Chapter Fifty-Six: He Has Returned

“Of course not! There’s no sun in hell, but we’ve got the Infinity Stones. As long as the universe’s mightiest family planner snaps his fingers, we could create a sun in hell. With a sun, we could transplant plants there to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen—thus forming the most basic, simplest ecological chain.

Besides, it’s rumored the Sage of Six Paths could create a moon. I’m sure Master could create a moon as well. Then, little by little, we’d improve the environment. If it can’t be done in a year, then ten years. If not in ten, then a hundred, a thousand. I believe that, one day, hell will be transformed into a place fit for human life and development…”

“You think the universe’s mightiest family planner would agree to such an absurd idea?”

“I’m certain he would, because he’s a dreamer admired by all. Of course, first we’d have to find a way to get him to sit down and have a calm conversation. At the very least, my approach is more feasible than his extreme ways, right?” Yang Xin replied with a cheeky grin.

“And besides, the Divine Tree is still a tree, a plant. Master could always secretly plant a few Divine Trees in hell to start with,” Yang Xin added, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief.

The Supreme Sorcerer, Gu Yi, was momentarily taken aback, but she didn’t refute him or raise any immediate objections—instead, she quieted her mind and considered the feasibility of Yang Xin’s plan. After a long silence, she sighed deeply. “I suppose I’d better take a trip to hell and see for myself whether your plan is workable…”

“Then I wish you the best of luck, Master. Please, descend into hell,” Yang Xin said with mock solemnity.

Gu Yi shot Yang Xin a speechless look, casually drew a portal, and with a single step, disappeared through it. Seeing her leave, Yang Xin also conjured a portal and vanished in turn.

“I told you before—knock before you come in next time.” At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Nick Fury rapped his knuckles on the desk, addressing the sparking golden portal that had just appeared.

“Ah, don’t sweat the details.” Yang Xin’s figure emerged in Fury’s office.

“Where have you been lately?” Fury asked.

“The Dark Dimension. I wore down Dormammu, the ruler of the Dark Dimension, and secretly protected Earth. S.H.I.E.L.D. ought to give me a Defender of Earth medal, don’t you think?” Yang Xin answered with a grin.

“Alone? Not with the Supreme Sorcerer?” Fury pressed, his expression unreadable as he quietly assessed Yang Xin’s current power. With the Mangekyō Sharingan, Fury’s perception was keen; from the moment Yang Xin stepped into the office, Fury sensed a force within him—akin to his own, but on a higher level.

“In a sense, yes,” Yang Xin replied coolly.

“Xin, a lot has happened lately…” Fury began to slowly brief Yang Xin on all the major events since the Battle of Manhattan, as if the world had returned to its original course—except that S.H.I.E.L.D. was now stronger than ever, not destroyed. S.H.I.E.L.D. now spanned across all seven continents and four oceans, a true behemoth. At last, Fury summarized, “Dr. Banner is missing. The Avengers have split.”

Listening to Fury, Yang Xin deduced that the timeline had reached the events of “Captain America: Civil War.”

“You don’t need to worry about Dr. Bruce Banner. He disappears all the time—he’s done it before, and he’ll be back eventually. But the Avengers have split. Didn’t you try to mediate?” Yang Xin asked with a puzzled look.

“Some things just can’t be reconciled,” Fury replied, pulling out a laptop and spinning the screen toward Yang Xin, showing a video: the Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers’ old friend James Buchanan Barnes, killing Tony Stark’s parents.

“I have neither reason nor means to persuade Tony, nor do I have any way to stop Steve. All I can do is let things take their course.”

Yang Xin fell silent. From Fury’s position, he truly couldn’t resolve the rift between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. There were ideological differences, and emotional ones too. After all, the Winter Soldier was Steve’s friend, yet that very friend had personally killed Tony’s parents.

Fury couldn’t very well say, “Hey Tony, the Winter Soldier was just a knife at the time, a tool with no thoughts, feelings, or memory. Be the bigger man and let Lieutenant Barnes go. If you want revenge, go after Hydra instead.”

If Fury dared say that, Tony Stark would turn on him then and there.

“Has Tony seen this video?” Yang Xin suddenly asked.

“Not yet, but I’m sure he’ll see it soon,” Fury replied, closing the laptop softly.

Yang Xin’s heart tightened. He couldn’t help but admire S.H.I.E.L.D.’s intelligence capabilities. From Fury’s last remark, Yang Xin could tell that Fury had a clear grasp on the whole affair and its likely developments. And through his actions, Fury made it clear—he wouldn’t take sides.

What actions? Hawkeye and Black Widow—each had chosen a different team.

“Sokovia Accords! Pressure from higher up—why didn’t you hold your ground?” Yang Xin pointed upward.

“S.H.I.E.L.D. is too prominent to avoid scrutiny. It’s a political compromise. Besides, the Avengers have long been rife with internal conflict. To borrow a story from your Eastern culture—like Yu the Great controlling floods, it’s better to channel than to block. Let them sort it out themselves. As former comrades, no matter how much they clash, they won’t go so far as to kill each other, right?” Fury replied, as if everything was under control.

“Xin, now that you’re back, aren’t you going to do something?” Fury asked suddenly.

Yang Xin thought for a moment, then shook his head. “As you said, James Buchanan Barnes is, after all, the man who killed Tony’s parents. Whether he was a weapon or not, wrong is wrong. Tony has to overcome that hurdle on his own. And human prejudice is like a mountain—no matter how hard you try, you can’t move it. Rather than force a solution, it’s better to let nature take its course.”

“They’re about to fight,” Fury suddenly remarked. He tapped his computer, and a holographic projection appeared in his office, showing both sides facing off.

At that moment, Tony Stark’s side and Steve Rogers’ side stood in opposition—neither could convince the other. Tony Stark charged forward first.

But just as the clash was about to begin, Tony Stark suddenly stopped.

“Mr. Stark, what’s wrong?” Young Spider-Man, Peter Parker, leapt to Tony’s side with concern.

“He’s back!”