With Coulson about to wake up, Fury—unwilling to let Li Ming uncover more secrets and wary of any tricks—politely but firmly showed him the door. Li Ming didn't seem to care much about it, but before leaving, he leaned close to Fury's ear and whispered a warning: "Bringing Coulson back was something I promised you before, and now I've fulfilled my end of the deal. When will you deliver on your promise to hand over those people? Let me remind you—though Thor and Loki have returned to Asgard, Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, will keep watching you until you fulfill your word."
At the mention of Heimdall, Fury felt his elation over Coulson's revival instantly shatter into a splitting headache.
Damn it. He was the one who usually monitored others at will—when had it ever been the other way around? And now, he was being watched by someone he couldn't even prove was spying on him.
This made Fury, already paranoid to the extreme, feel like his skin was crawling. He even imagined Heimdall glaring at him with those enormous, lantern-like eyes right at that moment.
Even if Heimdall swore on a lightbulb in the future that he hadn't been watching Fury, Fury would never believe him.
Suppressing the urge to rub his throbbing head—which felt like it was splitting into four—Fury replied weakly, "Handing them over is easy, but I sense there's another force behind them. Give me some time—I want to wipe them all out in one go."
Did Li Ming not know who had ordered the nuclear strike? Ha. Alexander Pierce, the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and now a member of the World Security Council, was absolutely one of the masterminds behind the launch order.
Hell, Li Ming could even guess with his eyes closed why Alexander Pierce had ordered the strike—nothing more than fearing the Avengers would interfere with his "Insight Plan."
And now Fury actually thought he could single-handedly uncover the truth? Give me a break. Most of S.H.I.E.L.D. was already under Alexander Pierce's control, and the remaining handful were Li Ming's people.
Besides, it wasn't like Fury didn't know Li Ming could sift through people's memories. The moment Fury handed those people over; Li Ming would probably just compile a list of names and send it right back to him.
Li Ming curled his lip in disdain and mocked, "How noble of you. The truth is, you're just afraid I'll uncover things outsiders shouldn't know. You're stalling for time, hoping to bury all the loose ends before handing anyone over."
Fury's expression remained blank as Li Ming laid bare his thoughts. "Think what you want. I'll hand them over in due time."
"Ha," Li Ming sneered. With a wave of his hand, he opened a teleportation gate and stepped through, delivering his ultimatum: "You have two weeks. If you still haven't handed them over by then, don't blame me for getting rough—I'll personally dig out those rats and hang them to dry at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s front gate."
With that, Li Ming returned to his lakeside home and closed the portal behind him.
Stretching out on a lakeside lounge chair, beer in hand, Li Ming absentmindedly stroked the Darkhold while occasionally tossing a few peanuts into his mouth.
For someone as cautious as Li Ming, even with the Darkhold in his possession, he dared not flip through its pages recklessly.He had self-awareness and knew his strength was too weak—the consequences of flipping through the book would be severe, possibly even fatal.
Yet, having the book in hand but being unable to read it tormented Li Ming like a man dying of thirst in the desert, seeing a water source just a hundred meters away but lacking the strength to reach it.
After a long while, unable to suppress his itching curiosity, Li Ming set his wine glass aside, massaged his overworked brain, and pondered a safe way to read the Darkhold.
Method One: Hold the Faux Angel Feather while flipping through the book. The advantage was that, with the feather's resistance, the Darkhold wouldn't be able to tempt him in the short term. However, the downside was obvious—the feather's energy would likely deplete before he finished reading.
The problem was that the Faux Angel Feather was invaluable to Li Ming. It was the perfect counter against Mephisto. Without it, he'd have no choice but to kneel and surrender before Mephisto—without even the chance to call the Ancient One to deal with the minor nuisance.
Of course, he could also use the time turner to go back and borrow the feather from his past self. But that would inevitably lead to meeting his past self. He might finish reading the book, but the timeline of the Marvel universe would be thrown into chaos, possibly even provoking the enraged Ancient One.
Not worth the trouble.
Method Two: Travel to another world and seek help. But this depended entirely on whether he was blessed with luck or cursed with misfortune.
Based on Li Ming's self-assessment, his luck was questionable—he'd probably end up in a world where he was invincible.
But at least Method Two was safer.
After much deliberation, Li Ming swayed to his feet and called out as he walked toward the RV:
"Kreacher, pack our things. We're going on a trip."
"Yes, boss," Kreacher replied, blinking his large eyes as he understood Li Ming's intention to cross worlds.
Soon, the diligent Kreacher finished packing and followed Li Ming to a desert under a starry sky, the air thick with yellow sand.
There was no helping it—with an untamed Abomination at home, Li Ming didn't dare open a portal there.
After the usual dizzying tumble, the portal spat out Li Ming, clad in his Cape, and the invisible Klee Che into another world.
Before Li Ming could survey his surroundings, a man's voice roared in American English:
"You delivered the wrong thing! Take it back!"
This world's main setting is America?
