Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"Sawasdee ka." The newcomer put his hands together, bowed slightly, and uttered the first words. Zhang Renfeng couldn't understand them, but judging from his actions, it should be a greeting.

Fortunately, he seamlessly switched to English in his next sentence, "You must be Zhang Renfeng? My name is Atian. The captain knew about you and expected you to come back, so he sent me to wait for you. His ship has been docked in the port for two months, specifically to wait for you."

“…Captain?” Zhang Renfeng’s voice was weak. He racked his brains but couldn’t remember which captain he knew.

“Istavo White Ulysses,” A-Tian said in a deep voice, “is now the captain of the [Water Demon].

“Ah…Istavo, I remember, he was…”

Hearing the name, Zhang Renfeng still couldn't remember the face; after all, it had been far too long since they had parted ways. But he did remember the two Volcano Pistols he carried at his waist—they were the evidence that had accompanied him on his escape and witnessed his turbulent journey.

Zhang Renfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With the burden lifted from my heart, the shock, fear, and pain of the past few months surged up all at once, turning into real exhaustion.

His legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.

Ah Tian was quite honest; he immediately carried him on his back and, with swift steps, quickly left the narrow, dark alley.

----

"Zheng!"

"Zheng!"

"Zheng!"

……

The rhythmic sound of sharpening knives woke Zhang Renfeng from his sleep. He was extremely sensitive to the sound of weapons being sharpened, and immediately propped himself up and sat up.

The blurry vision gradually cleared.

The man straddling the chair, sharpening a knife, was a tall man who seemed to embody hormones.

He had long, black hair and a long beard, both braided. His upper body was also bare, with several white claw-mark-shaped graffiti on his shoulders, which suited his broad, solid chest perfectly.

At this moment, his wild eyes were slowly narrowing as he sharpened his scimitar again and again.

Realizing that Zhang Renfeng had regained consciousness, he picked up the scythe, pointed the blade at Zhang Renfeng on the bed, and gave him a wild smile.

With that smile, Zhang Renfeng immediately clenched his fists, his muscles tensing as he prepared for battle.

He felt threatened.

"Don't move, young benefactor, don't move."

The familiar Chinese language reached his ears, sounding like heavenly music. Zhang Renfeng turned his head in surprise and saw a monk standing beside him. He wore a bamboo hat and a black robe. His eyebrows were very peculiar, like those of an eagle, high and exceptionally long, and he had a mustache.

Aside from the prayer beads on his hands and his scalp, which appears to be free of worldly desires, there are probably no other features that make him look like a "monk".

At that moment, the black-robed monk gently placed his hand on his shoulder and comforted him, "You are safe now. It was Ah Tian who carried you here."

"I...you are..."

Zhang Renfeng looked down and saw that the gauze on his waist had been replaced with a new one, and a strong smell of Chinese medicine wafted from it.

Before he could even grasp the situation, a series of hurried footsteps came from the deck.

Chapter 558: This humble monk also knows a little bit about martial arts!

"Boom!"

Istavo practically shoved the door open with his shoulder, rushing in impatiently as if Zhang Renfeng would disappear if he were a second later.

Their eyes met, and for a moment, they were both stunned. It seemed that they had so much to say, but it was all stuck in their throats, and they didn't know which word to say first.

After being separated for so long, and reuniting under such circumstances, it's understandable that people might find it difficult to speak for a moment.

Zhang Renfeng sized up his old friend. Years of living at sea had aged him considerably, and the sea breeze had etched wrinkles on his face. Compared to his former carefree and unrestrained nature, he now appeared more composed and experienced. Even the cicada-shaped walking stick in his hand had faded slightly from years of wear and tear.

"Long time no see, Zhang."

Finally, it was Istavo who started talking, pointing with his cane at the two volcano pistols and laughing, "They're still here."

“Without them, I wouldn’t be able to see you anymore, alas…” Zhang Renfeng sighed, his tone filled with indescribable helplessness and loss. “Perhaps that day, in the teahouse, when we were having our last drink together, when you told me to leave…”

"I should have gone with you."

