There was no way the situation could have deviated so much from the original work; it was clearly the work of Daolong.
After the previous failures of several talismans, Daolong became impatient. This time, he directly intervened, bringing together his father and Jackie Chan to unleash a powerful combination of magic and martial arts.
"So, you failed again!"
Valmont said furiously, looking at the crestfallen figures below.
Just as Finn was about to speak, Tohru let out a sneeze, spraying Valmont with a mixture of saliva and snot.
Tohru rubbed his head sheepishly and said, "Sorry."
"Be more careful next time."
Valmont held a good opinion of Tohru, at least he was more useful than the other three.
Lao Shi whispered to his two bosses, "It's not that we're weak, it's just that Jackie Chan is too cunning. If only he could work for us."
Lao Shi's words gave Valmont an idea. He was a crime lord, after all. If the direct approach didn't work, he'd resort to underhanded tactics. He had coerced people into working for him before. By controlling Jackie Chan's loved ones, it would be a simple matter to force Jackie Chan to work for him.
Bai Qi saw through Valmont's thoughts. He had to admit, after all this time, Valmont was finally acting like a true crime lord. However, capturing Jackie Chan's family wouldn't be easy. Whether it was Uncle or Jade, they were no pushovers. Even if Jackie Chan allowed it, Daolong wouldn't stand for it.
Wait, something felt familiar about this passage.
After recalling, Bai Qi realized that this scene, as it unfolded before him, had also occurred in the original work. The subsequent developments seemed to be...
Thinking this, Bai Qi's lips curved into a smile. Seeing Valmont beside him shiver, he thought, that demon's smile could only mean trouble.
Bai Qi tapped the table and said, "Lao Shi's idea is good."
"Really? Not really."
Hearing the Holy Lord praise him, Lao Shi felt a little excited and put on a shy expression.
A shadowy ninja appeared, carrying a brocade box, and approached Valmont.
Opening the brocade box, he revealed a small jar containing a green, unknown liquid. A green stone snake was wrapped around the jar.
"Holy Lord, what does this mean?"
Taking out the jar, Valmont examined it carefully and asked.
Bai Qi said, "Don't you wish Jackie Chan would work for you? This thing can help you."
After Bai Qi explained the effects of the liquid to Valmont, Valmont's hands trembled with excitement as he held the solution.
After Jackie Chan had ruined so many of his plans, he finally had a chance for revenge.
"Jackie Chan will have no choice but to work for the Black Hand. Prepare the bait."
In the antique shop.
Uncle sat at his desk in the study, finishing the translation of the last rune on the talisman. He handed the translated content to Jackie Chan, saying, "I've translated the contents of the talisman. It's a rather baffling riddle."
Taking the paper, Jackie Chan read, "'Once activated, the noble horse will be able to expel all external forces from there.' What... what does that mean?"
Jade, standing nearby, immediately chimed in, gesturing and speaking animatedly, "It must mean that the external forces inside will fly out, invade people's minds, control their thoughts, and then conquer the world."
Seeing Jade, who seemed to be having a nervous breakdown, Jackie Chan and Uncle were both speechless. Was this adolescence?
Seeing their disbelief, Jade continued, "External forces represent an invasion of Earth, right?"
Let alone Uncle and Jackie Chan, even Bai Qi, if he were present, would be utterly speechless. An invasion of Earth? He was a native demon born and raised on Earth; what invasion was there to speak of?
Just as the air fell into silence, Jackie Chan's phone rang.
He looked at it and saw it was his old friend, Captain Black.
"Hello?"
On the other end of the line, Captain Black, sitting in his office, looked at the computer and said, "Brother Jackie, the computer has detected something. Blast your toothbrush, you need to go to the Roche Kingdom mountains in South Dakota."
"Okay, got it."
Jackie Chan nodded and hung up.
Jade, who was nearby, exclaimed happily, "Let's go!"
Seeing Jade's excitement, Jackie Chan's mind raced, and he said, "Uncle needs you. You... you're so smart, you'll definitely be able to help Uncle solve the riddle."
Jackie Chan's reason was too flimsy; it was obvious he'd made it up on the spot. But Jade actually believed him.
"Let's solve the riddle." Sudannovel.com
Arriving at the destination.
According to the location provided by Captain Black, the talisman was inside the heads of these presidents.
Securing the rope, Jackie Chan tied one end around his waist, grabbed the rope with both hands, and slowly descended, stepping on the foreheads of the presidents.
Looking down at the bottomless abyss, Jackie Chan swallowed and thought, "Wouldn't it be great if the talisman was in a department store?"
Standing on the president's nose, Jackie Chan saw a talisman in the president's left eye.
Approaching the president's eye socket, and looking at eyes larger than himself, Jackie Chan quipped, "Wow, your eyes are really big."
"Mr. President, don't blink."
Saying this, Jackie Chan reached out and pried the talisman embedded in the eye.
Huh?
Looking at the talisman in his hand, Jackie Chan raised an eyebrow. "Snake? How could it be here?"
Jackie Chan remembered that the Snake Talisman had been stolen by a female thief named Xiao She. Moreover, according to people from SHIELD, the Snake Talisman in Xiao She's possession was stolen again by a mysterious person shortly after leaving the museum. So how had it appeared here?
Before Jackie Chan could react, the surface of the Snake Talisman in his hand split open, and two blade-like fangs bit into his hand, injecting a cool liquid into him.
The pain caused Jackie Chan to flinch involuntarily, and the Snake Talisman fell into the abyss.
There was no doubt that the Snake Talisman was fake. Jackie Chan just couldn't figure out who would play such a pointless prank.
Enduring the pain, Jackie Chan grabbed the rope and began to climb up.
As soon as he reached the top of the president's head, he looked up and saw a white-haired man in a green suit.
"Valmont!"
Jackie Chan immediately recognized the most wanted criminal from Section 13.
Valmont remained silent. He grabbed Jackie Chan by the collar and lifted him up.
After breaking free, Jackie Chan created some distance from Valmont, assuming a fighting stance.
Facing Jackie Chan's hostility, Valmont calmly switched his cane from his left hand to his right and said, "Being bitten by a snake can be fatal."
Valmont's appearance made Jackie Chan immediately realize that he was the one who had created the fake talisman and tricked him into coming here.
He glanced at the wound on his right hand and said, "Alright, you lured me all the way here just to poison me."
Valmont said with ill intent, "This place isn't so bad, because the poison flowing through your body will soon turn you to stone."
Looking at his wound again, Jackie Chan said with firm conviction, "Then I must tell you, believing in magic doesn't mean I'm easily fooled."
Although Jackie Chan didn't know magic, he had a father who did. After prolonged exposure, Jackie Chan had some understanding of magic and had never encountered any magic that could turn a person to stone.
Seeing Jackie Chan's disbelief, Valmont took out an exquisite cage containing a newly hatched chick.
"Words are not enough. Let me show you with your own eyes."
Saying this, he took out a dropper from his pocket and dripped a drop of the liquid onto the chick.
Instantly, a lively chick turned into a stone.