Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Zhu Pingan's shout caused Zhang Fulin to noticeably slow down. He straightened his clothes outside before entering and greeting everyone.

His steps were slow, and compared to Zhu Ping'an's brisk pace, he appeared remarkably composed, as if they were not the same age.

After entering, he first greeted Zhang Renfeng, then Zhu Kuilong, and then Lang, showing himself to be extremely courteous, leaving no one out. Even though his clothes were rather simple, just a plain-colored long cotton coat, they were clean and appropriate, and his demeanor was composed and neither servile nor arrogant.

Zhang Fulin was the only non-mixed-race child among all of Zhang Renfeng's offspring. His face and features were most similar to Zhang Renfeng's, and his shadow could be seen between his brows.

However, according to Zhang Renfeng's own memory, at Zhang Fulin's age, he had only just begun to roam the martial arts world, and he was curious about everything, taking laughter, anger, and cursing lightly.

But Zhang Fulin was completely different from him. He was calm and composed, and his face rarely showed any change in expression. He always treated everyone with courtesy and rarely showed off his martial arts skills when he was out and about.

Actually, in chronological order, he was Zhang Renfeng's first son.

In 1879, Qiu Yun and Zhu Kuilong led a theatrical troupe across the ocean to China.

In Saint Quintak, Zhu Kuilong and Zhang Renfeng fought a great battle, finally resolving their long-standing feud and realizing their mutual affection. It was at the end of that trip to America that Zhang Renfeng and Qiu Yun had a passionate night together. Perhaps it was the blessing of their long-awaited reunion that allowed his offspring to be successfully "planted" into Qiu Yun's body.

It was only after she returned to China that she discovered her belly was growing bigger day by day. After returning to China, she gave birth to a son very smoothly after ten months of pregnancy, and named him Zhang Fulin.

The family business that Zhang Renfeng built was separated from his eldest son by a sea, which meant that he could not stay by his side for a long time.

Fortunately, his Sanyuan Group has been subdivided into numerous smaller business areas, including those related to shipping, ports, and overseas trade.

Represented by Kenjiro Kawakami's group, the captain's former subordinates, whose expertise was relevant, naturally took over the business related to sailing. When there were no major decisions to be made, Zhang Renfeng could hitch a ride on their boats back to his hometown for a brief reunion with Qiu Yun and her son.

Normally, the mother and son live with Zhu Kuilong's family.

These two brothers, whose fate was intertwined by misfortune, even had their sons recognize each other as godfathers.

It must be said that Zhu Kuilong is a very good parent, so good that... even if Zhang Renfeng were to do it himself, he wouldn't be confident that he could raise Zhang Fulin to be the way he is now.

……

Zhu Kuilong and Lang stood up in perfect unison, and as they left, they thoughtfully closed the door behind them, leaving the space to the father and son who hadn't seen each other in a long time. The pharmacy, which had seemed a bit crowded just moments before, suddenly felt spacious.

"father."

Zhang Fulin's tone and expression were very calm, as if he had just met Zhang Renfeng yesterday. He was neither distant nor overly enthusiastic.

“Fulin…” Zhang Renfeng looked at his eldest son, who resembled him the most, and a flood of thoughts rushed into his mind at once.

But that's how relationships work. Even if they are father and son, they are still two different individuals, and there's no unique telepathic connection between them. When individuals don't communicate for a long time, they can't quite grasp each other's thoughts when they meet again, and they're not much different from two strangers. They both need to start adapting to social distance from scratch.

Before speaking, one must carefully consider what to say and what not to say. In the end, after much deliberation, Zhang Renfeng swallowed all the topics he had prepared to discuss and simply asked vaguely, "Is everything alright at home?"

“It’s all good.” Zhang Fulin nodded. “My godfather treats me like his own son, and I practice martial arts every day without fail.”

"Where is your mother? How is she?"

