Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

“I recognize you,” Hector interrupted him. “You used to work for mules, didn’t you?”

“Yes, you remember.” Varga was somewhat surprised. “Ever since Mr. Laro took over the business in White Torch Town, I’ve come back with Igor, and he is now…”

"Look at me, kid. Do you think I'm an idiot?" Hector interrupted him rudely, spitting the cigarette butt from his mouth directly into his face, and roared in an extremely rough voice, "An idiot, could he have built such a big business from scratch? Answer me! Twenty years ago, when I was competing against the Jack Gang, you were still breastfeeding in your crib!"

“…No, sir.” Varga wiped his face, appearing calm. He knew very well that this was the correct approach in most gangs.

This is especially true for older leaders; they have to be ruthless. Because your body is declining day by day, which everyone can see, and there's no use trying to hide it. In order to show that you still have strength and can still control your subordinates, you have to be ruthless, unpredictable, and moody, so that people will be afraid of you.

Hector had always operated this way, which might have created a bit of a path dependency. With a formidable enemy at hand, when morale should be boosted and rewards should be offered, he chose the whip instead.

"Listen up, you bunch of idiots!"

Hector looked around and, seeing more and more eyes on him, grabbed the railing, mustered his strength, and said loudly, "Forty-two years ago, I crossed the border and came here! Every brick and tile in this house was earned by myself."

"As long as I'm still alive, I will remain the leader of the Thunder Fury Gang, your only boss. If you think I can't get involved in this mess, the door is right there, and I won't stop anyone. Go ahead, I don't want to fight alongside cowards!"

"But if your manhood hasn't been castrated and you still have a shred of manly courage, then stop whining like women and do as I say! The enemy could come from any direction. This mansion is our last stronghold! You must make sure all directions are clear. Within a hundred miles, even if a fly flies in, you must..."

……

"Lord Hector!"

The person who rushed over was one of Hector's own confidants.

Judging from their status, this man was certainly a "junior," but Hector himself was over sixty years old, so his junior couldn't possibly be too young. He had come running all the way here, panting heavily, and the atmosphere that had just been built up was completely ruined while waiting for him to catch his breath.

"What?!" Hector was clearly dissatisfied, but since this was one of his own people, he couldn't treat her the same way he treated Varga.

"They...the Red Center has arrived!"

His grand pronouncements caught in his throat, and Hector's eyelids twitched; he wasn't fully prepared.

According to Laro's description, the opponent has won several consecutive matches and is riding high on momentum; their first wave of attack will be extremely fierce. With roughly equal numbers, they must fully utilize the terrain to their advantage, turning the mansion into a fortress, in order to have any chance of victory.

"And the direction?" he pressed, "Which direction did you come from?"

"front."

"The front?" Hector paused for a moment. There was still some distance between them and the main entrance of the mansion, with the sides shaded by the trees. These were trees he had planted when he first started out, and now they had grown into towering giants, their fallen leaves enough to create a magnificent path.

It's quiet.

If they came in from the front, a large group of about a hundred people, the commotion would be impossible to hide. The sound of horses' hooves and shouts should be even more lively than the boiling broth.

"That shouldn't be the case." Hector's brows furrowed. Only now did he realize how old he had truly become. He thought for a long time, but his mind was completely blank, unable to process anything. "Are you sure you saw it?"

“It’s them, but the number…” The underling hesitated for a moment, as if afraid that Hector would think he was fooling him. After struggling for a long time, he finally said, “There are only eight people.”

……

Hector's mind went blank. He couldn't understand why his opponents only numbered eight. He had never seen this kind of fighting before; it almost defied all his combat experience. For a moment, a slow, dazed expression, befitting a sixty-two-year-old man, appeared on his aging face.

But now that things have come to this, changing the commander at the last minute will only make the subordinates feel that they can't handle things.

"Lord Hector, perhaps..."

"No, don't fire! Pull the triggers tight! Use your idiot brains! How could these eight men be the main force? They're bait!" Hector, as if guided by some unseen force, shouted, "That must be it... They're drawing fire; the real force is definitely lying in ambush nearby!"

"Listen up, everyone! Keep your distance and be on alert. Don't miss any disturbance!"

----

Eight people.

Eight riders.

Like a volley of arrows shooting out, it slowly advances towards the final mansion.

