Annesburg is located east of where they are now, upstream of the Kamassa River.

  It has iron mines, a port, and a railroad, making it the largest trading center in the nearby states.

  Stephen had never been there, but he'd heard plenty about it.

  He rode his horse in the lead, with Arthur bringing up the rear with the man. The three of them galloped along a mountain path.

  "Why would your company send you to a place as desolate as this, especially with your family?" Arthur asked the man behind him, curious.

  The man sobbed, "My name is Raphael Anthony. I work for the Cornwall company."

  "I used to work at a trading post in the East, but earlier this year, the company said they found a large deposit of rare minerals in Annesburg, so I was sent to supervise."

  "The pay here was good, and I thought maybe we could settle down here. Who knew..."

  "We got off the boat in Saint Denis and were going to take the train, but we didn't have enough money for the fare, so we had to drive a carriage."

  "Not long after we passed the Van Horn Trading Post, we got targeted."

  "Heh, the West ain't easy," Arthur said, shaking his head. "Every year, there are a lot of fools like you, but most of them don't even survive a few years."

  "When did they catch you?" Stephen asked, slowing his horse and looking at the panicked Raphael.

  "Two days ago...just two days ago."

  "Two days, huh?" Stephen shook his head. If it's been two days, the odds are slim.

  "There's something I have to tell you, Raphael."

  Stephen took a deep breath, then said seriously, "The Murfree Brood are cannibals. I'm not lying to you."

  "So, you'd better brace yourself. That's all I can say."

  Cannibals...most people only hear about them in the papers or in some sensational novel.

  But sadly, this is the West.

  Here, they actually exist, and there are quite a few of them.

  Those guys treat people like hunters treat prey. They usually kill them and eat them.

  It's rare for someone like Raphael to survive more than a couple of days.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Raphael's face turned ashen. He said, trembling, "But...I have to try! I can't do nothing, no matter the outcome!"

  "But whatever the outcome, you have to hold on, understand?" Stephen continued, "The living have to carry on the wishes of the dead. Good luck."

  Stephen's words made Raphael understand that his family was probably in grave danger.

  But as the saying goes, "You never give up until you get to the Yellow River". How can one give up without seeing for himself?

  Arthur didn't say anything. Having grown up in the West, he understood even better than Stephen how low those crazy folks would sink.

  And just like that, Stephen and Arthur arrived in Annesburg with the uneasy Raphael.

  I have to say, Annesburg is pretty awful, that was Stephen’s first impression of this place.

  Putting aside the mines in the distance, a huge chimney stood in front of the mine, spewing out thick black smoke that turned the sky dark.

  And the lake next to the town was even worse. Stephen could clearly see the colorful oil floating on the surface.

  Looks like it's not just mining here. Such strong pollution must mean there are other industries.

  As the three entered the town, a gust of wind blew.

  Stephen felt the wind was full of dust, so that he couldn't even open his eyes.

  He quickly reached out and wiped his face, only to see that his hands were full of black dust.

  Seeing this, he quickly covered his face with a bandana and lowered his hat a little to block the wind and sand.

  "Damn, this place is awful," Arthur said, wiping his mouth in disgust after getting a mouthful of black soot.

  "Where should we look for news?" Raphael asked, puzzled. "It looks like there are only factories and convenience stores here, and there aren't even many people."

  Annesburg only has one main road, but now it is deserted.

  A railroad track cuts across the town, dividing it in half.

  On the left, near the hillside, is the mine, with two rows of low houses below, which look like where the workers live.

  On the right, near the lake, is the dock, and there is a row of decent-looking shops by the lake, including gun shops, general stores, and even hotels.

  A skybridge crosses over the railroad tracks, connecting the two places. From the conveyor belts exposed on both sides of the skybridge, it can be seen that this skybridge is responsible for transporting the minerals mined from the mountain.

  The security here is very strict, with armed guards stationed at almost every intersection.

  Stephen didn't answer but walked around in front of those shops, and then pushed open the door of the gun shop and walked in.

  Arthur and Raphael followed him in.

  After entering, he realized that this was not a gun shop at all, but more like an armory!

  Blasting powder for mountain excavation, military incendiary bottles, and even detonators are openly placed on the bar.

  An old white man sat casually in the middle of these explosives.

  Hearing someone come in, he didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, pointing directly to a row of guns on the wall, "Take what you want, the prices are marked on them."

  "Don't think that just because I'm old, you can skip paying. Believe me, you won't leave this town if you do that."

  Stephen smiled and threw two bills in front of the old man, "I want to know something. Who should I talk to?"

  The old man picked up the banknote, looked at it in front of him, and then put it in his pocket.

  Then he looked up, glanced at Stephen, and then looked at Arthur and Raphael behind him. After a long time, he slowly said, "Ten dollars."

  "What?" Stephen frowned, the old man was too greedy.

  "Heh." The old man smiled and said, "Ten dollars, and I'll tell you what you want to know."

  "What if what you know is different from what I want?" Stephen's eyes stared at the old man, asking darkly.

  "That's your problem, not mine," the old man said shamelessly, "If I don't know, then no one in this town will know."

  Seeing the old man's assertive appearance, Stephen suspiciously took out $10 from his pocket and put it on the table.

  "Tell me about the Murfree Brood and their hiding place, and I'll give you another $10."