Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

“Anywhere is fine, just don’t put it in your pocket,” Zhang Renfeng said very seriously. “It will get mixed up with other coins and won’t be your lucky coin anymore.”

----

To be honest, Chuck's feelings were somewhat complicated.

It was only at this moment that he truly realized what a Pandora's box he had opened.

Just now, Zhang Renfeng didn't pull out a gun and fight like an ordinary homeless gunman. His calm words alone had an astonishing deterrent effect. Not only did they intimidate the villain, but they also frightened Chuck quite a bit. The thought of having shared a room with such a person filled Chuck with lingering fear.

But... seeing Colin Chedder, who was tightly bound to his horse, that lingering fear immediately vanished.

"Did it work?" His voice trembled slightly.

"If I fail, you won't see me again." Zhang Renfeng struck a match, lit a cigarette, and in the desolate surroundings, he could almost hear the tobacco burning. "I've brought the man to you. Do with him however you like."

……

"Ah—!! Ah—!!"

The gag in his mouth was ripped off, and Colin looked around frantically, writhing like a maggot, his face covered in tears and snot—a normal reaction when life and death are uncertain.

"No, no, no, no, it's a misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding!" He struggled to look up at Chuck, and said with utmost sincerity, "I know, you, you want money, right? I have a wallet in my jacket pocket with $600 in it, take it, take it all! As for more... let me write a letter to my dad, tens of thousands of dollars are all you need!"

Chuck was stunned by his words.

His short-circuited brain took a while to come to this conclusion, which he found unbelievable yet infuriating.

"You...don't recognize me?"

"What?" Colin was so scared he almost peed himself. He racked his brains for a while, and finally, in his despair, he found a way out. "Listen, there might be some misunderstanding between us. It was all my men who did it. Those bastards, bullying men and women, deserved to die. They're all dead! If I've offended you in any way, I, I apologize, and I'll compensate you!"

"Oh, right, the vault! My house... my house has a vault on the lowest level of the underground wine cellar! It's full of cash and gold. Let me write a letter to my father, and he'll give it all to you, all of it!"

"You killed my sister." Chuck himself couldn't believe that his voice could be so calm after reaching the peak of his anger. "Just this morning, remember?"

Colin was dumbfounded.

Finally, he managed to unravel a thread in his chaotic memories and remembered this face. In that instant, his expression shifted repeatedly: surprise, anger, and despair.

He knew that he would not be able to make it back alive tonight.

"It's you?! How dare you... how dare you do this to me! To me like this!" He roared hysterically, as if he had gone mad. "You bastard born of mud, do you know who I am?"

"What is your sister anyway? When she grows up, she'll just become a bar hostess or a prostitute. A worthless life, how can she compare to me! The water I use to rinse my mouth every morning before breakfast is something you lowly people can't even see! Do you think this is how it ends?"

"Let me tell you, after I die, my father will mobilize all available resources to thoroughly investigate this matter. Not only you, but your despicable parents will also be imprisoned. You will then realize what a wonderful gift death is; he will make you beg to die!"

"I am Cheddar, a member of the Cheddar family, I am Cheddar—!!"

……

“Actually, it wasn’t that expensive.” Zhang Renfeng suddenly laughed. “He paid me $150, which was for your 15 men, $10 each.”

"You gave it to me as a gift."

----

Colin looked dazed, as if he couldn't believe that he had lost his life for a mere $150.

"Whoa—!!"

Zhang Renfeng suddenly whistled sharply.

The warhorse suddenly reared up and kicked Colin's small body with a loud thud, sending him flying several meters away!

Chapter Eight: Listen, the Secret Words of God

"Oh...ah..."

Blood spilled from his mouth; the power of a horse's hind legs meant that being kicked was no joke. Colin lost count of how many ribs he had broken and immediately collapsed to the ground, unable to get up. The starry sky gradually faded and darkened in his eyes, and fear twisted his expression horribly.

He tried to breathe deeply, but he found it increasingly difficult to catch his breath. The air became thick and heavy, and it seemed as if only blood could be inhaled into his lungs.

Colin Cheddar, the second son of the famous Cheddar family, was ultimately executed not by a person, but by a horse, a beast of burden.

……

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help myself and ripped it off for you." Zhang Renfeng didn't carry the Volcano Twin Pistols on his waist. Instead, he rummaged through his saddlebag, pulled out a revolver, and tossed it to Chuck from a distance. "I told you to come. If you're going to do it, hurry up. He should still have a breath left."

"..." Chuck took the revolver. This was the first time he had ever held a real gun. The texture and weight of the metal were unfamiliar to him.

He strode forward and saw Colin's dead body; his chest was caved in by the kick, and his breathing was like spasms. Colin caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye, a surge of hatred welling up in his eyes. His mouth, like a live fish on a chopping board, was shut shut, unable to utter a sound.

