Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

He was simply saying that everything he was doing to this girl would soon come back to him, without exception.

"I...I understand. We can talk it over, we can talk it over!" Simon swallowed hard and said in a deep voice, "I'll...come out of the cave now. Calm down."

Simon, who had already become docile, still held Angelona hostage with a dagger as they walked out of the cave.

Even this notoriously ruthless and cold-blooded bandit leader paled at the sight outside the cave, gasping in shock. Before him lay a scene of dismembered limbs and blood, the stains of which, despite being washed by the heavy rain, had not faded. Some members were even cleaved into pieces, their bodies hanging from trees and stuck to rocks, scattered everywhere.

These broken and incomplete faces, just an hour ago, were warming themselves around the same campfire with me, and now they've become like this.

Anyone with a mortal body would be terrified upon witnessing this scene.

If there is a hell on earth, it is no more than this.

……

Zhang Honglu, holding a heavy axe, stood silently in the pouring rain, staring at him without making any attempt to conceal his presence. The scattered corpses around him only served to accentuate his presence, making him appear like a god or demon descended to earth, his body enveloped in a thick aura of blood.

So young?!

Simon was utterly horrified, but no matter how unwilling he was to believe it, the fact remained that he had single-handedly crushed the Howling Wolf Gang.

“This…sir? Perhaps you have some other title, but anyway…I’ll be frank, I don’t want to die.”

In his extreme nervousness, his opening remarks were somewhat incoherent: "There's some money in the cave, around thirty or forty thousand US dollars, all in cash. If you don't mind, you can take it."

"There are also several boxes of bullets from [Harganda Research and Development Company] inside, all from White Torch City, the latest production! Originally... they were going to be traded, but now they're all yours. If you have connections in the arms trade, you can sell them and make a fortune. If not, you can keep them for yourself; I guarantee they're all top-quality stuff!"

"I'll give you all of this, it's all yours. Just pretend tonight never happened. I only beg you to spare my life."

Zhang Honglu turned his head slightly and looked at him expressionlessly. His black pupils were unfathomable, as if they were floating and surging in the deep sea.

"Kill you……"

"Aren't they all mine?"

……

The destructive power of that glance, set against the backdrop of corpses strewn across the ground, became even more horrifying, almost reaching the level of "killing with a single look." Simon shuddered, his lips trembling, and said in a low voice, "To...to prevent this worst-case scenario from happening..."

"I won't return this girl to you for now. I'll only let her go when... I've gone far enough away. That's my bottom line. I'm not lying to you. I don't want anything right now, I just want to keep my life, that's all!"

Even though he was holding a knife.

Even though he had hostages.

But... Simon's attitude at this moment didn't seem like a kidnapper making demands; it was more like he was begging, almost to the point of kneeling and kowtowing. On the contrary, Zhang Honglu, standing opposite him, held a giant axe, his face calm, as if he were the one who actually had a hostage.

The most terrifying thing is that, indeed, he held his own life in his hands.

"Answer me a question."

"Boom!"

Zhang Honglu slammed his giant axe down heavily, the handle sinking more than three feet into the ground, standing firmly there like a landmark.

"You...you can ask." Simon saw a glimmer of hope, and his heart suddenly jumped, as if it would jump out of his throat.

"You just said that these weapons were stolen from White Torch City, from [Harganda Research and Development Company]... Is that right?" Zhang Honglu's tone was as cold as a knife. "How could a small gang like yours have the guts to get involved in this kind of head-on business?"

"I, we didn't touch it, we were just... just responsible for transporting the goods! We're just cowards, we received the goods from our superiors, the plan was to send these weapons out through the freight system at the Londonderry shopping center... that's... that's all, we know nothing else."

……

Zhang Honglu didn't say a word, just stared straight at him, making him feel uneasy.

"You...you shouldn't force me...what does this have to do with you?"

Simon gritted his teeth. He could only hold the dagger to the nearly unconscious girl again as a threat, angrily demanding, "What good does knowing all this do you?!"

----

“I am Zhang Honglu, the son of [Fa Cai],” Zhang Honglu replied calmly. “Is that reason enough?”

……

……

……

Simon's expression changed several times, from shock and horror to despair, all of which came together to make him look incredibly distorted.

In utter despair, he immediately gave up resisting, pulled out a gun from his waist, and pressed it against his temple.

Upon hearing the name Zhang Honglu, he knew that his best fate tonight would be a swift death!

"Thump—!!"

Zhang Honglu kicked the giant axe, which stood as immovable as a small mountain, yet it moved sideways, precisely grazing Simon and severing his arm from which he was holding a gun.

His screams, mingled with the gushing blood, finally brought to a close this farce of the night.

