Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

……

Igor looked up at the man before him, his mind a jumble of emotions, too complex to be expressed in words.

When he first joined the Red Center Gang, he made a three-point agreement with Zhang Renfeng on a snowy night. The last point was that he might leave at any time, and when that happened, there was no need to look for him; he could simply find a new cook.

He had foreseen this future; once Laro returned from Mexico, he would inevitably take power from him.

In Hector's view, a dwarf was incapable of representing the family or managing affairs outside. No matter how much he accomplished, in their eyes he would always be a laughable, comical dwarf. At that point, he would have no choice but to return to the Buffalo Ranch and spend the rest of his life amidst horse manure and cow dung.

But he never expected that the Red Center Gang, a gang with only eight official members, would actually declare war on the behemoth, the Thunder Gang, for his and Jimmy's sake!

"Ahem, it's been a long time. Well then..." Zhang Renfeng cleared his throat, his smile still the same as that snowy night—the kind of smile that comes from seeing a talented person, only this time, it carried a hint of joy from reuniting with an old friend.

“Igorinacio Zolael”.

He took a cigarette out of his pocket, handed it to Igor, and solemnly asked, "As the leader of the Red Center Gang, I am once again formally extending an invitation to you."

"Become our chef; we really can't do without your cooking."

"..." Igor tilted his head back, looked up at the night sky, sighed deeply, and then laughed inexplicably, "You'll never give up, right?"

"Thank you for coming all this way for me."

He took the cigarette, and Zhang Renfeng lit it with a match.

Smoke was exhaled from his mouth and slowly rose into the sky.

"Finally back to normal..." Xiaomei completely relaxed. The tension eased, and she squatted down on the spot, muttering, "I'm so tired, and so hungry~~"

"Thinking about it, it seems like we've been working non-stop for two days without sleeping at all, right?" Calaway, like an actor who had just finished filming a movie, started smoking and drinking. "We haven't eaten anything decent in between, just canned food, canned food, canned food... I really miss the roasted bear paw at the camp."

"Sleeping is more important, isn't it? Where are we going to sleep? Back to the ranch?"

……

"Hang in there a little longer," Mike reminded him. "It's not over yet."

Yes, it's not over yet.

There is one last thing waiting for the victorious Red Center gang to accomplish: the trial of the losers.

"What do you think?" Zhang Renfeng didn't waste a second. Now that Igor was back, he was too lazy to think anymore and started activating his external brain.

"...It was burned."

Looking at the luxurious mansion in front of him, Igor said in a deep voice, "If we leave this place here, people will suspect that it's just a different person living in a luxurious mansion and leading a decadent life."

“A charred ruin will let everyone know that you are not Hector, and Red Center is not the Thunder Gang.”

"Everything new starts here."

……

Everyone was somewhat surprised. Who would have thought that Igor, who had just returned to the team, would make such a bold decision?

Zhang Renfeng, however, seemed completely unsurprised and nodded, "Burn!"

----

"boom------!!"

The spark ignited the explosives in the basement, and with a deafening explosion, the mansion, a symbol of the Zola El family's illustrious glory, collapsed.

Black smoke billowed.

Fire shot into the sky.

A giant torch flickered in everyone's eyes, signifying the end of a decadent era and the beginning of a new one.

……

"Ah...ah!!" Hector suddenly went mad, using all his strength to break free from the chief's grip, reaching out as if trying to grab something.

“No, no—!!!”

Zhang Renfeng waved his hand, indicating that it was not necessary to worry about it.

So the mad old man stumbled and staggered toward the mansion he had spent his entire life building.

His figure is intertwined with the old era filled with blood and tears...

They disappeared into the sea of ​​fire.

Chapter 402: Everyone Knows Immortals Are Good

at the same time.

Far across the ocean, on the other side of the world, on some unnamed, desolate mountain.

Everyone knows that immortals are wonderful!

"Only fame and fortune are unforgettable~~~"

Where are the generals and ministers of ancient and modern times now?

"A pile of desolate graves... grass... all gone..."

……

"Boss, someone's singing?" One of the underlings looked timid and glanced at the bearded man behind him. "Should we... retreat? This desolate place isn't right. My hair's standing on end."

"Coward!" The leader slapped him hard on the head and scolded, "In this godforsaken year, we can't even rob a single roadside stall. We haven't had a single customer in days, and the brothers are starving! If we go back empty-handed, do you expect us to starve?"

"It's just singing, who cares about all this nonsense? See that smoke? Where there's smoke, there's fire; where there's fire, there's food! All this charlatanry is no match for my knife!"

"The boss is right!"

"That's right, let's fucking rip them off!"

His words were generally agreed upon by his underlings, and the facts proved that when people are hungry to a certain extent, they are willing to take any risks.

Besides, they weren't some mountain bandits who ruled the mountains; they were just a few highway robbers. According to the official definition, they were "roving bandits," the kind that no one bothered to bother with.

These days, no one has an easy time. There are fewer and fewer ordinary people on the streets, so this business is not easy to do either. If we can't rob anything today, we'll have to eat tree bark when we get home tonight.

Since the decision had been made, there was nothing more to say. Using the trees as cover, they slowly approached the direction from which the smoke was rising. The eldest brother roared and suddenly jumped out.

"Don't move! Hand over the food!"

At the same time, he drew his knife with lightning speed, brandishing it to make the robbed person realize their predicament and give up resistance. If they obediently handed over their money and food, the matter would usually be over, and no one would die.

However, this time, upon seeing the man's appearance, the boss's heart skipped a beat.

He wore a maroon Taoist robe, without a belt or headdress, hanging loosely on his body. The robe itself was tattered and dragged on the ground, covered with mud and leaves, and had accompanied him for who knows how many miles; it was clear from its appearance that it had never been changed.

