Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"let's go."

He didn't explain much to his underlings, who were looking at him with astonishment, as if he had made up his mind.

He turned his head, walked away resolutely.

----

"Let go...let go of me, what are you doing...ah!" Angelona cried out in pain, slapping the boy's arm repeatedly, "You're hurting me!"

The boy glanced at her with his deep black eyes and silently released her.

“…The stables?” Angelona rubbed her wrist, which was being held, and looked around. This was clearly a windswept, sandy stable.

Beside the stables stood an incredibly dilapidated, crumbling little wooden hut that looked as if it might collapse at any moment.

"this is my house."

The boy smiled brightly at her.

Only then did Angelona realize how incredibly handsome the young man before her was: his complexion was as smooth and warm as jade, his cheeks flushed, his nose high and straight, and his eyes deep and rare, albeit slightly upturned. His eyes were expressive, carrying a hint of fox-like cunning, yet combined with his other features, they exuded a noble air.

A beauty mark, visible at the corner of his eye, adds a touch of tenderness to his languid and indifferent gaze.

"Oh……"

Angelona was momentarily stunned and speechless. She found it hard to believe that such a handsome young man with such an air of elegance would live in such a humble place.

"But...but what you just did..." Her last shred of reason made her want to ask a question.

"Want to come in?" The boy leaned lazily against the door, his question sounding as if he were absolutely certain, and smiled gently at her. "Come in, and I'll tell you."

Chapter 890: Thirsty for Blood in the Red Center

Small but complete.

Inside the small wooden cabin were a stove, a bed, and a set of tables and chairs. The chair, however, was peculiar in shape—wide and with its backrest and armrests forming a multi-panel screen. The boy turned and sat on the bed, giving Angelona the only seat in the cabin. He even used the kettle to make her a cup of hot tea.

"It's a bit hot, don't drink it all at once," the boy said with a smile. "A girl once drank this tea in this room and burned her tongue."

"Hmph, you're just bragging. This dilapidated house looks like it's about to collapse from the outside, and you can even smell horse manure from the stable next door. It's hardly the kind of place a girl would willingly come into..."

Although that's what she thought, the boy's succubus-like eyes, so dark and deep, were still too alluring.

His gentle tone and the faint smile he wore softened Angelona's attitude. She had almost forgotten that he had forcibly dragged her away in the street.

Faced with the steaming hot tea, Angelona's playful side emerged. She closed her eyes and deliberately brought them close to the rising steam, using the heat to stimulate her eyelids. A satisfied and happy smile appeared on her round face.

But she quickly realized that there was someone sitting in front of her, so she blew on the tea twice and took a sip from her teacup.

The tea is good tea.

But those who drink it for the first time often cannot appreciate its subtleties. The young girl only felt that she had drunk a sip of slightly astringent hot water, and a layer of sweat immediately appeared on her forehead.

"Ahem... back to what just happened..." After drinking what the person offered, the girl's wariness lessened, and her tone softened. "What if that man gets beaten to death if you take me away?"

"No way." The boy swallowed most of his hot tea without changing his expression and said calmly, "Those people aren't stupid. If they beat him to death, who will pay back the money? Their goal is to collect debts, not to beat someone. Beating someone is just a means to an end."

"Teach that guy a lesson, and say something tough to make him feel threatened. Only when he feels threatened will he start thinking about how to make money. This has always been the way to collect debts."

“But…but…” Angelona was somewhat indignant at his calm and methodical tone. “Even so, violent debt collection is explicitly prohibited by law. These people aren’t from the police station, the mounted police, or the federal government. What right do they have to do this?”

"Besides, aren't they collecting debts from unregulated private loan sharks? That kind of behavior is already illegal, and using violence to collect debts makes it even more serious!"

"..." The boy looked at her calmly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

His dark eyes held a calm demeanor that seemed somewhat incongruous with his age.

Angelona suddenly realized that she didn't know the boy's name or age.

He put down his teacup and asked with great interest, "So, what do you think should be done?"

"Of course, we should stop them using the right methods!"

The girl said righteously, "If they won't listen to advice, they should go to the Fengchuisha Police Station immediately and let the sheriff handle it. If that doesn't work, they should go to the local court. The government will crack down on them, and they'll go up the chain of command. Someone will eventually be able to handle it!"

"Oh... so that's what you're thinking..." The boy pondered for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject and asked, "That job at the tavern was just a cover for you. Judging from your style of dress, you must be from the north. You're probably using this time to infiltrate Fengchuishan and slowly investigate something, right?"

"?!"

When her purpose was suddenly exposed, Angelona was so shocked that her shoulders even trembled slightly, as if she had confessed without being asked.

"No wonder. Your clothes are so clean. Even if you're looking for a job, you should go to a proper, bright Londonderry shopping center. Why do you have to squeeze into a place like the Red Bird Tavern?"