Chapter 918: Wait, buddy, how old are you anyway?

"Don't move, it'll be over soon..."

Zhang Honglu lifted the girl's hair, examined her carefully, then pried open her eyes to look at her eyeballs. Finally, he confirmed that she was alright and breathed a sigh of relief.

He casually took off his rain- and blood-soaked outer garment, tossed it aside, then grabbed the cuff of his inner shirt and ripped it into strips with a sharp tear. He first wiped the blood from the girl's forehead, then took out his family's heirloom ointment and applied it to the wound.

Fortunately, aside from the blow at the Red Bird Tavern, Angelona wasn't seriously injured. The blow wasn't severe either, but the experience had left the girl terrified, her expression somewhat dazed. Only now did she begin to process what had happened, and her gaze towards him became complicated.

Should have thought of it earlier.

His speech, behavior, and knowledge—in what way do they resemble those of a child from an ordinary family? Furthermore, why would a child from an ordinary family be out running around the world at the age of 14, acting as an adventurer?

"So, all of this..." she asked softly, "was it all arranged?"

"you are not."

After applying the ointment, Zhang Honglu tore off a strip of cloth and used it to bandage her up, revealing a gentle and tender smile.

It's hard to imagine that he and the person who just went on a killing spree outside are the same person.

"Actually, we're both investigating the same thing. You lost money, and we lost something here... Ah, you should know that, right?"

"The so-called Hargunda Armed Company has its location and factory in White Torch City. Although it does not use the name of the Sanyuan Group, it is actually a member of this huge group, mainly responsible for the testing, development and production of new weapons."

“More than a month ago, during an internal self-inspection, we discovered that some new gadgets had actually flowed out of Baiju City.”

"After killing a few people, we pulled out a series of names. I was ordered to 'make a fortune' and followed the trail all the way, eventually pinpointing the clues to Windblown Sands. This city has one of the largest shopping malls in New Elizabeth, and even in the entire South, with frequent goods coming and going, and the records are incredibly complex."

“These arms smugglers have been identified, and the New Orleans freight system has been thoroughly investigated and is definitely unusable. They will definitely come to Windblown Sands—the freight routes here go directly to some cities in the north. As long as they can successfully hide the arms, they can travel unimpeded.”

"However, I really didn't expect that the north would also send people to investigate this case."

At this point, Zhang Honglu reached out again and gently brushed away the girl's rain-soaked hair that clung to her forehead, saying softly, "However, these past few days with you have been truly enjoyable."

……

The girl seemed not to have heard a word of what had just been said; her body remained tense, still gripped by the fear of impending death. This gentle "hair-flipping" gesture acted like a switch, and once pressed, Angelona's body finally realized that this undeserved calamity was truly over, and she wouldn't have to die tonight.

After relaxing, fear, fatigue, pain, and despair surged up all at once, throwing her into a panic. She buried her face in the arms of the boy, who was four years younger than her, and burst into tears. Zhang Honglu, with his experience, used his strong arms to hold the girl's waist and gently patted her back.

In this situation, Zhang Honglu didn't utter a single word, further demonstrating his experience: when faced with someone filled with fear and exhaustion, words of comfort are of little use. In such a state, people are irrational; they won't listen to anything you say.

On the contrary, direct physical touch, intimate physical contact, steady breathing, heartbeat... these things are more useful than words. Zhang Honglu savored the smooth, warm touch of the girl's body, as soft as jade, and let her bury her head in his arms, crying uncontrollably.

……

Tears used to vent emotions are like a fleeting spark, quick to come and quick to go. Furthermore, Zhang Honglu deliberately remained silent, allowing her to vent completely, and Angelona's sobs gradually subsided, leaving only the patter of rain.

But she remained leaning against the boy, sobbing softly, unwilling to part.

"……sorry……"

"Ok?"

"Yes...I'm sorry..."

Angelona murmured something, then looked up, her eyes slightly swollen from crying. Her chubby cheeks had regained some color, and her voice was full of remorse. "Just now… they grabbed my face and asked what I knew. I… I had no choice, so I told them everything that had happened these past few days, and… and about us checking the accounts together…"

To the girl at this moment, Zhang Honglu was the one who personally rescued her from this hell of despair, a kindness akin to a second life, no different from that of a god.

In addition, during their time together in the wind and sand over the past few days, she had already developed a certain fondness for this succubus-like boy. These two factors combined meant that her apology at this moment was less of a genuine apology and more of an attempt to gain a little sense of security in this desolate and unforgiving place, in a manner bordering on coquetry.

Although Zhang Honglu was four years younger than her, he was more mature psychologically. Seeing this, he hugged the girl tighter, gently patting her back and reassuring her, "It's okay, it's okay, it's alright now."

