Castle of Black Iron

”After Mountain Lifting Hermit and the other team members returned and revealed the real status of Old Monster Qi, the Lion Fortress had already passed the news to the Supreme Court in Taixia Country. The Supreme Court will be responsible for investigating the clues left by Old Monster Qi!”

After feeling that Zhang Tie was pleasing to the eye, Guan Qianchong patiently solved Zhang Tie’s question. This might be similar to the opposite-sex attraction. A cunning guy would always be fully vigilant and careful about the other one who was of the same personality; however, when he saw a frank, black, silly, sturdy and righteous one whose personality was utterly different than him, he would always have a favorable impression on the latter. At this moment, in the eyes of this commander of the Black Armor Army, Zhang Tie was the second sort of person.

He had long heard about Zhang Tie’s gossips. A man who could call a princess of Lord Guangnan’s Mansion his paramour must be favorable in some aspect. Such a person was always straightforward and didn’t play tricks; whereas, he was easily favored by the God and could always avert the crisis. He would always have a very good fortune. By contrast, those who always played tricks would barely have a good fortune. Because the God would take their fortune away. That was the universal law.

”What about the survey result of the Supreme Court?”

”Old Monster Qi exposed his real status all of a sudden. Previously, he used to move very weirdly and secretly. Additionally, he was an earth knight and could barely be traced. It’s very difficult to investigate what he had done. After investigating this case for 2 years, besides arresting some small fishes being related to Old Monster Qi and confirming that Old Monster Qi was related to the missing children across Taixia Country, nothing else was found!”

”I see...” Zhang Tie touched his bald head in a disappointed way. He had anticipated this result. ’It seems that the Supreme Court in Taixia Country didn’t make any surprise this time. Whatever, if the Three-eye Association and the Heavens-reaching Church could be easily dealt with, demons would not have been wrestling with humans for so many years.’

”Are you interested in joining Black Armor Army?” Guan Qianchong sudden asked him, ”If you agree, I promise you to be a Cheji General in both Earth-elements Realm and on the earth’s surface!”

”Hahaha, young brother Wu had already invited me to join the Black Armor Army; but this Cui refused him. I’m used to be free. Although it sounds great to join Black Armor Army, I have to follow orders and comply with regulations; with so many superiors, I might even be impeached by others if I made any mistake. That’s too boring. I cannot adapt to that. Therefore, sorry about that, I prefer to be alone. At least I’m free and could do whatever I want and go wherever I want. I will fight demons whenever I want and escape whenever I want. I can sleep alone whenever I want and sleep with women whenever I want. As long as I don’t do anything illegal, I will be free. This Cui prefers such a freestyle!” Zhang Tie directly refused Guan Qianchong’s invitation.

Although it was impolite for Zhang Tie to refuse Guan Qianchong directly. Generally, when being invited by a commander of the Black Armor Army, the one being invited should politely express that he was overwhelmed by an unexpected favor. He should refuse the invitation in a euphemistic way at least. Few of them dared refuse Guan Qianchong’s invitation in such a straightforward way.

However, the more Zhang Tie acted in this way, the more Guan Qianchong appreciated him. After hearing Zhang Tie’s explanation, Guan Qianchong put down his book and burst out into laughter, ”Alright, I will respect your choice. Everyone has their own ambition. Speaking of killing demons, how did you kill that shadow demon this time? This shadow demon was too tricky. I wanted to find it; however, I couldn’t it!”

Zhang Tie smirked, ”Actually, I stayed in Black Armor Battlefortress for 2 months so as to find that b*stard for some benefits. However, Bai Suxian and I circled around Tiewei Mountain so many times and couldn’t encounter it. Unexpectedly, this b*stard disguised as an injured woman and sought for my favor when I wandered alone outside; of course, I directly launched an attack!”

”How did you identify that shadow demon when it disguised as a human?”

”Hehheh, I have a clear estimation of myself. My look is far worse than being handsome since I was young. I have a ferocious look; especially after I cultivated the ”Fire Dragon Sutra”, even men would dodge away from me, not to mention women. If I walk alone in the wild, no woman dare walk with me at all. When I wandered around Tiewei Mountain alone, this ”injured woman” dared approach me on her own initiative without any fear; therefore, I doubted that this woman should have secrets. Normally, even on the earth’s surface, a female knight dared not approach me, not to mention Tiewei Mountain. Wasn’t she afraid that I would harm her? Wasn’t she worried that I was disguised by the shadow demon? When I thought about this, I became dubious about that female knight and became vigilant. When I noticed that she was going to harm me, I ferociously stabbed into her body with my dagger ahead of her...” Zhang Tie made a hand gesture.

