Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Chapter 817: Savior

"Senior brother, it's alright...it's alright...go back..."

"Just hang in there a little longer..."

Perhaps it was the alcohol that had been poured on that finally worked; the pain from the wound jolted him awake, and he finally opened his eyes.

Even so, Zhang Renfeng did not regain consciousness and remained in a semi-conscious state.

The wolf had to expend a great deal of effort to help him up, using its small body to support most of his weight. After adjusting his posture for a long time, it was finally able to take a step.

Behind them lay a dead end, connecting to the mountainside, offering no hope whatsoever. Whatever awaited them ahead, they had only one choice.

Go forward.

Normally, if she had the chance to have such intimate physical contact with Zhang Renfeng, she might have been secretly pleased. But at this moment, Lang didn't even have that thought. This "three-legged race" was becoming incredibly difficult—Zhang Renfeng could barely move, and Lang could only use her thin shoulders to support his head, and one hand to hold his waist, ensuring that most of his weight was on her.

They dragged him forward step by step.

……

"Father...Mother...Rui'er..."

In a daze, Zhang Renfeng turned his head to the empty grass and murmured to himself, "I've dragged you all down... I..."

"Senior brother, stop!" Realizing he was trying to break free, Lang quickly grabbed his arm. This series of movements had left her drenched in sweat. "Don't go that way! There's nothing there, it's all your illusion!"

Zhang Renfeng was visibly taken aback for a moment, then muttered to himself, "...If I...had eaten that hotpot with them that night, would I......"

"Since things are like this, let's not even think about hot pot anymore." Lang Qiang cheered up and joked with a smile, "Once all this is over, we can eat whatever we want... hot pot, stew, barbecue, anything is fine."

"I have a few cans of food left. I'll feed you when you feel a little better."

Zhang Renfeng then fell silent, continuing to limp forward. Reality and his fantasy seemed to subtly overlap at that moment. He struggled to lift his head and finally recognized the girl's signature long, flowing golden hair amidst the hazy shadows.

……

"Wolf."

Half-asleep, he softly called the girl's name. In that instant, it seemed as if the wind in the whole world had fallen silent in her ears.

"sorry."

……

The sea breeze caressed her face, and the girl slowly closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "There's nothing to apologize for, senior brother."

“It was you and Senior Brother Zhu who rescued me from Elder Brother’s prison cart. Back then, you carried me on your back, just like now, and I’m carrying you on my back.”

"I prefer to believe that our fates have long been deeply intertwined."

……

Zhang Renfeng stopped speaking, but his physical condition remained poor. Excessive fatigue and the series of strenuous activities he had engaged in today had caused his wounds to reopen. Blood seeped from beneath the coarse cloth bandages, dripping onto the sand and leaving a winding, bloody trail.

The energy provided by the food it had just eaten was quickly depleted, and a fine layer of sweat had already covered the wolf's forehead.

She didn't look back, and she gradually lost track of how long she had been walking. It felt like she was walking through a sweltering hell for ten thousand years. Beads of sweat slid down her face, dripping onto her lips and sticking them together. She disliked this feeling and had to lick her lips open with her tongue each time, but they would quickly stick back together.

Finally, her vision blurred, and she tripped over a small stone.

"Boom!"

My body felt light, like a fluttering reed, blown hundreds of meters away by the wind.

But the rising dust told her that they had simply fallen to the ground.

"Is this the end..."

She tried her best to stand up again, but her trembling limbs and drooping eyelids no longer supported her.

----

In her field of vision, a pair of white shoes appeared, moving from far to near.

"……who?"

Wolf was somewhat surprised, because even in her weakened state, her senses remained sharp, like a sophisticated radar operating 24/7, capable of capturing and analyzing all nearby sounds. Yet, with this person right in front of her, she heard absolutely nothing, as if a subtle gap had appeared between her memories, leaving her completely disoriented.

With its last bit of strength, the wolf raised its head, wanting to see who was coming.

On this desolate desert, she saw, like a dream, spotless white clothes, white robes, and white helmets.

This person seemed to come from a world made entirely of white; apart from the long sword hanging at his waist, his entire body was white.

