Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"He's really handsome."

"Throughout my life, I have always walked on thin ice, never imagining that I would ever reach the other side."

"After arriving in this country by sea, I made all the choices I thought were right. Every time I did something evil, it seemed like I had an unavoidable reason. So, I told myself..."

"For the money, I'll endure it; for the status, I'll endure it; for the power that can be realized immediately, I'll endure it; for my wife and children, I'll endure it; for my family, I'll endure it; for the brothers on the ship, I... I'll endure it..."

"Screw it! I can't take it anymore!"

The fire spread quickly, and soon the blazing flames illuminated half of Istavo's face. He gritted his teeth, his emotions running high.

It also casts a martyr's light upon his departure.

“This whole thing is terrifying, Zhang. At first I hated it, then I got used to it, and then I started to enjoy it. I started deceiving myself… It’s not my fault, it’s the market, it’s slavery, that’s how it is, there’s always a buyer and a seller. It’s entirely their fault, their fault, all those hypocritical people, it’s all their fault!”

“After meeting you, I realized that all of this was just an excuse I made for myself. My business, indirectly, has killed so many people… I… I’m a bastard. I was tamed by them, tamed like a dog…”

Istavo closed his eyes, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

Zhang Renfeng shook his head, his throat dry and uncomfortable, unable to utter a single word.

"But you didn't! You didn't give in to them! You were able to resist the entire environment and say 'no'—you're one in a million, a truly tough person!"

"That's why I want to see you win, not just because you're my friend, but also... because... you are... cough cough cough..."

He coughed up several mouthfuls of black blood, his breath coming in as faint as a candle in the wind or a lamp in the rain.

"Unfortunately, my third daughter, Sophia... I wanted you to be her godfather, but now..."

"I will take good care of them!" Zhang Renfeng wiped her face and vowed through gritted teeth, "Even if the sky falls and the earth collapses, I will do everything in my power to take good care of them!"

Upon hearing this, Istavo breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling a heavy burden lifted from his heart.

With this exhale, one's lifespan is truly nearing its end.

----

"Don't make that face, Zhang... I... I'm so glad... in the end, it was you..."

Istavo's pupils gradually dilated, and a calm smile appeared on his lips.

"If...you...never...see me again..."

"You're going to wish me... good morning, good afternoon..."

"Good night."

Volume 1: Bloodstained Wealth

Chapter 572: The Funeral

"Because our Heavenly Father, in His mercy and good will, allowed this brother of ours to lay down the burdens of this life, we lovingly laid him to rest in the earth."

"They were dust, and they are still dust."

"We know that all this life force is in the hands of the eternal Father..."

……

In Sofia's sight, the priest's mouth opened and closed like a fish on a chopping board. He was clearly saying something, but the sound couldn't reach her ears, like the rustling of waves crashing on the beach, indistinct and unclear. The spacious lawn was filled with people, a solemn and dignified mass of black, reminding her of a flock of crows.

Their faces were etched with grief, their eyebrows furrowed, their lips pressed tightly together, as they gazed at a tombstone under a tree not far away.

The inscription above reads in neat characters: “Our forever beloved captain.”

Because there was no body, the coffin contained only a suit he had worn in life. It's hard not to feel a pang of sadness that such a powerful figure, who commanded respect in life, was reduced to a mere cenotaph after his death.

Sofia couldn't remember many details; it seemed her mind was intentionally making her forget everything. She vaguely remembered that the funeral was very dignified, with many well-dressed people attending. This news lingered in her ears like a whispered dream.

"It still feels unreal, doesn't it?" Sitting in a wheelchair, the girl who bore a striking resemblance to her sighed softly, "Me too. These past few days, every time I open my eyes, it feels like a dream."

"Sister Julia..."

Sofia looked somewhat dazed as she turned to look at her second sister—who had suddenly become unable to move her lower body several years ago and was now confined to a wheelchair.

Perhaps she was already used to unexpected blows, this time Julia seemed quite calm, only her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she spoke, "You're quite lucky. Out of the three of us... you're the last one to have met Father."

Did he say anything to you at that time?

Sofia was somewhat stunned. It all happened so suddenly, impacting her mind again and again. In her memory, her last meeting with her father, what he did, what he said, and the expression on his face, all seemed so distant, so very distant.

……

"This isn't going to end like this!" another voice came from behind them.

The woman had neat, short hair, and her bright blue eyes were slightly narrowed with sadness and pain. Her eyes were red, clearly from crying, but the anger in them had dried the excess tears. She wore a white flower pinned to her chest, and her upper and lower body were dressed in standard dark brown civilian clothing, which still couldn't conceal the light, graceful curves beneath.

“Sister Lydia.” Julia, sitting in her wheelchair, sighed and said softly, “Father is dead. This is the end. No matter what we do, we will never see him again.”

