Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Henry bypassed the gruesome corpses, went up the steps to the basement, and pushed open the door, only to find that it was an ordinary house.

Lu Aniu, who had just gone on a killing spree, was now completely calm. Killing was as natural to him as breathing. Henry tried his best to banish the red, yellow, and white blood that had been spilled on the ground from his mind, and took a deep breath to expel the smell of blood from his head as well.

What are you looking for?

“A shoulder bag, the kind with a strap, the kind that you sling across your shoulder,” Lu Aniu said calmly. “It was gone when I woke up. There was some money in the bag. They probably just threw it somewhere in this house after they took it.”

The two searched the house for a while and Henry discovered that it was more like a hidden shopping mall, only the things it sold were quite strange. From canned kidney beans to butcher masks, they sold everything. He opened a drawer and saw many pocket watches of different styles and materials, as well as a large pile of gold and silver rings.

“This is a black market.” Lu Aniu didn’t turn around, but seemed to see through his doubts and took the initiative to explain, “People die every day on this land, and when someone dies, someone else takes the spoils. These spoils are brought here and exchanged for money. And the black market boss here also does a side job of buying and selling slaves to subsidize his many subordinates… That’s about it.”

"Oh, I see. You seem to know this place very well." Henry seemed very curious about the place. After all, he didn't usually have the opportunity to delve into the black market. Under the guise of helping to find his bag, he thoroughly examined every detail of the place.

……

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Lu Aniu suddenly asked.

"Judging from what just happened, you're the one who saved me, right? I haven't even thanked you yet." Caught off guard by the question, Henry became a little insecure. "But I am indeed curious... how did you do that? First, you were stabbed in the throat, but you were completely unharmed. The chains were clearly embedded in the wall, but you just lifted your arm and pulled them out, and those... handprints..."

He didn't know what words to use to accurately describe what had just happened; it was beyond Henry's worldview.

Lu Aniu didn't have the same sense of secrecy that a peerless master would have about their secret techniques; in other words, he was exceptionally honest with Henry.

"I have practiced the [Qi Hard Technique]. Those who have mastered this martial art can control their bodies with their Qi and avoid the disasters of weapons, water, and fire. Simply put, ordinary weapons cannot break through the defense... Of course, if someone can break the Qi Hard Technique, that's another story."

"Can it be cracked?" Henry was like a primary school student on his first day of school, filled with boundless curiosity about this world built of knowledge.

"Yes, it's possible. You just need to find a person's 'weak point.' No matter how much a person practices, they'll always have a weak point; it's difficult to cover the entire body with Qi Gong. As for the palm print you mentioned..."

"boom---!!"

Lu Aniu suddenly raised his hand and struck the wall with a palm strike from a distance, leaving a dark palm print. However, this time, the wall was not directly pierced through; it was merely left with a shallow mark. Dust churned, and fine cracks began to spread outwards from the palm print, with small, sand-like stones slowly breaking off from it.

The handprint was a dark green that was almost pure black.

Compared to the handprints he left on those slave traders, this one seemed to be much less powerful, but it gave Henry a more "evil" feeling.

He ran through his thoughts but couldn't think of a suitable analogy, so he reluctantly compared it to something like a "poisonous snake." Just seeing it made his body feel extremely dangerous, a sense of danger that excited and intrigued him, but his reason told him very clearly that it was something he must never touch lightly.

"This move is called the [Mysterious Netherworld Divine Palm]. When most people master it, it looks something like this." Lu Aniu calmly stopped his attack and explained in a deep voice, "This kind of technique is extremely insidious. With one strike, the cold poison enters the body, making people wish they were dead, and ultimately causing their tendons and veins to rupture and die."

"But what about those people in the basement..."

It seems there was no process of being unable to live or die; they died very quickly—this thought lingered in Henry's mind, but he ultimately didn't say it aloud.

