Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

……

Zhang Wusheng's expression turned somewhat surprised.

This was the first time Zhang Renfeng had so directly entrusted him with an important task in front of the public.

The feeling of being affirmed left Zhang Wusheng with mixed emotions; besides excitement, there was also a vague sense of apprehension. This is the typical reaction when someone who has never been highly regarded is suddenly given an important task. Most of his life memories consisted of unpleasant fragments, which made him lack confidence in his abilities.

The less agile right leg began to tremble slightly.

The wolf noticed her son's wavering, her brows furrowing slightly. She turned her head, looking quite worried, and said, "Senior brother, perhaps we should let Wusheng..."

"No, mother!"

Zhang Wusheng's voice suddenly rose an octave higher than usual. With a thud, he tapped the ground heavily with his cane to support himself as he slowly stood up. His face was full of determination. "I will follow Father's orders and stay here to ensure smooth logistics at the front."

He tossed his hand, which was covered in frost, back and forth between his left and right hands, pursed his lips, and said forcefully, "I will manage this city well."

"Wu Sheng..."

The wolf was quite surprised. Over the years, due to his physical condition, his son had always been hesitant to express himself in front of others. He never actively sought anything; if he had something, he had it, and if he didn't, he didn't. This overly sensible personality led him to maintain a distant relationship with everyone.

Until this moment.

He finally had what he wanted to fight for and prove.

----

“Alright, Wusheng.” Zhang Renfeng’s smile vanished in an instant, replaced by the calm yet powerful authority of a leader. “I believe in you.”

"Silver Frost will also stay with you and help protect this city. She's one of our own, so if there's anything you're unsure about, you can consult her for advice."

"The rest of you, those whose names weren't called earlier, go back and pack your bags, and get ready to come with me."

Zhang Renfeng pointed to the capital of the Northern Federation on the map, and a rare, wild smile appeared on his face.

"Let's go to Washington and have some fun with him!"

Chapter 986: I've already thought of a name, how about Imperial Guard?

"Father."

"It's a red-hot furnace."

Zhang Renfeng, who was adjusting his armor, recognized the voice without turning around. "What is it? Do you need something?"

"I……"

Zhang Honglu's gaze shifted slightly, sweeping over Lang, who shared a tent with Zhang Renfeng—her fighting style was completely different from the Zhang family's; she was a swift assassin, aiming for a fatal blow. Therefore, Lang didn't have any heavy armor or weapons to pack. She was simply sitting there, eyes closed, resting, quietly waiting to depart.

Feeling Zhang Honglu's fleeting gaze, Lang opened his eyes, stood up abruptly, and said with a smile, "Senior brother, you chat with Honglu, I'll go check on Wusheng."

“…Okay.” After a brief silence, Zhang Renfeng nodded.

No one was around.

The quiet inside the tent contrasted sharply with the somewhat noisy voices outside.

“Actually, there’s no need for that.” Zhang Renfeng glanced at him. “We’re all family, there’s nothing we can’t talk about.”

“I’ve been thinking about these words on my own for a long time.” Zhang Honglu’s words were very tactful, yet they were also barbed, expressing his meaning: “These are just some random thoughts, and they are still very immature. I think... there’s no need to let too many people hear them, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble.”

Zhang Renfeng deeply felt that although his youngest son's thoughts were not particularly profound, he always liked to do things in a roundabout way, trying to figure out what others, especially his own, were thinking.

What surprised Zhang Renfeng even more was that Zhang Honglu didn't just focus his attention on himself. He had investigated and found that Zhang Honglu's personality seemed to differ depending on who he was dealing with.

In short, he was adaptable, "singing the song that suits the mountain he was on," which earned him much praise. Many people praised Zhang Honglu in front of him, saying that he was a promising young man who could distinguish right from wrong and was a rare talent.

No one taught him these skills; he learned them all through exposure and observation in high-level social circles. He gradually developed these social skills through experience and practice.

Sometimes, Zhang Renfeng couldn't help but lament to Evelyn that he was naturally not very good at navigating the complexities of officialdom and social interactions. He never imagined that the next generation would produce someone like Zhang Honglu, who so accurately grasped these social dynamics; fate certainly had its own way of arranging things.

However, there are occasional times...

He would think that Zhang Honglu was too worldly-wise.

……

"Go ahead."

"Father..." Zhang Honglu hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked very nervous. It seemed that what he was about to say was something extremely explosive, "What exactly are the more than thirty martial arts techniques you mentioned before?"

"What, do you want to learn?" Zhang Renfeng patted his head and laughed, "You have to take things one step at a time. Your foundation with Green Wine isn't solid enough yet. Let's practice the two parts of the Nine Yin Manual until we're proficient before we talk about anything else."

As parents, we always want our children to learn the best, which is perfectly understandable.

