Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

“Nina…”

“My name isn’t Nina, that’s a fake name. I’m Sophia.” The girl turned around and repeated each word with unwavering determination, “Sophia White Ulysses, I am the daughter of Istavo White Ulysses!”

"I know, I..."

Overwhelmed with emotions, Zhang Renfeng hesitated to speak, finding himself at a loss for words.

The emotions accumulating in his chest were far too complex, beyond the reach of language. Even his native language would have been insufficient, and his limited English vocabulary seemed utterly inadequate.

"Feel sorry."

"Why, Mr. Hongzhong?" Sophia's eyes gradually welled up with tears, and her tone became agitated. "Why kill him? Is it really like what my sister said, because Father was a rich man... But the capital for his business was slowly accumulated through countless overseas trade voyages! In your eyes, are those rich and powerful people born to die?!"

"No, no, I never intended to hurt your father. But the circumstances at the time left me no other choice."

Zhang Renfeng shook his head, his expression shifting several times. Although he felt some pain at bringing up the matter again, he also knew that avoidance was not a good solution.

He owed Istavo far too much. And one day, he would have to explain this heavy debt to his family.

There's never a better time to be honest and speak your mind than now.

"I can tell you everything, everything!"

Zhang Renfeng sat down opposite her, looked into her eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Are you still willing to believe me?"

……

That night, in the mines of the Badi Mountains, Zhang Renfeng's godlike feat of uprooting a giant tree and throwing it into the river resurfaced in the girl's mind. To this day, his eyes remain unchanged, burning as fiercely as a scorching flame.

Sofia pursed her lips, nodded in tacit agreement, and decided to give him another chance.

"Your father and I have known each other for much longer than you think. To be precise, we knew each other before you were even born."

Zhang Renfeng followed the path of memories, stepping towards his past.

----

……

He finished telling the story amidst the crackling of the flames.

From parting, to meeting again, and then to separation.

Zhang Renfeng himself found it strange. It had only been a few months, but when he recounted it, it sounded like something that had happened in a previous life.

He suddenly remembered what the captain had said when they first parted: that after circumnavigating the world, he would write an unprecedented travelogue, recording the amazing things he encountered along the way. He would also write about a close friend in the far East, a man of boundless courage, immense strength, and a body as solid as bronze and iron, impervious to swords and spears!

The laughter and joy are still vivid in my mind.

And now, the man who appeared in her life and saved her several times has passed away, now resting in the ground, becoming part of the story.

His bloodline, his daughter, listened quietly to this long story.

Night had fallen, and the commotion outside town had gradually subsided, becoming quite quiet. In the warm room, one spoke and the other listened, both completely absorbed in the silence.

Ren came in once, seemingly to check on their conversation and see how it was going, and to bring over some drinks and snacks. From his perspective, he was undoubtedly in a dilemma: Zhang Renfeng was a comrade-in-arms with whom he had fought side by side many times, while Sophia was the biological daughter of the captain who had done him a great favor. From any angle, he did not want a conflict to break out between the two sides.

However, after coming in once, he found himself unconsciously engrossed in listening.

The captain had never told them these stories before; this was the first time he had heard them from Zhang Renfeng's perspective. So he found a chair and sat down, and the number of people listening to the story increased from one to two.

……

When he heard that the captain had drunk the poisoned wine and died from the poison, Ren sighed deeply.

Sofia, though she didn't cry out loud, tears were already falling.

In fact, halfway through the conversation, she was already certain that Zhang Renfeng wasn't lying to her. Stories can be fabricated, but the details cannot. Zhang Renfeng's narration contained numerous details about Istavo that matched her understanding of her father.

When he got up and retrieved Istavo's cicada-shaped wooden staff, Sofia finally couldn't hold back anymore, biting her lip and bursting into tears.

----

“I brought Istavo’s body back, and according to the customs of my hometown, I laid the body to rest for three days, and the entire Red Center Gang came to pay their respects. I kept vigil for him for two nights before the burial.” Even a tough man like Zhang Renfeng spoke with an incredibly heavy tone, as if his voice were filled with lead.

“He left in a hurry and didn’t leave anything behind. I did have a selfish reason for keeping this as a memento.”

"Where is he?" Sofia's voice trembled slightly. "I want to see him."

“It’s too late now, and the mountain path is difficult to walk. How about tomorrow?” Ren advised. “Rest tonight, and tomorrow, Zhang and I will take you up the mountain. Take your time…”

“I want to see him.” Sophia bit her lip and repeated herself in a flat tone.

"Okay." Zhang Renfeng didn't say anything more and stood up directly. "Let's go."

Chapter 728: Ren's Past

The light from two electric lanterns illuminated the inscription on the tombstone: "Here lies the great Istavo White Ulysses."

