Castle of Black Iron

After about one week of flight from Yunfeng City in the west of Yingzhou Province to Fuhai City, the public airship landed at the airport in the west of Fuhai City at dusk of May 16.

Yunfeng City was an inland city of Yingzhou Province while Fuhai City was a coastal city. The two places produced very different specialties. Therefore, a lot of small traders traversed between the two cities by public airship.

As big business groups and commercial organizations had their private airships. Of course, they didn’t need to take this kind of public airship.

This kind of public airship was not cheap. The flight of 6 days from Yunfeng City to Fuhai City plus supplies in the way would cost a common soft sleeper 2 gold coins and 20 silver coins.

Before landing, a slightly fat steward entered the soft sleepers cabin with a metal trumpet and shouted, ”We’ve already arrived at Fuhai City. Please be ready to get off. Don’t forget your belongings. After getting off the airship, passengers who have handled the consignment business please receive your commodities at the exit of the cargo hatch with your consignment voucher!”

The steward repeated it twice. The passengers in the soft sleeper cabin then started to get up.

After informing the passengers in the soft sleeper cabin, the steward went to inform the other cabins.

There were over 30 passengers on the 3-storey single beds in the cabin. It was very crowded. As over 30 men didn’t take bath for a week, of course, it was filled with the stinking smell due to perspiration, plus tobacco flavor. After the airship landed, these smells might not be dispersed until being ventilated for over half an hour.

”The airline from Yunfeng City to Fuhai City is becoming more crowded. I remember that there was a breakfast when I came here two months ago. I’ve not imagined that this airship has accelerated a bit in mid-way supply and flight and arrives at Fuhai City before 8 am. As a result, we don’t have free breakfast anymore!” A 40-odd year pedlar got up as he put things away. Shaking his head, he added, ”Men are not what they were in the old times anymore...”

”According to my knowledge, in order to prepare for the holy war, not only the airships, even the railway networks across Taixia Country would speed up in an all-round manner. They are going to introduce new steam locomotives. It’s said that the new steam locomotives could reach a speed of 180 km per hour, which is almost 1/3 faster than the highest speed of the current locomotives. When we come to Fuhai City next time, we could try the train, it’s not slower than airship!” A passenger said as he was climbing out of his bed.

”Wow, this is a big business. It would cost hundreds of millions of gold coins to upgrade the entire railway network across Taixia Country!” Someone exclaimed, ”I wonder which clan will produce the new steam engines!”

”Such a big business could never be undertaken by a clan or a business group. The technologies and standards of such a great business could only be presented by transportation ministry and the ministry of industry and information. After that, qualified clans and business groups across Taixia Country would bid for that and share the cake. Those powerful ones would share more; those weaker ones would share less. Everyone could share the business.” An experienced voice sounded. Closely after that, he shouted, ”I was told that some huge ships’ goods had been transported from Yinyue Subcontinent to Fuhai Harbor lately along with many border residents. Who wants to take a look with me over there?”

”I, I!” Someone replied at once.

After staying in a soft sleeper cabin for 6 days, they had been familiar with each other. After making exchanges with each other, they might find many business opportunities.

Not all of them in the soft sleeper cabin were pedlars. When the others prepared to get off the airship in a bustling way, one person in a trivial corner of the soft sleeper cabin also stretched out his limbs before standing up. After that, he flicked his clothes and followed the others away.

Watching this guy walking by, some pedlars instantly gave a way to him on the narrow passageway.

He was a tough guy as high as 2.3 m. The moment he stood up, all the people in the soft sleeper cabin were dwarfed. In front of such a tough guy, commoners would be at least 50 cm lower.

The tough guy was featured by a frightening bald head, curly mustache, sturdy bones. Although in a coarse cloth, his powerful muscles were still evident. His upper arms were as thick as the thighs of those common businessmen. A pair of hands as large as cattail fans could fully cover one’s head. It was nothing extravagant to stand on his fist and run horses on his arms.

The tough guy looked dignified and vicious. The slim spirited eyes below his saber-sized dense eyebrows faintly revealed frightening red lights. Timid guys might be scared by this tough guy.

