Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

My father died in the snow, stabbed in the abdomen with a clean, swift stroke. His crimson blood splattered on the white snow, like a gruesome painting.

Looking at his father's body, Ren finally understood why he wasn't so happy when accepting this "reward" that belonged to him. Instead, he sighed from time to time and kept reminding himself to "be careful with his words and actions" and that "silence is golden."

Not only that, but he had become increasingly withdrawn a few months ago. He kept saying that he was getting old, and even the task of teaching swordsmanship was entirely delegated to me. But my father was clearly only in his forties or fifties, which is still very young for a swordsmanship master, and there wasn't even a trace of silver in his hair.

Perhaps he had foreseen this day.

The new government was built on countless lies, assassinations, and bloodshed; such scandals must never be known to anyone, in any way. Any witness becomes a threat to the new government and must be eliminated.

Over the years, his father has killed many more people than he has, and he knows far too many secrets behind the new government.

When the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden; when the cunning rabbit dies, the lackeys are cooked.

Once we've established ourselves firmly, it's time to clean house.

……

Grass-dwelling Kari Masaru attended his father's funeral.

“He was a remarkable man, a true warrior, but unfortunately… he died so mysteriously.” He patted Jin on the shoulder and said meaningfully, “Don’t grieve too much, Jin.”

"The new policies are taking shape but still need to be consolidated. We need to rely on you young people to contribute more to the country."

"The world is vast, and there is much to be done!"

……

Although Ren wasn't very bright, he understood what he meant—the new government didn't need a head of the Senkawa clan who knew too many secrets; they wanted someone who was obedient, easy to control, and could do their dirty work at any time, but who didn't know too much about the inside story.

For some reason she didn't know, her father had lost their trust.

As for why he gave himself this dojo in Tokyo in the first place, it was simply to give him a bit.

Once a person owns their own property, it's like having a constraint; they become hesitant and afraid of losing it. You finally have a dojo, in such a good location, with such thriving business—and it's your own business, the Kawakami family's business. Are you really willing to just give it up like this?

----

“I don’t have many choices.” In the dead of night, Ren recalled the past, his eyes blazing with fire, and he said through gritted teeth, “But it’s very simple.”

"I knew I couldn't beat Kasaya Karimasa, that much was certain, I knew that even without fighting. His swordsmanship was too profound... At that time, I was too young, so I didn't have any conflict with him at the funeral, and that was that."

"But after that, I completely abandoned the way of the samurai—that kind of thing is for showing off, it's useless for getting things done! This world has never respected that kind of thing. I started doing things in a different style, and they began to respect me, just like how the people here respect you."

"After killing a few corrupt officials, my bounty rose, and the number of places where I was wanted gradually increased. The dojo, of course, was disbanded long ago. I wandered all over the country. At first, this idea was still very vague, but later it became clearer and clearer..."

"Whoever killed my father, I will make them pay the price!"

"I plotted one last, and largest, assassination attempt, directly targeting the head of the new government—Ito Hirobumi. Unfortunately... I was just a hair's breadth away from success."

Ren gestured with the length of a blade and said with a wry smile, "It's fate that Zhang survived."

"As for me, after the assassination failed, I was given the title of 'War Demon'. Throughout Japan, no one mentioned my name anymore, and only called me War Demon."

"Then... he fled all the way to the sea, became a pirate for a while, and met Captain Istavo at sea."

"You probably know what happened next."

Chapter 730: Pen and Gun

After hearing this story, which wasn't very long but was quite convoluted, Zhang Renfeng felt a mix of emotions.

The term "meal replacement" didn't exist in those days, but Zhang Renfeng always felt that Ren's experiences were somewhat similar to his own. Both had assassinated powerful figures in China, were subsequently wanted nationwide, and were forced to flee overseas. From his description, Istavo didn't specifically come to pick him up; the two met at sea while on their respective ships.

