Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

But those children had long since vanished without a trace.

Being toyed with like a dog by a group of children barely knee-high, Milo, a straight-legged henchman of Rancho, was not about to swallow this insult. Without him even saying a word, the Thunder Fury gang's underlings were already used to this routine, ordering and dragging everyone out of their houses, with the village chief being pulled to the front. He didn't care about their age; in this land, there was no such thing as respecting the elderly or caring for the young. Enraged, Milo swung his revolver and smashed the butt of the gun hard across the village chief's face.

"Boom!"

After a dull thud, he was knocked to the ground, a rather gruesome bloodstain immediately appearing on his face.

“Mr. Rancho has given you many opportunities, both openly and secretly. To be honest, I’ve never seen him be so merciful in anything. But not only did you fail to seize those opportunities, you even interfered and disrupted the Zolael family’s business…” He kicked Baum, who was riddled with bullets and was no longer human, hard. “This lump of rotten flesh, is it someone from your village?”

"He colluded with a few brats in Numa Town to steal the Zorael family's important business documents! I don't believe it if no locals were behind it." He drew his revolver, cocked it, and pressed it against the village chief's head, his eyes half-closed, questioning him word by word, "Old man... do you know how important those contracts are?"

"Even if you rotten bastards were sold into slavery a hundred times, we still wouldn't earn back that much money. That's how important it is!"

The villager touched his wrinkled face, looked at the blood smeared on his aged skin, but didn't shout. He just sighed and had an expression of knowing this was coming.

This day has finally come.

He glanced at Baum, who was lying on the ground, and as if he had made up his mind, he gritted his teeth, which had been loosened by the butt of his gun, and spat out a single word.

"NO."

His firm and forceful refusal caused the villagers behind him to stare at him with wide eyes, as if he were a monster.

“…What did you say??” Milo thought he had misheard. For a moment, he felt more incredulous than angry.

"That shaman Indian, what he really wanted... was this land, right? It was that mining company, what was it called again... Roannock Fuel Company, that wanted to buy the land from us without spending a penny and then drive us out, right?"

The master's expression changed several times, turning from pale to ashen, before he finally said dejectedly, "You never told me you could read..."

“I may not be literate, but I understand human nature.” The village chief sighed. His shoulders were severely deformed and his hands were too weak, making it extremely difficult for him to get up.

But in the end, without any support, he slowly stood up, gun in hand. "We are hunters... In the past, when the market was good, we never missed a penny of the money that was due to be given to the family. We made a living by hunting."

“I won’t sign. I’ve spent most of my life here! Now you want us to leave, penniless, and in this state of disrepair, you’ve ruined our health. Dying on the way is a likely outcome. Since the final result is the same…”

"You might as well kill me here; that way, we'll both save some effort!"

……

"Ha, ha ha ha!" Milo laughed maniacally. "I couldn't be happier, you old bastard! I think you've had enough of living. Once I report to Mr. Rancho, I'll... you, and everyone in this village..."

"boom--!!"

The next instant, his smile vanished, and his entire head, like a watermelon smashed by a stick, flew out, skin and flesh, juice and all. His body below the head stood still for a moment, then fell backward with a thud, landing squarely next to the mangled corpse of Baum, creating a grotesque contrast.

In terms of the manner of death alone, it seems that none of them were much better off than the others.

No one had ever seen such a death before, and they immediately fell silent. Before they could recover from the shock, they heard a loud, angry shout!

Calaway, riding a monstrous fox-faced horse, kicked up a trail of fallen leaves as he charged out of the woods, brandishing his twin pistols and roaring, "I've never even heard him play the zither, you bunch of bastards—!!"

Mike, also on horseback, followed closely behind. His personality wasn't as outgoing as Carlowey's, but it was clear that he was equally furious about Baum's death.

Wedged by their feet in the stirrups, wielding two guns, they fired in rapid succession. Though clearly revolvers, the whistling sound of bullets leaving the barrel was heavy and profound. To test Theon's new creation, and also somewhat to avenge Baum, both men had changed to new ammunition. Each bullet was aimed straight for the head; upon impact, sparks flew, and fragments of flesh and bone splattered, merging with the flames.

