After finishing his late-night snack, Guan Heng thought, Simon was handling the prisoner handover at the agency and then had to write a report. He'd probably be tied up all night. That means it's time for me to train by myself again.
With that thought, Guan Heng stretched and headed for the basement. It was built with the best reinforced concrete and thick steel plates; even cannon fire might not punch through. It was perfect for secret training. Guan Heng had discovered the basement after moving in, though, and guessed it was older than the villa itself.
He went through the basement door and locked it behind him.
Guan Heng patted the Corpse Storage Bag. "Dabao, come on out!" In the blink of an eye, the zombie clone of the M Nation Captain appeared.
His name was Jiang Dabao now. He was Guan Heng's sparring partner and something of a pet. Without a Corpse Control Talisman, Dabao had been unruly at first, refusing to obey and trying to attack Guan Heng. But Guan Heng had already pulled out his Zombie Teeth and long fingernails. Ground into powder, they made an excellent remedy for Corpse Poison.
Without a Corpse Control Talisman, Guan Heng used the most direct method: he beat Dabao down over and over. Dabao had no teeth or claws, but he was still a clone of the Captain. Thanks to his fighting skills and the effects of the Super Soldier Serum's DNA, he remained Guan Heng's best sparring partner.
It was said that, in ancient times, the Demon Exorcism Sect of Huaxia had three secret arts: corpse extermination, corpse control, and melting and refining. Aside from the art of corpse extermination, the other two had been lost long ago. Without the secret art of corpse control, the Demon Exorcists had resorted to using talismans instead. Those ancient techniques had been missing for hundreds of years.
Guan Heng sighed. "If I could learn the Corpse Control Secret Method, Dabao would definitely be more obedient, even without a talisman stuck to him. Too bad the Corpse Control Secret Method has been lost for hundreds of years in my world."
As he was lost in thought, Dabao lunged at him. Guan Heng kicked him away. "You idiot, Dabao! How many times have I told you to grab your weapons before we start practicing? You're such a brainless pig. Wait, zombies don't have brains, do they? Sorry, I take it back."
Dabao hit the ground, but he was exceptionally nimble. He sprang up with a kip and ran to the corner of the basement, where he picked up a pair of round manhole covers.
They were shields Guan Heng had prepared for him. The real Captain used one shield, but Guan Heng had come up with the unconventional idea of giving Dabao two. He was skilled in all kinds of fighting techniques, and had devised a style that balanced offense and defense, advancing and retreating—the Dual Shield Killing Technique. He slowly taught Dabao to imitate it so he could spar with him.
Dabao swung the two shields, striking from every angle with a fierce assault.
Guan Heng dodged from side to side, laughing. "Now that's what I call an attack! You know, the Gene Mutants I took down today moved like turtles. I could've handled them while dozing off. You're much faster." As he spoke, he punched Dabao's right-hand shield. Dabao staggered, then suddenly rolled along the ground, sweeping his left-hand shield at Guan Heng's feet.
"Good! I've been teaching you that move for days, and you've finally got it!" Guan Heng tapped the ground with both feet and sprang into the air. From above, he thrust out both fists. "Take this!"
Dabao hurriedly raised both shields above his head. Guan Heng's fists slammed down with a thunderous crash, and several small cracks appeared in the two iron manhole covers. The force drove Dabao back several steps. Suddenly, he let out a low growl and hurled one shield at Guan Heng. Guan Heng dodged, but the shield spun around and shot toward the back of his head.
Dabao charged with his other shield held in front of him, attacking Guan Heng from both sides. Without turning around, Guan Heng kicked backward and sent the iron shield behind him flying, then punched forward with both fists, striking Dabao's shield.
Two sharp crashes rang out. Both shields shattered in midair and in Dabao's hands, and the force of Guan Heng's punches knocked him flat on his back.
Jiang Dabao sat on the ground, shaking his head. Guan Heng had fought him without using his Iron Fist Power, yet his body was already terrifyingly strong. Dabao had been beaten badly enough to grow afraid. He got shakily to his feet and started to run.
"Come back. I won't hit you anymore," Guan Heng said with a grin. "That's enough practice for today." Dabao wanted nothing more than to sit down and draw circles in the dirt. It wasn't fair to bully a corpse like this.
Guan Heng said, "You've worked hard sparring with me, so I'll give you a little reward. A well-fed soldier makes a good soldier." He took out a syringe and injected a small amount into Dabao's neck. What zombie didn't like blood? As soon as the fresh blood entered him, Dabao perked up.
He looked at Guan Heng pleadingly, asking for more. Guan Heng shook his head. "You can only have a little at a time. If I give you too much, you might evolve into a commander, and then I won't be able to get you back into the Corpse Storage Bag."
Dabao still wasn't satisfied and was about to beg again. He had no Zombie Teeth, so he couldn't drink anyone's blood by himself. But Guan Heng waved a hand. "Maybe next time." In the blink of an eye, he put Dabao back in the Corpse Storage Bag.
Guan Heng stretched. "I always feel great after exercising." Then he left the basement, took a shower, and went to bed.
The next morning, the phone on his bedside table rang and rang. Half-asleep, Guan Heng reached out from under the covers and grabbed the receiver. "Hello, Hill. Can't you let me sleep a little longer? I don't even get days off, and I'm on call twenty-four hours a day. The least you could do is let me get enough sleep. What?" At her last words, Guan Heng came fully awake. He threw off the covers and sat bolt upright.
"My equipment—the Adamantium Equipment molds are ready?" Guan Heng hurriedly dressed as he talked. "Great, I'll be right over at the lab. See you in a bit."
At the breakfast table in the kitchen, Guan Heng ate his portion quickly. Across from him, Simon was—as usual—eating his Beetroot Cans with a miserable expression.
"Simon, you look great today. Did you know that?" Guan Heng stuffed a slice of ham into his mouth and said indistinctly, "Go confess your feelings to the girl you like. You might succeed."
Simon's face lit up at once. "Really? I have a crush on a host from a TV cooking show. I've been thinking about asking her out, but I don't know what she'll think. What if I come on too strong? Since you say so, I'll work up the courage and give it a try. Take your time eating—I'm off to the TV station!" With that, Simon dashed out the door.
Watching Simon hurry out full of confidence, Guan Heng finished his last bite of breakfast and muttered, "You actually believed me? You were hesitating, so I figured I'd do one good deed a day, like the Boy Scouts. But good luck, buddy. I'm rooting for you. A man's got to go for it!"
A little while later, at a S.H.I.E.L.D. laboratory.
"Hey, Hill. You look beautiful today." Guan Heng looked around the lab and casually asked, "Where's Fury? Didn't he come?"
"Director Fury's still in his office, fuming because you extorted so many benefits from him," Hill said. "He said he'd rather not see you."
"Don't say that. I'm not the sort who takes all the benefits and does nothing." As if by magic, Guan Heng produced two medium-sized bottles and handed them to Hill. "This is an antidote I made with an Ancient Huaxia Secret Formula. It can completely cure Corpse Poison. The dosage depends on how severe the poisoning is, so be careful not to waste any. It's incredibly difficult to make."
Guan Heng greatly exaggerated its virtues, speaking as though he meant every word. In reality, it was just powder made from Dabao's Zombie Teeth and fingernails, mixed with a little water. There are still five updates today. New book's up—please give it a vote and add it to your collection. Old Sha thanks you! Woof, woof~
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