Zhang Renfeng was human, and naturally no exception. He didn't have his brothers, Zhang Lüjiu and Zhang Honglu, start with the relatively basic Qi-Hard Skill like he did. Instead, he immediately introduced them to the extremely difficult Nine Yin Manual. This was a lesson he learned after his earth-shattering battle with Lu Aniu: Lu Aniu's first martial art was the Nine Yin Manual, and the resulting boost to his combat power was simply too exaggerated. If it weren't for his special physique, he probably would have been defeated long ago.

The Nine Yin Manual is not just a martial art, but a complete system, including internal energy, external energy, and mental techniques. It has everything you need, with almost no blind spots.

This is why Zhang Lvjiu and Zhang Honglu possess such terrifying combat power at such a young age. The starting point for these brothers was the "General Principles of Martial Arts Under Heaven," which countless people fought tooth and nail for, yet still had no chance to even meet.

"That's not what I meant. I meant, besides the Nine Yin Manual, there are many other martial arts techniques, right?"

"For example, the [Rama Kung Fu], the [Wild Goose Kung Fu], the [Qi Hard Kung Fu], the [Toad Kung Fu], the [Northern Darkness Mysterious Kung Fu], the [Divine Illumination Kung Fu], the [Mysterious Darkness Divine Palm]..."

"Something like the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill?"

……

"Yes, there are, and more than that, over thirty kinds." Zhang Renfeng squinted. "So, what exactly do you mean?"

“Previously, we were attacked in White Torch City. The explosion at the racetrack caused nearly a hundred deaths, as well as Mr. Mike… After careful consideration, I think that what happened was more or less related to our insufficient defenses.”

Zhang Honglu said in a deep voice, "So, Father, is it possible... to select one from these thirty-odd martial arts techniques, at our discretion..."

"You want me to teach the Prajna Skill to others?" Zhang Renfeng quickly guessed what he was thinking.

“The core skills must be kept in the hands of our own family.” Zhang Honglu raised his head slightly, and a fierce light flashed in his pupils, which were somewhat similar to his own. “However, skills like Prajna Kung Fu, which require time to hone… can be given away.”

"The Prajna Skill has thirteen levels in total. My father also said that it is a 'milling skill' (Zhang Renfeng's original words were 'water milling skill,' but Zhang Honglu had never seen a water mill). The advantage is that anyone can practice it. Even if you don't have talent, as long as you have the right method, you can still master it. However, it takes a lot of time. You may only be able to reach the third or fourth level in your entire life."

"The level of Prajna skill at the third or fourth level is still not a great threat to us."

"However, if we look at it from the perspective of ordinary people, the improvement in combat power is already very obvious. Although they can't fly or teleport, their strength has far exceeded that of ordinary people. The weight they can carry on the battlefield will also exceed the current level."

"Imagine, Father. What if there were a hundred people like that? A thousand? Or even ten thousand?"

"They can form their own squadrons of ten thousand soldiers with superhuman mobility, strength, speed, jumping ability, and reflexes. Combined with modern firearms, how terrifying and dreadful would such an army be on the battlefield?"

"They won't just follow behind us like the Ramorn Raiders, cleaning up the mess we make. On the contrary, these super soldiers can truly fight alongside us in battle!"

"I've already thought of a name: the Imperial Guard. What do you think?"

Zhang Honglu said with great interest, "Like all the emperor's imperial guards, this army will be absolutely loyal to you, your family, and your group. With them, we will become even more invincible on the battlefield!"

"How about it, isn't it a good idea?"

----

……

Zhang Renfeng fell silent.

He could almost see the distant city ablaze, the flames reflected in the dark night sky, and the screams of people echoing above the skyscrapers.

Ten thousand heavily armored soldiers, armed and burly, marched expressionlessly into the city, their synchronized and powerful steps crushing everything in their path.

Chapter 987: Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!

“You’re very clever, Honglu.” Zhang Renfeng looked at him with a complicated expression and sighed. “Unfortunately, like all clever people, you have a common flaw: you always think that you’re the first person in the world to come up with these ‘good ideas’.”

Zhang Honglu was taken aback.

"I think I've mentioned 'Lu Aniu' to you before, haven't I?"

“I know…” Zhang Honglu muttered.

The story of Lu Aniu was a frequent topic of conversation for their family. After all, the Battle of Oak City was similar to Zhang Renfeng's "founding war." It was he who first crushed the Illuminati's highest military guarantee from the front, which allowed the Grail Party to carry out a series of subsequent operations, ultimately enabling the Tripartite Group to successfully bring all sixteen southern states under its control.

Whenever Lu Aniu was mentioned, Zhang Renfeng's tone was always more respectful, which Zhang Honglu found very puzzling.

Why does my father respect this rootless man so much, when they should be enemies, even mortal enemies?

He and his three elder brothers were born in an era when Zhang Renfeng had already mastered martial arts and was nearly invincible.

Therefore, it's impossible to imagine what the significance of "defeating Zhang Renfeng head-on" is.

“Fourteen years ago, no… it should be even earlier, Lu Aniu also took in many godchildren and taught them Prajna Kung Fu. Just as you said, most of these people were ordinary people, and they would stop after practicing to the third or fourth level. The most powerful person I have ever seen was called ‘Tonghua’, who practiced to the ninth level of Prajna Kung Fu.”

