Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"You make those evil people tremble and shake at the mere thought of the Red Center. Roanoke Osborn, his position in the Illuminati was already in the core interest circle, and he had the power to make decisions on major matters of the Illuminati! Such a person, having his entire family wiped out in broad daylight, is a very terrible signal."

Zhang Renfeng's tone was somewhat heavy, "So, that's why I sent you to kill me?"

“I am the contact person for the southern states. If any problems arise, I will naturally take charge.” Istavo’s tone was extremely serious as he lightly tapped the ground with his cane.

"You're still going to work for these bastards?" Zhang Renfeng gritted his teeth. "Why?"

……

Istavo gave him a deep look.

"He really is high and mighty, Zhang."

"Huh?" Zhang Renfeng was a little surprised. He hadn't expected Istavo to communicate with him in such a straightforward manner.

“You have two swords in your hand, one called ‘Right’ and the other called ‘Wrong’.” Istavo made a sword-wielding gesture. “You judge others as good or bad, raise these two swords, and slash back and forth, leaving everyone covered in wounds.”

"In this world, not everyone has abilities like yours. In that town called Windblown Sand, don't people know that Colin Childer is a scoundrel? Don't they think Chuck's sister died innocently and pitifully? Why doesn't anyone speak up for him? Because for ordinary people, self-preservation is the right thing to do. Many obstacles, for ordinary people, if they dare to step into them, they would have died more than ten thousand times over!"

"But you can rely on force to get through each obstacle. He can say with dignity that this is right and that is wrong, but I can't. I can only use my value to make a deal with those behemoths."

"The deal was this: I would do the dirty work for them, and they would give me money, a ship, and the freedom to recruit crew."

“I do the better, dirtier work for them, and they give me power and status.”

“I do the dirty work for them, and in return, they give me resources and promises. My eldest daughter is now developing her career in politics in Maine. And my wife’s family… All of this development is under the protection of the Illuminati; this is what they call an exchange of favors.”

"And now, the dirtiest job is sitting right in front of me."

Istavo looked at him with amusement. "After killing Red Center, they sent me to fill Roannock's vacancy and become a true 'insider'."

"boom!"

Zhang Renfeng took out two Volcano pistols and slammed them on the table.

"I, Zhang Renfeng, am still alive today, and this life was given to me by you," he said in a deep voice. "Take it as you see fit. If I were to blink, I wouldn't be a hero!"

……

Istavo glanced at the badly worn white ivory and ebony gun handle, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Then, he grabbed a glass of ice water from the side and splashed it directly onto Zhang Renfeng's face.

"What kind of hero are you trying to be? Is it even worth it?" Istavo's tone remained calm. "Let's talk business. Don't be so emotional. Many of your decisions are made in an emotional state, which is a very bad habit!"

"As the backbone, the more deeply you hide your joys and sorrows from the outside world, the less others can understand you, and the less they dare to provoke you."

……

Zhang Renfeng was speechless, lowered his head, and let the icy water slide down his face.

"Is it because of your family? Your family is being held hostage by the Illuminati, which is why they're a concern for you?" His tone suddenly changed. "If that's the case, I can go..."

"Even now, you still don't have a reasonable understanding of what you've done!"

Istavo interrupted him abruptly, angrily saying, "Fine, even if we take a step back! You went to the northernmost state of Mainz, on Illuminati territory, avoiding all eyes and ears, even avoiding my father, and brought my daughter out, along with my wife, second daughter, and third daughter. Even if we assume they were willing to have their lives completely shattered by a gang leader without a single complaint! And then what?! Do you think that's the end of it? Do you think the Illuminati will just give up?"

"The next time you come, you might be facing an army! What will you do then? Rely on these few dozen rangers to fight? Or will you continue to wear heavy armor and slaughter your way through the land?"

"Even if you take ten thousand steps back, a million steps back, ten million steps back, you're still alive! You fought your way through the army's blockade! So what? You're now America's most wanted criminal again. And this time it's even worse. You're a fucking Asian, you can't even hide! There's only one way out, and that's to run!"

"Where are you planning to go this time? Germany? England? Or France?!"

Chapter 570: The Death of Hongzhong (Part 2)

Zhang Renfeng fell silent.

The atmosphere among Lagras's men was still relatively good, and they were still basking in the joy of their victory. Perhaps Igor had already seen this scene, but in order to maintain morale, he didn't show it or mention it to anyone.

No matter how strong he was, he wasn't a true fighting machine. In the battle of Yu City, he wiped out the bandits within the city, but after leaving the city, he encountered a surprise attack from the Kui Battalion, resulting in another fierce battle. He returned home disguised as a beggar, utterly exhausted; even a beggar holding a piece of glass could pierce his body.

