When mentioning the East, it was inevitable to cross paths with S.P.E.A.R. As an organization meant to counter S.H.I.E.L.D., its presence, secrecy, and security protocols were significantly tighter than those of its Western counterpart. Consequently, when Peter and Daniel walked out of the airport only to see an agent holding up a sign with their names, dressed in a loose-fitting hoodie and wearing vacation sunglasses, the two of them stood completely dumbfounded.
This certainly ensured that no one would suspect them of being secret organization agents; honestly, no one would believe it even if they told them.
Granted, S.P.E.A.R. was about as un-secretive as S.H.I.E.L.D., with its official website displayed right out in the open. It was just that practically no one knew about it, which effectively made it a secret.
"Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Daniel Rand, and this is Peter Parker. How should we address you?"
As the dependable adult, Daniel used a stream of fluent Chinese to communicate with the S.P.E.A.R. agent who had come to receive them. The agent, however, didn't stand on ceremony at all. "Oh, my surname is Wang. Just call me Old Wang."
Why was there another Wang...
Old Wang clearly possessed a completely different personality from Wong. He directly greeted them with a rather enthusiastic tone. "Mr. Rand, your Chinese is truly authentic. You must have lived in the country for a long time."
"It has been over a decade, and I make it a point to visit twice a year. This is Peter's first time."
"Oh, great. Let me show you—this is our itinerary. Please take a look and see if there are any issues..."
Old Wang actually pulled out his phone to show Daniel the schedule. Peter leaned in curiously to steal a glance and noted that the itinerary was thoughtfully written in English.
Even though all three individuals present actually understood Chinese perfectly well.
"I have no objections. What about you, Peter?"
"No objections on my end either..."
Peter looked over the itinerary, which could be described as fairly tightly packed. It essentially involved resting in Shanghai for a single day before transferring to a domestic flight to head toward K'un-Lun. If luck was on their side, they could arrive at K'un-Lun by tomorrow afternoon.
"If you two don't have anything that needs modifying, then I'll drive you over to the hotel. The rooms have already been booked for you."
For some reason, Peter couldn't help but sense a subtle underlying anxiety from Old Wang, as if the man was deeply afraid they would cause trouble. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately kept quiet, following Old Wang out of the airport alongside Daniel. After getting into the vehicle, he stared out the window, lost in thought.
"This country is remarkably peaceful, isn't it?"
Sitting beside him, Daniel smiled. "There are no supervillains, and no ordinary street gangs... at least, none that operate as flagrantly as they do in New York."
Peter nodded, then a thought suddenly struck him. "But I recall they have their own superhero team..."
The Eastern power did indeed possess its own superhero team, but there were practically no supervillains that required their attention. Their daily routines consisted mostly of training and promotional duties. Peter had initially assumed that some members of that team would be assigned to accompany them, but it turned out otherwise.
S.P.E.A.R. acted as though they were purely normal tourists entering the country for vacation. Aside from a regular human guide, they hadn't arranged anyone else, which caught Peter a bit by surprise.
Old Wang said nothing more, simply dropping them off at the hotel and mentioning that he would pick them up tomorrow morning before taking his leave. After exchanging a few words with the hotel front desk, Daniel handed a room card to Peter, then gave his own card a slight jiggle. "Put your things away, and then how about we head out for a bite to eat?"
A little over half an hour later, the two found themselves sitting inside a rather casual, roadside Hunan restaurant. Peter was genuinely astonished by Daniel's familiarity with the country; finding a joint like this was impressive enough that even the owner appeared quite surprised.
Once the two finished ordering, Peter used his chopsticks to puncture the plastic film wrapping the tableware while inquiring out of curiosity, "Before this, I asked Strange about K'un-Lun and the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven, but he said Kamar-Taj doesn't know a whole lot about them. Can you disclose anything?"
"I don't know a vast amount regarding that aspect either; my understanding is primarily limited to K'un-Lun. However, I happen to know a little about another Immortal Weapon. I previously met an Immortal Weapon who was a Latino youth utilizing the power granted by the White Tiger Amulet. His combat capabilities were exceptionally formidable."
Peter thought about it for a moment before the realization clicked: that was simply the street-level hero, White Tiger. He instantly grew intrigued. "Going by that logic, is it possible you two will end up fighting a match during the Tournament of the Heavenly Cities?"
"The Tournament of the Heavenly Cities won't be happening anytime soon. There are still a few years left, and this time, even if everyone gathers, a proper tournament might be difficult to pull off."
This response caught Peter somewhat off guard, but he immediately grasped the reason. "Because the lineup of Immortal Weapons is incomplete?"
"Yes, the Immortal Weapons are incomplete. Just like the Spider Kingdom you are headed to, it currently lacks an Immortal Weapon of its own. But the problem is, that isn't an isolated case. Consequently, the next Tournament of the Heavenly Cities might struggle to field a full roster if things go poorly."
The Iron Fist didn't finish his sentence. This situation was actually an unprecedented anomaly in history, and many immortal mystical beasts whose domains held lower statuses would highly likely use this as a pretext to alter the grand designs of the Tournament of the Heavenly Cities.
After all, under this established system, there had to be a victor, and it was strictly the dimension belonging to the victor that became the conduit linking to the mortal world. But what if the victor itself didn't exist?
This was precisely the reason behind the silent compliance of quite a few immortal mystical beasts. It was also one of the reasons Iron Fist had mentioned that Peter's trip this time might end up being a fruitless endeavor.
Peter nodded in comprehension, then suddenly reacted. "Wait, does that mean if I happen to become an Immortal Weapon down the line, I'll have to participate in the Tournament of the Heavenly Cities on behalf of the Mountain Spider?"
Iron Fist nodded as a matter of course; that was an absolute certainty. Hearing this, Peter let out a helpless sigh, then shifted the topic to ask about other matters. "Reverting to the topic, the power of the Iron Fist is bestowed by Shou-Lao, right? You have to defeat it and claim its heart to acquire the power."
"That is indeed the case, and a similar trial is something you will undergo as well. It is a mandatory path for every Immortal Weapon."
Daniel admitted it openly, prompting Peter to voice his confusion. "Then since that's the case, given that your Iron Fist power originates from Shou-Lao, why is it that only your right fist receives the enhancement?"
This detail was something Peter had noticed during their battles; the Iron Fist's power was strictly confined to his right hand, rendering it practically useless for his other limbs. The arrangement seemed rather peculiar.
Hearing the question, Daniel let out a soft sigh. "That only serves to prove I am still not mature enough, and that I haven't achieved absolute mastery over the Iron Fist power. As you heard, I visit twice a year precisely in the hopes of taking myself a step further."
"The immortal power is actually incredibly potent, far surpassing anything you or I can comprehend. Furthermore, this strength is something acquired by one's own efforts. However, precisely because it belongs to you, it requires a protracted process of cultivation. So, prepare yourself, Spider-Man."