"However, the existence of these people only allowed the evil tentacles of the Illuminati to extend further into more distant places, nothing more."

“But, Father!” Zhang Honglu protested, “we and the Illuminati…”

“As you said, if we really create such a super army, let’s say there are 10,000 of them,” Zhang Renfeng continued. “On the battlefield, they will surely make great contributions, and becoming the new elites of war will be just around the corner.”

“That…that’s natural…in fact, isn’t this exactly what we wanted to achieve in the first place?” Zhang Honglu said, somewhat taken aback.

"So, after the war ends, what will happen to these super soldiers created specifically for the war effort?"

Zhang Renfeng asked calmly, "They have enough glorious achievements to be proud of, strength far exceeding that of ordinary people, and after practicing martial arts, they have boundless energy, tireless vitality, and bodies with nowhere to expend it..."

"Have you ever thought about how unstable a time bomb these factors combined could be?"

“This…this…” Zhang Honglu hadn’t thought that far ahead, so he couldn’t answer for a moment. He just said, “We…we can supervise them.”

"Who will supervise them?" Zhang Renfeng continued to ask rhetorically. "Do ordinary people, who are in an absolutely weak position in terms of power and status, really have the courage to manage these 10,000 killing machines?"

"Even I don't have ten thousand eyes to keep an eye on all of them."

"Power corrupts people... Remember this, Furnace! Power corrupts people! It applies to everyone! The saying 'He who possesses a sharp weapon will naturally have the will to kill' applies here. The existence of Prajna Kung Fu will mold those people into weapons capable of killing!"

Zhang Renfeng spoke in a very serious tone, almost word by word, "When such a large group simultaneously acquires the 'power' to easily kill and the 'authority' of a war nouveau riche, it will inevitably change quietly in places we cannot see!"

"You say they are absolutely loyal to me? Let me tell you, Red Furnace, nothing is 'absolute'. People's hearts are like water, unfathomable."

"But once this group of people becomes corrupt, the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill will amplify the evil they have committed many times over! In the end, it will become uncontrollable!"

……

Zhang Renfeng was not exaggerating; similar things have happened many times in history.

During the wars at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Huai-Xi clique helped Zhu Yuanzhang ascend the throne of the Ming Dynasty.

However, after the war, these former heroes quickly transformed from peasants into large landowners across the country. They all possessed their own private armies, adopted sons, maintained a large number of servants, and had close ties with officers of the local garrisons.

Ultimately, this deeply entrenched group aroused the emperor's suspicion and, under repeated attacks, completely disintegrated.

“I disagree with the idea of ​​forming the Imperial Guard, and it’s not possible for the time being.” Zhang Renfeng shook his head, displaying the authority of a leader and vetoing the idea. “However, thank you for your suggestion, Honglu.”

"It's getting late. Don't overthink it. Get ready and let's set off with Green Wine."

----

……

"Father, there is one more thing I would like to ask for your opinion on."

As he stood up, Zhang Honglu spoke again, "I've thought about what you just said, and I think it makes a lot of sense. I hadn't considered things thoroughly enough. As for the Imperial Guard, let's pretend I never said anything... What I want to ask is something else."

"Following my father's orders, we are to start from Pennsylvania, travel through the Buckeye and Indiana states, reach the Prairie State, and then storm into Chicago."

"Along the way, we will inevitably encounter cities that resist. Chicago is a very important place for the Union. Once they realize our intentions, their resistance will certainly become very fierce. Therefore, I would like to ask Father..."

"Giving us the authority to 'act expediently' allows my brother and me to act freely without any constraints. It also allows this army of about two thousand men to defeat the enemy and achieve our strategic objectives with the utmost flexibility!"

At this point, Zhang Honglu finally raised his head and looked directly into Zhang Renfeng's eyes.

Zhang Renfeng finally realized that all of this was part of his negotiation strategy: first, he would present an issue that was highly likely to be rejected, making Zhang Renfeng reject him outright, and then he would reveal his true objective. Zhang Renfeng would then be able to agree to his second proposal in order to make up for the initial rejection.

For a fourteen-year-old child to possess such profound cunning... left Zhang Renfeng, as the father, speechless.

The only thing to be thankful for is that he is her son.

……

"Should we go with the flow?" Zhang Renfeng asked.

“Let’s do it as it comes.” Zhang Honglu nodded and said in a deep voice, “Lvjiu is a kind and generous man who shows mercy and forgiveness to the enemy. However, in the current life-or-death battlefield between the North and South, I think… doing this is not reasonable. Someone needs to lend him a hand.”

"specifically is?"

"Kill," Zhang Honglu said coldly. "Those who refuse to surrender, kill; those who aid the enemy, kill; those who collude with the enemy, kill; those who know but fail to report, kill!"

"Act first, report later. This is a special military authority. Any factor that is detrimental to our army will be dealt with at the highest level, and everyone will be killed."