Castle of Black Iron

On October 4th, after almost 1 month’s march, Iron-Dragon Airboat and Zhang Tie’s disciples were finally close to Pingsha Valley, Longxi Prefecture, Zhongzhou Province.

When they entered Zhongzhou Province in late September, they saw airships and airboats arriving at Zhongzhou Province from all directions. Iron-Dragon Airboat encountered 3-4 batches of knight-level powerhouses from courts across Zhongzhou Province in the sky. Additionally, Zhang Tie met about 10-20 unidentified knight-level powerhouses who were inspecting the ground every day in the sky.

They could see hundreds of battle airships flying over the land every day. As long as an emergency was discovered, the elites on the airships would immediately jump off the airships under the leadership of fighters above LV 10 officially organized by the military of Taixia Country, who could easily sweep small teams of bloody figures.

On the ground, the garrisons dispatched from all cities in Longxi Prefecture had set cordons in each communications center. Armored vehicles and temporary mini battle fortresses could be seen everywhere. Those bounty criminal hunters who arrived here from the other provinces would besiege and hunt dispersed bloody figures in the wild in teams.

It was more like a rounding up and hunting rather than a battle.

Zhang Tie’s 121 apprentices would meet some teams of bounty criminal hunters on the ground every day. Meanwhile, they also had a chance to watch a military elite team of Taixia Country rounding up and hunting a small team of bloody figures in the wild.

At the sight of this situation, Zhang Tie knew that the bloody figures in Zhongzhou Province would soon be appeased by parties in Taixia Country after over 1 month’s concerted efforts.

The bloody figures were like wildfire that extended and die out fast.

Over 100,000 LV 9 bloody figures were a terrifying, subversive force which could match that of the super demon corps led by the demon general in any subcontinent.

However, the contingent of bloody figures had a fatal shortcoming——they had no knight-level leader. As long as some bloody figures gathered together, they would soon become the targets of human knights and could be easily dispersed. Therefore, it was hard for them to form a great force that was possessed by an army.

Any troop would only be a motley crew and roving bandits as long as they were dispersed. This explained why Zhang Tie couldn’t see the contingent of the bloody figures separate into smaller teams of bloody figures spontaneously in their memories. Although these bloody figures would cause great damages wherever they were, as long they appeared, they would definitely be besieged from all directions. It determined that their lives were short.

Additionally, although these bloody figures looked as same as Hua people, they didn’t speak. They could be easily identified from their eyes. This accelerated the extinction of bloody figures.

On the evening of October 3, Iron-Dragon Airboat encamped in the wild over 400 miles away from Pingsha Valley. On the same evening, it turned gloomy and rained heavily. In the morning, the heavy rain didn’t stop while the water level in the brook in the wild rose rapidly. Additionally, the road was muddy.

Last night, due to the storm, the airboat rose from 1 m above the ground to 10 m above the ground out of safety. On the next early morning, Zhang Tie came to the command module on the top of the airboat to observe the weather outside through the crystal protective wall.

The raindrops hit the airboat heavily; however, people inside the command module couldn’t hear it at all. Even so, Zhang Tie could still watch the scenery in the outside through the transparent crystal protective wall.

It was dusty outside with a very low visibility. The limpid river yesterday had already turned completely murky. Additionally, the water level had risen greatly. After falling on the crystal protective wall, the raindrops formed into trickles. After starting the wiper, Zhang Tie could see the scenery outside clearly. The water in the water-diversion groove on one side of the head of the airboat flew off the diversion mouth like an over 10 m high waterfall.

Although it had rained several times in the past 1 month, today’s rain was the heaviest.

”Tell Liu Xing, the survival training comes to an end. They don’t need to leave the airboat today. We will fly towards Pingsha Valley...” Zhang Tie turned around and told someone to notice Liu Xing and the other apprentices after thinking for a few seconds.

Over the past 1 month, Zhang Tie had reached his target. His disciples had been looked like coming out of the same sect. All of them had been able to coordinate with each other with a very good atmosphere of teamwork. Liu Xing also gained his prestige as the other apprentices’ first senior fellow apprentice. All of them had practiced and been familiar with what they needed to experience. They even brought back 134 heads of bloody figures. Even his two nephews had accomplished the march with their team in the last 10 days. Zhang Chengxu was decisive. He carried back all the heads of bloody figures in the last 10 days. By contrast, Zhang Chengze looked a bit introversive; however, he could also bear hardships. Zhang Tie knew that the two brothers would polish their surging points 2 hours a day in their own bedrooms after they came back.

