Master Hong Shows His Skill

It was hard to imagine that Frank Castle, as an escaped prisoner, would not flee to some remote place but instead remain in the sprawling metropolis of New York.

Even more surprising was that he, a retired soldier with exceptional military discipline and combat prowess, would choose to hide his identity and swing a sledgehammer on a construction site.

Hong Fei had figured it out—or rather, he had "seen" it.

After witnessing the news reports about Frank Castle's prison break on television, Hong Fei began systematically checking construction sites across New York, eventually pinpointing his hiding spot.

After a few minutes of walking, the two arrived at a quiet corner of the construction site.

Frank suddenly turned around five meters away from Hong Fei, his eyes sharpening instantly. "Young man, tell me everything you know."

Hong Fei's eyebrow twitched. "Are you planning to rob me outright?"

"Wrong!"

Frank spread his arms as if embracing the entire city. "This city once held my beloved family and a warm home, but those underground rats destroyed it all. When I tried to seek justice for them through legal channels, I discovered that the surface was crawling with even more rats."

"I've heard a bit about that." Hong Fei nodded.

"You're not even a bystander." Frank pointed disdainfully at the sky. "You see the blinding sunlight, but all I see is endless darkness. I need that intelligence to make those people face the punishment they deserve, so I won't use it as bargaining chips for any deal!"

Frank's wife and daughter were killed. When he used his own intelligence network to find the killers and bring them to court, they exploited legal loopholes through various means to escape punishment.

Since the law couldn't deliver justice, Frank had to take matters into his own hands to avenge his family, showing no mercy to any criminal.

Thus, a good husband, a good father, and perhaps even a good soldier and citizen, suddenly became a hunted criminal.

He had been in prison once, and now his only public identity was that of an escaped convict.

Hong Fei: "I understand your methods, and I fully approve of them. Your thoughts and actions in punishing those criminals are truly admirable. To be honest, I have a wealth of intelligence, but there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Frank shook his head again. "I'll say it again: I'm not making any deals with you. I do intend to freeload your lunch."

Hong Fei spread his hands. "Really no room to negotiate?"

"You should have known that from the start."

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

In the silence, Hong Fei's eyes suddenly sharpened, a piercing light seeming to shoot from them, and his feet shifted from stillness to motion in an instant, kicking up a gale like a galloping steed, crossing the five-meter gap in the blink of an eye.

Frank's pupils contracted sharply. He never expected that Hong Fei's seemingly ordinary frame could harbor such explosive speed and power.

But his reaction was equally swift. Instantly channeling all his strength, facing Hong Fei's sudden assault, he didn't dodge but instead threw a punch first, aimed squarely at Hong Fei's temple.

In that instant, Frank seized the initiative from Hong Fei, and his long-reaching punch clearly intended to keep Hong Fei at bay, denying him any chance to close in.

Hong Fei raised his fist to parry, rotating his arm at the joint, his fist transforming into a claw that lightning-fast seized Frank's forearm.

Frank retreated quickly, twisting his arm to break free, but Hong Fei's grip was unyielding. He moved his feet rapidly, his body flowing seamlessly with Frank's movements.

Their eyes met. Staring into Hong Fei's wolfishly aggressive gaze, Frank felt a surge of absurdity.

Two seconds ago, he had thought the young man before him was merely a puppet pushed forward, backed either by some hidden master or simply an organization.

But now—whether it was the shocking explosive speed of the initial attack, the fluid power and seamless transitions in the arm parry, or those intensely aggressive eyes that seemed to pierce through skin—all of it proved that this young man possessed formidable real-world combat skills!

From Hong Fei's perspective, Frank's reaction was indeed quick, his experience solid, and his strength overwhelming compared to most ordinary people.

But if he had to sum it up, Hong Fei had only two words: not enough.

In terms of strength, the two were probably on par, maybe Frank was even stronger, since Hong Fei was no longer in his original body.

In terms of experience, Frank was an elite soldier with countless kills, but setting aside firearms, his unarmed combat experience couldn't surpass that of a martial artist immersed in challenging opponents and adventures.

And when it came to technique, Hong Fei didn't even want to bother listing everything he had mastered.

The main reason was that from the very first day he entered the Marvel Universe, he had realized that while his past experiences could still serve as aids and spiritual anchors, they were no longer sufficient as a true foundation for survival.

The reality was that some could fly and turn invisible, some could tank cannon shells with their bodies, some could summon lightning, some things could destroy planets with a single shot, some could annihilate universes, magic wasn't fantasy, and gods were real.

Master Hong, who had risen to fame young and never been left behind by the times, found it easier to recognize and accept reality. Besides, if he hadn't kept up with the trends and cleared Red Dead Redemption 2, he wouldn't be here facing this reality at all.

Back to the present. With strength roughly equal, Hong Fei's advantage in experience and technique wasn't overwhelming, but it was at least a tiny bit.

