Old Wang vs. Beast

Azeroth Specialties Shop.

"Stick wanted to see me?"

Old Wang hung up, rubbing his chin. Just as expected.

The old man was still quite formidable. He had awakened earlier than Old Wang had expected. Compared to his already decayed, withered body, Stick’s mental will was clearly much stronger than Elektra, the "Black Sky." Old in body but young at heart—he was worth cultivating.

Since he wanted to meet, then they would meet. Someone was volunteering to be his underling; there was no reason to refuse.

Besides, they needed to get on the same page about S.H.I.E.L.D. and The Hand, lest they expose themselves.

"Close up. Let’s go take a look."

Old Wang got up and went with Skye to an apartment not far away.

"Master Wang, thank you for your help."

Matt opened the door and thanked him sincerely.

If Master Wang had not answered the call and summoned a divine dragon to wipe out The Hand’s ninjas, the three of them would have been game over long ago.

He had saved three lives at once. Matt felt that he would never be able to repay this debt in his lifetime, because a life-saving favor could only be repaid by saving a life, and he did not think there would ever come a day when he could save Master Wang’s life. More likely, Master Wang would save him again.

Maybe in the next life?

He wondered whether reincarnation even existed in this world…

"You’re my legal adviser. If The Hand killed you, who would I turn to when Azeroth Specialties Shop ran into legal trouble?"

Old Wang smiled. He sensed the delicate body on the bed constantly twitching and shifting positions, as well as the unstable—almost agitated—mental state within it. He frowned slightly. "Elektra still isn’t awake?"

"She’s been asleep for a day and a night."

Matt looked grim. He clearly cared deeply about his ex-girlfriend. "Her heartbeat is unstable, and so is her breathing. Her emotions are terrible. I can feel that she’s terrified, afraid, resisting. Her heart is filled with some kind of savage, violent power. Right now, she seems like a beast—a beast ready to pounce on someone at any moment."

Old Wang nodded. "That’s normal. Beast’s influence isn’t so easy to resist."

Matt froze. "Beast? What is that?"

Old Wang was also taken aback. He looked at the silent Stick. "You haven’t told him?"

This old man really is unreliable!

"Didn’t have the chance."

Stick replied, then looked at Old Wang. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke in imperfect Chinese. "Are you the Immortal Iron Fist?"

"Yes, I am Iron Fist."

Old Wang answered, thinking, You’re the one who said it. I never said that before. How you guessed is your business. If you guessed wrong, don’t blame me.

Of course, Old Wang did not think he was lying.

I’m the next Iron Fist. I’ll definitely make it happen. If the Kunlun People aren’t willing, I’ll beat them into submission, then beat Shou-Lao into submission too!

Old Wang was not someone who liked violence. He preferred to reason people into submission.

There was no need to use fists to convince K’un-Lun. Enough benefits would work too.

The Immortal Iron Fist was K’un-Lun’s gatekeeper, and the stronger he was, the better. If Old Wang remembered correctly, the next Iron Fist should have been Danny Rand, that real man who could only concentrate the dragon’s power into one fist, charge for two hours, and last a solid five seconds.

Old Wang had always been humble.

But in front of Danny Rand, there was simply no way to stay humble, all right? What if he got fat?

As long as the Kunlun People were not blind, there was no suspense at all over whether they would choose him or Danny.

Even if they were blind, Old Wang was not afraid. At worst, he would beat them into submission.

Stick grew even more excited.

Though he had already witnessed the Immortal Iron Fist’s abilities firsthand and asked Matt about them, guessing was one thing, while hearing the other party admit it personally was another. This layer of uncertainty had to be pierced, or he would always feel uneasy, with something weighing on his heart.

The True Pure Ones Society had always followed the elders of K’un-Lun and the Iron Fist.

However, K’un-Lun belonged to another dimension and only appeared once every ten years atop Kunlun Mountain in China. Even when it appeared, it basically did not communicate with the outside world. He had always wanted to find K’un-Lun, and had even specifically learned Chinese for that purpose, but he had never found it.

Though the Immortal Iron Fist was K’un-Lun’s gatekeeper, he occasionally left K’un-Lun to handle matters, leaving behind many legends. Unfortunately, the True Pure Ones Society had been unlucky and never encountered one.

