Chapter 156: Slow Slicing, Tenfold Repayment!

The situation escalated so rapidly that before anyone could react, Whitehall was tossed directly before Jiaying.

Initially intending to interrogate Calvin, the moment she laid eyes on Whitehall, Jiaying’s gaze became utterly fixed, and her entire body began to tremble.

She was a classic beauty who had lived for an exceedingly long time, surviving from the feudal era all the way to the present day. More than once in her past, she had been branded a "vixen," and her face indeed possessed that ethereal, fox-like perfection—at least, it once had.

Whitehall had ruined her, ruined everything.

When she was first captured by Whitehall all those years ago, to protect the secrets of Afterlife and the Inhumans, she uttered not a single word, nor did she resort to her powers. Although her ability could siphon the life force of others, it required physical contact and time—time she simply did not have.

Later, after being rescued and monitored by S.H.I.E.L.D., she similarly refrained from using her powers, maintaining her deception until she found an opportunity to escape, returning to Afterlife to resume her role as a guide, helping the chosen ones adapt and grow.

Because the supply of Obelisks was limited, a chosen one appeared only once every few years, making her duties relatively light.

Like most Inhumans, she spent a great deal of her time living in the outside world, in her hometown of Hunan, China.

Then came her second capture: she was dismembered, her internal organs harvested and transplanted by Whitehall into his own body.

The fraction of power bound within those organs allowed Whitehall to reverse his aging and regain his youth.

Believing her to be entirely useless, Whitehall discarded her like trash. Eventually, she was gathered up by Calvin, stitched back together, and revived by absorbing the life force of numerous victims.

Everything had changed.

The person she was had changed, and so had her heart.

She left her husband and returned to Afterlife, fueled solely by a desire for vengeance utilizing the power of the Inhumans.

Never had she expected that Whitehall would suddenly appear right before her eyes.

The young man before her who called himself "Little Wang" must undoubtedly be the "Wang" Skye had spoken of.

Not only was he strikingly handsome and delightfully stocky—precisely her preferred type—but his demeanor was proper, his voice gentle, possessing the poise of a classical scholar coupled with the ethereal aura of an ancient Daoist master: pure, natural, and in complete harmony with heaven and earth. He was exceedingly captivating.

Most importantly, Little Wang was considerate and sensible, presenting her with the most crucial gift imaginable:

Whitehall!

This instantly filled her with a deep sense of favor toward the young man.

*Well, he’s quite wonderful; as long as he treats Skye well, that’s all that matters,* Jiaying nodded inwardly to herself.

A prospective mother-in-law looking at her daughter's suitor only grew fonder the longer she stared.

Of course, this was not the time for idle chitchat; decades of grievances needed to be settled first, and besides...

Gordon had not yet returned!

"Little Wang, that ribbon..." Jiaying asked.

Having lived for hundreds of years as a vixen, she was far from foolish; Little Wang and Calvin were clearly the "foreign intruders" Gordon had warned of.

Calvin lacked the capability to make Gordon tense to such a degree, which meant the responsibility lay squarely with Little Wang.

Little Wang was certainly far from ordinary!

"The little fellow is just playful. Mainly, Gordon struck first, which led to a misunderstanding... Please don't worry, I'll have it return right away."

Old Wang feigned calling out, "Crimson, return," while directly opening his mind to perceive the location of the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, ordering the artifact to hurry back.

A fake was still a fake; it possessed neither teleportation nor portal-opening capabilities.

Gordon had long since teleported to some unknown corner of the Earth, and no matter how fast the ribbon was, it could never catch up. In truth, it had already sneaked its way into a women's bathhouse, disguising itself as an exfoliating scrub brush to serve the ladies.

And occasionally taking liberties.

Though the magical ribbon was neither a true living being nor a soul entity, it possessed a certain sentience and personality—a personality that seemed somewhat less than upright...

Crucially, its aesthetic judgment was deeply flawed.

With plenty of gorgeous figures available around, why on earth did it have to single out the plump and stout variety? Just what was going through your mind, little Red?

