Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Zhang Renfeng looked at the sticky, thread-like substances that were squeezed out and overflowing from the body. They looked like they had been nourished by human blood, turning a rich, dark red color.

Dover is dead; that much more needs to be said.

However, the part of the body that should have been referred to as "it" was still moving. It seemed to sense the hostility of the three people and moved even faster, as if it wanted to seize the time to escape from here.

A thought suddenly struck Zhang Renfeng, and he asked, "Do you know about Cordyceps sinensis?"

"What?" Silver Frost looked confused.

On the contrary, Ren, whose intelligence was 9, took the initiative to speak up, "Is it a kind of medicinal herb? I read this name on a scroll in my hometown, but I don't know what it is."

"Literally, it's an insect in winter and turns into grass in summer. But actually, it's a kind of fungus that parasitizes the insect's body in winter, absorbing its nutrients and controlling its movements. In summer, the insect is hollowed out, its body becomes an empty shell, and the fungus grows all over it from the inside out. Some people discovered that it can be used as medicine, and it became a... precious medicinal material."

For a moment, all three of them fell silent.

Combined with those limbs that were still relentlessly "escaping," a chilling sense of fear filled their hearts.

"We can't tolerate it!" Ren said through gritted teeth.

Silver Frost slowly rose, closed his eyes slightly, gripped the sword hilt with both hands, and like a knight, pressed the blade against his forehead, muttering something under his breath.

When she opened her eyes, she covered the sword with her hand and gently wiped it!

"boom--!!"

Flames ignited on the sword, reflecting off her flowing, bright silver hair.

"Oh?" Ren drew his own katana, placing his palm on the side of the blade, and exclaimed, "Impressive."

"Sa!"

He quickly wiped the blade as if polishing a mirror, and the samurai sword was ignited, as if it were holding a torch.

"Huh?" Silverfrost's expression was one of undisguised surprise. "I thought..."

"I have already mastered the Way of Everlasting Illumination." Ren said casually with an indifferent expression, as if what he had mastered was nothing more than a minor skill like one plus one equals two.

"Could it be... that this move... is actually quite common? How come everyone knows it!"

Zhang Renfeng thought of his senior brother, who had also lit the Fish Intestine Sword during a battle.

These days, it seems like you can't show how powerful you are unless you ignite your melee weapon and add a fire enchantment. When the senior brother revealed this move, it was to counter his own power absorption. Faced with flames that could scorch the skin, he really couldn't fight hand-to-hand anymore, so he had no choice but to uproot a tree and smash it down on him.

He has a childlike side; if others know a powerful move but he doesn't, he feels a little annoyed deep down. The key thing is... this move is just too cool! That flick of the small flame, paired with a cool expression, is simply too awesome!

There's no way around it; when you're out in the world, you have to define your own identity.

Zhang Renfeng first pulled out the Volcano Pistol, unloaded the ordinary bullets, and then loaded it with the incendiary bullets customized by Theon. As he did so, he forced a smile and said, "What era are we living in? Still doing this kind of thing."

He showed the two of them his special weapon, saying, "This thing really works."

----

He stood before Dover's head, looking down at it with a cold and calm expression.

Perhaps sensing that it was about to die completely, the head's expression changed several times, from fear and anger to a strange smile.

"What a coincidence... I said before that I wanted to kill you again." Zhang Renfeng laughed inexplicably, "Even such an outrageous wish has been granted to me. Your God really favors me."

"..."

“F… … ”

Because it has no trachea, it can only bite its upper and lower lips to produce a faint breathy sound.

"boom!"

Flames exploded on its head, and in that instant, the mycelium parasitizing its head suddenly emerged from its scalp like living things, then melted like white wax.

Zhang Renfeng seemed to hear a shrill scream.

Chapter 432: Let's each be beautiful in our own way

It died, and then came back to life.

Similar scenarios are described in the Bible.

However, aside from devout believers who attribute every good thing in life to God's grace, not many people would believe that a person who died on a cross with nails to their hands and feet could truly rise from the dead on the third day.