"That's because I've practiced the [Innate Skill]. My internal strength is no longer on the same level as ordinary people." Lu Aniu continued to rummage through his bag, explaining calmly, "These kinds of moves that require internal strength are much more effective when I perform them."

"Oh..." Henry nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"Do you know what an index is?" Lu Aniu suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Henry hadn't expected him to ask a math question. He racked his brains for a long time before stammering, "It's like... two squared is four... or something like that?"

“That’s right, the [Innate Skill] will cause my internal energy to grow exponentially. Just know that.” Lu Aniu sighed, even with some regret. “Kid, can you understand me? With this kind of power, there’s not even anyone I can fight in this land. Beating those trash is like tearing up a few paper dolls. There’s no sense of accomplishment at all.”

"This feeling is actually very similar to saving money. When you save $10, you feel happy; when you save $100, you'll definitely be overjoyed; when you reach $1000, you have to seriously consider how to invest next and how to make the money grow... When you reach $1, $10, or a million, you gradually become indifferent. When you go out and show off, most people don't realize how much money you actually have. People kneel down as soon as they see you, and all you see are the same old smiling faces..."

……

"Is that so?" Henry pulled a satchel from the corner, interrupting Lu Aniu's mutterings.

He stared at Henry for a long time before shifting his gaze to the satchel and smiling. "That's right, that's it."

----

Henry tossed the satchel over, which Lu Aniu casually caught. After a moment's hesitation, Lu Aniu suddenly asked, "Young man, would you like to be my son?"

……

"Huh?" Henry looked completely bewildered.

Goodness, so many sons and daughters, could they all have been born this way?

“We get along quite well,” Lu Aniu said with a smile. “Being my son has many advantages. I can teach you some of what you just learned. You want to be a knight, right? How can you be a qualified knight without strong martial prowess?”

“Being my son doesn’t mean severing ties with your current parents. I don’t ask for much, just that you come to visit me during holidays. If you can’t come, that’s fine too; you can send me a letter. After you’ve learned my martial arts, you can…”

"Where do you live?" Henry interrupted him, saying very sincerely, "I can write to you even if I weren't your son."

Lu Aniu's eyebrows twitched slightly. He shook his head and laughed out loud, "Yes, I was too abrupt."

"If you don't want to do it, then don't. Since that's the case..."

He opened his satchel, rummaged through it, and pulled out a book about half a finger's thickness, which he gently tossed to Henry.

"Since we've met, consider this half of the [Six Swords] sword manual a gift from me."

"How can a knight not know how to use a sword?"

The book was heavier than it looked; Henry almost tripped when he tried to catch it with both hands. He tried to flip through it, and the contents of the pages showed a small figure holding a sword, with sword moves broken down into many basic actions. Just looking at it made his eyes dizzy.

"This...this thing must be very precious, right?" Henry was overjoyed, but still wanted to decline, "I..."

"..."

When I looked up again, the person was gone, vanished into thin air from the room.

It's as if he has disappeared from the face of the earth.

Chapter 628: A Feast at Hongmen?

Chapter 628: A Feast at Hongmen?

"Mr. Henry, Mr. Henry?"

The calls of those around him pulled him back from his thoughts and brought him back to the stage where everyone was watching.

Here, with the victory of the proxy knight as a starting point, the girl has already made a romantic confession.

She wore a dark green velvet day dress, with a seven-layer taffeta petticoat that accentuated her bell-shaped silhouette, and three silver tassels hanging from her lower back.

Beneath the skirt was an ochre jacquard morning gown with double-layered cascading pleats at the cuffs. The lower half consisted of standard dark red satin trousers, exuding both opulence and refined elegance.

Dressed in her finest attire, Jenny stood beside the victorious cardboard knight, a hint of trepidation in her eyes. Along with the silent audience, she awaited her response. For her, this was a pivotal moment, a chance for her to rise above her circumstances. Everything depended on whether the person before her would accept the challenge.

