Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

The tall man was now like an animal, with a rope around his neck and tied to a wooden pole. His right arm had been bitten off and was now empty, with bloodstains on the cuff. He was lifeless, like a dog whose bones had been removed.

He was mauled by wolves, lost an arm, and bled profusely, narrowly escaping death. He barely survived, but still had no way out and was about to be sent to the windswept sands to be hanged. No wonder his mental state was so depressed.

The Native American squatted down in front of him and fed him with a wooden spoon.

It's like feeding a dog.

Breaking news~~

I've accumulated 25 chapters in arrears so far. Tonight at 0:10, I'll be releasing five consecutive chapters. While paying off my debts, I also want to try and climb the click rankings again.

Anyway, this debt has to be repaid sooner or later, it's all the same whether it's sooner or later. I'll post 5 chapters tonight, and as for the rest, the author is still working hard on it. Please support me when they come, thank you!

Chapter 50: Something's not right...something's not right! (Bounty still up - 1)

"You must be 'Peregrine Falcon'? Thank you so much for helping me in my time of need." Ignoring the pain in her face, the first thing Xiaomei did was to express her gratitude to the Native American. "I have nothing to repay you with right now, but after I return to Windswept Sands..."

The peregrine falcon stared at her for a while, its gaze still sharp, like a knife, as if it wanted to dissect her inside and out.

A few seconds later, as if understanding her intentions, he placed the bowl of food aside and left silently. Only the enemies remained, staring at each other in a long silence that seemed to freeze the air in the stable.

“Ha…look at us, two disabled people…” Giselle’s voice was weak. “Congratulations, you’ve won. Enjoy your victory.”

Can this be considered a victory?

Regardless, these words sounded absurd and ridiculous coming from his mouth.

"Why did you save me?" This was the only thing Xiaomei was interested in, so much so that she dragged her still unwell body and her face, which had not yet recovered, out of bed to ask him herself.

"Ha...you've got it wrong. I wasn't saving you. After that beast ate you, I was next. That was my best chance. I shot it when its attention wasn't on me. It has nothing to do with you."

Giselle said with a slightly sarcastic tone, "Do nothing, let it bite you to death, then bite me to death, and the Indians will find two corpses. Which one is noble, which one is inferior, what difference does it make?"

"What a pity, the revolver wasn't powerful enough. All my shots hit his back, and I couldn't take that beast down with me!" Giselle's tone was somewhat wistful when she talked about this incident. She gritted her teeth and said bitterly, "The Indian arrows were poisoned, which is why they were so deadly... Damn it, if I had known that, I should have listened to them and changed to a different gun and a different bullet."

"Strictly speaking, it was the Native Americans who saved your life, not me."

Having spoken so much in one breath, Giselle was tired and wearily closed her eyes. She didn't know how much longer she had to live. As the countdown to death grew clearer, even the air in the stable seemed to become more alert.

"……Do not."

Xiaomei's soft voice pulled him back to reality.

"No?" Giselle couldn't understand. "What are you talking about?"

"No, you're lying to me, you're lying! You saved me, it has to be like this! Otherwise... otherwise it wouldn't be right..."

"Are you alright?" Giselle looked at her warily. At this moment, Mei seemed to be in an unstable mental state, and her eyes, hidden behind bandages, flashed with madness. "Everything I just said is true. If you don't believe me, you can ask your companions."

"Ugh..." Xiaomei suddenly clutched her head tightly. The memory of the wolf's claws tearing her face suddenly became clear. The pain, despair, and the sensation of blood splattering that night seemed to return to her, disrupting her thoughts. She felt that something was wrong, but when she tried to think about it carefully, it slipped through her fingers like bubbles.

"Barry the Fast-Legs, you really haven't heard of this guy?"

“I don’t remember.” Giselle’s tone was tinged with sarcasm. “I’ve killed far too many people. Do you expect me to go through their ID cards, remember their names, and give them a funeral after each kill? Gangs don’t have that kind of luxury. We ride horses, use a rope… just one, and drag the body along the ground for a while, rubbing the face until it’s unrecognizable, then we just find some deserted place and dump it there.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am, this kind of work is usually done by my underlings. So even if I did kill your father, I wouldn’t remember. I don’t remember his name, his voice, his face, nothing at all.”

Are you satisfied with this answer?

……

Xiao Mei stared intently at him, her breathing becoming increasingly heavy, as if the small stable had transformed into a ship, swaying precariously in a stormy sea.

She grabbed onto a wooden post next to the wall and managed to keep her balance.

"call……"

Xiaomei took a deep breath, turned around and left without the slightest hesitation.

----

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I also hope to spend more time with you all and foster team camaraderie, but I have to go back to the city. There are a lot of people waiting to be settled, and I also need to report this matter to Cheder... He must be furious."

Jimmy straightened his suit, and before leaving, he turned around and specifically instructed, "You'd better leave quickly too. The matter of Scar Village can't be kept secret for long. Soon, the sheriff and bounty hunters will be swarming towards this mountain, and you have to get out before then."