"It's okay, nothing serious. It's just that sometimes, when it's cloudy or rainy, my knees and shoulders ache slightly."

When Qiu Yun was mentioned, Zhang Fulin's voice softened. "I showed the red snake oil that my father brought from abroad to my godfather. He said that it has a lot of medicinal ingredients and can be used externally to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. It can also relieve symptoms such as rheumatism."

"My godfather used this snake oil as a raw material to make several plasters, which he applied to the shoulders, and the condition improved."

Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but sigh. Although his senior brother was slightly less talented in martial arts, his advantage lay in being a well-rounded individual who could do everything.

Red Snake Oil is one of the products that Sanyuan Group vigorously launched after stabilizing its operations. Because it capitalized on the popularity of "Red Snake Oil," it became a hit in southern America, and it targeted the lower-tier market with a very affordable price.

Gunmen, cowboys... even homeless people lying on the ground can afford it if they save up for a few days.

Although the era of the West is drawing to a close, the company has still made a considerable amount of money over the past decade. It's almost become one of the standard cultural products of the Sanyuan Group.

The formula for this snake oil was personally modified by the chief after he took over. It contains some herbal ingredients from Native American tribes and is specially supplied by the High Tree region, so it has some medicinal value. Zhang Renfeng never expected that what he intended to do with just some local specialties brought across the sea would have such effects.

“Ointment, that’s a good idea…” Zhang Renfeng pondered to himself, “Perhaps… after we go back, we can make some ointment and start selling it from Baiju Town? Sanyuan Group should also release some new products.”

……

They chatted for a while longer about snake oil, which finally helped them get a little closer.

Zhang Renfeng felt inexplicably emotional. When he was little, what he hated most was the constant barrage of questions from elders during the New Year holidays: "How have you been lately? Have you fallen behind in your studies? How many books have you read? What are your plans for the future?" He had to answer these questions with a smile, even if he didn't believe them himself. It was so annoying that he was about to explode.

However, when he reached this age of around forty, let alone others, even when facing his own son, he could only ask such pointless questions after racking his brains.

He himself found it boring, but Zhang Fulin's self-restraint was much better than his own at that time. He still answered patiently, and his impatience was not shown at all.

----

"Oh, right, the thing you asked me to bring back last time..."

When they were almost out of things to talk about, Zhang Renfeng suddenly remembered that Zhang Fulin had asked him to bring something back during their last meeting. He'd forgotten about it as they continued chatting.

But at the same time, he was surprised by the boy's composure—he had forgotten, and the boy hadn't mentioned it at all. If he hadn't intended to bring it up from the beginning, the boy probably wouldn't have brought it up again.

Her maturity was so profound that it made him feel a little sorry for her.

……

Zhang Renfeng pulled a brand-new, gleaming pistol from his waist and placed it on the table. "The M1891 slide pistol is the newest civilian model. Unlike the old revolvers, this pistol uses a magazine and doesn't have a cylinder, so you don't need to load the bullets one by one."

"..."

Zhang Fulin's eyes finally lit up. He took the standard-issue pistol, examined it closely, and carefully examined every part of its structure.

Chapter 901: Father and Son

“Fulin, the structure of this gun is different from before. I'll load some training bullets for you first. Once you get a feel for how this gun works, then you can switch to live ammunition. It would be best to have your godfather take a look at it. Don't let his seemingly old-fashioned appearance fool you; he's actually quite knowledgeable about firearms. I remember before…”

"No, Father."

Before Zhang Renfeng could finish speaking, Zhang Fulin put the gun back on the table and said, "It's too heavy."

“…Huh?” Zhang Renfeng raised an eyebrow, momentarily confused as to what his son was talking about. “What do you mean, too heavy?”

“This gun.” Zhang Fulin, despite it being his first time handling a standard-issue pistol, skillfully removed the magazine and placed it on the table. “It’s too heavy for me; it’s not suitable.”

"Is...is this really that heavy?"