Beneath the clean, concise words lay a bouquet of flowers. Ren and his companions had just visited and paid their respects a few hours earlier; these were their offerings.

Sofia gazed silently at her father's tombstone, her expression serene, revealing little sorrow, only blinking once in a long while. It was as if what lay before her was not her father's grave, but an exhibit in an art museum, requiring her complete immersion to appreciate its beauty.

East and West may have many differences in their cultures, but in the end, they are surprisingly similar.

When a person dies, he is buried in the earth.

The person I once knew is buried beneath the earth, beneath this beautiful wreath and the lovely cross-shaped tombstone. This place is well-chosen; situated on high ground, it offers a panoramic view of the myriad landscapes of the mountains, from the morning mist to the evening glow, and further afield, the lights of Baiju Town can be seen.

She imagined her father looking just like he always did, straddling the small hilltop, half-closing his eyes as he looked down at the view.

He would occasionally complain to himself that he had too much work to do. If it weren't for the pressure of work, he should go to a small hill and build a wooden house himself. He could live there every day, living a life without needing a pocket watch. The only things that would remind him of the time were sunrise and sunset.

But... on the other hand, she knew very clearly that her father wasn't there. Beneath the yellow earth lay a skeleton, perhaps its clothes and flesh long since gnawed away.

Reality and fantasy, two completely different things, were simultaneously swirling in her mind, making her forget day and night. Sophia had no desire to communicate with anyone; she stood silently before the grave, her hands clasped together, saying nothing.

……

"Don't look at her like that, give her some time." Seeing his worried and troubled expression, Ren advised, "She's a sensible child, she'll figure it out. This is Istavo's own choice, it has nothing to do with you."

“I didn’t kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me,” Zhang Renfeng murmured. “If it weren’t for protecting me, he could have gotten through his life.”

“It was because he met you that he was able to overcome his difficulties in life.” Ren’s tone was extremely firm. “When future generations mention him, they will say that he was a great hero who resolutely gave his life for justice and righteousness.”

Zhang Renfeng sighed and asked softly, "After a person dies, do these things still matter?"

“It’s not important, but knowing why you died is very important.” Ren’s tone was extremely firm. “In the last moments before he died, the captain left me a letter. In the letter, he had already arranged everything for his funeral. This was his own ‘choice’ to do so.”

"As I said before, between Samuel Graves, who wields immense power in this country, he chose you."

“As a samurai, I respect his choice.”

These unyielding and righteous words, spoken by Ren, were incredibly firm, like a drawn sword, gleaming with a bright metallic luster.

For certain beliefs, he is willing to give his life if he deems it worthwhile.

Zhang Renfeng nodded slightly, not wanting to delve any deeper into the conversation, but simply offered him a cigarette. As he lit the match, he casually asked in a conversational tone, "That guy named Cao something-or-other, he told me he came here to find a traitor."

"Is he talking about you?"

……

"Well, it's me."

Ren did not deny it, nor did he even ask why Zhang Renfeng knew it was him; he simply admitted it.

"Would you mind talking to me, right now?" Zhang Renfeng lit a cigarette for him. "Just the two of us."

----

His presence on the ship in Istavo suggests that he must have a heavy past.

The story of Jin begins at the dojo of the Kenkawa family.

In a world where firearms are becoming increasingly common, the value of the "samurai" is gradually diminishing. A true samurai, trained over a decade to develop his physique, can be easily killed by a single bullet.

As the dojo gradually became unsustainable, Jin's father, Kenkawa Tadakatsu, had no choice but to seek other solutions, but all of them ended in failure.

One day, a samurai with a straw hat and shrewish eyes came to the door, claiming to have taken a liking to the swordsmanship of the Kenkawa Dojo. It would be such a pity to let this art disappear into the annals of history simply because people couldn't afford to eat.

……

“That visitor was Cao Ya Karimasa.” Ren’s tone was very heavy. “In the country, he is also known as the ‘Sword God.’ Legend has it that his way of wielding a sword is no longer just about ordinary people wielding swords, but has reached a level that is enough to communicate with the gods. He is a master among masters.”

"Huh?" Zhang Renfeng was stunned. "He's called a god. I've fought him before. He's got some skills, but I'm not that good."

“Well, our country just likes to use exaggerated expressions… But his swordsmanship is indeed unparalleled.” Ren shook his head jokingly. “If you say he is at the ‘realm that can reach the divine,’ then Zhang, with your great power, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that you are the incarnation of a god.”

"It's not that exaggerated~~~" Zhang Renfeng was a little embarrassed by Ren's serious words and waved his hands repeatedly.

……

Given Kasaya Karimasa's skill level, if he were to open a dojo like the Kenkawa family and teach swordsmanship, the number of people coming to his door would be enough to wear him out.