He successfully eliminated the Governor-General of Liangjiang, while Ren's luck was perhaps slightly worse, and he failed to achieve his goal.

Those in positions of power, especially those who have fought hard to obtain it, often regard it as their life. This is especially true when they realize that someone else was just a hair's breadth away from ending everything they had worked so hard to achieve, turning all their schemes into a pawn in someone else's game.

so horrible.

Even though they've erased the name "Kenchi Jin," they can't have peace until they see his head. They'll cross oceans to the other side of the world to make the Demon of War disappear from this world completely.

"I never expected that he would manage to get all the way here and even make contact with the higher-ups of the Illuminati... Ishtarvo used to be a member of the Illuminati, so he must already know that I once served Ishtarvo. It's just that I can't be sure yet who I served after Ishtarvo's death."

Ren's eyes blazed with a fierce fire of revenge. "That's just right."

"I still need to settle this score with him properly."

"To be honest, I completely understand your desire for personal revenge, but the problem is..."

Zhang Renfeng hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to express his meaning tactfully. If he were too explicit, it might hurt Ren's pride; if he were too vague, he feared that leaving a single sentence unsaid might cost another life.

Simply put, he has fought against both of them, and based on the current situation, he doesn't think that Jin can beat Kusaya Karimasa.

"Don't worry, Zhang, I know what I'm doing." Ren could tell what he wanted to say from his hesitant expression, and waved his hand with a smile. "The difference between 'War Ghost' and 'Warrior' lies in flexibility and adaptability. I understood this a long time ago."

"I don't care if it's poison or shooting. As long as I can kill him, I might just drive one of those metal hordes that Tao invented and ram him."

Zhang Renfeng imagined the scene and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

----

Before leaving, Sofia stretched her hand out into the air, spread her five fingers, and made a grasping motion.

She thought that if her father's spirit hadn't dissipated and was still lingering near his grave, watching over her, perhaps he could use this gesture to shake her hand. She half-closed her eyes, trying hard to feel if there was any change in her palm, but as the night wind blew, all she could feel was the chill unique to the deep night.

At 4:20 a.m., all was quiet except for the occasional rustling sounds from the grass, seemingly from nocturnal animals. In the long, dark nights, they were perhaps the only living things in this jungle that could make a sound.

Then the girl understood that no matter what kind of feelings or blood ties they once shared, once buried in the earth, they would have nothing to do with her anymore. Those surging emotions could no longer receive any response; what stood before her was no longer a living person, but a grave, a tombstone.

No matter how exquisite, it is still just an inanimate object made of earth and wood.

Sofia took one last look, then finally turned away, bidding a temporary farewell to her father. With dignified and graceful steps, she slowly walked towards the two men who, even in the dead of night, were still willing to act as her protectors. She gave them a slight bow, a gesture of impeccable elegance.

"Thank you for arranging a dignified funeral for my father."

“We have all received kindness from your father.” Zhang Renfeng quickly waved his hand. “If we can’t even handle his funeral arrangements properly, are we even human?”

"Let's not talk about it now, go back and get some sleep." Ren stretched his shoulders and neck. "Anyway, the captain's grave has always been here, it won't grow legs and run away, and someone will clean it regularly. You can come back to see him whenever you want."

"However, regarding your other family members..."

Zhang Renfeng and Ren exchanged glances. During their casual conversation, they had talked about many things and exchanged opinions on this matter.

Surprisingly, they were remarkably consistent.

“Given the complex relationship between your family and the Illuminati, we suggest… perhaps… not to mention this to them until the situation becomes clearer.” Zhang Renfeng quickly added, fearing she might misunderstand, “Of course, it’s your choice to say or not. You have two older sisters, right? They are also the captain’s family, and by rights, they at least have the right to know where their biological father is buried. I just…”

"Do you really believe that you can bring down the Illuminati with a bunch of documents dug up from who-knows-where?"

……

The unexpected question caused Zhang Renfeng to fall silent for a few seconds.