After five rapid steps forward with Frank, Hong Fei suddenly exerted force from his feet without warning, leaving a deep footprint in the gravel ground. He released his grip, drew both hands to his ribs, and clenched them into fists. His abdominal muscles tensed and relaxed, his spine unfurled from bottom to top like a steel-forged fan opening, and power surged through like lightning.

Both fists shot forward simultaneously, twisting like twin cannons firing!

Frank was startled again, instantly crossing his arms in front of him.

Fists met arms, and Frank stumbled backward, his arms instantly numb, his strength seemingly scattered by the blow. He took a deep breath, then let out a roar, forcing his spirit to rally.

Hong Fei stood still, his feet rooted into the gravel, both hands positioned before his chest.

Frank narrowed his eyes, shaking his arms to relax his muscles while keeping his gaze locked on Hong Fei like a bolt of lightning.

After a moment, Frank clenched his fists, his muscles tensing, power re-gathering.

This time, he took the initiative, charging fiercely at Hong Fei. As he closed in, he ignored Hong Fei's hands, suddenly veering to the side and throwing a lightning-fast punch.

Hong Fei pivoted on his toes, twisting his body, his hands reaching up and down to grab Frank's arm.

But Frank's strike was a feint. He withdrew quickly, his other arm slipping precisely through Hong Fei's grasp and striking his chest.

Hong Fei's body immediately contracted inward, his spine curving like a drawn bow.

Frank's fist pressed against Hong Fei's chest, but he felt as if he had struck a leaf drifting in the wind—as if, before making contact, Hong Fei had already been pushed away by the breeze his punch created.

Hong Fei's body sank slightly downward, and with this one simple motion, all his strength instantly condensed inward, its core being the point where his chest met his fist.

At this very moment, even his consciousness rapidly drew inward, his essence, energy, and spirit converging into a single point.

Bang!

Hong Fei's spine snapped back like a bowstring released after being drawn taut, the sudden burst of force exploding the air with a sound that wove together dull thuds and sharp cracks.

Frank felt as if his fist had been struck head-on by a swung iron hammer; the bones in his palm seemed to shatter inch by inch under the blow. The fierce force traveled up his arm bones, instantly tearing apart the muscles attached to them.

At the same time, his body shot backward like a cannonball, landing over five meters away. The force had yet to dissipate, and if he were dragged along, the gravel on the ground would shred his entire back. So he had no choice but to endure the sharp pain in his arm, tuck his head, curl his body into a ball, and roll like a rubber ball to shed the momentum.

Hong Fei was fairly satisfied with the result.

If he had relied on the body from a month ago, he definitely couldn't have pulled this off—that scholar's physique wasn't even healthy.

Over the past month, the gangsters he had thrown in front of the police station had contributed many body enhancements, pulling this frame out of its initial frailty. Though it still fell short of his previous body, it seemed barely adequate for now.

He hadn't even activated the Shinigami Eye cheat.

Frank rolled all the way to the edge of a wall before finally stopping. He quickly flipped to his feet, feeling as if his arm had already detached from his torso, but he had no time to tend to his injury. His eyes locked onto Hong Fei, over ten meters away, like an eagle's.

Hong Fei stepped into a bow stance, his upper body straight as a silver spear, shoulders dropped. His right hand arced to the side into a hook, while his left palm turned outward and pushed forward, both arms stretching front and back like a taut whip.

Frank narrowed his eyes and spat out a somewhat awkward word.

"Kung Fu?"

Hong Fei gave a slight nod. "Again?"

Frank's face twitched. He glanced down at his dangling arm and said bluntly, "Just tell me about your deal!"

Hong Fei immediately smiled, retracted his stance, and stepped forward. "Don't worry, the force didn't reach the tendons, your bones aren't broken, and your muscles aren't torn—it's all just an illusion. Within three days, I guarantee you'll be as lively as a dragon or tiger!"

Frank nodded grimly.

Frank certainly wasn't afraid of losing a fight. On the contrary, he figured that since Hong Fei had such mastery in kung fu, he must have weaknesses elsewhere—like firearms, which Frank knew and handled better. If it came down to a life-or-death struggle, he definitely wouldn't fight barehanded.

He agreed because, more than victory, he wanted the information Hong Fei had mentioned.

He looked at Hong Fei again, only to see Hong Fei's brows suddenly lift, his gaze drifting past Frank.

Alert, Frank spun around, but saw only a gray wall. He asked in confusion, "What are you looking at?"

Hong Fei saw a card floating in the air before him. It was pure white, with a faint white glow flowing around it, and on its face was a very detailed portrait.

Glancing at Frank, Hong Fei shook his head lightly. "Nothing. Let's go, I'll take you back to treat your injury."

As he turned, Hong Fei seemingly casually stretched his arms, his long limbs spreading out, and his hand made a plucking motion in the air.