Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

“My parents both perished in a fire several years ago. They all say that it was my father’s hysterical episode that set the old house on fire. Theonado and I happened to be out seeing a play, which is how we survived. After that, his personality became somewhat… unpredictable.”

Evelyn spoke softly, seemingly already accustomed to the curse her family bore. She simply took the book from Zhang Renfeng, flipped to the last page, and pointed it out to him.

An artist is an artist; even when he is in a state of hysteria, the words he writes are still so neat and orderly.

“Boundless suffering, only by offering to the Red God can one find relief.”

Zhang Renfeng didn't know what "Red God" meant, but the English name on the book was "the red one," which gave him a vague sense of unease.

He also understood why Evelyn was unwilling to disclose the details to the police; leaving such a message meant that Theonado had long intended to die.

It's even possible that he orchestrated the whole thing himself. It's like an artist with a lapse in judgment, who, at the end of his life, uses his own life to create the ultimate performance art, comparable to his father setting fire to the estate.

She went to such lengths to bring him to her home in order to protect the family's reputation.

“No…that’s not right…” Zhang Renfeng pondered, “Even if your brother committed suicide because of hysteria, he couldn’t have done such a big fuss by himself. There must have been at least one other person who first hanged him, then moved him to the other side of the stage, and placed him on the antlers. And that person was very likely the Australian Shrike.”

Only after analyzing this did Zhang Renfeng understand Evelyn's meaning.

If so, it means that this was not a simple murder.

From the perspective of the Shrike of Orion, he merely helped this lost and pitiful man complete the ritual of "offering to the Red God." In other words, the Shrike might have had some connection with Theonado, and the two might even have been friends during his lifetime!

“Unfortunately, I don’t know much about my brother’s relationships.” As if she had anticipated his question, Evelyn shook her head before he could speak. “He always leaves early and comes back late. Sometimes you’ll see him chatting happily with beggars on the street, or cursing at sparrows in the trees.”

"However, we might find some clues in his remaining manuscripts that could help you catch the murderer."

"This has already been a huge help. Before this, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack, with absolutely no clues. Now at least we know which direction to start investigating!"

With the clues obtained, this mission is now complete.

Winter days are always exceptionally short; before long, the sky darkens. Evelyn's place was already remote, and now, it was eerily quiet outside, with only the whistling wind pattering against the flimsy wooden walls.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Renfeng, holding the collection of essays, pursed his lips, turned around, and apologized to her, "Just now... I suddenly lost control and offended you. I'm sorry."

The money for the table was naturally given to Evelyn after he accidentally broke it. During this time, the two tacitly avoided discussing the matter again, but before parting, Zhang Renfeng felt that if he didn't say it, his thoughts wouldn't be clear.

……

Evelyn stared at him for a while, then shook her head. "A normal person wouldn't get angry so easily at someone they've known for less than 24 hours without a reason."

"so……"

"And who do you see in me?"

----

……

After a brief silence, swallowing back the mixed feelings, Zhang Renfeng suddenly spoke up, "I was married before."

He hesitated several times before speaking, but once he started, he wasn't about to swallow his words so easily.

"She, like me, is a young lady from a wealthy family."

"What she said was similar to what you said, except she didn't bind her waist, but her feet. From the age of four or five, she started tightly binding her feet with cloth to deform them and make them smaller, until she grew up and her bones were fully formed, at which point she untied them. Men considered this beautiful, but she couldn't even take care of herself when going to the toilet and needed someone to help her, humph..."

Zhang Renfeng sneered, "Every place is ignorant in its own way."

"Feet?" Evelyn couldn't understand for a moment. "But...why feet? Does that mean I can't walk?"

"Why do you wear a corset?" Zhang Renfeng countered, sighing, "It's essentially the same thing, but that's not the point..."

"The key point is that life is not as smooth as you think. When disaster really strikes, she won't even be able to run away."

“Her deformed feet deprived her of all ability to take care of herself. She could not ride a horse, could not run, and could not even walk more than a mile. From any perspective, she was a burden who needed to be taken care of.”

"Knowing this was her fate, she didn't run away. She left me a letter, hid it under her pillow, and then threw herself into a well and committed suicide."

……

Evelyn's expression finally changed.

She was very good at reading other people's emotions. From his calm narration, the girl read an indescribable sadness as vast as the sea.

"Listen to me, Evelyn, this thing tied around your waist..."

He pointed to the corset on the wall and said angrily, "It's nothing but a cage!"

Chapter 133: The Deer

Zhang Renfeng felt uneasy as he opened this collection of essays.

The moonlight was dim tonight, casting shadows on the pages of the book. Perhaps because he couldn't understand it, he felt as if the words were tadpoles wriggling on the paper, trying to crawl up to his wrist.

To prevent this from happening, he decisively closed it, but then inexplicably shivered.

