Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Chapter 241: Taking medicine, taking medicine, if we're talking about background...

Zhu Kuilong glanced at the chieftain on his back, his expression immediately freezing, and asked, "Do you know this person?"

“I met him recently.” Zhang Renfeng didn’t understand why he would ask this, but since he had been asked, he answered truthfully, “I saw him making money by throwing fights on Italian turf, and I felt sorry for him, so I thought I’d help him out and win the fight for a $1000 prize. But in the ring, I was ambushed by thieves…”

"It's all fate, no need to say more."

Zhu Kuilong sighed, and with a "whoosh," he took off the cloud blanket draped over his shoulders, covered it on the ground, and lifted it up, revealing an empty fish tank on the floor.

"Do you have any wine?" Zhu Kuilong rubbed his long, slender, and strong fingers together and asked. "I don't touch that stuff unless it's at a banquet."

"Yes, yes!" Zhang Renfeng quickly rummaged through his bag, "Kentucky bourbon, brandy, gin, London distillery... and this..."

Seeing him pull out so many bottles and jars, Zhu Kuilong's movements gradually stopped. He narrowed his eyes, glared at him with great dissatisfaction, and said sarcastically, "I'm really surprised that you haven't drowned in all this alcohol you can carry with you."

"Ah? It's alright. The liquor here is all so weak and mushy, not satisfying at all." Zhang Renfeng scratched his head and laughed. "It's nowhere near as good as the strong liquor and strong baijiu back home."

Who asked you?!

Zhu Kuilong really wanted to complain, but in the end, he swallowed his words. "Smoking and drinking are harmful to health, especially for martial arts practitioners. They should not overindulge in alcohol!"

"when!"

He flicked off the bottle cap and neck with his index finger, pouring the liquor into the glass jar. Once the bottle was empty, he'd switch to another, repeating the process... until all the bottles were emptied and the jar was filled with a mixture of alcohol, emitting an intoxicating aroma.

Evelyn was very sensitive to the smell of alcohol; her nose wrinkled slightly, and she got up and hurried a few steps.

"Come!"

Zhu Kuilong reached into the vat, stirred the wine for a moment, and then suddenly lifted it up, his hand now filled with a handful of ice.

"Golden Wound Ointment." He gestured with his free left hand.

"Should I use mine?" Zhang Renfeng asked hesitantly. "But I already applied mine to him, and it still hasn't stopped the bleeding. Senior brother, could it be a problem with his constitution, and my ointment isn't compatible with him..."

"They both have one nose and two eyes, what's wrong with them?" Zhu Kuilong rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, "After you started practicing Qigong, have you not been injured for too long? Have you forgotten how to treat injuries? The bleeding hasn't stopped yet, and you're applying ointment to his wounds. Aren't you just letting the blood wash the wounds open?"

After hearing his words, Zhang Renfeng suddenly realized that he had been so focused on applying the ointment that he had forgotten to rinse and apply a cold compress.

But then again, given the circumstances at the time... there wasn't the opportunity to do all that in detail.

He tossed the plaster over, and Zhu Kuilong, without turning his head, caught it with his left hand, locating the source of the sound. His right hand swiftly produced a stack of handkerchiefs, which he first wiped away the blood from his brow, then wrapped with ice for a cold compress. Once the bleeding had mostly stopped, he dipped his thumb in the plaster and applied it evenly around the wound.

The backstage conflict attracted a lot of onlookers, who stood on tiptoe, trying to squeeze in and see what was going on.

"You've all prepared your costumes and makeup? And you've come here just to join in the fun!" Qiu Yun adopted the demeanor of a troupe leader, her eyes widening as she sternly reprimanded, "This is none of your business to get involved in Boss Zhu's affairs. All of you, go back to your quarters!"

----

……

"How is it you?" Stimulated by the ice, the chief slightly opened his eyes and saw Zhu Kuilong's face. "I remember... you should be with Zhang, Zhang something... again..."

“Yes, it was me. The person who brought you here was my junior brother.” Zhu Kuilong lifted the blanket. “Do you remember this box? You helped me find it.”

