Chapter Sixty-Four: One Punch

After a brief moment of contemplation, Shenxiu Zhong let a subtle smile curl at his lips and said to Peter, “Not necessarily.”

“No one can guarantee that. You might end up as a monster, or perhaps your dream is like a premonition, showing you glimpses of your own future…”

Peter’s face turned pale as he heard this. He hurriedly stepped forward, pleading, “Shenxiu, what should I do? You must have a way, right?”

“I’m afraid I don’t…” Shenxiu Zhong shook his head.

Peter’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, and he fell silent.

It was almost time… Shenxiu Zhong, who had been observing all along, spoke to Peter again:

“But, Peter. You’re overlooking something important.”

“What is it…” Peter’s voice was weak.

“Even if you become a monster, does your identity really change? You’re still Peter Parker! Your heart and your identity won’t be altered by that. Your relationships won’t change. You’ll still be May and Ben’s nephew, still my neighbor, isn’t that so?”

Hearing this, Peter’s expression eased a little, though his eyes remained downcast. He murmured softly, “But… what’s the use? If I turn into a monster, I might end up killing everyone. The closer you are to me, the sooner you might get hurt…”

Where does this kid get such confidence…

Unperturbed, Shenxiu Zhong suggested, “Let’s go somewhere else. Follow me—I want you to understand something before we talk any further.”

“Alright.” Peter nodded.

Without making a sound, Shenxiu Zhong slipped out through the backyard window, beckoning Peter. “Come here, follow me, and be stealthy and careful.”

Peter seemed captivated by the sneaky, cinematic intrigue of it all. His spirits rallied, and he moved with utmost caution behind Shenxiu Zhong.

“Shenxiu… where are we going?” Peter asked.

“Just follow me, don’t talk.”

“Okay.”

…

“Shenxiu, are we there yet?”

“We still have a ways to go. Don’t talk.”

“Oh.”

…

“Shenxiu…”

“Quiet!”

“Okay…”

Peter, ever the chatterbox, annoyed Shenxiu Zhong all the way, though Peter’s agility and observational skills were impressive. Their movements went unnoticed, not even disturbing the slacking agent who was already asleep.

The two arrived at the front door of the villa atop Shenxiu Zhong’s secret base.

But Shenxiu Zhong wouldn’t just let him inside right away; after all, the boy couldn’t keep a secret. He needed to be tested first.

The main reason Shenxiu Zhong brought him here was the deserted wilderness at the base’s entrance.

He had already scanned the area with his “True Sight.” Aside from some leftover garbage from when S.H.I.E.L.D. and the NYPD camped here, setting up a perimeter, there were no strangers, no cameras—a perfectly safe place.

“Shenxiu, what are we doing here… It’s creepy and scary, and this villa looks filthy. Is anyone living inside?” Peter, ever talkative, scanned the area several times. Aside from its emptiness, nothing seemed remarkable, so he couldn’t help but ask Shenxiu Zhong.

Shenxiu Zhong walked another hundred meters away from the villa, waving for Peter to follow.

“I brought you here to show you something: Even if you become a monster, you couldn’t easily slaughter everyone around you—not even the whole world.”

“Attack me.”

Peter looked troubled at Shenxiu Zhong’s words and stepped forward, warning, “Shenxiu… I’m not kidding, I’m really strong now, not like before when I always lost to you. I’m afraid if I go all out… you’ll…”

If I go all out, you’ll be knocked out?

“Attack me,” Shenxiu Zhong said, unmoved, beckoning Peter.

“Really, Shenxiu… maybe we shouldn’t…” Peter hesitated. In his mind, Shenxiu Zhong was strong, but only compared to normal people.

Now, he was no longer a normal human…

“Do you think I used my full strength when I taught you to fight? Attack me, Peter. You need to truly understand the world.”

Shenxiu Zhong beckoned again.

“Alright… Okay, Shenxiu, I’ll use just a fraction of my strength, you…”

“All out!”

“Alright.” Peter nodded slightly, though his body had changed so much that he kept repeating to himself: Don’t use full strength, don’t use full strength…

Then, with a sudden burst, he launched himself at Shenxiu Zhong.

“Shenxiu, be careful!”

Watching this, Shenxiu Zhong’s eyes flashed with a subtle glow. Peter’s fighting power and physical strength were indeed formidable, but there was a crucial factor—could he truly unleash all that power?

Peter’s temperament and other qualities made it difficult for him to fully exert his strength.

Thus, Shenxiu Zhong’s chances of victory were utterly overwhelming, despite their combat power difference being about eightfold.

But that hardly mattered. Shenxiu Zhong’s true strength could never be fully measured by mere combat stats.

“Raikiri Blade, 500 mana.”

Shenxiu Zhong mentally invoked the skill, and as Peter rushed near, surging mana spun into motion. The immense wind pressure sent Peter’s short hair flying.

At that moment, Peter shed all contempt.

In a flash, he unleashed everything he had—but his combat experience was sorely lacking. Any veteran would have dodged that blow.

Instead, Peter charged straight ahead, swinging his fist at Shenxiu Zhong…

But Shenxiu Zhong, a master of gun-fu, was no brute who only fought head-on.

His right leg pressed to the ground, his abdomen tensed, and he twisted the force of the incoming punch, ducking under Peter’s fist. At the same time, his Raikiri Blade, powered by five hundred mana, struck Peter’s abdomen!

Boom—

In the surge of wind, Peter was sent flying!

Scarlet blood gushed from his nose and mouth. In that instant, Peter’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

With a resounding crash, Peter hit the ground, raising clouds of dust.

He struggled to stand, but found he simply couldn’t. It was his first crushing defeat since gaining superpowers.

Only now did he realize he’d been nothing but a frog at the bottom of a well…

“So, what I want to tell you is—Even if you become a monster, where does your confidence come from, thinking you could defeat or even kill me?”

Shenxiu Zhong walked over, looking at Peter.

“I have what it takes to beat you. Even if you turn into a monster, I believe I could still win. So why worry so much? Besides, who says that those with superpowers must become monsters? Am I a monster?”

You are… Peter thought silently, feeling his battered muscles nearly falling apart.

He’d always known Shenxiu Zhong was strong, but assumed it was only within human limits. Watching Shenxiu Zhong so easily defeat him, even after Peter’s transformation, forced Peter to reevaluate him entirely.

“Lie still, I’ll heal you.”

Strict lessons on the surface, but in truth—time to fleece the sheep~

Shenxiu Zhong smiled faintly.