The sharpshooter's efficiency was indeed not to be underestimated. The two men had only ridden around once when ten headless corpses appeared on the ground.

The master had never seen anything like it. Both sides had guns, yet it didn't resemble an equal battle; it was a one-sided massacre. By the time the Thunder Strike Gang members realized they needed to draw their weapons, most of the remaining members were already dead.

He turned to run, but this time, no mad dogs rushed out to block the two sharpshooters' view.

……

"Ah!! Ah————!!"

Calaway threw out a rope, which lassoed his body on the horse, dragging him along the ground. A series of screams were left behind until the horse had circled the village once, ensuring that all the villagers had seen his gruesome state, before dismounting and untying the knots binding him.

"Snapped!"

Before he could react, Mike smashed thirteen wooden signs all over his head.

"Originally, I wanted to ask you for an explanation, but now I don't think I need to."

Calaway spun the exquisite revolver between his fingers several times before pressing it directly against the master's forehead. "Let me make this clear first, these aren't ordinary revolver bullets. My friend calls them 'high-explosive rounds.' As the name suggests, upon impact, it'll go 'bang'..."

“That’s right, just like those ‘friends’ you brought.”

"If you don't want to end up like them, stop trying to fool people. From now on, answer whatever I ask, understand?"

“I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything! I didn’t do it, I didn’t poison the river!” The master’s mouth was like a spring, and he blurted it all out without waiting for any questions. “I mean, I have an employer behind me!”

Chapter 345: Whoever wins, they'll help!

Outside the window, angry shouts converged into a massive wave of sound, making the glass vibrate.

Rancho sat at his desk, his former fake smile completely gone, replaced by a terrifying expression of clenched teeth.

He was actually nearsighted, but he rarely wore glasses in public, needing to maintain the imposing presence of "Iron Horse." The Zolael family ruled the southern part of New Orleans with blood and fear, and as the head of a town, he was bound to do the same.

Turning his head to look at the throng of people gathered outside the mansion, he used trembling fingers to remove his glasses from the bridge of his nose. He had to be extremely careful not to break the frame with a snap.

"It's been more than half an hour since the appointment, and no one has ever dared to stand me up for half an hour..." Rancho picked up his coffee, drank it down in one gulp as if he didn't feel the heat, and asked, "What about that Indian? Any news?"

The subordinates around him looked at each other in confusion, and one of them mustered up the courage to shake his head.

"when!"

A stone flew over the wall and struck the window of their room. The thrower's force was clearly insufficient; it only gave a jolt, leaving some cracks on the outside but not breaking the window. But once this started, no one could predict what would happen with the next stone, or the one after that.

Rancho put his glasses aside. "Everyone except Amy... get out."

As if granted a pardon, everyone scurried away, afraid of being too slow.

……

"what--!!"

Rancho suddenly fell ill, grabbed the edge of the table with both hands, and slammed the entire table down. With a loud crash, the glass shattered, and pages and papers flew everywhere in the room, adding a touch of rough artistry to the scene.

The glow of the sunset was hidden in the clouds, revealing a hint of blood.

"I can't stand it when these lowly creatures break my own windows. If they're going to break sooner or later, I might as well let them break with my own hands." He wiped his face; a cool breeze blew in through the broken window, seemingly calming him down. "So, what's the situation outside?"

“Logan was in the crowd too,” Amy said in a low voice. “They somehow got their hands on an unsigned contract that clearly outlined our business dealings with the fuel company, down to the smallest detail…”

"Everyone is talking about the plan to build a coal processing plant in a downstream village."

"Oh, damn it!" Rancho wanted to smash something to vent his anger, but the table had already been thrown, and he was too lazy to look for it. He swung his fist in the air and gritted his teeth, "Just a little bit more, just a little bit more, and the deal would have been done. That damn guy... always trips us up at crucial moments! That Indian is probably in their hands too!"

