Chapter 23

By the time Qin Li and the others returned to Hell's Kitchen, it was already afternoon. As they reached the church's door, Qin Li suddenly stopped. Jessica and Frank noticed that Qin Li's expression had changed and stopped Nick, who was about to walk toward the church. Nick, still curious, asked, "Father Li, when are we going to Stark Uncle's house again? I'm definitely not just because of the games there."

"Nick, we'll go another time. For now, Jessica, take Nick to Old Chen's place for something to eat first," Qin Li said calmly.

"Okay, Nick, let's go," Jessica said, pulling Nick, who still wanted to say something, toward the local Chinese restaurant.

"Frank, follow me. Let's see what this uninvited guest wants," Qin Li's expression darkened after Nick and the others left.

Frank didn't say anything but stood beside Qin Li, silently showing his support. Qin Li unbuttoned his coat, twisted his neck a few times, making cracking sounds, and then walked directly toward the church. Seeing the broken lock, his expression darkened further.

Pushing open the door, the Japanese warrior named Shin, who Qin Li had killed earlier, was standing there. An elderly man in a kimono was sitting on a bench in the middle, staring at Qin Li. The nearby wine cabinet had been smashed halfway.

As soon as Shin saw Qin Li, he made a slashing motion across his throat, pointing at Qin Li. Qin Li remained unshaken and sat across from the old man, staring at him.

"I am Murakami, one of the five fingers of the Shouhe Association. I've come to ask you how you plan to compensate for the destruction of our base," the old man said arrogantly, as if he was doing Qin Li a favor by even asking for compensation.

"Have you figured out how to compensate for the lock you destroyed on my church's door and the wine cabinet over there?" Qin Li replied coldly.

"Oh, you weren't opening the door, so we had no choice but to break it down. As for the wine cabinet? Those aren't even real wines. Don't make me laugh, Mr. Li," Murakami scoffed, as if the destruction was nothing.

Qin Li no longer wished to converse with them. The atmosphere around him grew tense. His eyes locked onto Murakami, and then he suddenly grinned maliciously. "It seems that being able to revive has made you reckless, no longer fearing death."

Murakami didn't care about what Qin Li said and replied, "This is just a little trick of ours. You may not be scared, but what about your companions? You can't always be by their side, can you?" Murakami said proudly. But before he could finish his sentence, a sudden force crushed him into the chair. If he hadn't been using his hands to support himself, he would've collapsed entirely. Now, his posture was pathetic, his body propped up by his hands as he kneeled before Qin Li. Shin beside him had his spine snapped, his upper body lying on his legs. The pressure was too much for him to scream, only his trembling body showing his pain.

Murakami was shocked by Qin Li's sudden burst of power. Struggling, he tried to stand up, but the pressure only increased, causing the marble beneath him to crack and pierce into his palms and knees. With no other choice, he was forced into a dog-like position, using all his strength to lift his head and look at Qin Li, saying, "Your... power is strong, but... can you really deal with all of us? Let me go! I... promise the Shouhe Association... won't bother you anymore…"

Murakami's voice trailed off, unable to withstand the increasing pressure. He was forced flat onto the ground, struggling to breathe. Shin's lower body was already crushed, and his upper body had embedded itself into the marble.

"Don't worry. You can come and find trouble anytime, but stay hidden. Don't let me find out where you are. I'll kill you without mercy, to the point where you won't even be able to revive. You'll understand the consequences of crossing me," Qin Li said with a smile.

Murakami didn't feel any warmth in Qin Li's smile; it was as if he had fallen into an ice chest. He no longer doubted Qin Li's words. Murakami could only say, "Then your friends will have to wait for the assassins of the Shouhe Association to hunt them down! From day to night, there will be no peace!"

"Don't worry. Your provocation is too low-level. You want to die, right? Death is nothing but a return to life for you. From the looks of it, dying won't even cost you much. Don't worry, I won't let your death be that simple. After all, you came right to me; how rare is that?" Qin Li said emotionlessly.

With that, Qin Li crushed Shin, who was still struggling, to death. Watching Shin turn to ashes, Qin Li was unfazed. After all, there was still a big fish in front of him. "Frank, drag this dog to the basement. We need to give him a proper 'education,'" Qin Li ordered.

"No problem. I'll make sure he knows what it means to wish for life and death!" Frank replied with a grin.

As Murakami was dragged to the basement, his continuous threats and pleas didn't stir any mercy in Qin Li or Frank. Both of them now had a single goal: to torment him until he feared them, until he would tremble and kneel in fear when he saw them.

Before Frank went down, Qin Li handed him a set of high-level HP potions and said, "When he's about to die, make him drink this, or pour it onto his wounds. It will heal him. Make sure you tie him up well."

At first, Frank was curious about what Qin Li was giving him. But when he heard what Qin Li said, Frank looked at him in shock. "Li, you're ruthless. Am I getting old and not keeping up with the younger generation?"

"Be cruel to enemies, kind to friends—that's the education I got from my elders, especially when dealing with those who can resurrect. It's only natural to be this harsh. Especially when they threaten my family," Qin Li said seriously.

Frank grinned. "No problem. I was actually afraid you'd be too merciful. Li, looks like we're a great match. I'll handle it from here." With that, Frank grabbed the HP potion and dragged Murakami to the basement.

As Murakami was dragged away, he heard their conversation and was on the verge of collapsing. He kept begging, clutching at the benches along the way. Frank turned around and, from his waist, drew a Goblin Knife, stabbing it twice into Murakami's shoulder, twisting it as he went. Poor Murakami could only cry out in pain as Frank dragged him down to the basement.

Qin Li looked at the church, now in ruins, and sighed. Since the Marvel timeline began, he hadn't had a moment of peace. He took out his phone and called Jessica, asking her to take Nick out of the house for the next few nights—he was going to renovate.

Jessica probably understood the situation and agreed immediately.

Sitting alone in the church, thinking about what to do next, Qin Li's phone rang.