“Remember our agreement, Boss Hongzhong. From now on, I’m officially a member.” He extended his hand to Zhang Renfeng, shook it, and smiled. “If there’s any news, I’ll contact you. But… for the next month or two, I personally suggest we keep a low profile. Once things have calmed down, we’ll pull off a big heist.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot, my charming Indian friend, your roasted venison was delicious. But I sincerely suggest you make room for yourself soon.” Jimmy clapped his hands and gave the peregrine falcon his signature sly smile. “And quickly, because in a few days, this mountain won’t be safe anymore.”

The peregrine falcon had never seen this type of person before and was slightly taken aback, but he could sense that the other party meant no harm, so he nodded to him.

"Alright everyone, see you later."

……

Mike glanced at Jimmy riding away. "So... this lawyer, is he on board now? Do you think he won't tell Cheddar when he gets back? Cheddar is the one who paid him, don't forget that."

“What Cheder gave him was just a drop in the ocean,” Zhang Renfeng analyzed in a deep voice, “but the work he did far exceeded its value.”

“He was just an ordinary man, weak and helpless, unable to even fire a gun. Continuing to deal with a behemoth like Zolael terrified him. So he needed someone who could protect him in critical moments—he was worried that Zolael would blame him for Tucou’s death.”

"He needs Red Center, just as we need him."

This time, Mike didn't refute the statement "I'm not on your side." At this point, it was pointless to say such things, because those blood relatives who wanted revenge for Tuku wouldn't listen to such excuses.

Any external assistance, however small, is meaningful.

----

“Mr. Mike,” Mei suddenly asked, “do you have Giselle’s gun?”

"Here, what's wrong?"

"Please let me see," Xiaomei said in a dreamlike tone, perhaps not even knowing what she was saying herself.

“Young lady, you’re a little too concerned about him.” Mike’s tone carried a hint of warning. “You caught him, you’re alive, and he’s alive too. You send him to Windblown Sands and hand him over to the local sheriff. According to that lawyer, maybe today or tomorrow, you’ll be able to watch him hanged. The story ends, you’ve won, you’ve won big.”

“But I’m very worried about your current mental state, what will happen after you see him being hanged.”

"It's so hot!" Alana touched her forehead with the back of her hand and exclaimed, "You have a fever."

"Please, just take a look at it, just for a moment... please..." Xiaomei insisted.

……

Having said all that, Mike had no choice but to give her the gun.

The bullets had all been ejected, so it could be said that this was a model gun that posed no threat whatsoever.

Xiaomei stared at it intently, lost in thought.

Chapter 51: Life is Always About Parting (Bounty Still Available - Part 2)

As the wind blew closer to the sandy town, Xiaomei's condition gradually improved, but she remained listless, as if she could never wake up properly.

This story of justice and revenge, which she wrote herself, is coming to an end, but she herself seems uninterested and unwilling to turn the last page.

Giselle was literally bound hand and foot, and Zhang Renfeng let him experience the rope skills of the Far East, ensuring that he could not move on horseback and had no room for resistance or escape.

Out of caution, he deliberately left Giselle on his horse, nipping any threat in the bud. The journey from the Grey Wolf Mountains to the Windblown Sands was only a few days, and Giselle had long since resigned herself to her fate, her face ashen, simply awaiting her judgment.

"What should we do after we get to Fengchuisha?" Alana asked curiously. "Should we just hand him over to the police station?"

“No, I’ll go with her. Perfect, I can try out the new thing that lawyer gave me.” Mike waved the paper in his hand. Strictly speaking, it was a professional certificate commonly used by bounty hunters. He held it in his hand and shook it. “Randall Stevenson, a person who only exists in the records.”

"Won't he report you?" Alana asked worriedly. "After all, this guy knows your true identities."

“When bounty hunters bring their ‘prey’ to the police station, they usually tie their hands and feet and gag them, because nobody wants to listen to these criminals rambling on. We can do the same.”

Mike calmly explained, “The police station isn’t a courtroom; nobody cares about the details. Most of the time, they just throw them in jail and wait to be transferred to a higher-level prison… or hanged.”

"So, the process will be like this: I'll help carry the person in, throw them into the police station's temporary jail, and then I'll go out and ride away directly. If all goes well, the whole process will only take two minutes. Since there's no bounty, I won't need to have any interaction with the sheriff. If they ask, I'm just Mr. Randall Stevenson."

“However, what happens next will be up to you, little girl… You'll have to negotiate with the police, convince them that this man is Giselle, and personally send him to the gallows.” Mike looked at her with some worry. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“…Yes. Sheriff Windblown Sand, he was with my father during the final days of his career in the manhunt for Gisele. I can ask him to help identify her.” Mei nodded; her wounds were almost healed, and the bandages were getting thinner. “Thank you for coming with me here, Mr. Mike. I will definitely find time to pay you the agreed-upon reward.”

"No rush, take care of your own business first, a few days won't hurt."

Mike didn't seem to be in a hurry.

