Chapter 620
Fate
In the vast expanse of the Gobi, a group of people was riding on their horses. Having been wandering in the wild for a week, everyone looked exhausted and worn out. However, they were getting closer and closer to their final destination, Ghulja.
However, when they arrived at their destination, they found that Ghulja had already been engulfed by flames, leaving behind only a ground filled with burnt bodies.
Matthew got off his horse, stood in the middle of the town, and looked up. There were broken houses everywhere, and no living creatures could be found.
âI told you that they all died in the fire.â
Zhang Heng would have definitely recognized the one who just spoke. The bailiff named Morton that he encountered by chance on the first night he entered this world. However, he didnât look like he was in a perfect state. His eyes were bruised, the bridge of his nose was broken, and at least four or five teeth were missing from his mouth. He was tied on a horse, and he wasnât talking properly since his teeth were missing.
âI donât believe your tale about the mysterious Oriental gunman⊠Iâve lived in Lincoln County for so long, and I have never seen such a person,â Matthew frowned.
âAs I said, if it werenât for that night, I wouldnât have believed that such a strange person lived in this world. He is like a mysterious ghost. No one knows where he comes from. I followed the direction he came from and asked the nearby towns, and no one had ever seen such a person! He seemed to have suddenly materialized in the Gobi. He killed seven good shooters in the bar and carried forty kilograms of gold and the thing you were looking for. When I met him, I did hear him say that he was going to Lincoln County.â
âThen letâs go to Lincoln County,â said the hunched old man.
âNo, I wonât go to Lincoln County with you.â Matthew shook his head. âI know what you are trying to do here. Cook, you deliberately revealed my name to Blissâ folk when you kidnapped this man over here,â Matthew pointed at Morton on horseback, âUsing this method to get me stuck with Cookâs Gang?â
âYou are a Cook Gang member and one of its founders,â the old hunchback casually said.
âNo, I have nothing to do with your gang, and Lucky Horseshoes has nothing to do with Cookâs gang either,â Matthew said. âAre you putting up an act right now, Cook? You and this guy named Morton? You both are ganging up to make me stay in Cook Gang. You went through so much trouble just to trick me into going to Lincoln County with you.â
âYou think too highly of me, boy,â the old hunchback muttered. He then took out a box of chewing tobacco, âI am not from the United Pacific Railway Company. Hence, the bailiff here will not serve me. While traveling, Iâve been thinking about getting you to go to Lincoln County with me. However, it seems that the problem has been resolved. itâs all probably fate.â
âI donât believe in shitty fate,â Matthew responded.
âI didnât believe it before as well. But if it were not for fate, we would all be sitting together in your house now. You will be holding your son, and I will be holding my granddaughter. We would be drinking cold beer and having a laugh over daily life. And Mary⊠Mary would be preparing dinner in the kitchen.â
Cook paused, âBut you are right. Fate doesnât exist. This is a dog-eat-dog world. I do not regret establishing the Cook Gang; I only regret that I did not do it earlier. I allowed myself to be blinded by the happy life that I once had. Just like you now. The cruel reality will wake us up one day. I heard that you married another woman in Lincoln County, and she gave birth to a daughter.â
âThis is between us. Donât involve them,â Matthew warned.
The old hunchback smiled. âIt is not me you should be worrying about, but the fate you spoke of. Arenât you afraid that what happened to Mary will happen to them again?â Matthew fell into silence upon hearing this.
âLook how fragile your so-called happiness is. There are too many powerful people in this world, like the directors of the United Pacific Railroad. You are just an ant under their feet, Matthew. You donât know when the world will crumble upon you. Know where I went after the three of us were separated?â
âWhere?â
âI took the train to the east coast.â
âThen why come back?â
âWhat, did you really think I headed to New York to enjoy my retirement?â The hunched old man laughed. âNo, I will carry out my revenge to the end. I am going to kill United Pacific Railroadâs director. I have come up with a plan for myself if I get caught. Since Mary is no longer in this world, I donât want to live anymore⊠Things have gone smoother than I thought. I slipped into the targetâs house without much effort. Those from the East Coast are different from us.
Their alertness is almost nonexistent. Before I kill him, I even had the opportunity to indulge his wife before him. And then I noticed the way he looked at me, so frightened and helpless, like a puppy in the rain. At that moment, I suddenly realized that I had become his fate.â âWhat are you trying to say here? âMatthew frowned.
âMy point is that if you wish to get rid of this tragic fate of infinite loops, you have to become fate itself,â Cook said. âJoin us, Matthew, stop being a fateâs pawn. We have forty fearless men with us. With their excellent marksmanship, the entire west is our hunting ground.
âSince you already have more than forty allies, why do you want me to join your gang?â âBecause we are related, Matthew. I have always treated you as my son. Your bloodline makes you less popular in town. I took you in and taught you how to use a gun, ride a horse, and let you marry my daughter. You were like me when I was young. Join us, and I will continue to guide you.â
âGuide me to? To hell with you?â
âThis ending is not too bad. If we work together, we can kill the devil even if we tumble in the depths of hell.â
The old hunchback looked with anticipation at Matthew.
Then the latter shook his head. âNo, Cook, I still have a wife and a daughter. I canât be a robber with you. The revenge is over. We killed an entire town. Itâs over. The love I have for Mary is no less than you. Because of this, Iâm pretty sure she doesnât want to see you like this. You just inflict whatever pain you have suffered on others. What different are you from Reuben then?â
âIâm stronger than him. Thatâs why I survived,â the old hunchback replied. âOn this land, only the strong win the right to survive. Unfortunately, Matthew, you are not strong enough. But it doesnât matter. You will be strong enough soon. Come on, son. Let us both welcome a new future together.â
If you find any errors ( Ads popup, ads redirect, broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.