Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Seeing that a fight was unlikely, Zhang Renfeng didn't intend to waste time with them. He gave a perfunctory nod and prepared to turn and leave.

……

“In this city, as long as you have talent, you will never be buried; there are endless opportunities to be discovered. Perhaps you haven’t realized this yet. Or perhaps you don’t know where to start,” Middlenight said to his retreating figure. “Once you’ve made it in the door, you can come find me if you’re willing.”

"We can give your talents ample opportunities to be displayed."

“…Heh…No thanks, take back your olive branch.” Zhang Renfeng understood his recruitment intention, found it amusing, and shook his head. “I’m not like your subordinates who are so obedient. Give me a bone and they’ll wag their tails for you.”

"If you bring me here, you might just end up getting yourself furious. Wouldn't that be a losing proposition?"

----

Before leaving, Zhang Renfeng couldn't resist unleashing a barrage of sarcastic remarks. Middleton's henchmen all wore unfriendly expressions.

"Big brother and little brother," "master and lackey"—they're essentially the same; it's just a matter of how they're phrased. Because it's the truth, when it's pointed out, they feel even angrier, but they can't hold a grudge against Midnight, so they naturally direct all their anger at Zhang Renfeng.

……

"Damn it, this bastard is so ungrateful!"

"Who does he think he is? The 'Midnight Swordsman's' invitation, and this guy dares to be so dismissive..."

"We should have broken his arm just now to teach him a lesson, he's worse than an animal!"

“You shouldn’t have stopped me, Mr. Midnight,” Bartók said, his voice filled with malice. “The way to deal with arrogant beggars like this is to strike hard. Just like a dog, if it barks at you, you only need to kick it once, and it will naturally know how to treat you.”

"..."

Midnight glanced at him.

Bartók's impassioned tone immediately subsided, replaced by a forced smile as he tried to smooth things over, saying, "Of course, you must have had deeper considerations. Like your image or something..."

“In a sense, your considerations are not wrong,” Middlenight said calmly. “Losing would damage our image even more.”

In the steaming hot bath, a silent stillness spread like wild grass.

"lose?"

Bartók was somewhat incredulous. He scratched his head, exchanged glances with his companions, and said with a forced smile, "This... is unlikely... right? He's just a beggar who fled here..."

"Is that possible? Didn't you just try it?" Middleton commented coldly. "Your center of gravity is naturally low, and your specialty is suddenly attacking the opponent's lower center of gravity. How did that collision feel?"

"..." Bartók was silent for a moment, then said unconvinced, "Perhaps it's just a coincidence."

“Make it clear, we’re a team sponsored by the mayor. In public, our words and actions represent the mayor.” Middlenight didn’t refute him, but simply raised his voice slightly to warn his companions, “Since the mayor wants to meet with him, let’s not cause any trouble.”

"At least, let's not cause any unnecessary trouble before he instructs us to do so."

Chapter 776: Where will all this money come from to build this for you?!

The further Zhang Renfeng went, the more his eyes were opened; the scale of this public bathhouse was far more exaggerated than he had imagined.

There is more than one hot tub for bathing, and it is only one part of the whole.

He also saw an octagonal room with marble brick walls and a dome with an opening for regulating temperature and humidity.

The room was quite hot, seemingly designed to mimic the sweltering heat of summer, causing people inside to sweat quickly. The person who designed this room apparently believed that toxins would be expelled from the body along with the sweat.

In addition, rectangular steam rooms have some small holes or windows that release steam from the outside in, which only makes the water vapor more concentrated.

There are even rooms that offer massage services, where guests can enjoy professional services such as applying scented oils, massaging muscles, removing dirt, trimming nails, and shaving.

However, perhaps it was just bad timing, when Zhang Renfeng passed by, there was only one guest shaving in the room.

A young bath maid placed a hot towel over his eyes, made him lie down, and bent down to carefully trim his beard.

Passing through these large and small bathhouses and service rooms, a breathtaking open-air library suddenly appears before your eyes!

Calling it a library isn't entirely accurate; it's more like a multi-functional entertainment venue.

A library, lecture hall, restaurant... a multi-functional area. It's hard to imagine that they would embed such a place within a public bathhouse, making it an auxiliary building of the bathhouse.

In Zhang Renfeng's mind, taking a bath is taking a bath, eating is eating, and reading is reading—three completely unrelated things. But here, the situation is entirely different.

After a relaxing hot shower, feeling refreshed, I wrapped myself in a bathrobe and went out to read. The book section was also divided into two different parts according to language: Greek and Latin.

All sorts of young people gathered here, turning the pages of books. Some frowned in thought, others suddenly understood, and their postures varied—sitting, lying down, yawning… whatever made them comfortable. When they got tired, they put the book down and went back to take a hot shower.

