Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Like a mountain pressing down on his heart, all he could do was practice relentlessly, hundreds and thousands of times to build muscle memory, to alleviate this unease. Even a slight connection to the royal family could bring him a constant stream of visitors, but the slightest misstep could wipe everything he possessed out overnight.

He considered himself merely a magician, an actor entertaining the young emperor. He always adhered to this principle, never daring to get involved in any undercurrents within the court or among the people.

However, this time... Zhu Kuilong is about to break his own principles.

……

"Well done, there will be a reward!!" The little eunuch's drawn-out voice echoed in the hall, carrying an indescribable sense of sanctity. "His Majesty asks, Little Kui, what would you like as a reward?"

coming!

At times like these, asking for trivial, more prestigious rewards, such as plaques or titles, will bring amusement to everyone. The key to survival for a court performer is to receive the reward and quickly make a exit. To survive in this line of work long-term, it's best to avoid having too many interactions with members of the royal family outside of performances.

"..."

Zhu Kuilong gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing to the four-year-old child on the throne.

With a loud "thud," the impact was so clear that everyone in the hall could hear it clearly.

"Your Majesty, I have a younger brother who is over twenty years old."

"He is a man of forthright and generous nature, with immense strength, impervious to swords and spears, and capable of shooting stones and striking tigers. He has the ambition to serve his country, but lacks the means to do so. Before receiving Your Majesty's grace, I wandered among the common people and saw many like my brother. I earnestly hope that Your Majesty will have mercy and grant him the opportunity to take the provincial examination, so that those like my brother may fully utilize their talents and not be tarnished."

"Your Majesty, I am but a mere actor, and I have spoken recklessly. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

……

That's what they say, but this request has undoubtedly exceeded the limits of what an actor can say.

Inside the magnificent hall, a deathly silence fell instantly. Even the radiant light that enveloped the ginger mountain seemed incredibly cold.

The unbearable silence lasted for an unknown amount of time, until beads of sweat appeared on his face, gathering on his broad forehead and forming a fine waterfall.

"Little Kuizi."

A dignified female voice came from above, making his heart tighten involuntarily.

"The younger brother you mentioned... is he your biological younger brother?"

"No, he is my junior brother." Zhu Kuilong kowtowed again and replied in a deep voice, "He studied martial arts with me in the same school. His martial arts skills are superb. We have lived and eaten together for nearly twenty years and are as close as brothers."

"Oh, is that so? You've been so devoted to him..." The extremely authoritative female voice seemed to have a hint of amusement in it, "I hope he won't let you down."

----

"Gah——!"

"Gah——!"

……

The afterimage was like blood, accompanied by the cawing of crows.

Zhu Kuilong pressed his still pounding heart, somewhat unable to believe that he had actually overcome this hurdle.

Of course, the decision to reopen Enco won't be made so quickly, but to receive the statement that "this matter has been put on the agenda" is already a remarkable change! Twenty years ago, he was just a street performer, and this is the limit of what he could achieve.

All that remains is for Zhang Renfeng to seize this rare opportunity.

But for some reason, he suddenly felt a chill—under the setting sun, a cold wind blew in through his trouser legs, freezing his blood.

Chapter 218: No matter how high one's martial arts skills are, they can't surpass the heavens. No matter how profound one's talent, it can't surpass the earth.

"Excuse me, what exactly is the Martial Arts Champion?" Theon asked, raising his hand like a student attentively listening to a lecture. "The most powerful fighter in the entire country?"

“It’s not that simple. Besides being able to fight, it’s more about testing strength… horsemanship, archery, basic strength, these are the key points.” Zhang Renfeng recalled the scene that day with a slightly melancholy expression. “Because of my senior brother’s connections in the court, I didn’t start with the provincial examination. Instead, I skipped the preliminary examination, the provincial examination, and the metropolitan examination, and jumped straight to the palace examination.”

"I only found out later that my senior brother spoke up for me at the young emperor's birthday banquet... That was in front of the emperor! They say serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. If you make such a request, and you're unlucky enough to offend the emperor, it wouldn't be surprising if you were beheaded. The emperor is just so capricious; with a single thought, countless heads will roll."

"But he still spoke up, for someone with whom he had no blood relation and had only lived for a period of time."

He sighed and said in a deep voice, "For this alone, I owe him something I can never repay."

The atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

Brothers turning against each other is rarely caused by just one person. Because they had previously been on the same side as Zhang Renfeng, Xiaomei subconsciously regarded Zhu Kuilong as an enemy. But after calming down and listening to his explanation from beginning to end, she realized that things were not so simple.

If they were truly enemies, that would be better; at least when we made a move, we wouldn't have so many reservations.

What's truly deadly is this karmic entanglement where we are intertwined, yet we can't sever it.

“I understand.” Theon nodded. “He was essentially your guarantor. Your escape has had a very negative impact on him in the court. That’s why he resents you so much, isn’t it?”

