Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Zhang Renfeng was also stumped, a rare occurrence for him, and scratched his head. He wasn't a god who could conjure up a golden pill from a gourd and have it take effect immediately.

"Could you stay with me a little longer?" Evelyn's tone was somewhat enigmatic, carrying a hint of girlish coquettishness, yet also a maturity far beyond her years. "It would be a little unfair if I were the only one telling you stories of the past."

"I'd also like to know about your past... Just to distract me, could you tell me your story?"

……

Now that things have come to this point, it would seem unreasonable not to agree.

Zhang Renfeng recalled his past and realized that he had experienced more than 99% of his peers. At the same age, the men in the east of the village might still be farming, while he was on the other side of the ocean, worrying about a serial murder case.

But even when telling a story, there has to be a beginning.

Where should I start?

Chapter 139: Run Away Quickly (Part 39)

"drink--!!"

Zhang Renfeng's eyes widened in fury. He launched a flying kick, sending the last person who had come to challenge him crashing to the ground. The kick struck his diaphragm squarely, and the person, falling from a great height, slammed heavily to the ground. With a cracking sound, the person was left with torn flesh and broken bones.

Before going on stage, they had signed a waiver of life and death. On stage, the fight was a matter of life and death, hence the heavy blows. Since that was the case, Zhang Renfeng naturally didn't hold back either. He just felt that these people were weak and limp, and it was really boring to fight them. They might as well go home and practice on wooden stakes.

"Thirty-six matches, undefeated! Zhang Renfeng—!!"

The gray-robed old man who organized the challenge was extremely excited. He suddenly struck the gong and sang in a loud voice, as if he were performing an opera.

Even so, he was not happy, but rather a little bored, and gave a slight bow to the crowd.

People who practice martial arts vary greatly in skill level. Some can hold their own, but many haven't even mastered the basics and only dream of making a name for themselves in life-or-death arenas so they can quickly establish their own school. Someone like Old Zhang, who has been practicing since childhood and has mastered the art of internal energy cultivation, is considered somewhat overpowered at this level; you'd hardly ever see a truly evenly matched fight.

Looking down at the audience, there were many applauding people, but Zhang Renfeng recognized his old friend at a glance.

"Istavo!"

He waved excitedly at him, and the man in a suit and tie, with a small mustache, wearing a black pork pie hat, and leaning on a wooden cane in his right hand, also nodded slightly to Zhang Renfeng on the stage.

----

Teahouse.

Istavo handled the chopsticks with practiced ease, picking up a piece of meat, rinsing it in the boiling hot tea, and then putting it in his mouth with an expression of enjoyment.

But Zhang Renfeng didn't eat as politely as he did. He had just finished a fight and was starving. He grabbed whatever was on the table and stuffed it into his mouth, not even bothering with chopsticks, and ate it with all ten fingers.

So an interesting scene unfolded at the table: the locals ate with their hands, displaying a barbaric attitude; while the foreigners used chopsticks, appearing very polite.

“It’s been a while since we last met. I’ve almost forgotten all the German you taught me,” Zhang Renfeng asked with great interest. “Where are you going to make your fortune this time?”

“Language is something that you will forget sooner or later if you don’t use it in the environment.” Istavo watched him eat, a strange smile on his face. “I’ve sailed the ship to America, which is a very, very far place for you.”

"What kind of place is this? I've never even heard of it. Is it the other side of the world?" Zhang Renfeng exclaimed. "I guess I'll never go there even once in my life."

“That’s not necessarily true,” Istavo said with a smile. “Life is long, Zhang. You never know what God will do for us.”

"Save it, I don't believe in your foreign gods." Zhang Renfeng waved his hand dismissively. "How long do you plan to stay this time? Let's pick a day and go on a spring outing as a family. We'll bring you along and have some fun together."

Istavo did not answer. His smile remained unchanged, as if it had been welded on, but the light in his eyes suddenly dimmed.

"……how?"

"Zhang, have I told you my full name?" He stroked the cicada engraved on his cane with his fingertip.

"No, you may have mentioned it, but I've forgotten it." Zhang Renfeng chuckled and scratched his head. "Your foreign names are all very complicated, I can't remember them either."

Istavo smiled, seemingly unperturbed, and said, “My name is Istavo White Ulysses. I am the last spark of the Ulysses family. You could say I am the last spark of this entire family, bearing the mission of reviving the family. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have traveled thousands of miles to a foreign land to do business.”

"And now, the opportunity to revitalize the family has come before me."

Having said that, Zhang Renfeng understood what he meant. He stopped wolfing down his food and remained silent for a while.

"you are leaving?"

“I can’t say let’s leave, but at least… we won’t see each other as often as we do in the future.” Istavo sighed. “Zhang, I cherish our friendship. In this land, you are one of the few people I truly respect.”

"Back then, if it weren't for your help, I might have... starved to death on the streets."

Zhang Renfeng waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more, and at the same time, he sighed as well.

To say that a friendship that transcends language, geography, and even skin color has lasted to this day is, frankly, a small miracle.

