Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

Koreya could also see that his inner struggle had reached its climax, and she bit her lip. For the first time during the entire treatment, she showed a hint of anxiety.

If he were to take the final step himself, it would be even more decisive and efficient.

but……

She had never witnessed such intense and frantic psychotherapy. Having invested so much energy and carefully navigated to the end, she couldn't bear the thought of anything going wrong. What would be the effect of a hasty intervention?

----

"Snapped!"

one more time.

Yinshuang supported Zhang Wusheng, whose body was somewhat unsteady.

“…Miss Silverfrost”.

"Midday student."

Silver Frost grasped his wrist and stared intently at him with her amber cat-like eyes.

In that instant, Zhang Wusheng felt that the honey-like, captivating, and tear-like amber color was the most beautiful color in the world.

"Your body is already so tired."

"Let your soul... find some relief."

……

……

……

"Ah."

Zhang Wusheng smiled and nodded. "I understand."

Eyes moving.

When she looked at herself in the mirror again, her emerald eyes were no longer filled with emotion.

"...I am a part of you, the worst part of you."

His vertical pupils were no longer angry. As if influenced by his true form, he instantly calmed down and suppressed all his expressions. "Anger, pain, despair, jealousy, murderous intent... I am the crystallization of all the negative emotions you have experienced. You can never erase me."

"forever!"

----

"ah--------!!!"

"Clang-!"

Zhang Wusheng suddenly roared, swung his cicada cane, and slammed it down, instantly covering the huge facade mirror with cracks.

The countless scattering shards of glass reflect countless versions of ourselves.

He saw it with his own eyes...

In the endless reflections, the self in the mirror gradually sheds its human skin and slowly transforms into a crimson dragon.

Chapter 1007: Parting

"Ah... For a moment, I wondered how it would end..." Koreya stretched, looking completely exhausted, and sighed, "Honestly, Mr. Zhang, of all the patients I've encountered, you're one of the most tiring."

Despite this, her face wore a proud and satisfied smile, a smile that reflected the satisfaction of having personally cured the stubborn ailment.

This therapy session officially ended with Zhang Wusheng smashing a mirror with his cane.

The mind is not the body; even if it is truly cured, it's difficult to see any immediate change. Not only are patients unaware of this, but even the doctor themselves may not be clear about it. This is one of the reasons why psychiatrists are not widely recognized by the mainstream: you may spend a lot of time working on it, but it's hard to observe whether it produces any therapeutic effect.

but……

Pushing open the door and hearing the creak of the wooden door, Zhang Wusheng had a unique experience as the outside scenery rushed into his view.

Street scene.

crowd.

sky.

sound.

Things that would have been filtered out as background noise before can now reach his ears and linger for a while. He can't quite describe the feeling; materially, he is still himself, he hasn't lost anything, but his mood is inexplicably lighter.

After her treatment ended, Correa packed her things, just as she had said before, and prepared to leave the city. Since the train station was temporarily requisitioned and impassable, she had no choice but to take a stagecoach to the nearest city and then transfer to a train.

She originally planned to go to New York State to temporarily avoid the risks of war, but changed her mind after Zhang Wusheng strongly persuaded her.

New York State, being very close to Washington, D.C., occupies a central position in many areas of American politics, economy, and culture. Many institutions and individuals capable of influencing America are based there.

In other words, if Father and his forces were to storm Washington, the most likely destination for the remaining opposition to flee would be New York State. New York City, New York, would likely become a second Washington, and consequently, Father's next target.

Staying there would inevitably lead to being caught up in the war sooner or later.

The states bordering Pennsylvania (Hippocampus) and neighboring Indiana also have armies with green wine and red furnaces, presumably already engulfed in war. Considering personal safety, this is also a no-go.

Zhang Wusheng suggested that she walk along the edge of Lake Erie, across the Buckeye State, and temporarily escape to the Great Lakes State.

That's the northernmost part of America, geographically located at almost the opposite extreme from New Austin.

Further north lies Canada, known as the "Maple Leaf Country".

“Wait a moment, Miss Correa.” The stagecoach can already be seen. Zhang Wusheng took out a stack of US dollars from his satchel. “Here’s $500. Keep it for now. We don’t know how far it is from here to other cities. Let’s choose a better carriage.”

"This...this is..." Koreya looked a little embarrassed. "I've already asked you for the travel expenses, so I'll have to pay for this myself."

“Yes, that’s what I meant. We’ve already paid for the travel expenses, so this little bit of money is just a small bonus.” Zhang Wusheng smiled nonchalantly and insisted on pushing the money back to her. “Take it. Your help to me is beyond measure.”

Although before the treatment began, in order to reassure him, Correa had made it clear that she was only after his money.

But... when she actually received a large amount of financial assistance from Zhang Wusheng, she felt somewhat uneasy.

Because she insisted that this treatment was to repay Zhang Renfeng for saving her life, she would not accept any payment. So Zhang Wusheng changed his approach and covered all her expenses for the trip to Dahuzhou, including train tickets, hotel accommodations, and meals along the way.

While ostensibly intended to cover her travel expenses, the figure of nearly ten thousand actually far exceeded the cost of food and lodging. To Koreya, who was accustomed to poverty, this was undoubtedly a staggering sum.

