Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"Red Center!!" someone in the crowd shouted.

"Is he Red Center? He's not quite what I expected, but... he seems to be even more exaggerated..."

"I always thought there were many people in Hongzhong!"

"Some people are saying that he's actually a woman..."

……

Listening to the hushed discussions, Zhang Renfeng was somewhat amused and exasperated. Fortunately, Hongzhong's reputation in this area had indeed gained some weight. However, in the process of word-of-mouth transmission, he was also being constantly deconstructed. In the end, if even 10% of it remained true, he would have to thank his lucky stars.

However, now is not the time to worry about these things.

Zhang Renfeng hesitated for a moment, then spoke again, "I killed Tuku, and now, I've killed this guy..."

He brandished his broadsword, pointing at the already cold corpse of Rancho lying on the ground. "Next, if necessary, I will kill every single one of Zorael! You will soon know that I am a man of my word, and what I say, I will do. There have been many fools who chose to stand in my way when they should have stepped aside. Now, the grass on their graves is already two meters high!"

"But... what about you? After learning about the sins of this family, what will you choose? Will you continue to hide under the covers, pretending nothing happened, and continue living your lives?"

His voice echoed in the brick walls and the cracks in the houses, and in people's hearts. Things had developed to this point, and no one could continue to avoid it.

The choices these people make next will largely determine the rest of their lives.

"I understand you. Everyone only has one life."

"But what they are polluting is your water source; what they are destroying is your environment; what they are poisoning is your children!"

Regardless of country or culture, the love for the next generation is ingrained in the genes and instincts of all humankind.

For the sake of making a living, one might be able to endure it, but for the sake of one's child, one cannot do it no matter what.

Zhang Renfeng seized upon everyone's common pain point, raising his bloodstained broadsword high. Once everyone's attention and emotions were drawn to the gleaming blade, he slowly turned to the side, pointing the longsword towards the direction of the Fortress Mountain Range!

"If you all agree that the children of Numa Town deserve everything better than they have now..."

"Come with me, let's fight our way over the mountain!"

……

"Oh----!!!"

After a brief silence, a deafening roar of cheers and applause erupted. The common people of Numa Town seemed to have been injected with adrenaline, raising their arms and shouting. Nothing could compare to the scene before them; the sound waves coalesced into an incredibly thick wall, almost lifting the entire town of Numa from head to toe.

----

Numa Town actually has a police station and a prison. However, since it's a gang stronghold, these two buildings serve only a symbolic purpose. There isn't even a sheriff, and no one has ever imagined that they can actually solve any problems.

Today, the police station, which had been deserted for a long time, welcomed a large group of "guests".

Those members of the Angry Thunder Gang who had openly surrendered were all brought here, almost filling the entire police station.

After all, these were extraordinary times. With so many people crammed into a not-so-spacious wooden hut, there were bound to be many inconveniences. There were also a large number of potential members of the Thunder Fury Gang who either fled as soon as they sensed the changing winds or took off their clothes and mingled with the civilians. Given the urgency of the situation, Zhang Renfeng didn't have time to distinguish them one by one.

His first order was to send a team to completely block the road leading to Fortress Mountain.

Then, on the first floor of the Steppenwolf Tavern, Logan, his body wrapped in bandages, took out a detailed map of Three Horses Town with Leo's help.

Having taken a direct hit from Rancho's hammer, injuring his internal organs, Logan could only rely on cigarettes and alcohol to relieve the pain, and his voice and tone were no longer as powerful as they had been at the beginning.

"Here, here, and here... In general, there's one road up the mountain, but three roads down, which means three exits. Last time, I took the middle road, which is flatter and easier to walk on. The two roads going up and down are both mountain roads, and the terrain is very steep."

"But, having learned from last time, Laro will definitely deploy a large number of people at the exit in advance. This will be a tough battle..."

Logan seemed to already see the gruesome scene of a meat grinder, and sighed, "But, having gone this far, it's either you die or I live. Even the toughest bone has to be chewed up!"