But right here, right before her eyes, Vivian witnessed the resurrection of a dead person, and the scene was far from the...holy one described in the books.

Moreover, can that state really be called "resurrection"?

"Are you alright?" Tito sat down beside her, asking with concern, "One of your companions is dead, one has turned into a zombie, and one has gone mad..."

As she spoke, she looked at Reed, who was huddled in the corner, with a hint of sympathy.

After finding out who the murderer was, she released the unfortunate sculptor. Perhaps the shock he had suffered along the way was too great; even with his physical restraints removed, the collapse of his spirit was difficult to repair. Like a frightened animal, he clenched his arms and found a narrow corner to sit down, looking tense and shivering from time to time.

Put yourself in Reed's shoes. Last night, he was mocked by Frank face-to-face, and he was so angry that he probably didn't get much rest.

Finally, I managed to close my eyes and rest for the night in the cold room, only to open them to find myself holding a frozen human heart in my arms. I was probably still in a daze, and it took me a while to recover. Seeing the bloodstains in the messy room and the blood-stained sculptures, it was a testament to my composure that I didn't scream. Later, the door was broken into, the lock struck my chest, and I was tied up as a suspect.

Just when all hope seemed lost, the situation took a complete 360-degree turn. The old man who had been traveling with him was the murderer, and moreover, he was the resurrected, ruthless Dover. Even with his neck broken, he hadn't died; he had transformed into some kind of dark creature and disappeared into the vast snowfield.

This man-eating monster had been with him for at least the past week.

It really only takes one bad day to destroy an ordinary person. When all the major troubles pile up and come crashing down at the same time, it is easy to break down their defenses.

Reed broke down.

Of this small team of artists who had traveled from afar, only Vivian remained.

"Speaking of which, you seem quite calm." Tito looked at her with some curiosity—this woman whose face was covered by a black veil and who, at first glance, appeared somewhat clumsy.

This series of unbelievable events did not shake her worldview in the slightest. Normally, she should have been deeply shocked like Reed. However, at least on the surface, Vivian did not show that reaction.

She was methodically packing up the painter, palette, and paints. The snow had subsided, and she was preparing to leave to attend an exhibition in Dover Valley alone.

"What's done is done, there's no use in worrying about it anymore," Vivian replied helplessly.

……

Tito's expression was conflicted, as if he was deep down debating whether or not he should ask the question.

In the end, emotion prevailed over her reason.

"Is it because of...that painter?"

"Ok?"

“Theonardo Dietersdorf.” Tito chose his words very carefully, as if defusing a ticking time bomb. “He’s had several art exhibitions in White Torch, and I’ve heard…it seems…it appears…there are some people…”

"He is called the 'Dreamer.' It is said that he can make prophecies about future events through dreams, so his paintings are essentially 'prophetic paintings,' just like..."

"Like Michel de Nottdam?" Vivian's hands kept moving, and she easily understood what she meant.

(Michel de Nostradamus, 1503-1566, Frenchman, also known as Nostradamus. Astrologer, physician, and prophet, who left behind the prophetic poem collection *The Centuries*. He prophesied that during the Millennium, a King of Terror would descend from the heavens, bringing about the extinction of humanity.)

“Yes.” Tito nodded, then asked for confirmation, “So, was today’s scene, Dover’s resurrection, also part of his prophecy?”

“…No.” Vivian’s tone changed slightly, becoming somewhat cold as she said, “He’s not that interested in these things.”

"Then... what about the prophecy he told you about before?" Tito persisted, trying to steer the conversation back from another angle. "He prophesied the birth of Mago, didn't he?"

"But how do you know that Mago hasn't been born yet?"

With just that one sentence, Tito's path was completely blocked. She wanted to say something in rebuttal, but after opening her mouth for a long time, she couldn't utter a single word.

Vivian said softly, "His exact words were—'I'll meet him soon,' right? That guy named Mega is probably already waiting for me somewhere. As long as I remember not to miss him when I meet him, that's all that matters."

She was unwilling to let the topic end there. Perhaps out of habit, she felt that this female painter who had worked with Theonado was not as simple as she seemed.