A red box appeared out of nowhere on the floor, with its straps, leather buckles, and the golden Pixiu on its front, all exactly as the chief remembered.

He opened the box, which was divided into two layers, with various small bottles and jars displayed inside, emitting a strong medicinal fragrance.

Zhang Renfeng watched from the side; the top layer of the box was full of strange things. Under each bottle and jar was a small note written in Chinese.

Agarwood, cinnabar, sandalwood, datura pollen, blue violet, aconite, anesthetic, licorice root, eczema... the list goes on. With just a glance, Zhang Renfeng's heart pounded with fear, for besides these, there were many other extremely dangerous things.

But he didn't touch the first layer; instead, he took out a medicine bottle from the second layer of the box. He shook it, and hearing the pills rubbing against each other inside, his heart calmed down.

"Don't worry, you've done me a great favor by retrieving this box for me." Zhu Kuilong examined the chieftain's temple injury and had a general idea of ​​the extent of the injury. "I'll spare your life, after all."

"Senior brother, what is this...?"

"This is a pill that can treat muscle spasms, joint pain, and dizziness." Zhu Kuilong turned to look at him, poured the pill out of the bottle, placed it in his palm, and showed it to Zhang Renfeng, while instructing him, "Remember, the prescription is one and a half ounces of Saposhnikovia divaricata, and remember to remove the gourd fork."

"Balcum, frankincense, antelope horn powder, aconite, and silkworm pupae should be lightly stir-fried. Nutmeg kernels, agarwood, tribulus terrestris, cloves, vitex fruit... Ligusticum chuanxiong, each of the above-mentioned medicines, one and a half ounces. Grind pearl powder into powder, remove the root of Angelica pubescens, three fen each. Lightly stir-fry dried scorpion, and boil Pinellia ternata in water before stir-frying."

"Grind the above into a fine powder, mix it with the medicine, stir in refined honey, and form into balls the size of a chicken's head."

Zhu Kuilong stretched out his hand and conjured a medicine gourd out of thin air. He glanced at Zhang Renfeng and asked, "Tell me, what's inside this gourd?"

"Medicated wine?" Zhang Renfeng said uncertainly.

"Yes, this is Doulin wine." Zhu Kuilong lifted his robe, did a somersault on the spot, and produced a burning brazier. He placed the gourd on the flame and slightly roasted it. "This medicinal wine is mainly used to treat blood stasis and wind, and to treat facial paralysis caused by stroke in men."

"If this person suffers from tetanus, stroke, spinal stiffness, hand twitching, and lockjaw, then pour hot beans over wine, dissolve three pills, and pour them into the mouth."

Once the wine in the gourd was sufficiently heated, Zhu Kuilong flicked his wrist, conjuring a bowl. He placed three pills inside, crushed them, and then soaked them in the hot wine. A strange fragrance immediately filled the backstage area; it was hard to say whether it smelled pleasant or unpleasant.

But it's definitely exciting enough.

He pressed down on the chief's philtrum and almost forced him to drink the bowl of wine infused with the pills.

"Wait another incense stick's time, and prepare more water, because he will keep sweating. Once he has sweated out, he will be mostly recovered," Zhu Kuilong said in a deep voice. "After that, focus on recuperating. I observe that he is physically strong and has a solid foundation, so he does not need medicine. He can be nourished with food, and he will recover in two weeks."

"I have already told you the formula for the Body-Nourishing Elixir. In the future, if I am not around and a similar emergency occurs again..."

"You can refine it yourself on a regular basis, and keep more on hand, just in case."

Chapter 242: Genius and Mortal

There were no beds backstage, so Qiu Yun took two figure-eight chairs, which were stage props usually placed behind the table.

When it appears alongside a table, it simply represents a study, a courtroom, or even a person sleeping. Two chairs pushed together could barely accommodate the chief's body. She then brought several blankets, which, although a bit dirty, were warm enough to cover herself and prevent her from catching a cold while sweating.

"Okay, this should be fine..."

