Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"what----!"

"No...don't come any closer, you are..."

"Aren't you one of us? Why?!"

"boom!"

"Ooh... Lululu..."

……

Chaos erupted in the bushes, gunshots rang out everywhere, but it was clear that the shots were fired haphazardly, like headless flies firing indiscriminately.

"What's going on?" Calaway was also confused, but in any case, the enemy's utter defeat relieved him. "He's back?"

“No, it wasn’t him.” Mike shook his head firmly. “If it were him, the commotion wouldn’t have been so small. Trees, rocks, and people would all be flying by now.”

But without a doubt, even if it wasn't Zhang Renfeng, something was rapidly reaping the lives of Pinkerton detectives. The screams and wails gradually subsided, and the bushes returned to silence—a deathly stillness, the dappled shadows of the trees seeming to have become death itself.

A Pinkerton detective, dragging his injured body, crawled on the ground with all his might, inching his way out, his face filled with terror.

"Help... help..."

He even appealed to Mike and Calaway for help.

A figure gracefully stepped out from behind him, bent down as if to pick up something from the ground, and gently slit his throat with a dagger.

"laugh--!"

Blood gushed out like sweet wine, and the poor fellow, having gushed out all his blood, breathed his last.

“You are…” Mike murmured.

“Yes, we’ve met.” Angel Eyes smiled, wiping the blood from his gloves and sheathing his dagger. “In that thick fog.”

“I’ve been following you for a long time.”

Chapter 320: I'll keep an eye on you...

"Oh it's you."

Mike rubbed his aching back. Objectively speaking, Angel Eyes had indeed saved his life, but it had also caused him to fall from the horse and crash heavily to the ground. For a man in his fifties, his body was indeed quite robust; such a fall only resulted in a sprain, and he would recover in a few weeks.

Theon once said that he met Angel Eyes in Scar Village, and the two traveled together for a while before parting ways when the wind blew sand.

Bounty hunters like Angel Eye, who don't form groups but operate alone, can't be lured away by ordinary wanted posters and bounties. He's like a shark, smelling blood from afar and striking silently to devour and tear his prey to shreds!

It now appears that the big order he was chasing was for Hongzhong.

He followed the trail left by his group, from Windblown Sands to Sparrow Mountain, to White Torch Town, and then to Saint Quintak... Thinking about it carefully, it was terrifying that such a skilled assassin had been lurking around him all along, at least within the range of a revolver!

He can save himself, and he can kill himself.

What's even more terrifying is that Angel Eyes' appearance is so peculiar that it's almost impossible to forget him after seeing him just once, yet Mike has absolutely no recollection of him! While monitoring the Red Group, he has the ability to never show himself in front of them even once.

“I think I should say thank you first, but I really don’t understand…” Mike remained wary of his “savior,” pointing his gun at the unfortunate man whose throat had been slit. “What’s going on here? Aren’t you with them?”

"How about I take this as my pledge of allegiance?" A cold wind blew, and Angel Eyes' dark brown coat fluttered in the wind like a rustling cloak, making the smile on his lips even more mysterious. "I want to join."

……

Behind those unusual eyes seemed to be something far greater. Old Mike couldn't find the words to describe it; he could only instinctively feel as if he were standing in a desolate wasteland, looking up at the sky, where countless stars were embedded in the night sky, and he could truly feel how insignificant his own existence was.

Just looking him in the eyes takes more effort than for an average person.

“Sorry,” Mike shook his head, “No.”

"Wait a minute, don't rush off!" Calaway quickly interrupted, grabbing Mike's arm and pulling him aside.

Angel Eyes didn't move an inch, a pleasant smile on his face, just watching the two discuss, as if he were watching a grand show.

"What's wrong with you, Elan? We need manpower right now, don't we? Putting aside everything else, our camp has been discovered by Pinkertons, and they'll definitely send more men. Just moving all that stuff, the two of us can't possibly move it all!"

“I can’t let someone I know absolutely nothing join us,” Mike reasoned. “Besides, he was originally a bounty hunter, and he’s at odds with gangs like ours. Now he suddenly changes his identity and says he wants to join… doesn’t that seem a bit strange?”

"What's so strange about that? We were both members of the Jack Gang. After the gang was wiped out, you became a mounted policeman, and I became a sheriff. Now we've jumped back in and become members of the Red Center Gang, haven't we?" Calaway said nonchalantly. "Cowboy, wandering gunman, bounty hunter—no matter what your identity is, as long as you have a job, joining a gang to make a living is perfectly normal, isn't it?"

“That might be true for other gangs, but not here.” Mike shook his head and firmly refused. “Red Center is Red Center, and other gangs are other gangs. They’re not comparable.”

“In the beginning, there were only three people in this gang: me, Hongzhong, and Xiaomei. We met Alana in Scar Village. She helped us take down Tuku, so it was only natural that she joined us.”

“Igor helped us take down the Wolf Shepherd Gang. During the train hijacking, he was also the first to discover the safe under the carpet, which can be considered as providing the gang with a batch of start-up capital. He was personally recruited by Red Center, and there seems to be some other agreement between the two of them, which is naturally beyond question.”