To be honest, this trip to the Grey Wolf Mountains at least netted him a piece of gold. He and Xiaomei's share were also entrusted to Jimmy McGill.

Once he converts the gold into cash, he will transfer it directly to his home in New Austin through a bank, greatly alleviating his financial crisis.

The $100 reward, plus the Jack Gang's treasure map, will be a bonus for this trip.

……

At the crossroads, the stables and the police station were in two completely different directions, and they slowed down in perfect unison.

Mike dismounted, carried Gisele off Zhang Renfeng's horse, and transferred her to his own.

"Well... I think... it's time to end this." Xiaomei hesitated for a long time before finally reaching out her hand and saying softly, "I'll miss these days."

"Don't be so sentimental," Zhang Renfeng said, taking it all in stride. "The world is so big, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet again."

Xiaomei remained silent for a moment, and the smile beneath the bandages gradually faded.

She knew very well that there would be no more.

She is the daughter of a mounted police officer, and she embarks on this dangerous path to avenge her father. On this journey, she crosses many boundaries she shouldn't have. From the night she saw Chuck return on horseback, she unleashed her "talent" for the first time with such joy and exhilaration, which surprised and delighted her.

But now, she has returned to the civilized world, and there is no longer any need for her to use her talent—the civilized world does not like a girl who is too smart, especially a smart girl with a scar on her face, who is even more disliked.

Everything must come to an end here.

----

This was the first time Alana had faced separation. Even though they lived in the same town, watching Mei walk further and further away felt like she would never see her again.

“In life, separation is the norm.” Zhang Renfeng seemed very calm, his tone as usual, as if he was not very sad. “Parents, children, friends, all relationships will fade with time, it’s best to get used to it sooner rather than later.”

“Come on, let’s go home first. See that little hut next to the stables? We’ll stay there for now. I remember there’s a small folding bed; make do there for now. Next, we’ll wait for the right opportunity to pull off another heist. This time, we need to make sure we earn a lot more money…”

Watching his retreating figure, Alana suddenly realized that Zhang Renfeng was a complete foreigner, and this was not his hometown.

He has parted ways with everything he was familiar with.

----

An old man, a young girl with bandages wrapped around her face, and a man with a broken arm helping him on horseback—this is undoubtedly a striking combination that will turn heads wherever they go, drawing people's attention.

Returning to this place of sorrow, Mike tried his best to appear calm while secretly observing his surroundings.

Compared to last time, the streets were noticeably more crowded, with many heavily armed gunmen loitering around. The bounty on Red Center had risen to $1500, while "Mike Reinhardt" only received $500, which was merely a bonus.

Clearly, they were all bounty hunters who had caught wind of the crime.

Even so, there's no sign of Pinkerton detectives yet, but Mike is already worried about his safety and secretly admires Zhang Renfeng.

It's unbelievable that this guy, who is a wanted criminal, dares to live so brazenly in Fengchuisha.

Xiaomei's presence actually diverted a lot of his attention. It's hard to imagine that the person on the wanted poster would casually appear in town with a little girl. This is called the blind spot; the more dangerous the place, the less attention it usually attracts.

Before dismounting, Mike and Mei exchanged a final glance, tied up the horse, hoisted Giselle, who was bound like a dumpling, onto their shoulders, and pushed open the police station door.

"Gentlemen, someone here needs a 'quick trial'!"

Chapter 52: Explosion! (Bounty Still Available - 3)

“It really is him, it really is Giselle!” A young-looking sheriff exclaimed excitedly, “He has a smoky mark under his eye, exactly the same as Joe told me.”

"You captured him? All alone?! You are...?"

Although it was called a "police station," it wasn't as grand as those in big cities. It was just a wooden shack by the street, with two or three sheriffs wearing star badges on their chests. They all looked quite young, and there were a few makeshift jails cobbled together. Xiaomei had already been to jail once in Baiyang Town, and it was pretty much the same as this place.

Recently, a lot of people have come to the town, most of them carrying guns, making the security situation much more serious than before. It's currently between 4 and 5 pm, the time when pubs and gambling tables start to get busy, making it the most likely time for trouble. The remaining manpower has been sent to patrol the town.

“Randall Stevenson.” Mike stared with dead fish eyes. Even when facing the sheriff, he didn’t give her a friendly look, mostly because he had been carrying an 80-kilogram man on his shoulder the whole time. “Where am I supposed to put him?”

"Oh, right, the keys are all on the second floor. You can leave them there for now. I'll go and inform Sheriff Mark; he'll be thrilled!"

"..."

For a fleeting moment, Mike's pupils dilated slightly, and his expression stiffened. Fortunately, he was extremely good at managing his expressions, and quickly regained his composure, placing Giselle against the wall as he casually asked, "Mark Durand?"

"You still recognize our sheriff?"

The young sheriff sat in his chair, legs crossed, leisurely munching on an apple. "That's right, he's a big shot... You know the Jack Gang? Listen to what I'm saying, you're a bounty hunter, of course you know the Jack Gang. Our boss used to be a mounted policeman in New Elizabeth, specializing in tracking down Jack Gang members."