The Sun set in the west, and the golden rays spilled into the woods, casting clear, brilliant beams of light. Jessica Jones wore slim-fitting trousers and a leather jacket, her voluminous hair draped over her shoulders, swaying gently with each step. Her white sneakers trod upon the woods in the western suburbs of New York. On the soft grass, her eyes scanned her surroundings with extreme vigilance, her ears straining to capture every movement, large or small, in the forest.
As the last trace of the sunset vanished from the horizon, a tender leaf from early spring suddenly shot out from the other side of the woods. Hearing the sound, Jessica jerked her head, and before she could clearly see what was coming, she quickly dodged aside. With a swish, the leaf grazed her cheek, flying off into the distance with a tiny bead of blood. Standing straight, a small cut appeared on her cheek, and only after a few seconds did the blood begin to seep out.
Raising her hand to gently touch her cheek and looking at the blood on her fingertips, she furrowed her brows, lowered her body, and became even more cautious. After taking a few dozen steps, a large hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. Jessica's body jolted in shock, and she kicked her right leg directly backward. Hong Fei, with faster reaction speed, stepped first and kicked her in the popliteal fossa, causing Jessica's legs to give way and forcing her to one knee. "Not only do you lack technique, but your perception and reaction times are shockingly poor."
Hearing Hong Fei's words, Jessica stood up silently, rubbing the painful area. Looking at the pure white mask on Hong Fei's face, her expression changed abruptly. Hong Fei asked, knowing the answer, "Is there a problem?" Jessica shook her head. So what if she knew Hong Fei was the one who kidnapped Tony Stark? She had no need or obligation to report it, and she didn't think that billionaire playboy could help her take revenge just by putting on a suit of armor. "Do you know where you're lacking?" Hong Fei asked again. Jessica frowned and thought for a moment, then said uncertainly, "Perception?
Reaction?" "Is that so? Look at me." The moment Jessica looked up to meet his gaze, Hong Fei punched again. This time, however, Jessica accurately caught Hong Fei's fist with her palm. "What's this? Can you catch it now?" Jessica was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, "You slowed down." "And how does that compare to your enemy?" As Jessica shook her head, a look of realization gradually dawned in her eyes. Hong Fei: "Is your enemy stronger than you in terms of power, speed, and reaction?"
"No, his power is nowhere near mine, his speed is average, and I don't know about his reactions yet, but he won't be faster than you." "That's right. Improving speed and reaction can indeed make you stronger, but they won't necessarily allow you to complete your revenge. You should focus on strengthening yourself in a more targeted way." Jessica understood, but her mood remained low. "I don't know what to do. His ability can directly control my body.
Afterward, I can clearly know what I did, but at the beginning, I don't even realize what's happening, and I have no way to regain control of my body. I don't know how to..." "Enough!" Hong Fei said sharply. "I'm not here to listen to your complaints, nor do I want to know how miserable your past was. And frankly, I think everything you're saying is complete nonsense!" Having said that, Hong Fei unleashed his Psychic Power, instantly invading Jessica's mind and seizing control of her body. Three seconds later, Jessica regained control of her body.
Her eyes glazed over as she mumbled, "Just now?"
"Exactly. I took control of your body moments ago." His voice carried a clinical detachment. "Your mental defenses are laughable—I barely had to try."
Jessica recoiled, then shook her head violently. "No, that can't be. Why don't I remember any of it?"
"Because there are two ways to control someone." Hong Fei flexed his Psychic Power again, this time dialing it back to a whisper.
Jessica froze mid-step. Her eyelids fluttered like trapped moths, her pupils darting behind closed lids. Then—a sudden lurch backward, her breath ragged, her gaze wild. Hong Fei didn't move.
Understanding dawned on her face, followed by a fierce grin. "I felt it that time! That's how you puppet me, isn't it?"
"Correct. Anything else?"
She clenched her fists, triumphant. "I broke free on my own!"
"Yes. And how do you think you managed that?"
Jessica hesitated. "Willpower. It had to be."
Hong Fei nodded. "Willpower. Impossible to measure, impossible to ignore. Against mental control, it's your best weapon. But—" His expression darkened. "You've squandered yours. Resistance is will. Revenge is will. Oppression forges it faster than anything. Yet you drowned yours in booze, thinking it'd numb the pain. All you did was waste your chance to grow stronger."
Her mouth fell open. Remorse twisted her features. "I didn't realize—"
A tree seed pinged off her forehead. "Save the apologies. You owe them to yourself, not me." His voice turned merciless. "If you were half as tough as you pretend, you'd have offed yourself years ago."
She flinched like he'd slapped her.
"Enough wallowing. From now on, cut the self-pity. No distractions. Just survival. Just revenge. Hone your will. Strengthen your mind."
"How?" she whispered.
Hong Fei cracked his knuckles. "No fancy theories. Just this: what doesn't kill you—"
"—makes you stronger," she finished.
"Exactly. And here's another truth." His smile was all teeth. "Nothing hardens willpower like a beating."
The woods echoed with the wet smack of flesh on flesh, punctuated by grunts and the occasional yelp.
An hour later, Jessica sprawled on the grass, gasping. Sweat plastered her hair to her scarlet cheeks. Her shirt clung to her heaving ribs.
"Come back tomorrow. Or don't." Hong Fei wiped his palms on his pants. "But I hope you do. You're decent practice."
An honest man speaks the truth; Hong Fei really hoped she would return—tomorrow and every day after. No skill card this time, but the joy of a worthy sparring partner? Priceless. Her strength matched his, maybe even edged past it, and she hadn't even hit her peak yet. Every strike carried real threat.
Best of all? She could take a punch far better than she could take a mental assault.
Pain would come, but her body could take far more punishment than any normal person's. She was built to last.
Every day of training meant growth. Every day missed meant falling ten steps behind. This life of daily battlefield skirmishes, with enemies hunting her down just to deliver new skill cards—it wasn't something Master Hong could've ever predicted.