"..."

Zhang Renfeng, however, paid no attention to the three intersections. His gaze had already crossed the Fortress Mountain Range and was now fixed on the various surfaces of Tianma Town.

Plantations, plantations, plantations everywhere.

What a fertile land!

"What's this place for?" Zhang Renfeng pointed to a vacant area at the front of Tianma Town, closest to the Fortress Mountains. "A ranch?"

“Yes, the White Bison Ranch,” Logan said meaningfully. “Didn’t you want to ask about Igor?”

"This area was entrusted to him by the family, but now... his identity is very sensitive, and the ranch has been taken over by the Thunder Gang."

"The terrain here is open and empty. Apart from the grazing grasslands and warehouses, there is nothing else. It's as if it's telling him that he can only spend his whole life on the grasslands, herding cattle and sheep. Compared to other people of his age in the family, it can be considered an insult."

“Igor’s territory?” Mike was surprised to hear this.

"Tucus was killed, and the Zolael family's overseas businesses in two states were left unmanaged. At that time, Laro was doing business with Mexicans, and Rancho had to stay in Numa Town. There was really no suitable candidate in the family, so they sent him there."

“I see, I understand now…” Logan glanced at them again and said in a deep voice, “It’s because we met you that all these subsequent events happened.”

"And now? Is he still on this ranch?" Zhang Renfeng asked hurriedly.

“As far as I know, they’re not here. He and that lawyer were both treated as traitors to the family and transported all the way back to Tianma Town.” Logan shook his head. “Both of them are still alive. It seems it was Igor’s suggestion that the lawyer was still useful and couldn’t be killed yet, so he was temporarily spared from Zola’s clutches…”

"However, we have already officially declared war on them, so no one can say for sure how long this talisman will remain effective."

"It's alright." Zhang Renfeng smiled upon hearing this, raised his hand, and tapped the location of the ranch on the map. "Fight! We can win if we fight!"

"The harder we fight, the safer they will be!"

Chapter 353: Prometheus's Tears

The moment Zhang Tito pushed open the door, Calaway couldn't help but whistle and exclaim, "My God, Elaine, do you see that? This must be the tallest woman I've ever seen! Madam, how did you grow to this height? Do you have some unique secret?"

"Really? Hmm... it's nothing. Everyone in my family seems to be quite tall, maybe it's just good genes." The assistant gently placed a stack of items on the table, saying, "Here, it's done according to your request."

Four masks were prominently displayed on the table, each with a different shape, clearly modified from various masks and veils. One was a full-face mask, completely obscuring the face, with only two round pieces of glass embedded in the eye area for observation. This design was very similar to the bird-beak masks worn by medieval doctors, using limited materials to minimize external interference.

“Thanks to Mr. Blackhand, his shop has a lot of strange and wonderful little gadgets. He took them apart and patched them up, even taking the window glass off, and it was not easy to put them together.” Zhang Tito’s tone was obviously not very satisfied with his work. “Due to limited conditions, there should have been a filter screen, but I just put in a few pieces of cotton. It’ll have to do.”

"That's enough, thank you." Zhang Renfeng picked up a mask, tried it on his face, and it just covered his face. "The Red Center Gang owes you a favor."

"Wait a minute, Lao Zhang..." Mike immediately had a bad feeling. "What are you up to now? Shouldn't we be discussing how to get to the other side?"

“This is Miss Zhang Tito. I met her by chance while exploring the mine. She has helped me a lot along the way.” Zhang Renfeng pointed to the mountain that lay across the map and said in a deep voice, “Besides the polluted water source… we also discovered other things.”

"A natural passageway that has never been cultivated and connects the two sides of the mountain."

"?!" Logan suddenly perked up, sitting up in disbelief. "You mean, besides taking the mountain path, we can also... go straight through the mine? Is that even possible!"

It's no wonder he was so astonished; for years, the only way to connect the two towns has been through mountain roads.

