300 gems = bonus chapter
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The newcomer was clearly no friend.
John narrowed his eyes.
"It seems we need to talk."
Wenwu looked around and suggested, "Change locations?"
John replied, "Alright."
The two left in tacit agreement, speaking little along the way. When they reached a park, they sat on a bench.
Wenwu spoke first. "You killed someone, Wick."
"Let me consider." John thought for a moment, then said, "Which one are you referring to?"
One had to understand: this Witch King had actually killed quite a few people. Occasionally conflicts arose between Muggles and wizards that inevitably required his decisive intervention.
"The Ten Rings Gang." Wenwu observed John's casual demeanor and stated, "You killed a puppet."
"It seems you are the true leader then." John rubbed the ring on his finger, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You are not seeking revenge?"
"You surprised me." Wenwu neither denied nor admitted it. He gazed at people walking their dogs across the street and said, "It was merely a puppet. I do not concern myself with such figureheads." He stretched out his hand, stroking his arm, and strange metal rings materialized one after another. "You possess a special power; I can feel it."
"My wife used to wield that power." He looked up into John's eyes, and within his otherwise composed gaze, a hint of sadness touched his features as he mentioned his wife.
"You loved her very much," John observed quietly.
"I loved her very much," Wenwu affirmed, hatred flaring in his eyes. "But someone killed her."
"You came with a proposition." John shifted his gaze. "What do you want?" If his purpose was merely the so-called puppet, he would not have appeared with such directness. This man was very special. John, proficient in time magic, could discern that the individual before him had existed far longer than even the Ancient One. A special power sustained Wenwu, keeping him vital.
Wenwu nodded, his eyes falling on a father and son playing Frisbee.
"For my son." He stated solemnly, "I know you, John Wick."
"I want you to look after my child, Shang-Chi." His children had left the family. "He ran away from me, and his cowardly behavior infuriated me," Wenwu said coldly. "He should be the most powerful warrior."
Wenwu had sent Shang-Chi to kill the leader of the Iron Gang, the man who murdered his wife. The outcome, however, was unexpected. Shang-Chi succeeded but also chose to leave Wenwu's side. That was his son. Even after Shang-Chi departed, Wenwu, as a father, could not idly stand by and allow the blood of himself and his wife to encounter peril in the wider world.
"That child is fourteen years old." Although Wenwu's tone was harsh, he could not entirely conceal his worry. "There are too many people in this world who will take advantage of his great power." Despite his formidable strength, Shang-Chi's age and inexperience were still causes for concern. Just one act of killing had caused Shang-Chi to nearly collapse, leading Wenwu to suspect his son could be easily manipulated by those with ulterior motives.
"Underground President." When he uttered this title, Wenwu's words dripped with contempt. As an ancient being who had survived for millennia, he scoffed at the notion of a mere underground president. He had once conquered kingdoms and established the formidable Ten Rings organization. The so-called underground alliance was merely a consortium of superficially powerful forces. His own power alone was enough to destroy such an alliance.
"The power your father left for you is sufficient to ensure my son's well-being," Wenwu stated. "No direct intervention is required, only discreet assistance."
"You do not have to grant him great wealth, as long as he does not perish."
John listened and then asked curiously, "So, what will you give me in return?" Did this man not understand the principle of equivalent exchange? Or did he expect John to work for him without compensation?
Wenwu stood up and declared coldly, "The boon I offer you is one of enduring protection." A man who had conquered many nations, his favors came at a significant price.
John smiled. "That is remarkably kind of you." A threat? Sorry, as the Witch King, he did not accept such terms. Shaking his head and laughing, John looked around. "Let us move to another location. It is not convenient to do anything here."
"You wish to fight me?" Wenwu was also amused by John's apparent ignorance and retorted with an old Eastern proverb, "Boy, I have eaten more salt than you have eaten rice."
John smiled and replied in the same ancient Eastern language, "Then you must have a very strong palate."
Wenwu paused, hearing the same language. He had not expected that a person of clearly pure Western descent could speak such fluent, ancient Eastern dialect.
John's hand snaked onto Wenwu's shoulder. With a smile, he said, "Change of scenery."
Wenwu tensed, ready to strike, but a sudden force pulled at his body.
Apparition.
The sharp crack of Apparition startled those nearby. Passersby looked around, wondering if a tire had burst. The man in the trench coat, Dex, took a few surprised steps forward towards the bench, his thin-cheeked face revealed. He could not comprehend how the two individuals had vanished.
*****
The concussive force high in the New Mexico sky startled passing birds. Wenwu felt a disorienting lurch but quickly grasped his situation: he was several hundred meters in the sky. His face turned stern. The metal rings on his right arm detached and arrayed themselves before him. Just as he was about to plummet, he punched out. Five metal rings shot towards the loess earth below, kicking up a cloud of smoke and dust.
John's figure appeared in the clearing, standing with his wand held behind his back.
Wenwu walked out of the smoke, his expression grim. "You are indeed different."
"Civilization evolved from conflict," John said casually, twirling his wand with his finger. "We cannot expect mere warnings to intimidate people." A single sentence to ask the Witch King to be your nanny? How audacious can you be?
"You are courting death!" Wenwu had just been teleported hundreds of meters into the air by John. He possessed a long life, but that did not mean he was immortal. Superhuman strength and speed were not omnipotent. Five metal rings dislodged themselves from the earth and returned to his arm.
Wenwu assumed a fighting stance, ready to unleash his ancient skills. John raised his wand before his chest, a smile on his face.