Beneath the spotless helmet were a pair of azure eyes, looking down at the two lying on the ground, reflecting a sorrow as vast as the sky.

The wolf vaguely felt something was off, because beneath this person's white robe, there was neither breathing nor a heartbeat, which was hardly like a normal person. But at this moment, she no longer had the strength to dwell on these things. No matter what kind of creature was standing before her, her strength was only enough to utter one last sentence.

"Save him first..."

The wolf tilted its head and also fainted.

……

After a moment of silence, the man took a pair of white gloves from his pocket and put them on.

----

"It's so quiet in the city." Colonel Monroe took a puff of his cigar, exhaled a smoke ring, and looked around. "Weren't there supposed to be over three thousand rebels? Where have they all gone?"

After receiving the order, the city of Birmingham dispatched a "bandit suppression" team led by Colonel Monroe, who was experienced in this area.

No one dared to disregard orders issued directly by Samuel. As long as he lived, the power network from top to bottom would empower his every word and every pause.

The city of Birmingham directly recruited many elite sheriffs, federal troops, and First State RCMP officers stationed locally. They were not only highly skilled, but it was also necessary to ensure that they were all on the same side with shared interests.

After all, such a large-scale bandit suppression operation would inevitably expose Oak City to the outside world to some extent. Only by having one of their own men silence the bandits could the aftermath be minimized. Colonel Monroe was incredibly excited about this; this was a task directly ordered by "that person." If he did it well, he'd have no trouble making a living in the military and political circles.

He led this highly elite team directly into Oak City, hoping to catch the enemy off guard.

Unexpectedly, what awaited him was such an empty city.

Chapter 818: The Unspeakable Secret

"Could it be that they received advance notice and all escaped? Logically, that shouldn't be the case." Colonel Monroe exhaled a puff of smoke, his brow furrowed as he pondered, "Orders transmitted by telegram shouldn't have any leakage points. Who would be so bold as to leak something like this?"

"What do you think?"

……

When faced with the colonel's question, old Jack did not answer immediately. Instead, he squinted and carefully examined the extremely extravagant city.

Oak City was little known even among the Illuminati, but Jack happened to be one of them.

He had heard from Lu Aniu about how extravagant and luxurious the city was. When a person accumulates power and resources to an astronomical figure that they can enjoy for a lifetime, but their life is about to come to an end, even the most absurd things can happen. This city is a perfect example.

Jack couldn't help but think of his hometown, an unremarkable frontier town during America's westward expansion.

During the gold rush, rumors circulated that a gold mine was hidden somewhere on the outskirts of town. There was a period of prosperity and bustling activity, but once the gold was all mined out, the town, like an old and ugly dung heap, was abandoned by everyone.

The road was muddy and difficult to walk on.

A dilapidated wooden house.

A creaking horse-drawn carriage.

Dust-covered glass.

Jack was somewhat dazed. Looking at Oak City again, he could hardly believe that these two cities could be in the same country. And this extravagant city, full of wonders and top-notch luxury, was merely a stage set built by a seventy-nine-year-old man to satisfy his own desires.

The unevenness of the world filled him with a strange sense of sorrow.

But he was already in it.

“…Not sure, let’s wait and see.” Jack shook his head and lit a cigarette. “Don’t let them disperse yet, lest we fall into their ambush.”

"Fool's Gold?" Colonel Monroe frowned slightly, fanning himself with his palm, revealing a somewhat contemptuous look in his eyes. "Aren't you one of Dad's men? Why are you still smoking this kind of cheap cigarette?"

“…What you’re used to is what’s best.” Jack flicked his cigarette ash and said in a deep voice, “I cough when I smoke anything else.”

“Alright, no offense intended.” Colonel Monroe shrugged. His left hand was already in his pocket; he had originally intended to use a cigarette to build rapport, but seeing the other's response, he had no choice but to abandon that idea. “I heard…”

"During the Takashu War a few months ago, Dad and his men... also went to Jaworth's place?"

Jack glanced at him and nodded. "I went. I delivered a letter, that's all."

"Just delivering a message?" Colonel Monroe asked, somewhat skeptical.

As an officer within the Illuminati's power network, he was quite curious about everything that happened during the Takagi War.