Moreover, was the Northern Army really weak?

Unlike the spears and bows and arrows of my hometown, this is a battlefield where stray bullets fly and cannons roar. If a real fight breaks out, I would become a target in no time if I were alone. Once the army advances, it will truly be an insurmountable deadlock.

"So...I...am destined to die?"

“It’s inevitable.” Istavo nodded and gently pushed with his finger.

"Snapped!"

The red mahjong tile was then flipped onto the table.

“Red Center is the core of the Red Center Gang. As long as you die and stop being active, the Illuminati, who have been cornered by you, will breathe a sigh of relief.”

"...That's how it appears on the surface."

With just that one sentence, the situation took an unexpected turn, and Zhang Renfeng raised his head again.

Istavo took out several sheets of paper from his pocket, covered with writing. Zhang Renfeng took them and saw that they were all in Chinese characters!

"It was specially written in Chinese characters, and I'm handing it to you now. You should be the only one in your team who can understand it, so it can keep the secret to the greatest extent possible."

Upon taking the papers, I saw they were densely covered with personal information: "name + address + identity," such as "Archie Smith, Valentine, Bluegrass, District Attorney." And so on, the sheer number of names nearly filled the entire sheet.

Without a doubt, this is a list.

“Your strategist’s idea is correct. Don’t use them as bargaining chips, use them as pawns. After ‘Red Center’ dies, take over all twenty-odd southern states of America by whatever means necessary! But we can’t use the current method anymore. We need to use more gentle and subtle means… Your strategist is a smart man. He knows what I’m talking about. In fact, that’s probably what he’s doing.”

"You want to overthrow the Illuminati? Only by controlling the South will you have the right to challenge them. Whether it's through economics, science, or culture, use your will, Zhang Renfeng, to penetrate every inch of the South!"

"Right now, less than 15 years after the war ended, the divide between the North and the South remains. There are many Southerners who are dissatisfied with the distribution of the spoils of this war. What they lack is a leader who can win the hearts and minds of the people."

"When that time comes, if you raise your voice in the south, people will respond to you."

Zhang Renfeng was truly impressed. Istavo's strategic thinking was so profound that he couldn't help but admire him.

When Liu Bei met Zhuge Liang with his Longzhong Plan, this was probably the gist of it.

"And this list, then..."

Istavo tapped on the densely packed names on the list. "The Illuminati have never given up, extending their tentacles into southern America. They entrusted me with this matter, and this list..."

"These are the tentacles that fell from the south of this enormous creature."

His tone turned icy, chillingly cold, "If necessary, you...you can kill them all!"

Zhang Renfeng's eyelid twitched.

The man sitting in front of him, in that instant, transformed from Istavo, who had pulled him out of hell, into E.U., a man with a deep mind and a murderous intent.

“A message, an order, when it comes down to the bottom, relies on many inconspicuous people to carry it out. They are like capillaries in the human body. They may seem insignificant, but if they are slightly scratched, they will bleed. If too many capillaries are broken, the underlying structure of the tissue will collapse.”

“No matter how correct the decisions of the leadership are, or how ingenious the distribution of benefits among the management, if no one implements them, there will be no feedback. The Illuminati will effectively lose this territory.” Istavo’s tone was icy. “If you had enough time, perhaps you could try to influence them, but now you are racing against time with the Illuminati, so my personal advice is…”

"Don't do it yourself, send your men. You should have a few people in your team who are good marksmen and have excellent fighting skills, right?"

"..." Zhang Renfeng's expression was somewhat sorrowful.

He had a rough idea of ​​what kind of dirty work it was from the advice given by Istavo.

"What happens after you kill them?"

"After that, the Illuminati were temporarily blind and deaf. They had to fight each other with their enemies in the northern political arena. Under such circumstances, they couldn't take care of you in the south."

"Take advantage of this precious time to plant your tentacles in the southern states and try your best to win over the centrists... Of course, don't do it yourself; let your men do everything."

"If you really can't hold back, remember to pretend. [Red Center] is dead. After tonight, I will make that a fait accompli. Even if you really can't stand it and want to do something, don't use your current style of killing on sight, understand?"

……

Zhang Renfeng nodded, his tone complex, and chuckled wryly, "I never expected... it would end up like this."

“It was you who chose to stay and play with them,” Istavo said in a deep voice. “In that case, you not only have to be able to play, but you also have to be able to win. I want to see you win.”

