Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Calaway had traveled far and wide and seen a lot of the world, but his hand remained on the gun handle. He silently vowed that if this guy approached him or showed any ill intentions, he would draw his gun and blow his head off!

However, this deformed man simply stood quietly in the crowd. Those around him seemed long accustomed to his presence and showed no surprise.

"Welcome, outsiders, although... we don't have much to offer you here." The old man sighed and slowly turned around. Only then did Zhang Renfeng notice his unusual feature—one of his shoulders was higher than the other, and on the higher shoulder was a protrusion like a camel's hump, which was only noticeable when he stood sideways.

Because of this strange thing, he couldn't straighten his arm, and the way he helped the hunter up was different from ordinary people.

"As you can see, we are cursed, and this is our fate... Soon, the curse will spread, and even the people in the town will not be able to escape it."

"A curse?" Zhang Renfeng was still skeptical, but seeing this group of strange people, he had no choice but to believe it. "Are you sure it's a curse?"

"...They're inside my body!" The hunter named Lemuel, seemingly triggered by something, suddenly began to struggle wildly and lunged at Zhang Renfeng, shouting, "They're inside my body!"

A frenzied energy emanated from him, and somehow, he suddenly broke free like a mad dog and pounced on Zhang Renfeng. In that instant, the man with the bizarre appearance, resembling a divine apostle from the neck down, stepped forward and seized him.

“Oh, thank you, Baum…” The village chief breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to him. “Put him at the back of the village. When that person comes to the village, let him treat him.”

Despite his deformed body, Baum possessed considerable strength. He hoisted the hunter's body onto his shoulders. The loose, flabby flesh then slumped down as he walked towards the scattered houses at the village entrance.

"That person?" Zhang Renfeng caught the key phrase again. "Who is that person? Can your current symptoms really be cured?"

“You are all outsiders. Leave before the curse befalls you.” The village chief refused to say more, simply shaking his head and turning away, making a dismissive gesture. “We will all melt into the dark curse… it’s only a matter of time.”

Zhang Renfeng could clearly sense that the old village chief, who wore a one-shoulder top, knew some hidden secrets, but was unwilling to tell them.

Darkness, curse—there must be something else behind this. At least, the hunter himself said that the miners disturbed something slumbering in the vein, which caused this situation.

In his hometown, there's a saying about "startling Tai Sui," but at most, it just means that the person who disturbed Tai Sui is having a bad year. I've never heard of it bringing bad luck to an entire village, or even the animals. What kind of deity could be so malevolent?

After a moment's thought, he made his decision.

……

"Seriously, man?" Mike was almost laughing in exasperation. "There were only four of us to begin with, and we were already clenching our fists and missing a finger. Now you want to split it in half again? Seriously... I don't deny you're a good guy, but isn't this going a bit too far?"

"To put it bluntly, there are countless sick people in the world who need help. Can you possibly help them all? Let's be realistic and focus our attention on those who need our help—that's the right way!"

From a rational point of view, what he said is completely correct.

But deep down, somewhere within him, a voice reminded him that he couldn't ignore the eerie little village before him.

“Calm down, Il Ilan,” Angel Eyes spoke for the first time, joining the gang’s discussion. “You’re not looking at this from a holistic perspective.”

"Can you speak English?" Mike looked completely bewildered.

"In this world, nothing and no one can exist independently of the whole. They influence and are interconnected."

Angel Eyes calmly added, "Similarly, there must be some connection between the current state of this village and our ultimate goal. It's like a jigsaw puzzle; once you find the outline, you can piece it together to create a complete picture."

"So, we traveled all this way just to listen to these weird-looking guys muttering some kind of dark curse or something?" Mike stared with dead fish eyes. "If you want to hear supernatural tales, you don't need to cross the Heart of the Earth; just find any tavern."

“This is not a curse.” Angel Eyes shook his head with great certainty. “It may be some kind of special disease… but I can assure you, there is no curse.”

