Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"What did you say?!"

Before the girl could finish speaking, Black Palm suddenly sat up, as if he had been injected with a stimulant. The movement was too abrupt, aggravating the wound on his shoulder, and blood immediately seeped out, but he didn't seem to care at all. He immediately turned around, grabbed the edge of the stall, and looked towards the center of the battlefield.

As luck would have it, they witnessed Zhang Renfeng single-handedly swinging his weapon, causing Lan Che to stagger backward.

"Holy...Oh my god! Oh my f***ing god—!"

A string of standard American profanities was enough to prove just how shocked Black Palm was at that moment.

It's said that experts see the details, and when it comes to blacksmithing, he's practically the only expert within a hundred miles. No one knows better than him what's happening right now. His pupils are wide open, making sure he doesn't miss a single detail.

"Don't move, your wound..."

A dark hand suddenly interrupted her, "Hey, Leo, guess how heavy that thing in his hand is?"

"What is that? A knight's lance?"

Leo's most frequent encounters with melee weapons were limited to knives and daggers. In this age where cowboy revolvers are everywhere, a dagger is basically sufficient for close combat. Her impression of long weapons was still based on European chivalric novels.

"Around 5 kilograms?"

“Watch your words, little girl. What you’re talking about is called a ‘spear,’ which was very popular in the Middle Ages. A typical spear is about 4.6 to 4.8 meters long and weighs only about 2 kilograms. There are also some used by heavily armored cavalry, with thicker handles and larger spearheads, which can weigh 8 to 9 kilograms! The knights on horseback would use the piercing force of their horses to strike through the enemy’s plate armor in one go!”

"Heh, if it's just something like this, it's easy. I can make several in a morning."

Men tend to become very talkative once they start discussing their areas of expertise—this is an experience Leo has gained from years of living in pubs and observing firsthand.

For Black Palm, blacksmithing, forging, and everything related to cold weapons are all his comfort zone. If no one stops him, he could probably keep rambling on and on.

"But your friend wants me to build something for him that weighs 70 kilograms!"

……

"Take the young master?!"

Leo's tone also seemed off; the numerical differences between the different weapons were quite significant. She had initially imagined that Zhang Renfeng's weapon might be twice as heavy as the riflemen's, weighing around 18 kilograms, and then stopped there.

70 kilograms...that's almost the weight of an adult!

"But...but...is it really that heavy?" Leo swallowed hard, his eyes filled with disbelief. "I saw him carrying that thing the whole way, and his breathing and talking were no different from a normal person's!"

"Of course not. This isn't even the finished product yet. It's only been forged and quenched a few times to get its basic shape. It still needs to be polished repeatedly, and it might even need to be quenched again before it can be sharpened. Only then will it be a decent weapon. In other words, its current weight is probably more than 70 kilograms."

"It's unbelievable that this actually happened, oh my God..."

With his hands clasped together, Black Palms was perhaps the most devout moment in the life of a blacksmith who loved forging weapons.

"Let me witness it with my own eyes!"

----

"...You...you're the yellow-skinned guy Amy was talking about, right?" Rancho couldn't tell exactly how heavy the weapon in the other person's hand was, but the split hand on his hand already told him that something bad was going to happen. He shook his hand and took two steps back without making a sound, creating some distance. "I heard that you killed one of our people?"

"Which one?" Zhang Renfeng's tone and expression were extremely calm, which made his question seem all the more provocative.

“It’s been less than 24 hours,” Rancho said in a low voice.

"Do you remember how many pieces of bread you ate for breakfast yesterday?" Zhang Renfeng chuckled and ripped off the strip of cloth wrapped around his weapon.

What a majestic and imposing iron broadsword!

The most interesting thing is that Black Palm hadn't had time to polish it properly, nor had the blade been sharpened, but this rough blank was exactly what Zhang Renfeng needed. He didn't actually need this thing to be very sharp; in his hands, slicing was no longer its only use. Its true power lay in its almost superhuman quality.

……

Rancho could feel his heartbeat gradually quickening. The person was just standing there, not moving, and showing no intention of attacking, yet it was as if the air around him was being sucked away! The pressure suddenly increased, and even the air became as viscous as syrup, requiring extra effort to inhale into his lungs.

I can't take it anymore, my heart is beating too fast!

Before his chest exploded completely, Rancho roared, like a skilled blacksmith, using his feet and waist as axes, driving his arms, and adding his own arm strength, his whole body spun as if it had fallen off, and he swung the hammer hard!