"Besides us, no one else will leave here alive tonight."

"……But……"

“Actually, there’s something I’m sorry to say to you.” Zhang Honglu interrupted her in a gentle and calm tone, “I noticed it when they kidnapped you, but I couldn’t save you at that time.”

“I used you as bait to follow you all the way here, and finally found the Howling Wolf Gang’s camp… From this perspective, I also used you.”

His words were illogical; he was using a long line to reel in a bigger fish. Imagine if he had acted at the Red Bird Tavern; the girl wouldn't have suffered so much, but that lead would have been severed, solving nothing.

But now, to appease the girl, logic is unimportant; emotion is more important. Since the girl feels that she betrayed him and "sorry" to him, Zhang Honglu also fabricates a reason for him to be sorry to her.

Sure enough, after hearing these words, the girl raised her head slightly, and a touch of tenderness welled up in her tearful eyes.

"Look, this way..."

With just a few words, Zhang Honglu calmed the girl down. He smiled calmly, reached out, and gently pinched her soft, smooth cheek, saying, "We're even now."

Chapter 919: Who is Igorinasio?

After calming down, Angelona naturally realized that she had been snuggling in his arms for a long time, and was even acting like a little girl, rubbing against a boy younger than herself. This feeling made her both shy and sweet.

However, the flush on her cheeks did give her a bit more color, and she no longer looked so thin.

Sensing her thoughts, Zhang Honglu also released his arms at the right time, no longer pressing close to her.

After getting up, he was surprisingly calm, as if nothing had happened. He stood up and began to survey the cave, quickly finding the pile of weapons hidden in a corner. To prevent them from getting damp, a layer of burlap was laid on the ground, covered with several blankets. The Howling Wolf Gang certainly didn't dare to be negligent in this big deal.

Lifting the blanket, several locked wooden crates were neatly arranged there.

"Bang!"

Zhang Honglu grabbed the lock, seemingly without much force, and with a gentle pull, ripped it off the box and tossed it aside.

“…So you had this skill all along.” Angelona couldn’t help but mutter, “That night, you even squatted there and pried at it with a lock pick for a long time, making me so nervous.”

“That’s Chuck’s territory after all. It’s one thing to make a fuss, but to actually break the lock would be going too far.”

While inspecting the contents of the box, Zhang Honglu explained, "Actually, you guessed right. He does have some connection with the Sanyuan Group, which seems to have happened before I was born. In short, he provided a lot of help to my father in the early stages of his business, which was like sending charcoal in snowy weather."

“My father is a grateful man. After he made a name for himself, he repaid those who helped him in a great way. Chuck was one of them. He’s a pretty good guy. If you cause a little trouble on his turf… he won’t mind too much.”

Hearing this story, Angelona couldn't help but sigh. Life is so unpredictable; everyone's script is unpredictable. A single "investment" made at the right time and place can bring about today's wealth and status, making her a person above thousands in this city.

"As expected, the boxes are filled with the latest weapons, mainly bullets. After all, Hargunda Armed Company's main products are bullets with different functions." Zhang Honglu picked up a gleaming bullet with his fingers, examining it closely under the light. He recognized its model and his expression hardened. "It is indeed the latest 'high-speed, high-explosive bullet.' When it hits a person, it will release enormous energy instantly, blowing the body apart."

“The consequences of such a dangerous substance entering the market would be unimaginable… Ah, here it is, the money is right here.”

"Is this the money you want to investigate?"

Angelona also came closer and saw a stack of US dollars piled up like bricks in one of the opened wooden crates. When it came to money, her expression became serious. She picked up a banknote and rubbed it between her fingertips.

"That's a bit too little. The most you'd get here is tens of thousands of dollars, but... that's normal. For such a big deal, this gang is probably just playing the role of a middleman and can't possibly get too much. For a gang, this amount of money shouldn't be small."

By a twist of fate, she managed to complete her mission, at least figuring out where the funds flowing out of the north had been spent.

A crumpled piece of paper tucked under the banknotes caught her attention.

"what is this?"

She reached out and pulled it out, only to find that the paper contained a complex and somewhat dazzling diagram—a single-story house. For a house diagram, it was excessively detailed; besides the layout, there were numerous annotations in hasty handwriting, detailing the thickness of the walls and floors, the materials of the windows, whether there were hidden doors, and the dimensions of the house, even down to the millimeter.

"what happened?"

"It's nothing. There's a strange blueprint under the banknotes. It was probably just thrown in there. I can't understand it either."

Angelona only had money in her eyes and didn't pay much attention, handing it directly to Zhang Honglu.

----

……

……

……

After receiving the crumpled piece of paper, Zhang Honglu remained silent for a long time.