Lost in thought, Li Ming turned toward the voice and saw a barefoot man in a short-sleeved shirt yelling at a departing truck:
"Listen to me—you crushed the lawn!"
Unfortunately, the truck driver clearly had no intention of humoring the barefoot gentleman and drove off without a second glance. The man continued shouting angrily at the retreating vehicle:
"I'm a U.S. Congressman, you know!"
A congressman?
Li Ming narrowed his eyes, sensing the man's aura, only to confirm he was just an ordinary person. Scratching his head in bewilderment, he sighed:
Well, looks like I'm invincible in this world too. As expected—I was never destined to be lucky. Li Ming was lost in thought when he saw the Barefoot Sage hurriedly running home. After tilting his head in contemplation for a moment, he decided to follow behind the man. He would first determine what benefits this world had to offer before deciding whether to find a quiet place to cultivate or simply seize the advantages for himself.
Just as Li Ming was about to step into the Barefoot Sage's home, he suddenly turned his head toward a pile of firewood by the entrance.
Li Ming was certain that moments ago, not only had there been no one on the firewood, but the nearby streets had also been completely empty.
Yet now, an elderly Black man dressed in white casualwear had suddenly appeared, sitting cross-legged on the wood and waving at him.
This was downright eerie. After all, Li Ming was a Wizard with exceptional mental power. If this elderly Black man had any ill intentions and tried to ambush him, Li Ming doubted he'd even notice the other's presence.
However, Li Ming actually recognized this elderly Black man—though he couldn't recall his name. He knew the man had starred in numerous films, such as The Dark Knight, The Shawshank Redemption, and Now You See Me.
In short, the old man's acting range was incredibly broad, having played nearly every role imaginable, from servants to presidents. He was hailed as one of "America's finest actors," with many directors praising him as a true thespian who embodied the qualities of an outstanding performer, capable of immersing himself fully into any role.
Still, Li Ming couldn't recall any world where this old man had supernatural abilities.
"Hello, traveler from another world," the elderly Black man greeted warmly, flashing a bright white smile.
His words sent a chill down Li Ming's spine.
He had crossed worlds more than once or twice, but never had he encountered a world where someone could instantly recognize he wasn't a "local." Even Basto, the 777th-level Wizard he'd met during his first transmigration, hadn't realized Li Ming was an outsider.
Yet now, someone had seen right through him with a single glance?
What the hell is this guy's deal? Wiping cold sweat from his forehead, Li Ming cautiously approached and asked, "Hello."
"Hello," the old man replied with the kindly demeanor of a benevolent grandfather. "You're a Wizard?"
Li Ming hesitated before nodding carefully. "And you are…?"
"God," the old man answered nonchalantly.
God?! Li Ming turned to glance at the large house behind him, then back at the firewood beneath the old man. Is this the world of Bruce Almighty or something?!
In the past, if Li Ming had met God, he would've thrown himself at the deity's feet, humbly seeking guidance on spellcraft. He would've trusted that God, recognizing his earnest desire to learn, would have patiently taught him for a time.
But things were different now. He was no longer that ordinary man with a kind heart.
Now, for the sake of profit and returning home, he was willing to do anything—even things that, in hindsight, made him want to weep. Why couldn't I have come to this world sooner? Why now, when I no longer want to…Damn, talk about bad luck...
Question: When God encounters an evil person—especially one who freely toys with souls—what usually happens to said evildoer?
With a crestfallen expression, Li Ming cautiously backed away while speaking respectfully, "You must be busy, Almighty. I was just wandering around after a meal, minding my own business. I won't disturb your divine lessons for mortals. Please, carry on."
Yeah definitely the world of Bruce Almighty…not my original world's only true God, but this one wouldn't know that.
Just as Li Ming turned to open a dimensional portal and make his escape, God instantly appeared beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder with a gentle smile. "I can see you're burdened with many doubts and questions. Wouldn't you like to talk? I do enjoy stories, and I'm quite the storyteller myself."
The problem is my heart's about to leap out of my chest... Li Ming forced a smile uglier than a grimace and whispered, "If I tell my story... will you let me go afterward?"
God playfully raised an eyebrow. "Why would I detain you?"
Li Ming: You just hit the nail on the head.
Resigned to the fact that escape was impossible—at least for now—Li Ming reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled back to the wooden bench by God. After gathering his thoughts, he began recounting his life's tale.
Li Ming knew all too well that with his current abilities and intellect, he couldn't weave even half a lie before the Almighty. So, he truthfully shared everything about the Marvel universe, even his ultimate goal of returning home.
Of course, Li Ming wasn't foolish—some details were glossed over with a single sentence. For instance, when mentioning how he killed Carter Slade for the Hellfire, he emphasized that Carter had been a Ghost Rider. Similarly, he briefly referenced causing trouble in the 'Mask' world and feeling remorse afterward—though what exactly that trouble entailed was something Li Ming would take to his grave rather than elaborate on.