"No wonder the streets are deserted," Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but exclaim. "Where else could be more comfortable than here?"

Not far from the open library, there's a separate room, which Luna explained is a lecture hall. As the name suggests, it's a place for young orators to hone their speaking skills through lectures, seminars, and salons. The topics are open—politics, religion, literature, art, etc.—anything that's relevant can be discussed.

"We've come at an inopportune time today," Luna explained. "Normally, if the troupe has any new programs, they'll bring them here for rehearsals. Only if they get applause from the bathers here will they take them to the stage."

"That's a restaurant over there. They have some simple food: bread, cheese, fruit, vegetables, meat... and drinks too—water, wine, or milk. If you need ice, just add some yourself. If you're hungry, have something to eat first."

"Your clothes should be washed and drying now. I'll go get them for you."

"Wait a minute." Zhang Renfeng grabbed the girl's wrist, pointed to the dining table not far away, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Um... you might not know, but I've been a little..."

"It's alright." Luna seemed to understand what he meant, blinked, and smiled, "Those are all free."

"Free of charge?!" Zhang Renfeng was startled, his voice unconsciously rising. The people reading around him all turned to look at him, staring at him as if he were a country bumpkin. "You mean... you're giving us food for free?"

"Well, it's free. I guess you could call it a 'benefit' of this city." Luna's tone was somewhat complicated as she cut off Zhang Renfeng's attempt to ask questions. "As for the specifics, please don't ask me. I can't answer that either."

"I'll go get you your clothes."

"Uh……"

Zhang Renfeng was still somewhat dazed.

After Luna left, he glanced around. Since he was already being treated like an ignorant country bumpkin, there was no point in pretending anymore. He strode straight to the dining table, where all sorts of food were laid out, waiting for people to help themselves.

Pork, beef, and mutton.

There are three different types of meat to choose from.

He grabbed a piece of cooked beef, put it directly into his mouth without using a knife or fork, and tasted it.

It's not bad to eat.

It was even better and fresher than most of the beef he had eaten in the country.

The variety of wines was even greater, surpassing even the selection sold in taverns in remote border towns. He also saw some brands he'd never seen before. Interestingly, even the wine glasses came in different types: wooden glasses, the horn-shaped glasses Bartók had just held, and even rarer, bone-carved glasses.

He couldn't imagine how much it would cost to maintain such a restaurant within a bathhouse. The city's public facilities had become so extravagant as to be somewhat "frightening."

"What on earth is going on..."

Whether it was Latin or Greek, Zhang Renfeng couldn't understand it, so naturally he wouldn't go to the library to join the fun. He turned and headed towards the lecture hall. Although there were no theater troupes performing, there were some young people dressed as scholars debating inside.

The debate topic was absurd enough—"If we were locked up with a group of monkeys, after two years, would we become monkeys, or would the monkeys become us?"

The two groups argued vehemently about whether humans turned into monkeys or monkeys turned into humans, their faces flushed with rage.

It was clear they were taking this issue quite seriously. Zhang Renfeng, who had only been standing at the door for a short while listening, was already dumbfounded. He found it hard to believe that anyone would actually take this issue so seriously.

"Are you done showering so quickly?" A familiar voice came from beside me. "The bathhouse culture is one of the unique features of this city that we've put a lot of effort into developing. I hope you enjoyed it."

"Henderson?" Zhang Renfeng then noticed that this distinguished old man was also among the audience. "What are you doing here?"

“It’s quite interesting to listen to the debates of rhetoricians occasionally, just to see what they are like.”

"Doesn't it look like two male deer butting antlers to compete for the female's attention?"

He straightened his collar, then slowly stood up. "Come on, young man."

“Share with me your first bathing experience in this city.”

Chapter 777: Sea Oysters and Brandy

Generally, women spend much longer washing their bodies than men.

He had three wives, especially his first wife, Bai, who was often taken care of by Chunlan or Qiuyun because of her leg problems. Bathing together took even longer.

Right now, he just soaked in the hot water pool and came out early.

While waiting for Lydia, he recounted everything that had happened to him and Henderson. Zhang Renfeng didn't hide anything; he wasn't the only witness present. Henderson could learn the truth from others, so there was no need to conceal anything.

In short, for Zhang Renfeng, the fact that no conflict broke out on the spot was a significant improvement.

……

“I apologize for underestimating you before, Mr. Zhang. I thought you were the type who would make the other party pay the price on the spot if provoked.” Henderson’s expression was very calm. “Now it seems that you are more considerate of the big picture than I thought.”

"Ha ha……"

Hearing such praise, Zhang Renfeng could only smile bitterly. Only he knew the price he had paid for this growth.

