Just as Tie Tou and Kingpin were locked in a fierce battle, with Bai Qi observing from the sidelines, the office door was violently kicked open from the outside. A rhino-like humanoid with grey skin charged in, toppling a bookshelf before making a direct line for Bai Qi.
"No! You clumsy rhino."
Another voice called from outside the door, but it was too late.
Bai Qi raised a hand, and a wall of psionic energy materialized before the rhino-man. In the next instant, the disoriented rhino was enveloped by telekinesis, lifted into the air, and unceremoniously hurled out the window.
If Bai Qi recalled correctly, the rhino-man he had just thrown out was a notorious villain from Spider-Man's rogues' gallery, whose full name was Aleksei Sytsevich. Formerly a thug for the Russian mafia, Aleksei's syndicate was obsessed with money and power. Tempted by these, he underwent a dangerous chemical radiation experiment, which resulted in a tough polymer attaching itself to his skin, giving birth to the "Rhino."
He hadn't expected Kingpin to recruit him.
However, what Bai Qi hadn't anticipated was yet to come.
Not long after the Rhino was dispatched, a bird-like man in a green bodysuit, with wings attached to his arms, flew in through the window.
Though "bird-man" wasn't entirely accurate; he was, more precisely, the Vulture.
Then, from the doorway entered a woman in a tight leather suit, complete with a tail sprouting from her posterior—the Scorpion. Following her was a mysterious individual with a fishbowl on his head, the mercenary Beetle, a unlucky electrician named Electro who had been fired by his boss and undergone a freak genetic mutation, and the Death Adder lurking on the building next door. Adding the Rhino he had just thrown out, Kingpin had indeed managed to assemble a "Sinister Six" lineup.
Although the original Sinister Six included Doctor Octopus and Kraven, both of whom now worked under Bai Qi. He had assumed Kingpin's plan for the Sinister Six would fall apart, but surprisingly, the latter had managed to cobble together a new team.
Yet, for Bai Qi, even these seven were hardly a challenge. To truly resist him, they would need characters like Superman, The Flash, Captain Marvel, or perhaps one of the Dragons or Jade from Jackie Chan Adventures. Otherwise, Bai Qi felt no fear whatsoever.
Despite the designation "Sinister Six," Bai Qi didn't believe he needed to face all seven. Take the Beetle, for instance; he was so terrified by their past encounter that he trembled uncontrollably just thinking about facing Bai Qi, let alone fighting him.
The Death Adder, realizing his bullets were ineffective against Bai Qi, had also promptly abandoned the mission.
The Rhino, having been thrown out the window, was either dead or too incapacitated to return anytime soon.
And then there was the mysterious man who could only manipulate the Tesseract, capable of creating illusions but possessing no real offensive power. For Bai Qi, the Tesseract was utterly useless.
Thus, by his calculations, only the Vulture, Electro, and the Scorpion posed any real threat.
However, even against these three, Bai Qi had no intention of engaging in a prolonged battle.
He unleashed his psionic energy, and before the trio could even advance, they were pinned to the ground by a colossal telekinetic force, unable to move.
These three were not foolish. They had joined Kingpin for money, and none were willing to risk their lives for it. Realizing they were outmatched, they surrendered without a word.
Bai Qi could have crushed them into a pulp with a mere flick of his wrist, but he chose not to, keeping them for future use.
Seeing that the Sinister Six he had painstakingly assembled were utterly useless, Kingpin almost passed out from rage. He felt that even his seven guard dogs would have been more effective.
Without external interference, Kingpin's fight with Tie Tou soon concluded.
Perhaps due to years of office work, Kingpin's accuracy had diminished, and his massive physique was ultimately no match for Tie Tou, who successfully landed a killing blow.
However, Tie Tou also sustained several gunshot wounds and was on the verge of death.
Bai Qi stopped observing and stepped forward, waving his hand. The previously near-death Tie Tou was instantly healed. The bullet wounds closed rapidly, and his pale face regained its color before his eyes.
"Th-thank you, Master, for saving my life."
Bai Qi waved his hand, dismissing the pleasantries. "No need for such formalities. Kingpin is dead now. I just want to know if you can take over his empire."
"Yes, definitely," Tie Tou nodded quickly.
"Good. The rest is up to you. Do not disappoint me."
Bai Qi then turned to the remaining Sinister Six members. "Are any of you willing to stay and assist Tie Tou? Your compensation will be the same as when you worked for Kingpin. Of course, if you refuse, I won't force you."
"Yes, I'm willing, I'm willing."
As soon as Bai Qi finished speaking, the Vulture eagerly agreed.
While Bai Qi said he wouldn't force them, anyone with a brain knew that it was just a polite statement. Refusal would likely result in being crushed into paste within seconds.
After the Vulture spoke, the Beetle, who had witnessed Bai Qi's power, followed suit.
Seeing others take the lead, the rest also expressed their willingness to stay.
After all, everyone was in it for the money. Working for someone else was still working. Finding a powerful backer offered greater security, and even if arrested, they could be bailed out sooner rather than later. It was a win-win situation.
"Excellent," Bai Qi said with satisfaction. "Tie Tou, the criminal underworld of this city will be your responsibility. When I return, I hope you won't disappoint me."
"Rest assured, Master, Tie Tou will live up to your expectations."
Having finished his arrangements, Bai Qi departed from the Shadowkhan headquarters.
It was rather peculiar.
Kingpin and Tarakudo were supposed to be allies. Why, then, did Tarakudo stand by and do nothing to stop Bai Qi from dealing with Kingpin?
When Tarakudo discovered that Bai Qi had led an assault on Kingpin's empire, he had considered going to his aid.
Tarakudo knew that, in terms of combat strength, even three of him combined were no match for Shendu. However, rescuing someone from Shendu's grasp was certainly feasible.
The Shadowkhan might not be skilled in combat, but they were unparalleled in their ability to escape.
Yet, until the very end, after Kingpin had been riddled with bullets, Tarakudo never appeared.
The reason was simple: Tarakudo was preoccupied with something else.
And the one who kept Tarakudo busy was none other than our very own Wizard, Jade.
To understand this, we need to rewind to yesterday afternoon.
It was the time school ended.
After the incident with the Ferocious Four, the holiday had concluded. Those who needed to return to work did so. Despite being a reincarnated Wizard, Jade was still a child and had to attend school.
Watching Jade walk out of the school gates with her backpack, Uncle realized with a sigh of relief that life, after a period of turmoil, was finally returning to normal.
However, this normalcy didn't last long. A single question from Jade sent Uncle stumbling in shock.
"Uncle, can I get a tattoo?"