Knowing that the San Venganza Scroll contained a large number of innocent souls and being certain that the scroll had already been destroyed, Coulson felt somewhat relieved. After all, the thing was too dangerous—if Witch Heart Demon got his hands on it, the consequences would be too severe.
However, as if recalling something, Coulson hesitantly added, "That Austin, are you sure you can handle Witch Heart Demon?"
Li Feng nodded firmly. Sensing there was more to Coulson's words, he blinked curiously and asked, "What's up? Isn't our mission just to take down Abigail? Witch Heart Demon is Ghost Rider's problem—why are you so worried?"
Coulson took a deep breath in front of Li Feng and said, "Johnny Blaze is on his way here—" He pointed downward. "—to the cemetery beneath us. Right now, he's solely focused on saving the woman he loves, so he'll definitely ask you for the San Venganza Scroll."
Hearing this, Li Feng turned to look out the car window, but aside from the dim sky, he didn't see a single ghostly shadow.
Just as Li Feng was about to ask, "Where is Johnny Blaze?" Coulson, anticipating his question, said, "We were brought back to the RV by Kreacher. In terms of speed, we were much faster."
After a pause, Coulson continued with a smile, "At first, we were worried that with hostages, Johnny Blaze wouldn't be able to do much against Witch Heart Demon. We were planning to ask you if you knew any of Witch Heart Demon's weaknesses to help us rescue the innocent civilians."
"Now, since you're confident in handling Witch Heart Demon, you and Johnny Blaze can team up against him. Meanwhile, we'll devise a plan to rescue the hostages—like creating a fake San Venganza Scroll to lure that dripping-wet Devil, and then have Kreacher help move the hostages to safety."
Nearby, Melinda, who had been suppressing her anger, toyed with the Loki Mask in her hand and said expressionlessly, "Nightfall is coming. I can't wait to personally take down Abigail."Li Feng scratched his head and glanced at Melinda, who was brimming with violent energy. He sighed and asked Coulson, "You want me and Johnny Blaze to deal with Witch Heart Demon? Only an amateur like you would say something like that. I've never heard of the Ghost Rider having a partner. Aren't you afraid that Johnny Blaze's will might be suppressed by the spirit inside him, causing him to abandon the high-difficulty Witch Heart Demon and team up with him against me instead?"
Before Coulson could retort, Li Feng covered his face and continued, "Melinda handling Abigail is at least a somewhat reliable plan, but what about the Water Demon—the soggy Devil you mentioned? Don't expect Kreacher to be of any help at night. Devils are a whole different beast during the day versus at night."
"Lastly, Devils aren't idiots, and they're extremely sensitive to spirits. A single glance at the San Venganza Scroll would tell them whether it contains a spirit or not. So where are you going to find a fake San Venganza Scroll that can fool Witch Heart Demon or the Water Demon?"
Realizing his entire plan had been dismantled by Li Feng, Coulson frowned and asked helplessly, "Then what do you suggest we do to rescue the hostages?"
My suggestion is to scrap the damn plan and just charge in. As for the girl Johnny Blaze cares about, I think we should just tell him to find another one. There are plenty of fish in the sea—why cling to one? Besides, from what I remember in the movies, Johnny Blaze's girl wasn't even that pretty—no curves to speak of, and no face to make up for it.
Unfortunately, while that's what he thought, Li Feng knew the person sitting across from him wasn't Fury but Coulson—a man famous for being a "good guy." That meant even if there was a 0.1% chance of rescuing the hostages, Coulson would go all out to save them.
Li Feng tilted his head in thought and said, "Johnny Blaze can handle Witch Heart Demon. Even if he seems outmatched, he can at least stall for a few minutes. I'll use that time to kill Abigail." He then turned to Melinda, whose face remained expressionless, and added, "As for you, just focus on the Water Demon."
Worried that Melinda might underestimate the Devil and end up in trouble—costing him a valuable asset planted within S.H.I.E.L.D.—Li Feng elaborated, "The Water Demon's abilities are mostly water-based. Be careful of him turning into a water mass to suffocate you. He also loves ambushing from underwater—like hiding in a puddle at your feet and dragging you down when you least expect it, forcing you to fight in his element." He rubbed his chin. "But in terms of hand-to-hand combat, I doubt he'd last more than a few seconds against you."
With that, Li Feng silently lit a candle in his heart for the Water Demon: With Melinda, who's already boiling with rage and wearing Loki's mask, who else is doomed but you?When it came to rescuing someone from the Witch Heart Demon, Li Feng admitted it wasn't within his professional expertise. After briefly explaining his rough plan to Coulson, he consciously walked away, holding a beer as he lounged on the sofa. He took big gulps of beer while gnawing on a chicken leg, watching with amusement as Coulson and the others refined the plan.
