Stop Beating Around the Bush

Mephisto trembled with rage and roared:

"Don't play dumb. You were just working with Ancient One on Earth to drive me out of there. Speak!"

Black-Winged Lucifer seemed to have suddenly thought of something, and a glint flashed through his eyes.

But he quickly returned to calm and continued to deny it.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Stop beating around the bush here."

"If you want a fight, then come at me. Let's have a good one! If you don't, then get the hell out!"

Mephisto knew full well that this was the other party's home turf, Hell. With the power of the dimension empowering him, Mephisto was no match for him at all.

Though his face was full of unwillingness, he could only force down his anger and turn to leave.

But he truly could not swallow this insult, so he changed direction and flew toward the Hell Territories of the other demon kings.

The next morning, Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Coulson respectfully led Lu Xi to the entrance of a detached villa.

That trademark fake smile was still on his face as he said,

"Sir, are you satisfied with this place?"

Lu Xi looked up and saw that the villa was surrounded by a quiet, pleasant environment, with shady green trees and lush flowers and grass.

Although it was in New York, the residential density here was not particularly high. It was clearly an area where the wealthy gathered.

He nodded slightly and said,

"It'll do. My standards aren't high anyway. As long as I have somewhere peaceful and livable, that's enough."

Coulson hurriedly took out a credit card from his pocket and presented it to Lu Xi with both hands.

"This is a currency medium used in the human world. You can use it directly. It's very convenient."

Lu Xi naturally recognized a credit card and casually accepted it.

He had no idea what the card's limit was, nor could he be bothered to ask. If he spent it all, he could just ask S.H.I.E.L.D. for more.

He was so calm because Coulson had already reached an agreement with Lu Xi on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D.

S.H.I.E.L.D. promised to help Lu Xi handle all sorts of daily matters and troubles he encountered while on Earth.

In exchange, they hoped that Lu Xi would not casually violate Earth's laws.

Lu Xi naturally agreed. Though his current strength seemed far from weak, the waters on Earth ran deep. At the very least, Ancient One's attitude was still unclear, so it was best not to act recklessly when he had just arrived.

At the same time, S.H.I.E.L.D. invited him to cooperate with them within certain limits, and Lu Xi agreed to that as well.

For example, they could consult him for information about strange incidents, or ask him to act when they ran into trouble.

Of course, every time S.H.I.E.L.D. sought his help, they would have to pay an additional corresponding price. Even then, it would depend on whether Lu Xi was willing to help.

It was a mature system of cooperation, and S.H.I.E.L.D. had plenty of experience with it.

After all, more than a decade ago, S.H.I.E.L.D. had handled a similar case involving aliens living on Earth.

That Skrull spaceship was still drifting around in space even now.

After Coulson politely took his leave, Lu Xi wandered around the villa alone.

The garden outside the villa was spacious, with lush green grass, blooming flowers, and a crystal-clear swimming pool.

The interior décor was also distinctive. Its minimalist style incorporated a sense of technology, making it feel both comfortable and modern.

Suddenly, Lu Xi frowned slightly, sensing that someone seemed to be watching him.

He quickly walked to the window and looked into the distance.

On a utility pole not far away, two suspicious figures were crouching furtively.

One of them held high-powered binoculars and stared intently in this direction.

The other held a directional listening device, aiming it at the villa.

Lu Xi saw through them at a glance. Those two were definitely S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

He snorted inwardly and secretly exerted some force.

With a crisp crack, the lenses of the binoculars instantly shattered.

At the same time, Lu Xi used his power to send his voice directly into the agents' ears.

"If there's a next time, you'll bear the consequences yourselves."

The agent shuddered in fright and nearly fell off the utility pole.

He scrambled down the pole in panic, hurriedly took out his phone, and reported the situation to his superiors.

Inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. New York Branch, Nick Fury wore a grave expression as he spoke with Maria Hill.

At that moment, Coulson happened to return to the base.

He moved quickly, heading straight for Nick's office.

Nick sat in a large chair. When he saw Coulson enter, his gaze immediately shifted toward him.

"Have you finished the analysis?"

Coulson strode forward and handed over an analysis report.

Nick took the report and focused his gaze on it. Written prominently on it were:

[Name: Lucifer]

[Age: Appears to be around 20 years old (actual age unknown)]

[Identity: Suspected Angel, King of Hell]

[Abilities: Flight, energy beams, a kick equivalent to 15,000 tons of TNT (upper limit unknown)]

When Nick saw those figures, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He asked in disbelief,

"Are you sure you didn't put the decimal point in the wrong place?"

Maria hurriedly replied,

"Director, I compiled the data myself. It has been confirmed repeatedly."

"When he stomped down last night, a magnitude-five earthquake struck New York City. Our base, as the epicenter, experienced a magnitude-six earthquake."

Coulson added from the side,

"We calculated it carefully. The energy contained in that kick was already equivalent to the explosive energy of a small atomic bomb."

Nick sucked in a cold breath and could not help blurting out a curse.

"Motherfucker, what kind of F**King monster is this?!"

"One punch or kick can rival a nuclear bomb. What kind of power would he have if he went all out?"

Coulson wiped the cold sweat from his face and agreed.

"This isn't just a humanoid nuclear bomb. He's practically a humanoid nuclear arsenal."

Nick nodded in agreement.

Among all the powerful people he knew, the strongest was Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers.

Carol was powerful, but the strength she had displayed had never been so violent and direct.

Nick was deeply unsettled, unable to decide whether he should urgently call Carol back.

He let out a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, then looked at Coulson and asked,

"Did he say what exactly he wants to do by staying on Earth?"

Coulson gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"I tested the waters indirectly on the way here. He said he wants to vacation on Earth."

The corner of Nick's eye twitched uncontrollably at that.

A humanoid, world-ending calamity had come to Earth.

And he had chosen New York, one of the most prosperous places in the world, for his vacation. That did not make Nick feel safe in the slightest.

Just then, a report from an agent interrupted Nick's thoughts.

Nick answered the call. After listening to the report, he fell silent for a moment before sternly saying into the phone,

"Pull everyone back. Do you hear me? I said everyone!"

After hanging up, Nick looked at Coulson and said gravely,

"Seal this file. Set it as Level Ten classified."

Coulson's heart tightened. He immediately nodded and answered solemnly,

"Yes!"

He knew that this meant that informed individuals like himself and Maria Hill would henceforth be forbidden from revealing any related intelligence to anyone.

And from then on, only Director Nick himself would be able to access the file.

Nick seemed to suddenly think of something and added,

"Also, do everything possible to stop other forces from making contact with him."

"I don't want those power-hungry, pig-headed fools to anger this great being and bring some Universe-level trouble down on us."

Nick's concerns were not unnecessary. At that moment, Lu Xi's information had indeed already been delivered to the desks of every major force.

An undercurrent surrounding Lu Xi was quietly beginning to stir.