"In my school, we were taught about dueling." He bowed slowly. "This is a sign of respect afforded to duelists. I do not believe you are familiar with it."
Wenwu punched, the force of his blow stirring the dust. John raised his wand, and a shimmering, armored shield materialized before him. Wenwu closed the distance rapidly, his fist slamming into the magical shield, sending ripples spreading across its surface. John's eyes narrowed; the power of that punch was truly substantial.
The metal rings on Wenwu's right arm pulsed, sending out four concussive blasts. With each collision, John was surrounded by flying sand and rocks. Thrusting out his left hand, the five metal rings linked together, forming a whip connected by dense purple energy. The whip lashed out, and a chasm appeared in the ground beside John. Wenwu struck powerfully with both hands, but John vanished with Apparition. The ten rings spread out, blasting energy in all directions. Wenwu himself was like a human bomber.
"Come out!"
"As you wish." The moment John reappeared, he waved his wand. Intense red light intertwined, forming an explosive projectile. "Confringo!"
The ten rings converged, forming an energy shield before Wenwu. Its contact with the magical blast triggered a massive explosion. John continued his assault, his wand unleashing a torrent of red lightning that roared past like a striking dragon.
"Expelliarmus!"
At the moment of contact, Wenwu immediately felt a repulsive force emanating from the ten rings. He slid backward, retreating. Upon contact with the red lightning, the ten rings resisted for a moment before being violently torn apart by the powerful force, scattering into pieces. Wenwu once again adopted a stance to gather his power, and the fragmented rings reformed, flying back to his arms. He looked at John in surprise. "How did you accomplish that?"
"A type of magic." John waved his wand again, a nonchalant air about him. His wand was like a high-caliber rifle without a scope; wherever he pointed it, holes were blasted into the ground.
A vortex of flying sand and stones erupted at John's command. This offensive spell surged forward. Wenwu, revitalized, sent his ten rings flying to intercept the magic. Wenwu was not limited to close combat; the metal rings soared towards John. Even with his magical shield active, John could not fully defend and was forced to keep dodging. It was this that allowed Wenwu to discover his weakness.
"You are afraid of my approach." Wenwu grasped this and immediately began to deliberately close the distance to John. Wenwu also had a counter for John's elusive Apparition. Recalling the ten rings, he gathered them in his hands and then flung them outward with great force. The rings exploded around him, spreading out in a wave of powerful energy. The moment John Apparated, a metal ring targeted his new position. The ground at his feet exploded. In that instant, John's pupils contracted into vertical slits. The metal ring that had originally flown towards him was knocked away by the wand he waved.
Wenwu had already leaped high, the ten rings returning to his arm as he punched downwards. Dust flew up, leaving a wide crater in the ground. John appeared ten meters away and wiped his forehead. "That was truly dangerous."
Wenwu rose slowly, raised his right hand, and all ten rings fitted onto it. "You will not be so fortunate next time."
"I admit your weapon is indeed powerful." John glanced at his wand; he had deflected a ring with it just now and had momentarily feared the Elder Wand might break.
"Boy, I will give you another chance." Wenwu held up a fist. "Find my son."
"I can only tell you again, reluctantly." John looked straight at Wenwu with his vertical pupils and smiled faintly. "Equivalent exchange."
"You cannot afford to provoke me."
The two were at an impasse, hostility crackling between them. Wenwu observed John's unyielding stance. Though wary of John's elusive abilities, he felt no fear. He gathered the power of the ten rings and punched out. The force of this punch was accompanied by the ten rings flying so fast that no one had time to react.
John turned his wand upside down and stabbed it hard into the ground. A massive hand formed of sand and gravel erupted from the ground. Its fist collided with the ten rings and was blown apart. Then, a giant python of sand erupted from beneath Wenwu's feet, lunging skyward as if to devour him. Wenwu reacted instantly, bracing his legs against the python's massive jaws. The ten rings flew to his hands, transforming into sharp blades, and with a single strike, he sliced the colossal serpent in two.
As the serpent's remains fell, John thrust his wand again. A blue light plunged into the ground beside him, and a large, spectral dog emerged, knocking Wenwu aside. Transfiguration!
Wenwu also fought back, and three metal rings flew towards John with a clanging sound. One bypassed his magical shield and struck John's shoulder. His clothes tore, and John staggered from the impact. He Apparated to land safely on the ground, narrowly avoiding a collision with a rock. Shaking the arm that was hit, John looked over. Wenwu had escaped from the spectral dog's attack and now stared intently at John. Beneath his torn sleeve, golden scales shimmered briefly before slowly fading. Wenwu's eyes were sharp; a single metal ring possessed enough force to crack stone. After John was hit, his sleeve was damaged, but his body was unharmed.
"Reparo!" John's wand touched the damaged fabric, and the torn sleeve mended itself, looking untouched.
By this point, the battle had significantly altered the surrounding terrain. John glanced around and saw a motorcade appearing in the distance. He said, "It seems we can only change locations again."
Saying this, he struck with lightning speed. The plants under Wenwu's feet grew rapidly, entangling him. John vanished, his palm already resting on Wenwu's shoulder. The surrounding scenery distorted. Wenwu immediately resisted, and the ten rings exploded the vegetation, but it was still a step too late.
Cold air stung his nostrils. He focused his eyes. Blue sky, snow.
A red light shot down. The ten rings were repulsed by a strange force and flew from his arms. The tip of the wand, making a piercing sound, zoomed towards his eyes
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