“Theon joined later, and it seems like he has nothing to do with us, but his brother Leon was a gold prospector who used to roam the Grey Wolf Mountains. He was killed by the Thunderfury Gang, and he vowed to take revenge on the Zola El family, which is why he joined the Red Center Gang.”

"Then there's the chief, who was also recruited by Red Zhong in the big city. I fought boxing matches with him. As for you... to be honest, Red Zhong doesn't really know you that well. The reason you were able to join us was largely because I acted as your guarantor, and you also fought alongside us in the battle to wipe out Angelo."

"As for peripheral members like Evelyn and Jimmy, they were all personally recruited by Red Center and each has their own expertise in a certain field."

After going through the process once, Calaway understood the intricacies of it without Mike explaining further.

Unlike the Thunder Gang, the Red Center Gang doesn't accept just any lowlifes. Those who commit heinous crimes and have lost their humanity are not welcome here. Because the Red Center Gang is not lacking in fighting power, even if it were just Zhang Renfeng alone, wiping out Angelo's Italian gang would only take a little time, and he could do it just as well.

Rather than being a gang member, he longed for a group of like-minded companions to spend countless long nights with him in this foreign land.

“We don’t have the final say on this,” Mike said in a deep voice. “At the very least, we have to wait for Ego to come back from town and let him see…”

“He’s not coming back,” Angel Eyes suddenly said.

----

"Have you been listening the whole time?" Mike turned around, his eyes narrowed, and his tone became somewhat unfriendly. "That's not a good habit."

“Sorry, my five senses… are slightly stronger than the average person.” Angel Eyes pointed to his ears and eyes, still smiling warmly. “The Ego you’re talking about, is he the dwarf who always stays at the camp, in charge of logistics and supplies?”

"What's wrong with him?" Calaway had already sensed something was wrong and quickly asked.

“That man’s full name is Igorinacio Zolael.” Angel Eyes’ tone was calm, with a hint of something shocking. “He is the current manager of the Thunder Fury Gang in New Orleans and New Elizabeth, also known as, [Mule].

……

The moment the secret was revealed, Mike's emotions were complex. Deep down, he wasn't surprised at all. In fact, one could say he was mentally prepared for this outcome. Mike had witnessed how Ego swiftly acted after Wendigo was killed by Zhang Renfeng, seizing the power vacuum to quickly oversee everything and install Dunn, the puppet, as mayor.

Without the backing of a powerful force, it would have been impossible to execute this series of coordinated attacks! As for the "circus dwarf" thing, it's best to just laugh it off. Even Caloway, who had just joined, didn't take it seriously.

Putting everything else aside, would a circus dwarf really be able to cook so many dishes? They probably can't even read a single word.

He sighed.

"How do you know about this?" Calaway asked suspiciously.

“As I said before,” Angel Eyes smiled, “I have been observing you for a long time.”

Chapter 321: Are you also the Great Sage of Balancing Accounts?

"Waaaaah...Where am I...Huh?!"

Jimmy slowly regained consciousness, quickly transitioning from confusion to panic. He found himself in an unfamiliar train carriage, with darkness outside the window. His memory of that middle section was completely cut off; he had no recollection of it whatsoever.

He tried to move around a bit, but almost bumped his head on the table. Only then did he realize that his hands were tied together, which intensified his fear.

Fortunately, a familiar voice came from the seat next to him.

“You slept quite a long time.” Igor turned around, his head, noticeably larger than normal, looked rather terrifying in the shadows of the carriage. “…Anyway, all I can say is, welcome.”

……

"This...this doesn't make any sense at all..."

Although Igor intentionally omitted Laro's vivid description of the red imported fire ants in his retelling, it still terrified Jimmy.

He trembled all over, even his lips were shaking. Just imagine how ruthless Tuku had become; what kind of monster would his brother, Lalo, be? Such a monster had now personally accused him of treason; what good could possibly come of him? He feared that even death would be a luxury.

"In all honesty, how could I possibly betray Tuku? There was this guy who took $5 to buy alcohol and got beaten to death. If I betrayed him, wouldn't that be asking for a quick death? He didn't leak any information to me either. The thing I did most in the Thunder Fury Gang was help him dispose of the stolen goods, but that was all!"

"I've never even heard of this moonshine camp he mentioned! Tuku may be ruthless, but he's not brainless. Why would he tell an outsider like me about the family's core business?!"

“I know, I know.” Igor made a gesture to lower his voice. “This matter of the moonshine camp has nothing to do with you.”

"You're willing to believe me?" Jimmy's surprise turned to delight. "Then... can you help me explain to Laro?"

Igor sighed. "I did it."

Jimmy's face turned ashen, as if he had swallowed a fly, and he was about to unleash a vulgar curse.

With his intelligence, how could he not understand the intricacies of the situation: Laro and Igor were blood brothers. He wanted to protect Igor, but someone had to take the blame for these things, so he, who had business dealings with Tuku, became the best candidate.

When a person dies, all debts are wiped clean. Once a person dies, all these debts are naturally wiped clean, and no one can investigate them anymore.

"Looks like I'm doomed, sigh... I planned everything, but I couldn't stop this day from coming!"