Now that he has a brighter future ahead of him, as his friend, I should be happy for him.

“I brought you a gift.” Istavo placed two large wooden boxes on the table and gently tapped the surface twice. “I had a gunsmith from America make these especially for you. Don’t you like weapons? These are the kinds of weapons that foreigners commonly use.”

"Open it and take a look."

……

"Honestly... you could have just come, why bring a gift..."

With the polite words typical of Chinese people, Zhang Renfeng opened the wooden box, and his eyes were immediately drawn to it.

One black and one white, two uniquely shaped weapons lay there quietly, radiating a pristine metallic sheen.

Its shape, its sheen, its black and white grip—it's as if it's born to make a man's heart race.

Zhang Renfeng was quite knowledgeable and immediately recognized what was in the box. His voice was full of surprise, "Foreign guns! I've always wanted to get a couple to play with, but I never had a chance!"

“This is called the Volcano Pistol. It’s the latest model and it’s all the rage right now.” Seeing his genuine fascination, Istavo smiled. “The grip is made of white ivory and ebony. I went to several weapon shops to get it. The two guns together can fire fourteen rounds. I’ve had the bullets delivered to your home… plenty. You’d better practice a bit before you come into actual combat.”

Not only guns, but also holsters and belts were provided by Istavo, who equipped Zhang Renfeng with everything he needed.

Overjoyed, he felt the time of parting was drawing near, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions, leaving him speechless.

The farewell dinner was rather unappetizing, and the two chatted idly.

Istavo told him that in the future, he would become a supplier connecting America to the world, sailing his large ship around the globe.

Perhaps he will have more than one ship, then several, or even a large fleet, sailing all over the world, transporting goods, and making a fortune.

On the day he retires, he plans to write a travelogue that connects him with various parts of the world.

It will describe a kind and powerful Asian man on a distant eastern continent, who can withstand swords and spears without injury. He is a good friend of Captain Olympus and is waiting for him to return so they can have one last drink together.

The two had drunk some alcohol and were both a little tipsy, shaking their heads and swaying.

……

Fueled by alcohol, Istavo uttered perhaps the most irrational thing he had ever said in his life.

"Zhang, I cherish your friendship very much, really, really... Actually... I really hope you can come with me."

“Where to? America?” Zhang Renfeng shook his head with a smile. “I have a home, I have a wife, ha… I have three wives. My father is still alive, so I can’t travel far.”

“Run, Zhang,” Istavo warned, setting down his glass. “This country is doomed.”

Chapter 140: Something Darker (Part 40)

Evelyn couldn't stay awake any longer and eventually fell into a deep sleep. Hearing her breathing gradually become even, Zhang Renfeng also breathed a sigh of relief.

What a long day.

He stretched, tucked her in, and felt listless. Looking at his pocket watch, he saw it was already 10:30. He worried he wouldn't be able to get up the next day if he didn't go to sleep soon. He decided to get up and warm himself by the fire before lying down to sleep.

The true king of endurance, Igor, hadn't rested yet. He had even finished reading his collection of essays and picked up the first thirteen case files, reading them with great interest. At this moment, he put down the thick document in his hand and gave Zhang Renfeng a meaningful look.

"how?"

"Is the story over?" Igor said with a half-smile. "I didn't realize you were so popular with young girls."

"Why are you still eavesdropping?" Zhang Renfeng kicked off his shoes, put his feet close to the fire, absorbed its warmth, and closed his eyes comfortably.

“You have a mouth, I have ears, and air can carry sound,” Igor said with a hint of warning. “Don’t think that just because she’s pitiful and has no relatives, you can bring her to the camp. She’s not like those two girls; she won’t be able to adapt to this kind of life.”

"Do you think I'm some kind of mountain bandit king, coming down the mountain to kidnap a wife?" Zhang Renfeng chuckled, saying nonchalantly, "She's a performing artist in the city, with a bright future ahead of her. I'm letting her come with me to live a life of danger. This girl may be a bit naive, but she's not stupid."

“It’s uncertain. No one is rational when it comes to love.” Igor glanced at the sleeping Evelyn and whispered, “You have to trust my judgment. I’m pretty accurate. She has some special feelings for you.”

"Why should I?" Zhang Renfeng retorted with a smile. "Just because I saved her?"

"Do you know Salome?" Igor suddenly asked.

“…” Zhang Renfeng shook his head.

"Ha, never mind..."

Igor shook his massive head. "I'm just reminding you not to forget your situation. You have two states and a $14,000 bounty on your shoulders. As for love, once you've made enough money and are far away, if she's still willing to stay with you, you can take her with you then."

"...Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Mature men's conversations are always so simple and straightforward. Igor didn't say anything more and continued to flip through the files.

"You've been looking for a while now, have you made any new discoveries?"

“Yeah, I have a whole new understanding of the White Torch Town Police Department’s level—a bunch of useless trash, utterly hopeless.” Igor sighed and commented with a sharp wit, “With their level of competence, whether it’s you or the Australian Shrike, they probably wouldn’t be able to catch you.”

