"Although the value of my divine power is a small 1.2 points, it has already surpassed my Qi in the attribute hierarchy, even outstripping my physical Essence," Huang Wen mused internally, acknowledging the System's cryptic scale. He felt the new power, a sense of limitless clarity, and nodded in satisfaction. "The spiritual pillar of my foundation is finally taking shape."
A familiar, lingering thought of disappointment surfaced. "It's a pity, though. Although Ah Xing knows some martial arts—he can even perform the legendary technique of hitting a cow through a mountain—he doesn't possess any internal energy (Qi). Otherwise, I might have been able to use Ah Xing's integrated abilities to push my Qi from its absolute limit of 99 points and break through to the Legendary level of internal energy."
However, the Mind Palace immediately shut down that line of regret. Analysis: Regret is inefficient. Focus on actionable data. Huang Wen quickly adjusted his mindset. The increase in Divine Power (Shen) would undoubtedly stimulate growth in both Essence and Qi indirectly, providing the perfect mental framework for advanced training.
Moreover, Huang Wen could clearly feel that with the awakening of his Shen, his control over his body had become startlingly precise. Every muscle, every nerve ending, every flow of Qi was now governed by an effortless, crystal-clear spiritual command.
"Essence, Qi, and Spirit are the three most critical components of any existence. Only when they operate in perfect synchronicity can one maintain an optimal, non-human state!" The principle flashed through Huang Wen's mind. He then turned his newfound spiritual attention toward Frank Castle, who was still leaning, bound and invisible, next to the wardrobe.
A strange, focused light emanated from Huang Wen's eyes—a direct application of the integrated X-Ray Vision and Perception abilities, layered and amplified by 1.2 points of Shen.
Frank, who was originally cloaked in the Tuxedo's highly advanced invisibility field, instantly materialized in Huang Wen's sight, as clear as if he were standing there in daylight. Sure enough, the Tuxedo's invisibility, though impressive, was merely a physical light-bending technology. It was no match for psychic observation.
"Cough, cough. Invisibility, X-ray vision, telekinesis... why is my skill set becoming more and more suitable for a bored, over-powered pervert?" Huang Wen quickly shook his head, focusing his moral compass. This power is for defense and justice, not cheap tricks. With a concentrated thought, he projected his voice directly down to the ground floor's training room.
In the dimly lit training room, Zhong Qiang, Reece Fisk, and Logan heard a voice that seemed to come from inside the walls, clear and commanding: "Close the doors and lock them. Everyone come upstairs. Now."
"Huh? What was that?" Zhong Qiang was taken aback, then his face widened in stunned realization. He looked up at the ceiling with genuine surprise. "Wow! Could it be that Brother Wen has actually mastered telepathy? A thousand-mile sound transmission technique from the old stories?"
The voice from above—Huang Wen's voice—replied instantly, though sounding slightly closer now. "It's not as exaggerated as a thousand miles, just a breakthrough. If you can master Wing Chun to the Proficiency level or above in the future, I can teach you these kinds of abilities—abilities of the mind, not just the body!"
"Really? That's absolutely amazing, Brother Wen!" Zhong Qiang's face was alight with joy, the weariness from the explosion instantly forgotten. All his hard work and commitment had just been given the ultimate incentive. He could finally learn the true, esoteric arts Huang Wen had always hinted at.
Huang Wen's words were not simply a spur-of-the-moment motivation. The Frank Castle incident had been a terrifying wake-up call.
Huang Wen couldn't bear to imagine what would have happened if Frank—a ruthless, military-grade machine—had not been intercepted by the Tuxedo's automated defenses and had instead found his way to Zhong Qiang's house, or worse, found Uncle Zhong.
Huang Wen couldn't gamble on the Punisher's moral code. If Frank suddenly lost control, or if Zhong Qiang and Uncle Zhong instinctively tried to protect Reece Fisk, the outcome would be catastrophic.
While Huang Wen completed his internal review, Zhong Qiang and the other two had already hurried up to the room. Logan entered first, his heightened senses immediately sweeping the room, then focusing sharply on Huang Wen. In Logan's view, Huang Wen was becoming less a man and more an anomaly—a font of unpredictable, impossible power that grew more mysterious with every passing hour.
"Alright. Time for the ugly truth," Huang Wen said, walking over to the wardrobe. He deactivated the Tuxedo's invisibility field, and with a sudden whoosh, the bound, paralyzed form of Frank Castle, a man in full tactical gear, appeared out of thin air.
Huang Wen then used the tip of his finger to apply acupressure to several key points on Frank's face, specifically sealing the nerves related to sound, sight, and scent. Frank was now floating in a sensory void—a truly terrifying mental cage.
"What is this sorcery? What kind of ability is this? A mental cage? A psychic dampener?" Frank's mind, though racing a mile a minute, found no logical answer. "Could it be Professor Charles Xavier himself? Impossible. I have zero connection to the X-Men. Why would Charles attack me to protect the Kingpin's son?"