In a flash, the magical ribbon flew back, winding itself around Old Wang’s waist, fawning upon him as usual in hopes that Old Wang would grant it a bit more essence to grow stronger.

Old Wang gave it a pat and felt that it still seemed a tad damp...

"How miraculous."

Jiaying uttered a sigh of amazement, then suddenly asked, "Little Wang, do you come from Kamar-Taj?"

Afterlife was situated in the Himalayan mountain range, extremely close to Kamar-Taj. Ancient texts contained records regarding sorcerers, and as a living fossil of the Inhuman race, Jiaying had even encountered a sorcerer once before, knowing full well that they utilized mystical artifacts.

"A month ago, at the invitation of the Sorcerer Supreme, I went to Kamar-Taj as a guest. I gifted her a copy of the *Darkhold*, and in return, she gave me this ribbon as a parting gift."

Old Wang spoke nonchalantly, looking somewhat sheepish. "You misunderstood. While I possess a magical artifact and can cast spells, I am not a sorcerer; I study kung fu."

"A kung fu master from K'un-Lun?"

Jiaying looked Old Wang up and down, her eyes growing even brighter. "The special energy within Skye—is that 'chi'? Did you teach her?"

Old Wang offered a warm, gentle smile. "Mm."

Jiaying stared intently at Old Wang, her satisfaction growing with every passing second.

Being on good terms with the Sorcerer Supreme, serving as a master of K'un-Lun, possessing a profound background, formidable strength, a fine temperament, and striking good looks—a son-in-law like this was impossible to find even with a lantern!

Amidst their conversation, Gordon reappeared.

Spotting Old Wang, Gordon immediately cried out, "Jiaying, he—"

"He is not the enemy."

Jiaying smiled as she said, "Gordon, take Whitehall and come with me."

Gordon was momentarily stunned.

At the time, he had sensed spatial fluctuations and teleported over, only to see Calvin stepping out of a portal. Recognizing the danger instantly, he had prepared to seize Calvin for a rigorous interrogation.

He never expected a crimson ribbon to fly out of the portal, radiating a power that struck terror into his very soul.

He fled immediately, completely unaware of everything that transpired afterward.

Never could he have imagined that the intruder would actually bring Whitehall back as a gift!

Glancing at the crimson ribbon wrapped around the waist of the visitor, then looking back at its master, Gordon sensed a heart-palpitating power emanating from that smiling, slightly chubby young man.

So it was him—the legendary Immortal Iron Fist!

At Jiaying’s command, Gordon hurriedly complied.

"Little Wang, you've come from afar as guests; please rest here for a moment. Lincoln will accompany you."

Jiaying beamed with smiles. "I have matters to attend to; we shall dine together shortly."

"Please attend to your business," Old Wang replied promptly.

"I imagine you need me, darling."

Calvin rushed over to follow, gesturing wildly as he declared, "Everything he did to you, I will return tenfold!"

Jiaying hesitated for a brief moment before reluctantly nodding.

That was true, after all.

Killing Whitehall outright would be letting him off far too easily.

He had to be tortured using the most brutal methods imaginable to appease the hatred burning in her heart—methods such as...

*Lingchi* (death by a thousand cuts)!

The three figures departed swiftly. Whitehall, who had long since ceased to look human, showed no reaction whatsoever, having grown entirely numb to everything around him.

Yet though he might have heard the word *Lingchi*, he could never begin to imagine the agony it entailed.

Only the finest executioner could perform true *Lingchi*, and as a skilled homicidal physician, Calvin was the most fitting candidate.

"I hope this can resolve the hatred in their hearts," Skye muttered with a hint of worry.

No matter how cruel the punishment, Whitehall deserved every bit of it; she was simply concerned that things might take a turn for the worse.

"It won't get worse. Besides, there is always a final recourse."

Old Wang gently stroked Skye's cheek. "Don't worry, I am here for everything."

Witnessing this exchange, Lincoln’s expression turned somewhat grim.

He had grown quite fond of this girl he had only known for an hour, much like Gordon’s devotion to Jiaying.

Now, it seemed he stood virtually no chance...

Had it already ended before it even began?

How utterly heartbreaking...