Finding him didn't mean they could catch him. Since Zhao Gao had been classified as a mutant, the police went in fully armed—but they were still way too weak.
Zhao Gao didn't even bother hiding. He was easily located and showed no intent to conceal anything. In his mind, everyone in this country deserved to die. The Liangshan Outlaws had already informed him of the pagoda's location. He was headed there to take it.
Chu Yuxuan was just as ruthless. To figure out why they were after the pagoda, he decided to take a gamble—let Zhao Gao get it first and then see what happened.
"We need backup." The police couldn't catch Zhao Gao and had already suffered heavy losses. But Zhao Gao didn't want to waste time with them. He had a pagoda to claim.
He slipped into the mansion like it was empty, and finally stood before the pagoda in the treasure vault. "Jiulong Bagua Qixing Pagoda. A supreme artifact forged by ancient sages. Today, I will refine you and release Taowu upon this chaotic world."
Inside the pagoda, Taowu had been struggling non-stop. It couldn't wait to be free—to wreak havoc, kill people, and destroy cities.
"The cause of death is the same as the victims—sudden collapse. Looks like we really found the right guy. That Chinese kid's got some skill," said the inspector.
"But now the suspect's gone. And he's clearly a mutant. We're out of our depth."
"I've already reported the situation to our superiors. Hopefully they have a solution."
And they did—ask the Americans for help. S.H.I.E.L.D had a branch in Japan. Lucky timing too—both Captain America and Ada Wong were here. Ada got the order and came to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department with Captain America to help capture the mutant.
Mutant cases fell under S.H.I.E.L.D's jurisdiction. It was a gesture of goodwill, especially since this involved bringing armed agents into Japan. The entire Tokyo force mobilized. If the U.S. showed respect, Japan couldn't afford not to.
Sure enough, Ada spotted her husband standing in the corner watching her. She smiled.
A few middle-aged men nearby misunderstood. They thought Ada was smiling at them and muttered to themselves, 'No wonder she's from the U.S.—not just capable, but kind too.'
An unexpected reunion between Liu A'dou and Ada Wong.
"Mr. Liu, you're here too." The inspector, an honest man, introduced him. "This is Mr. Liu. He helped us identify the mutant suspect."
Ada walked up gracefully, wrapped her arms around Liu A'dou's neck, and kissed him.
Liu A'dou hadn't expected that, but it felt amazing. Judging from all the sour expressions around him, Ada had clearly done it on purpose—just to piss off the creepy guys staring at her.
A'dou heard hearts breaking. He saw eyes full of silent resentment. Those eyes seemed to say, 'So what if you're handsome? That's how you get a goddess to chase after you?'
Even Captain America flinched. His superior was being so… intense. Totally different from her usual self. Was she hiding a dual personality?
Honestly, these Japanese cops were clueless. Didn't they see the wedding rings on their fingers?
It had been a while since Ada and Liu A'dou had seen each other. They'd spent both Christmas and the Spring Festival apart. The U.S. had been in chaos—two invasions, and China had beat them to the moon. As a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D official, Ada had been insanely busy. But now, seeing her husband in the corner, silently cheering her on, Ada suddenly felt she owed him too much. That's why she kissed him.
Silence. Total dead silence. Sure, they were a good-looking couple, but the scene felt like a slap in the face to every uncle in the room. Their hearts were crushed.
Captain America, sharp-eyed as ever, finally noticed the rings on their hands. He already knew Ada was married, but this was his first time meeting her husband. "You're Ada Wong's husband?"
"Yes. It's an honor to meet you, Captain America."
Married. Husband and wife. When the others heard that, the color drained from their faces. That young and already married? And to a woman like her? It was too much to handle.
"Hello." Captain America looked at Liu A'dou, not really sure what to say. "You're really young."
"You're young too. Hard to believe you fought in World War II."
Captain America had no comeback.
The nearby officers now realized Liu A'dou wasn't some ordinary guy. He had real skills—and connections to S.H.I.E.L.D. That was a relief. Good thing they hadn't been disrespectful.
"Mr. Liu is incredibly talented. To have such deductive ability at his age—it's impressive. We're in awe." Compliments poured out like a flood. They were mostly putting on a show for the Americans. 'Look how much we respect Mr. Liu.' They were especially grateful to the officer who had spoken up for Liu A'dou earlier. If things had come out at a worse moment, they'd have totally lost face.
After the formalities, they passed the intel on Zhao Gao up the chain. He'd vanished for now, but he'd definitely appear again. Next time, it would be up to the folks at S.H.I.E.L.D.
Meanwhile, Wolverine and Yukio had returned to the mansion. The moment they arrived, Logan caught a whiff of something—strange and deeply evil.
Yukio saw Logan's nose twitching as he moved straight toward the treasure vault. "What is it, Logan-san?"
"There's something strong and evil here. Yukio, evacuate everyone. Everyone."
"Logan-san?"
"Go!" No time to explain. That smell was getting worse. There was even a hint of blood now. Nothing good could come from that.
Yukio was startled, but she trusted Logan. First, she found Shingen and Mariko. Then she started clearing the house.
They didn't know exactly what was happening, but the look on Yukio's face told them enough. Both Shingen and Mariko believed her. After all, she'd grown up in this household.
Logan extended his claws and moved slowly toward the vault. The evil stench made him want to vomit. He'd walked through battlefields filled with corpses and blood—but this… this was worse than anything he'd ever smelled.
ROAR!
A low, deep growl rumbled from inside the vault. Zhao Gao stood with his eyes shut, only one step away from success. He just needed to carve his mark onto the pagoda.
"Taowu, I know you can't wait. I'm going to set you free—to destroy, to kill without restraint." Zhao Gao's hands moved rapidly. His ten fingers flew through complex seals. A final burst of violet light shot up, blowing through the roof and spilling in every direction.
Logan was blasted backward, thrown into the courtyard fountain. Soaked, he looked up in shock at the bizarre phenomenon rising in the sky. Everyone in Tokyo turned their heads to the widening beam of violet light.
Those fleeing the mansion watched in horror as the glow engulfed the entire estate. Yukio was terrified for Logan.
"We're too late," Liu Nono muttered, staring at the violet beam with regret.
Lin Long still didn't understand what was happening.
Within that violet light, a shadow was forming—darker and darker—until it covered the sky like nightfall. The sunlight disappeared.
A massive figure, more than 100 meters tall, emerged. It wasn't a demon from hell—it was something far worse.
Taowu, one of the Four Great Fiends of ancient China. Ancient records described it as not very large, but that was because it had fought against 1,000 cultivators using their astral forms. It had been a battle between monsters and giants. From a distance, the beast looked only slightly taller than a human—that assumption couldn't have been more wrong.
It was like comparing a kaiju to an Ultraman—similar in size to each other, but both towering over normal people. Now, this prehistoric beast had entered the modern world. Its arrival sent shockwaves through the tiny island nation.