With disheveled hair and a slovenly appearance, he sat cross-legged on the ground without any restraint. His appearance hardly suggested wealth.

In broad daylight, this man was carrying an umbrella, its surface as tattered as his Taoist robe, offering neither wind nor rain protection. Sunlight streamed through, casting a strange beauty upon the umbrella's surface.

"Boss, he's a Taoist priest," one of the underlings reminded him. "Maybe..."

Children, the elderly, Taoist priests, and Buddhist monks are the four things that are taboo in this profession; if you can avoid robbing them, then don't.

But seeing the pot bubbling away in front of the red-robed Taoist priest, the leader hardened his heart and shouted, "Brothers, we're robbing you. If you know what's good for you, hand over your valuables! Otherwise, we might use knives on you, and that wouldn't be pretty, would it?"

……

"Ha...hahaha..." The Taoist laughed, slowly stood up, and bowed. "It's a pity that what I'm eating...is probably not to the liking of you great kings."

The leader sneered, "Which mountain's hermit are you, daring to play tricks here!"

"I have no school or sect, and I only know a few trivial tricks to amuse people. People call me..."

"【The Mad Taoist】".

"I think you're pretty crazy." The boss frowned and pointed the tip of his knife at the pot behind him. "What are you cooking? I haven't had any meat in days! Get out of here! If you dare say another word, I'll cook you up too!"

The Taoist priest didn't say anything more, but just smiled and stepped aside, letting him see for himself.

The eldest brother strode forward, poked his head out, and peered into the pot. He was immediately stunned. Thinking he was seeing things, he rubbed his eyes and looked several times before confirming that what was hissing and steaming in the pot were actually a few stones!

"Hahahaha—!" The eccentric Taoist burst into laughter.

"Damn it, you dare to play me for boiling stones?" The leader was both shocked and furious. He swung his knife and chopped it down at the Taoist's head.

"Snapped!"

It struck the open umbrella surface.

In an instant, the fabric that made up the umbrella tore apart, turning into a flock of crows flapping their wings, their sharp beaks and claws falling like raindrops.

In an instant, his eyes were pecked out, his tongue was snatched away, and his entire face was a bloody mess. In the black storm of crow feathers, he helplessly waved his hands, but the crows were fearless and, moments later, pecked him to death!

"ah----!!"

"Sorcery! It's sorcery! Run!"

The underlings had never seen anything like this before. They were so scared that they ran away in a panic, forgetting all about saving their boss.

The eccentric Taoist laughed heartily, threw out the remaining umbrella ribs, which landed on the ground and transformed into a ten-meter-long crimson python, blocking their path.

"hiss……!!"

It flicked its tongue and swallowed them one by one.

----

Everyone knows that immortals are good.

"Only gold and silver... I can't forget them..."

"All I ever regret is that we don't have enough time together."

"After a long time, his eyes closed."

……

Zhu Kuilong parted the leaves of the bushes and followed the smoke to find him. The eccentric Taoist in red robes, however, remained seated on the ground as if nothing had happened, humming his favorite tune and watching the food cooking in the pot.

"Are you cooking stones again?"

"Yes, this one is especially good, soft, sticky, and sweet." The Taoist priest seemed not to feel the heat, and directly scooped a stone out of the sizzling pot and put it in his mouth.

With a snap, Zhu Kuilong watched as he bit off a piece, chewed it, and swallowed it.

Mmm~~Delicious, delicious!

The eccentric Taoist looked thoroughly enjoying himself, his eyes almost squinting in ecstasy. He broke the stone in half and handed him a piece. "Want to try some?"

"..."

Zhu Kuilong stared intently at the stone that was handed to him, studying it for a long time, but still couldn't discern its true nature.

The illusionist's skills were not on the same level as his own, but having experienced everything in the West, his intuition seemed to have been enhanced. In an instant, a chill ran down his spine for no reason. The stone changed several times in his eyes, seemingly only a thin layer of paper away from its true form, but he just couldn't break through it.

But, for some reason, Zhu Kuilong smelled a bloody odor.

His expression changed, and he shook his head, indicating his refusal.

"Tch, you don't know how to enjoy life..." The Mad Taoist didn't force him, and put the stone in his mouth again, chewing it heartily. "How was it? Did the illusion techniques I taught you on this trip help you?"

"Where should I begin?" Zhu Kuilong pondered for a moment, his tone tinged with guilt. "I suppose I was just being presumptuous. I'm sorry, but please pretend I never mentioned the 'Lone Path' thing."

"Unfortunately, I had prepared a grand deception to cover things up," the Mad Taoist said calmly. "However, it's fine this way..."

Zhu Kuilong asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"You want to live a simple, uneventful life, until you're eighty, hunched over and unable to move, your bed covered in excrement and urine. To silently await death, amidst the disdainful gazes of your children..."

"Or should one strive to leave a lasting mark on history and accomplish something great, even if it means not living past thirty?"

Chapter 403: Not Yet Here

"He's twenty-nine this year!" Zhu Kuilong's tone became tense. "You mean..."

"You truly love him," the eccentric Taoist mocked. "Your current predicament is largely thanks to him, isn't it?"

“I am his senior brother.” Zhu Kuilong frowned and said in a deep voice, “What exactly did you just say?!”

"Don't rush, it's just a metaphor, a metaphor."

The Taoist priest revealed a mysterious smile and continued, "Zhang, Ren, Feng, was born in the year of Gengxu and died in the year of Dingyou, with a total lifespan of 227 years. The cycle of life and death will not end for more than 200 years, so you don't need to worry about him."

"Two hundred and twenty-seven?" Zhu Kuilong was shocked by this number. "Even Master Zhang only lived to be two hundred and eighteen years old. Could he be a descendant of Master Zhang to have such a long life?"