"Who exactly are these guys?" he asked, changing the subject from Henderson's praise. "They also mentioned something about an 'arena'."

"They are all gladiators sponsored by the mayor. Led by Midnight, there are nine of them in total. They have formed a unique force in the arena, which we can call the 'local faction' for now."

"What the heck?" Zhang Renfeng thought he had misheard. "The mayor is subsidizing it? This thing gets subsidized?"

“It’s not just the mayor, but also the treasurer, the city steward, the chief justice… and of course, me, we all fund our own gladiators,” Henderson admitted quite frankly. “I know what you’re thinking, but like this bathhouse, it’s part of the city.”

"Bloody, cruel, yet it's a part that drives people crazy."

Henderson looked at him with amusement. "The man who provoked you in the bath was probably 'Drunkard Bartók.' His weapon was a short-handled mace. Don't let his small stature fool you; he can be quite ruthless when he gets going."

"On certain days, the whole city will witness these gladiators' life-or-death battles, applaud and cheer for the bloodshed and fighting on the field, and regard it as an honor."

"The more victories a gladiator has, the higher his status in the city, and the more awe people have for him. That's roughly how it works."

The more Zhang Renfeng listened, the more he felt something was amiss.

Of course, he understood this model. Before becoming the martial arts champion, he had been the reigning champion in his hometown arena for five years. People from all over the country came to challenge him, but he was never defeated. He had accumulated a wealth of practical experience little by little by fighting against various masters. He was very familiar with this winner-takes-all logic of the arena.

The problem is, this city seems to be taking the competition a little...too formal?

Gladiators sponsored by the mayor.

Generally speaking, would a city mayor so directly fund entertainment activities that involve bloodshed or even death?

……

After working for half a day, Zhang Renfeng hadn't found a single piece of information about Wendigo, and was once again trapped in this city full of mysteries. Growing increasingly frustrated, Zhang sighed and finished off a glass of iced milk.

A slight force tugged at his sleeve from the side.

Luna held his clothes, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes darting around unconsciously, as if afraid of having any contact with him.

"Sir, these are your clothes. We have washed and dried them."

Zhang Renfeng took the clothes and examined them carefully. The mud and rain stains had indeed been washed away, leaving behind a pleasant, refreshing scent. They felt much softer to the touch and fit the skin much better.

He was initially delighted, but when he thought of the more than four thousand civilians who had escaped from the brink of death accompanying him, all wearing clothes soaked with rain and smelling sour, his feelings became complicated, and his smile faded.

"Thank you." Zhang Renfeng placed the folded clothes on his lap and chuckled, "Your skills are excellent."

But Luna didn't leave. She twisted her fingers, her face flushed, and she looked like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Renfeng asked curiously. "Is there anything else?"

“If necessary, I should excuse myself.” Henderson immediately stood up.

"No...no need...please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

The girl bit her lip, as if she had finally made up her mind. She left for a short while and then brought out a wooden tray.

Four porcelain bowls were neatly arranged on top, each containing a type of shellfish with a whole piece of meat inside, white as pearls. Each plate contained two shellfish, all split open with a knife and drizzled with lemon juice. Vinegar wasn't commonly used for seasoning here; instead, tart lemon juice was used. Zhang Renfeng loved rich, meaty dishes, but he wasn't particularly interested in shellfish; shrimp was about the limit of what he could tolerate.

Moreover, the color of this thing... it looks like it hasn't been cooked at all, which makes him a little uneasy.

Next to each plate of seafood was a purple flower and a small glass of brandy, suggesting that the seafood was not just for eating.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the moment the tray was brought out, the noise in the hall seemed to subside considerably. Those reading or discussing things became somewhat distracted, glancing over furtively with expressions of shock and disbelief.

Henderson looked at him with a meaningful gaze.

"W-What's wrong?" Zhang Renfeng had a strong sense of his surroundings, and the more he sensed it, the more guilty he felt.

“This bowl was given to you by Arya, this bowl by Jennifer, this bowl by Eleanor, this bowl… this bowl is a gift from me.”

"Oh..." Zhang Renfeng was a little confused, and could only reply, "Thank you, but I don't know..."

“They were all girls that Bartók had specifically requested, and they were originally supposed to…” The girl pursed her lips, but ultimately didn’t finish her sentence. She simply said, “Thanks to you, this didn’t happen. The atmosphere among them seemed rather tense; they only soaked in the hot tub for a while before going back.”

Zhang Renfeng didn't breathe a sigh of relief for them; instead, his brows furrowed even more tightly. "If you're unwilling, can't you refuse him?"

“That won’t do. He’s a gladiator. In this city, his status is far higher than ours. We’re lucky to have escaped even once.” The girl looked at him nervously. “You…you can eat him, right?”