Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Despite being mentally prepared, Mike and Calaway were still greatly shocked by what they saw.

The chief was also a Native American, but he dressed normally when traveling with the group. He wore a simple shirt, vest, and jacket, and rolled up his sleeves for ease of movement in the wild, but that was all. Unless you got close and looked closely at his skin, you couldn't tell he was a Native American.

But this guy in front of me is dressed like a flamboyant flamingo!

He wore a hat made entirely of animal feathers, his face was painted with various colors, he wore a necklace of animal teeth, and held a large pipe. The only thing worth praising in this scene was perhaps his lung capacity... He sang a bear song while taking a couple of puffs of his pipe, and the song didn't even stop.

It was completely dark when he arrived at the village. He lit torches, sang and danced, and cast his huge shadow over the poor hunter.

The other villagers also came out of their houses, remaining silent and standing at a distance, watching the scene unfold.

Finally, the song ended, and the Native American dance came to a close. He wiped the sweat from his brow, waved his hand, and said, "The darkness within this man has been temporarily removed. Take him back to my sanctuary."

No one was willing to take on this patient.

Finally, Baum again took the initiative to get up, carry him, and walk towards the so-called "sanctuary"—which was similar to an ordinary house, except that there was a wooden frame in the shape of the letter A in front of the door, and a graffiti of a pair of hummingbirds with outstretched wings on the door.

"Master, is our village still... shrouded in a curse?" a villager asked cautiously.

“Of course, my friend, of course!” The Indian, known as the Master, closed his eyes slightly, spread his arms, and the firelight illuminated the patterns on his face, giving him a truly divine air. “I have opened my spiritual eyes and seen everything, I have seen the darkness that shrouds the village… and death!”

These words caused widespread panic, like a flickering flame.

"Sure enough, I knew it!"

"We are the unfortunate outcasts, God, God has abandoned us..."

"This morning, I saw a goat stand up and walk along the riverbank! It must be the embodiment of Satan!"

……

Amidst the chaotic shadows, the village chief, wearing a one-shoulder top, appeared exceptionally small. He didn't join in this storm of self-destruction; he simply stood in the shadows, watching everyone with a complex, indifferent gaze.

"Don't worry, my friends!"

The master raised his arms and shouted, "God has not abandoned you, but this land. This land is infested with demons. As long as you leave this place and transfer the land to someone else, there is still a chance to win it back. This is the method I have been telling you. Unfortunately, some stubborn people... just won't accept my good intentions. My... ah!"

Halfway through his sentence, the master suddenly stumbled forward and fell face-first to the ground.

"Who is it? Who is it! Who dares to disobey the messenger of God..."

Before he could even get up, something even more powerful than divine light pressed against his forehead. His expression instantly shifted from defiant to one of utter terror.

There was an exclamation from the crowd.

“What a cliché… ‘Master,’ compared to the con artists in the big cities, you’re just a child playing house, yet you manage to fool so many people.” Calaway pointed the gun at his head and sneered, “Who sent you?”

“No, it’s…it’s God, God sent me!” The master twisted his body, insisting, “I received guidance from a deity. He…he told me that this land is cursed. In that forest…there are thirteen wooden talismans, those are the incarnations of evil spirits! It’s absolutely true, if you don’t believe me, you can see for yourselves!”

As they said this, everyone turned their heads and looked toward the dense forest not far away.

Under the filter of the firelight, the branches and trunks seemed to become grotesque and twisted.

“A charm?” Mike frowned. “You mean, there are 13 things hanging on the branches of trees in that forest over there?”

"It's true." A villager raised his hand in agreement, his voice filled with fear. "I saw it with my own eyes. It looked like an eye, hanging high on a tree branch!"

"Eye?"

“You see, I never lie.” The master nodded repeatedly, trying to convince the two people before him. “You have simply been blinded by the language of the devil. Believe me, this land is no longer habitable. Those talismans are the eyes of the demons spying on this place. As long as they exist…”

"ah----!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream suddenly rang out from the west side of the village, near the woods.

"Devil, it's a devil!"

"Save us!"

……

"What a coincidence?"

Mike and Calaway exchanged a glance, abandoning the interrogation altogether. They grabbed their guns and ran towards the sound of the shouts—they'd traveled the world for decades, done all sorts of things, but never anything like this "devil." They were genuinely curious to see what this so-called devil looked like, whether it was round or flat.

The villagers were already terrified; at the mere mention of the demon's arrival, they scattered like birds and beasts. Judging from their reaction, this didn't seem to be the first time.

In a corner where no one paid attention, the master scrambled to his feet.

He seemed to want to hide in his "sanctuary" for a while, but after thinking for a moment, he decided to run away and head towards the town of Numa.

----

On the other hand, Caloway, who arrived at the scene, was greatly disappointed.

