Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Where is my senior brother?

He immediately looked around, but apart from the stunned group of relatives and friends on the second floor of the mansion, there was no one else nearby.

Was everything that just happened an illusion?

……

The Fish Intestine Sword, already held in his right hand, thin as a cicada's wing and light as moonlight, negated his question with a sharp whistling sound.

Chapter 272: Not provoking him is the wisest course of action.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Renfeng asked, puzzled. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"..."

The group exchanged glances, all tacitly maintaining a certain distance from Zhang Renfeng.

Only Xiaomei, who was relatively familiar with him, mustered up the courage to come closer, extended a finger, and gently poked his face twice, nodding to confirm, "It might... probably... be him."

"Do you know how exaggerated what just happened sounds when told in English?" Mike finally stopped having his usual deadpan expression. In Zhang Renfeng's memory, his pupils had never been so wide. "Compared to that, what you just did by pulling out a birch tree doesn't seem so scary."

“Did you read the newspapers before? There’s this abandoned house over on the southern grasslands, full of corpses, just skeletons, all dressed perfectly, sitting there like they’re performing some kind of ritual.” Calaway vividly recounted this ghost story, clearly referring to Zhang Renfeng’s ascension to heaven. “They say if you go to that house between 2:00 and 2:30 every morning, you can see eerie green beams of light…whoosh…”

The worldview formed from childhood to adulthood has a significant impact on a person.

In this land, they are more inclined to believe that Zhang Renfeng was kidnapped by some mysterious force.

If aliens were to ever land on this land, Zhang Renfeng would certainly be their first subject of study, because this guy is no longer human in any sense.

“That’s illusion,” Zhang Renfeng explained. “Those who exhaustively calculate and change, whose forms shift and transform, are called transformations, or illusions. This is a kind of magic, and since ancient times, a small group of people have specialized in studying it. Some magicians also believe that this world is a giant illusion, including you and me…”

As they were talking, Zhang Renfeng suddenly remembered Evelyn's brother, Theonado, the painter who couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion.

It's a pity America didn't have any magicians, otherwise, he would have been a great candidate to practice illusion magic.

"Wait a minute, is it all an illusion?" Xiaomei was stunned and pointed to herself. "But we saw it all."

"The essence of illusion is a wondrous and infinite imitation of the Creator. Those with deep skill cannot fathom its depths; those with shallow skill can only create and destroy it. Senior Brother has only been exposed to them for a year or two, so he certainly hasn't cultivated to a very deep level. But even a shallow level of skill is enough to make the observer fall into it."

Zhang Renfeng lowered his head slightly, looking at the Fish Intestine Sword in his hand, which gleamed with a cold light. The sword was like a mirror, perfectly reflecting his face.

Is it an illusion, or reality?

The moment the knot in your heart is untied, none of these things matter anymore.

“It’s over. The result of this 'duel'... I won.” A smile appeared on his face. “I won’t leave.”

----

"Hey, hey... That's ridiculous, Ren, did you see that?"

far away.

On the rooftop of a building stood two figures, the two bodyguards who had once accompanied Istavo. One of them, a middle-aged man with a large belly and disheveled hair, had two axes at his waist and was holding a pair of binoculars in one hand, his face full of excited smiles, gazing at the Angelo mansion in the distance in a very "happy" posture.

"Could this really be true? That guy threw a rope and flew into the sky! Then he suddenly reappeared in the yard... And there's another person who hasn't shown up yet. Could he really be in the sky? Was he abducted by aliens?"

"This is an illusion technique." Ren remained calm, his tone devoid of any surprise beneath the canopy. "It relies on sensory illusions to create miracles that are difficult to distinguish from reality. Hawke, do you think this is impressive? It's far from enough."

"No way, really?" Hawke took off his binoculars, his expression one of utter astonishment. "Isn't this amazing enough? It's already off the charts!"

"There was a period in their country's history when dazzling techniques were extremely popular."

Ren continued his explanation in a calm, unwavering voice, “In the second year of the Daye era, the Turkic Khan came to pay tribute. To show off his powerful national strength, Emperor Yang of Sui held an unprecedented banquet in Luoyang. Among the programs, besides singing and dancing, the most awe-inspiring was the dazzling magic.”

"【Yellow Dragon Transformation】, 【Divine Turtle Carrying the Mountain】, 【Old Man Carrying the Cauldron】... all kinds of super-large-scale dazzling acrobatics, with more than 30,000 performers."

"This matter is also recorded in the Yiwen Leiju."

"How can you be so familiar with their country's affairs?" Hawke was even more surprised.

"...A long time ago, one of my ancestors served as an envoy to Tang China, bringing back a wealth of firsthand historical materials. When I was very young, my father made me read them day and night." Ren casually recounted this story, "In comparison, the person who was able to withstand the dazzling technique and win this great victory... is not to be underestimated."

