Chapter 305: Taotie: This Is So Damn Frustrating
Hummingbird unfastened the tactical buckle from Wan Xiaozhou’s waist and tossed the grappling hook rope back down. “Your Highness, secure the buckle properly, and I’ll pull you up!”
“OK!” Fang Xiaocao responded, threading the rope through her tactical buckle and locking it securely.
“All set!”
After tugging on the buckle to ensure it was secure, she looked up and shouted to Hummingbird.
Receiving Fang Xiaocao’s signal, Hummingbird prepared to pull her up. But before she could exert any force, No Stealing Robes suddenly pushed her aside. The large bear opened its mouth, bit onto the rope, and gripped it tightly with its paws. Using both mouth and claws, it yanked the rope forcefully.
Below, Fang Xiaocao felt like she was riding an elevator, soaring upward in an instant.
With just a couple of strong tugs, No Stealing Robes effortlessly pulled Fang Xiaocao up.
Back on solid ground, Fang Xiaocao felt as if she had just returned from another world.
Since setting foot in the mountains, she had narrowly escaped death multiple times. She had learned a lot, hardened her heart, and truly understood what it meant to be decisive and ruthless. She had also picked up valuable skills from Tom and the others.
Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Fang Xiaocao patted No Stealing Robes’ big head.
“Hummingbird, put Xiaozhou on No Stealing Robes’ back. We’re heading home.”
“Yes!” Hummingbird responded, following Fang Xiaocao’s instructions. She carefully placed Wan Xiaozhou onto No Stealing Robes’ back and pulled out a climbing rope from her backpack, securing Xiaozhou and the bear together.
“All set! Let’s move!”
With everything ready, Fang Xiaocao led the way down the mountain.
Hummingbird wasn’t familiar with the route back to the villa, and No Stealing Robes certainly wasn’t either. So it was up to Her Highness to act as their guide.
_________
By now, the sun was fully up.
As Fang Xiaocao walked through the forest, she noticed how different it felt from the night before. Instead of the eerie and dangerous atmosphere, the daylight gave the mountains a fresh, picturesque quality.
They hurried down the mountain, passing numerous fallen mercenaries along the way. However, there wasn’t a single living enemy in sight. Fang Xiaocao wasn’t sure if the Ragnarok mercenaries had been completely wiped out or had simply retreated.
Back at the villa, Fang Xiaocao prepared to drive Wan Xiaozhou to a hospital but was stopped by Hummingbird.
She looked at Hummingbird in confusion.
Hummingbird shook her head. “Your Highness, Xiaozhou has a gunshot wound. We can’t take her to a hospital, or…”
Hummingbird didn’t finish her sentence, but Fang Xiaocao immediately understood.
Of course! A gunshot wound.
The moment they stepped into a hospital, the staff would call the police. Once the authorities got involved, she and Hummingbird would both be taken in for questioning—maybe even arrested. They might never get out.
“What do we do then?” Fang Xiaocao asked anxiously.
“I’ll handle it.” Hummingbird’s expression was serious. “I’ve had specialized medical training—I should be able to stabilize her condition. As long as we keep her stable and give her the right injections, she can hold out until Taotie and the others return.”
“Taotie knows this area well. He’ll definitely know where to find a clinic that treats gunshot wounds without asking questions.”
Fang Xiaocao blinked. That actually made sense.
“Alright! Let’s do it!” she agreed.
“This villa has a medical room. Tom set it up specifically, and it’s stocked with all kinds of medical supplies.”
She stepped up to the villa’s security panel and input a code before scanning her fingerprint.
With the system verifying her identity, the villa’s bank-grade security system finally disengaged.
With a soft click, the villa’s door automatically unlocked.
“Come on in!” Fang Xiaocao called out to Hummingbird and No Stealing Robes.
“No Stealing Robes, stay right there!” she suddenly commanded.
The big, dirty bear was just about to roll onto the luxurious carpet. Fang Xiaocao quickly stopped it with a stern voice.
Hearing her sharp tone, No Stealing Robes looked at her with a pitiful expression but obediently remained in place.
Fang Xiaocao rolled her eyes at the bear. “Come with me. We need to clean you up first.”
At her call, No Stealing Robes wiggled its big rear and followed her into the bathroom.
Fang Xiaocao filled the bathtub with water. “Get in and soak for a bit. When Hummingbird is done, she’ll give you a proper wash.”
Her own wounds needed tending, so she couldn’t help the bear with its bath. That task would have to wait.
After settling No Stealing Robes in the bathroom, Fang Xiaocao returned to the living room. “Hummingbird, how’s Xiaozhou doing?”
Hummingbird touched Wan Xiaozhou’s forehead and replied, “No fever, so there’s no sign of infection for now. But she still needs immediate treatment.”
She looked at Fang Xiaocao. “Your Highness, where’s the medical room and the supplies?”
Fang Xiaocao let out a small sigh of relief. Even with her limited medical knowledge, she knew that a fever could mean life-threatening infection.
“Follow me!” she said.
Carrying Wan Xiaozhou, Hummingbird quickly followed as Fang Xiaocao led her upstairs.
They arrived at the medical room Tom had set up on the second floor.
“This is it,” Fang Xiaocao said, opening the door. “Everything you need should be here. Over there is the refrigeration unit—it holds vaccines and temperature-sensitive medications.”
Hummingbird nodded, setting Wan Xiaozhou down on the hospital bed. She removed Xiaozhou’s clothing, connected her to an oxygen supply, and then disappeared into the refrigeration unit. Moments later, she returned with a selection of medications.
Under Fang Xiaocao’s curious gaze, Hummingbird set up an IV drip for Xiaozhou with practiced ease.
To Fang Xiaocao, her technique looked quite professional.
After carefully treating Xiaozhou’s wounds and administering a tetanus shot to prevent infection, Hummingbird finally turned to Fang Xiaocao.
“Your Highness, let me take care of your wounds now.”
_________
Meanwhile, inside the ancient tomb…
Gunfire echoed nonstop.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Like a storm of firecrackers.
Tom and Taotie crouched behind an ancient bronze coffin, occasionally peeking out to return fire.
After receiving Fang Xiaocao’s message, the two had immediately tried to return the way they came to regroup with her and Hummingbird. But before they could escape, they ran into a heavily armed Ragnarok mercenary squad.
Now, they were pinned down inside a tomb chamber, surrounded by enemy fire.
“Goddamn it! This is so damn frustrating!” Taotie growled, slamming a fresh magazine into his pistol.
No matter how skilled a fighter, even a master couldn’t dodge bullets.
And these weren’t just random thugs—they were elite mercenaries with automatic weapons.
Meanwhile, Taotie and Tom were running low on ammo. Most of their explosives had already been used up dealing with the zombie insects. Now, all they had left were a machete, a spear, and two handguns.
With no way to close the distance, they were completely trapped.
Even for two top-tier assassins, the only option left was to hunker down and wait for an opening.