……

Qiu Yun didn't respond to his words. The silence that lasted for several seconds made him realize that at this moment, he was alone with his wife, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, in a place far away from their hometown.

How many times must one have turned misfortune into good fortune and danger into safety along the way to finally come together such a coincidence?

Zhang Renfeng dared not think about it too much. The more he thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed, even somewhat unreal. The little girl who used to chatter around him like a nightingale now stood before him, but she seemed a stranger from the inside out.

A faint sense of alienation, as if an invisible veil separated him.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but after experiencing such a dramatic change, Zhang Renfeng was speechless upon seeing her again. He felt he should speak first, but the words always seemed inappropriate, so he couldn't say anything and just stared at her intently.

After holding it in for a long time, he finally came up with a question: "Are you happy making a living by performing opera?"

"Ah, my husband..."

In the end, Qiu Yun sighed first. After being apart for so long, it seemed that the other party's emotional intelligence hadn't improved much. She said softly, "If I say I'm unhappy, what can my husband do about it?"

She clasped her hands behind her back, her eyes lowered, a hint of melancholy in them, and whispered, "Husband, have you ever heard of Master Lu?"

"A Peking Opera performer?" Zhang Renfeng scratched his head, frowned, and tried to recall carefully. "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before, but then again, I don't think I have."

"His name is Lu Shengkui, and he is known for his recitation and acting skills, earning him the nickname 'Living Zhuge Liang.' Besides singing, he also loves writing plays, and the famous 'Empty City Stratagem' is one of his creations. As long as you have the skill, this play will become popular wherever it is performed. Before the Empty City Stratagem is 'Losing Jieting,' and after it is 'Executing Ma Su,' which together form..."

"I know!" Zhang Renfeng said excitedly, finally finding something in common with her. "The Void Slash, right?"

“My husband still remembers.” Qiu Yun’s smile contained a hint of helplessness. “But even after this part was sung, the theater remained unchanged. Only Boss Zhu’s ancient magic tricks were a huge hit here, with cheers so loud they seemed to lift the roof off.”

……

Zhang Renfeng fell silent.

Money and status weren't that important to Qiu Yun. She had survived a major ordeal, barely clinging to life; as for material things, she only sought basic sustenance. Nevertheless, she still politely declined Zhang Renfeng's offer to stay.

The reason is simple: this is not home.

The audience won't applaud or cheer for the Empty City Stratagem; that's just one direct observation. For Qiu Yun, there are countless other facts that make her realize this. Staying here, every sitting, lying down, walking, and breathing, along with the strange looks from the locals, all make her feel uncomfortable.

People like Zhang Renfeng and Zhu Kuilong, who can still thrive in another country, are ultimately a minority.

"My lord, you still have the energy to worry about me? Why don't you worry about yourself first?" Seeing that he was a little down, Qiu Yun subtly changed the subject. "If the Hualebazi loses, my lord will have to return to the country with us. At that time, I'm afraid it won't end well."

"No way," Zhang Renfeng waved his hand and said with great certainty, "Even if I really have to go back, my senior brother won't harm me."

……

Qiu Yun didn't speak for a moment, staring at him with some surprise for quite a while.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Renfeng asked, puzzled when she suddenly fell silent.

"Husband...didn't you notice at all?"

Qiu Yun sighed inwardly, but then she thought about it again and felt that it made sense. If Zhang Renfeng was really so sensitive to human relationships and the changes in people's hearts, then her family would not have ended up in this situation.

Zhu Kuilong, on the other hand, happens to be the kind of person with extremely deep cunning. For most of the day, he never shows any expression on his face. The two of them together are, in a sense, a perfect match.

"Boss Zhu harbors extremely deep resentment towards you."

"..." Zhang Renfeng looked at her with a "Are you even speaking human language?" expression, slightly surprised and incredulous.

"Husband, don't think this is nonsense. This kind of feeling is real. It's just that those born with a silver spoon in their mouths can't understand it," Qiu Yun said softly. "Have I ever mentioned... before I met you, my father and I also made a living in a theatrical troupe?"

Zhang Renfeng nodded somewhat blankly.

