Los Angeles.
At the Ten Rings' primary West Coast compound, the practice hall echoed with the steady rhythm of fists cutting through air. Wenwu trained alone, his movements controlled and precise, striking invisible opponents with disciplined brutality.
Outside the hall, Razor Fist stood rigid at the doorway. The retractable blade embedded in his right arm remained sheathed, but tension radiated from his posture. There was a rule within the Ten Rings: never disturb Wenwu while he trained. The consequence for breaking that rule was often fatal.
He hesitated for several minutes.
Then he stepped inside.
"Sir, something has happened in San Francisco."
Wenwu did not turn immediately. His fists continued moving for another measured sequence before he stopped. Without facing Razor Fist, he asked, "What happened?"
"Your son, Shang-Chi, was killed."
The air shifted.
Wenwu slowly turned around. His expression hardened, cold and unreadable.
"Be clear."
"He was killed this morning by Richard Wesley. It happened outside the hotel where he worked. The woman with him was killed as well."
For a moment, silence hung between them.
Richard Wesley.
Wenwu had expected the culprit to be one of the many enemies the Ten Rings had made over the years. Their expansion had crushed countless rivals. Most were eliminated thoroughly, but a few always slipped through.
He had not expected this name.
"Understood," Wenwu said at last.
He turned away and resumed his practice. This time, the ten rings encircled his arms, glowing faintly as he struck the air with amplified force.
Razor Fist bowed and withdrew immediately. The instant he stepped outside the hall, a thunderous explosion shook the walls behind him. He did not look back.
…
San Francisco.
Inside Ying Li and Ying Nan's apartment, dinner concluded in relative quiet.
Ying Li's cooking was exceptional. The ingredients were ordinary, but the flavor carried something distinct, something refined beyond conventional culinary technique. Richard had already guessed the answer earlier.
"You infused qi into the dishes," he said calmly.
She gave him a brief, surprised look and nodded.
After the meal, Ying Nan volunteered to wash the dishes. Richard and Ying Li remained in the living room, sitting across from one another.
"You've eaten," she said after several minutes. "When are you leaving?"
"Did I say I was leaving tonight?" Richard replied.
"There is no spare room here. You can't stay."
"I implanted a memory that you invited me to stay overnight in your room."
She froze, then glared at him. "Shameless."
He shrugged lightly. "That's the third time you've said that today."
Her chest rose and fell with restrained anger.
"Relax," he said at last. "I'll leave shortly. I'm not forcing anything tonight."
She studied him carefully, uncertain whether to believe him.
When Ying Nan returned from the kitchen, Richard stood.
"I'll be back at nine tomorrow morning. Have your luggage ready."
He activated telepathy in front of them and vanished.
Only after he disappeared did Ying Li finally exhale fully.
…
It was past two in the morning when Ying Li's eyes snapped open.
A second later, the bedroom wall exploded inward. Bricks and debris shot through the air like shrapnel. She reacted instantly, circulating qi and dissolving the incoming fragments before they struck her.
She grabbed Dijiang and tossed it safely into the living room before stepping toward the shattered opening.
Across the street, on the rooftop of a neighboring building, stood a man in a white suit.
Wenwu.
Black-armored Ten Rings soldiers occupied surrounding rooftops and streets below.
Ying Nan joined her at the broken wall.
"Capture them alive," Wenwu ordered coldly. "We'll use them to lure out Richard Wesley."
Razor Fist acknowledged immediately. The Death Dealer inclined his masked head.
Then—
Nothing.
The soldiers did not move.
Wenwu sensed it at once.
A voice spoke behind him.
"You could have found me more easily. I checked into a five-star hotel nearby under my real name."
Richard stood several paces behind him.
Wenwu spun, swinging his right arm in a single fluid motion. Five rings ignited with deep blue light and shot toward Richard like artillery shells.
Richard did not dodge.
He raised his right hand casually.
The five rings slowed mid-flight, then curved gracefully and settled onto his arm as if returning home.
Wenwu's expression darkened.
Without hesitation, he launched forward, left fist swinging with amplified force.
Richard stepped in to meet him.
Boom.
Their fists collided, producing a shockwave that rippled across the rooftop. Concrete cracked under their feet.
Though Wenwu was master of the rings, Richard understood their mechanics instantly the moment they touched his skin. They enhanced strength, speed, endurance, and longevity. They could change size, fly independently, release concussive energy, and detonate at will.
He still had not used his full strength.
Wenwu attacked again, this time unleashing a pulse of blue energy from his remaining rings. Richard countered by redirecting the energy upward with controlled material manipulation, dispersing it harmlessly into the sky.
The surrounding soldiers attempted to intervene, but they froze mid-motion under the weight of Richard's telekinetic suppression.
Wenwu launched a flurry of blows, each reinforced by ring energy. Richard matched him strike for strike, testing the amplification limits deliberately.
"You killed my son," Wenwu said through clenched teeth.
"Yes."
Richard's tone carried no apology.
"He wasn't worth keeping."
Rage flared in Wenwu's eyes. He channeled the remaining five rings on his left arm, drawing them back in preparation for a concentrated blast.
Richard moved first.
Omega-level material manipulation activated fully.
The metal rings shuddered violently.
Wenwu's eyes widened as the rings resisted his command.
In one smooth motion, they tore free from his arm and flew to Richard.
All ten rings now rested on Richard's forearms.
Wenwu staggered back, shock replacing fury.
"You rely too much on borrowed power," Richard said calmly. "Without them, you're merely skilled."
Wenwu lunged anyway, striking with raw martial precision. Richard allowed the attack to land against his chest.
It felt like nothing.
He responded with a controlled punch to Wenwu's abdomen. The impact sent him crashing across the rooftop, slamming into a ventilation structure that crumpled under the force.
Wenwu tried to rise.
Richard appeared before him instantly.
"This ends here."
He lifted his hand and released a focused concussive wave from the rings. The blast engulfed Wenwu at point-blank range.
When the light faded, Wenwu lay motionless against shattered concrete.
Richard looked down at him briefly, expression unchanged.
Then he turned toward Ying Li and Ying Nan across the street, the ten rings gleaming faintly on his arms.
.....
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