Jimmy was completely devastated and collapsed onto the table, his eyes filled with despair.

Even before I got involved in gang business, helping them sell stolen goods and do shady accounting, this hidden fear had been lingering in my heart.

He didn't understand the idiom "to seek help from a tiger," but the ruthlessness of the Thunder Gang deeply shocked this lawyer from the civilized world. If it were a matter of self-interest, he was confident he could persuade most rational people. But the problem was, in the world these people lived in, rationality didn't play a significant role; instead, it was filled with the violence of the survival of the fittest.

Compared to them, Hong Zhong, who was willing to give gold to the poor, was more worthy of his following.

That night, Jimmy took only seven steps before making the decision—to join the Red Center gang and seek their protection. He knew very well that when that day truly came, he couldn't rely on anyone, and no amount of money could buy his life. Only this person would be willing to come and save him.

Subsequent events involving Hong Zhonggan further confirmed this point; he was not someone who would stand idly by and ignore the weak.

But no matter how much he planned, he never expected that something would go wrong on his side while Hong Zhong was heading to Fengxi Port, and he was captured by La Luo! Jimmy didn't doubt that Hong Zhong would come to rescue him, but the problem was that by the time Hong Zhong arrived, he would probably already be beheaded.

“Don’t make that face, it’s not over yet,” Igor said in a deep voice. “We are now heading to the southernmost core of America—Ronma Town, the birthplace of the Zolael family. There will be many opportunities along the way.”

"Your current situation is largely due to me... I will do everything in my power to ensure you are not killed by them."

“Guarantee? What guarantee do you have? You’re his own brother, and I’m just a lawyer who talks a good game. What are you going to do? Sue him?!”—These words circled in Jimmy’s mouth several times, but in the end, he didn’t say them. He just let out a long sigh.

What's the point? In the current situation, he's the only one who can stand by my side.

"Then... I'll leave it to you, Mr. Zolael..."

Jimmy slumped back onto the table, took a few deep breaths, held his breath, and tried to rest for a while. He also needed to calm down and accept his situation.

"Boss Hongzhong..." He could only grit his teeth and pray silently, "Please come back soon!"

----

"Ah!"

Zhang Renfeng was somewhat skeptical, because he rarely sneezed. In his memory, apart from a serious illness when he was nine years old, he seemed to have never been sick. His master told him that this was called "carrying out," meaning that as his body grew, some lesions were completely eradicated, and he would never have a recurrence in his life.

Under the night sky, with its faint starlight, everyone in the carriage was wrapped in blankets and sleeping soundly.

The chief sat at the front of the carriage, driving the six-horse chariot with ease. Ahead was another carriage, driven by Theon.

They were not far from Baiju Town, so they decided to travel day and night to reach their destination as soon as possible.

At the rear of the vehicle, a bright kerosene lamp shone, its light casting flickering shadows on the road, giving it a weathered and worn appearance.

Gwen wasn't asleep. Leaning against the edge of the car, she stared blankly at the dark night road, lost in thought. The night wind tousled her hair, creating a disheveled yet indescribable beauty.

"Aren't you going to rest?" Zhang Renfeng asked in a low voice, afraid of disturbing the other passengers.

After completely destroying Custer's business, the girls inside, who were barely clothed, naturally had nowhere to go.

As expected, upon asking, most of these girls, like Gwen, were abducted from various places and were all quite young.

They were constantly subjected to Castor's coercion and abuse, and with a terrifying guy like Rams around, they had no way to resist. But the will to survive is like a seed; even when pressed down by stones, one year, two years... as long as the stones are removed and they come into contact with air, sunlight, and water, they will immediately sprout.

Zhang Renfeng couldn't just leave them alone. After discussing it with his companions, he spent money to buy two horse-drawn carriages for hauling goods in Fengxi Port and brought them all back to Baiju Town.

To send them all home, the Red Center Gang alone is definitely not enough; we must rely on the police force.

The two freight wagons were now incredibly crowded, and the girls could only huddle together, leaning against each other, barely managing to fall asleep. Even so, this sleep was much more restful than any of their nights in the red house.

Chapter 322: Your Home Was Robbed

“…It’s nothing.” Gwen smoothed her long hair, pursed her lips slightly, and looked at the stars in the sky. “I was just thinking about what to do next.”

“Going home,” Zhang Renfeng replied matter-of-factly. “Going back to where we came from.”

“Going home is fine, but… no one’s waiting for me there.” Gwen’s smile carried a hint of melancholy in the night wind. “My father died in the war. I don’t remember if he served in the Confederate or the Union Army, but the outcome was the same. No certificates, no medals, no pension, not even ashes. He just vanished from the world.”

"After that, my mother was devastated. She kept waiting for news of my father, and finally she did. Then one day, she suddenly fell ill with some unknown disease and passed away."

Gwen pulled a thin black newspaper clipping from deep inside her pocket. She had touched it countless times, and the surface was already starting to fade.

She stared at the clipping and murmured, "At that time, I understood that some people live their whole lives on some kind of obsession. It's better not to untie that kind of obsession, because once it's untied, the end of life is not far away."