Since the other party had already manufactured a replica, there was no way they would hand over the genuine article.
Just as Bai Qi was about to speak, a fierce wind suddenly erupted around them, mixed with demonic energy that caused Bai Qi's brow to furrow slightly.
Then, the wind became like blades, instantly severing the head of a demonic dragon, spewing forth scorching dragon's blood.
This was not the end. One by one, shadowy ninjas were swept into the sky, their forms dissolving into wisps of black smoke under the relentless cutting of the wind blades.
"What's going on?"
Nick Fury was also startled by the scene. This fierce wind was not only effective against Bai Qi and his minions but also affected their side. Many agents had already been swept away, crushed by the immense air pressure in mid-air, turning into balls of bloody mist.
Seeing this, Old Man dared not be careless. He quickly waved the dried pufferfish in his hand, chanting, "Demons and monsters, be gone! Demons and monsters, be gone!"
Soon, a green barrier sprang open, protecting him and those behind him, deflecting the gale-force winds.
Bai Qi also sensed a familiar aura from the wind, and his mind began to piece things together. He recited a spell, dispelling the winds around him.
Both sides used magic to ward off the howling winds, but the agent with the Eye of Horus was not so lucky.
The agent was closest to Bai Qi, and logically, Bai Qi's magic should have protected him as well. However, Bai Qi's magic was targeted, affecting himself, the Eternal Fire, Jade's cage, and even the Shadow Ninjas nearby, but it conspicuously did not protect the agent holding the Eye of Horus.
Without any suspense, a gust of wind blew, and the agent was sent flying into the sky, exploding into a bloody mist under the immense pressure. The replica of the Eye of Horus, kept in a briefcase, also flew out.
But before it could fall, a shadowy figure flashed through the air, and the replica Eye of Horus vanished from everyone's sight.
Seeing the replica stolen, Nick Fury had the urge to intervene, but looking at the gale outside the protective shield, he wisely retreated. At the same time, he had already formulated a statement, intending to pin the blame on the Holy Lord, regardless of whether he admitted it or not.
Since the item had been stolen, the winds should have stopped. However, a minute passed, and not only did the surrounding winds show no signs of abating, but they grew even more violent, further irritating Bai Qi.
"That's enough. Don't force me to come find you."
Bai Qi's voice was not loud, but as soon as he spoke, the wind subsided considerably and stopped completely within five minutes.
Bai Qi did not rush to continue the trade. Instead, he dispatched a large number of Shadow Ninjas. Only after receiving their reports did Bai Qi proceed with his next actions.
He looked at the Dragon of the Earth and others who had withdrawn their cracked shield and said, "Alright, now we can continue with the transaction."
Before anyone else could speak, Nick Fury stepped forward and said, "What transaction? Didn't you already have someone take the item? Are you trying to play dumb and renege on the deal now?"
Seeing Nick Fury spewing nonsense with a straight face, Bai Qi almost burst out laughing.
The situation clearly indicated the involvement of a third party. For them to say this now was an obvious attempt to frame him.
Bai Qi did not indulge him. He directly revealed the matter of the replica and explained Old Man's entire manufacturing process as if he had witnessed it himself.
However, Nick Fury remained stubborn, insisting there was no replica and that it was all Bai Qi's conspiracy to avoid completing the transaction.
Bai Qi couldn't help but admire Nick Fury's sheer shamelessness. With just his words, he could twist black into white and white into black.
In the end, Bai Qi decided not to waste any more time. He took the cage holding Jade from the Troll Ninja and said, "I don't want to waste any more time. You now have two options: either produce the real Eye of Horus and complete the transaction, or I will crush this cage, and we'll all go our separate ways."
With that, Bai Qi began to exert force on the cage, which visibly compressed.
"Stop!"
This time, it wasn't the Dragon of the Earth who spoke, but Nick Fury who couldn't hold back and shouted for Bai Qi to stop.
As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury had seen his share of storms and witnessed life and death countless times. Sacrifices held no sway over him as long as the gains were sufficient.
His reason for intervening now was the result of careful consideration.
If Nick Fury continued to be stubborn and insisted that Bai Qi had stolen the Eye of Horus during the chaos, the transaction would likely fall through. Although he would manage to keep the Eye of Horus, Jade, the hostage, would lose her life.
Even if Nick Fury wasn't the one to kill Jade, as the person in charge, he would bear undeniable responsibility. His relationship with the Dragon of the Earth's family would be shattered, or at the very least, plummet to an all-time low. With other organizations like Section 13 lurking, the Dragon of the Earth's family would undoubtedly be poached.
Not to mention that Nick Fury also intended to recruit Jade into S.H.I.E.L.D. as an agent.
More than obtaining a destructive inanimate object, Nick Fury desired the magical knowledge and heritage within Old Man's mind.
Therefore, he had to intervene at this juncture.
"I told you to stop, do you hear me!"
Seeing Bai Qi still compressing the cage, Nick Fury grew agitated but quickly calmed down, instructing Hill to bring out the real Eye of Horus.
Hill did not dare disobey Nick Fury's command. She hurriedly took out a small black box and opened it, revealing the genuine Eye of Horus.
Upon seeing the real Eye of Horus, Bai Qi stopped his action. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Nick Fury and said, "Cunning human. Because of your actions, the terms of the transaction have changed."
"You want to renegotiate?"
Hearing Bai Qi's words, Nick Fury's brow furrowed, and he spoke with displeasure.
"You were the ones who played tricks and broke your promise."
As he spoke, immense dragon might surged forth.
Nick Fury, after all, was a mere mortal. His physical resilience was only slightly better than that of an ordinary person. Under Bai Qi's indiscriminate dragon might, Nick Fury felt his body grow heavy, his chest tighten, and even breathing became difficult.
However, Nick Fury was the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Even facing Bai Qi's dragon might, he didn't collapse mentally like others and could still stand with effort.
But this was only temporary. If it continued, even if Nick Fury's spirit could hold on, his body would eventually break down from the strain.
Bai Qi had no intention of crushing Nick Fury to death with his dragon might. It was merely a small punishment to make him understand who he was dealing with and to put him in his place.