“Who can predict the future?” Istavo shook his head, offering words of comfort. “Your situation is all over the place, and I think I know about it too. There’s no good way out for you to stay here any longer. You should leave with us first. We can make plans for what happens next.”

“This wandering monk is from the same country as you, and he’s also our ship’s doctor, although…” Seeing that the atmosphere was too heavy, Istavo couldn’t help but add a comment to lighten the mood, “These extraordinary people don’t seem to need a ship’s doctor much.”

"I still have to thank you for coming, benefactor." The black-robed monk put his hands together and bowed slightly to Zhang Renfeng, then added with a self-deprecating laugh, "Otherwise, I'm afraid I would never have been able to use my medical skills."

"Thank you, Master... for your help..." Zhang Renfeng said weakly.

"Young benefactor, there is no need to be distressed. Your bones are remarkably strong, a rarity in thousands of years. It is just a minor injury; with some rest and recuperation, it will heal."

Hearing this news from the doctor, Zhang Renfeng was not happy.

Minor wounds to the flesh.

Originally... I shouldn't have even gotten these minor injuries.

“And then there’s this one, [Horse King] Zogen. He seems quite interested in you.” Istavo gestured with his finger, pointing to the tall, burly man who had been sharpening his knife in the cabin.

For some reason, Zhang Renfeng had a feeling that he shouldn't be in this cramped cabin. A man like him should be riding a horse across a vast grassland. Zhuo Gen exuded a wild charm that hadn't been tamed. He didn't say much, just nodded to Zhang Renfeng and gave him a provocative smile.

Zhang Renfeng was all too familiar with this kind of laugh.

He would smile like this every time he stepped into the ring.

“You two can spar a bit, but let’s wait until you’re fully healed.” Istavo cleared his throat. “And this guy, he carried you all the way back…”

“I know, Ah Tian, ​​right?” Zhang Renfeng raised his arms with some difficulty, making a fist-and-palm gesture, his words extremely earnest, “You saved me from dire straits, please forgive me… please forgive me for not being able to get up for the time being. I will remember this kindness, and if anything happens in the future, please take full responsibility!”

Ah Tian didn't quite understand what he meant, but he still put his hands together and returned the greeting as before.

“Ah Tian is Thai. He was originally an elephant guard, but he offended the King of Thailand and was wanted nationwide, which is why he was expelled… You two should have a lot in common.” Istavo turned slightly to make room for him. “And behind me is Qasim.”

Zhang Renfeng didn't ask a question.

This Qasim is the strangest of them all.

He was dressed in spotless white robes, with a sword at his waist, but a mask on his face.

Even though there were only a few people in the cabin, they still didn't remove their masks to show their true faces. Beneath the silver masks, there were only a pair of black eyes, seemingly watching them, yet also seemingly surveying everyone in the cabin.

……

No heartbeat!

Zhang Renfeng was startled, thinking he had misheard or that his injury had affected his listening ability. He held his breath and began to test each point.

The black-robed monk's heartbeat was very steady, like an old monk striking a bell, slow and long.

Ma Wang Zhuogen's heart was pounding violently, like a thunderclap. It was hard to imagine what kind of explosive power was contained within this body!

Ah Tian's heartbeat was rhythmic, like the beat of a drum.

As for Istavo… he doesn’t know martial arts, so his heartbeat is just that of a normal person, even slightly weak. Presumably, the sun and wind at sea have taken their toll on his health.

But this one, Qasim, was completely unresponsive! Upon closer inspection, his chest appeared to be flat.

"He is my personal bodyguard. He doesn't talk much, but don't mind him. He means no harm."

"Besides these four people, there's another member watching over us on deck. He..."

……

"boom---!"

The sound of a revolver firing.

Istavo's expression changed, and a hint of sinister intent, which he had been hiding well, still leaked out from between his brows.

"They've come looking for me." Zhang Renfeng took a deep breath. "They're like a persistent ghost..."