"Wow! Brother Wen, how did you do that? He just… appeared!" Zhong Qiang exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the sudden appearance of the heavily armed man.
Zhong Qiang stumbled back, his eyes widening dramatically. "Brother Wen, how did you go from practicing martial arts to cultivating… immortality? Is this some kind of divine technique? A cultivation method?"
"This is technology! What do you mean, magic?" Huang Wen glared at Zhong Qiang, annoyed at his leap to fantasy, though he had to admit, his new powers did feel rather mystical. "You haven't even mastered martial arts yet, and you're already daydreaming about practicing magic! Get a grip!"
"No way, Brother Wen? Could it really be possible to practice immortal arts in the future?" Zhong Qiang looked at Huang Wen in disbelief, sensing a deliberate hint of mystery in Huang Wen's words.
"Take it one step at a time!" Huang Wen shook his head, ending the digression. He then turned to Reece Fisk, his gaze now sharp and demanding.
At this moment, Reece Fisk and Logan were deeply confused by the interchange—martial arts, technology, magic—it was all blending into a single, terrifying reality.
Reece Fisk quickly regained his composure, however, and looked at the Punisher's prone form and then back at Huang Wen, his voice now steady but heavy with responsibility. "This Punisher did indeed come looking for me… and I need to tell you everything."
"The Punisher's real name is Frank Castle. He was originally a Captain in the Marine Corps and became a highly decorated training instructor after retiring from active service," Reece Fisk began, recalling the dark history he'd overheard.
"Later, while he was having a picnic with his wife and children in Central Park, his family was murdered when they stumbled upon a mob execution led by Billy Russo and his gang. Frank survived by sheer, brutal luck. The justice system failed him, and he embarked on a path of relentless vengeance, becoming the Punisher."
"I've heard about these things too, and it's all true," Logan confirmed, crossing his massive arms. His face was grim. "The main problem is that the law wouldn't punish those gangs, so he became the judge, jury, and executioner. He adopted the motto 'If you're guilty, you have to die.' To achieve that goal, he'll use any brutal means necessary. He is a one-man war."
"Just like that grenade that nearly took out my school!" Huang Wen thought of the sheer power of the explosion. If Logan hadn't been there to absorb the blast, the damage to the building and the neighborhood would have been devastating.
"What does that psychopath, Billy Russo—now called Jigsaw—have to do with you? Why is Frank Castle coming after you?" Zhong Qiang asked Reece Fisk, genuinely puzzled.
"Because the Punisher almost wiped out Russo's gang, and Russo himself barely survived Frank's attack—leaving him permanently scarred and mentally unstable, hence the name Jigsaw," Reece Fisk explained, lowering his voice further. "Jigsaw—Billy Russo—ran to the one man who could protect him from the Punisher's unstoppable force: my uncle, James Wesley, who works for Wilson Fisk."
Reece Fisk continued, the full, crushing weight of the conspiracy now clear. "The Kingpin Gang is far more powerful than Jigsaw's old crew. Therefore, when the Punisher was unable to break through the Kingpin's iron shield and finish Jigsaw, he changed tactics. They found out about me."
"Even though my Uncle Wesley has blocked my information countless times and done everything to shield me, my existence is not hard to find for someone as dedicated as the Punisher. I am a known vulnerability," Reece Fisk admitted, trembling slightly.
"My father is trying to transition his operations into a new, legitimate corporation—a legitimate company that can eventually stand outside the gang hierarchy. But to many people, including the Punisher, it is still the Kingpin Group, and my father's true identity cannot be hidden forever."
"I don't know if he wanted to just grab me and threaten my uncle to hand over Jigsaw, or if he simply wanted to kill me to get revenge on my father and Kingpin for opposing him," Reece Fisk finished, his voice cracking with sheer terror.
Huang Wen listened in silence, his mind absorbing the complexities. A military genius driven by grief, a scarred, vengeful psychopath, the rising power of the Kingpin, and a teenager caught in the crossfire.
"I want nothing to do with Kingpin's empire, or Jigsaw, or the Punisher's bloody crusade," Huang Wen stated, his voice firm, drawing a clear line in the sand. He looked seriously at Reece Fisk, his Divine Eyes piercing the fear.
"However, as long as you are with me and are my student, and as long as you do not participate in Kingpin's illegal or immoral activities, your safety is now my responsibility! You are under the protection of the Wing Chun Kwoon. We stand against all those who threaten Chinatown."
His words were not just a promise; they were a declaration of war against any outside force that dared to trespass. The fate of Reece Fisk, the Kingpin's pawn, was now intertwined with the destiny of the burgeoning master of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. The war for New York's soul had officially arrived on Huang Wen's doorstep.