*Spurt!*
“Lu Xiaofeng” spat out a fountain of fresh blood and dropped to one knee, his face turning paper-white in an instant.
[Shock Value from Daredevil Matt Murdock +1000]
[Shock Value from Luke Cage +800]
[Shock Value from Jessica Jones +900]
[Shock Value from The Punisher Frank Castle +700]
…
As the terrible sight unfolded before their eyes, Jessica clenched her teeth until they clicked.
Luke Cage squeezed his fists so hard his knuckles turned white.
Even Frank, normally as cold and hard as iron, wore an expression so dark it looked like it could drip ink.
And Matt himself—his lips trembled, his eyes were bloodshot, and his jaw was set so tight he nearly shattered his teeth.
Facing four pairs of burning eyes, the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe stood rooted to the spot, even curling the corners of his mouth into an amused smirk.
*Indeed, the more intense their emotions, the faster the Shock Value climbs.*
He drew the crimson longsword from Lu Xiaofeng’s chest, droplets of blood sliding off the tip.
His voice was utterly flat.
“Little Chick Lu, you brought this death upon yourself. You have no one else to blame.”
*Spurt!*
“Lu Xiaofeng” choked up another mouthful of thick blood.
“Lu Xiaofeng!!!”
The Defenders cried out in unison, unable to conceal their grief.
[Shock Value from Daredevil Matt Murdock +1200]
[Shock Value from Luke Cage +1000]
[Shock Value from Jessica Jones +1000]
[Shock Value from The Punisher Frank Castle +900]
…
*Uh… there’s such a good thing?*
“Lu Xiaofeng” felt a jolt of inspiration and almost wanted to cough up two more mouthfuls.
On second thought, he held back.
Pressing one hand firmly against his gushing wound, his voice was faint yet clear: “Bai Yifei, for the sake of me saving your life back then… promise me one last thing…”
“Let Matt and the others go. I don’t want them to die because of me.”
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe remained silent for a long time before letting out a deep sigh and nodding.
“Out of respect for our past friendship, I agree.”
“Wonderful… that’s wonderful…”
A light smile of relief flickered across Lu Xiaofeng’s face.
His voice faded into a faint whisper as he breathed toward Matt and the others, “Live on… Don’t get involved in this anymore…”
Before the words fully left his lips, his body went limp and collapsed heavily to the ground.
His breath ceased; his pulse stopped.
[Shock Value from Daredevil Matt Murdock +1500]
[Shock Value from Luke Cage +1200]
[Shock Value from Jessica Jones +1200]
[Shock Value from The Punisher Frank Castle +1000]
…
The Defenders froze in place, their expressions heavy as lead.
A lump caught in Jessica’s throat.
With a sudden roar, she leaped into the air and launched a fury-laden fist straight at the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe’s face!
The Marquis sidestepped cleanly and pushed out with a light palm.
Jessica flew backward like a kite with a broken string.
His expression remained frosty and his tone calm.
“I am a man of my word. Today, I spare your lives.”
Pausing, he swept his gaze across the group, his voice dropping slightly.
“However, if you insist on seeking death, do not blame me for showing no mercy.”
The group fell silent, and no one moved again.
Moments later, Frank and Luke Cage silently stooped down to carefully lift Lu Xiaofeng’s body.
Heads bowed, the group departed, their silhouettes lonely and footsteps heavy.
They had driven here.
Frank, the least injured, took the driver’s seat.
Jessica curled up on the passenger side, uncapping her flask and taking a heavy swig.
The back row was squeezed with Luke, Matt, and Lu Xiaofeng lying quietly between them.
Crushed by defeat and having lost a companion, no one spoke.
Inside the Hummer, there was only the low hum of the engine and Matt’s uncontrollable, ragged coughing.
“Matt, your internal injuries are serious. We’re taking you to the hospital first, then we’ll handle Lu Xiaofeng’s arrangements,” Frank said in his usual steady tone.
But on closer inspection, his fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly that veins bulged on the back of his hands and his knuckles turned white.
“No,” Matt shook his head, brow furrowed.
“I can hang on. Settle Lu Xiaofeng first… He fell protecting me.”
“Wait… I think I can still be saved.”
The “corpse” in the back row suddenly moved, feebly raising a hand.
[Shock Value from Daredevil Matt Murdock +1800]
[Shock Value from Luke Cage +1500]
[Shock Value from Jessica Jones +1500]
[Shock Value from The Punisher Frank Castle +1200]
…
“Lu Xiaofeng?! You’re alive?!”
Jessica’s eyes bugged out in shock, and she spat out her mouthful of liquor—right onto the side of Frank’s face.
“Whoops, sorry! My bad!” She waved her hands frantically, chuckling awkwardly.
“It’s fine.”
Frank wiped his face expressionlessly.
Yet his glare was as cold as an icicle, looking not even slightly “fine.”
Muttering under her breath, Jessica turned around and scrutinized Lu Xiaofeng up and down, full of disbelief.
“Your heart literally stopped just now! How are you back from the dead?”
Lu Xiaofeng rolled his eyes.
“Sounds like you were hoping I’d kick the bucket.”
“Seriously though, how did you make it through?”
Not only was she pressing him, but even Frank, who usually drove in silence, perked up his ears.
“Well…”
Lu Xiaofeng pressed his hand against the right side of his chest.
“My heart was born on the wrong side. Most people’s are on the left, but mine’s on the right. Bai Yifei’s sword pierced my lung—it didn’t touch my heart.”
