Chapter 404 - 360: Maniacal Plan

Chapter 404: Chapter 360: Maniacal Plan

"Old Qiao, are the buses ready yet?"

In the lobby of a hotel.

Tang Baichuan walked out.

The students from Xingwu University and Martial Alliance University...

...were all gathered here.

Today, they were all preparing to leave Jingzhao City and return to their respective universities.

Director Qiao nodded and glanced at his watch.

"I’ve already contacted them, but the driver isn’t here yet!"

"I’ll give them another call to hurry them up!"

After speaking, Old Qiao took out his phone and dialed a number.

It rang over ten times, and just as he was about to give up...

...the call connected.

Old Qiao quickly said, "Hello? Is this Master Cui? Yes, this is Xingwu University. Where are you with the bus?"

"Almost there, almost there! I’ll be there in a minute, just wait a little longer!"

The driver said his piece and then hastily hung up.

Director Qiao was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at Tang Baichuan.

"He’s close. He’s on his way!"

Tang Baichuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the students.

Wei Nan, Zhou Qi, and Sun Tao hadn’t come with the university group.

So they wouldn’t be leaving on the bus either.

Qin Zhaoxue was from the Demon Hunting Bureau to begin with. Now that the Martial Arts exchange was over, she would probably be returning to her post.

Wei Shang and Feng Lei were injured.

They had both been hospitalized for treatment...

Tang Baichuan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

’During this Martial Arts exchange, although our own students didn’t suffer any losses... the injuries to Wei Shang and Feng Lei have been weighing on my conscience. After all, they’re from the Town Martial Department. Representing the university was a favor to us. And in the end, they nearly lost their lives.’

Tang Baichuan felt a sourness in his heart.

"Old Tang, are you heading back today too?"

Suddenly, Yanyang walked over with a smile.

Tang Baichuan glanced at him and nodded. "What, aren’t you leaving as well?"

"Of course we are. Over the past few days we stayed here, we reviewed the exchange event.

"Even though those outsiders weren’t real students!

"And their motives were impure, their goals anything but simple!

"However, it also revealed some serious shortcomings in our Martial Arts exchanges!

"Our students are too focused on the perfect form and execution of martial techniques, completely overlooking their practical application!

"Their combat experience is also severely lacking. If they ever end up on a real battlefield, it’s only a matter of time before they get killed!

"Just yesterday, I was discussing this with Zhong Yan from Dragon Tiger Mountain, and they have the same problem!

"So, we were thinking, we could hold this Martial Arts exchange more often!

"We could make martial techniques and practical combat the main topics of the exchange!

"This would allow students from all the universities to identify their own weaknesses through the exchange!

"I think that’s a great idea..."

After Yanyang finished speaking with a smile, Tang Baichuan nodded as well.

"That is a good idea. They can learn from each other’s strengths to make up for their own weaknesses in technique and combat!

"When we get back, we’ll schedule a day to invite the leaders of the other universities for a video conference!

"All universities in the New Districts can participate!

"If it gets approved, we’ll submit an application to the Martial Arts Alliance!

"We could hold a Martial Arts exchange every year!"

Yanyang’s face lit up with an excited smile. "That’s exactly it! It’s always so much more straightforward working with you. You always know just what I’m thinking!"

"It’s settled then. Once we get back and get things in order, we’ll hold a video conference to discuss it!"

"Deal!"

Tang Baichuan nodded again.

Just then, two large buses drove up.

They came to a stop, one after the other, outside the hotel entrance.

Old Qiao and his counterpart went to speak with the drivers and confirmed they were the buses they had called.

Director Qiao glanced into the bus, a little puzzled.

He saw that besides the driver, there was also a middle-aged woman sitting inside.

"And she is?"

The driver, Master Cui, smiled. "Oh, she’s here to help maintain order on the bus!"

Hearing this, Director Qiao stared intently at the woman for a moment.

After a while, he finally nodded. "Alright then, I’ll go get the students to board!"

With that, Director Qiao walked over to Principal Tang and the others.

"The buses are here. We can have the students get on now!"

Tang Baichuan glanced toward the buses.

Just as Director Qiao was about to have the students board in an orderly fashion...

Tang Baichuan’s expression tightened. "Old Qiao, wait a moment!"

"Huh? What’s wrong?" Director Qiao froze, asking with some confusion.

"It’s nothing. Just wait. Principal Yanyang, you and your students shouldn’t be in a hurry to board either!"

Instantly, both Director Qiao and Yanyang gave Tang Baichuan a strange look.

He was the one who had been in a hurry just now.

And now he was the one telling them to wait.

Yanyang didn’t quite understand. Although he hadn’t noticed anything amiss...

...he, too, grew cautious.

He leaned in close to Tang Baichuan and whispered, "What is it? Is there a problem?"

Tang Baichuan shook his head slightly. "I have a bad feeling. It’s dangerous!"

"You know I have a natural sensitivity to danger!"

Yanyang said nothing, his gaze turning cold.

He then turned back to the other students from the Martial Arts Alliance and waved Shen Da over.

"Have the students wait. Don’t rush to get on the bus!"

"Huh? Okay..."

Shen Da was surprised at first but nodded immediately.

He walked back and had the Xingwu University students halt.

Just then, the drivers of the two buses grew impatient.

"Hey, are you leaving or not? Don’t waste our time. If you’re going, then hurry up and get on the bus, will you?"

Master Cui couldn’t help but urge them on.

Director Qiao looked back at Tang Baichuan. "Principal Tang? What should we do...?"

"You go over and talk to him for a bit. I’m going to make a call!"

"Alright!"

Director Qiao nodded and walked toward the driver.

Seeing this, Tang Baichuan took out his phone.

Just as he was about to dial a number...

