Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"What can I do? Those two little brats are only six years old. What did you know when you were six?" Gwen pretended to be annoyed, shrugged, and slowly walked towards the fruit stand. "They're clamoring for fruit. I'll peel an apple for them."

The man in the iron bucket stood still, as if acknowledging her statement, letting her drag the metal prosthetic leg step by step toward the shelf.

……

Arrived.

Gwen looked at the small knife in her hand; its gleaming blade reflected her somewhat bewildered face.

So simple?

Is it really that simple to succeed?

At this moment, Gwen's complex emotions reached their peak. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad. Taking this step meant certain death. With Castor's vicious nature, she was sure she would die a terrible, terrible, terrible death... like those who were skinned alive, their blood dripping onto the cross, for everyone to see.

The moment she grasped the knife, she hesitated. Any normal person would find it hard not to hesitate. God had been so unfair to her, already taking away a leg; how could she possibly expect to sacrifice more for two girls she'd known for less than a month?!

If you're going to regret it, this is your last chance!

……

"call……"

The final deep breath was eerily quiet.

She seemed to hear God's answer.

"Don't come any closer—!!"

Gwen picked up the fruit knife, pressed it against her throat, widened her eyes, and screamed.

Chapter 303: Then you must love me to death.

The logic is clear: it's pointless to hold anyone hostage; there are no people in this red house, only goods!

To Custer, the girls here were nothing more than worthless commodities; he could simply replace them when they died. Therefore, Iron Bucket wouldn't hesitate to pull out his gun and kill the "hostage" he was holding, delaying the situation for little time. Almost all the girls who ended up here had been trafficked, and Gwen had no intention of harming these poor souls.

As for stabbing someone with a knife... that's utter nonsense. With her legs and feet, she probably wouldn't even get close to the other person before they noticed.

The only thing that could make these henchmen wary was a commodity that, for this red house, had irreplaceable value in the short term.

That is myself.

"Damn it, you bitch, what's wrong with you? Are you looking to die?!"

Immediately, one of the henchmen threw down his cigarette butt and shouted angrily, "This is Mr. Custer's territory, not a place for you to go crazy. Put down the knife!"

Having said that, the men rushed forward to take her knife, showing no regard for Gwen. They seemed to genuinely disbelieve that this young girl would actually have the courage to commit suicide.

"No!" Even in her panic, Gwen didn't forget her original mission and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Don't come any closer!"

The incident escalated to a great extent, drawing everyone's attention to itself.

She saw that the room had been slightly ajar, but the door was blocked by the crowd, making it impossible to see what was happening. She could only hope that the two girls had indeed seized the opportunity and escaped.

not enough.

We need to buy them more time!

"return."

Beneath the barrel helmet, two simple words rang out. The henchmen, like toys on a remote control, turned and strode back without hesitation. It was as if they themselves hadn't been the ones who had been so furious, wanting to teach Gwen a lesson.

Iron Bucket took two slow steps and stood at the front of the crowd. He didn't say anything, just quietly watched her.

The deathly silence slowly cooled the heat in Gwen's blood. The floor seemed to turn into water, causing her body to sink. The water slowly rose above her ankles, knees, waist, and neck, and finally... submerged her face.

She was drowning in it and couldn't breathe.

Really.

It's actually true... they've taken this step.

"condition?"

"..." Finally, the other person spoke, breaking the dreamlike silence. Gwen gritted her teeth and said, "I want to leave here! By carriage, ship, train, anything!"

“You know that’s impossible.” Iron Bucket’s tone was very calm. “Make something practical, or put the knife down. The big shot is coming soon, you have to get to work.”

The guests whispered amongst themselves, and many cast disdainful glances at her, as if watching a monkey making a pointless performance.

In their eyes, they may no longer be considered "human," but merely submissive commodities.

In the red house, money is everything. By paying, one can temporarily purchase the right to dispose of an "item"—what a supreme power!

What's even more terrifying is that not only the guests, but even the girls who were abducted gradually accepted this rule.

As Custer said, they had become part of this vast "authority," so much so that when Gwen rebelled, they stood aside, looking at her with strange eyes, as if she were a monster, and instinctively kept their distance.

There is no one around me.

She felt as if she had been thrown onto a stage, singing a one-woman show that no one cared about, and this feeling made her even angrier and sadder.

"Go to hell, I'm not your whore!"

Since she was already at the brink of life and death, Gwen decided to let loose and shouted, "You took my legs and put this piece of junk on me, calling it an 'investment,' and you expect me to be grateful to you bunch of bastards? Dream on! I'd rather die than be your whore again! Never!"