Countless swordsmen longed to witness his swordsmanship, yet could not. Some even said that once he passed away, he would leave a name in history no less than that of "Miyamoto Musashi".

However, Kasaya Karimasa himself was dismissive of opening a school and taking on apprentices.

He never had a disciple in his life and rarely appeared in public. He would only occasionally show up to challenge the leaders of one or two martial arts schools. After defeating them in a few moves, he would leave triumphantly. It seemed he needed to periodically refresh his reputation as the "Sword God" in society.

If one cannot exchange this skill for equivalent value, it is a desecration of it—these were the exact words that Kasaya Karimasa said to Kenkawa Tadakatsu when he visited, and they left a deep impression on Jin.

Opening a martial arts school and taking on apprentices could certainly bring in a fortune, but it wasn't enough to satisfy the Sword God's ambition. What he craved was not just money, but something far more than that.

And only politicians can satisfy these desires.

……

"Japan at that time was in a period of transition between the old and the new, and it was quite chaotic. The shogunate, the emperor, and various local forces, large and small, were rising in different regions. Civil wars were frequent, and it was already incredibly difficult for ordinary people to just survive. Where would they find the spare money to come to a dojo to learn swordsmanship?"

"The power that Kasaya Karimasa was backed by was the 'Reformist Faction,' which advocated reform and modernization. The opposition and struggle between them and the Shogunate Faction was quite serious. He invited Kenkawa Dojo to join the Reformist Faction as well, making him a political vassal of that faction."

"With no other options, the father had no choice but to reluctantly agree in order to prevent the Kenkawa-ryu swordsmanship from disappearing from history."

"This decision...in the end, it killed him."

Chapter 729: When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.

The enormous vortex that engulfed everything finally swept into the dojo as well.

In this era, samurai are no longer valuable, but assassins are. Especially those skilled in stealth and assassination with a very high success rate are highly valuable.

What Kusaya Kari wanted was precisely this kind of assassin. He needed to maintain his title and status as the "Sword God" and couldn't easily take action. These dirty tricks naturally had to be done by someone else. This approach was obviously against the code of the samurai, but things had come to this point. Kenkawa Tadakatsu was already involved, and he knew too much. From any perspective, he couldn't just walk away like that.

Ultimately, he chose to board this ship.

One mission after another, one goal after another, he proved with his actions that Kusaya Karimasa's judgment was indeed correct—the characteristic of the Kenkawa school of swordsmanship is its flexibility and versatility, with different ways to deal with different enemies' weapons and stances, which is perfect for missions that require adaptability.

Towards the end of the Boshin War, everyone was hiring assassins to do these shady things; it was just a matter of who did it more ruthlessly.

Ren was deeply distressed by this.

Adults have long since formed their worldview and know how difficult it is to survive in this chaotic world, but young people may not.

Ren was sixteen or seventeen at the time, a time when his mind was most prone to being slow to grasp concepts. All he knew was that he was killing people, killing strangers he had never even met or spoken a word to. This was completely contrary to the samurai code he had heard about since childhood, utterly skewed to the extreme.

But the father offered no explanation. Faced with such a crucial issue of right and wrong, words seemed too pale and powerless.

"Be patient, Jin." Kenkawa Tadakatsu patted him on the shoulder and sighed, "Everything will be alright when the new world arrives."

New world.

What is the point of a new world built on intrigue, assassination, and bloodshed?

Ren thought this way, but his father had already embarked on this path and there was no turning back. Thinking about it further seemed pointless. Days passed by, one after another, until one day, the war finally ended, and a new government was built on the ruins.

Grass-dwelling Karimasa stole their credit and rose through the ranks of the reformers. Power, status, fame, dignity, money... these are things that an ordinary swordsman might never be able to reach in his entire life, yet he won them all with a single gamble.

Tadakatsu Kenkawa let out a long sigh of relief. He really didn't want to live another day of this life where every minute was filled with pressure. He didn't want to compete with Kasaya Karimasa for credit, nor did he expect the other party to keep their initial agreement. He only hoped that they could retire peacefully, and that would be enough.

However, to his surprise, Kasaya Karimasa honored their initial IOU, allowing the Kawakawa-ryu swordsmanship school to open a dojo in Tokyo's most bustling area and provide them with a certain degree of support. Suddenly, people flocked to learn swordsmanship from them, the dojo had sufficient income, and no longer worried about surviving.

After wandering around in this mundane world, it seems we've returned to where we started.

Ren stared blankly at the heavy snow in Tokyo.

Is it really over?

Can we pretend that the innocent souls lost by my own blade never happened?

……

It wasn't until his father's death that he saw everything clearly.