"Before I was nine years old, I was always in the opera troupe. In order to make a living, I practiced the basic skills day and night, and I was also the one who was fawned over by everyone."

"Until one day... the troupe leader picked up a child from the street. When the child opened his mouth, his voice was clear and bright, making the roof beams hum. He could also memorize lines quickly. He could sit up and do a few somersaults on the table, just like a veteran of decades."

"The troupe leader said he was 'born with a silver spoon in his mouth,' a natural-born star, clearly the next big thing. So everyone flocked to him, and apart from my father, no one paid any attention to me. Later, when my father died, no one was willing to help with my funeral... I was forced into a corner, so I went to the streets..."

The more she talked about the past, the more touching it became. Qiu Yun pursed her lips and quickly stopped talking.

"In short, when a person clearly realizes that his decades of hard work have been surpassed by others in just a few months or even a few days, no matter how calm he is, he will feel extremely jealous and resentful."

No, that won't happen.

Zhang Renfeng seemed somewhat swayed, and the smile on his lips became somewhat forced. "Senior brother is much stronger than me. Didn't you see our previous duel? He has already mastered the Silk Reeling Force, which is a sign of some success in dissipating force. In martial arts, he is far ahead of me. Why would he be jealous of me?"

"Knowing my husband as I do, I know he's going to have a showdown with Boss Zhu. In the next few days, he'll definitely be cramming and studying the Lesser Formless Skill that his master taught you, right?"

Having once shared a blanket, Qiu Yun had an absolute grasp of Zhang Renfeng's psychology.

He had no choice but to nod honestly and admit it.

"And then, how did it go?"

"I've almost got it." Zhang Renfeng said whatever came to mind. "I had the chief spar with me. I called it sparring, but actually it was just him hitting me hard. But right now, I can only master the most basic force absorption. I still need some real combat experience to get to the level of silk-reeling force."

……

Qiu Yun remained silent for a long time, looking at him with some helplessness, unsure whether she should feel gratified or distressed.

How hurtful it is to be a genius without realizing it.

"My lord, you've barely reached the threshold of exhaustion in less than ten days..."

"But your fellow disciple took two whole years. And he is already the one who has made the fastest progress among all your fellow disciples."

Chapter 243: This is how I make a living, how can you possibly outrun me?

"boom--!!"

The sudden gunshot completely interrupted their conversation. The backstage area was always bustling with people, and footsteps were constantly heard, so Zhang Renfeng didn't notice anything amiss.

The sudden gunshot, so close, made him instinctively reach for the two Volcano pistols on his belt.

The moment he touched the gun handle, his expression calmed down somewhat.

"Is he here for you again, husband?" Qiu Yun's heart skipped a beat. Although rationally she knew that Zhang Renfeng must have caused a lot of trouble in the two years he had been here, emotionally she was still worried. "Should we hide? I know there's a secret passage backstage that leads to the alley outside..."

"It's already a fight to the death, how can you just hide from it?" Zhang Renfeng licked his lips, a slightly excited smile curving his lips. "You stay here, I'll go out and take a look."

"..."

Qiu Yun sighed almost imperceptibly.

It turns out that no matter what environment you are in or what you have experienced, it is very difficult to change what is in a person's bones.

"Husband, don't underestimate me. I'm a troupe leader now, after all." Qiu Yun smiled gently, as if she had completely let go of something. "I'll go with you."

----

The dark blue uniforms, like rolling dark clouds, covered the backstage area of ​​the theater from afar.

San Quintak has a fairly large police force.

Just to arrest Zhang Renfeng, nearly twenty or thirty sheriffs were mobilized, each armed to the teeth with a Lancaster rifle and a revolver on their belt—ample firepower and a well-organized force. In comparison, the sheriffs' teams in the previous towns looked like a ragtag army.

Zhu Kuilong stood alone facing the dark, oppressive clouds, his expression remaining remarkably calm, not even opening his half-closed eyes. In contrast, Guido, who had fired a shot in public but achieved no intended effect, was somewhat embarrassed.

"Can't you understand what I'm saying?"