Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

With one foot, his head was stomped into the deck, and he stopped speaking, only his body trembling instinctively.

“It’s getting a bit boring that none of you are resisting.” Zhang Renfeng cracked his neck and shoulders, then turned to look at the group of terrified soldiers huddled at the bow of the ship, like a wolf looking at a flock of trembling sheep. “Let’s… end all this quickly.”

He dragged his wretched, mangled nunchucks slowly toward them.

----

"Oh God... how could this happen..." Ilyin hid in the captain's cabin, blocking the door with all the heavy objects he could think of—chairs, wooden crates, and so on. At this moment, he no longer had the domineering aura he once had, but was filled with panic.

He still can't understand it. He came here to suppress bandits, so how did this happen? How could there be such a person in the world?

Do not……

He's not human; he's a monster in human skin, a demon that has descended upon this country! Yes, that's the only possibility!

Ilin's hands were clasped together as he prayed with utmost devotion, but as he prayed, the sounds outside the door grew fainter and fainter. Screams, wails, and the thud of hard objects colliding like cannonballs—when all the sounds faded away, only a deathly silence remained.

……

Ilin held his breath, his eyes wide open, staring at the door in utter terror.

"Boom-!!"

A tremendous force struck, kicking away the chair and wooden crate that were propped against the door. The flames cast a long shadow of him, like the wings of a demon.

"Oh no! My ship!" Ilyin drew his gun shakily and roared, "You damned bastard!"

Before he could pull the trigger, Zhang Renfeng strode forward, kicked the stool so hard it slammed into Yilin's knee. Yilin cried out in pain, the gun falling from his hand and being caught by Zhang Renfeng's foot.

"Alright, you old bastard, stop cooped up here..." His face was still stained with someone's blood, which made his smile even more terrifying. "Let's go for a drive!"

Chapter 311: Power Is Power (Part 30)

The scene on the deck could only be described as "a field strewn with corpses".

Flames shot up, black smoke billowed, and the charred marks left by the explosion transformed the once invincible merchant ship into its current dilapidated state in just five minutes.

The banner of the Ironblood Crusade was still hanging there, but against this backdrop, it appeared somewhat sorrowful.

"No...no—!!"

Yilin, who once thought he could rule everything, was now being dragged along the deck by the neck by Zhang Renfeng, like an animal. Watching his former glory turn to ashes, he let out a heart-wrenching scream, whether out of regret for the ship or resentment at his impending death, it was hard to tell.

"Boom!"

Zhang Renfeng slammed him hard onto the bow of the boat, pulled out a gun, and pressed it against his forehead.

"I'll ask you one thing." He took out the small notebook he'd seized from the safe from his satchel, turned to the last page, and said, "You were responsible for Gwen's right leg and Aria's arm, weren't you?"

"What? No! It wasn't me!" Ilyn seemed to have caught something wrong with his words and quickly shook his head, denying it. "It was Wendigo Lecter, the mayor of White Torch! Also, I've never seen that Aliya, her arm has nothing to do with me..."

“I know, I’ve already taken care of Wendigo,” Zhang Renfeng said calmly. “Gwen told me that you like women with disabilities, is that right?”

As he spoke, his hand holding the gun was already trembling slightly.

This is even more disgusting than harvesting and mutilating animals.

But Ilyin clearly has a different opinion on this.

"Gwen?" He seemed to wake from a dream, his face first showing disbelief, then a flash of anger. "All of this, for her? That bastard that Custer trained?"

"God, are you crazy?! Do you know how many people are connected to me, how many promotions and transfers I've been involved in! What is this little Windhaven? Hightree, Butcher's Ridge, Dover Hill, Pike City, Tumbleweed Town... I have business dealings with all of them!!"

"I am a war hero, a benchmark and role model for social progress! A mere prostitute is not worthy to be compared with me!"

Zhang Renfeng gently removed his medal, held it in his left hand, and suddenly exerted force with his five fingers.

"Crench--!"

The metal deformed, producing a teeth-grinding sound.

This medal, which represented honor and authority, was crushed into a pile of scrap metal in his palm, and Zhang Renfeng casually tossed it into the fire.