The boy leaned back in his chair, looking the girl up and down again, a hint of amusement in his smile. "If you want to act, you should do some research on your character before going on stage. Girls who work in places like this don't usually meddle like you."

“Wh…what do you mean…” Angelona was speechless, pursed her lips, and mimicked the other person, pointing her finger at them and retaliating, “And you? You…you certainly aren’t an ordinary stable handyman, are you?”

“I didn’t say I was working in the stables. I just gave the stable owner some money and am staying here temporarily.”

The boy winked at her, a mix of slyness and childlike mischief in his eyes, which, combined with his almond-shaped, upturned eyes, made him seem quite affectionate. "To tell you the truth, miss, I'm an adventurer."

“…Huh?” Angelona couldn’t help but make a bewildered expression, indicating that she didn’t understand what he was saying.

"Adventure," the boy said, enunciating each word clearly. "The more dangerous the place, the more dangerous the event, the more interested I become."

So...where is this...?

Angelona looked around again.

Ordinary walls, ordinary tables and chairs, an ordinary small bed.

On the wall beside the bed, there was a long-handled object, wrapped in layers of black cloth, so its nature was unknown.

"You really don't know?" He crossed his arms, rested his chin on them, and said with a smile, "14 years ago, around 1879..."

"【Red Center】, I once lived in this house for a while."

----

“Red Center?” Angelona frowned, her tone revealing a hint of surprise…and disgust. “That murderous devil?”

"..."

The boy remained calm, unchanged from before except for this brief silence. In fact, his eyes narrowed involuntarily because of his radiant smile, and he asked softly, "Is this the common saying in your northern region?"

"Some say he killed dozens of people, others say hundreds or thousands... and still others say he had a disease called... [blood thirst syndrome]."

“Normally, he’s a normal person, but once this disease flares up, he goes crazy, wants to kill people, and will break into other people’s homes and kill the whole family, including innocent elderly people and children.”

"There were several large families in the south who were quite prosperous a dozen years ago, but they all suffered an undeserved disaster. The Red Army killed them all, and even their surnames were completely wiped out."

Upon hearing this, a cryptic smile appeared on the boy's face.

"Legend has it that he is incredibly strong, invulnerable to swords and spears, and can run faster than a bullet. He can easily smash through walls and carry over 500 kilograms of iron stones while still running like the wind... These legends are getting more and more unreliable." As she spoke, the girl couldn't help but laugh out loud, complaining, "How could such a monster possibly exist in the world?"

“In our area, if children misbehave, their parents will say, ‘If you keep making trouble, the Red Army will take you away tonight.’”

……

"Is that so? Is that how it is?" The boy smiled gently and said softly, "So this is how people from the North view him."

“Someone wrote a novel called ‘Red Dragon’.” Angelona tested the temperature of the tea; it wasn’t too hot anymore. She then drank the remaining half cup in one gulp. “It’s said that the protagonist in the book was based on him.”

"That 'blood thirst syndrome'... is that also part of the book?"

“Mm.” Angelona nodded.

Do you know the author's name?

"Ugh... I don't remember. I've only heard of that book. I flipped through a few pages, but it was written in such an exaggerated way that I lost interest in reading it. How could anyone really jump three meters high and punch through a wall?"

The boy smiled noncommittally.

Angelona couldn't help but ask curiously, "Why are you so interested in Red Center? Maybe he doesn't even exist? Maybe he's just a legend made up by a parent to fool children."

"..."

After a moment of silence, the boy looked at him meaningfully and smiled, "Once you're out of this door, don't say such things in the wind and sand."

"Some people will risk their lives for you because of this."

Chapter 891: Zhang Honglu

"Perfect timing, you haven't read that book much, but I have another copy here, wait a moment..."

The boy pulled a box out from under the bed, rummaged through it, and handed her a large book with a simple and easy-to-understand cover, without any extra decorations except for the title.

“The Gunman’s Chronicle?” Angelona frowned, opened the book, and quickly skimmed over the names in the table of contents before finally settling on “Red Center.” She couldn’t help but wonder, “Can someone like him… still be considered a gunman?”

In the North, Hong Zhong's image has largely departed from the "gunman" persona. Coupled with the legend of blood thirst, people are increasingly willing to believe that Hong Zhong is a brutal, bloodthirsty, and murderous monster in human skin.

"I guess so," the boy couldn't help but laugh.

"Hmph~~~ The brushstrokes are very delicate, like they were written by a girl."

After flipping through a few pages, Angelona acknowledged the book's readability. She snapped the book shut, her eyes darting around as if she had regained control. She playfully retorted, "But why should I read it? I have absolutely no interest in what you call Red Center."

"..."