...he suddenly saw a news alert pop up on his screen, reporting a bus explosion that had just occurred on Fengming Road.

He took a closer look and was immediately filled with dread.

"Yanyang, come look at this bus. Doesn’t it look a lot like those two?"

Tang Baichuan quickly handed his phone to Yanyang.

The news article included several photos, showing the bus that exploded picking up people from a hotel.

Yanyang took the phone and examined it closely.

Then he looked over at the two buses outside.

After comparing them a few times, Yanyang immediately noticed a detail.

On the side of the bus, there was a hard-to-spot symbol.

It looked like half of a bloody handprint.

Instantly, Yanyang felt his scalp tingle.

"Are they from Blood Handprint?"

"What? Blood Handprint?"

Tang Baichuan’s heart shuddered. He quickly looked toward the driver.

’Just as I thought. No wonder I’ve been feeling so uneasy ever since they arrived! They must have been behind the other bus explosion, too...’

Just as Tang Baichuan and Yanyang looked at each other, ready to take action...

...a streak of golden light flashed, and Lin Yi arrived, one step ahead of them.

When he saw that the students from Xingwu University and Martial Alliance University had not yet boarded...

...he finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

His gaze then swept over the people on the buses.

He walked straight toward Tang Baichuan. "Principal Tang!"

"Hm? Lin Yi? What are you doing here?" A smile appeared on Tang Baichuan’s face when he saw Lin Yi.

Yanyang also sized Lin Yi up with an appreciative expression.

’Any university, any principal... who wouldn’t like a student such as Lin Yi? He’s only a freshman, and his cultivation has already reached the Divine Abyss Realm. This is more than just exceptional talent. He’s practically on his way to becoming the number one figure in the entire Huawu Alliance.’

"There’s a problem with the buses. We suspect they’re human bombs from Blood Handprint!"

After approaching, Lin Yi whispered to Tang Baichuan and Yanyang.

The moment they heard the two words "human bombs"...

...a chill ran down their spines, and their scalps went numb.

This further confirmed Tang Baichuan’s earlier suspicion.

"You’re saying the drivers on the buses are from Blood Handprint?" Yanyang hurriedly whispered.

Lin Yi nodded. "The bus that Dragon Tiger Mountain was supposed to take exploded when it reached Fengming Road!"

"Fortunately, they weren’t on it. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

"Principal Tang, get the students away from here first!"

"The Public Security Bureau and the Town Martial Department are on their way!"

Tang Baichuan nodded and exchanged a look with Yanyang.

They then walked over to the students of their respective universities.

When the driver saw all the students returning to the hotel...

...his expression tightened, and a flash of icy coldness crossed his eyes.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

"Are you leaving or not? Why are you going back into the hotel?"

After Master Cui finished speaking, Director Qiao quickly looked back.

When he saw Tang Baichuan leading all the students back into the hotel...

...although he didn’t understand what was happening...

...the tacit understanding he had developed over years of work gave him a premonition.

Director Qiao quickly said with a smile, "Master Cui, don’t be anxious. I’ll go ask what’s going on!"

With that, Director Qiao ran back toward the hotel.

And just then, in the moment he passed by Lin Yi...

Director Qiao’s eyes widened in astonishment.

He saw Lin Yi walking toward the bus.

Just as he was about to stop and call out to Lin Yi...

...he suddenly saw Lin Yi transform into a streak of golden light.

It shot directly toward the bus.

BOOM—

With a muffled thud, the golden light slammed into Master Cui.

He was knocked unconscious instantly.

The middle-aged woman on the bus reacted quickly.

Seeing Master Cui get attacked, she immediately reached for something on her person.

The next moment, there was another muffled thud.

The woman slumped down as well.

Just as Lin Yi had dealt with the two people on the bus...

...a clear cry suddenly echoed from the sky.

Xiaoqi circled a few times before landing on Lin Yi’s shoulder.

When Yanyang, Shen Da, and the others glanced at the buses...

...they were all dumbfounded and shocked.

The two people on the other bus were completely frozen solid.

They sat there like statues, their expressions frozen vividly on their faces.

Although the four people on the buses were all under control...

...the danger had not yet passed.

Lin Yi told Yanyang, Shen Da, and the others to return to the hotel.

He, on the other hand, released his divine sense, scanning the surroundings.

’If these two buses are really connected to Blood Handprint... then there must be more of their accomplices nearby.’

Lin Yi’s divine sense could now cover a much larger area than before.

He could scan the entire street the hotel was on.

Soon, Lin Yi discovered several shady figures who were occasionally glancing in this direction.

After locking onto the targets, Lin Yi turned and whispered a few words to Xiaoqi on his shoulder.

Xiaoqi flapped its wings and took to the sky.

In just a short while, a commotion and screams erupted from the street.

Lin Yi walked over.

He saw several people frozen solid into ice sculptures.

It had happened in an instant, the ice sculptures forming in a flash.

This filled the nearby people with an inexplicable terror, and they scattered in panic.

Only a few of the bolder ones remained to watch the spectacle.

This continued until several vehicles from the Town Martial Department arrived.

They stopped, and Meng Die got out with her people.

"How did it go? Did you stop them?"

Lin Yi nodded. "There were four on the buses, and I froze five more. The initial suspicion is that they’re all from Blood Handprint!"

Hearing this, Meng Die glanced behind her.

She had her Town Martial Department personnel bring over the five ice sculptures from the street.

She herself led a team toward the buses.

Clearly, Blood Handprint’s insane human bomb plot had already begun.

Their first target was the students who had come to attend the Martial Arts exchange.

When all five ice sculptures were carried over...

...the Town Martial Department staff were completely dumbfounded.

"Lord Left Department, will they thaw out on their own?"