"Throughout history, humankind has always liked to use the name of gods to do many terrible things."

"Maybe it will be the same this time."

Chapter 330: The Child

The journey from the village to the town was only a short distance, but it gave Zhang Renfeng a completely different feeling, as if he had entered another world.

The towering mountains in the distance are the legendary Fortress Mountains. They stand on the ground like a solid fortress, blocking people's hopes of crossing them.

Ultimately, Numa Town was originally a single entity, but later, with the expansion of the Nulei Gang, it grew too large.

Some hunters who made their living by hunting separated from the town for convenience and built a simple village on the side closer to the forest. Over time, the village gradually developed and could stably supply fur, game, and timber to Numa Town. However, this sudden disease temporarily severed the connection between the two.

Angel Eyes had his own way of doing things, and Zhang Renfeng didn't force him to work with him. In fact, he felt much more relaxed without those magical eyes watching him.

When it comes to intelligence gathering, Zhang Renfeng couldn't imagine anywhere more suitable than the local taverns. Especially in Numa Town, a place teeming with all sorts of people, the taverns must be teeming with intelligence exchange.

He knew very well that the deeper he went, the less information he could get.

Further in, in Tianma Town and Rongma Town, would undoubtedly be the core members of the Angry Thunder Gang, naturally wary of outsiders. Especially since they were yellow-skinned, this unchangeable difference in appearance instantly heightened their vigilance. Unless they kidnapped a high-ranking person and subjected them to severe torture...

Zhang Renfeng was unwilling to do this unless absolutely necessary.

He had no mercy for the enemy, but interrogation was extremely unpredictable.

If this were his home turf, he could take his time, patiently working on it for a month, like training a hawk, and eventually recruit people. But Numa Town is someone else's territory; he doesn't have that time or the luxury of that.

“This is a completely different place from the village we just visited…” Zhang Renfeng remarked as he rode his horse and observed the surroundings.

The town's population was almost comparable to that of the largest city he had ever seen, Saint Quintac.

People walked, rode horses, and pulled carts. Each went their own way, creating a strange order amidst the chaos and noise. Despite the large number of people on the street, no one bumped into anyone. It was he, the outsider, who couldn't quite adapt to the rhythm, riding his horse aimlessly and frequently drawing disapproving looks from others.

But no one really did anything to him; the atmosphere of someone who would kill at the slightest provocation seemed to be just a rumor circulating in the mountains.

Humans are ultimately social animals; when there are many people, rules will emerge.

Whether it's in writing, a clear regulation, or something everyone understands implicitly, it will definitely exist. Caster has already demonstrated this in Windhaven. To maintain a group of more than ten people, a certain degree of rules for the distribution of benefits must be established; otherwise, the group will self-destruct at an extremely rapid pace.

Even the most powerful gangs only show their fists when someone breaks the rules.

"At least the people here seem healthy on the surface. Unlike those strange-looking guys in that village..."

The thought of Baum's deformed skin and body sent chills down Zhang Renfeng's spine. Yet, he could also sense that beneath that exterior, perhaps he wasn't a bad person; at least when the hunter lost control, he was willing to help him stop him.

Thinking about this made me even sadder.

The so-called dark curse ceased to take effect after only a few dozen meters, which seems somewhat ironic.

"Tavern, tavern..."

Looking around, they didn't see the tavern, but they spotted two suspicious-looking children, no more than six or seven years old, dressed in tattered clothes and wearing toy masks. One of them carried a wooden stick, and the other a metal tube, which they seemed to have taken from somewhere. The two peeked out from the opposite corner of the street, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then hurriedly darted across the road.

Perhaps because the masks were obstructing their vision, one of them tripped and fell with a thud into the mud.

"What are you doing?! Get up now!" His companion was clearly very annoyed that he always messed things up, but he still reached out and pulled him up from the mud. "Hurry up, don't make me miss it this time too!"

"Wait for me..."

When people are under great tension, they subconsciously ignore their surroundings. Just like now, they didn't realize that Zhang Renfeng had quietly dismounted and was following behind them.

