After having a friendly conversation with the eight students, Leon's lesson officially began.
"You all probably know a bit about me, and I'm guessing you already know what you're here for, so let's not waste time. Let's get started!"
With that, Leon turned around and wrote the words "Crane School" on the blackboard in large characters.
Chinese characters.
He explained the history of the Crane School to them and then wrote "Turtle School" next to it.
"This school, you see, shares the same roots with ours. There were some... incidents in the past, but that's all old history. As for my generation, the Crane School and Turtle School get along quite well."
Leon said it as if it were the absolute truth.
He introduced them to his senior master, the three-eyed monk, his junior master with psychic powers but bad at math, and the ridiculously powerful Goku family of energy warriors. Leon adopted a serious tone, "If you can't master this, there's nothing I can do. Regardless, you'll all be third-generation disciples of the Crane School. Don't disgrace our name when you roam the martial world!"
"I've said my piece. Who agrees, who disagrees?"
Naturally, no one opposed.
After a chaotic lecture, Leon told the group to each tend to a plant and "feel the growth of life, its unending energy." Then, he whimsically announced that class was dismissed.
As for the shapeshifting class? That'll have to wait until next time!
...
The group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents exchanged glances, genuinely starting to feel like students, chatting about the day's lesson after the teacher left.
Just as Leon was about to head home, his phone rang.
He took it out, surprised—not because of anything special, but because he had only had the phone for a couple of days, and the only person with the number was Coulson.
Maybe Fury too...
"Hello, Sawasdee Krap, Moshi Moshi!" Leon answered, wondering why Coulson was calling him right after leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house.
Was it because they found out he didn't actually have a teaching license?
"Dr. Lister... there's something I need to tell you, and I must ask you to stay calm."
On the other end, Coulson, instead of playing along with Leon's jokes, paused, and then spoke in a somber tone.
Leon immediately dropped the humor and started thinking quickly.
"Go ahead."
...
Fifteen minutes later, Leon and Coulson stood side by side next to a S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued Chevrolet, staring at a large fire.
The fire was consuming the old house Leon had been renting.
The flames reflected off Coulson's face, causing the seasoned S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to squint.
Beside him, Leon stood in a mask, head tilted upward, watching his house burn to ashes before his eyes.
"Was there anything important in there? Any magic books or artifacts we could salvage?" Coulson asked, watching Leon, who hadn't said a word the entire time.
Coulson was in a foul mood. After Leon had slaughtered Kingpin's gang in broad daylight with guns blazing, the news couldn't be covered up, despite S.H.I.E.L.D.'s efforts to lock down the scene. Leon had left without a trace.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s field team had cleaned up for days...
Even though Leon was still technically a S.H.I.E.L.D. partner, his habit of leaving bodies in his wake, enough to fill a hospital, was getting old. Coulson was tired of cleaning up after him.
There were moments when Coulson thought to himself, "If you're going to kill people, at least deal with the bodies afterward!"
This "let the world burn" attitude was hard to deal with! Come on, man!
But here was this powerhouse of a man, and someone still had the nerve to set his house on fire!
Was his family tree full or something? Starting a new volume?!
Who knows what catastrophe would follow this...
At least no one had died!
But as Coulson watched Leon silently staring at the blaze, he regretted not assigning more agents to keep an eye on the place.
At least they could've put out the fire faster!
...
When Coulson asked if there was anything important in the house, Leon shook his head. He only used the place to sleep and spent less than two waking hours there each day. Besides, his more valuable items had special properties and wouldn't be left in the house.
If only his system space were bigger, he wouldn't even need to go home...
...
When Leon arrived at the scene, it was already secured, and Coulson had quickly informed him that there were no casualties. Still, Leon was furious.
Very furious.
The poor landlord's crumbling house was gone, and it was clear Leon had to take responsibility. After all, the fire had been set by someone seeking revenge on him.
After informing Coulson of his intention to compensate the landlord, they agreed that S.H.I.E.L.D. would handle it, making up some excuse for the payment, but Leon would foot the bill.
Poor Leon—the money he earned from rescuing Tony Stark hadn't even come through yet, and it was already spent.
With everything settled, Leon looked at the smoldering ruins of his house, then turned to Coulson and, without hiding his intentions, said, "You've caught the arsonist, right? Hand him over to me."
Coulson opened his mouth a few times as if to say something, but ultimately didn't. After all, what could he say? If someone was asking to die, who could stop them?
From one of the cars, Coulson dragged out a strange-looking man dressed in red.
"There were two. One's dead. This one's just been sedated... He's all yours."
After patting Leon on the shoulder and heading back to his car, Coulson paused as he closed the door, then turned back and said, "Make it clean. I don't want to clean up after you again."
Leon laughed, "Don't worry! It'll be spotless!"
With that, he grabbed the unconscious man and flew off, almost as if he couldn't wait.
Coulson watched Leon disappear into the distance, sighed, and drove away.
...
In a forest far from the city.
A small fire flickered, its light dancing through the trees.
Next to the fire, a man in a black coat...
Was grilling another man in red!
"Come on, just tell me—I'm begging you!" Leon said as he tossed more wood into the fire. "I'm really not good at interrogations! If you don't talk, I'll just keep roasting you. You've already needed healing three times! Aren't you worried about toothpaste allergies? Keeping the aura on is so tiring!"
The man in red finally broke down, cursing in a language Leon didn't understand—it was Japanese.
After the outburst, the ninja-like man in red switched to English, tearfully shouting, "You haven't even asked me anything yet! You just lit a fire under me! Can't you see my mouth is bound?!"
Tossing another branch onto the fire, Leon apologized, "Oh... I thought you were cold... so..."
The red-clad ninja kept sobbing.
"If you don't understand Japanese, just say so! I already confessed twice!"
Leon, feeling even more apologetic, said, "I thought you guys were professionals, resistant to torture... I didn't expect you to give up so easily."
That's not torture!
Not even close!!
Leon stomped out the fire, stood up, and looked seriously at the still-sniffling ninja. "So, who sent you to burn my house again?"
After the ninja responded, Leon nodded, then sat back down and restarted the fire.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. This time I'm cold," he said. Then suspiciously added, "In the movies, this is usually when the villain gives false info to set up the hero, so they can swoop in and benefit from the chaos..."
Pushing the fire closer to the ninja, he said, "You're not lying to me, are you?"
Better roast him a few more times to be sure!
In the forest, the man's cries echoed once more.
"Brooo—!"
"I swear I'm telling the truth!"
"For real!!"
---
Only one chapter today. Tomorrow, this book will hit 100,000 words. Haha! Please vote!
(End of Chapter)