Swearing an oath was out of the question, especially one bound by magic. How was that any different from an Eastern cultivator swearing to the Heavenly Dao? Everyone knew the Heavenly Dao had a way of coming full circle and who could escape its judgment?
Li Feng had no intention of carelessly shackling himself with an unbreakable vow, especially one he knew he couldn't fulfill.
But he had anticipated this.
With a smirk, Li Feng casually remarked, "Are you sure all you want is a simple oath? Not to personally accompany me on a little trip?"
Carter Slade froze for a moment before replying, his voice tinged with excitement, "I get to meet an angel too?"
Life was like a play, and acting was everything—this perfectly described Carter Slade at this moment. Though he looked like an overzealous fan finally meeting his idol, inwardly, he was as cool as ice.
First, the San Venganza contract was already tucked inside Li Feng's satchel. Even if Carter wanted it back, he had no means to take it by force. The man wielded magic and carried feathers that countered his own powers. At night, Carter might have stood a chance, but in broad daylight? Better save his energy.
Second, while Coulson and his team appeared ordinary—people Carter could easily wipe out with a flick of his wrist—their equipment was anything but store-bought. It was obvious the government had its eyes on him.
So even if Li Feng turned and walked away now, Carter would still have to consider which graveyard to hide in next while waiting for death. After all, a dashing and refined supernatural being like him, once entangled with the government, could kiss his peaceful days goodbye.
He'd either be under round-the-clock surveillance or assigned a 24/7 babysitter.
Now, this mage was inviting him to visit the home of an angel—well, a fake angel. Not only could Carter witness the purification of the San Venganza contract firsthand, but he could also shake off those pesky government agents. A win-win.
As for whether Li Feng would silence him permanently, Carter had considered it. But after living over a century, he had a decent grasp of the entity inside him—not complete understanding, but enough to navigate the situation. Normally, Li Feng might find it easy to kill him, but turning him into ashes would be a bit more challenging—because, to be precise, it meant sending him back to hell, the kind where no extradition paperwork was needed, just dragging the guy inside him straight to Mephisto's face.
By then, Mephisto would naturally also learn about Li Feng embezzling the Sanctum Sanctorum scrolls. As for the consequences, no need to elaborate—just wait for the big boss of hell to personally come to the human world for a face-to-face chat. And by chat, it meant Li Feng miserably sitting on a tiny stool while Mephisto lounged in a boss chair, sipping red wine and taking his sweet time explaining things.
So, when Li Feng mentioned sending him along as a "delivery" to Leonore's place, the first thought that flashed through Carter Slade's mind was whether the other party could grant him release—and send him straight to heaven.
His second thought was how to make that pseudo-angel understand just how devout he was to God. So, feigning excitement was just the beginning. Next, it all depended on how well he could sell his acting skills.
Deceiving a pseudo-angel? Just thinking about it gave him a little thrill.
Unfortunately, Carter Slade belonged to the "overthinking it" category.
Seeing Carter Slade's indescribable excitement, Li Feng froze for a moment before asking, "Do you even know what meeting Leonore means?"
A devil worshipping an angel? What kind of messed-up situation was this?
Carter Slade chuckled darkly, nodding slightly before saying, "Death is inevitable. The only difference is where I end up—hell," he struck a dramatic pose, declaring passionately, "or heaven."
Damn, I really can't stand you people who either don't fear death or actively seek it. Fighting you guys is a nightmare—you'd actually go all out.
Li Feng scratched his head helplessly before turning to Coulson to lecture him: "Hey, old man Coulson, don't ever learn from this guy. People—it's better to stay alive. Look how beautiful the world is. Why else do you think so many devils keep scheming to sneak up here? And death isn't necessarily peaceful either. If you're lucky, you might end up lying around like a vegetable. If you're unlucky? Strapped to a grill while devils sprinkle cumin, chili, and salt all over you. That kind of suffering—"
By the end, Li Feng shook his head with a pitying expression, leaving Coulson so stunned he forgot to blink. Only when his eyes dried out did Coulson manage a delayed, awkward smile and nod, signaling that he'd live as long as possible—preferably a good thousand or eight hundred years before heading to hell. Of course, if possible, Coulson still hoped for heaven.
Li Feng wasn't sure if his bullshitting would make the death-defying Carter Slade think twice, but since the guy had already agreed to accompany him to the nonexistent Stone Wing Cathedral, Li Feng promptly opened a portal to the wilderness.
Coulson quickly peered through the portal to observe the scene on the other side, just in case he needed clues to track down this female pseudo-angel in the future.Unfortunately, Li Feng cleared his throat with a dry cough and chuckled, "Stop looking. I'd have to be out of my mind to open a portal directly to Leonor's house. I don't want to report her home address to S.H.I.E.L.D. without her permission. Besides," Li Feng scratched his brow, sounding somewhat helpless, "Leonor's place isn't exactly a tourist hotspot. Believe me, the moment I open that door, a swarm of her stone-winged beasts would come charging out to beat me up."