"..." A henchman ran in and whispered something in the iron bucket's ear.

Wearing a helmet, Iron Bucket couldn't nod, but simply said, "It's about time."

Having said that, he suddenly sprang into action, quickly walking towards Gwen. Compared to Gwen, who only had one leg, Ironhide's strides were much larger, almost like giant leaps. His heavy body thudded on the ground, like a rapidly approaching iron tower!

"What... Don't come any closer!" Gwen froze, biting her lip and pressing the knife tip against her neck.

At the last moment, feeling the coldness of the blade, she finally couldn't bring herself to make that final slash.

The fruit-slicing knife was easily confiscated by the iron bucket, followed by a heavy punch to the abdomen.

"Boom!"

"Woo..."

The girl's body was knocked to the ground, her back slamming heavily. For a moment, she didn't feel pain, only a strong sense of dislocation. Her internal organs were displaced by the immense force, followed by an indescribable dizziness. It was like being spun around countless times while holding your nose, and when you let go, the world seemed to spin.

"Ugh... I vomit..."

Before she could recover from her nausea, a pair of large, iron-like hands gripped her jaw and lifted Gwen up along with her prosthetic leg.

"It's good that your face isn't injured. What important people like is that look of fury yet helplessness in your eyes." The gaze beneath the barrel helmet remained cold, but this time, it carried a hint of mockery. "You are Lord Caster's product. Do you know what that means?"

He raised his voice, not only to Gwen, but to all the girls present, threatening them, “From the moment you step through this door until it breaks down and you can’t sell for a penny! You’ll be just like the workers in the lumberyards and mines, you’ll have to work, work, and work non-stop! You’d better pray that some big shot will take notice of you and be willing to pay you a lot of money.”

"As for you..."

He leaned his head closer, almost touching Gwen's face, so she could feel the coldness of the metal helmet.

"I personally admire you, girl. It was stupid, but it took a lot of courage. You must have thought about the consequences before doing something like this, right?"

"I just like people with fiery tempers," Iron Bucket said sarcastically. "Those who are submissive are really no fun to be around."

----

"Really?" a voice suddenly came from above. "Then you must love me to death."

……

Iron Bucket suddenly realized the danger and hurriedly threw aside the burden in his hand, trying to pull out the short sprayer from his waist, but he was still a step too slow.

Zhang Renfeng shouted and leaped down from the height. His curled-up legs shot out like cannonballs, slamming heavily into his chest.

"Thump—!!"

There was a loud bang.

The short-range jet, which was halfway pulled out, suddenly slipped from his grasp, sending the nearly three-meter-tall black iron tower staggering backward and crashing down, instantly smashing a chair placed behind him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

……

The remaining members of the Red Center Gang seized the opportunity to storm in, and gunfire erupted.

The red house was instantly thrown into chaos, with chickens and dogs running amok.

Chapter 304: It's been a long time since anyone has been willing to test their strength against me.

"Oh?"

Zhang Renfeng noticed the difference in touch, moved his ankles, and then, like a modern-day alien fighter, lightly jumped up.

It seemed he was judging the force of his kick by the feedback from the touch of his toes against the floor. During this process, Iron Bucket, this unusually tall man, actually stood up slowly, silently, supporting himself on the ground.

"Are you wearing something else under your clothes?"

"...Heh, good eye." Seeing this, he stopped pretending and took the initiative to tear off his clothes and fling them into the air.

A suit of metal armor, draped over his already imposing frame, made him appear even more formidable. The armor, a gleaming metallic color, was devoid of any superfluous patterns, perfectly embodying the aesthetic of a pragmatist, like a tin can encasing him. Wearing only a barrel helmet might seem somewhat out of place, but paired with this armor, it made perfect sense, as if he were a knight transported from the Middle Ages.

It's worth noting that the armor only covered his torso, leaving his arms unarmored. After all, this wasn't the real Middle Ages, and he needed to maintain a certain degree of flexibility for drawing his spear.

This approach might seem foolish, but it actually makes some sense: It's still about 65 years before true bulletproof vests are invented, but firearms are already ubiquitous. In a typical cowboy shootout, the bullets are either aimed at the head or the heart, resulting in instant death. But he's different. Even if hit in a vital area, his armor can stop bullets from his revolver, giving him an extra life. Furthermore, his large physique means that even in armor and a helmet, his agility won't be significantly reduced; his field of vision will only be slightly narrower.