“How many people are there on the other side?”

“When I went there, there were about two hundred people.” Amy’s tone was very worried. “More and more townspeople have found out about this, and the number has been increasing.”

"Where are our people? The word has already been spread, hasn't it? They were ordered to gather in my yard!" Rancho scratched his face. "How many have come?"

Amy lowered her head slightly, pursed her lips, and hesitated to speak. "The order has been sent out, but only about two hundred people are willing to come."

"What?" Rancho's eyes widened like dates, thinking he had misheard.

As the town mayor, he was well aware of the population distribution in Numa Town; there were definitely more than that number of people. Currently, only about a quarter or less of the gang remained in the courtyard. In other words, when the gang faced a crisis, the vast majority of members who had sworn allegiance chose to remain neutral.

Very wise.

Logan got involved too. Those 200-plus men surrounded his house, clearly intending to fight to the death. And judging from their menacing appearance and the sheer size of their formation, things wouldn't end without bloodshed. Whoever went first would face bullets and knives without mercy.

This is actually a common problem in large gangs: there are just too many people between the underlings and the boss at the top, making it hard to talk about loyalty. It's more like they've joined a big company to work and collect a paycheck. Most of the members living in Numa Town have never even seen Hector, so what loyalty are they talking about? They're only loyal to US dollars.

That being said, under normal circumstances, Rancho could still get them under his command, but today, he made an unforgivable mistake.

He allowed the other side to complete their mobilization and assembly right under his nose.

He runs a tavern, and taverns in a town are often the most informational places. Logan, sitting behind the bar, can overhear gossip happening in Tianma Town and Rongma Town. Conversely, if he wanted, he could spread information throughout Numa Town within half a day.

With promotional channels and written contracts in hand, he didn't need to waste any more words. They were all excited and recruiting more members every second.

Looking at themselves, with two hundred people huddled in the courtyard, morale was low, and the other members were even more likely to choose to wait and see when they saw this situation.

This can't go on any longer. We have to do something, we have to give those who are watching and waiting a glimpse of hope that we can win!

They'll help whoever wins!

"Where's my hammer? Where did I put my hammer?" Having figured this out, Rancho strode to the corner. In fact, he knew where he had put his hammer, but with a formidable enemy at hand, he couldn't ease the tension without shouting a few times.

It was a rather heavy weapon—a long-handled, double-headed warhammer forged from pure steel and entirely black! Holding the hammer handle in my hand, I gently shook it, and a dull gust of wind was stirred up.

Feeling the weight of his old companion, he felt somewhat at ease, as if as long as it was there, he could still control the situation and turn the tide.

“Amy, go tell the lads in the backyard to follow me, we’re getting ready to get to work!” Rancho said in a deep voice. “Maybe you’re right, I underestimated Logan… This time, I’m going to smash that old wolf’s teeth to pieces!”

……

However, this time, Amy, who was usually silent as an executor, stood still and did not do as he was told.

"Amy?"

"...Is it true?" A hint of emotion, which even she herself might not be able to discern, flickered in Amy's eyes. "What they said—the factory, the water pollution—is it all true? And lately, more and more people in town have been getting sick because of this?"

“Oh, Amy…are you serious? You have to bother me with this nonsense at a time like this?” Rancho sighed, rubbing his forehead, and raised his voice in slightly irritated tone, “What are you thinking? Who am I, Rancho Ezmond Zolael! How could the water we use in our house be poisonous? That’s something only the lowly worry about. We’re the ones who get to enjoy the best and most superior things first.”

“You’ve been living with me for a while now, how can you not understand something like this? Those guys are just jealous. They’re jealous of us for having all this goodness. That’s why they want to destroy it. Don’t have any pity for these maggots! Otherwise, you’ll be the one who dies.”

"Now……"

Seemingly realizing his tone had been too harsh, Rancho took a deep breath and put on a gentle smile again. "Could you help me go and call for help?"