She closed her right eye and looked at Vivian with her left.

To everyone's surprise, Vivian stopped what she was doing and turned around without warning. Her eyes, hidden beneath the black veil, already showed signs of wariness.

"Can we not do this?"

"W-what?" Tito was a little flustered, then a chill ran down his spine and the hairs on his arms stood on end.

"Crunch... crunch..."

The house swayed like a sailboat on the sea, and the external light suddenly dimmed. The kerosene lamp on the cabinet began to flicker. The female painter's shadow, cast on the wall, grew larger and larger, like a pair of gaping canine teeth, as if about to swallow the entire room whole!

……

Suddenly, from beneath the mysterious black veil, a soft, bell-like laugh rang out.

With Vivian's smile, it was as if the ice and snow had melted away, and the oppressive, uneasy darkness dissipated like the receding tide.

"Don't be like that~~~" Vivian clasped her hands together, her tone almost like she was pleading with her, repeating the same thing with a completely different attitude, "Girls all have some secrets they don't want others to know. Isn't it said that 'secrets make women more beautiful'?"

"Let's each be beautiful in our own way, okay?"

……

"Boom!"

There were some rough banging sounds on the door.

Two rickshaw drivers emerged from the corner, walking briskly out with excitement on their faces.

“Ah, gentlemen, it’s been a while since you last appeared.” Vivian greeted them, seemingly having completely forgotten the little incident earlier. “Although the situation has changed a bit, the snowstorm is almost over. Could you please give me a ride again…”

"Shut up, little girl! Sit down!"

What she faced was the dark muzzle of a gun.

"Huh?" Vivian uttered a rather unintelligent sound.

“You…” Tito quickly noticed that the coachman was carrying a satchel in his other hand.

Those belong to Zhang Renfeng.

Dover's resurrection completely captivated her attention, leaving her utterly oblivious to Old Zhang's luggage.

"You guys... haha... I didn't expect it, you're such a fat sheep! How many dollars are here? A few thousand?" Another driver's expression was even more excited. "This trip was definitely worth it, it's all ours!"

……

The amount of money involved is large enough to overwhelm a person's brain.

They hadn't even considered what would happen when Zhang Renfeng returned.

10000.

Those four zeros at the end are enough for people at their level to take any risk!

"Following you guys, we've encountered so much trouble along the way, this money should be mine!" One of them had bloodshot eyes and a greedy look on his face. "You two can just consider yourselves unlucky!"

There was only a mad Reed and two frail women left in the room. Could there be a better opportunity?

He raised the muzzle of his gun.

----

"Ugh, it's so cold, so cold..."

Zhang Renfeng, carrying the wolf on his back, pushed open the door and strode in, rubbing his hands together. He looked around and seemed to notice something amiss.

"Why are so many people missing? Where are the two coachmen?" Zhang Renfeng asked suspiciously. "The carriage is still outside."

"Ah, them..."

“They were terrified, saying something like ‘I’m not doing this order anymore,’ and ran away,” Vivian said calmly. “They ran so fast we couldn’t stop them.”

Chapter 432: Ginseng Fruit

"So, she's been working as Tao's bodyguard all this time?"

"At least when I joined the company, Little Wolf was already there."

Tito explained, “The Civil War ended in 1865, but even now, there are still some roaming Confederate soldiers who refuse to admit their defeat. They wander between states as an exile army. Mr. Tao was once kidnapped by them, but Little Wolf rescued him, and ever since then, Tao has offered her a contract of employment.”

"But this child can really eat! I've never seen anyone eat so much; it's like she has a black hole in her stomach. Our experiment funding..."

"What?!" Zhang Renfeng frowned. "What does this word mean?"

"Huh? A black hole... huh?" Titor repeated it without thinking, then suddenly panicked, "I, did I tell you, I..."

“It’s just another way of saying ‘cave’,” Vivian said, trying to smooth things over.

"Is it because of that 'Rama Kung Fu'?" Ren carefully observed the girl's body and said, "Her physical body is always preparing to repair its injuries."