"...No, looking at it now, perhaps there were already signs before that." Zhang Renfeng pursed his lips, his eyebrows rose and furrowed, his expression extremely heavy. "My disagreement with him didn't start from that moment."

----

"Thanks to the Emperor's grace, a convenient path was indeed opened for him, and he certainly lived up to expectations. He performed exceptionally well in all the events: sword wielding, stone lifting, drawing a strong bow, mounted archery, and foot archery. It is said that when lifting the stones, he slammed two stone locks, one in each hand, heavily onto the roof. Even the examiners said they had never seen anyone with such superhuman strength, that he was practically a reincarnation of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Chu... Ha..."

As he said this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Zhu Kuilong's face. It was unclear why he could still smile under such circumstances.

"However, the good times didn't last long. The last part of the palace examination was a newly added test of martial arts skills. This was because the young emperor wanted to see for himself how he was 'invulnerable to swords and spears and could shoot stones and tigers.' Therefore, for this part, he invited a first-class guard who had not been in battle for a long time but was quite famous in the army."

"This man's surname is Chen, given name Shan'ao, from Cangzhou. His family has deep ties to the military, and he rose through the ranks to become a first-class bodyguard by relying on the military merits of his servants."

"Once you pass the martial arts championship, you'll be a third-rank official. How many eyes are watching this position, inside and outside the palace, above and below? Everyone is waiting for the young emperor to take office and hold a grand imperial examination. Why should an unknown grassroots martial artist be chosen as the martial arts champion of the first year of the Guangxu Emperor's reign?"

Zhu Kuilong's tone was filled with deep sorrow. Although a long time has passed, the memory still feels like a thorn stuck in his heart whenever it is brought up.

He paced back and forth in the small room with his hands behind his back, as if trying to dispel the resentment in his heart.

“I have told him many times that you, like me, are a complete outsider. This is the military group in the court using this as an opportunity to attack you and express their dissatisfaction with you.”

"The title of Martial Arts Champion is only temporary. This is the Imperial Examination, not a folk martial arts tournament. You haven't signed a life-or-death contract, so the outcome isn't that important. What matters is how you plan to advance your career. You can't lose, because if you do, they will have a legitimate reason to kick you out. But you also can't win! If you win, you'll naturally offend a large number of your colleagues when you serve in the same court."

“The only solution is for you two to fight each other for dozens of rounds, keep the young emperor entertained, and then step down with dignity.”

Evelyn listened intently, but a hint of sadness flashed in her bright eyes.

She understood Zhang Renfeng.

If he were a person who easily compromises, perhaps... he wouldn't even be here today.

"I won't say much about the outcome; I'm sure you can guess." Zhu Kuilong looked at the chandelier on the ceiling, sighed deeply, smiled bitterly, and shook his head. "He's always like this; he insists on doing the things I tell him not to do."

The officialdom is not about fighting and killing, but about human relationships and social interactions.

This statement couldn't be clearer to Zhu Kuilong, who climbed his way up from humble beginnings on the street to the imperial court.

The title of "Martial Arts Champion" is equivalent to a third-rank official, but in reality, the official position is not that high. Most people start from the bottom of the military. If he has the ambition, he can slowly climb up from the bottom and at least have a platform; if he is lazy, he can just stay in this position for the rest of his life and still be able to live a comfortable life.

But all of this is based on one premise—that his official career can end smoothly without him being harassed by others.

The eldest brother's plan was far-sighted; he immediately recognized it as a warning from the military officer group.

It's true, these two people, with no connections in the court—one a magician performing tricks for the young emperor, the other a wild, uncouth man from the mountains who appeared out of nowhere—were destined to take the title of martial arts champion. They were bound to be unwelcome in the court.

This is a hurdle we must overcome.

……

Unfortunately, Zhang Renfeng's understanding of "martial arts" was not like that. In his view, the character "martial arts" could only be simplified to a horizontal and a vertical line.

They stand upright, and lie horizontally.

----

"Brother, I..."

"boom--!!"

Zhu Kuilong didn't even let him in the door. He threw the white jade cup he had brought with him the last time they met, smashing it on the ground and shattering it into pieces.

"With such grand ambitions, why did you come to see me?" Zhu Kuilong said coldly. "Congratulations on passing the palace examination. The young emperor has certainly broadened his horizons and is quite pleased. Prepare to take up your post and become the top martial arts scholar!"

“They said I got this job through connections…” Zhang Renfeng pouted, feeling a surge of resentment.

Young people shouldn't be too arrogant—this is a wise saying summarized by Zhu Kuilong.

But... aren't young people the ones who aren't hot-blooded?

"Aren't you one?" Zhu Kuilong retorted.

"I was the champion in every event! I hit the bullseye in both mounted and foot archery; I also exceeded the record in stone-lifting and sword-wielding... As for the hard bow... I was the first person to draw the [Ten Thousand Stone Bow], isn't that enough?"

Zhang Renfeng's young face was full of resentment. "Why should I have to fight to a draw with an old geezer who walks unsteadily and was probably still playing with women the night before the exam?"