By the time night fully fell, Li Feng, now well-fed and satisfied, faintly heard the sound of a motorcycle in the distance.
A while later, hearing someone knock on the RV door, Li Feng casually picked up two walkie-talkies and tossed one to Johnny Blaze, who was knocking. Turning to Coulson, he explained, "It's nighttime now. The Ghost Rider could come out to admire the moon at any moment, so you all should stay put in the RV. If the Ghost Rider loses control and decides to judge you, I'd have to waste energy protecting you."
With that, Li Feng motioned for Coulson to use the walkie-talkie if he had anything to say, then opened the RV door and stepped out.
Just as Li Feng closed the door and gestured for Johnny Blaze to step aside for a private talk, before they could walk far, Johnny suddenly clutched his head with one hand and pointed at Li Feng with the other, his voice hoarse and slightly deranged as he said, "You... are guilty."
"Did I steal your underwear or sleep with your wife?" Li Feng shot Johnny—who hadn't transformed yet—an annoyed look and rolled his eyes. "Got any proof I'm guilty? And even if I were, what's it to you?" He pointed at Coulson, who was peering out the RV window, and bared his teeth. "We were just figuring out how to save your girl. Call me guilty again, and I swear I'll walk away right now. Then you can deal with the Witch Heart Demon alone and watch as your girl gets dragged into hell to become the Devil's plaything."
Li Feng's words about saving someone briefly allowed Johnny Blaze's consciousness to regain control. His voice now tinged with urgency, he said, "The San Venganza Scroll... I need the San Venganza Scroll to—"
Before he could finish, Li Feng scratched his head and cut in, "Earlier, you saw Carter Slade leave with me. We were actually delivering the San Venganza Scroll to a friend to destroy it. So forget about the scroll—it's gone now."
"What about Rosie?" Johnny Blaze asked blankly. "The Witch Heart Demon demanded the San Venganza Scroll. Without it, he'll kill her."
As he spoke, overwhelmed by the thought that he might never see Rosie again and would never forgive himself, flames flickered atop Johnny Blaze's head once more.
Li Feng sighed inwardly. Didn't I just say we'd save your girl? How did you lose control again in the blink of an eye? Your thought process is something else. While silently grumbling to himself, Li Feng was about to cast a Mirror Dimension when he heard Coulson's voice come through the walkie-talkie in his hand.
"Mr. Johnny Blaze, we have you as the Ghost Rider, Austin as the mage, Kreacher whom you've also met, and our S.H.I.E.L.D. team is professional when it comes to rescue operations. Trust me, we will save Ms. Rosie."
Immediately after, Coulson began explaining the plan to eliminate the Witch Heart Demon, particularly detailing the rescue operation for Rosie so thoroughly that even someone with intellectual disabilities could understand it.
At this moment, Johnny Blaze—half-skeleton, half-human—clearly took Coulson's words to heart, gradually reverting to his human form. He spoke into the walkie-talkie, "I'll trust you this once, but you'd better make sure the plan succeeds." After a pause, Johnny Blaze turned and mounted his motorcycle, clearly waiting for Coulson to lead the way, and said, "We're heading to the town of San Venganza now to save Rosie."
Though Johnny Blaze's words carried no explicit threat, none of the agents present were fools. They didn't need a sixth sense to clearly detect the underlying menace in his tone.
This left them somewhat displeased. After all, they were here to help with the rescue, not to harm Rosie. Besides, it was the Witch Heart Demon who wanted to kill her, not them. What right did Johnny Blaze have to direct his anger at them?
Unfortunately, as the saying goes, the team was led by Coulson, who radiated an aura of being the "good guy," and given S.H.I.E.L.D.'s duty, they had no choice but to swallow their frustration.
Only Li Feng remained entirely unfazed by Johnny Blaze's tone. Casually returning to the RV, he said to Melinda, "Have you found the location of San Venganza yet?"
Melinda nodded.
As Li Feng instructed Kreacher to fetch him a beer and some peanuts, he took the passenger seat, snapped his fingers to start the RV, and said, "Since we have the address, Melinda, do the honors of driving and give me directions so I can open a portal."
Then, picking up the walkie-talkie, he said to Johnny Blaze, "Hope your crappy motorcycle can keep up with my RV."
Johnny Blaze said nothing, merely casting a disdainful glance at the RV before revving his engine and transforming into the Ghost Rider in an instant.
Li Feng smirked and muttered under his breath, "This guy's got a bit of a tsundere streak."
Melinda, with her sharp hearing, caught Li Feng's remark and instinctively glanced at the flaming Johnny Blaze and his morphing motorcycle. For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that Li Feng's words were dripping with envy.
After a moment's thought, Melinda deadpanned, "A motorcycle on fire? That is pretty cool."
"Heh," Li Feng casually flipped the flight switch. "I hear you're a pilot. Let's see how good your flying skills really are."