Zhang Renfeng gripped the pistol, made a few fancy moves, and said with a surprised expression, "Indeed, in order to pursue stable and continuous shooting, a slide structure was added."

"Compared to the previous revolver, it is slightly heavier, but only slightly. Even an ordinary person can carry it in a holster and on their belt and still move around normally."

Zhang Fulin's martial arts skills were all taught by his godfather and master, Zhu Kuilong. Zhang Renfeng had already confirmed that his eldest son had some similarities with him in martial arts talent, and had shown it at a young age.

I wouldn't dare say much, but lifting a stone lock, wielding a Guan Dao (a type of halberd), or moving a stone mill are all no problem for me.

Now, he says it's too heavy for such a small weight, which leaves Zhang Renfeng completely baffled.

Nevertheless, Zhang Fulin shook his head.

"Fulin, what exactly do you want to use this thing for?" Zhang Renfeng keenly sensed something was amiss. "Can you tell your father?"

"..."

Zhang Fulin rarely showed a hesitant expression. The moment he frowned, the expression he revealed made Zhang Renfeng realize that the person sitting in front of him was still a fifteen-year-old child.

"Father," Zhang Fulin seemed to have made a great decision, "what do you think..."

"What would my godfather's [Wild Goose Skill] be like if he could cultivate it to its peak?"

"Wild Goose Kung Fu?"

The only skill Zhu Kuilong could teach was the Wild Goose Kung Fu, which he had practiced his entire life.

It was one thing for him to be a junior brother, but seeing his junior brother's son, who wasn't even of the same generation as him, absorbing martial arts knowledge at such an alarming speed after entering the sect, almost endlessly like a sponge absorbing water, Zhu Kuilong was becoming somewhat numb.

But no matter what, Zhang Fulin was, after all, his godson, and he was genuinely happy that his godson was successful.

Year after year passed, and he practiced calmly. At this moment, Zhang Renfeng had no idea what level Zhang Fulin's Wild Goose Skill had reached.

"Well... Wild Goose Skill is a top-tier movement and lightness skill. When it is cultivated to its peak, one should be able to walk on snow without leaving a trace, right?"

Among the many legacies left by Lu Aniu was the Wild Goose Skill, but due to certain subtle psychological feelings, Zhang Renfeng was not very willing to get involved in this martial art.

He was a little afraid that after practicing this martial art, he would be discovered by Zhu Kuilong when they met again.

Although he knew that even if he noticed it, nothing would happen, but... years of experience had taught him that people's hearts are fickle and often cannot withstand testing.

The senior brother had previously expressed almost jealous envy of his own talent. Seeing that the martial arts he had painstakingly practiced his whole life had been mastered by his junior brother, he must have felt even more bitter.

Zhang Fulin also practiced the Wild Goose Kung Fu, but he was a disciple taught by Zhu Kuilong himself. His skill in the practice can also be attributed to the excellent teaching of his master, Zhu Kuilong.

But Zhang Renfeng himself was completely different.

He felt he already owed Zhu Kuilong too much and didn't want to add to his distress. Therefore, when answering Zhang Fulin's question, he could only answer according to his own understanding.

As expected, Zhang Fulin shook his head, "No, no."

"It can't possibly fly, can it?"

Zhang Renfeng said half-jokingly, "Fulin, don't be fooled by the incredible feats of lightness skills described in those martial arts and supernatural novels. They're all just artistic embellishments, all fake. What's with 'walking on bamboo for seven days without falling'? How is that possible? Even if it were true, hanging on bamboo for seven days without falling would just starve to death!"

Zhang Renfeng didn't care about lightness skills; what he practiced was mainly hard skills, like heavy artillery, fierce and unyielding.

Rather than riding on bamboo poles and flying among the fluttering bamboo leaves, clashing sword blades, he preferred to charge forward like a pig, crashing into the bamboo forest and carving a path through it.