K’un-Lun and the Immortal Iron Fist were the True Pure Ones Society’s spiritual symbols, but they had only ever been symbols.

Now, at last, he had met the real thing.

Myths and legends had become reality. The feeling was indescribably stirring.

Most importantly, he had always worried that the Immortal Iron Fist might not be as powerful as the legends claimed, worried that the True Pure Ones Society’s faith would collapse. Now, the great weight in his heart finally fell away. Stick’s heart trembled, his legs went weak, and he was about to kneel.

The True Pure Ones Society had a kneeling ritual. On meeting the Immortal Iron Fist for the first time, he naturally could not be discourteous.

If Iron Fist had been some arrogant young man in his twenties, Stick might have been somewhat unwilling, perhaps even lecturing him on how to conduct himself as an elder.

But the Iron Fist before him gave him the impression of a towering mountain, something no young person could possess. He had to be at least fifty or sixty, perhaps even older.

"Don’t, absolutely don’t!"

Old Wang hurriedly stopped him, using a stream of True Qi to help Stick up. "This would shorten my lifespan!"

Naturally, Old Wang did not believe in things like losing blessings or shortening one’s lifespan. But having an old man who looked at least sixty or seventy kneel before him was something he truly could not accept. He could not get past that mental hurdle. Even across three lifetimes, he was not as old as the other man.

Stick still wanted to insist, but he simply could not kneel. His admiration and conviction toward the "Immortal Iron Fist" deepened even further.

As expected of the Immortal Iron Fist. His True Qi was profound and abundant, not inferior in the slightest to Madame Gao, who had lived for more than a thousand years!

"The True Pure Ones Society will always follow you." Stick stopped insisting and gave Old Wang his promise.

Your True Pure Ones Society barely has anyone left, all right… Old Wang looked moved. "This is exactly what I need. Your efforts have not been in vain. The True Pure Ones Society has long held back The Hand’s expansion, and your contributions are immense. Now that I’m here, your mission will soon be complete. You have proven yourself and earned the right to go to K’un-Lun."

Go to K’un-Lun?

Stick’s emotions, which had just begun to settle, surged again. "I can go to K’un-Lun?"

"There will be an opportunity, though not now."

Verbal promises were worthless, but if they could give this stubborn old man some comfort, that was still a good thing.

If he truly could go to K’un-Lun, then he would take Stick along. As the leader of the True Pure Ones Society, he was qualified.

Old Wang did not intend to waste words on the matter and changed the subject. "As for Beast, Matt is your disciple, so naturally he counts as a member of the True Pure Ones Society. He has the right to know. Besides… I don’t know much either."

"The True Pure Ones Society doesn’t know much either."

Stick looked somewhat ashamed. "All we know is that Beast is an ancient evil god, a wicked and terrifying existence. It cannot appear in our world on its own and must find a vessel. A qualified Black Sky is that vessel. There are not many such people, and The Hand has always been searching for them."

"Elektra is the Black Sky? Beast’s vessel?" Matt asked hurriedly.

"Yes."

Stick sighed. "I realized it long ago. I kept training Elektra, hoping to help her resist Beast. But I failed. Beast’s power was beyond anything I could imagine. From childhood, Elektra displayed uncontrollable violent tendencies. She became angry easily, and once angry, she would hurt people, even… kill them."

The ever-composed Matt panicked. "Is there really no way?"

Violent tendencies?

If what happened in bed counted, Elektra really was rather violent!

"Perhaps there is."

Stick looked at Old Wang. "The Hand wants to use Beast’s power to fight K’un-Lun and the Immortal Iron Fist. Then K’un-Lun and the Immortal Iron Fist should also be able to fight Beast."

Matt immediately looked at Old Wang, breathing rapidly. "Master Wang…"

"I’ll try."

Old Wang sighed and walked over to Elektra.

He raised his left hand and reached toward her body.

Thick True Qi flowed into her.

The spiritual strength that had continuously grown over three lifetimes enveloped Elektra’s delicate body.

Old Wang closed his eyes.

Yet he suddenly saw another pair of eyes.

A pair of blood-red beast eyes!

Thanks to "Li Xian of World of Warcraft" for the 1,000 tip!