This is a very real problem. Samuel has managed to reach such a powerful but unshakeable position by enduring countless open and covert attacks. There must have been investigations against him before, and more than once, but the result is that he is still sitting unscathed in a high position of power.

Zhang Renfeng was all too familiar with the methods of those in high positions: trying to bring them down through legal means was virtually impossible. Especially someone like Samuel, who could even push through legislation. How could those downstream of power possibly resist the source of that power?

Even if Sam were to ultimately deduce useful intelligence from this massive stack of documents and find evidence of Samuel's guilt, its usefulness in court would ultimately be decided by the judge and jury.

“In my experience, in these kinds of situations, a gun is never as effective as a pen.” Zhang Renfeng patted the White pistol at his waist and said in a deep voice, “You’re right, it might be very difficult. In the end, it might all be for nothing… But the enemy has already come knocking on our door and is targeting my people. As the boss, I absolutely cannot sit idly by. That’s not my style.”

"My trip here is not only to deliver Sam and this intelligence safely, but I also have my own considerations, which I won't go into detail about now."

"This isn't just what I meant..."

"It was also a wish your father expressed to me before he passed away. Throughout his life, he was manipulated by the Illuminati and did many things against his will. But, at least in the moment before he died, he bravely broke free from this bondage."

Zhang Renfeng looked at the mountain peaks hidden in the night, almost invisible, and said, "You'll understand when you're older."

"Many things are not done for oneself."

……

The girl paused slightly, but quickly regained her resolve.

"understood."

"I'll go back with you."

Chapter 731: Abandoning Illusions

"Going north?" Mike's tone rarely fluctuated so much, and he looked at him with an expression as if he were an idiot. "Are you still asleep?"

In a sense, he wasn't wrong.

Last night was literally a "sleepless night".

First, things went wrong at the exhibition, forcing him to fight with Kusaya Karimasa. Then he rushed back to the exhibition to clean up the mess, and learned the core of the whole incident from Sam. To put Sophia at ease, he and Jin accompanied her to the mountain to sweep the graves in the middle of the night, and they spent most of the night doing so.

When they returned to White Torch Town, it was already 4:50 a.m., almost 5 a.m., and the morning star could still be seen twinkling in the night sky.

The reversal of day and night is undoubtedly the most exhausting thing. Even a tough guy like Zhang Renfeng couldn't resist staying up all night. He would collapse onto the bed and fall asleep immediately, sometimes for half a day. Even now, he was still sleepy-eyed and yawning constantly, looking like he hadn't had enough sleep.

However, his companions were not so lucky.

Especially when they heard that his next plan was to go directly to the First State and get deeply involved in this matter, although they weren't entirely unprepared, this was still a bit too big a gamble. So big that the three strategists of the Red Center Gang sat in the same room, which was quite rare, and called a halt to Zhang Renfeng's plan.

Mike, Jimmy, Igor, and Zhang Renfeng, that's a total of four people.

If it's about planning the details of a battle or explaining the setup of an exhibition, it might require everyone to be present.

However, at crucial junctures involving the future development of the gang, it's unnecessary for so many people to gather together. Too much chatter actually reduces efficiency.

Even after it developed into a company, the four of them still held the real power to make the final decisions within this group. Interestingly, Jimmy, the seemingly cynical and shrewd lawyer, was never actually excluded.

……

“In my experience, Southerners who go to the North rarely end up well. They pride themselves on being civilized, but in reality, they’re incredibly xenophobic.” Mike shook his head, his tone full of contempt. “It’s the same country, just a different region, and it can get to this extent. You’re a different skin color, so it’s even more unbelievable.”

"So what if I'm called a yellow-skinned barbarian?" Zhang Renfeng waved his hand. "It's nothing, I'm used to it."

“The point Mike made wasn’t really about the North or the South, but about… what we’re about to get involved in.” Igor cracked his knuckles and said seriously, “Old Zhang, our company is expanding steadily and systematically.”