Ordinary people wouldn't have the leisure to venture into such a deep mine like Zhang Renfeng, even going further than the fuel company employees, all the way into the underground caverns. Following the underground river, they first discovered amazing murals by primitive humans, and only after walking a few more steps did they find this hidden passage.

Its military value far exceeds expectations!

"Don't get your hopes up too high. There's no lighting in the mine, and the road is very difficult to travel. Besides, the first half of this road is a mine pit, which was dug out by man and is very unstable. It can't support too many people. Those who are hoping to transport us by this road are probably doomed."

“So, what does this mask mean…” Calaway seemed to sense something, his brows furrowing.

"Just the four of us, let's go in this way and infiltrate Tianma Town! I originally wanted to find a landmark location and attack from the inside out, but now it seems that Igor's ranch is just right."

Zhang Renfeng pointed to the White Buffalo Ranch and said in a deep voice, "By now, the news must have reached Laro's ears. To prevent us from infiltrating Tianma Town, they will definitely send people to guard those three mountain roads. We should take this opportunity to make as much noise as possible at the ranch!"

"Once they discover the ranch has fallen, they will surely rush back to reinforce it. Take advantage of this gap between their advance and retreat to concentrate all your forces and attack from the front. In this way, they will be preoccupied with one side while we attack from two sides, and we will surely defeat them decisively!"

"Great!" Leo was already excited just listening to it, a smile on his face, and he unconsciously shouted along.

"What's so good about it? You're not allowed to go!" Logan didn't give her a kind look and scolded, "Is this something a child should do? Go back to sleep right now."

“But I… I helped before…” Leo muttered, sounding a little aggrieved.

“This time it’s different, Leo. This is no longer a small-scale affair.” For once, Zhang Renfeng didn’t offer her platitudes, but instead adopted a more serious tone. “We’re discussing a war now, and war is an adult matter.”

“I just said that I hope the children of Numa Town can have a better future. The ‘children’ here include you. This battle can be said to be fought for you.”

“…I understand.” Since both of them said so, Leo had no other choice but to obediently nod.

“Taking good care of your Uncle Blackhand is enough; that's all I’ve done.” Logan sighed. “But speaking of which, Red Center, my physical condition…”

"Can't we mount our horses?" Mike gestured towards the door and said, "Right now, all we have under our command is a mob of angry people. Potters, carpenters, farmers... but no warriors. To get these stragglers to fight, we need a leader, someone with the most prestige in the area."

"You don't even need to fight; just sitting on horseback can boost morale significantly."

“I’m afraid…” Logan clutched the spot where he had been hit, his face showing difficulty, and sighed, “If I grit my teeth, I might not be able to hold on for more than a few minutes on the horse. Any longer, I can’t guarantee, I might just fall off.”

The matter was of great importance, and Logan dared not make a rash decision. What if he gritted his teeth and forced himself on, but couldn't make it to the end and fell off his horse, and everyone saw it...? It was hard to say what kind of chain reaction would occur.

"Oh, right." Calaway had a sudden inspiration and patted Zhang Renfeng on the shoulder. "Old Zhang, didn't your magician senior brother leave you a lot of life-saving medicine? Back then, the chief was punched and managed to pull himself back from the brink of death. This is exactly the time to use them!"

“You think that’s some kind of magic pill…” Zhang Renfeng sighed, his eyes filled with helplessness. “They suffered internal injuries, and medicine can only help them recover slowly. They will still feel the pain.”

The discussion reached another impasse, and a shadow fell over everyone's faces.

In the midst of battle, every second is crucial. If you get caught up in one aspect and are unable to take action for a long time, you may give the enemy a chance to catch their breath.

A surprise attack is ultimately not a viable strategy to win a war. Given the prestige that Old Zhang has just established, mobilizing these angry civilians shouldn't be a problem. However, he can't be in two places at once, and apart from Logan, there's no other suitable candidate for the time being.

Zhang Tito observed secretly, biting his lip lightly, his expression somewhat conflicted, as if he was torn between speaking and remaining silent, struggling with an internal conflict.