Even if we take a step back, he also has the Toad Style Kung Fu, and with the support of internal energy from internal skills such as the Lesser Formless Skill, he can jump hundreds of meters high. What kind of light-body skill can catch up with him?

Before him, only two people had ever used the Wild Goose Skill: Zhu Kuilong and Lu Aniu. Their levels of mastery of this martial art were roughly the same, except that Zhu Kuilong used it as his core fighting style, while Lu Aniu merely regarded it as one of many buffs.

Therefore, he subconsciously believed that this was the pinnacle of this martial art.

……

Zhang Fulin's expression changed slightly, and he stopped speaking, only looking at him with a subtle gaze.

"……No way?"

This was one of the few times Zhang Renfeng had experienced this feeling; he realized once again that the person standing in front of him was his son.

Both are martial arts prodigies.

----

"Sister Qiuyun?"

The wolf saw Qiu Yun sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, fixing her hair, and asked in surprise, "Why don't you go inside?"

"Shh~~~~"

Qiu Yun gestured for her to be quiet, lowered her voice, and said softly with a smile, "It's rare for the father and son to have some time alone, so let's not disturb them."

“Fulin is a very thoughtful child. If I go in, he will be even more hesitant to talk to me once he sees me. He will have to keep an eye on me and his father, so we won’t be able to have a proper conversation. It’s better if I don’t go in.”

Zhu Kuilong's small residence is located in a place with mountains and sea, and the scenery is quite unique.

As the setting sun cast its golden glow upon Qiu Yun, her loose-fitting top and skirt couldn't conceal her slender, full figure. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear, her fingers gently caressing it, conveyed a uniquely maternal tenderness and affection.

Wolf couldn't help but admire Qiu Yun's thoughtfulness, but he didn't know what to talk about, so he kept staring at her fingers.

It was fate, really. Wolf and Qiu Yun had known each other for a long time. Back when Wolf was still Zhang Renfeng's "junior sister," he had just rescued her from human traffickers and had nowhere to stay for a while. So Zhang Renfeng took it upon himself to take her to stay at his home for a few days.

At that time, Qiu Yun had already married into the Zhang family as a concubine, and naturally had seen this blonde, blue-eyed foreign girl.

Later, the wolf moved in with her master and senior sister He, and Qiu Yun never saw her again.

Fate is unpredictable; who could have imagined that things would turn out this way?

……

"Your hair is so messy," Qiu Yun said gently, looking at the little wolf's disheveled hair. "It looks like a little bird's nest."

"Ugh...does it...does it look like it?" The wolf touched his hair, which was indeed a bit messy, and muttered somewhat embarrassedly, "It is a bit messy, I'm not very good at doing this."

"And what about you usually?" Qiu Yun asked with a smile, "Do you also go out with this hairstyle?"

“Usually… Evelyn does my hair,” Wolf said softly. “She didn’t come with me this time. I’ve been at sea for several days, and with no one to take care of it, it’s become a mess.”

"Hmm... I see."

Qiu Yun patted her thigh and took out a delicate wooden comb from her pocket. "Come on, sit on my lap, I'll help you with this."

Chapter 902: Lock

The wooden comb moved gently through her long, shimmering golden hair.

In truth, given a wolf's physique, even using two or three times the strength wouldn't harm her, but Qiu Yun still subconsciously reduced her strength, gently combing her long golden hair. Under her gentle care, the originally messy hair quickly regained its smooth texture.

"How's that young lady doing lately?" Qiu Yun asked as she combed her hair. "She and I are practically colleagues."

"Evelyn? She's alright, just quite busy. She's preparing for a national tour, and there's so much to confirm: dates, venues, shows, cast... She really enjoys being on stage. I've been to see her a few times; she usually seems quite quiet, but she's like a completely different person."

"And what about you?" Qiu Yun finished tidying her long hair, tucked it behind her shoulder, and asked softly, "What do you usually do at home?"