have any clues?”

Wu Jue pointed at the figures he’d seen earlier. “I saw some unusual characters over there—go after them. I’ll follow by car.”

Xiao Yang set him down and took off, pursuing the suspicious targets.

Wu Jue rejoined the survivors. “It’s not safe here. Everyone should leave quickly. Beware of the Heaven’s Retribution Clan taking advantage of the chaos.”

The group looked lost. Someone asked, “Master, can you and Xiao Yang stay to lead us?”

Wu Jue shook his head. “Not now. My friend’s been taken—I need to go rescue him. Here’s what you do: head to City C ahead. We’ll meet you there later.”

Meimei and Lili pulled up in a car. “You’ll need transportation to save them. We’ll drive you.”

Wu Jue climbed in. “It’s too dangerous. You should go with the others.”

Lili buckled her seatbelt. “Stop nagging, Master. You can’t drive for beans—let us handle it. Which way?”

Wu Jue didn’t argue and gave directions. Lili floored the accelerator, the car shooting off in pursuit of the mysterious abductors.

They sped down the highway like wild horses, racing toward their destination. Suddenly, Xiao Yang—flying overhead—plummeted from the sky and crashed through the car window, forcing the vehicle into a sharp turn before it finally slammed to a halt against a roadside barrier.

End of Chapter 80: Racing Against Time.