”I see...” Guan Qianchong became startled by the plot. Although the shadow demon disguised as a female human knight, it didn’t know how did human woman think, neither did it understand the human woman’s appreciation of the beauty. Although Cui Li was tall, he looked a bit ferocious. If being not familiar with him, very few women might dare approach him on their own initiatives. It was really out of Guan Qianchong’s imagination that Cui Li could seize the only loophole and finally kill the shadow demon, ’Cui Li must be blessed by the God.’

Zhang Tie rubbed his hands as he asked, ”Heh heh heh, Commander Guan, the reward, did you fob off me?”

”It’s rewarded by the country. Of course, it’s not a joke! This reward has long been registered in Taixia Country. It has been sealed by the three chancellors’ mansions...” Guan Qianchong looked solemn, ”We will cash your reward right away and spread the news to the public. As for my payment, when you go back to the earth’s surface, I will have Guan people contact you and cash all of them for you!” As Guan Qianchong replied, he walked to the front of the desk in his room and pressed down a bell-like switch beside the desk.

After a few seconds, the door was pushed open. Closely after that, a major general with a solemn look entered and gave a military salute to Guan Qianchong.

”Cui Li has killed the earth knight-level shadow demon. You take him to select the rewarded land and accomplish the relevant formalities. After that, deliver the notice across the theater of operations. As for that shadow demon’s corpse, don’t waste it. As shadow demons are rare, many people have not seen them yet. Just make it a specimen and put it in the Black Armor Battlefortress so that everyone could watch it!”

Zhang Tie had not imagined that Guan Qianchong could be so overbearing. Whatever, it was good for Zhang Tie. Anyone who watched the earth knight-level shadow demon would inquire who killed it. Therefore, Cui Li’s name would gradually spread over the theater of operations.

It was within Zhang Tie’s anticipation that he could cash the reward in Black Armor Battlefortress. On the battlefield, in-time medal conference to those who have made remarkable military exploits and wartime appointment were usual stimulatives. As the battle situation always changed transiently, many fighters didn’t know whether they could survive back; therefore, in order to stimulate the morale, the rewards would always be cashed at the fastest speed on the battlefield. When one person rendered a meritorious service, if his reward could not be cashed until the battle came to an end after 3 years, that person would have long died. Who the f*ck would you pay the cash then? If so, such a reward could never be stimulative and effective at all; instead, it would make people disappointed.

’As I’m the good example of human knights in the large-scale battle between humans and demons in Tiewei Mountain, of course, they should cash my reward right away.’

Zhang Tie cupped his hands towards Guan Qianchong before leaving the room after that major general.

With a solemn look, the major general directly led Zhang Tie to a two-storey office in the high tower silently. After entering the office, the major general asked two military officers to fetch a map of the full territory of Taixia Country and spread it in front of him and Zhang Tie.

”The rewarded land and cities were all clearly marked on this map. 700 miles of land and 10 cities were close to each other. You can choose any one of the 117 green regions across Taixia Country!” The major general told Zhang Tie officially.

Zhang Tie threw a glance at the map and saw those green blocks on the map, whose color was sharply different than that of the other places.

”I can choose any part of the green regions?”

”Yes, through the strict assessment of the Land Planning Department, these green regions are close to each other in the area and urban development level. Those in low urban development level would be larger in the area as a compensation; conversely, those in higher urban development level would be strictly restricted to 700 square miles in area.”

At this moment, although Zhang Tie looked calm, he was thrilled inside.

After throwing a glance at Yongzhou Province at first, Zhang Tie found no green marks; therefore, he let out a sigh pitifully, ”Ahh, previously, I wanted to choose a patch of land in my hometown Yongzhou Province, but there’s no spare land and city over there. I could only find somewhere else...”

As he spoke, Zhang Tie moved his eyes all the way to the north from Yongzhou Province and started to view the territory of the Northeast Military Region of Taixia Country.

In the Northeast Military Region, there were three green blocks. Zhang Tie almost immediately targeted at a green block that partially deepened into Youzhou Province neighboring Youzhou Province. He then slowly revealed a faint smile and pointed at there, ”Here!”

...