“So you played dead?!” Jessica slapped her thigh, suddenly understanding.
“Bingo!”
Lu Xiaofeng raised his chin with a hint of pride.
“If I hadn’t thought fast on my feet, all of us would’ve been wiped out back there.”
“You were acting the whole time?” Matt’s face suddenly darkened.
“It was just to save our hides, nothing to be ashamed of.” Lu Xiaofeng scratched his head and gave a dry chuckle.
“Forgive me, everyone. If I didn’t make it look real, how could I fool Bai Yifei?”
*And of course, if I didn’t act convincingly, I couldn’t squeeze this massive haul of Shock Value out of you guys,* he added silently in his mind.
“Fine,” Matt conceded with a weak nod, coughing a few more times.
His expression turned grave as he got straight to the point.
“The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe is too powerful. We can’t take him head-on. What’s our next move?”
“No rush.”
Lu Xiaofeng’s eyes flickered, the corners of his lips curling slightly.
“My other helper is almost here.”
***
In a villa in the Upper East Side:
Inside a bright and spotless dining room, several Shadowkhan Ninjas were going about their duties: one kneeling on the floor scrubbing tiles, another holding a ladle over a sizzling pan…
Luke Lane sat comfortably at the dining table, leisurely cutting into a medium-well steak.
He speared a piece, put it in his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, and nodded.
“Just the right heat. Next time, try adding a packet of Cooking Master Boy’s secret sauce.”
Truth be told, these Shadowkhan Ninjas were absolute pros at housework.
Washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning—they did it all with crisp efficiency.
Anyone who used them would say: total peace of mind!
Half an hour later.
Luke Lane finished his meal, wiped his mouth, and pulled up the system interface to check his rewards from this battle.
[Shock Value: 198,437.56]
“Looks like if I want to save up a solid reserve, I really need to stir up some big drama.”
He smirked, rose to wash his hands in the restroom, and then sat back down properly.
“System, let’s do a draw. Start with a Bronze Chest to warm up.”
The moment the words left his mouth, a white light flashed.
[Item: Lucky Rabbit’s Foot]
[Effect: Slightly increases the wearer’s luck]
[Description: Originating from the SCP Foundation world, it is an anomaly item that temporarily grants the user good luck.]
[Note: This is expired stock and works only once. Afterward, a backlash will occur, continuously bringing bad luck.]
…
[D-Rank 4-Star Card: Ah Fu]
[Skill: Martial Arts]
[Description: A martial-arts-obsessed villain from Jackie Chan Adventures who invents his own moves and names them himself. Known in the underworld as the ‘Chatterbox King.’]
[Note: Crow Takes Flight, Angry Crow Takeoff…]
…
“Alright then, drew a pretty useless card.”
Luke Lane rested his forehead in his hand with a look of helplessness.
*Being strong is temporary, but looking cool is forever.*
With Ah Fu’s loudmouthed, rash behavior—where his mouth moved faster than his hands—he really couldn’t bring himself to show him off in public.
“Still, the item I pulled is pretty interesting.”
Luke Lane pulled out the Lucky Rabbit’s Foot.
Well, as expected of a rabbit foot stored away for who knows how many years, the moment it came out, an old, filthy stench blasted straight into his nostrils.
“Brings bad luck after one use of good fortune? Then I can just give it away after using it once.”
After a moment’s thought, he tied the rabbit’s foot to his belt anyway.
He then opened the system panel and unlocked a Silver Chest.
[Item: Healing Gourd]
[Effect: Rapidly heals wounds]
[Description: Originating from the game Sekiro, the gourd contains a special liquid that effectively repairs flesh and skin damage. Once depleted, it automatically refills within 24 hours.]
[Note: Young man, did you drop this gold gourd, or this silver gourd?]
…
[B-Rank Card Fragment × 1]
[Effect: Synthesis]
[Description: A card fragment of unknown origin. Collect five fragments to synthesize a brand-new B-Rank card.]
…
[C-Rank 7-Star Card: Kimimaro]
[Skill: Shikotsumyaku, Ninjutsu, Curse Mark of Earth]
[Description: A tragic character from Naruto who possesses the Kaguya clan’s unique kekkei genkai, Shikotsumyaku. Had he not suffered from a terminal illness since childhood, his extraordinary talent would have made him one of the top powerhouses in the ninja world.]
[Note: A youth who is chronically calcium-deficient—and affection-deficient.]
…
“When luck comes, there’s no stopping it!”
Luke Lane’s eyes lit up.
Whether it was the Healing Gourd that could mend wounds instantly or the solid combat power of the Kimimaro card, both hit the mark perfectly.
The gourd in particular would come in handy right away.
…
New York Connors Private Hospital.
Inside a bright and tidy hospital room, Matt was wrapped up tight like a heavily layered zongzi.
Lu Xiaofeng wasn’t doing much better—one arm was in a cast, his chest was bound tightly in bandages, and even taking a breath required utmost care.
“Hahaha!!”
Seeing the pathetic state of the two, Jessica immediately burst into unrestrained laughter.
Luke Cage couldn’t hold it back either; scratching the back of his head, he looked down and chuckled softly.
Though they had suffered a heavy defeat against the Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe, everyone had at least made it back in one piece.
After such a dramatic roller coaster, everyone felt a sense of relief instead.
Except for Frank.
He was always weighed down by deep worries.
The Marquis of the Blood Wardrobe’s strength was far beyond expectations, leaving a heavy weight on Frank’s heart and reducing his sense of security to nearly zero.