At this point, even the slow-witted Henry realized that today's game was entirely Jenny's scheme: she had somehow selected a strong substitute knight to help them advance. This turn of events might not have been her original intention, but she certainly wanted to publicly and forcefully express her love for him, thus sealing the relationship.

……

"What you like isn't knights, it's danger."

"You have a preference for things that are unpredictable and uncontrollable, full of unknown adventures..."

……

As Lu Aniu's evaluation echoed in his ears, Henry unconsciously curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Mr. Henry?” Jenny asked cautiously, still unable to guarantee that the person in power would be willing to fall into her trap.

"I think I know why I had this feeling the moment I saw you..." He shook his head to himself and reached out his hand to the girl in the audience.

Holding hands.

He gently pulled Jenny onto the stage and kissed her forehead.

In an instant, the entire audience erupted in applause, almost lifting the entire stage over.

The celebratory event finally came to a peaceful close amidst a chorus of blessings for the two young people.

----

Xiaomei sat in the spacious pavilion, looking left and right. Although the environment in the courtyard was very nice and the scenery was quite impressive, she couldn't sit still.

As she entered, all her weapons were taken away, leaving only a short-barreled revolver hidden in her boot. This made the girl mutter to herself, "Could this be a trap..."

It's no wonder she would have this idea.

After the event ended, Zhang Renfeng and Xiaomei planned to head back. They had exceeded Jenny's expectations for the deal. They were only supposed to finish in the top five, but they'd gone straight for first place. Now, all they had to do was wait patiently. Two weeks from now, they could openly enter the Hysen family mansion, take down Ryan Childer with a single shot, and be done with it.

Suddenly someone stopped them, saying that it was Henry Hysen, and that on behalf of the competition organizers, they wanted the champion team to stay and have lunch together.

From Xiaomei's perspective, Zhang Renfeng, as an outsider contestant, severely beat her younger brother and almost killed him. Of course, she knew Old Zhang well and knew that this result was the result of him holding back and easing restrictions. But to outsiders, it was blatant provocation.

From her perspective, this scene was naturally somewhat unsettling.

But Zhang Renfeng didn't think so.

"You've even learned to use 'Feast at Hongmen' now," he couldn't help but tease. "You've improved quite a bit."

“I’ve written down all the stories you told me from memory.” Xiaomei frowned, glanced at the nearby guards, and lowered her voice. “Have you forgotten? That Henry personally delivered the tampered weapons and horses to you!”

“That wasn’t his intention.” Zhang Renfeng shook his head. “There are some details you can’t see from the audience. That guy might not be as bad as we think.”

"Among those unfair rules, he was the only one who was willing to speak up for me."

……

"Gentlemen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Henry changed into more casual clothes and strode towards them. Judging from the size of his steps, he seemed even more eager for the meal than Jenny was.

"I'm so sorry, the organizers still have some things to take care of, making you wait in the cold wind for so long..."

Henry's gaze was fixed on Zhang Renfeng's face. He wasn't surprised to see his yellow skin, but simply showed an "I knew it" expression. He first pulled out a chair for Jenny and let her sit down, and then it was his turn. After sitting down, he gently shook the bell on the table to signal the servants to serve the food.

The Heysen family also employs their own chefs on their estate, so they don't need to buy ingredients in advance for these small-scale banquets.

Before long, plates of delicious-looking dishes were served one after another. Zhang Renfeng then realized that he had been working all morning and was indeed a little hungry.

“Jenny told me you used to be a bounty hunter?” Henry raised his glass in a toast, laughing, “With your skills, it’s a real shame you did that. The match you presented for us this morning was just… just… just… spectacular…”

"Without your secret help, I probably would have been sent off in the first round. Victory would have been out of the question." During the match, Henry was truly on his side. Zhang Renfeng always treated others with the same respect, and he would return the favor eightfold. He could be very polite to the right person.

Raising his glass, he nodded slightly to Henry, "If anyone should be thanking someone, it's me who should be thanking you."

