For Nick Fury, finding extraordinary individuals was never easy. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents carried combat power detectors through city streets, scanning constantly, but results were meager.
Occasionally they discovered one or two transcendents and treated them like treasures. But more often, these people were already scooped up by wealthy patrons. S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't simply throw money around like billionaires did. As a United Nations-backed institution, their authority was their true leverage.
Those rich men, however, offered absurd benefits to lure superhumans as bodyguards or as trophies to flaunt in public. They didn't hesitate to go head-to-head with S.H.I.E.L.D. for it.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. had leverage on them, Fury wouldn't mind twisting arms. Without it, he could only endure. Make too much noise and the military—or other agencies—would swoop in and snatch the prize. Ever since the combat power detector was introduced, S.H.I.E.L.D. might still be the official lead agency for the extraordinary, but their job was much harder than before.
Still, if a superhuman broke the law, S.H.I.E.L.D. always had grounds to strike, capture, and contain.
Coulson naturally had no objections to the director's infiltration plan and agreed immediately. But then he remembered something.
"Director, according to our undercover inside the League of Assassins, their headquarters tower is called the Karin Tower… and apparently a cat lives there?"
Fury blinked.
"A cat?"
He instantly recalled the creature that had clawed his eye blind—the Flerken. Could it have ended up with the League of Assassins? He asked sharply:
"Was it an orange tabby?"
Coulson shook his head.
"According to the intel, it's a white cat. Here's the photo."
Looking at the picture, Fury exhaled in relief. Not the Flerken. Ever since that cat disappeared, he had never tracked it again.
"The League of Assassins wouldn't build a tower just for an ordinary cat. And the staff it's holding? That's no normal feline."
"Have our operative gather as much intel as possible on this cat."
"Yes, sir," Coulson replied with a nod.
Fury gave him a long look.
"All right, get back to work. You've been carrying a heavy load lately. I appreciate it."
Coulson nodded firmly.
"It's my duty."
He left without delay, heading toward S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy.
After Coulson was gone, Fury placed a call to Dr. Erik Selvig to ask about the Tesseract research progress. Upon hearing that energy weapons were already under development, Fury smiled with satisfaction.
With more and more superhumans emerging, the need for energy weapons grew ever greater. Ordinary firearms were becoming increasingly ineffective. Weapons powered by the Tesseract would be S.H.I.E.L.D.'s next standard armament.
······
Meanwhile, as S.H.I.E.L.D. prepared to slip its own people into the Seven Heroes team, Xu Wenwu and his family, guided by Ying Li, arrived at the entrance to Ta Lo village.
Xu Shangqi and Xu Xialing stared in amazement as the bamboo forest shifted and moved before their eyes. They had seen much already, but bamboo that swayed and shifted like living gates left them wide-eyed with curiosity.
Xu Wenwu, however, only smiled, memories of his first meeting with Ying Li returning to him.
Soon, Ying Li drove them into a hidden waterfall cave. Without hesitation, she steered straight through.
As the vehicle passed inside, it felt like they had entered another dimension. Passing through the spatial tunnel, they emerged into an entirely different world.
"Children," Ying Li said warmly, "welcome to my homeland."
Xu Xialing pointed out the window.
"I think that bird is on fire!"
Xu Shangqi gasped.
"God, it really is!"
Ying Li chuckled.
"Children, that's perfectly normal here."
Xialing's eyes widened further.
"Heavens… a white nine-tailed fox! And that—Dijiang, and even a dragon horse!"
As Ying Li drove on, the children pressed their faces to the windows in awe, while Xu Wenwu sat quietly, lost in memories.
Before long they reached the village, where a group of Ta Lo warriors armed with staves blocked their way, ready for battle.
Ying Li stepped out of the car.
The crowd froze at the sight of her. One woman, stunned, gasped:
"Ying Li? Is it really you? You're alive? How can this be?"
Her elder sister Ying Nan rushed forward, seizing Ying Li in an embrace, examining her desperately.
Ying Li hugged her back with a smile.
"Yes, sister. It's me. I've come home."
But Ying Nan still stared in disbelief.
"How is this possible? After Wenwu left that letter outside the bamboo forest, I sneaked out and read it myself…"
For Ta Lo knew of Ying Li's death. Wenwu, though unable to enter, had left a letter outside the forest begging them to attend her funeral.
Ying Li's smile softened.
"I truly died back then. But Wenwu never gave up. Over the years, he found a way to bring me back. Now I've returned, with our children, to let you all know we are safe."
Ying Nan turned to Wenwu, shocked. This man the village had long looked down upon had actually revived her sister. Her opinion of him rose instantly.
The villagers, overhearing, also regarded Wenwu with newfound respect.
Ying Nan released Ying Li and faced Wenwu directly.
"Thank you… for bringing my sister back to life."
Wenwu smiled.
"I love her deeply. This was my duty."
She nodded and turned to the children.
"So, you're Ying Li's son, Shangqi? You may call me Aunt Nan."
Looking at Xialing, she added warmly,
"And you… your spirit is just like Ying Li when she was young."
Taking both children's hands, she led them toward the village.
"It's enough that you've returned. Come, everyone. Let's go inside."
Together, the family entered Ta Lo.
(End of Chapter)
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