"Don't you know yet?" Lydia took a deep breath, barely managing to steady her somewhat cold voice, and said through gritted teeth, "Father... was killed by Hongzhong!"

"Why?" Sophia was somewhat dazed. The scene of Zhang Renfeng wielding a broadsword and slaying villains was still echoing in her mind, so she asked subconsciously.

"Who knows! He's a madman. He can't stand people with money and power. Childer, Nordlin, Osborn... all the prey he targets are the same type. A guy like that shouldn't exist in the civilized world at all!"

Lydia burst into tears, gritting her teeth as she vowed, "I...I will erase everything about him from this world!"

“Hongzhong is dead.” Julia looked up at her elder sister, who was already consumed by grief, and whispered a reminder, “He and Father disappeared in the fire at Blue Magpie Harbor. Everyone knows that.”

“I said, it’s all of him.” Lydia’s eyes were icy cold. “Once a person lives in society, they are no longer a simple person, but the sum of their social relationships. He must have his own social relationships, such as relatives, friends, children, or… people he swore an oath to protect! Once I’ve established myself in Mainz and gained enough resources, I will find all of these people! And then…”

Then?

What's the point?

Julia sighed softly and said nothing. When people are caught up in their emotions, they can't listen to reason. The more you try to persuade them, the more likely it is to backfire.

Unbeknownst to the three sisters, among the guests attending the funeral banquet not far away, stood a man wearing a top hat, a burgundy patterned shirt, and a black trench coat. He wasn't mingling in the crowd; instead, he leaned against a large tree. His hawk-like eyes were fixed on them from afar, as if trying to etch their every move into his mind.

Behind the man were two crossed Kramer swords, resembling a giant cross.

……

Finally, the series of complicated ceremonies had all ended, and it was time to lower the coffin into the coffin.

Everyone gathered around, watching the coffin slowly sink into the ground. Only then did Sophia awaken from her dream, regaining a sense of reality of what was happening before her eyes. Her breathing grew heavy, and her slender shoulders trembled uncontrollably.

After death, must one sleep forever in this narrow, dark earth?

"Goodbye, Father, goodbye..."

She grabbed a handful of soil, wailing in her heart, and scattered it into the empty tomb.

The soil fell to the ground.

----

The ashes of the paper flew into the sky.

In front of the mourning hall, the brazier crackled and popped. Zhang Renfeng, dressed in white with an extremely solemn expression, knelt on the ground and threw stacks of paper money into the brazier.

As for the paper money, after much consideration, it was all made in the shape of US dollar bills, and they were all green in appearance. In addition, Zhang Renfeng also asked local craftsmen to make a series of paper money in the shape of gold and silver ingots. Although they were not quite the same as those in his hometown, he had no choice but to make do with them since he was in a foreign place.

After the great battle, everything unfolded as Istavo had predicted. The news of Red and the captain's mutual destruction shook the entire north. This also marked a pause in this series of events, bringing it to a close at this moment.

Zhang Renfeng traveled day and night, and within a single day, he delivered Istavo's body to White Torch Town. According to the customs of his hometown, the body was kept in state for three days. For the sake of secrecy, only all the members of the Red Center Gang and a few old crew members who had originally sailed with him came to see him off.

Tonight is the last night.

Zhang Renfeng knelt on the ground, silent, only continuously throwing paper money into the brazier in front of him.

The paper fell into the brazier and instantly burst into flames, turning into a bright beam of light that illuminated his pupils.

Chapter 573: High Mountains and Flowing Water

"Old Zhang, you've been sitting here for three days and two nights without closing your eyes once."

Igor patted his shoulder, his hand feeling incredibly stiff, as if he were patting a block of iron. "That's enough. You should go and rest. There's still the burial to come. Working like this non-stop, even if you were made of iron, you couldn't possibly keep going."

“It’s our hometown’s custom that no one should be absent from the mourning hall.” Zhang Renfeng shook her head, her tone extremely firm, leaving no room for negotiation. “There won’t be another chance. I have to stay with him a little longer. It’s okay if I’m tired. Let them go and rest.”

"..." Igor had no other choice. He sighed, stood up, shrugged at the crowd not far away, and made a helpless expression.

Different cultures and customs lead to vastly different ways of handling even the same issue. Zhang Renfeng didn't force them to join him; he simply stayed by his side, his eyes seemingly filled with the flames of this fire.

All other complicated matters had vanished from my mind, leaving only one obsession: the brazier must not be extinguished, the candles must not be put out, and the incense must not be cut off!

The mourning hall gradually quieted down.

The firelight in the basin cast his shadow on the wall. As the firelight moved, it seemed as if many people were in the same room. A draft blew through the room, causing the candlelight to flicker. The scene was somewhat eerie.

