Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

“How about this?” Alana smiled, drawing a dagger from the edge of her belt. “If you don’t keep your tongue in check, I guarantee you’ll never need it again.”

As they drew closer, the man saw fresh bloodstains on Alana's clothes—splattered from when she shot the attacker in the heart. This realization caused his expression to change drastically. He gritted his teeth, said nothing more, and turned to leave with his companions.

“They’re all from the Thunder Fury Gang.” Alana sheathed her dagger in her belt as she explained, “They hire unemployed people to wander around town and gather intelligence; they’re considered peripheral members of the Thunder Fury Gang.”

"What did they mean by 'reconnaissance'?"

"..." Alana was unusually silent for a moment. She stopped her foxtrot at the tavern entrance, where quite a few other mounts were already parked. No matter the time, there was never a shortage of people wanting to indulge in a life of pleasure and entertainment at the tavern.

The same applies to the area above and below the mountain.

"Alright, little lady, I'm going to get to work now. Stay close to me. Don't speak when I'm not speaking, understand?"

Xiaomei nodded. More than that, she was curious about what Alana's so-called "job" was.

Maybe... just maybe... she has a normal job in town?

Maybe she's a cowboy, a cleaner, or a waiter? She just helped me apply medicine, so she can't be as bad as I think, right? — Xiaomei still naively fantasized.

However, reality is often particularly harsh for a bright girl like her. It didn't take long for her to guess what Alana meant by "job."

Alana wandered around the street, not looking at the pedestrians, her gaze shifting between the houses, noting the structure and location of each wooden cabin, and whether anyone was inside. She walked and walked, taking out a small notebook and making notes as she went.

"So, this is your job? To rob people of their valuables?"

“What? Oh, little lady…” Alana was taken aback by the question, her brows furrowing slightly, seemingly a little angry. “Don’t give me that, please, I’m the ‘locksmith’ of the Thunder Fury Gang. But when I can’t pick locks, I have to do something to make a living, just like everyone else in the gang. Otherwise, we won’t have any money to pay the library. I don’t want to be like those women, selling myself on the streets!”

“I’m not like you, where every morning when you open your eyes, your dad will bring you a cooked meal.”

"Don't mention my dad!" Xiaomei suddenly snapped, her tone hardening like a cat with its fur standing on end, no longer the gentle and weak girl she had been before. "Burning down a house is a serious crime, no matter which state you're in. If you get caught, you'll go to jail. Do you want to go to jail?"

Alana raised a finger and retorted point by point, "First of all, I'm not responsible for burglaries; that's what gangsters do."

"I only sneak in when the homeowner isn't home after figuring out the route, grab a little cash, and leave. It's just theft at most. So far, I haven't been caught or had any bloodshed... Considering the Thunder Gang is quick to stab people, I think I've been very restrained!"

"Secondly, theft is something that every gangster has done. Most gang members made their first fortune this way, and you probably did too."

She patted Xiaomei's head, her tone slightly mocking, "If you haven't done it, it just means those two people protected you too well, doesn't it?"

"red……"

As soon as the word left her lips, Xiaomei realized her mistake and quickly corrected herself, saying, "Mr. Red never steals!"

"Who? That old man?" Alana asked, puzzled. "Of course he doesn't need to steal. He's a hunter, and even if he's down on his luck, he can still make money by selling the furs he hunts."

"No...no, it's someone else." Xiaomei herself felt guilty as she said this. "It's the one who taught you how to use a knife this morning."

"Him?!" Alana burst into laughter. "Whatever his name is, it's definitely not this lousy name."

"He's the most righteous person I've ever met," Xiaomei said with absolute certainty. "He would never break into someone's house to steal anything, absolutely not!"

----

Scarface Village. At the home of a photographer. On the roof beam.

Zhang Renfeng suddenly felt a tickle in his nose and wanted to sneeze, but he forced himself to hold it in.

"Who the hell is talking about me behind my back..."

The watchtower wasn't heavily fortified; with his skills, it was practically nonexistent. He quickly infiltrated Tuku's home. The wooden house looked even more impressive during the day than at night, and there were even several servants cleaning the spacious rooms.

Zhang Renfeng did not harm them, but patiently waited for them to finish their work before turning and leaving, leaving the already empty wooden house completely quiet.

"..."

He leaped down and landed almost silently.

He mastered the art of lightness skill to its fullest extent.

Tu Ku wasn't at home. Relying on his memory of the banquet the night before, Zhang Renfeng found his room, broke in, and began searching for what he needed.

Under the bed, above the fireplace, even the sheets and blankets were searched. However, what puzzled him was that the entire room was unexpectedly normal, almost identical to a normal person's room—no hidden doors, no partitions, nothing at all. Pulling open a drawer, he found not even a gun, but several packs of Red Apple cigarettes.

"What the hell!"

He looked around and slumped into a leather chair in the library.