“There’s not much I can do…” Henry downed his drink in one gulp, his voice tinged with melancholy. “You can probably tell by now that I… have no standing in this family.”

"I am merely a substitute knight, entrusted by this lady to participate in the competition." Zhang Renfeng was still unsure of the purpose of this meal, so he kept the topic to himself. "Now that the competition is over, other matters are no longer our concern."

"...A commission...is that it?" Henry smiled meaningfully. "As far as I know, my lover's family isn't that wealthy. I'm curious, what did she use as leverage to hire someone of your caliber as her proxy knight?"

Jenny, standing to the side, felt a little guilty, because the compensation she had proposed was essentially shady. It was a family dinner hosted by the Hysen family; who they invited and who they didn't—was it really up to someone as insignificant as her to decide?

Fortunately, Zhang Renfeng did not answer directly, but said, "I have nothing to say about this. This is between her and me."

……

"Okay, if you don't want to talk about anything else, then let's get straight to the point..."

Seeing that his flanking maneuver was failing, Henry bit his lip and finally brought up the question he was truly concerned about.

"It's [Qi Hardness Technique], right?"

Chapter 629: Six Swords

"You know about Qigong?" Zhang Renfeng's expression changed slightly, revealing a somewhat surprised look.

During the time I was fighting in the martial arts arena back in my hometown, many fellow martial artists, after exchanging blows a few times, determined that I had practiced Qi Hardening Technique, which was perfectly normal. Even without weapons like swords or knives, one could still judge the hardness of an opponent's body during the exchange of blows.

Several challengers, after one or two rounds, realized that their physical strength was not on the same level as Zhang Renfeng's and immediately stepped down to admit defeat.

But at this moment, far across the ocean, the locals here don't follow such customs at all. Perhaps many who actually stabbed Zhang Renfeng with knives, daggers, and various weapons, and heard a "clang" before their death, would assume that he was wearing chainmail under his clothes. Even Imond, who fought him in the jousting tournament, thought the same thing.

Henry, who had been watching from the sidelines the whole time, told the truth.

"Could it be that you've practiced it too?" Zhang Renfeng, seeing an opportunity, stood up abruptly, grabbed his hand, and said with great enthusiasm, "How about we have a couple of moves to test our skills?"

"No! No, no, no, you've misunderstood. I haven't practiced. I just..." Henry shrank his shoulders in fright, his face turning pale. He quickly sat down and shook his head like a rattle-drum. "Ahem, Mr. Bruce, besides the winner's $800, I have something else I'd like you to take a look at."

Bruce Zhang, the false identity he had used since White Torchtown, had finally made it to Brightlight City. Henry cautiously looked around to make sure no one was nearby before taking a large, thick book from his satchel.

It's more like a notebook than a book; the cover, the paper, and even the thread that connects the paper industry are all quite old.

“Strictly speaking, this is a swordsmanship instruction manual. I showed it to the teachers who taught my brother swordsmanship before. But they said that the swordsmanship in it, whether it is the moves, the actions, or the internal logic of combat, is completely different from the swordsmanship they know, so they can’t teach it to me.”

"Oh..." Xiaomei roughly guessed his intention, "You want Mr. Bruce to teach you this obscure sword technique?"

"To be honest, I know absolutely nothing about Western swordsmanship. I think you don't need to worry too much. Something so obscure, no matter how well it's packaged, will inevitably lose its lineage for various reasons. This isn't uncommon. In my hometown, there's a long sword called the 'Mo Dao,' double-edged and capable of severing a horse's leg. It was once very popular in the Tang Dynasty. But because its manufacturing process was too complex, it disappeared by the Song Dynasty..."

Despite saying that, out of consideration for his reputation, he still took the book that Henry handed him and glanced at it.

Just one glance.

The little figure on the paper seemed to possess some kind of magic, holding his gaze firmly. Zhang Renfeng's words were abruptly cut off in his throat. It was clear that he had entered a different state, no longer speaking, and even no longer paying attention to the expressions of those around him.