"Putting everything else aside, that guy's strength alone is astounding. He can actually uproot a tree from the ground. Even with enough strength, it's rare to see someone succeed in doing that on their first try. To be able to uproot a tree and then use it as a stick... Hah... Could there be a monster under that human skin?"

Hawke licked his lips, seemingly excited about the fact. "No wonder he was able to wipe out that rat in the sewer so quickly, along with its entourage."

"An army led by rats can only be rats themselves; how can they possibly contend with such people?"

"Now, the whole of New Austin is going to get interesting."

“The news of Angelo’s downfall will spread quickly. This lucrative prize of Saint Quintak will inevitably be coveted by many forces, and there may be a fierce battle among them.” Ren stared into his eyes and emphasized, “This is not a good thing for the boss. We need a stable market with purchasing power.”

……

"What do you mean?" Hawke's lips curled into a terrifying grin. "Are you giving me orders on behalf of the captain?"

“Not really.” Ren’s tone remained calm. “I’m telling you not to get into a fight with that guy on a whim. At least until the next gang takes over San Quintak, we don’t need any more chaos here.”

"Ha, you really do read my mind," Hawke shrugged with a forced smile. "But aren't you curious?"

"That guy's movements, strength, speed... there are so many incredible things about him. If you attack him, he will definitely retaliate. Don't you want to test how well your fighting style, which you've stuck with for so many years, can be used against him?"

At some point, Hawke pulled two axes from his waist and stood on the rooftop. The night wind made him look like a mad killer.

"..."

"True martial arts are not about wildly pouncing and slashing like a wild beast; they require more thought and strategy."

Ren remained calm as always, and said in a deep voice, "With just a little thought, one can understand that the wisest course of action is to stay away from an opponent like him."

----

……

The mansion had been almost completely looted, and the group prepared to leave on horseback.

The moment he mounted the horse, Zhang Renfeng seemed to sense something and turned his gaze toward the rooftop of the building opposite.

Chapter 273: The early spring night is still so long (Part 12)

"Mr. Zhang, please accept this. It's just a small token of our appreciation."

"You helped us recover a large sum of money, we're so grateful, how could we possibly take your money? Oh, are you on a date with your wife? Please wait a moment, I remember there's a particularly beautiful full-body star in the shop..."

"This is our newest blueberry jam and toast. Could you please make some samples for us? Oh, of course, it's completely free! My son told me that he invested a lot of money at the docks, and you helped him get it back. We are just ordinary people and can only do some small things, so please don't refuse."

"See that? That's him. I was there when he caused such a ruckus at the docks that day. I saw him kick the ground and split it open... It's true! If there's even a sliver of truth to this, I'll die right here today! Think about it, if he were just an ordinary guy, there's no way he could have taken down Angelo! He wiped the entire Italian gang off the face of history!"

"I've disliked that Italian for a long time, this is karma."

"Boss, when will the boxing match resume? I'm a big fan of the chief. When can we get him to fight again?"

……

The saying "People fear becoming famous, just as pigs fear growing fat" is absolutely true. Right now, Zhang Renfeng is famous, and wherever he goes, he is the focus of attention.

News of Angelo's defeat didn't spread until noon the following day. Although Mason tried to control the situation and steer it towards rationality, the aftermath far exceeded everyone's expectations. People are inherently irrational, and the more numerous they are, the more irrational they become.

These days, the news that the Italian gang is chasing a yellow-skinned foreigner has been spreading like wildfire throughout the streets and alleys.

The strength of this yellow-haired barbarian had already been witnessed by many citizens during the battle at the docks. Even to be honest, these fighting feats sounded somewhat like boasting. One can imagine what would happen after the public opinion fermented.

Zhang Renfeng didn't wear a queue and had yellow skin; these obvious physical characteristics made him easily recognizable.

The elimination of the Italian clique cannot be attributed to him alone; he also had the support of the Red Center clique and Mayor Mason's encouragement.

But people don't like such complicated stories; their preferences are simpler—the hero defeats the demon king and saves the world, which suits their taste better.

As a brave man, Zhang Renfeng received welcome and preferential treatment regardless of skin color.

The reason is simple: the vast majority of merchants in this city have to pay a fixed "protection fee" to the Italian gang when doing business.

His henchmen would make sure the money was handed over in full. Besides that, there were many other miscellaneous fees, numerous and arbitrary, which one had to pay if they wanted to continue doing business here.

At least, Zhang Renfeng's appearance ensured that the money vanished.

However, the price is...

He strolled around the street, his hands piled high with paper bags given to him by kind-hearted shopkeepers, which completely obscured his face.

"That's fine too." Zhang Renfeng wasn't actually tired, but he said with a dry sense of humor, "If they can't see my face, no one will look for me."

Qiu Yun couldn't help but chuckle as she watched him being overwhelmed by the various gifts.

"Husband...do you remember? It seems like something similar happened before, like...you and your senior brothers and sisters caused a huge scene in Chaidou Alley?"