Now, the breastplate that accompanied him through countless battles bears two footprints.

"You're Hongzhong?" Tietong picked up an apple casually, lowered his head slightly, and said in an unfriendly tone, "They say you're ten meters tall and have antlers, wolf claws, and eagle eyes... You're much shorter than I imagined."

“Ka——!!”

With astonishing grip strength, he crushed the apple into pieces with his bare hands, and then, as if to demonstrate his grip strength, slowly poured out the pieces.

“To date, I’ve crushed countless heads with these hands. The feeling… someone as small as you can’t understand.” He stretched out his hands, savoring the memory with a touch of ecstasy. “First the skin, cracking with a crisp sound, the eyeballs bulging out, then the bones, and finally the blood and brains… with a bang.”

He stretched out his hands, making a grasping gesture, and sneered, "You, and your companions, will be next..."

"Snapped!"

Fingers intertwined!

Iron Bucket was startled. The helmet blocked most of his vision, so he only saw Zhang Renfeng's body leaning slightly forward. When he saw him again, Zhang Renfeng suddenly appeared in front of him, his hands outstretched, interlocking his fingers with Iron Bucket's, like two bulls wrestling.

"crunch..."

Zhang Renfeng didn't speak, but suddenly increased his grip, quickly tightening his fingers, making a popping sound like popping beans between his finger bones!

"I have to thank you, Tin Can. It's been a long time since anyone challenged me to a strength contest." Despite being shorter, Zhang Renfeng grinned, revealing a somewhat frightening smile, as he raised his head. "I will definitely do my best."

These words came from the bottom of his heart. Back in his hometown, only someone who was out of their mind would dare to compete with Zhang Renfeng in grip strength.

In terms of physical strength, it is related to muscles. Zhang Renfeng possessed immense strength, capable of throwing bulls and lifting cauldrons, all thanks to his muscular physique. This is also why his master taught him the Qi Hard Technique; it was a perfect match. This body, combined with the Qi Hard Technique, could achieve almost 100% injury reduction.

However, if that's all there is to it, it's not enough to be called a genius who's "one in a million"; at most, he's just a strongman.

There are many famous strongmen in history, and even the profession of "emperor," which is rare in both ancient and modern times, has many records of strongmen. For example, Emperor Xiaojing was famous for his "strength to lift stone lions over walls," meaning he could lift a stone lion in each hand and run like the wind on the palace walls. But he was still punched three times in the end.

What made his master acknowledge him as a genius "once in a thousand years" was not only his physical strength, but also his "muscle strength".

At the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the legendary weapon of war, Li Yuanba, in the last battle, guaranteed to kill several thousand enemies. In his master's opinion, if Zhang Renfeng had the opportunity to grow to the end, he would be in roughly this form.

However, Li Yuanba, who seemed to hate the heavens for lacking a handle and the earth for lacking a ring, actually didn't have much muscle; he was a sickly little chicken. But he was described as having "coiled tendons and ribs, and extraordinary bones," meaning his tendons were like coiled snakes, floating beneath his skin, unusually thick. His ribs weren't individual like ordinary people, but rather a row of them, like a single iron plate.

Zhang Renfeng's meridians were similar, except that his muscles were exceptionally developed, concealing these meridians and making him appear no different from an ordinary person. Zhu Kuilong tried his best and used various methods, but he could not defeat him. The reason was that, in terms of raw strength, Old Zhang had the potential to become a numerical monster on par with Li Yuanba.

Muscle strength, grip strength, plus a body with mastered Qi-hardening techniques—the result is…

……

"Crack!"

Beneath the helmet, the man's jaw was clenched so tightly that his cheeks were stretched taut. The rings on his fingers could no longer withstand the immense force of his grip and cracked.

The iron bucket could no longer hold on; it went from standing straight to bending over, its fingers and palms trembling uncontrollably. Zhang Renfeng, on the other hand, remained completely relaxed, like an iron statue, motionless, and even gradually increasing his strength.

This is bad, if this continues, my hand will be crushed...

Although this was very unsportsmanlike, Tie Tong had no other choice. He roared, grabbed his arms, and used the helmet on his head to smash Zhang Renfeng's forehead hard.

"when---!!"

The metal struck, but it was his own forehead that hit the edge of the helmet, leaving him somewhat dizzy.

"This...how is this possible..."

Zhang Renfeng remained standing in the same spot, his head bumped by the helmet, which only messed up his hairstyle a bit, and he even had the energy to laugh.