“Now… you are nothing.” Zhang Renfeng’s eyes were cold and resolute. Despite the long list of places he had mentioned, he remained indifferent.

He is Hong Zhong.

"All that's left is a pathetic, hateful, and disgusting old man."

……

The gun pressed against his head was slowly released.

"Dying like this seems too easy for you, doesn't it?"

Zhang Renfeng smiled at him, then instantly exerted his strength, and as if by magic, snapped his right leg and right arm with two cracking sounds.

"Ah—...Ooh!"

Halfway through her shout, Zhang Renfeng covered Yilin's mouth, saying, "Don't rush, don't rush, save your energy, you'll have to shout again later."

He leisurely pulled out a bottle of gin, first sprinkling some on Ilin's head, then slowly backing away, leaving a long trail of gin on the deck. Only when the bottle was empty, not a drop left, did he wave to Ilin from afar.

"wipe!"

He lit a match.

"Waaaah! Waaaah!" In Yilin's eyes, which were covered in sweat, that flame seemed to come from hell. He struggled desperately, but his right leg and right arm were like a rag doll, limp and powerless, and he even fell down.

"I don't want to say good luck, but... at least now you know what this feels like, right?"

"This is what you deserve."

With a gentle flick, the sparks fell to the ground.

Zhang Renfeng turned his head away; he had no interest in watching the ugly man struggle in the fire. Hong Zhong never made promises lightly, and he always kept his word. At this moment, he had done what he had initially promised—to send him to meet God.

He has other things to do.

----

"Ha ha……"

Castor stared at the burning merchant ship in the distance, still shaken, and shook the water off his clothes.

Just now, when he saw that something was wrong on the deck, he didn't stay and quickly slipped down to the lower cabin.

A moment later, a loud bang echoed from the deck, followed by screams of agony. Taking advantage of the moment, he climbed out through a dark window below the cabin. Fortunately, the ship was moored near the shore, and the water wasn't deep. After a few thrashings, he awkwardly made his way ashore.

Fearing members of the Red Center Gang might be waiting on the shore, he dared not walk straight, but instead took a long detour, choosing the least crowded areas before returning to Windhaven Harbor. By this time, the deafening roar had already attracted many onlookers. Castor dared not be careless; he removed his hat and tore off a piece of clothing with his teeth to cover his face.

Although it's suspicious, avoiding crowds is the best approach.

"Rams is one thing, but if even Ilyin is killed, this place is bound to change drastically..."

Staying here at this point is the worst possible option; we must leave immediately!

He sneaked into the stable, mounted a horse, and galloped off in the direction of leaving the city.

After years of hard work and experience, Castor had developed a keen sense of smell. When he sensed the impending collapse, he wouldn't hesitate for a second to flee. America was a big country; as long as he could leave Windhaven, he could find a place to settle down for a while, wait for the storm to pass, and then come out to make money again. It was simply a matter of starting all over again.

People are the foundation of all endeavors; as long as people are alive, one cannot fall!

……

"boom!"

A bullet came from a distance and grazed the horse's leg.

At the top of a water tower in the distance, Xiaomei rested her rifle on the iron railing to cushion the impact, skillfully pulled the bolt, and ejected the bullet.

The horse wasn't familiar with Castor to begin with, and when it was hit like that, it immediately reared up and threw him off its back.

"What? No...no!"

Castor didn't even care about the pain. He couldn't leave on foot; the horse was his only hope of escape. "Don't go!"

……

The horse ignored him and galloped away quickly, disappearing from sight.

But the figure that slowly emerged from the trees almost made his heart stop.

"This doesn't make sense. There were sixty-two soldiers on that ship! How could you be so fast..."

Zhang Renfeng tilted his head and laughed with utter disdain, “In military campaigns, once morale collapses, they’re nothing but sixty-two rats. I’d crush them all.”

"Speaking of which, I remember you told me a little story before, right? Three children, a stack of peanuts, you asked two of them to write an essay, and the last one to judge it. You told me..."

"Authority equals power? I don't think so."

Zhang Renfeng walked slowly over, and with a clang, the Fish Intestine Sword was drawn from its sheath and held in his hand as if he were holding a piece of crystal-clear moonlight.

He gave a victorious smile, raised his hand, and pointed the tip of his sword into the distance.

