Chapter 126: A Challenge for Iron Man
Sparks crackled.
The hole melted through the roof by the exploding intruder still glowed red-hot. Xi Nian, bathed in the moonlight pouring through the gap, stood there in his demigod state, like a figure out of myth.
"Who are you?!"
"Be careful, he has superhuman abilities…"
With shouts and hurried footsteps, more than a dozen young men stormed into the car wash yard from upstairs and the front entrance. Some carried firearms, others brandished knives or iron rods. They surrounded Xi Nian, who stood calmly at the center of the lot.
Even so, none dared approach closer than ten meters.
One of them, with dyed green hair—seemingly a follower of Lorna—stepped forward. His eyes were red with anger as he leveled a rifle and shouted, "Why did you just come out of Boss Lorna's room?!"
Xi Nian swept his silver eyes over them without the slightest flicker of emotion. In his divine state, he approached problems with the simplest, coldest logic.
"Try pulling the trigger," Xi Nian suddenly said to the agitated green-haired youth.
"You think I won't?!" the youth—Edick—snapped, trembling with rage as he flipped off the rifle's safety.
"Edick, calm down!" someone hissed, unnerved by the silver-haired boy's fearless demeanor.
"Hurry up," Xi Nian urged as he began walking toward the gunman. "If you don't shoot now, you won't get another chance."
"You're asking for it!"
As the others around him instinctively stepped back, Edick's self-control broke. He raised the rifle and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed. But before their disbelieving eyes, Xi Nian casually lifted his left hand. On his wrist was a silver bracer, and as the bullet struck it, a spark flickered harmlessly off the metal.
"Impossible…" Edick's eyes widened. He squeezed the trigger again and again.
But Xi Nian kept walking. His left hand blurred, moving faster than human eyes could track. Sparks flashed off the bracer as bullet after bullet was deflected, fragments clattering uselessly to the ground.
Before Edick could fire again, Xi Nian was already in front of him. He grabbed the overheated barrel with his right hand and, with a twist of his fingers, bent it into a useless S-shape.
Edick went pale and dropped onto his backside in terror.
"Understand now? Your weapons mean nothing to me," Xi Nian said coolly. He tossed aside the ruined rifle and looked around at the pale-faced men. "So—shall we sit down and talk properly?"
…
Ten minutes later.
The cars had been moved out of the way, leaving a wide space in the lot. Rows of stools had been set out, and more than twenty of Lorna's crew—men and women alike—sat on them obediently, like schoolchildren waiting for a lecture.
In front of them, Xi Nian stood calmly, now wearing a fresh pair of high-top sneakers. He had to admit, the Ancient One's advice was useful: no explanation carried more weight than showing overwhelming strength.
Once they realized their weapons couldn't touch him, fear gave way to obedience. And then dialogue became possible.
This wasn't intimidation. It was simply reality.
"So you're one of us after all," Edick muttered with a sigh of relief from the front row.
"Correction," Xi Nian said evenly. "I'm not one of you. I stand with Lorna. Your lives or deaths mean nothing to me. But anyone who dares harm her will end up like the intruder just now."
Under the divine light of his silver gaze, none dared meet his eyes. Some lowered their heads guiltily.
That demonstration earlier had been deliberate—pure intimidation. A warning. A sign that Lorna wasn't without protection, that behind her stood another extraordinary being.
From now on, even if more enemies came for her, they would think twice.
Xi Nian's voice cut through the silence: "You all saw it. That intruder was after Lorna. Before he self-destructed, he revealed his master's name: Killian. Do any of you know him?"
At the name, several shifted uneasily.
Edick's face darkened. "Killian… that bastard! How dare he go after Boss Lorna?!"
"You know him?" Xi Nian asked.
Edick nodded quickly. "Three months ago, he approached Boss Lorna about some kind of experimental research. I don't know the details, but she refused to cooperate with him."
"Do you know where he is now?" Xi Nian pressed.
"All I know is he's tied to a biotech company in Los Angeles. Nothing more," Edick admitted.
"Los Angeles…" Xi Nian murmured. Then asked casually, "Anything unusual happening there recently?"
"Unusual? Actually, yeah!" Edick exclaimed. He ran to a nearby car, retrieved a folded newspaper, and handed it to Xi Nian.
It was today's New York Evening News.
Xi Nian flipped it open and scanned the second page.
"This morning, a terrorist group claiming to represent a so-called Jewish leadership hacked into Los Angeles television stations and broadcast a murder threat video, causing panic across the city. The U.S. cabinet has dispatched War Machine to respond.
This afternoon, Tony Stark's chauffeur, Happy, was critically injured in Los Angeles by a human bomb attack. He was rushed to L.A. First Hospital in critical condition. Analysts call this a direct challenge to Iron Man.
In response, Tony Stark declared open war on the terrorists and, in front of reporters, revealed the exact address of his seaside villa in Los Angeles."
Xi Nian lowered the paper, his expression hard. The aftermath photos of the bombing were identical to the self-detonation he had just witnessed.
It was the same group.
The ones who attacked Lorna tonight were the same ones provoking chaos in Los Angeles.
Xi Nian's silver eyes glinted coldly. To provoke Iron Man was one thing. That wasn't his problem.
But to come after Lorna as well?
These people must have a death wish.
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