In the night breeze, they rode lightly forward, passing through the trees on both sides of the road without any hindrance.

The thick, resilient tree trunk, bathed in the last rays of the setting sun, stood there, its leaves scattered by the wind, silently witnessing everything.

"Dang Dang!"

The horse's hooves landed, and the leaves fluttered down.

This long winter is coming to an end.

Chapter 394: Ancient Hatred and Modern Feud!

"That's enough, let's dismount here."

Zhang Renfeng reined in his horse, dismounted, and casually picked up the long sword that had been hanging horizontally on the saddle.

Upon arriving at the ranch, Blackpaw brought the forged weapon with him.

Unfortunately, Zhang Renfeng's previous mission was to infiltrate and destroy field artillery positions. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't burn things like that. It was impossible for him to carry a 70-kilogram broadsword and go infiltrate again, so it was naturally useless.

And this battle is the perfect opportunity to unleash your full power.

"Same as always." Mike took off his saddle strap, took out his most comfortable rifle and pistol, and instructed, "Watch us. When we move, the first thing you need to do is not to fire, but to find cover, understand? Rocks, wooden boxes, wagons, tree trunks, anything will do. Shoot from behind cover. Don't rush to the front. You're not used to running and shooting at the same time yet."

“Elan, you’re underestimating these two girls. Let me put it this way, they’ve been through more tough battles than most gang members, no problem.”

Unlike him, Calaway was incredibly excited about the upcoming scene. When he dismounted, he was so strong that he almost pulled the stirrups off. His equipment clearly showed that his fighting style was very different from Mike's; he carried nothing but a revolver, showing his extreme confidence in his marksmanship.

“It’s alright, I’ll be at the forefront in a bit.” Theon silently checked his equipment and said in a deep voice, “Leave the task of drawing fire to me, you guys just need to avoid me.”

His tone was as heavy as the approaching night.

Ultimately, his purpose in joining the Red Center Gang was to personally avenge the Thunder Fury Gang, who had killed his brother. However, even Theon himself didn't expect that in less than two months, things would actually progress to this point.

It's like a dream.

"Take it easy, Theon." Zhang Renfeng saw the heavy burden on his mind and patted him on the shoulder with a smile. "We'll see each other again after we're done fighting."

“…Yes, Red Center.” Theon paused for a few seconds, then finally stopped staring intently at the gun barrel, looked up, and smiled, “See you in a bit.”

……

"Alright, everyone, this is a memorable 'first' all-out battle since we formed the team. It's also our first time visiting Igor's hometown and paying a visit to his family. It seems his family isn't very welcoming to us."

Zhang Renfeng's gaze swept over his gang members one by one, and he found that apart from two young girls who seemed a little nervous, the others were all quite relaxed.

Without him, even if there were only a hundred or so people left following behind, they would still feel uncertain about attacking the final watchtower of Rongma Town.

But as soon as he stands here... even if there are only eight people, he'll start a fight without hesitation, as if it were a joke.

That's the infectious energy that top-tier teammates bring to the team. Hector's pre-battle pep talk, which left him hoarse, might not have been as effective as Zhang Renfeng telling a couple of jokes.

"I won't say more. This bastard kidnapped the Red Center Gang's cook. Remember, nothing else matters. This alone is enough."

"Next, we will use this battle to let everyone know: no one can touch the Red Center Gang without paying any price."

"Let's go!"

----

"My God..."

Exclamations of alarm could be heard from the top of the watchtower.

I thought they might have some tricks up their sleeve or some surprise, but they didn't. It was just these eight people, including two young girls, walking slowly towards the main entrance in a straight line.

Without even looking, it was clear that the leader was Hong Zhong—he carried a long sword in his right hand, his head slightly raised, his face expressionless, but his gait and aura made it clear that he was there to see them to their deaths. It was as if the fact that they were outnumbered was not a problem at all in his eyes.

If it were just a person walking by, it would be a bit strange, but not scary.

But... the battle of Tianma Town has brought the legend of Hongzhong back into the public eye through the trembling voices of the survivors. Very fortunately, or perhaps very unfortunately, what was witnessed this time was a completely out-of-control, berserk Hongzhong, even more exaggerated than what the people of Fengchuisha and Baiju Towns had seen.

Red Center Gang.

This gang, which emerged out of nowhere like a summer thunderclap and has created many terrifying achievements, has finally made a high-profile appearance in front of everyone!