……

“…” Amy nodded, the complexity in her eyes not disappearing. “I’m happy to help.”

Chapter 346: Gunshots in Numa Town

"Hey, Logan, old friend." Surrounded by a group of gang underlings, Rancho strode out of his house, carrying his double-headed hammer in his right hand.

The Zolael family mansion occupied a large, imposing area in this somewhat crowded town. Fortunately, this provided a relatively ample stage for both sides to vent their frustrations during their standoff.

Rancho opened his arms as if he were truly about to embrace this long-lost friend, completely ignoring the angry mass of people behind him, a surprisingly relaxed smile on his face. "It's been so long since we've met, and you've even changed into this outfit..."

“I admit, I’ve underestimated you a bit these days.”

The Logan standing opposite him was no longer the easygoing, mild-mannered bartender. He had taken down his dusty twin swords and hung them behind his back, with two revolvers at his waist. Standing before them, though silent, he stood like a pillar, supporting the resistance in their hearts.

When faced with a major event, most people are actually incapable of assessing the situation. Because they are in the thick of it, many details are unclear. Thorough post-event analysis can only be done afterward.

When something happens to you, whether others are willing to take a big gamble with you depends mainly on whether you give them a reliable impression.

This is the meaning behind Logan's usual restraint—when people see that he, who has always remained silent, is charging ahead, they will naturally be encouraged and follow closely behind.

More importantly... from the moment Leo brought the contract back, he knew he had no choice. The tavern was the most well-informed place in town, and it was only a matter of time before this bombshell information spread rapidly and reached Rancho's ears.

He had originally planned to wait for Zhang Renfeng to return from the mine with conclusive evidence before launching a mobilization, but time no longer allowed him to do so. Once Rancho realized the situation and preemptively mobilized manpower and took action, the difficulty of getting things done would increase exponentially.

Only now.

It has to be now!

……

"Shall we talk first?" After all, he was chosen from among the vast number of Zoraels to manage a town, and even in the face of such an unfavorable situation, Rancho remained calm. "Or is it that after so many years without killing someone, you're itching to do it?"

“We don’t want much, Rancho.” Logan made a fist gesture, and the clamor behind him immediately subsided. In that instant, Rancho became even more determined to erase his resolve. “Most people here just want to eat and barely survive, nothing more.”

"I know! I know! I fully understand everyone's demands!" Rancho raised his voice and shouted to the crowd, "As the mayor of this town, I am also deeply saddened by this tragic accident."

"An accident?" Black Palm retorted angrily without any politeness. "It's written in black and white, how else could it be an accident!"

"Speaking of written contracts, you've probably all seen a paper contract through some channels, right? Let me explain: a contract that hasn't been signed has no legal effect. Essentially, it's no different from a piece of waste paper."

Rancho seized on Logan's only logical flaw and continued, "Did you all notice that the contract has anyone's signature on it?"

The fact that it fell into Logan's hands meant that the Native Americans had definitely lost, so of course there would be no signature on it.

……

The commotion in the crowd subsided slightly. Most people hadn't actually "seen" the contract; they had only heard about it.

"To be honest, a few months ago, the Zolael family did have the intention to cooperate with Roanok Fuel Company... but it was just an intention. We tried to cooperate for a while, and they sent a team to Fortress Mountain to mine coal."

"But then, an accident occurred, and they unearthed an underground cavern. Some slag leaked out, potentially polluting the water source. This incident exposed the company's unprofessionalism, and after an internal family meeting, we refused to cooperate with them. If that's why you've come, then you can rest assured."

It's often said that "history is like a little girl who can be dressed up however one pleases." In fact, when the information gap becomes large enough, reality is the same; it can be dressed up however Rancho wants.

Since the Native Americans aren't around right now, and the company staff have all evacuated the town, they can't find anyone to corroborate the claim. As long as they hold onto the fact that "the contract isn't signed and therefore has no legal effect," they can stand their ground!

Without rehearsal or rehearsal, Rancho responded almost perfectly to the unexpected event.