"A demon? That's all?" He sighed. "It's just a stray dog."

"Watch out, Lu!" Mike immediately sensed something was wrong and, without hesitation, drew his dual pistols in a flash. "These dogs are insane!"

……

From a distance, they all appear to be black and white spotted dogs.

Only when they got closer did the two realize that the black was the crust-like fur on their bodies, and the white was the repulsive styes. These dogs were extremely aggressive, moving with incredible speed, barking wildly, drool dripping from their teeth, as they lunged at the two!

Chapter 337: The prize pool is still accumulating!

Moving targets are certainly difficult to aim at, but for Jack's gang's sharpshooters, it's nothing special.

The two killed them all without even letting them get close. Looking at the carcasses of the rabid dogs lying on the ground, Calaway couldn't help but whistle, "Where did all these rabid stray dogs come from in this desolate wilderness?"

“No, these aren’t wild.” Mike crouched down, suppressing his nausea, and tried to identify the dogs’ breeds. He quickly came to a conclusion: “They’re all hunting dogs. This village used to rely on hunting for a living, so there must have been many hunting dogs. Like people, they got sick and couldn’t help with hunting as before, so they were abandoned by their owners and became stray dogs…”

Thus, the corpses scattered all over the ground seemed to take on a different kind of irony.

“At least I’m free,” Calaway murmured.

……

"I just saw it with my own eyes, the demon bit Jesse and Walter to death... Oh my god... They suddenly sprang out of the dark shadows!"

"The master was right. There really are strange places in the forest. Those talismans are the eyes of demons, watching us day after day!"

"In my opinion, we can't stay in this village anymore; we have to move."

“Where can we move to? Our family savings are almost gone these past few days… These days, every piece of land in America has an owner, doesn’t it?”

“I heard that there’s a place called ‘Mura’s Wish’ in the north, and no one lives there yet. It’s a large plain, enough for all of us. Why don’t we pool our money and go to the bank over there to buy that land?”

……

"Wait, are you serious?" Calaway was stunned by their discussion. "Go take a look. We've taken care of those demons. They were just dogs! Mad dogs, maybe infected with rabies or something. They were extremely aggressive. The bodies are all there. You can go see for yourselves."

"Mura's Wish, I know that place too, it's almost fucking over there at 'Tall Trees'. Or are you planning to cross the entire state of New Austin for a few mad dogs? That's ridiculous!"

Among a group of crazy people, the one who is reasonable will seem like the madman.

At that moment, the way the villagers looked at Caloway had a certain meaning to it.

“You know nothing about us, outsider,” a woman with lichen covering half her face and ears nearly ulcerated said with a sharp, disgusted expression. “Of course we can tell they are animals, but that’s just appearance.”

"What?" Calaway was completely confused.

"The curses of the devil always invade our lives in different forms. Sometimes it's like this, sometimes it's like that... each one is different. This time, they're just hiding under the guise of a mad dog! Maybe next time, it will be a four-meter-tall, upright grizzly bear pouncing on us."

This remark, ironically, garnered the approval of most people, who nodded in agreement. The villagers began a heated discussion about moving, once again leaving Mike and Calaway aside.

“Please forgive me, you two. Look at them…” The village chief walked over last with heavy steps, but he was also the first to be willing to look at the corpses of the mad dogs. “They were terrified, like a flock of chickens that knew they were about to be slaughtered, wishing they could run away from here immediately.”

"This village is almost beyond saving. Don't waste your time on us useless people, go do what you should be doing."

"Are there really talismans in that forest?" Mike remained unaffected by his emotions and, after careful consideration, chose a clever approach.

“I can’t be sure, but some people say they’ve seen them, and more than one,” the village chief replied. “They seem to be scattered throughout the forest, and later, the rumors became more and more bizarre. Nobody dared to go hunting in the forest, so nobody knew anything about these talismans anymore.”

"Since nobody knows, why was that master able to say with such precision that there are 13 talismans?" Mike countered. "Don't you find that strange?"

"That...that's a demon..."

“At this age, don’t tell me you believe in this stuff.” Mike’s tone was very certain. “Even if the devil really exists, they wouldn’t hang those little toys on trees. This is clearly the work of a human. Only a human could do something like this. And it must be related to this master.”

“I have a feeling that, whatever the truth behind this matter, he doesn’t want you to know.”

The village chief remained silent, but judging from his expression, it seemed he had expected this all along, but remained silent for some reason.

Intrigue, deceit, and fraud—under the very nose of a gang, someone this age couldn't possibly be unaware of this stench.

However, Mike didn't care about any of that.

"It's too dark today. Tomorrow morning, Calaway and I will go into that forest to see what those so-called 13 talismans are all about."

“If there are people behind you, there must be a conflict of interest.” Calaway chuckled, patting his holster. To him, this was like an adventure from his youth. “Trust us, village chief. We’re a group of people who are quite experienced in handling conflicts of interest.”