At the end of the alley stood a completely black Appaloosa horse, standing quietly. As Zhang Renfeng passed by the horse, he noticed something amiss in a flash, tightened the reins, and stopped to examine it closely.

This horse was large and strong, with a coat that subtly shone with a glossy sheen. It was comparable to his own Turkmen warhorses, and even its mane and tail had been specially cared for.

Upon closer inspection, the high-end saddle is made of rattlesnake skin, the stirrups are bluish-gray, and there are even special patterns on them.

Thanks to his experience raising horses in Fengchuisha, Zhang Renfeng was quite familiar with market prices. He figured this whole setup would easily cost at least $3 or $400. Logically, someone who could spend that much on a mount shouldn't be in a place like this.

unless……

He felt a chill in his heart.

Something unusual must be going on. Evelyn, this "precious gem," appearing in such a place was already unusual. Without further hesitation, Zhang Renfeng dismounted and galloped through the narrow alley, turning once more to reach Evelyn's wooden door. He made sure to make no sound with each step, using only the tip of his toes to propel himself forward.

The house stood there silently, like a wild beast with its jaws wide open, waiting for him to willingly crawl into its mouth.

This time, however, Zhang Renfeng did not rush to break down the door. Instead, he held his breath and pressed his ear against the door, as if listening intently.

"..."

Separated by a thin wall, the inside was as quiet as death, not a single breath could be heard.

"What the hell!"

"Thump—!!"

Zhang Renfeng had no more doubts. He cursed and kicked open the front door. It wasn't impossible for him to sneak in, but he was too lazy to do those technical things. A real man should charge in head-on and give the other side a strong psychological shock.

As he had expected, the house was deathly silent. The candles had all been extinguished, and darkness swirled within, like congealed black blood. The commotion of breaking down the door had been so great, yet Evelyn hadn't even come out to check on him. The cabin was now empty; the conversation had been nothing more than a fleeting, fantastical dream.

----

At the same time, at the Red Center Gang camp.

Xiaomei was still working late into the night, examining the case files of the previous thirteen murders, hoping to find some clues. However, things didn't go as planned. Although the files were thick, there wasn't much content actually related to the crime scenes, and they were mostly biographical records of the victims.

This was also the direction of the police investigation in the early stages: to confirm the true identity of the Australian Shrike by investigating the victims' interpersonal relationships. Later, it was discovered that the victims had no connection with each other at all, which meant that the Shrike was most likely using a random killing pattern, which made the investigation much more difficult.

As she watched, Xiaomei couldn't help but sigh.

She's smart, and the police aren't stupid either. If they can't solve a case even when they're at the scene, how much useful information can they possibly get from these written words?

“It’s about time we took a break.” Igor warmed his hands by the campfire and advised, “This is such a big case, even if you don’t sleep all night, you can’t solve it immediately.”

Mike's situation was similar to Xiaomei's, only a bit more obsessive-compulsive. He stared at the files, reading them word by word. It was as if he was obsessed with these documents, and he wouldn't put them down once he found some clue.

"Have you figured out what's going on?" Alana asked curiously.

"Sigh..." Xiaomei sighed, putting down the file in her hand for the time being. "Actually... there were several times when passersby happened to be passing by the murder scene. Judging from the time, the murderer was probably dealing with the victim's body. It's even possible that the victim was still alive at that time, and had just been nailed to the antlers."

"Baiju Town is a town with a large floating population. If the crime is not committed in a closed room, the possibility of being witnessed is still very high."

"For example, on the fifth occasion, a hunter heard a faint cry for help in a small alley near the south side of town. But he didn't go in; instead, he went to the police station the next morning to report it. When the sheriffs arrived, they discovered the victim's body."

"Huh?" Alana asked, puzzled. "You heard the cries for help, why didn't you go in and check? Hunters usually carry guns, right?"

“…You underestimate human instincts, little girl.” Igor said with a sigh as he added firewood to the campfire. “To give you an example, imagine you have a house in front of you with the door wide open. It’s very quiet inside, with no candles, no lights, and it’s full of clutter, making visibility very poor.”

"You know for sure that a serial killer who has murdered 14 people is hiding in a corner of the house. You hold your breath, widen your eyes, and he has already spotted you, but you still don't know his location. Under these circumstances, would you dare to step into this house?"

……

Alana thought about it carefully for a while, putting herself in that scene, and couldn't help but shudder.

"Judging from your description, that guy is very good at this. He will deliberately create a disturbing murder scene, such as a narrow alley, a hidden riverbank, or a dark room filled with clutter... Even if someone notices it, ordinary people would probably not dare to come up and check the situation."

Mike's breathing became heavy; he remained silent but listened attentively.

When her son was murdered, was she perhaps witnessed by someone?

"Humans are naturally inclined to reject unsafe environments; it's our instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm. Let alone ordinary people, even most law enforcement officers would absolutely not dare to take that step if it really came down to it."