After a moment of eye contact, Chuck shook his head, put away his revolver, and muttered, "Killing you with one shot would be too easy."

"?!" Colin's pupils dilated instantly. "Whoosh! Whoosh!"

“Remember, I am Chuck Londonderry, Gina Londonderry’s brother.” He leaned down, pried open Colin’s eyelids with his hand, stared into his eyes, and said, word by word, “You say you are Cheddar, is that right? Very well, I want you to know that the last thing you see as you die is a Londonderry, smiling as he watches you pass away.”

"Woo! Woo!"

"Ugh... Ha... Ha..."

"..."

Death is neither short nor long.

Chuck didn't see how his sister died, but he saw his enemy die. As Colin's eyes widened, and he breathed his last in resentment and fear, his pupils freezing, Chuck felt a wave of dizziness and ringing in his ears, and quickly took a deep breath of dry, cold air.

He was so engrossed in watching that he even forgot to breathe.

He picked up the kerosene lamp and shone it on the gradually cooling corpse, still shaken. "What should we do next?"

“Now you need to hurry. My original plan was to finish this ceremony in 10 minutes. But those idiots from the Thunder Fury Gang delayed us a little. The gunshots might attract the town's sheriff, so I let those idiots go back alive.”

Zhang Renfeng glanced at his pocket watch. "Judging by the time, no matter how incompetent they are, they should have started analyzing the scene by now. But they will soon realize that the most important person, Colin Chedell, is not here."

"Old Cheddar will be furious and expand the search area. You need to get back to town before then. They'll investigate who Colin offended before he died. Don't worry about that; judging by that scoundrel's behavior, you're definitely not the only one who wants him dead. But remember this!"

"On your way back, make sure no one sees you. Ride your horse around the town, take the back roads, and go home in the direction of the church. When you wake up tomorrow morning, live your life as usual. Don't make any statements, and don't show any emotion about his disappearance. Even though you've taken your revenge, you're still a nobody in town. Keep yourself in the dark, understand?"

"Revenge is not a hot dish, but a cold dish, best enjoyed alone."

"..." Chuck considered his words carefully, then nodded vigorously, "Understood!"

But then a look of worry crossed his face. "But Mr. Zhang, what are you going to do? And what about this body..."

“It’s not your place to worry about me, kid.” Zhang Renfeng chuckled to himself, hoisted the corpse onto the horse’s back, and said, “As for this thing, I have my own use for it. You’ll see it soon enough.”

After saying this, he mounted his horse and disappeared into the night.

----

On the same night, fifteen-year-old Mesalia woke up in the damp air, her brows furrowed.

She felt she was probably woken up by the stench, because this had happened more than once. Her aunt, who slept next to her, was over fifty years old, obese, and had a persistent body odor that she couldn't shake off. It was alright if they were far apart, but when they were close together, the smell was simply nauseating.

But there was no other way; my aunt's house only had one bed.

After her father and mother passed away, these were the only relatives she could rely on in the world. At least, until she could earn money on her own, these long and painful days would continue.

The cramped little bed couldn't fit two people at all; Auntie practically took over the entire bed and blankets. Mesalia tried to hold her breath, but she couldn't.

Just bear with it, just bear with it, tonight will be over soon!

……

"Hoo..." It was as if something had snapped completely amidst Aunt's regular snoring.

Mesalia gave up trying to win her back. Since she couldn't sleep anyway, she simply changed her clothes and went outside.

My aunt was sleeping soundly, snoring loudly.

Police sirens blare frequently in this town. Windblown Sands is a transit town with a thriving livestock industry; in other words, it's a money-making town. Cowboys, wandering gunmen, bounty hunters, bodyguards… all sorts of people come here, living recklessly and causing trouble from time to time.

Having lived in a place where the wind blows and sand blows, she was naturally used to it. Ignoring the noise in the distance, she strode to the church.

Spire. Cross.

Was the person nailed to the cross really listening?

……

"Father……"

The night breeze caressed her face. Mesalia clasped her hands tightly, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. "Seven months have passed, and it's still nowhere in sight... Every time I go, the answer is always the same: it's still under investigation. Even though the evidence is solid, I don't know how much longer I'll have to wait..."

“My aunt’s house is nice, but it’s not my home. I don’t want to spend my whole life there! I…”

……

She was silent for a moment, then looked up at the night sky through the church spire.

A star is twinkling.

"As you surely know, Mom died too. After you left, her health never improved. She kept saying, 'Why is God so cruel, to let such a hardworking and good person have such a tragic end? Why? Why?'"