That being said, it wouldn't be very safe for a lady to carry a large sum of ten thousand US dollars on her person. With this in mind, Zhang Wusheng gave her the ten thousand dollars in the form of bearer bonds. This way, she could keep it close to her and avoid being targeted by thieves.

Once you get to a big city, all you need to do is find a bank and withdraw your wealth.

The $500 in cash was for miscellaneous expenses on the road.

----

"There's no need to deliberately maintain anything, just keep a normal mindset," Correa advised. "As long as your mental state gradually stabilizes, the symptoms of auditory and visual hallucinations should lessen."

"After all that effort, it's only weakened," Silver Frost sighed.

“Such long-standing habits are hard to eradicate completely with just one treatment.” Koreya chuckled, shook her head, and explained softly, “If I could do that, I would be a god who can manipulate people’s hearts.”

"However, as long as you remain calm and avoid being overwhelmed by strong emotions..."

"After a period of time, things should return to normal."

She winked at Zhang Wusheng and smiled, "If you get better, remember to write to me."

Leaving her final medical instructions, Correa boarded the carriage and waved goodbye to everyone in the glow of the setting sun.

The creaking sound of the wheels turning.

Having grown accustomed to the bustling city traffic, the horse-drawn carriages at the post station seemed particularly slow to Zhang Wusheng.

As he watched it gradually fade from view and disappear, Zhang Wusheng finally realized that this was one of the few times he had "said goodbye" to another familiar person.

During his time in White Torch City, his social circle was narrow and stable, with no one worth saying goodbye to. He hadn't understood before why so many people were saddened, even to the point of tears, when these were people he knew was leaving, and now that they were truly gone, everything was going according to plan.

Now, he understands.

People are just fleeting figures in our lives; perhaps this parting will be the last chance to see them again.

It wouldn't be accurate to call it sadness, but rather a lingering melancholy that made him feel uneasy.

"They've left..."

Despite his young age, Lucas sighed with surprising maturity, then a smile appeared on his face. "Well then, I should go back now."

"If there's any more big news after this, please let me handle it."

"I'm so sorry for making such a mess of your house..." Zhang Wusheng said with some guilt, "There was broken glass everywhere."

"It's alright, you already paid me the rent."

Lucas waved his hand magnanimously and said with a smile, "It's my honor to be able to help you in any way."

"It's a promise, right? Come visit the South after the war is over." A faint smile unconsciously appeared on Zhang Wusheng's face. "I'll treat you well."

"OK~~~ I'll write to you!"

Lucas waved to him, seemingly without a trace of fatigue, and ran off.

Lucas, who became a newspaper reporter, is twelve years old this year.

Looking at his back, Zhang Wusheng finally realized that he was only two years older than him.

----

"Miss Silverfrost, may I ask you a favor?"

Zhang Wusheng turned his gaze to the bustling city not far away and murmured, "If only I could remember what happened today..."

"Don't tell anyone."

"Including your parents?" Silverfrost asked.

“…Especially my parents,” Zhang Wusheng said with a wry smile. “Is that alright?”

Everyone has secrets they don't want others to know, secrets hidden deep in their hearts, wrapped in layers of cocoon.

So-called psychotherapy is about tearing away this thick cocoon layer by layer, taking out the darkest, most shameful parts of your heart, and exposing them to the sunlight. No one wants their deepest, most somber thoughts to be known by those closest to them.

Silverfrost understood and nodded.

"Don't worry, Wusheng." She smiled and patted his shoulder. "I'll keep your secret."

"..."

She didn't notice the complex emotions flowing in Zhang Wusheng's emerald eyes.

Chapter 1008: A New Life

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

……

Strange gunshots rang out from the camp, catching Silverfrost's attention. If it were a well-trained Raider of Ramorn, there shouldn't be such a strange pause when firing.

Their daily training is based on actual battlefield conditions, allowing them to fire all their bullets in a very short time. Yin Shuang immediately dismounted and followed the sound of gunfire to the makeshift shooting range.

The scene before her eyes truly surprised her.

Zhang Wusheng, who had almost never handled a weapon since birth, was holding a brand-new slide pistol. Beside him, serving as the shooting instructor, was Beretta, a well-known veteran among the more than 500 soldiers, whose seniority meant he had been active since the Civil War.

Yinshuang's eyesight is different from that of ordinary people. By squinting slightly, she can see targets tens of meters away. Zhang Wusheng's round of shooting just now did not hit the center, but at least the vast majority of bullets hit the target.

She waved to the soldiers standing by the firing range.

"Lady Silverfrost." The soldier hurried over and stood at attention in front of her.

"When did the commander begin practicing shooting?"

"It was this morning, not long after you left," the soldier reported truthfully. "These past few days, the commander has been personally inspecting our daily training. This morning, he suddenly suggested that we conduct some basic weapons shooting training."

"After discussion, the officers decided to appoint veteran Beretta as his instructor."

Yinshuang watched Zhang Wusheng fiddling with firearms at the shooting range, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. She asked, "Have you been practicing all this time?"

"No, that's not it. Beretta first gave him a theoretical lesson, including the structure and development of firearms, how to reload, how to disassemble them... These are basic courses that new recruits should take when they enlist. The commander knew nothing about these things, so we had to start from scratch."

That's natural. After all, in his previous life, he never thought he would point a gun at someone else—Silver Frost thought to himself.