"Only those who can overcome this fear and step through this door... are probably qualified to compete with the Australian Shrike," Igor remarked.

----

"I know you're here, you Australian shrike, huh? You inhuman freak, get out here right now!"

Zhang Renfeng strode across the threshold, kicked aside the chair blocking his way, and shouted angrily into the empty room, "Your grandfather is here!"

……

There was no sound; the room remained eerily quiet. This only strengthened Zhang Renfeng's conviction that the Australian Shrike must have undergone at least one form of physical training. Under extreme stress, ordinary people lose control of their bodies and exhibit some very obvious instinctive reactions—a rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, and so on.

Even now, Zhang Renfeng hasn't heard any unusual noises, which proves that he is very calm and not nervous at all.

A strong smell of paint caught Zhang Renfeng's attention. When he entered the room earlier, there was a similar smell, but it wasn't as strong as it was now.

The intruder even drew a picture inside the house!

Following the scent, Zhang Renfeng walked to a corner in the southwest of the living room, and sure enough, he found a chair, a drawing board, and a painting with a newly drawn outline—the Son of God was nailed through antlers and hung high like a cross.

……

A cold wind swept in from the side, and at the moment of launching the attack, Zhang Renfeng finally heard his heartbeat and breathing.

The beat was powerful, like a deer in its prime.

Chapter 134: The Fruits of Sin

By the dim light, Zhang Renfeng could make out the newcomer's appearance—he was wearing a very heavy black raincoat that covered his limbs, seemingly to prevent blood from getting on him, and a pair of rain boots that allowed him to move swiftly through muddy or swampy conditions.

As for the most important part, the head, it was completely hidden in the hood and wore a strange-looking mask with a pointed bird beak. Only in the position of the eyes were two round glass lenses embedded, which glittered in the dark environment.

He was taller and more robust than I had imagined, with the muscles in his arms clearly visible. His meticulous attire explained why he wouldn't leave any trace at the scene; his clothing practically covered his entire body, ensuring that not even a single hair could be left behind.

"when--!!"

The knife tip pierced Zhang Renfeng's shoulder, and the sensation it transmitted was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, undoubtedly leaving the man somewhat bewildered. Although his face couldn't be seen, it was still clear that the man in black's movements and expression froze for a moment, and he even exerted force a second time to confirm that the knife hadn't missed its target, that it had indeed struck, but simply wouldn't penetrate.

"Hahahaha! Strange, isn't it? Never seen anything like it before?" Zhang Renfeng laughed instead of being afraid, his laughter tinged with anger. "Wrapping yourself up like a dumpling, who are you trying to scare!"

With a furious shout, a clean and decisive front kick landed squarely on the man in black like a cannonball.

He deliberately targeted the area below the opponent's chest and above their abdomen, where the diaphragm is located. Not only is it difficult to build muscle there, but a blow there would also affect the lungs, causing breathing difficulties and quickly disintegrating the opponent's fighting ability.

To everyone's surprise, the man in black reacted just as quickly, letting go of the dagger and freeing his hands to protect his vital organs.

"Boom-!!"

Zhang Renfeng raised his eyebrows slightly.

Even though he only kicked the opponent's arms, he could already tell from the touch what shaped the man's physique. The upper arm muscles were very well-developed; the body under the raincoat was probably even more robust than he had imagined. The thick-soled rain boots scraped two plow marks on the floor as the man retreated straight back, smashing the sink behind him. Plates and bowls fell to the ground and shattered, making a loud clanging sound.

With his dagger gone, he grabbed a sharp shard of plate and threw it at Zhang Renfeng, who naturally deflected it with a swing of his arm.

A flash of silver light appeared in the air, and the man in black pounced from the side, stretching a silver line between his palms, which looked slightly thicker than a fishing line.

"Ah……"

"Too slow—!"

Before he could wrap the silver thread around his neck, Zhang Renfeng roared. With a light tap of his toes, he leaped into the air as if unbound by gravity, turned and kicked, as if walking on air, landing several heavy footprints on the man's chest. Three solid thuds were heard, and the black-clad man, a head taller than him, was kicked so hard that his blood and qi stagnated, and he was sent flying back like a tennis ball, crashing into the wall again.

"boom---!!"

The dilapidated wooden house couldn't withstand such turmoil. The wooden wall was immediately broken through, and after a series of tumbles and scrambles, they arrived outside.

"..."

From beneath the black robes came a muffled growl, not like a human voice, but like that of a wounded wild beast.

Perhaps realizing that close combat was futile, the man in black stopped pursuing, pulled up his raincoat, drew two revolvers, and fired repeatedly towards the hole. Hearing the metallic clang of the hammers, Zhang Renfeng's expression changed drastically. He immediately rolled to the side, hooking over a wooden stool to use as cover.

"boom!"

"boom!"