As Zhang Renfeng navigated through the complex alleyways, he heard a series of "bang" sounds. Undoubtedly, these were the sounds made when someone was repeatedly beating a person with a stick-like object.

He felt incredibly fortunate, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his face. Sure enough, the orderly facade was just a facade; he hadn't expected to uncover the true nature of Numa Town so quickly. And the fact that they'd hired such young children as thugs was enough to prove that the mastermind behind it all was utterly wicked!

……

"Ah! Stop...stop hitting me...who are you people? I'll tell you everything, just ask me whatever you want, don't ask me what I'm saying..."

The exceptionally pitiful wails froze Zhang Renfeng's smile on his face.

Because he discovered that, apart from the guy lying on the ground with a bruised and swollen face, none of the people who had attacked him were adults!

At least, none of them had the height of an adult.

Their masks and clothes were tattered and torn, as if they had been cobbled together from somewhere. The weapons they carried were mostly blunt instruments, and there was even a child holding a broom, which was clearly brought from home.

The two groups stared at each other for a long time. Zhang Renfeng was a little embarrassed, so he pointed in the direction of the alley entrance and said, "Well, I'm looking for a tavern nearby. Does anyone know where it is?"

"what--!!!"

One of the children, perhaps still hot-blooded from the fight and not yet calmed down, grabbed a wooden stick with nails and swung it at Zhang Renfeng's head without distinguishing friend from foe!

In that instant, his eyes changed.

After all, they were in the heart of enemy territory, and anyone, whether a child or not, could become their enemy. Zhang Renfeng never underestimated children, because "the elderly, children, Taoist priests, and women" were the four taboos in martial arts, especially here. Anyone with the strength to pull the trigger could become his killer!

"boom!"

He assumed a fighting stance, his five fingers pressed together, and with a hawk-like peck, he delivered a fatal blow.

The boy, who looked no taller than ten, was immediately made to stand at attention, his body straight, before collapsing to the ground with a "thud." He had subconsciously held back a little force, not killing him on the spot, but the surrounding children, unable to tell the difference, immediately screamed.

"Kala, he killed Kala—!!"

"Boss, what should we do?"

A good leader would never let his subordinates ask such a question, and this small team was no exception.

She hesitated for only a moment before letting out a loud shout and swinging the long wooden stick in her hand, which was as sharp as a sword, at Zhang Renfeng!

Chapter 331: I'm Born with Divine Strength!

Zhang Renfeng grabbed the long wooden stick that was wielding the wind with force. The force was not enough to make him show any expression. He simply twisted his wrist and gave it a backhand twist!

"Click——!!"

The wooden stick was immediately snapped in two, and the spiraling force, acting as a conductor, was transmitted to the girl's arm, as if placing it in a meat grinder to be crushed! At the critical moment, her fighting instincts sent a chill down her spine. She immediately dropped the wooden stick and leaped into the air, performing a beautiful backflip to avoid the terrifying force.

A cracking sound rang out, and the wooden stick was completely shredded!

"A monster..."

In her mind, an image of an animal called a crocodile flashed through her mind. It is said that they rely not only on bite force, but also on the strength of their entire body to quickly spin around after biting the limbs of their prey, tearing that part of the limb from the prey's body. This move is called the death roll.

At least, just now, for a fraction of a second, she felt like she had escaped from the jaws of a crocodile.

But it's not over yet.

A hand, seemingly cast in iron, suddenly loomed large in her vision. Just as she was about to land after her backflip and hadn't yet regained her balance, Zhang Renfeng pressed down on her, slamming his palm into her face. Using his arm as a fulcrum, he slammed her entire body to the ground!

"boom!!"

There was no room for resistance; she was completely suppressed. The touch of that hand was so solid that even a light press, without any force, could cause cracks to appear on the surface of the mask. With a "crack," the mask shattered, and the girl's chestnut-colored hair scattered, falling onto the somewhat cold stone bricks.