Having no clue what to do, he simply lit a match and took a Red Apple cigarette from the box in the library. He took a puff, but his brow remained furrowed.

After searching for a long time, he found nothing. The deer head specimen hanging on the wall stared at him silently, its black, watery pupils making the atmosphere even more subtle.

It's human nature to lock away important things.

A heavy padlock hangs on the cellar of Cheddar Manor, making the secret even more apparent. Even a gallery owner, being human, would want to hide something important as close to them as possible and lock it, yet it wasn't. This seems to suggest…

At least, there's nothing "important" in this room.

Chapter Thirty-Three: This isn't over yet!

With his gaze fixed on the trash can and little hope in sight, Zhang Renfeng pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. As he unfolded it, his brows furrowed even more.

His spoken communication was naturally flawless, but spoken language and written language are two completely different things. The vocabulary on this piece of paper was far beyond Zhang Renfeng's comprehension, but his intuition told him that this piece of paper must be something special. He folded it up, put it in his pocket, and then rummaged through the trash can for a fancy little card with a name printed in gold lettering on it.

Jimmy McGill.

Besides the name, there was also a line of tiny handwriting that read "give me jimmy," the meaning of which was unclear. Zhang Renfeng put it away as well.

The sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside instantly put Zhang Renfeng on alert. He began to put everything back in its place, including the drawers, the desktop, and the trash can. Just as the wooden door opened, he took five quick steps against the wall, just in time to avoid the person entering the gallery.

"Boom!"

He pushed the door with great force, and the door panel slammed against the wall, bounced back, and made a creaking sound as if it could not withstand the weight.

"Not here yet? How can you tell me he's not here yet?!" He circled around his desk twice, grabbed his carefree younger brother by the hair, pulled him over, and glared at him. "Do you know how much I miss him?"

Zhang Renfeng, who was squatting on the roof beam, squinted and recognized the unlucky guy whose hair he had grabbed—it was the scarred man who had spared his life and given him 25 cents in the wilderness of Fengchuisha Town that day!

Thinking about it, it's true. The horses of that group all had blue cloths tied to their legs, indicating they were all members of the Thunder Fury Gang. It's only natural that we would see them here.

“Your Excellency Don Tuco, yes, it’s like this… we’ve run into a little trouble with this debt. Mr. Giselle is trying to persuade them, so he’ll… he’ll be back in a couple of days, that’s what he said.” Scarface’s voice trembled uncontrollably, his face pale with fear. “I’m just relaying a message!”

“Ha, ‘persuasion,’ is that it?” Tuku sneered as he heard this. “How interesting. He really thinks he’s a civilized man. A matter that could be resolved with a bullet, he has to waste so much breath. That’s his style.”

His tone suddenly relaxed, he released his grip, turned around, took a bottle of brandy from the cabinet, and casually handed it to Scarface, "How's the information I asked you to gather? Any leads?"

"I am extremely grateful, Mr. Tuku!"

Scarface accepted the gift with a flattered expression, and as if to show his loyalty, he gulped down a large mouthful before continuing, "At least in Baiyang Town, there's no news about those three people. A barbarian, an old man, and a girl—this combination should attract attention, yet no one knows anything about them. That in itself is very strange."

"They're fucking targeting me." Tuku sat down, rubbing his head in frustration, and suddenly said, "Any news from Windblown Sands?"

“No,” Scarface shook his head. “This incident has caused quite a stir, and all plans have been disrupted. The bounty on Red Center has been raised to $1500, and bounty hunters are flocking to the area, making the situation increasingly complicated. At this time, it’s not advisable to make any major moves; let’s remain inactive.”

"Easy for you to say. If we just stay put, I have dozens of men under my command. Should we start? Should we have a meal? I..."

The moment the drawer was pulled open, Tuku's expression suddenly changed, and he seemed a little nervous. He immediately pulled the drawer open completely with a click.

"Who? Who?!"

He drew his gun and instinctively looked up!

……

The roof beams were crisscrossed, but the room was empty.

The window in the room was still open, swaying precariously and occasionally tapping against the wall.

"F**k!" Tuku suddenly erupted in fury, veins popping out of his forehead. He sprinted to the window, peered out, and saw only the usual view. Mountains were mountains, trees were trees, and there were weeds and rocks covering the hillsides—nothing unusual.

Scarface looked at his boss with a terrified expression, unsure of what to say in this situation.

"You've got some nerve, you yellow-skinned bastard, you've got some nerve..."

Staring at the empty room for a long time, Tuku's expression grew increasingly sinister. His teeth clenched, veins bulging, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces.

You think I'm crazy, right?

"?!" The casual remark sent the scarred man reeling, his legs trembling. He stammered, "I...I didn't, Your Excellency, I..."

"I'm giving you a task." He patted Scarface on the shoulder, a smile more terrifying than anger spreading across his face, and said in a deep voice, "Those guys who cleaned my room today, call them all here. Every single one of them, understand?"

