Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Gordon knocked twice on the door, making a loud thumping sound, but the room was deathly silent. "Chilton, don't waste our time, come out now."

There was no response from inside the house.

“That bastard still won’t give up…” Gordon gritted his teeth and raised his hand to warn, “Be on guard, he might be planning to fight to the death.”

Based on the experience of veteran police officers, those who truly want to surrender should have done so during the first call to arms. Those who are silent now are probably loading their guns, preparing for a desperate last stand.

As the sheriff about to break down the door, he naturally loathed the latter type of person—those who, knowing the final outcome wouldn't change—would either be shot or arrested, would still stubbornly resist. Bullets have no eyes; officers could easily be injured or even killed during the resistance.

“Mayor, step back a bit.” He pulled out the police station’s Navy Colt pistol, his face serious. “We’ll call you over after we handcuff that bastard.”

The case that resulted in the deaths of 25 people has also uncovered a shocking scandal involving the director of a mental hospital. A strong crackdown is necessary.

Mayor Wendigo bears undeniable responsibility from any perspective. This is why he insisted on being present at the arrest scene; the White Torch Daily had already made room for this event, and any photos related to him must be displayed in the most perfect manner.

but……

Wendigo's thick eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes slightly closed, like an experienced chef sniffing the air, his expression becoming somewhat intriguing.

"The town mayor?"

"It's alright, I'll go with you." Wendigo quickly opened his eyes and smiled. "What kind of mayor would I be if I didn't lead from the front at a time like this?"

“Isn’t this playing with your safety?” Gordon shook his head. “No, absolutely not!”

Wendigo waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more, turned around, and strode towards the door. To everyone's surprise, he cracked his knuckles, turned sideways, and delivered a powerful side kick! With a "bang," he swiftly and cleanly kicked the door open.

Black blood soaked up to the soles of the shoes.

“OH…god…” Even a seasoned veteran like Gordon couldn’t help but gasp when he saw this scene.

The person they were trying to arrest had already fallen onto his own plate, with a knife and fork laid out beside him, creating a rather ironic scene.

"Sheriff Gordon!"

A sheriff, his face filled with terror, showed Chilton the letters beside him, along with the small wooden plaque engraved with dark red characters, stammering, "This was on the table! This...this isn't..."

Gordon felt a sudden shortness of breath and almost lost his balance, so he quickly grabbed the luxurious solid wood wardrobe next to him for support.

The thing he was most worried about finally happened.

“Red Center… The place where he robbed the train was at the foot of Sparrow Mountain in the Snowfall Mountains, very close to White Torch Town. At that time, I was worried that he might target White Torch Town again.” Gordon took a deep breath. “Sure enough, after causing a ruckus in Windblown Sand, he came back.”

Gordon's feelings toward "Red Center" are very complicated.

Deep down, he knew very well that his current position as a police chief was essentially thanks to Hong Zhong. However, as the maintainer of order in White Torch Town, his fear of Hong Zhong actually outweighed all other emotions.

Even if the shrike kills someone today, the town will go about its business as usual tomorrow. People will eat, work, and sleep as normal, only with one more topic of conversation—"Did you hear? So-and-so's daughter was hung on a deer's antlers," or "Still no news after so long, the police are useless." Social order will not be disrupted.

After Hongzhong's killing spree, it was like dropping a bombshell into the town, destroying all existing order. If not handled properly, this could trigger widespread violence, requiring considerable extra effort to quell the unrest.

The Nordlin family had ruled this town for over a decade, but one evening at a banquet, they were all wiped out.

While objectively speaking, this has made White Torch Town a better place, but... who can guarantee what Red Center, with its formidable military power, might do next?

"Why the long face, Chief Gordon?" Wendigo remained calm, seemingly unconcerned about the sudden arrival of the Red Reaper, and simply flipped through Chilton's confession. "Originally, there was also the matter of detention, questioning, and verification of the testimony..."

"Given this guy's personality, he'll definitely appeal, and we'll have to fight him in court. Then we'll have to go through the judicial evaluation process, and in the end, he might even fake a mental illness... Ha... Anyway, the Dean Chilton I know is very afraid of death. He'll use every means at his disposal to avoid dying."

"If we go through the normal process and try to send him to the gallows, it could be a protracted battle for ages. That guy seems to have quite a bit of influence with the judges and prosecutors. So, who will stand up to him in court, me or you?"

Gordon was speechless.

“Now it’s all right, our friends have already done everything for us in one go.” Wendigo waved the letter in his hand and laughed, “This list is a gift from Red Center. If we make good use of it, its wonders will be beyond our imagination.”

“…Friends?!” Gordon looked puzzled. “You want to be friends with Red Center? But if that happens, what about Mr. Cheddar…”

“You don’t understand Mr. Cheddar at all, Gordon. He doesn’t care about his son at all, at least not this son, who doesn’t have any value to him.”

Wendigo said unhurriedly, "He cares about time, cost, profit and uncertainty. As long as he can make money and there is enough profit to be made, he wouldn't care even if he had to lick the boots of the Red Army."