The ship is burning in the harbor, on the sea.

That flag, large enough to cover an entire area, also turned to ashes in the flames.

He declared emphatically, "Power Is Power."

Chapter 312: I'm beyond saving, why turn back? (Third update today!)

Orlock was the last to know the news. By the time he ran out, the area around the dock was already crowded with people.

After finally squeezing in, the scene he witnessed shocked him: Castor, the once high-ranking official in Windhaven, was now bound hand and foot, walking in a sorry state like a prisoner.

As a top-notch lackey, Orlock's prediction of the situation was perfect. While everyone else was still confused, he had already drawn the correct conclusion from many details.

Castor is going to fall. Even his backer, Ilyn Payne, has been taken down by the Red Center gang. Things will change drastically here very soon.

As expected of a top-tier lackey, even his awareness is top-tier.

While people were still hesitant, he had already started shouting at the top of his lungs, "Cast has been arrested! Caster has been arrested!"

In an instant, the stone stirred up a thousand waves, and people realized the situation and burst into a loud cheer.

"Looks like you're not very popular here," Zhang Renfeng teased. "That guy was under your wing, wasn't he? He betrayed you the moment he saw you lose power."

“Ha… I don’t know where your hometown is, Mr. Red. But the houses there must all be made of gingerbread, and the rivers must be flowing with blackberry wine.” Castor’s face showed an indescribable expression. People like him, who walk the gray area and seek power by pleasing the big shots, can be said to be walking a tightrope all their lives. “This is the end for any power holder who loses power.”

He had imagined many scenarios of failure, but reality was often more ironic; he was defeated by sheer "power."

He was paraded around the streets and then taken to his former office, which, of course, would soon no longer belong to him.

The office, which had once seemed spacious and even somewhat empty, was now packed with people and felt rather crowded. Besides the members of the Red Center gang, Gwen was also present. She sat in a chair relatively close to the corner, trying to remain calm as much as possible, but her slightly trembling right hand betrayed her.

With a "thump," the chief closed the door, shutting out the noise from the outside world.

“Looks like I’m still somewhat useful.” Castor’s eyes darted around, but he asked politely, “May I sit down?”

Zhang Renfeng nodded slightly to him, and he slowly pulled out a chair, just as he had done when they first met, and sat down.

"To make a long story short, the name." Zhang Renfeng tossed him a notebook and a pen. "This thing was found in your safe. It only shows the amounts, but not the transaction partners. I know you're just a dog working for rich people, but even dogs have owners, right?"

"Write down your master's name, and I can give you a dignified death."

Castor looked at him calmly, a hint of disbelief in his eyes.

Facing imminent death, he actually laughed.

“And then?” Castor countered. “Suppose I really did give you a list, what would you do? Use your real ‘power’ to kill them one by one?”

“That’s not your concern.” Zhang Renfeng lowered his voice slightly. “Let me remind you again, this isn’t a request, and I have no interest in hearing your story.”

"no name."

Caster gently set the pen aside, his gaze mocking him, as if to say, "Finally, there's something you can't do with your fists." "Or rather, I don't know their 'names.' You think too highly of me, Red Center. Here, I'm the undisputed agent, but in their eyes... I'm just an insignificant nobody, not worthy of doing business directly with them."

"They make their requests, and I customize the corresponding products according to their requests, that's all."

"The merchandise!?" Gwen finally couldn't hold back any longer, clenching her teeth, her voice trembling with anger, "You bunch of bastards!"

“We communicate by letter, and the mailing address is a long-abandoned church. The requirement is that it be clearly written on the letter, and that’s it.”

"Where's the letter?" Xiaomei pressed.

“Read and then destroy, leaving no trace.” Castor shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. “You see, the workings of power are not as simple as you think.”

"You've temporarily destroyed the vessel of power, which is already quite remarkable. But power itself is intangible; they'll soon erect a new vessel to replace Ilyn Payne. And if there's a need, they might even erect a new brothel owner to replace me..."

Castor had no complaints about the result; instead, he smiled and accepted it readily.

From the moment he stepped into the game of thrones, he knew that defeat was inevitable. The earth would keep turning no matter who was gone.