Scarface wasn't stupid; anyone who managed to get the job of delivering messages into the boss's office alone was no fool. Almost the instant those words left his mouth, he understood the fate of those unfortunate men, and a hint of pity appeared on his face.

But, like everyone else in the village, he had no choice.

"understand!"

----

"It's you again..." The gatekeeper looked at Zhang Renfeng, narrowed his eyes, and subconsciously moved his chair back a little.

"Practice makes perfect, you know. Last time I came, I didn't get a chance to properly taste the wine here."

Zhang Renfeng was about to undo his belt when he was stopped by the man's hand. "Forget it. The boss said you're guests, so don't bother. Besides, even if you take it off, what difference will it make? You'll still kill people anyway."

“Hey friend, I didn’t mean to cause trouble.” Zhang Renfeng raised his hands and explained, “What happened before was just a misunderstanding. Your friend broke the rules first and pointed a gun at me, so I had no choice but to fight back. It wasn’t my fault.”

"..." The gatekeeper didn't intend to say anything to him, but simply waved his hand, signaling him to go inside.

The tavern was quiet for a while. Many of the people there had been beaten by Zhang Renfeng and their injuries hadn't fully healed. When they saw him again, their arrogance immediately diminished, and they didn't dare to speak loudly. However, seeing that he had only ordered a Kentucky bourbon and was sitting alone in a corner, he really didn't intend to cause trouble. Over time, they just ignored him.

……

despair!despair!despair!

The rapid sound of horses' hooves came from the muddy road.

"Still drinking here? Stop drinking!" Scarface clearly held a certain status here. He stopped his horse and shouted, attracting the attention of most people.

Zhang Renfeng sat in the corner, unaware of what was happening.

"What's up?" someone replied lazily. "There aren't any robbery plans lately, so we can have a drink, it won't interfere with our work, right?"

"A few men, a few horses, come with me to deal with the body," Scarface emphasized. "The boss is furious!"

These words were more powerful than anything else; the crowd exchanged bewildered glances, cold sweat dripping down their backs.

"What's going on now?"

"This time it was the servant who cleaned his room. Apparently, it was because he didn't close the window properly. It was a terrible sight. He beat him to death, his face was completely mangled, his eyeballs even popped out... He even said, 'What if a thief comes in? In Scarface Village, who wouldn't dare to steal from him? Sigh...'"

Scarface shook his head. "I'm not going to say anything more. A few of you come with me quickly. If we're late and he gets angry, none of us will have a good time."

……

The tavern fell silent again.

Zhang Renfeng rarely showed anger, and with just his grip strength, he crushed a wine glass with his bare hands.

“Tucus Zolael…” he made a decision to himself, “This is not over.”

Chapter Thirty-Four: Born into the Game

It stings the throat.

To rip out one's heart.

Click on the lower body!

Under the setting sun, a blonde girl is struggling to swing the hilt of her knife; such a scene is rare in the West, where battles are decided by gunfire.

Her blade sliced ​​through the air at the fastest speed imaginable, repeating this countless times.

After swinging her sword a hundred times with all her might, her chest heaved slightly. She looked reproachfully at Zhang Renfeng, who was sitting on the steps watching her with a smile, and asked, "Are you just going to watch like this? Aren't you going to give me any pointers?"

"Your movements are very good and standard. Just keep practicing. Swing your sword a hundred times every day, and discard any other distracting thoughts. Your skill will naturally improve." Zhang Renfeng shrugged and gave a helpless smile. "It's already on the right track, so there's nothing more to instruct you on."

"I must have lost my mind to agree to let you use this to pay the rent," Alana complained, wiping the blade with her trouser leg, but she didn't seem to have any intention of backing out.

Zhang Renfeng looked around. Although Alana's house was dilapidated, it was considered quite "luxurious" by the standards of Scarface Village. It was a two-story duplex detached house, even better than many male gang members lived in.

"Where are your parents?"

"Ha, are we about to start our heart-to-heart talk?" Alana snorted with a hint of sarcasm, then said, "Unfortunately, uncle, I don't know either."

"From the time I can remember, I was in this village. In a place like this, it's better for my parents... not to know."

"So what if we know? Would normal parents abandon their daughter in a place like this? If I was born in a village, it would mean that my parents were also members of the Thunder Fury Gang, and my birth would likely have been an accident that no one wanted to see."

Zhang Renfeng nodded, indicating that he was listening and signaling for him to continue.

"In this godforsaken place, you can probably guess what will happen to women, right?"

"Next to the tavern was a wooden hut, also without a sign; that was where most women went. The men of the Thunder Angry Gang were people who might not live to see tomorrow. They didn't understand tenderness or compassion; they were no different from raging beasts. In their eyes, women were nothing more than tools for venting their frustrations, a kind of consumable..."