"Thank you, but..." The village chief hadn't expected that two strangers passing by would go to such lengths for the village. His tone was surprised, yet also full of worry. "I don't want to disappoint you, but I'm afraid we can't offer the appropriate compensation."

“It doesn’t matter.” Mike patted his satchel, the cans of corn inside squishing against each other with a metallic scraping sound. “Someone in your village has already paid in advance.”

----

On the other side, it was late at night. After listening to Baum's story, Zhang Renfeng's face was calm, but his fists were unconsciously clenched.

If anger could be turned into gold coins, then at this moment, all we can say is that the prize pool is still accumulating.

……

"At that time, only Baum's wife and children contracted that strange disease. Even though he shouted himself hoarse, not many people believed him. Black Hand and I... although we helped him, deep down we didn't believe him either. We just thought that he had suffered a blow and had gone insane."

The mentality of "it's none of my business" might stem from a selfish side of human nature. After all, people are more willing to bet on the winning side than on right or wrong... A lowly bard cannot afford such a large stake.

Logan was silent for a few seconds, and soon his tone changed from guilt to determination.

"But now, things are different."

"In Numa Town, more and more people are being affected, showing symptoms ranging from mild to severe. But the Zolael family's exploitation shows no sign of abating. Those bastards... hide on the other side of Fortress Mountain, drinking and breathing clean water, yet they're squeezing every last drop of life out of Numa Town!"

As he spoke, Logan clenched his teeth, almost crushing the half-smoked cigarette butt in his mouth.

From his position, he saw things more clearly than anyone else. His silence didn't mean he wasn't angry. It just meant he understood the situation perfectly—this kind of thing couldn't afford to fail; he had to wait for the right opportunity. Only when the entire town of Numa was filled with resentment, like oil being poured on a raging fire, could the matter be accomplished.

He's settled down here, and he has far too many concerns. He can no longer act like a young person, going all in at the first sign of an opportunity.

After waiting so long, a glimmer of hope has finally appeared at the card table.

"...I would like to ask you for a favor."

Chapter 338: I Can Hear Your Heartbeat

"You want me to go to that mine?" Zhang Renfeng wasn't stupid; he quickly anticipated Logan's strategy.

“If we can find direct evidence to prove Baum’s theory, we can get more people to join us,” Logan said in a deep voice. “People are frustrated, angry, and annoyed, but that’s not enough. They lack a reason to draw their guns against this behemoth.”

“We’ll give you the reason!” Black Palm tapped the table with his elbow, incredibly excited, and looked at Logan with delight. “Wow, Old Wolf, you’re usually so quiet, but you’ve thought this through so thoroughly.”

Zhang Renfeng, however, was not swayed by the atmosphere. He was good at playing this game with others, but when it came to himself, he could easily see the flaws in the situation. "Since that mine is so important, you could have gone there yourself or sent someone you trust, right? Why entrust such a crucial step to an outsider you've known for less than 24 hours?"

Logan gave him a slightly sarcastic look. "Have you forgotten how that woman just barged into this tavern and pressured me?"

“After today, they will have more people watching me constantly than usual. The more they do that, the less I can leave here, otherwise, they might become suspicious.”

Logan raised his fingers one after another, "They have the advantage in manpower, weapons, and logistics. Our only hope is to take advantage of the information gap and catch them off guard."

“I witnessed your skills and courage this morning.” Logan stared intently into his eyes, emphasizing his words, “Without a doubt, you are the best candidate I can find right now.”

……

"What about the conditions?"

Logan was not surprised at all. Transactions between strangers without terms are like fake deals: "I'll give you $100 upfront, and another $100 after it's done."

At least locally, this figure is already very competitive, and Logan, who made this offer, is indeed hoping to close the deal.

Zhang Renfeng shook his head.

"Hmm...we can talk about anything." Logan frowned slightly. "Just tell me how much you want. But I also want to warn you not to ask for too much. There are indeed some risks involved in the next mine trip, but compared to the bounty you earn by capturing people in a hail of bullets, this money is much safer, isn't it?"

“I’m not a bounty hunter,” Zhang Renfeng said with a smile.

"..." Logan looked surprised, and finally sat up straight from the back of his chair. "Then what are you doing in Numa Town?"

This is the stronghold of the Thunder Fury Gang. With the gang's protection, it has naturally become a lawless place in the literal sense. Wanted criminals with high bounties and nowhere else to go often come here and become part of Numa Town. Similarly, just as flesh and blood attract wild beasts, high bounties also attract bounty hunters to come here and take the risk.

Anyway, things are already so chaotic here, one more or one less won't make a difference.

Logan was already used to this kind of thing. Until just now, he thought Zhang Renfeng was just another hunting dog that had followed the scent of blood to this place.