----

A cold wind blew out from the cracks in the stone bricks, brushing past my ankles, and a chill ran up my spine.

Neglected for years, the clock tower's interior was naturally covered in dust and cobwebs. Its design was ingenious, allowing no light to penetrate from the outside, and the interior space was extremely cramped. The staircase wasn't broken, but it was blocked by discarded furniture—whose work was unknown—seemingly announcing to visitors that the path was blocked.

Zhang Renfeng was too lazy to move it, so he climbed up the outside of the clock tower and bypassed the internal stairs.

His finger strength was equally astonishing; relying solely on a few uneven protrusions on the outer wall, he climbed to the top of the clock tower, which was equivalent to a three-story building.

"quack--!!"

A black bird suddenly swooped down on his face. Faced with this sudden attack, Zhang Renfeng showed no fear. He opened his teeth, bit down hard on one of the birds, crushed it in one bite, and then spat it aside.

"Damn it, how long has it been since anyone came here..."

He climbed into the clock tower, but as soon as he stepped onto the ground, he heard the sound of glass being crushed.

Looking down, you can vaguely see things like cans and bottles on the dusty ground.

There are signs of human activity in this clock tower!

Chapter 153: Without a key, my fist is the key!

Zhang Renfeng searched for a long time but couldn't find any trace of the Red God. However, he turned on the kerosene lamp and shone it into the inside of the abandoned brass bell for a long time. Finally, amidst the dust and cobwebs, he found a rusty key.

"Ha, actually...who would hide a key in such a shady place?"

Zhang Renfeng's curiosity was mixed with excitement, as if he had entered into an interesting game. Although he didn't yet know whether the person sitting across the table was a person, a group of people, an abstract concept, or something hiding behind "Red God," he still found it incredibly thrilling.

With a key, there's a door; anyone can enter the clock tower, so there's no need to go to great lengths to hide the key here.

As Zhang Renfeng pondered, he raised his kerosene lamp and shone it around the wall. It seemed someone had carved words on it, but the writing had become blurred and illegible over time. He even carefully examined the joints between each brick to make sure there were no hidden marks. Then, following the path he had come from, he used both hands and feet to quickly climb back to the first floor of the clock tower.

It was still just as gloomy, still as dark as ever.

"Boom-!!"

Zhang Renfeng casually threw a punch, leaving a shallow mark on the stone wall. He immediately pressed his ear against the wall, trying to determine if there were any hidden compartments or secret rooms by listening to the echo. However, the echo inside the wall was perfectly normal, and he found nothing amiss. He ran his fingers around the wall, but found nothing unusual either.

Undeterred, he picked up the lamp again, half-squatted down, and carefully searched the floor of the clock tower, almost inch by inch. Finally, amidst the dust and dirt, he felt an unusual protrusion. Zhang Renfeng felt as if he had found a treasure, overjoyed, and blew away all the dust on it.

A narrow, hidden door leading underground came into view.

"Ha...that's right, a door doesn't necessarily have to be in the wall!"

"call--"

He blew the dust off the lock, took out the key he'd found inside the brass bell, and shoved it into the lock. "I'd like to see what you're up to..."

"Click!"

His smug smile froze on his face. He instinctively twisted the key, but to his surprise, it was so brittle that it broke in two.

"what!!!"

Zhang Renfeng lay on the ground, letting out frantic roars, his face full of regret. He slapped the back of his right hand with his left, muttering to himself, "Why can't I control my hand?!"

Standing there idly wasn't an option. Looking around, he noticed some unused metal parts embedded in the window frame. He broke off a piece with his bare hands and twisted it into a pointed shape. Didn't Alana also unlock the door with just two similar-shaped things, by gently fiddling with them? If a 14-year-old girl could do it, it certainly wasn't too difficult.

"If I don't get you out of here today, I'm not a Zhang!"

Zhang Renfeng inexplicably became furious with a door lock, using a thin iron pick to push into the keyhole, trying to pry out the broken half of the key.

After all that effort, they managed to push it in, but the broken half of the key was completely stuck in the lock. Even if they called Alana over, they probably wouldn't be able to get it out.

"..."

Zhang Renfeng stared blankly at the keyhole and sighed.

----

"Thump—!!"

When cleverness failed, Zhang Renfeng resorted to brute force. With all his might, he roared, leaped high into the air, and slammed into the door like a cannonball. He had overestimated the dilapidated door, which was old and in disrepair. It couldn't withstand the full force of his eight-foot-tall man's kick and broke in two. He fell to the ground as well.

Fortunately, the cellar wasn't deep. After only a few bumps on the stone steps, Zhang Renfeng quickly got up and dusted himself off.

"Something's definitely strange." He relit the kerosene lamp, fanned away the dust with his hand, squinted, and looked around.

A very deep passage stretched into the pitch-black depths, like the tongue of a monster. The passage was extremely narrow, barely wide enough to fit one person.

He grew increasingly curious about what might be buried below, and with a gun in one hand and a kerosene lamp in the other, he continued downwards.

The walls on all four sides are not straight, but slightly tilted, designed to look like they are about to collapse, as if they might crush passersby into pieces at any moment.