The boy wasn't fooled by her. He tilted his head and said calmly, "Thomas Downs, you just saw the guy being beaten up on the ground... You're right, he did borrow money from loan sharks. But his reason for borrowing was different from most people's. He runs a small farm in the mountains of New Orleans. It's not very big, but it's enough to support his family."

"But in recent years, perhaps inspired by God, he has developed a strange hobby—he is particularly fond of doing charity. In order to help those who are far away and cannot even see him, he doesn't save a single cent of his meager monthly income, except for necessary family expenses; it all goes into the pockets of charitable organizations. He lives like a taut bowstring, allowing no room for error."

"Last autumn, a hurricane swept through, and his small farm was no match for the natural disaster. It was destroyed in an instant. There was no harvest, no savings, and a large family to support. In order to get through the emergency, he chose to borrow money from loan sharks."

"Even with his life in such a state, he still can't let go of his charitable work. He even sets up stalls in nearby towns to promote it, encouraging everyone to donate generously to charity like him... Ha... He probably really thinks that lending money at high interest rates is doing charity."

“…” Angelona opened her mouth in surprise, seemingly unable to believe that someone in real life could be so unable to distinguish between primary and secondary matters.

Generally speaking, one's own life and the life of one's family are the "primary" priority. Only when one has the capacity to help others is it secondary. If someone gets themselves imprisoned while trying to help others, it's difficult to immediately judge whether they are a good or bad person.

Because the story was so outrageous, she was more inclined to believe it was true; the world is full of wonders. It's hard to fabricate something so illogical.

Seeing the girl's furrowed brows, still deep in thought, the boy refilled her cup of tea and said with a slow, unhurried smile, "You see, after knowing enough of the 'background,' Thomas Towns in your eyes has become a little different, hasn't he?"

"Similarly, this book also records some of the 'background' related to Hong Zhong. Perhaps, after reading it, you will realize that your previous views on him were just a wrong, biased, and stereotypical one-sided view that others had intentionally instilled in you."

……

Angelona looked at the orderly and smiling young man in front of her and couldn't help but shiver. She muttered, "...How old are you anyway?"

"Fourteen years old."

The boy's smiling expression made Angelona feel as if she were talking to a forty-year-old.

She could vaguely sense that during this conversation, her emotions were almost entirely controlled by him. This feeling made her very uncomfortable; no matter what he said, he refused to admit that she was being led by the nose by a fourteen-year-old kid.

"Thank you for the book, I will read it, but..." The girl hesitated for a moment. Deep down, she also felt that what the boy said was right, so she accepted the book. "I will only be here for about a week. I will also have other things to do in between, so I may not have much time."

"Oh, I see~~~" The boy's eyes darted around, and he changed the subject, "So, the person and the matter you're investigating will arrive in Fengchuisha this week, right?"

"I...I don't know!" Angelona's face showed regret, then she pulled out a chair warily, took a few steps back, and whispered sternly, "Don't ask anymore, it has nothing to do with you!"

"Okay, okay, okay, I won't ask, I won't ask." The boy had tested her limits, so she quickly raised her hands, blinked, and made a pleading gesture.

This tactic, if used by someone else, might become disgusting, making it hard to swallow even after just one look.

You have to have his looks to pull off a convincingly pitiful act and achieve the desired effect of strategic retreat.

"I won't ask why you came, but can you at least tell me your name?" Seeing that her expression had softened, the young man immediately followed up, making a request that wasn't too unreasonable, but that he really wanted to achieve. He smiled and said, "I've lived in this town for a while now, and I know a bit about all sorts of secrets, gossip, and news."

"I know which alleyways have hidden entrances, whose houses have secret doors, clinics, police stations, churches, and even the Londonderry shopping centre—I know how to get in there. If you're looking for me, I've always lived here, but..."

"I can't keep calling you 'Miss Sister' all the time, can I?"

……

Angelona was somewhat intrigued. Judging from this description, the young man before her was undoubtedly a "know-it-all" in this windswept desert. Having just arrived, she didn't have much time to learn about the local area. Having a local guide would be much more helpful.

Judging from her age, Angelona was 18 years old and half a head taller than the boy in front of her, so it wasn't unreasonable for him to call her "sister".

The request was reasonable enough. The girl's furrowed brows relaxed slightly as she introduced herself, "Angelona Marcus... You guessed it, I'm from the North, from the First State."

And you, what's your name?

"My surname is Zhang," the young man said with a frank smile, "and my given name is Honglu."

“Zang…”

“Zhang.” Zhang Honglu opened his mouth, pointed to it, curled his tongue, and patiently corrected Angelona’s pronunciation. “Come on, repeat after me, zhang.”

"The pronunciation of this name... is good... is good..."

Angelona struggled for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution. Zhang Honglu was the first Chinese name she had ever encountered in real life. In her view, it was just a pronunciation with no clear meaning.