Pressed down by Zhang Renfeng with one hand, she lay flat on the ground. She tried to resist, but it was utterly futile. It felt as if the hand pressing against her face wasn't a human hand, but an anvil. If she tried to force it any further, she would break her nose.

The girl's eyes were somewhat vacant, as if she couldn't believe that she had been defeated so easily. She bit her lip, her expression full of resentment, and then forcefully closed her eyes again.

"Damn little bastard... damn it..." The gangster who had been getting beaten up caught his breath, got up, spat out a mouthful of blood, and successfully pulled out his revolver. He said viciously, "Don't move! Take off your masks! You know what the consequences will be if you dare to attack a gang member!"

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse, exceeding the children's ability to handle it. Coupled with the capture of their leader, they all seemed to freeze in place, as if their computers had crashed.

“And you, Logan’s little brat…” The man’s fingers were injured, and he tried several times to turn the hammer, but couldn’t. “This time, you won’t get away with this. I’ll make Logan give me an explanation!”

"Go to hell, you bastard!" the girl said viciously.

"Excuse me, what's the matter between you two?" Zhang Renfeng looked at the man and asked curiously, "Do you owe them money?"

"I don't know! What business is it of these kids? Damn it, you think you're Logan just because you have a broken stick? You're miles behind!"

……

"He hit Sister Mansa!" a quick-witted child immediately exclaimed. "He broke three of her ribs and knocked out one of her teeth, but Sister Mansa didn't do anything! Everyone knows he likes to hit people randomly when he's drunk!"

"..." Zhang Renfeng's smile faded, and he slowly released his hand from the girl's face. He turned to look at the man and asked for confirmation, "Is that so?"

"Ha, what's it to you? If you're not happy, you can go to the police station and report it. Let's see if you can even walk in there." The man glared at him sideways, spat out the blood from the corner of his mouth, and sneered. He made a gesture with the gun in his hand to shoo away flies. "Get lost, you yellow-skinned bastard. Bullet casings don't have eyes. Be careful, one of them might miss and fly into your head."

Without any hesitation, Zhang Renfeng got up and walked towards him.

The man's expression changed, seemingly not expecting the other party to be so uncooperative. He quickly raised his gun, struggling to crank the hammer while threatening, "What do you want to do... No, don't come any closer! I'm warning you, I'm a member of the Thunder Fury Gang, I'm Mr. Rancho's man!"

"If you dare lay a hand on me in this place, you'll die a horrible death..."

"Click!"

Finally, his limp fingers managed to press the hammer. A faint smile finally appeared on the man's lips, which were bruised and swollen from the beating.

But then, a flash of silver light, and before he could fire the bullet, his right hand, which had been with him for decades, said goodbye.

"laugh--"

How to avoid attracting attention with gunshots? It's simple, just don't let him fire.

Zhang Renfeng's approach was to sever his entire hand, along with the gun, with his sword. The Fish Intestine Sword was extremely light and thin; after a clean and swift arc, his right hand flew out. He was stunned for a moment, only feeling the excruciating pain after watching the blood spurt out.

"Ughh ...

"Boom!!"

Before he could finish shouting, Zhang Renfeng slightly protruded the side of his thumb and delivered a powerful swinging blow, striking him squarely in the temple.

With a muffled thud, his words were instantly cut off. The force traveled from his brain, shattering his meridians. In that instant, the man's heart pounded like a drum, a sign that his heart had been blocked. Soon, the man's eyes became bloodshot, as if all the bones in his body had been removed. He leaned forward and fell to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

This nameless nobody left this world quietly.

"Sorry, it was a misunderstanding. I thought you were doing something bad." Zhang Renfeng pointed to the child who had been knocked unconscious by the eagle's peck. "He's fine. He'll wake up in a little while. You should leave quickly too. Go back to a safe place and exchange your statements. That way, you can testify to each other if anyone asks."

After saying this, he turned to leave without the slightest hesitation.