Boom, boom, boom! Bang! Crack! Their fierce duel left the once-pristine ground riddled with cracks and craters. For hundreds of meters in every direction, the scene was one of utter devastation.
By dusk, under the feeble light of a crooked, battered streetlamp, Guan Heng pushed his speed to the limit. His figure flickered back and forth, left then right, like a phantom. He easily dodged his opponent's ferocious attacks and struck back whenever he saw an opening, never losing his composure. Hulk roared again and again, punching and stomping until stone fragments flew and dust billowed, yet he remained consumed by fury.
But such an intense fight took a heavy toll on both of them. Guan Heng and Hulk began to pant.
Guan Heng felt that he had already spent a good deal of energy, while Hulk was gasping for breath. Though he had lost his reason, even he could tell that the little man before him was no easy opponent.
It looked like the time had come. Guan Heng suddenly performed several quick backflips, landing beyond Hulk's reach. Then he slowly drew the Chengying Sword from its sheath on his back.
"Big guy, I have to admit, you're a rare and worthy opponent." With the Chengying Sword drawn, Guan Heng pointed it at Hulk and said, "But I'm going to end this fight with my next move."
Over the past few days, Guan Heng had constantly wondered why the Chengying Sword had wrapped itself in a layer of stone. In the end, he had concluded that it was because the sword's edge was too keen: ordinary cats and dogs didn't deserve to be slain by it. So Guan Heng had to keep challenging powerful foes until Chengying decided it was time to break out of its Stone Sheath. Only then could Guan Heng begin cutting down everything in his path.
The Hulk before him was indeed a worthy opponent for testing Chengying's Stone Sheath.
Energy surged through Guan Heng's body, and all of his white-hot radiance flowed toward the Chengying Sword. It absorbed the heat, and even flakes of stone began to fall from its surface, but the Stone Sheath showed no sign of breaking apart. Guan Heng shook his head. "This much power alone won't make the Chengying Sword reveal its edge. But it'll be enough to deal with Hulk. Come on, Hulk!" Holding the Chengying Sword, Guan Heng's eyes blazed with boundless fighting spirit. "Let's see if you can withstand this all-out strike!"
Roar! His beastly instincts warned Hulk that the brilliantly glowing object in Guan Heng's hand could threaten his life.
As the blazing light spread around the Chengying Sword, Hulk could almost feel blades slicing across his entire body.
Suddenly realizing that his life was hanging by a thread, Hulk bent his knees and kicked off the ground with all his strength. With a bang, he shot toward Guan Heng like a cannonball.
Guan Heng's lips curled into a smile. The Chengying Sword had completely absorbed the blazing energy, and now it looked utterly ordinary, its divine light concealed.
"Just what I wanted!" Guan Heng shouted as he leaped into the air. "Hah!" From above, he gripped the Chengying Sword with both hands and brought it crashing down onto Hulk's back with all his strength.
Boom! The tremendous impact sent clouds of dust swirling through the air. A huge silhouette crashed to the ground in the haze.
"Hurts! It hurts!" The intense pain made Hulk let out a pitiful, beastlike howl.
Guan Heng was already leaning on his sword, kneeling not far away. "Damn, I went too far." He had used up nearly all his strength and had no idea how badly his opponent was hurt.
Looking at the figure lying behind him, he saw that the enormous Hulk had turned back into the unconscious Bruce Banner. Guan Heng had deliberately avoided his vital spots and only beaten him until he was injured and passed out. He was quite satisfied with the results of using the Chengying Sword to absorb energy and unleash an all-out attack.
Not bad. With a few adjustments, I can save some strength and avoid being completely drained. This could make a great trump card, Guan Heng thought to himself.
He glanced at Bruce Banner again. Forget it. I won't take you back to S.H.I.E.L.D. You're a poor man with no control over himself. Why make things harder for you?
He carried Banner to a secluded spot and hid him safely. Then Guan Heng took out a syringe. "Sorry about this. I've got two little ones at home to feed, too. I'm sparing your life, so drawing a little blood isn't too much to ask."
After putting away the blood-filled syringe, Guan Heng stretched lazily. "My whole body aches. That's the aftermath of fighting with everything I've got. I can't go overboard like that again. I'll have to learn when to stop."
After finding a restaurant and eating his fill to replenish his energy, Guan Heng rode his motorcycle home. There, he found Peter Parker sitting at the door, sulking.
"Hey, Peter, what's wrong?" Guan Heng asked, though he had already guessed.
"Hmph. I only found out from the news that some green monster went on a rampage in the suburbs this afternoon. By the time I got there, the police had already cleaned up the scene," Peter said angrily. "Why didn't anyone tell me? I can understand S.H.I.E.L.D. not calling, but you're my best friend! You went by yourself, didn't you?"
"You just wanted to have all the fun to yourself, Guan Heng. You're such a lousy friend!" Peter glared at him. "You never invite me along when something fun happens."
Guan Heng curled his lip. "I think you'd rather be a good student who studies hard than a superhero skipping class. Weren't you at your extracurricular class today?"
Guan Heng spread his hands and continued, "Besides, a job this easy didn't need two superheroes. All right, don't be mad. I'll bring you along next time."
With things as they were, Peter could only say helplessly, "Remember what you said. You'd better keep your promise."
The next day, in the director's office at S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury roared at Guan Heng, "How many times do I have to remind you? Superpowered agents have to wear masks to hide their identities when they go on missions! Don't forget, you're still undercover at school. If someone there recognizes you, won't all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets be exposed?"
Fury shook his head and dropped back into his chair, fuming. "And then there was the carnival. You and Spider-Man fought together, and plenty of people saw your face—including that Green Goblin. We had to negotiate with the police God knows how many times before we managed to cover it up. Luckily, this Hulk incident happened in the suburbs, and the police had evacuated everyone beforehand."
He tapped the desk and said firmly, "Next time you go on a mission, especially in broad daylight with a crowd around, you must wear a mask to cover your face before you head out."
Guan Heng muttered, "I don't like covering my face and skulking around. A superhero needs publicity if he wants to score with lots of girls."
Fury roared, spraying spittle, "Shut up!" He yanked open a drawer, pulled out a mask, and handed it to Guan Heng. "Don't think I don't know Chinese customs. You'd never turn this mask down."
Guan Heng took the mask, his expression immediately turning serious. Holding it carefully in both hands, he smiled ruefully. "Fury, you really are an expert on China."
Before you continue