Stick

"Madame, you sent for me?" The man bowed at a ninety-degree angle, then straightened again, utterly respectful.

"Shin."

Alexandra rose and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. "Madame Gao is dead. She was killed by Iron Fist."

Iron Fist?

At the mention of that name, Giyoka Shin’s body trembled slightly. The terror deep within him was impossible to hide, yet he still forced himself to remain calm before Alexandra. "Madame, we can’t be certain yet."

"Perhaps it was Iron Fist. Perhaps someone else from K’un-Lun, or the True Pure Ones Society. Since they killed Madame Gao, they won’t spare us."

Without even turning around, Alexandra knew how Giyoka Shin had reacted. A faint look of disdain appeared on her face. "Perhaps Madame Gao isn’t dead. Perhaps she was merely captured… That would be the worst possibility."

Giyoka Shin’s brow furrowed deeply.

The worst possibility?

Because Madame Gao might reveal all of The Hand’s secrets? But the Five Fingers are independent. We haven’t been in contact for decades. If we hadn’t discovered the Dragon Bone Fossil, I would still be in Japan, and Madame Gao wouldn’t know the secrets of the other factions either.

Besides, capturing someone alive is far harder than killing them. Master said Madame Gao was the strongest of the five.

If even she was captured alive, just how powerful is the legendary Iron Fist?

Giyoka Shin fell silent for two seconds. "Madame, what do you mean?"

Alexandra continued looking at the view outside, not turning her head. "Tell your master that old friends should gather… Bokuto and Sowande will be coming as well. Have them bring their most elite subordinates."

That would be a historic moment. The Five Fingers would clench into a fist, and the world would change because of it… Giyoka Shin fell silent for another two seconds. "Madame, is that necessary? We’re searching for the Black Sky. You know better than anyone how powerful the Black Sky is. It can certainly deal with Iron Fist. Perhaps we should wait."

Shin, you’re overthinking this. Your master lied to you, didn’t he? You’d better not believe him. If you do, you’ve already lost… Alexandra’s lips curled in contempt. "If it really is Iron Fist, then it is necessary. Your master understands that as well as I do. Iron Fist’s power is beyond anything you can imagine."

Alexandra recalled the Iron Fist she had once seen in K’un-Lun.

The power bestowed by Shenlong Shou Lao was something no martial arts master could possibly withstand.

The Immortal Iron Fist was K’un-Lun’s greatest weapon, as well as K’un-Lun’s guardian—the guardian of an extra dimension.

If Iron Fist could leave K’un-Lun, how would the five of them have dared flee K’un-Lun with the Dragon Bone?

So why had one appeared now?

She wondered whether this generation’s Iron Fist was as powerful as the one from back then.

She hoped not.

Otherwise, there would be no need to fight. They could just wash up and go to bed…

"One more thing."

Alexandra turned around and looked at the shrewd, capable Japanese man. "I’ve received word that people from the True Pure Ones Society have arrived. One of them is an old friend. Perhaps you’d like to see him."

A thin, elderly figure instantly appeared in Giyoka Shin’s mind. His fists clenched tightly, and his eyes narrowed sharply. "Stick!"

For the past few days, Matt had remained silent, staying in his dormitory to think.

A strand of Old Wang’s True Qi had opened a window for him, revealing something different from his current world.

Beyond that window lay the world of martial arts masters, the world of "Qi." This elevation in the essence of life held infinite allure, even more irresistible than an ex-girlfriend.

Especially the long lifespan brought by that elevation of life—it alone could drive ninety-nine percent of the world mad.

Master Stick had once said that in ancient China, many martial arts masters had lived past a hundred. Some masters and Grandmasters had lived two hundred, four hundred, even eight hundred years—and it was true, truer than real gold.

That could not be achieved through brutal training alone. It also required training of the spirit, unifying the inner and outer self, unifying soul and flesh.

Master Stick had also said that martial arts masters possessed not only powerful bodies, but powerful minds. They might even gain abilities such as telepathy and mind control, shaking the hearts of countless people with every gesture and possessing boundless charisma.

The essence of humanity was sacred relics. They constantly sought unity, yet once satisfied, they could not refuse it.

The strongest martial arts Grandmasters could kill with their minds and even split soul from body, sending their primordial spirits out of their bodies.

Master Stick had always pursued that realm, yet he could not attain it.

The only path he could think of was to ask "Master Wang," or rather, the "Kunlun Iron Fist," for help. But what exactly did the other party want, and what price would have to be paid?

Perhaps a price life itself could not bear!

"Matt, look who’s here!"

The blond, chubby boy’s voice rang out. He gave Matt a look that said men understood, then trotted away, determined not to be a third wheel.

A woman stood in the doorway.

She wore a long black dress, her hair draped over her shoulders. She smiled, but her gaze was somewhat complicated.

"Foggy, you know I can’t see."

Matt rose to his feet, then froze.

He heard a familiar heartbeat, familiar breathing, and smelled a familiar scent.

It filled him with excitement and joy. He wanted to rush forward and embrace that person, but he held himself back.

From her heartbeat, he could hear some unpleasant emotions. She had feelings for him, but those feelings carried a certain purpose, guilt, and unease.

The person before him felt somewhat unfamiliar. She seemed different from before.

Perhaps she had never changed. Perhaps he was the one who had changed.

"Elektra, what are you here for?" Matt asked calmly.

"If I said I missed you, would you believe me?" Elektra smiled with captivating charm.

"No."

"Smart."

Elektra shrugged and raised an eyebrow. "Looks like Columbia University’s education is still useful."

Matt forced a smile. "Tell me. Why are you here? Don’t lie. You can’t fool me."

"Your body is even better than before. I could recognize you even through a sea of people."

Elektra teased him, then her expression turned serious. "Matt, the mob has its eyes on me. I want you to help me. They’ll kill me. I’m not strong enough on my own… Please!"

Your heartbeat and breathing tell me that part is true… Matt suddenly had a strange intuition.

It seemed as though the woman before him had been marked by death.

Her emotions were clearly low and lifeless. Was it because her enemy was too terrifying?

"Maybe you should call the police and seek legal help." Matt still wasn’t sure whether Elektra was telling the truth.

The prettier a woman was, the less she could be trusted.

This woman was too good at lying.

More importantly, she had clearly received some kind of special training that he knew nothing about. She could control her breathing and heartbeat, limiting his ability and making his senses blurry.

"I’m doing exactly that, my great lawyer."

Elektra sighed. "Looks like I can’t convince you."

"No one can convince me." Matt tugged at his lips.

"Is that so?"

Suddenly, another voice rang out.

Tap, tap, tap. It was the sound of a Guiding Cane striking the floor.

A familiar force. A familiar rhythm.

Yet they had not met in more than a decade.

Even breathing, a steady heartbeat—only slightly inferior to Master Wang’s. There were only a few people like that in all of New York.

"Since you left, why come back?" Matt said coldly.

"I treated you as a disciple, but you treated me as a father. Family affection is a weakness, a weakness that will get you killed."

Elektra stepped aside as the gaunt Stick entered, his voice calm. "To make sure you had no weakness, I had no choice but to leave."

Two blind men.

Their four eyes met.