This was the first time she had spoken of this matter, addressing the silent cross and the idol.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Does God really exist?" she mumbled incoherently, not even knowing what she was saying. She clasped her hands together, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "What should I do? Should I just pretend that my previous life never happened, that it was all just a dream?"

----

The sound of horses' hooves came from afar, like a divine whisper.

In the brief moment they passed each other, Mesalia looked up and met the gaze of the boy on horseback—she recognized him as Chuck, the eldest son of the general store owner in Windswept Sands. Judging from his route, he had clearly come back from outside town, and although it was only for a brief instant, Mesalia could still see obvious panic on his face.

Passed by by mistake.

She lowered her hands in prayer, facing the increasing number of lights that came on and the growing irritation of the police whistles, lost in thought.

Chapter Nine: In the Name of God

"What did you say? You haven't found it yet? What are you all good for?! You're the most eager to ask for money all year round, but you're completely useless when something goes wrong! What use are you?!"

Inside the Red Bird Tavern, a furious voice rang out, cursing everyone as if they were grandsons.

The police officers, who usually dressed impeccably, were now all bowing their heads, hands hanging limply at their sides, meekly accepting the scolding. They didn't dare utter a word in response, nor did they dare even look up, fearing that making eye contact with him would incur his wrath and he might pull out a gun and shoot them dead.

In this town, no one will investigate what he does.

Lane Cheddar, a business tycoon, controlled businesses in multiple sectors including oil, sugar, and railroads, with Windswept Sands being where he made his fortune.

Here, he was undoubtedly the local tyrant; a single stomp of his foot could make the entire town tremble. The Cheddar family's manor was located in the northwest corner of Windblown Sands, situated on high ground, requiring a winding mountain road to ascend, offering a panoramic view of the entire town.

A black suit, a red tie, slicked-back hair, and a pair of fierce eyes like a lion's—these are the hallmarks of this successful businessman who has dominated the business world for many years.

"My son has been missing for almost eight hours! You bunch of useless idiots! How can you tell me you can't even find a single clue?" Rage practically burst from Ryan's eyes, turning into two beams of laser light—this was no exaggeration. "This hotel must be run by someone, right? Go ask him! Who did this?!"

"We actually obtained the Red Bird Hotel owner's statement immediately," a tall, dark-skinned sheriff stepped forward, opened a booklet, and replied. "According to him, every night between 10 and 11 p.m., young master Colin and his hired gunmen would come to the tavern to drink and make merry. They didn't like being disturbed, so at that time, the owner would prepare drinks for them and tactfully leave."

"It's a pity he didn't get to witness it..."

"boom--!!"

Before he could finish speaking, Ryan grabbed an ashtray and smashed it on his head, forcibly interrupting him.

"..." The tall sheriff took two steps back, swaying slightly before regaining his balance. Despite the blood dripping from his forehead, his expression remained calm and composed, and his gaze towards Ryan showed no other emotion.

“Hoo… Mark…” Ryan stared at him, calmed down, but still gritted his teeth and said, “If you don’t resolve this matter, you can’t be the sheriff anymore.”

“Please rest assured, Mr. Cheddar, the case is progressing steadily. We are conducting a thorough search centered on the blowing sand.” Mark’s demeanor remained as composed as ever. “Within the bounds of the law, we will…”

"Oh! To hell with the law, don't talk to me about the law!" Ryan became hysterical, stabbing Mark's chest with his finger and yelling, "Find my son now, and find the murderer! If you can't find him, let everyone in town testify against each other! I don't care if we kill everyone here, I want him dead—!!"

"After a night of sorting through the clues, it cannot be said that we came up empty-handed."

Mark calmly reported, "According to the investigation into Mr. Colin's interpersonal relationships, a week ago he hired a gunman named Mike Reinhardt to join his bodyguard team. His identity is a mystery; he seems to have been a wandering gunman before, known as 'Iron Wall Reinhardt,' and is somewhat famous. Information about him is still being verified; the key point is..."

"His body was not found at the Red Bird Tavern, which means he is likely still alive and participated in last night's gunfight."

"What?!" Ryan instantly became agitated and roared, "Why wasn't this important information mentioned sooner?"

"The clues at the scene have not yet been pieced together completely, and..."

“Do we need to piece it together? Even a fool can see that the gunman kidnapped my son, killed everyone here, and wanted to use him for ransom. That’s it!” Ryan slammed his fist on the table and shouted. “He can’t have gone far. He might still be in this town! Issue a warrant and a bounty. Set the reward at $500, and add more if that’s not enough. That’s it!”

"Mr. Chaidl—!"

A man in a suit stood at the hotel entrance and greeted Ryan, seemingly about business. Ryan didn't even say anything to the sheriffs before abruptly turning around to discuss something with him.

Of course, his bad temper was impossible to change, and the whole conversation was filled with rage and shouting.