"It's alright, Zhang, you should rest here," Istavo said with a smile, reassuring her. "It's all over now."

"Leave it all to us."

----

The Water Demon.

deck.

A black cowboy dressed in yellow is leaning back in his chair, legs crossed, a cowboy hat in his left hand and a Le Matt gold revolver in his right, smoke billowing from the muzzle.

The soldiers naturally recognized it as a type of musket, but at this time, the so-called "firearms" in the army were still quite old-fashioned; none of them had ever seen a revolver in the hands of a black cowboy. For a moment, they were all crowded on the deck, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

"Robin, what's going on?"

“Someone’s trying to break in.” Robin slammed down the hammer of Lemat’s revolver, making a soft click. “Judging by the look of it, they’ve come by smell.”

Istavo pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly. The black-robed monk standing to the side then took out two pieces of silver from his sleeve.

His smile was as warm as a spring breeze, hardly resembling that of a monk. He held the silver in both hands, as if deliberately wanting all the soldiers to see it, and precisely located their leader in the crowd, respectfully handing it over.

"I was unaware that Your Excellency had come to greet us. Our captain is a spice merchant who has been traveling between countries for a long time. Today, we have prepared a small gift for Your Excellency to accept."

……

Old tricks are often the most effective.

"My God, this portion..."

"Thank God, I've never seen such a large amount of silver before!"

"Boss, they're being so sincere, why don't we..."

……

"A bunch of idiots!" the leader roared. "That guy is someone the palace specifically requested! Use your pig brains! Do you think you can fool the people in the palace? If you mess this up, how many heads do you have?!"

After reprimanding his men, he immediately turned to the black-robed monk, his eyes meeting his own. "I don't have time for your nonsense! Tell this foreigner that someone witnessed a beggar carrying someone onto this ship. His behavior is highly suspicious! We suspect that the man is connected to the real culprit in the escaped horse-hunting case. We need to search this ship and get your men off!"

“It’s true. The one you saw was him, wasn’t he?” The black-robed monk remained calm, simply pointing to A-Tian behind him and laughing. “He’s a laborer on our ship. Another crew member was drunk down below, so we asked him to help carry things up. That’s all.”

"Ha, I don't believe your nonsense, get out of the way!"

The leader sneered and reached out to brush the black-robed monk's hand away, trying to knock the silver from his hand to the ground.

……

It was placed on my wrist, and I pushed it hard, but it didn't budge.

----

The leader looked somewhat surprised.

“…Young benefactor, you misunderstand. A monk does not lie. I am a very reasonable person, but…”

The black-robed monk continued to smile, but the black robe wrapped around him fluttered and rustled even without wind.

Robin quickly drew his guns, one gold and one silver, two Lemat revolvers, and aimed them at the huddled group of soldiers.

Zhuo Gen brandished his newly sharpened sickle and laughed wildly to the sky.

Kasim, who had been standing behind Istavo, stepped forward, his eyes beneath the silver mask calmly sweeping over each of them.

"If reasoning doesn't work, I, this humble monk, also know a little bit about martial arts."

……

"There is a saying in your country that I have always liked."

Istavo tapped the ground with his Frost Cicada Staff, then suddenly spoke in impeccable Chinese, once again sending a powerful shockwave through the soldiers.

"Those who understand the times are the heroes."

"Ladies and gentlemen, my gift is still valid. I wonder what this toast will be like..."

He struck the cicada staff again, the sound like a judge's gavel striking the hearts of the crowd, "Would you do me the honor of having a drink?"

Amidst the tense standoff, the leader's expression changed several times before he finally gritted his teeth and took the silver from the black-robed monk's hand.

"withdraw!"

They came from the same place and went back to the same place; in no time at all, they disappeared cleanly and efficiently.

“Captain,” the black-robed monk said in a deep voice.

“Yes, I know. We can’t stay here any longer.” Istavo didn’t hesitate. He waved his arm in the air and ordered, “Set sail immediately!”