“Chaidou Lane, ah, those matchmakers!” Upon hearing the name of the place, Zhang Renfeng paused for a moment, but quickly retrieved the relevant fragments from his past memories, and said bitterly, “They deserve to die! I only regret that my skills were not good enough back then, and I was able to beat them to death!”

"After we destroyed the matchmaker's stronghold and rescued the children, so many people came, all of them the children's parents and elders... They practically wore down our doorstep."

With her hands behind her back, Qiu Yun recalled the past, revealing a girlish charm. "My husband never mentioned this at the time. Suddenly, so many people were knocking on the door, and you knelt down as soon as the door opened. The master was startled and thought you had caused some trouble outside."

Zhang Renfeng scratched his head. "Actually, that matter... wasn't something I did alone. It's just that they couldn't find my senior sister and senior brother, so they found out about our family's house and came to our door."

“I remember there was also a little foreign girl who had no parents and nowhere to go, so she stayed with us for a while,” Qiu Yun recalled. “I visited her a few times. She had rosy cheeks and eyes as beautiful as sapphires… I still remember what she looked like. She couldn’t even speak the language and looked like a pitiful little animal huddled in a corner.”

"You mean 'Wolf'?" Zhang Renfeng hoisted the stack of gifts onto his shoulder and scratched his head. "She later joined the sect, and then went on a journey. I haven't heard much about her since."

……

Qiu Yun suddenly turned her head and looked at Zhang Renfeng with some surprise. She stared at him for a long time, until he began to feel uncomfortable, and then, as if he couldn't help it, he laughed out loud.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Renfeng asked suspiciously. "Was there anything funny in what I just said?"

"It's nothing, I was just remarking that my husband is still the same as before." Qiu Yun sighed and said wistfully, "Actually, you prefer this kind of life to marriage and having children, don't you?"

"..."

Zhang Renfeng remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Wide sea diving, sky high the birds to fly.

A person's nature is very difficult to change, which is the fundamental reason why he was unwilling to agree to Zhu Kuilong's suggestion.

Offering up the path of solitude meant completely abandoning martial arts and becoming an ordinary person without any distinguishing features. He couldn't bear to become like that, returning to those peaceful, boring days. There were so many towering mountains in the world, yet he would be a tiny ant, spending his entire life just spinning in circles within this small space.

Even if he's just an ant, he wants to be an ant that conquers mountains and crosses oceans!

……

As night fell, the two of them stopped at the entrance of the hotel, seemingly without prior agreement.

They knew very well that after this parting, the next time they would meet would probably only be in their dreams.

"We've seen everything we wanted to see, done everything we wanted to do. We've been here so long, and I haven't even really explored properly yet." Qiu Yun suppressed her chaotic thoughts and smiled. "Then, husband, shall we..."

"Snapped!"

Zhang Renfeng suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Husband?" Qiu Yun was startled, her voice slightly flustered.

"Didn't we agree to spend a whole day with you? A day, twenty-four hours, twelve two-hour periods. There's still half left."

Zhang Renfeng's eyes were full of stubborn seriousness, while Qiu Yun blushed slightly, turned her head away, and bit her lip slightly.

Why rush to end it?

"The early spring nights are still so long."

Chapter 274: Follow me, and you'll never be bored again (Third update today)

Knocking on the door, Calaway, reeking of alcohol, staggered into the office and saw Mason's rare smile.

As the city's overt administrator, he maintained a mysterious image, never revealing his true feelings, and kept a distant relationship with Angelo's Italian clique. Only a few knew that Mason had been patiently working, making steady progress day by day. He was secretly cultivating his own voice within the local bureaucracy to counter the powerful group behind Angelo.

Of course, he wasn't stupid. He knew very well that the pen couldn't compete with the gun. Before he was sure he had enough military support, he remained inactive. This behavior blinded Angelo, making him think that this was just another ordinary mayor who wanted to fight him to a draw.

The sewer rats, having been pampered in a honey pot for too long, became so gluttonous that they gradually lost their ability to judge danger.

Mason is like a scorpion; when there's a disparity in strength, he lies dormant. The moment he senses an opportunity, he strikes with deadly force!

“Well done, Callaway. A clean and efficient way to remove this thorn in your side.” Mason’s tone was somewhat unsteady; he even opened a bottle of brandy early in the morning and placed it on the table, as if it were a victory celebration. “Our great undertaking is about to be completed.”

“Not ‘we’.” Calaway, no longer behaving as usual when drunk, sat up straight in his chair, pulled a letter from his jacket pocket, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it across with his finger. “It’s your grand undertaking, Mason.”

The old-fashioned pendulum ticked away methodically, one stroke at a time.

Mason's faint smile faded as he uttered those words. He didn't choose to open the envelope. Having reached this level, Mason had long since learned to read people's thoughts through micro-expressions. If one had to describe Callaway in four words, it would be "his will to leave is set"—he no longer intended to stay here.

"Why?" Mason stopped beating around the bush and asked directly, "You've been with me for so long, we've supported each other, and we finally got through the toughest times. Power, status, money, whatever you want, you can have it right away..."