If it was in peaceful times, Zhang Tie didn’t want to have his two nephews touch such bloody things. However, it was in the holy war, even if a boy didn’t go to the battlefield, he should also touch something relevant. If Zhang family’s disciples would pass out at the sight of blood, how could they protect the undertakings of Jinwu City and Jinwu Business Group?

When they received Zhang Tie’s order, Liu Xing had just adjusted the members’ distribution of the two teams. Those who were slightly wounded yesterday would gather at the end of the teams. Everybody had just put on raincoats which were especially for wild operations. When they received Zhang Tie’s order from a bodyguard of Bai Suxian, everybody became a bit dumbfounded at the beginning. However, after confirming that it was not a joke, everybody cheered up as they exclaimed and jumped...

It finally came to an end.

Honestly, over the past 1 month, they had borne many hardships. However, nobody complained about it. Many people bore it while gritting their teeth. It was like how those students in school suddenly received the news that they would have a holiday from today onwards. What a big surprise!

”Ahh, I can finally have a lie-in!” Zhu Dabiao who looked much thinner than before hurriedly put off his raincoat as he walked towards his own cabin.

”Dabiao, where are you going?” Sun Zhan shouted.

”Senior fellow apprentice Sun, I will have a nap in my cabin!” Zhu Dabiao who looked spirited just now couldn’t stand having a yawn.

”Are you kidding me? It’s less than 1 hour’s trip from Pingsha Valley!”

”It’s okay. Half an hour’s nap is enough. One moment in the morning is worth 1,000 gold coins. Senior Fellow Apprentice Sun, I’ve been thin in the past 1 month!” Zhu Dabiao said as he pinched the fat over his waist with a painful look.

Some female disciples burst out into laughter at once.

”You’re thin? You ate 3 people’s food whenever we got prey in the wild!” Sun Zhan mumbled.

”When there’s a chance, I will invite Senior Fellow Apprentice Sun to have a big meal!”

Not only Zhu Dabiao, but even some female disciples had also returned to their own cabins after hearing the news.

”Junior Sister Apprentice Zhou, you’re also going to have a nap?” Sun Zhan shouted.

Among the 7 disciples who were enrolled by Zhang Tie at the beginning, Sun Zhan was the most active and humorous one. Therefore, he got along well with all the other disciples.

”Senior Fellow Apprentice Sun, we will go back...to change clothes...” Junior Sister Apprentice Zhou replied with a blush.

Sun Zhan smirked as he asked, ”Junior Sister Apprentice Zhou, tell me which junior fellow apprentice have you fallen in love with? I will be a matchmaker for you!”

”Senior Fellow Apprentice Sun, you’re too bad, I will not tell you...”

After being teased by Sun Zhan, Junior Sister Apprentice Zhou’s face turned redder as she left out of there. Some high-spirited and audacious female disciples even rolled their eyes at Sun Zhan. Whatever, they all knew that Senior Fellow Apprentice Sun was not bad and didn’t always grow angry over trivial matters.

Almost all the female disciples had left in a split second. Sun Zhan was curious about the reason as a hand patted onto his shoulder heavily. Sun Zhan knew that was Ma Kuicheng’s big hand without turning around. At the same time, Ma Kuicheng told Sun Zhan in a secret way, ”Don’t you know that beauty is more important than life for all the women? Over the past 1 month, these junior sister apprentices have worn the military uniforms too much; especially when they saw the wife of their master stay on the master’s side every day like a peony blossom. If you didn’t let them dress up at this moment, they would fight you to death!”

Sun Zhan understood it right away.

...

Zhang Tie also heard the cheers of his disciples. He suddenly recalled how happy he was when he heard that they would have one week’s holiday for the 50th anniversary of the founding of Andaman Alliance when he was in the 2nd grade of the No. 5 Male Middle School of Blackhot City...

’How long have I not experienced such a simple and direct pleasure?’

At that moment, Zhang Tie was poor. He could only have a few copper coins per day. His battle strength was very poor and he dreamt about lighting his Shrine surging point one day. Additionally, he didn’t have a woman. He just had a blush for Miss Daina silently like all the other male boys in the No. 7 Male Middle School.

However, Zhang Tie could easily have such a simple and direct pleasure at that moment. He would always feel delighted for a few more days’ holidays at school, a small gift, new clothes or a new pair of leather shoes brought by his elder brother from the troop.

Zhang Tie suddenly realized that the so-called maturity and growth enabled people to not have such a simple and direct pleasure...

At this moment, the airboat had started to rise and flow towards Pingsha Valley in the heavy rain.

At the same time, Zhang Tie heard footsteps as he smelt a faint fragrance from behind.

Zhang Tie turned around and watched Bai Suxian. He asked, ”Do you also think that the higher position a person is, the less happy he would be?”