"So what? Do you think you're so great?" Zhu Kuilong's usually calm face showed a hint of anger. "You better remember this..."

"No matter how high your martial arts skills are, they can't surpass the heavens; no matter how great your talent is, it can't surpass the earth!"

"As long as heaven and earth remain, what are you and I?"

Chapter 219: Night Raid

At this point in the story, Zhang Renfeng suddenly stopped talking, his expression changed slightly, and he looked in a certain direction outside the house.

"So, this was the trigger for the deterioration of your relationship, right?" Xiaomei was still immersed in the story, unable to pull herself away for a long time, and sighed, "No wonder he hates you so much now..."

"Shh, be quiet." Theon also sensed something was wrong and pulled the two Mauser pistols, fully loaded with ammunition, from his belt. "There's the sound of horses' hooves."

Xiaomei then realized why the two men had suddenly changed their expressions. It was late at night, and Trist's house was in the mountains. The appearance of so many horses was hard to explain logically. Even hunters didn't usually come up the mountain in large groups.

"Bounty Hunter?"

“No, probably not… We just arrived in Saint Quintak and haven’t done anything outrageous.” Zhang Renfeng adjusted the Volcano Pistol on his belt and instructed, “You two protect this family. I’ll go out and scout the situation. You two act according to the circumstances. But don’t use those high-powered bombs yet. They’ve kindly taken us in; let’s not destroy their house.”

----

"Alright, this is it. Damn it... No wonder he can't pay back his debts if he chooses to live in such a lousy place."

The tall, thin boy with a pockmarked face took off his beret, fanned the sweat from his forehead, and waved his hand imperiously, "Don't waste time, hurry up and burn it."

The group of underlings who rode horses with him on the mountain looked hesitant, staring at each other for a long time, none of them daring to step forward first.

"Tommy, are you sure... Mr. Angelo means to burn the house and its inhabitants down?"

A somewhat thin boy, wrapped in a thick cotton coat, with a bright red nose, mustered his courage and stepped forward, speaking for everyone. His words, spoken by the leader named Tommy, carried a hint of ingratiation: "After all, they are two living people. If this gets out of hand, and they start investigating..."

Tommy glanced at him sideways, his voice colder than the night wind, "So, you're planning to be disloyal to Mr. Angelo?"

"Me? No, I didn't..."

"boom!"

Before he could defend himself, a fist came flying straight at him, striking the boy's nose. He was smaller to begin with, and the blow knocked him to the ground. A sharp pain shot through his nose. It was already dark, and he couldn't see the color of his hand, but the sticky sensation and the metallic smell that filled his nostrils made him realize that his nose had been broken.

"Woo..."

There was a slight commotion in the crowd, but this seemed to be a common occurrence, and no one dared to go up and help him.

“Listen up, you bunch of lowlifes.” Tommy pulled out his gun, cocked the hammer, but pointed it at his “own men” and warned, “As human beings, you should know how to be grateful. Everything you have is given to you by Mr. Angelo. He can give it, and he can take it back at any time.”

"It's not about the amount of money. Do you think he'd even care about a mere $500? He spends more than that on his pets every month!"

"It's a matter of face. San Quintac is his territory. Even if a penny falls from the sky, it belongs to that Italian. He takes the lion's share, his men eat meat, and we get soup. All of this is maintained by respect."

“Right now, a group of outsiders have swaggered into the city and brazenly beaten one of our men to the point of paralysis, showing absolutely no respect. If we don’t take action, once this incident spreads throughout San Quintak, many will follow suit. And when we want to regain respect, we’ll have to pay with more blood, more bullets, and more lives, including perhaps yours…you! And you!”

He pointed to several trembling underlings, and the children he pointed to lowered their heads, looking nervous.

"Today's action only resulted in burning down a house. This will send a powerful signal that anyone who dares to oppose us will suffer the same fate! Not only will they die, but that yellow-haired horse trader and his two henchmen will also be dug out of this city and subjected to the Colombian tie torture!"

"This city, including every inch of its land and every street corner, is Italian territory."

"If you want to quit, you'd better think twice..."

When the expressions on their faces suddenly changed from shrinking back to fear, Tommy realized something was wrong.

A night breeze swept by, and fallen leaves rustled unsettlingly.

Turning around abruptly, they saw a figure standing behind a tree not far away. There was no movement, no sound; he silently observed them. He stood in the shade of the tree; it was the middle of the night, and there was no light, so they couldn't see his face clearly, or even tell if he was male or female.

Like a symbol, a Grim Reaper waiting for its prey to fall into its trap...

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Out of instinct, Tommy didn't hesitate for a moment and emptied his bullets directly at the tree trunk.

But the figure simply shrank behind the tree and disappeared.

"What are you standing there for? Are your guns loaded with acorns? Shoot!"

The crowd reacted in different ways; some opened fire, while others turned and ran. After all, when people's adrenaline surges, they only have two options: fight or run.