The outcome of this war was like a bombshell, sending shockwaves through military circles. Because so few survived, and most were insane and beyond questioning, they didn't even know how Colonel Jarworth's army had been defeated.

How could a fully armed modern military force lose to Native Americans who were still using bows and arrows?

But what shocked Colonel Monroe even more was that the Illuminati's absolute military guarantee, his father, who personally went to the front lines, had failed to bring back victory, which made him instinctively sense something was wrong.

This mission to Oak City will inevitably involve dealing with his father's men. If he doesn't figure this out, it will always be a thorn in his side.

"At that time, some things happened in the army. There were a few unruly bastards in Jaworth's camp who made everyone very unhappy."

Recalling the scene that day, Jack could only pick out what he could say and recount it briefly, making it somewhat vague. "Dad felt offended, so he just left the letter and the meeting ended badly. We didn't participate in the subsequent battles; they were all won by Jaworth's men."

Jack's words also had a subtext: if our people had been involved, the outcome might not have been so disastrous.

Unfortunately, the die is cast.

Upon learning of Colonel Jarworth's complete annihilation, Lu Aniu said nothing, showing neither ruthlessness nor joy, simply remarking, "I see," and the topic was dropped.

But the surging hatred in his eyes as he slaughtered people in the military camp, like ants being killed in droves, still sends chills down Jack's spine when he thinks about it. He refuses to believe that such intense emotion would simply fade with time.

“When you see him later, you’d better say as little as possible and not offend him,” Jack advised. “With him, rank, status, everything you’re proud of, is useless. I advise you to be more discreet.”

"Understood! Understood! I will definitely... I will definitely do my best!"

Colonel Monroe broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly nodded. In his view, this was absolutely terrifying—an army of several thousand men had been abandoned simply because of a lack of respect. He gained a deeper understanding of the status of the title "Old Man" within the Illuminati.

Luckily, I was overthinking things and asked, otherwise, who knows what might have happened!

"It's just... I'd like to ask you another question..."

"What kind of topics does Dad particularly dislike? Could you give me a heads-up so I can be prepared when I see him?"

……

……

Jack's expression was somewhat complicated, his eyebrows furrowed together, making him look a little comical.

This time, he remained silent on horseback for a long time, until the cigarette in the Fool's Gold Medal was almost burned out, and he coughed repeatedly from the smell of the inferior tobacco.

He patted Colonel Monroe on the shoulder and said meaningfully, "There's only one main principle: speak less."

"If he doesn't ask you anything, just stand next to him. If he asks you something, you must answer truthfully. Never lie. He can hear the frequency of your heartbeat and breathing. Any lie will be exposed in front of him."

"Is that all?" Colonel Monroe asked incredulously.

Do not lie, report truthfully; this is actually a common requirement for most people in positions of authority.

Especially among top leaders like Samuel, attitude is more important than ability. Ability issues can be fixed, but attitude issues are irredeemable. What he demands is 100% loyalty, without the slightest impurity.

He was even more confused. It wasn't like Jaworth had just entered this ecosystem. How could he not even do this most basic thing?

How exactly did he offend such a powerful figure?

----

At the front of the line, a sudden explosion interrupted his thoughts.

Chapter 819: I'll handle it

"boom-----!!!"

The flames from the explosion were like a giant tongue; with a gentle lick, they engulfed many soldiers, instantly devouring them and turning them to ashes.

They were indeed handpicked elite soldiers, far superior in combat skills to any ragtag unit. But humanity's fear of fire was ingrained in their genes. Few armies could remain calm after witnessing their comrades engulfed in flames, and they were no exception.

In an instant, chaos erupted at the front of the procession. Devastating screams echoed through the city, a cacophony of human screams, horse neighs, and the nauseating smell of burning coals... everything was utterly terrible.

Even more terrifying was that they couldn't discern where the attack came from, and no one saw the explosives being thrown. They were simply walking along when suddenly the ground exploded. The area ahead was almost entirely enveloped in smoke and chaos, and naturally, no one could clearly explain the entire attack.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Colonel Monroe tightened the reins, expertly stopping his horse's panicked rear-up, and shouted from horseback, "No running away! Hold the line! Spread out, maintain your positions! Spread out! Push forward and organize a counterattack!"