Phil Coulson, whose thoughts had just been called out, wore a slightly awkward expression and pointed at the portal. "Where does that lead?"
Li Feng estimated how long it would take to deal with Carter Slade and narrowed his eyes. "This is just a wilderness stopover. Later, we'll need to transfer to a spot near Leonor's place and then walk for over half an hour to get there. So this trip will take some time. You all can grab a bite or catch some sleep in the meantime."
Just as Coulson and the others were left speechless by Li Feng's words, Carter Slade, about to step through the portal, suddenly remembered something. In the tone of a senior passing down wisdom to a junior, he said to Johnny Blaze, "Johnny Blaze, you'd better stay away from your family and friends. Otherwise, Blackheart will use them against you." With that, Carter Slade stepped through the portal, as if embracing a new life—or like a devout pilgrim on a sacred journey.
Right behind him, Li Feng also seemed to recall something and turned to ask, "Mr. Johnny Blaze, did you kill Abigor?"
Seeing Johnny's puzzled expression, Li Feng guessed he might not know that the Wind Demon was Abigor and explained, "The Wind Demon—the one who can turn into wind."
Johnny Blaze suddenly realized and shook his head. "He was much stronger than the demon that turned to stone earlier. After I wounded him badly, he ran off."
Pleased by this news, Li Feng nodded to acknowledge it before closing the portal.
Wilderness.
Li Feng activated his mystic vision and scanned the surroundings, confirming no one was nearby before swiftly opening a Mirror Dimension.
The commotion from opening the Mirror Dimension clearly didn't match the supposed trip to Leonor's place. Carter Slade immediately realized he'd been deceived.
But after glancing at the bright surroundings and sensing the dwindling Ghost Rider power within him, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Mr. Mage, it seems I've been tricked."
Li Feng shrugged and wordlessly pulled out the wooden box, opening it fully. Then, with a single palm strike, he forced Carter Slade's spirit out of his body.
Unfortunately, whether due to Li Feng's lack of strength or the Ghost Rider's sheer resilience, Carter Slade's spirit remained unaffected. Instead, his entire body burst into flames from Li Feng's strike.
Great. The Mirror Dimension has no sun, so this guy can transform into the Ghost Rider now.
Soon, a skeleton wreathed in raging flames knelt on one knee before Li Feng.
There was no way around it—the wooden box was fully open, and Carter Slade's remaining power was nearly exhausted. Even if the Ghost Rider emerged, there was nothing he could do. Adhering to the principle that caution prevents major mistakes, Li Feng, unwilling to risk standing in front of the Ghost Rider's gaze, didn't hesitate to walk behind Carter Slade.
Carter Slade seemed to understand his fate. With a few hollow laughs from his skeletal jaw, he said, "I'll be waiting for you in hell."
"Hell?" Li Feng, now wearing a skull mask, pulled a scythe from his shoulder bag and rested it against Carter Slade's neck, grinning. "I'm afraid you won't be making it back to hell."
Carter Slade paused, glancing at the scythe in Li Feng's hand as if realizing something, then sneered, "I can see there's a monster inside that blade capable of devouring souls. Pity."
Before Carter Slade could finish, Li Feng swiftly cast several purification spells on him. Stroking the blade, he continued, "I know this thing's too low-level to consume you, but don't worry—I've got plenty of other methods. For example..."
At that moment, Li Feng released all the soul-sucking Dementors from the scythe and cast another round of purification spells. He then said to Carter Slade, "They still can't shake your soul, but you know how even ants can bring down an elephant, right?"
Struggling to stay on one knee under the torment of the pseudo-angel feathers, Carter Slade gave the Dementors a disdainful look, then glanced at the frost covering the ground. I wield fire, you little punks play with ice. Try taking a bite out of me—see if you don't explode into pieces.
Li Feng circled Carter Slade cautiously, waiting until the purification spells weakened him further. Sensing the moment was right, he began siphoning the hellfire from Carter Slade's body. "I know what you're thinking. That these Dementors are useless? But don't forget about me. I know how to extract energy."
Perhaps because his plan was nearing completion, Li Feng couldn't help but chuckle as he drained the hellfire. "In fact, I understand the Ghost Rider better than Johnny Blaze ever could. Right now, he only knows how to use hellfire and the Penance Stare, but I know he's just getting started. There are still skills to unlock—like the Ghost Rider's teleportation gates."
If Carter Slade had pupils in his skeletal form, Li Feng would have seen them contract violently.
Still, Carter Slade's attempt to turn his head toward Li Feng was satisfying—it meant he had abandoned his last hope and was preparing to unleash his final judgment.
But Li Feng wasn't about to give him the chance. He adjusted the skull's position with the scythe and said, "So don't even think about playing dead, waiting for me to leave the Mirror Dimension so you can sneakily open a gate to hell."
With those words, Carter Slade knew—his doom had arrived.