Marvelous Martial Arts (A Marvel Story)

Stick did not take long to return to his usual stiff and frankly annoying self, being a hardass in Mason’s opinion. He did not grow to appreciate Mason any more either. If anything, the hostility he felt towards Mason only grew with the revelation of the existence of the Dao.

However, he did stop interfering with the plans, begrudgingly accepting the distribution of forces.

Fortunately, Mason did not have to endure the old man’s judging and scornful stares for too long, as the tracking spells locked on their targets on the next day.

The whole group now stood in the grounds behind Kamar-Taj, alongside three Sorcerers, and the Ancient One. Two of them were meant to go with the Chaste group, and the third with Mason and Danny.

Patting the nervous Apprentice on the shoulder, he reassured her, ”Don’t worry, your only job is to transport us. We’ll protect you.”

The young woman, Apprentice Lin Yu, gave him an uneasy smile, but she said nothing. Meanwhile, Izo approached Mason, leaning on his cane like he was an old man, as he warned, ”Don’t get yourself killed, Stupid. Fat Cobra is a powerful warrior, and he is aware he is being chased.”

Mason waved his hand dismissively. ”I’ll be fine; if he has a thick hide, I’ll just throw my Iron Fist at him.”

”Hey!”

Danny was ignored by both master and student as Mason added, ”You’re the one who should be careful. Madripoor is a dangerous city, and the Prince of Orphans is an elusive figure.”

”Pah! Don’t insult me, Stupid. Prince of Orphans is reasonable; he won’t be putting up a fight. Chances are that he’ll find us before we find him. And I’m older than Madripoor; I know everything there is to know about the place.”

The Ancient One looked at the two groups, her expression solemn as she announced, ”I wish you all good luck. Out there, remember that you are not fighting only for yourself, but for the fate of millions. You must succeed in your missions.”

They nodded solemnly, and the Sorcerers conjured their portals. Mason shared a last look with Yao before stepping through the portal to Shanghai.

While the Prince of Orphans had taken to hiding himself in Madripoor, Fat Cobra had remained in his country of origin, China.

The safest place for the Immortal Weapons would have, of course been the Seven Capitals of Heaven, but it was precisely because they were so safe that they could not hide there. The mystical cities did not exist in the same plane of existence as Earth, and were instead isolated in pocket dimensions attached to the planet.

They could only open every ten years, which granted them protection, but also meant that the Immortal Weapons were stuck outside. Presumably, the Hand had chosen this time to take action because all seven of the Immortal Weapons were outside of their respective cities. So, they had to use other means to hide. Fat Cobra had chosen Shanghai.

Mason, Danny, and Apprentice Lin Yu appeared inside a small, dilapidated house. As the two martial artists looked around, Lin Yu blushed, feeling embarrassed as she tried to explain, ”The house used to be beautiful, before they burned it…”

Mason gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. The reason Lin Yu had been chosen to accompany them was that she was native to Shanghai. She was a relatively recent addition to Kamar-Taj, having only mastered the First Form of Magic, meaning that she would not be of much use combat wise, but she was only there for transportation.

The Sling Ring was an immensely useful artefact, but it required strong visualization to work. Usually, a Sorcerer needed to not only have been to the location they wanted to get to, but to actually be familiar with the location.

Seeing the way she looked at her former home with a mix of sadness and anger, Mason and Danny figured she had a history here, and that the burning of her home had not been random, but they were here for much more important business.

Danny looked too awkward to say anything, so Mason patted her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic but firm gaze, ”Our mission is to secure Fat Cobra first and foremost.”

Apprentice Lin Yu’s gaze seemed lost for a moment, but then she took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as she nodded firmly. ”Yes, Grandmaster Tunt. I apologize for the shameful display.”

Mason smiled at the young woman. ”There is no shame in attachments. They are our strength. For now, though, I need you to guide us.”

She nodded and stepped out of the burnt house without looking back, the two martial artists following behind.

Shanghai was supposedly a beautiful city, but Mason could only see the skyline in the distance, as they had appeared in the slums, and from the look of things, they would not be leaving them.

But as they walked through the dilapidated streets, they hardly saw anyone, much less cross them, despite it being the middle of the day, so after a while, Mason could not help but ask, ”Where’s everyone?”

Danny was also looking around cautiously, prepared for an attack, but Mason could tell this was not an attack. His Divine Sense not only told him there truly were not many people around, but also gave him a feeling of desolation.

Lin Yu looked around and sighed, ”It’s been this way for years. It’s getting worse. People were driven here decades ago with the rapid modernization of the city and the rising costs. The city officials thought nothing of it at first, but now that they are running out of space, the slums stand in their way. They want to wipe everything off to construct more factories, but the people don’t want to leave. There are too many people to buy them out, so people have been slowly trickling out. The truth is that no one wants to live in here, but it’s the only affordable housing for many people. And because these are slums, the city officials can hardly tell what is inhabited and what is not, so there are many ghost buildings. That’s why this place is called the Ghost Slums. ”

Danny looked pensive, and Mason smiled. ”Well, at least we won’t have to worry too much about collateral damage then. Not as much as in other civilized places, at least.”

”Are you so certain there will be a fight, Grandmaster Tunt?”

Danny answered for him, ”Fat Cobra has not been in the right state of mind for years now. And the Hand most probably will be nearby searching for him too. Wouldn’t surprise me if they had some sort of tracker tethered to us, to activate when we come in contact with the Fat Cobra.”

Lin Yu gulped and asked, ”Aren’t we jumping straight into a trap then? Shouldn’t we take more precautions?”

Mason offered her a grin, one that was genuine. ”A trap is only an inconvenience if it’s dangerous. The Hand will be reactionary, so they can’t send anything too powerful. And if they do manage to bring their mysterious weapon over… well, I’ve been curious.”

Although Mason had been teaching the Sorcerers of Kamar-Taj for a few weeks, it was mostly an impersonal interaction, so they did not know much about Mason as a person. Lin Yu was thus left gawking at Mason, thinking he was far more reckless than someone of his stature should be. Still, she did not say anything, because she knew it was not her place.

Mason would not take offense, but she did not know that, and if her life in the slums had taught her anything, it was that she should not consider people more powerful than her as any less than volatile weapons.

A gang leader who led a few thugs with knives was already scary enough, not to mention someone capable of splattering her brains on the side of the road before she could realize he had moved.

With a cautious Apprentice Sorcerer leading them, Mason and Danny, completely unaware of her thoughts, wandered through the Ghost Slums for a while before Mason raised an eyebrow and said, ”I got him.”

The other two stopped, and Mason said, ”Fat Cobra. I can feel his Chi. He’s not far.”

Moving faster now that they were no longer limited by the tracking spell’s requirements, or rather Lin Yu’s poor mastery of the compass in which the spell was contained, Mason rapidly led the other two through the slums before finally stopping in front of a house.

It was large for the slums, but not so much that it would stand out. Fat Cobra was alone inside.