The descending stone steps weren't long. Following the cold, dark underground corridor, Zhang Renfeng found a dusty stone cave. It was about half an inch taller than his head. If he went inside, the cold stone ceiling would almost touch his scalp, and a chilling cold would seep into his body.

The space inside the grotto is even smaller and more cramped than the outside, only big enough for one person.

On the stone table were two candles, long since burned out, and a small ring—a golden two-headed snake holding a jade stone in its mouth, exquisitely crafted and extremely beautiful. Zhang Renfeng couldn't figure out whose it was, but regardless, it had waited so long in this dark cave, and today it was able to see the light of day again thanks to him; it was fate, and its trip down here hadn't been in vain.

Thinking this, Zhang Renfeng blew the dust off the ring and put it into his pocket.

"Dangdangdang——"

After knocking around, no hidden door was found; it was just like a simple meditation room. However, there was a passageway clearly visible behind the wall.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. The bell tower above already serves as a layer of concealment. Regardless of who built this place, ordinary people probably wouldn't have the key. Anyone who can get into this grotto must be a trustworthy member of the group. After all, someone like him, capable of kicking down a half-palm-thick wooden door, is a minority.

Shining a light on it, the road behind the wall seemed endless, stretching as far as the light could see. If one insisted on continuing down, it was impossible to know when it would end.

Zhang Renfeng lit a cigarette, pondered for a moment, then finally threw the cigarette butt away and made up his mind, "Damn it, we're already here, let's go!"

He grabbed the lantern and left without looking back, partly because... he didn't want to stay in that cramped meditation room any longer. Besides the confined space, there was also the painting on the wall—an eye nestled among layers of circles, squares, and triangles, staring intently at him.

The painting itself was very abstract, but for some reason, Zhang Renfeng always felt that there was something behind the eyes, casting a prying gaze at him through the painting.

In his essays, Theonado wrote that he found "traces of the Red God" beneath the bell tower. Could the Red God be some mysterious cult? And is it related to this underground passage?

……

"Boom-!!"

Without a key, his fists and feet became his keys. Zhang Renfeng slammed the door open with another powerful blow. This time, however, a cloud of dust fell onto his face, making him cough repeatedly.

As he drilled deeper, the sight that greeted him was astonishing: only ruins and charred remains everywhere. There was no room left to "explore," and Zhang Renfeng was certain that this was the embers of a fire.

Crescent moon.

Dark clouds.

Standing amidst these charred ruins, Zhang Renfeng felt an overwhelming sense of silence, so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat and breathing.

Looking from this direction, the town center of Baiju Town is not far away, and the shadow of the clock tower can be vaguely seen.

"Hey, sir, sir, please stop for a moment." Seeing someone passing by, he quickly pulled himself out of the rubble and asked, "Could you tell me where this place is?"

"..." The passerby on horseback looked at him suspiciously, "A tourist from out of town?"

"This used to be the Dietersdorf family mansion, but that old madman burned it down," a passerby gestured. "Before the fire, it was three stories high!"

Chapter 154: I've never felt happy before.

"Whoa!"

Zhang Renfeng, who was fearless, was startled and screamed when he suddenly glanced at something in the camp as he dismounted. He almost threw a punch at the person in front of him.

After he realized that the "ghost" was actually Evelyn, he calmed down, let out a long breath, and complained, "In the middle of the night, can you not stand in the dark like a ghost? I'm glad you're awake, but when it's time to sleep, go to sleep."

Evelyn remained silent, her hands folded in front of her as she gazed at him. The first time Zhang Renfeng saw her eyes, he felt they were made of glass, incredibly fragile. Perhaps this stemmed from her almost obsessive aristocratic upbringing; if he had parents like that, he probably would have suffered a nervous breakdown too.

The girl's fragile nature remained unchanged; it was something that accompanied her throughout her life. However, at this moment, her eyes held a newfound resolve.

"I'd like to talk to you."

Zhang Renfeng silently tied the horse's reins to the wooden stake and said in a deep voice, "No."

Evelyn looked surprised for a moment, then pursed her lips, her tone becoming somewhat resentful, "You haven't heard of this, so what am I supposed to say!"

“There’s no need to listen. You’re a good girl with a bright future… If you can’t stay here, you can go to other towns.”

"In the future world, towns and cities will be connected by railroads and trains, and they will develop better and better. More theaters will be built, and people will need excellent theater actors like you. You can become a healthy and elegant lady, just like those ladies who wear beautiful dresses and hats decorated with feathers that are half a foot high. That is your destiny."

Zhang Renfeng's tone was equally resolute, leaving no room for maneuver in this matter.

“What about Xiaomei? What about Ms. Morgan?” Evelyn’s profile flushed slightly. She rarely abandoned the “aristocratic lady” persona she had maintained for seventeen years. She stepped forward and argued, “They are girls too!”

"You mean..." She slowly lowered her head, her voice becoming soft and low, "...that only I can't?"

……

After a long silence, Zhang Renfeng finally closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. His breath turned into a white mist in the cold night sky, like fireworks exhaled by a dragon.