……

"Why are there two women here?"

“I heard that those were Hong Zhong’s two wives, one of whom, I think, used to be from the Tuku side.”

"Isn't it a full moon tonight?"

"It's a crescent moon, what's wrong?"

"Haven't you heard? Hongzhong is a werewolf. Whenever he sees a full moon, he turns into a wolf. See that girl? Her face is covered in scars. It happened during sex when Hongzhong suddenly turned into a wolf and scratched her like this!"

"I heard that he ate the mayor of Baiju Town."

"Good heavens, are we going to fight this monster?"

……

Fear spread rapidly through the crowd. Hector remained tense, never giving the order to fire. He simply couldn't figure out what Red Center was up to.

Until a tiger's roar echoed through the night sky.

----

"Hector—!!!"

Reaching a distance of about ten steps from the mansion's cover, Zhang Renfeng leaned on his sword, his eyes wide open, and roared. Fueled by his powerful internal energy, the roar exploded like thunder, quickly reaching everyone's ears and giving the Thunder Angry Gang a taste of their power.

Hector gritted his teeth. He was already sixty-two years old, and these years of indulging in pleasure had hollowed out his body. He was weak when he walked, let alone spoke.

But there was nothing he could do. This was also Old Zhang's little scheme. "I am the leader of the Red Center Gang. If I come out and speak out, are you, as the leader of the Thunder Fury Gang, going to cower in the back?"

It's hilarious just hearing about it.

"This is our territory!" With no other choice, he could only drag his awful, hoarse voice, grip the railing, and scream at the top of his lungs, almost breaking his voice, "Go back to your own territory, you yellow barbarians!"

"Hahahaha!" Zhang Renfeng burst into laughter, even having the energy to turn around and make eye contact with his companions.

Of course, his companions weren't in a position to follow up. Mike, Calaway, and Theon had their hands on their guns, all keeping a close eye on everyone in the bunker and behind cover. If anyone made a move to draw their gun or fire, they would be the first to deliver a bullet to their forehead.

Only Angel Eyes, who also had plenty of energy, smiled and nodded slightly at him.

He then asked, "The brothers have come all this way, and they haven't even earned a penny. Is it really appropriate for them to turn back now?"

“You’ve already taken several lives belonging to the Zolael family, my own flesh and blood! Rancho, Daniel, Ruwin, and my grandson Eugene!” Hector demanded through gritted teeth. “Isn’t that enough?”

"Let's get this straight: it was you who kidnapped my cook on my turf!"

Zhang Renfeng suddenly took a big step forward, abandoning his previous jovial tone. His fearless attitude towards gunfire startled the gang members closest to him.

"You mean the mule? Ha... I knew it all along, it was him... it's always been him!" Hector grinned maliciously. "Unfortunately, you yellow-skinned brat, he belongs here! Even with his deformed head, he's still my son. Every drop of his blood belongs to this family, and even if it rots, it will rot in our own fields!"

“However, since you like him so much, I can let you take him away…” Hector widened his eyes and said viciously, word by word, “Of course, only his head! You can take his head; this has always been our rule for those who betray the family.”

……

……

……

Zhang Renfeng fell silent. The five-second silence felt incredibly long in the tense atmosphere.

"So, he's still alive?" Zhang Renfeng asked casually.

“For now.” Hector took a deep breath, wanting to continue applying pressure, “but if you keep rambling on…”

As he wished, Zhang Renfeng stopped arguing.

He drew his long-unused Volcano Pistol.

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

Flames flickered, and in almost a moment of stillness, three lives were claimed. Despite not having been used for a long time, the gun, like a devoted wife, patiently waited for him, without throwing a tantrum. The sights, the feel, the weight—everything was exactly the same as before, which brought Zhang Renfeng some comfort.

A war has begun.

Chapter 395: There are eight people in this damn place?

"Has it started yet?"

Hearing the commotion, Igor quickly moved a stool over, placed it under his feet, and then stood on tiptoe to peer outside.

Even with his efforts, the room was secluded, offering only a glimpse of the courtyard. Sparks flew, stray bullets whizzed by, and the muffled or sharp gunshots were interspersed with screams. Occasionally, one could see people on fire, running frantically amidst their screams, quickly passing through Igor's field of vision.

He couldn't help but sigh.