"Thump—!!"

Swords and hammers clashed, sparks flying, the clang of metal momentarily drowning out the gunfire. Such a scene was not a daily occurrence, so much so that both sides, locked in fierce combat, tacitly ceased fire and began to observe the battle up close.

To reiterate, people are inherently self-interested. Neither side has its own guiding principle; they are both united by the prestige of their leaders. If the leader dies, this battle will most likely come to an end.

"You bastard...you bastard—!"

Once Rancho started swinging the hammer, he couldn't stop, because blood kept seeping from the mouth of his hand.

Right now, he's fueled by adrenaline. Once he calms down and feels the pain, it will greatly affect his grip strength. He can only strike one blow at a time, swinging the hammer with great force. After several loud bangs, one blow finally breaks through Zhang Renfeng's defenses and lands squarely on his chest!

"boom----!!"

Zhang Renfeng's figure blurred as he flew backward like a cannonball, smashing through the courtyard wall of the mansion.

In an instant, dust rose up, obscuring his figure.

But... what was ultimately reflected in Rancho's mind was his perfectly calm smile before that hammer blow.

Chapter 349: Kick a roadside animal to death!

"oh---!!"

"Hit!"

"As expected of Iron Horse, look at those well-developed arm muscles, wow..."

……

With this hammer blow, the Thunder Fury Gang's momentum surged. Rancho was known as "Iron Horse" because of his armor-like muscles and the strength to swing a giant hammer. His underlings knew he was strong, but this was the first time they had witnessed the extent of his strength.

With a single blow, the enemy was smashed into the wall. What could be more inspiring than that?

However, not all members of the Thunder Fury Gang were so optimistic.

Amy, standing in the crowd, sheathed her Swift Sword and mentally analyzed the details she had just witnessed, muttering to herself, "It seems... a little strange..."

"Did you deliberately... bump into it?"

Logan, who was nearby, managed to stand up with some difficulty, with the help of his companions.

He was certain that what he had just witnessed was Zhang Renfeng abandoning his defenses, getting up on his own, and taking the blow to his chest. But he simply couldn't understand his intentions; why would he do such a thing?!

In the fierce battle just now, Logan used his dual swords for defense, which cushioned the blow somewhat, but he was still grazed by the giant hammer. That seemingly insignificant strike almost completely neutralized his fighting ability; he was still seeing stars.

But at this moment, he had no other choice but to look at the rising smoke and anxiously hope for a miracle.

……

"Tick!"

"Tick!"

The sticky blood dripped slowly from the tiger's mouth, hitting the ground and shattering into eight pieces.

From the very beginning, Rancho himself, who had swung that hammer, remained motionless in that stance, as if still gathering his strength, his expression blank. He stared blankly at the dust and mist rising in his own courtyard, lost in intense self-doubt.

Anyone can cheer when they see someone carrying a load without effort, but he can't, because no one in the whole world understands it better than him.

The sensation of that blow was like hitting a piece of steel. He wasn't sure if the other person's bones were broken, but the recoil made his wound on his hand even worse. And Zhang Renfeng's extremely strange smile was like a red-hot brand, leaving a deep imprint on his mind.

What is the meaning of that incredibly strange smile?

All sound seemed to disappear, leaving only a buzzing sound like a whistle.

"……withdraw."

"Huh? Mr. Rancho, what did you just say?" The henchman was still immersed in ecstasy and didn't react for a moment. "Are we going to retreat? But we're not..."

"Stop talking nonsense and get the hell out of here! Go! Bring my horse over here..."

----

A deep, muffled sound, like the beating of a drum, came from within the smoke and dust. Cold sweat immediately dripped down Lan Che's forehead. He looked up and saw a figure flying out from the smoke.

It's no exaggeration to say that using the word "flying" is perfectly appropriate, because Zhang Renfeng was indeed in a state where both feet were off the ground, his entire body was stretched out like a bow, holding a large knife in both hands, and with a standard move of splitting Mount Hua, he cleaved through the dust and hurled it down at him.

"Oh... God..." Of all the spectators, only Black Palm knew exactly how high the value of this jump was; to describe it as monstrous would not be an exaggeration.

The sharp edge of that iron broadsword kept magnifying in Rancho's eyes!

He rolled to the side, and just as the greatsword was about to fall, Rancho performed an extremely ugly roll, barely escaping from its grasp.