Just as she was about to say something, a cold, metallic voice suddenly came from the side.

"I have a medicine that might help... It can help you temporarily forget the pain for a period of time. But please don't forget that your body is seriously injured, so even if you take the medicine, don't do anything strenuous."

Angel Eyes, who had been silent all along and leaning against the wall, smiled and said, "Just like Hongzhong said, let's just finish this play peacefully."

“Cocaine chewing gum?” Calaway asked.

"It's not something low-end, and it's not addictive." Angel Eyes took out an earring-shaped glass container from his pocket, which shimmered with an unusual luster under the light.

It is called, "Prometheus's Tears".

"Trust me, you might as well give it a try."

----

Deep within the mine, Zhang Tito, who was still moving with ease, revealed an expression of utter shock when no one was watching.

Chapter 354: What's meant to happen will happen.

A night breeze blew by as Angel Eyes leaned against the tavern door, a cup of coffee in his hand.

Leo had to rummage through everything to find this in a corner. Time was of the essence; they had to move tonight, so there was no time for sleep. He'd better have some hot coffee to wake himself up; they'd have to navigate the mine tunnels in the dark soon.

But he didn't drink it; he just mechanically held it, tilted his head back, and looked up at the sky.

The moon was obscured by dark clouds, and only a few stars were visible, yet he gazed at them with such rapt attention, as if trying to tear a hole in the vast curtain of the sky with his heterochromatic eyes.

“Hello, Mr. Angel Eyes…?” Zhang Tito wasn’t sure if that was the right way to address him. She tried to observe Angel Eyes’ expression, but only saw emptiness. “Have you tried on the mask I gave you? The other three have all tried it on. Since you have some free time now, why don’t you try it on too? If it doesn’t fit, I can get another one…”

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll choose the ones I can answer.” Angel Eyes didn’t turn around, still looking up at the sky, as if his eyes were drawn to something there. “I’m not used to playing word games with people.”

The girl was taken aback by his retort, and smiled awkwardly, "Is it that obvious? Haha, then I'll just say it directly."

"That medicine, the tears of Prometheus, did you concoct it yourself?"

"To be honest, I'm also a scientist's assistant, and I've done a little research in the field of stimulants. I'm curious, right? There shouldn't be any drugs on the market right now that are neither addictive nor cause any physical pain, right? You said that just to reassure Mr. Logan, didn't you?"

Angel Eyes remained silent, whether in thought or because the question was one that "could not be answered."

"If you don't mind, could you give me a sample of this drug? I'm really curious about it. If what you're saying is true, it could definitely make a huge breakthrough in the field of modern medicine..."

Suddenly, Angel Eyes turned its neck, and its extraordinary pupils instantly fixed on the girl.

It was as if some higher being was casting a gaze upon her through those pupils.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Angel Eyes’ tone was like that of an adult who had seen through a child’s prank, calm yet with an air of absolute authority.

After a pause, he added, "It's too dangerous here for an idealist."

“I…” Zhang Tito paused for a moment, bit his lip, and retorted, “Then what about you? And why are you here?”

“I am a watcher,” Angel Eyes said calmly. “Besides that, I want to experience human emotions, that’s all.”

……

"Angel Eyes!" Calaway's voice came from inside the tavern. "Get ready, we're about to leave!"

“Thank you for the mask, Miss Zhang.” Angel Eyes put on the mask, and as expected, it fit perfectly. Even through the lenses, one could still see those strange, diamond-like eyes, shimmering with a faint light. “May I give you a piece of advice?”

"please say."

"There's no need to worry about the distant future. Perhaps, no matter how much you scheme and plot, you'll ultimately be dealt a favorable hand by fate." Angel Eyes walked slowly forward, merging into the Red Center's team, his voice drifting away, "What's meant to happen will happen."

----

"Ah—!! What...what are you going to do? Didn't I tell you, I haven't finished explaining everything yet, I still know..."