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. Talk!"

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

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

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

"If you want a fight, then bring it on. Let's have a good one! If you don't, then get the hell out!"

Mephisto knew full well that this was the other side's home turf—Hell. With the dimensional power bolstering him, Mephisto was no match for him at all.

Though unwilling, he could only suppress his fury and turn to leave.

But he simply 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 standalone villa.

That classic fake smile still hung 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 lush trees and abundant flowers and grass.

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

He nodded slightly.

"It'll do. My standards aren't high anyway. I just need a safe, stable place to live."

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

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

Lu Xi naturally recognized a credit card and accepted it without hesitation.

He did not know the card's limit, 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 previously reached an agreement with Lu Xi on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s behalf.

S.H.I.E.L.D. promised to handle all the daily matters and troubles Lu Xi encountered during his time on Earth.

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

Lu Xi naturally agreed. Though his current power did not seem weak, Earth's waters ran deep. At the very least, Ancient One's attitude remained unclear. Since he had only just arrived, it was better not to act recklessly.

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 regarding strange incidents, or ask him to intervene when they ran into trouble.

Of course, every request for help from S.H.I.E.L.D. required an additional price. Even then, it depended on whether Lu Xi was willing to help.

This 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 already handled a similar case involving aliens living on Earth.

That Skrull spaceship was still drifting around in space to this day.

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

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

The interior decorations were distinctive as well. Its minimalist style incorporated a touch of technology, making it feel both comfortable and modern.

Suddenly, Lu Xi frowned slightly. He sensed 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 was holding high-powered binoculars, staring fixedly in this direction.

The other held a directional listening device aimed 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 binocular lenses instantly shattered.

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

"Do it again, and face the consequences."

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

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

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

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

He hurried straight toward Nick's office.

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

"Have you finished the analysis?"

Coulson stepped forward quickly and handed over an analysis report.

Nick took the report and focused on it. Written 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 (limit unknown)]

Nick's eyes nearly popped out when he saw those figures. He asked in disbelief:

"Are you sure the decimal point isn't wrong?"

Maria quickly replied:

"Director, I compiled the data myself. I verified it repeatedly."

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

Coulson added from the side:

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

Nick sucked in a cold breath and could not help swearing.

"Motherfucker, what kind of F**K 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 is no longer 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. For a moment, he could not decide whether he should urgently call Carol back.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and looked at Coulson.

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

Coulson shook his head with a bitter smile.

"I beat around the bush to probe a bit on my way here, and he said he wants to take a vacation on Earth."

Nick's eye twitched uncontrollably when he heard that.

A humanoid, world-ending natural disaster 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 at all.

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

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

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

After hanging up, Nick looked at Coulson and spoke gravely.

"Seal this file. Classify it as Level Ten."

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

"Yes!"

He knew this meant that informed personnel like himself and Maria Hill were forbidden from revealing any related intelligence to anyone from that point on.

And in the future, only Director Nick himself would be authorized to access this file.

Nick seemed to think of something else and added:

"Also, do everything possible to prevent other forces from contacting him."

"I don't want those power-hungry, pigheaded fools to provoke this great being and bring us some cosmic-level trouble."

Nick's concerns were not unfounded. At that very moment, Lu Xi's file had indeed been delivered to the desks of every major faction.

An undercurrent centered around Lu Xi was quietly beginning to stir.