“Istavo…”

----

“Go back and tell your strategist to find a way to set up a logging company and expand its scale and manpower,” Istavo said. “Soon, a large gap will appear in the logging market in the south. You can use this as your first pot of gold for a legitimate business and quickly seize this market.”

"The logging market is highly liquid and the costs are relatively low, which is perfect for your group."

"How did you know that?" Zhang Renfeng asked curiously. "Are you a deity? Can you predict the future?"

“Abby Gray, founder of Abby Timber Company, and a member of the Illuminati. His company is very large, and his control over the states is the strongest besides mine. He will be a major obstacle for you.”

Istavo's voice was as cold as an ice pick, "I just poisoned him."

……

Zhang Renfeng's expression froze, somewhat taken aback.

"To avoid arousing suspicion, the person playing him now is that girl named Yin, the one who delivered the message to you."

"Remember, they're one of our own."

"She'll play the role of Abby for a while, until your team at the timber company is assembled. Then she'll make 'Abby' disappear from the world without a trace. Before she leaves, she'll also take the opportunity to dismantle his timber empire, making room for you and your company."

Chapter 570: The Death of Hongzhong (Part 2)

"You took care of the leader who could have threatened us."

“I already have the list of these minor characters. Thanks to you, Istavo, this way…” Zhang Renfeng accepted the list and breathed a sigh of relief, “There shouldn’t be any problems in the south.”

Istavo remained silent for a long time, not saying a word, just staring at him.

Under the lamplight, a complex mix of emotions, like ocean currents, flickered in his eyes. After a long pause, he shook his head and held up one finger.

"No, Zhang, that's not how it is. Even if you get through all these challenges, you'll still face one last deadly threat."

"What?" Zhang Renfeng suddenly tensed up.

……

"I."

----

Blood gushed from the corner of his mouth.

Zhang Renfeng's expression changed drastically instantly. Ignoring everything else, he overturned the table in front of him, rushed forward, and grabbed Istavo's shoulder. Istavo, as if finally unable to hold on any longer, collapsed limply to the ground.

"Hey...hey! What are you doing?!" Zhang Renfeng shook his shoulders a couple of times, then realized she might have gone too far, so she quickly stopped, checked his breath, and her face changed instantly. "What...what did you drink? Tell me!"

“It’s no use, that’s corpse poison, no medicine will work.” Istavo spat out the blood foam from the corner of his mouth and laughed sarcastically. “I was thinking of trying that Yama’s invitation, but I’m glad I didn’t. That thing… ha… the death would be too gruesome.”

"What...what are you saying? I don't understand, why is that!"

“Heh…heh heh…” Istavo’s laughter was already somewhat weak. He shook his head. “Use your brain, Zhang. I’ve been in charge of the south for several years now. Whether I like it or not, I am the embodiment of the Illuminati, the one that all the nobles and gentry in the states, cities, and towns want to curry favor with.”

"If I'm still alive, what business is it of yours?"

"Will Mayor Mason of San Quintak host a banquet to invite me? Will he host a banquet to invite you?"

"Like Red Center, the 'Captain' must also die, and it must be a real death."

"If it's not true, the Illuminati will continue to use me extensively. Just imagine, then I'll become the 'Red Assassin.' My reputation in the circle will rise accordingly."

"As long as the captain remains, the centrists in the southern states will always have a powerful backer, and they will dare to ignore your people. As a result, the strategic goal of taking over the south will continue to be thwarted..."

Istavo gritted his teeth and roared, "No one can stop you! No one! Not even me!"

“Once I die, the lower-ranking members of the Illuminati will also die one by one without knowing why. Only then will they be afraid. When people are afraid, their actions become distorted. They will feel that the Illuminati is unreliable and want to find another high branch. At that time, if you go to them, it won't be like offering a warm face to a cold backside, but rather they will be the ones to come and flatter you!”

……

……

In the distance, on the dock, flames rose.

"Red Center... assassinated Captain Istavo, perished with him in the flames... This is the script everyone will be telling after tonight, remember it well."

"why?"

In the increasingly chilling night wind, Zhang Renfeng uttered those three words.

"Why would you go to such lengths for me? Why would you go to such lengths for me?" He couldn't understand at all. His eyes widened as he asked in a daze, "Istavo, someone like me... I... I'm not worthy at all! You'd even give up your life for me? Why?!"

……

"Why, ha..."

Istavo's hands grew cold, but he still gripped Zhang Renfeng tightly, saying, "I just told you, you've always had two swords in your hands. I feel... the way you wield them, so fearlessly, breaking through all shackles and constraints..."