"boom-----!!!"

Like a shooting star hurtling through the atmosphere, it crashed directly to the ground. The stone-paved road was instantly cleaved in two by the weight and speed of the blade. Gravel flew like raindrops, the blade embedding itself more than a foot into the ground, and massive cracks spread out in all directions like a spiderweb. Those nearby were thrown off balance by the force of the blow, unable to even stand. This clearly showed that Rancho's hammer blow had not caused him any real damage, filling Iron Horse, known for his strength, with dread.

That was a heavy cut!

And...it's so fast!

How can someone possess such immense power while also maintaining such terrifying speed?

Another slash came down from top to bottom. Rancho had no choice but to raise his warhammer and hold it across his chest to try and block it.

"when---!!"

The broadsword fell straight down, its stance lasting only a moment before collapsing with a deafening roar. The immense force pressed down on Rancho, his face contorting, his legs giving way beneath him, causing him to kneel uncontrollably. His knee slammed heavily onto the ground with a thud, immediately creating a crater in the stone brick surface.

The heavy iron broadsword pressed down on his shoulder like a mountain, forcing him to tense all his muscles to resist it. Under the immense pressure, the wound on his face reopened and began to bleed again.

In contrast, Zhang Renfeng stood still, his expression calm, still holding the knife in one hand, looking down at him.

Even though the person is right in front of you, you feel like you can't reach them, as if they are a god descending to judge you.

“'Iron Horse,' right? I asked a few people, and they all said you were strong, but no one had ever seen just how strong you were.” Zhang Renfeng chuckled softly. “I’ve seen it today, and it’s not bad…”

"I can have it before my meal."

The series of metaphors—bread and serving it before the meal—basically meant that the Zolael family was being treated like an appetizer. But right now, Rancho couldn't care less about being angry. He was already using every ounce of strength he had, his face flushed red. Finally, with the clanging of metal, he changed his stance, gripping his warhammer vertically.

"laugh--"

The blade slid across the smooth hammer handle and slammed heavily into the ground.

at last!

Finally, I'm free from this suffocating oppression!

This was the only opportunity he had created after waiting for so long. Lan Che took a breath, gritted his teeth, and continued his attack. As his weapon sank into the ground, he pulled out a dagger and stabbed Zhang Renfeng in the abdomen.

He was met with a powerful kick, like a cannonball.

"Bang---!!"

His right leg straightened and shot out like a cannonball, striking Rancho's face before Rancho could even reach him. In an instant, his face was dented like in a comic book, and even that tiny hope of victory was shattered by the kick.

Rancho's neck snapped backward at such an exaggerated angle that one couldn't help but wonder if the kick would break his cervical spine.

Like a roadside animal, it was kicked and rolled several times before finally crashing into the other end of the road.

His nose was broken, and blood flowed freely.

……

"How can a person's hand be longer than a person's foot?"

Zhang Renfeng hooked the hilt of the knife with his toes, and as if juggling a ball, he gently lifted his toes, sending the 70-kilogram broadsword soaring into the air and back into his hand. The juggling and catching was so light and graceful, it was as if the thing was made of foam.

But the numerous cracks on the ground, in stark contrast to his incredibly light and agile knife-wielding movements, shattered people's perceptions.

"The so-called iron horse seems to be an exaggeration and not worth mentioning."

"Boom!"

He dragged his broadsword along the ground and slowly walked towards Rancho.

Chapter 350: I can't bear it!

"Dad, I..."

Upon entering the room, Rancho's words were abruptly cut off. He felt somewhat embarrassed, but more than that, he felt a sense of unease and fear.

Because he clearly saw that the man, whom everyone respectfully called "Old Man" and was incredibly dignified, was now leaning back in his chair, stroking a seal engraved with a lion in his hand, tears streaming down his face.

He had never seen his father shed a tear. Even setting aside all the constraints of their identities, for a lowly underling to witness his gang leader cry firsthand didn't sound like a good thing at all.

If this were a ruthless boss, he'd probably be thinking, "You should have knocked," while simultaneously pulling out his gun and shooting himself. But Dad wouldn't do that. He didn't even react; he just silently shed tears, completely ignoring the person who had suddenly barged in.

What should I do? I should have knocked earlier!

Rancho secretly regretted it, but he couldn't do nothing. The longer he stayed awkwardly there, the more incompetent he would appear as a subordinate.