During the past 6 days, besides daily activities such as having food and pee, he did nothing but sleep. Due to his vicious look, the others in the cabin dared not talk to him. Therefore, nobody knew his name until then.

When the tough guy was going to get off the airship, a voice suddenly sounded on his back.

”Tough man, please hold on!”

”What?” The tough man stopped and turned around. The captain of the airship immediately felt a stress as he had to reveal a genial smile.

”I’m Liu Chuan, the captain of this airship. May I know your name?”

”My surname is Cui. Hurry, don’t waste my time!” The tough man’s loud, deep voice sounded like muffled thunders. At the same time, he flapped his hands impatiently. Feeling the strong wind, the captain’s smile became more genial.

”Erm, given your robust figure, I think you must have an unusual talent. Our business group’s squad of bodyguards are recruiting heroes lately. We need you most, will you consider it Hero Cui?”

Given the robust figure and muscles of Cui who looked like a mighty miracle god, even though he had no battle strength, as long as he stood somewhere, he would shock the common insurgents. He was qualified to be a guard of the business group for sure.

After blinking his eyes, Hero Cui pointed at his nose and asked, ”Your squad of guards want to recruit me?”

”Yes, the members of the squad of guards of Fengyun Business Group could have at least 30 gold coins a year. Additionally, after entering it, you could learn battle skills from famous fighters employed by the business group!”

The tough guy burst out into laughter as loud as thunders, causing Captain Liu’s ears to hum.

The tough guy directly patted onto Captain Liu’s shoulder forcefully and almost caused him to sit on the ground, ”Hahaha...thanks for your good intention. But you cannot afford me!”

Although feeling his half body numb, Captain Liu still smiled, ”30 gold coins is our lowest treatment. If Hero Cui is good at fighting, you could enjoy more for sure!”

”I want to be awarded as lord, can your Fengyun Business Group afford me?”

Captain Liu’s face became stiff, ”Hero Cui must be joking, it could only be afforded by the imperial court!”

”That’s it...” In the laughter, Hero Cui shook his head. After that, he turned around and got off the airship, entering the underground tunnel of the airport...

’Did I back the wrong horse? This Cui guy is a paladin...’

Seeing the tall figure off the airship, Captain Liu became stunned for a second while such a thought occurred to his mind...

...

1 hour later, the tough guy appeared in a street, both sides of which were crowded with remarkable mansions.

Fan mansion was closed. Nobody was inside anymore, except for the two white lanterns hanging over the gate. Each lantern was marked with a big Hua character ” 奠 1 ”. There were maintaining yellow and white joss paper on the side of the ditch of the parterre outside the mansion. The other mansions neighboring and being opposite to Fan mansion had also hung some exotic objects on the hidden places of their gates.

7 days 2 had already passed since the massacre. After the other Fan members made a religious ceremony to release souls from purgatory and sacrifice the dead ones, they took Director Fan back home for rehabilitation. Therefore, the former boisterous mansion of Director Fan in Fuhai City was completely empty.

When he passed by the gate of Fan mansion, the tough guy threw a glance at the mansion before moving forward straightly.

On the way, he met two criminal hunters who were patrolling the street. Therefore, he moved forward and asked, ”Hi, buddies, where’s the Pavilion of Brightness?”

The criminal hunters turned around and felt a tower erecting in front of him.

’Now that this guy is asking for the direction of the Pavilion of Brightness, of course, he’s not a bad guy.’

A criminal hunter guided the way for him.

”Thanks!” The tough guy strode away.

’What a tough guy!’ After throwing a glance at each other, the two criminal hunters applauded inside.

...

The Pavilion of Brightness in Fuhai City was an 8-storey pavilion. Like the bounty hunters union in Fuhai City, this place gathered the bounty hunters across Fuhai City.

In the Pavilion of Brightness, bounty hunters could inquire information and make exchanges with each other. They could also accept assignments or join hands to hunt targets on the wanted list.

As such a shocking tragedy had just happened in Fuhai City a week ago, the Pavilion of Brightness was pretty boisterous at this moment. 5 or 6 of 10 were discussing the same case.

The tough guy didn’t enter the Pavilion of Brightness; instead, he took a seat in a teahouse near the Pavilion of Brightness. While having drinks and food, he listened to the story-teller telling a story...