“Building materials, electrical equipment, and petroleum. Currently, none of the southern states and counties have a company like ours that is involved in so many pillar industries. According to our plan, we can gradually take over those untapped markets by developing steadily, but all of this will take time.”

"And right now, what you're planning to get involved in... to put it a little dramatically, is already a power struggle at the very top of the country. When it comes to something like this, you can't be too cautious."

"Even the Ministry of Finance, which is nominally part of the national system, would not suddenly decide to take action against someone at the top of the power structure without any reason."

Igor emphasized the importance of the matter, "Think about it, Lao Zhang. The government personnel in the Ministry of Finance are already elite civil servants. They have stable and respectable incomes, no worries about food and clothing, and excellent benefits. Why would they suddenly attack someone like Samuel, who is at the pinnacle of power?"

"In particular, they already knew of the existence of the Illuminati, and they knew that if they investigated too deeply, they might disappear without a trace. All the investigation processes were carried out on this basis. There must be other forces supporting this behind the scenes."

"Sam is just a pawn, and a pawn at the very front of the charge. We know nothing about the player who is pushing him. Perhaps Sam can find out these things in White Torch, because someone in the higher-ups wants him to do something to shake up the political scene."

"In the eyes of a chess player, the overall situation on the board is the most important thing. For the sake of the overall situation, the gain or loss of a small pawn is insignificant and may even be sacrificed! We have seen this principle too many times, so I don't need to repeat it."

"At Samuel's level, he must have gone through many similar investigations. The fact that he is still firmly in the position of party leader proves that, to this day, it is still a high probability that he will survive the investigation."

"When that day comes, those of us who chose to help Sam may also face retribution."

……

Zhang Renfeng seemed to have regained some consciousness, but he remained seated, his brows furrowed, and remained silent.

"Simply put, it's a matter of 'choosing sides.' And often, this isn't something that can be decided overnight," Jimmy chimed in, continuing to explain. "Igor hopes that before you choose a side, you'll observe the situation further and gather more information."

"And then what?" Zhang Renfeng asked irritably. "If my observations show that Samuel's power is considerable and he won't fall anytime soon, am I supposed to side with him?"

“I didn’t say that. What I meant was, if you know you can’t win, it’s best to avoid the limelight for now. That’s a temporary measure,” Igor said in a deep voice. “You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are today and built up a little business. If you don’t want to get involved in other people’s political turmoil, why not just give it all up?”

"..."

Zhang Renfeng rubbed the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes slightly, and let out a weary breath.

"Sorry, Igor, I was just... a little emotional. Don't take it to heart."

“I completely understand.” Igor nodded. “It’s normal that there are just too many things happening all at once.”

“We’re family, so let’s talk things out behind closed doors.” Mike also tried to lighten the mood a bit. “In these kinds of situations, everyone should be able to express their opinions.”

……

Zhang Renfeng took a deep breath to calm his tone before continuing.

“My opinion is actually quite simple—he has already made his move on Tao. His intentions are obvious, leaving no room for interpretation. Even a rough man like me can understand that he wants Tao dead.”

"Because Tao's 'electricity' is something new that he has never mastered. He saw the potential of electricity, but he couldn't allow such a resource that could create enormous value to be out of his control. Killing Tao would nip this seedling of 'electricity' in the bud. Even if it's advanced, as long as it hinders his interests, it must die."

"This is our bottom line, and we absolutely cannot back down from it. Once we discover it, we must fight back."

Zhang Renfeng also emphasized, "What I mean is, once you discover it, you must 'immediately' retaliate! There is no room for delay, nor is there any need for defense. Just like when you two were kidnapped by Laro, I immediately launched an attack on Sanma Town. Some things cannot be delayed."

"There's no such thing as settling scores or not. In Samuel's hands, we, who control electrification resources and have made a fortune from them, are already irrefutable enemies. Even if we're unwilling, we're already caught in the vortex of the political high command. We have no other way but to move forward!"