"Old friend, you've come? I know you care about me and don't want me to be alone, so you came to keep me company..."

Zhang Renfeng remained completely unafraid, even a smile playing on his lips. Relaxing, he continued to toss gold and silver ingots into the brazier, muttering, "Listen to me, after tonight, we won't see each other again. But I will bury you there. See? That hilltop, there's a big rock with a panoramic view! The scenery is absolutely stunning! Every day, at sunrise and sunset, you can overlook everything below, and further on, you can see this house, see us."

"At first, I did think about... whether or not to let you go back to the sea. I don't know what you were thinking. Forgive me, old friend. I was too selfish. You've spent your whole life at sea. In the end, let's change your place. If you go to the sea, I will never see you again."

"This is Baiju Town. As the city grows, it will expand and eventually become Baiju City, which will be my territory. Once you get there, if any ghosts or monsters in the wilderness dare to bother you, come to me in your dreams, and I'll wipe them all out!"

"I don't know either. What are the rules here? Will they recognize the things I burn? If you need anything, come find me in my dreams... in my dreams..."

He muttered to himself, a tremendous sorrow gripping his heart, but Zhang Renfeng couldn't cry.

Over the past few days, I've cried all my tears.

He simply added more things to the brazier, clasped his hands together, and muttered, "Dear foreign gods and bodhisattvas, I don't know your names, please don't take offense at a rustic like me. I'm burning some gold and silver as an offering to you, please take some..."

"Please protect my brother, may he have a safe journey..."

----

"...Judging from their expressions and attitudes, I tend to think that the guy didn't play any tricks and is probably really dead."

The swordsman in black stood about two meters away from the table, his back ramrod straight, as if he were giving a report to his superior.

"Hmm." The old man fiddled with the three copper coins on the table, placed them in his palm, shook them for a while, then let them fall onto the table, recording the pattern this time. "And then, continue."

"The Wagner family is generally taking a conservative approach to this matter. They don't intend to target anyone; they just want to get through this crisis as quickly as possible," the black-clad swordsman said in a deep voice. "Lydia Wagner harbors a strong resentment towards 'Red Center.' Once she returns to Mainz, she may take a series of retaliatory actions. We'll have to wait and see."

"Ah."

The old man continued to smash his three copper coins.

“Julia Wagner, formerly known as the ‘Water Nymph,’ has a similar attitude to the Wagner family. She has no intention of pursuing the matter further; she simply wants it to pass quickly so that the family can regroup and begin the next round of investment.”

"However, Sophia Ulysses is the only one of her three daughters to inherit the captain's surname. Her attitude is somewhat..."

……

"Hahahaha—!!!" Dad suddenly burst into laughter.

The black-clad swordsman seemed to have long been used to his startled behavior, so he kept quiet and stood there, waiting for his next words.

"As expected, I knew it..." Looking at the arrangement of the three copper coins, the old man pondered for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, "【Stranger】, have I ever told you the story of Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi?"

"No," the stranger shook his head. "I'd like to hear more details."

“Long, long ago, there were two people: Yu Boya, who was skilled at playing the zither, and Zhong Ziqi, who was skilled at appreciating music. From Yu Boya’s music, Zhong Ziqi could hear towering mountains and flowing streams, which perfectly matched Yu Boya’s state of mind. He studied the zither diligently, found solace in nature, and mastered various techniques. Therefore, Zhong Ziqi was revered as Yu Boya’s ‘soulmate’.”

"After Zhong Ziqi died, Yu Boya smashed his zither and broke its strings, never playing the zither again for the rest of his life."

"Because, there is no one in this world who understands him anymore."

The old man shook his head and sighed, "Stranger, you say... even if Yu Boya hadn't met Zhong Ziqi, he could still have played the zither day and night and found solace in nature, even without a kindred spirit."

"But what a bitter experience it must be to have someone who truly understands you, only to find that person is no longer there!"

……

"Father," the stranger didn't quite understand the story, but asked, "The [Awakener] sent someone to ask about the outcome of this matter. He wants to know if Hongzhong will continue to pose a threat. How should we answer him?"

"..."

"Hehe... What a beautiful tale of high mountains and flowing water! If I couldn't resonate with it, I would seem vulgar." The old man walked slowly around the room with his hands behind his back and sighed, "Tell him that Hongzhong is dead."

"Is he really dead?" Stranger frowned, still somewhat hesitant. "The fire burned down Blue Magpie Harbor, and we haven't even found his body yet."

"How are we supposed to find him? Does he have the character 'Zhong' etched on his face?" The old man patted his shoulder and smiled meaningfully. "Let him put his mind at ease."

"After tonight, Hongzhong will truly be dead."