"Instead of recording the crime scene, they've brought up a lot of irrelevant stuff. Sigh..."

“You can’t say that,” Zhang Renfeng retorted. “That guy is very cautious; he almost never leaves any clues at the scene. Even if they wanted to look, they couldn’t…”

"Don't assume things too easily. His name sounds mysterious, but he's still a human. He might have some mental issues, but behind his actions, there must be a human making decisions. How can humans not make mistakes? For example, tonight, didn't he leave behind an Appaloosa black horse, a dagger, some guts, and a painting? Just from these, we can deduce quite a lot."

"His family must be very wealthy, otherwise they couldn't afford such a horse and tack; he has a unique pursuit of art, with interests in painting and music, and that gut is used to make violin strings; the fact that he can fight you for a bit shows that he must have received specialized training, or at least has some knowledge of combat sports."

"His antlers couldn't have been bought from a shop. No matter how stupid the police are, they would still question the relevant butcher shops and fur shops. For the sake of secrecy, it's better for him to hunt them himself than to ask who he bought them from. If he had that ability, he would definitely hunt them himself. And I tend to think that he is a skilled hunter. At least when he was in the house, he showed his stealth skills many times, and he disappeared quickly after leaving the house, which proves that he is very familiar with this area and has strong athletic ability."

"In summary, what we are looking for is a man who is between 175 and 180 cm tall, has a robust physique, comes from a wealthy family, has an interest in art, possesses a certain level of fighting ability, and has superb hunting skills."

Igor gently put the file down and continued, "Looking at the entire White Torch Town, there shouldn't be many people who meet the requirements. If all the above conditions are met, it proves that he must have a certain social status."

……

As he listened, Zhang Renfeng sat up from his reclining position and exclaimed in surprise, "Did I say you were absolutely amazing?"

Igor spread his hands, looking smug. "I wouldn't mind if you said it a few more times."

"Honestly, when will Xiaomei reach your level?" Zhang Renfeng's tone was somewhat excited. "That girl's observation skills are also outstanding. I plan to train her in the same direction as you."

"The Scarface Detective? Sounds promising. Let's give her some training. She's quick-witted, but lacks social experience. She'll catch up to me in a few years."

Igor was amused by him, grabbed the bottle, took a big gulp of wine, savoring the taste, and his eyes widened.

"But... there's one thing I haven't figured out yet."

"If he killed someone, why did he take out their organs?"

“Isn’t it a souvenir?” Zhang Renfeng voiced the most common guess. “What normal person would kill someone by impaling them on a deer’s antlers? That guy was mentally ill. It’s normal for a mentally ill person to do something like that.”

"No, that's not the case."

Igor's expression gradually turned serious. He had not yet solved the mystery, but he had a vague feeling that this secret was probably the key to the Australian Shrike case.

Why did you leave a wooden sign at the scene?

“This… counts as my anti-counterfeiting mark.” Zhang Renfeng scratched his head. “I originally wanted to write ‘The Murderer is Hong Zhong,’ but it’s too troublesome to write it every time. Leaving a mark can express a similar meaning.”

“Look,” Igor analyzed, “the signs you leave behind always have the same design. They don’t change from one thing to another. If someone were to take a victim’s organs as a souvenir, they would do it the same way you do, always targeting a specific organ. The Australian shrike is very meticulous and wouldn’t do something so random.”

"However, this time it's the heart, next time it's the liver, next time it's the lungs, next time it's the thigh and heart, and the time after that it's the arm, liver, kidney, heart..."

“It’s different every time, and the amount taken away is different too. He must have some kind of standard of judgment. He treats these people like he treats a… like he treats a sheep or cow waiting to be slaughtered. He has no pity for his kind. He sees himself as a butcher. If that’s the case, then in his mind, people are not unique, but rather a kind of social animal that can be killed at any time. What is there to commemorate about the organs of an animal?”

"The reason behind this may be more complex than we think..."

"...even darker."

Chapter 141: The Sin Beneath the Ice (Part 41)

Marion clutched only a copy of this morning's Pearl newspaper in her hand as she hurried toward the only mental hospital in White Torch Town.

The police finally completed their investigation of the body, removing Theonado's nearly rotting remains and his horrible antlers. This meant the Emerald Theatre could open immediately, and Marion, as the owner, breathed a sigh of relief. He was determined to use this as an excuse to deduct a portion of the ticket revenue to make up for the loss from not working that day.

The psychopathic killer is finally gone; it's time to get back to normal.

However, when Oscar hurriedly brought him the latest issue of the Pearl newspaper this morning, Marion felt a wave of dizziness wash over him; the sky seemed to be falling. But no matter how angry he was, he couldn't change what was published. Wasn't it said that the Dietersdorf family had no power? How could something he had personally intervened on make the newspaper?

Of course, Mingzhu Daily isn't exactly a respectable newspaper... but here's the problem! These kinds of rumors, when reported by unofficial newspapers, gain immense credibility. He absolutely can't handle this problem on his own; he'll have to call in someone more capable.

----

"Boom!"