Castle of Black Iron

After killing the young master of Heavens Reaching Church, figuring out the reasons of the tragedy in Fuhai City and unveiling the identity of that person among the top 9 ministers in Taixia Country who abhorred Zhang Tie the most, Zhang Tie really felt unprecedentedly relaxed as if he had woken up from a nightmare.

Previously, the enemy was in the dark. Zhang Tie could only be framed by others and almost lost his life. Now, Zhang Tie’s enemy was in the dark. His mentality became utterly different.

After returning to Iron-Dragon Airboat for a few days, Zhang Tie completely became relaxed and started to introspect about his experiences since he came to Taixia Country. Therefore, he sighed with emotion to Bai Suxian.

It was Zhang Tie’s true feeling, also the result of his introspection over these days.

A Hua sage said that people should introspect themselves three times a day. Zhang Tie couldn’t make it; however, he could introspect himself one time per four years.

During the past 4 years, everything in Taixia Country was like looking at the flowers while passing on horseback. Unconsciously, he had been involved in a big whirlpool and had to escape for his own life.

Zhang Tie started to rethink why he almost lost all standing and reputation along with his family.

After recalling the past pain and becoming greatly discerning and apprehending, Zhang Tie found that the reason was that everything happened too ”fast”.

The ”fast” referred to his changing state of life, the rhythm of fate and thorough gnosis.

Only the prey being chased after by its natural enemy could run fast.

He had to be ”fast”;

It was driven by a flurried mentality as he couldn’t control his own destiny;

It was because that he had got lost after his wisdom was deceived.

’I helped Huaiyuan Palace to compete for the Youzhou provincial governor; I fought the Gobbling Party and inflicted a great loss to Heavens Reaching Church. After that, I resigned the position of the chief justice of Youzhou Provincial Court and went to Fuhai City for proposing a marriage; finally, I was forced to escape for my own life...’

’I was forced to respond to all these things. Everything happened too ”fast”. In this ”fast” state, I did not have time to introspect myself or care about others. I gradually lost the ability to control my own fate. After coming to Taixia Country for 4 years, I’m still a stranger. Additionally, everything besides me has almost slid into the dark abyss.’

’It’s not good to be ”fast”; I need to be ”slow”, which requires me to be active and have time to introspect myself. By being ”slow”, I could see through everybody and all the dangers on my side. By being ”slow”, I could control my own fate once again.’

’I could be calmer in the ”slow” state. Only the controller could be calm as it’s a realm.’

’I could see the different living states of the two realms ”fast” and ”slow” by watching the rabbits and lions living on the same prairie.’

’Actually, since the holy war broke out and I was involved in the holy war in Waii Subcontinent, I’ve been in the ”fast” living state. By contrast, before the holy war broke out, after I gained Castle of Black Iron, I was in a ”slow” living state and felt pretty fulfilling and happy in Blackhot City and Hidden Dragon Island.’

’The rabbits are in ”fast” living state. By contrast, the lions are in ”slow” living state. It’s very dangerous in ”fast” living state. Now, it’s time for me to relieve the rhythm and enter the ”slow” living state.’

After gaining such a gnosis, Zhang Tie felt much better and become sunnier and more leisure these days. He gradually figured out more and more things in the future and could see clearly his orientation in the future.

The first thing that Zhang Tie thought through was how to cultivate in the future.

From then on, the element crystals which were extremely precious for other knights became useless for Zhang Tie’s cultivation. The reason was very simple——compared to the effect of purgatory samsara, the efficiency of element crystals for forming water chakra was still too low.

’Given time cost, take forming earth chakra as an instance, the time that I spent in absorbing earth-element crystals accounted for 90% of the total time that I spent in forming my earth chakra. Actually, the effect only accounted for 10% of the total process of forming my earth chakra.’

’Conversely, I only spent 10% of the time forming the earth chakra in purgatory samsara method; however, the effect of purgatory samsara method accounted for 90% of the total process of forming my earth chakra.’

Get half the results with double the efforts and get twofold the results with half the efforts. What a sharp difference!

Because not a single knight could have endless time and spiritual energy. In this ”slow” living state, Zhang Tie could only distribute his time and spiritual energy so as to produce the greatest effect. The process of cultivating Emperor-level secret method would consume a lot of resources. Only purgatory samsara method could match King Roc Sutra well.

Zhang Tie even felt it slow by absorbing element crystals, not to mention absorbing element crystals from the elements realm through cultivation alone which would be less effective at a higher time cost. In a popular sentence among Hua people before the Catastrophe, the two cultivation modes were both ”backward modes of production”.

After giving up the two ”low-efficiency” modes of cultivation, Zhang Tie found that he had extricated himself from the busy state of cultivation. As a result, he had more free time and became more ”leisure”.

In the ”leisure” state, Zhang Tie could allocate his time flexibly in terms of enhancing his realms in various battle skills and secret methods and accompany his family members. He could also make achievements by traveling among mountains and rivers in Taixia Country.

After fighting Nangong Sheng the strong wind hermit also the master of Immortal Fist Position Sect, Zhang Tie deeply sensed that he could not make further progress only by closing his door at home after promoting to an earth knight.

The second thing that Zhang Tie had thought through was that he could not expose the fact that Cui Li was his incarnation to the public.

’Otherwise, I would expose the secrets that I have a body-changing immortal bloodline and could simulate the effects of other secret methods to the public. Sometimes, it’s a wisdom to be low-key; sometimes, with sharp weapons in hand, I could also frighten my powerful enemy.’

’Now that Gold and Power Law have known my identity of Peter Hamplester, even if Gold and Power Law don’t know the secret that I have body-changing immortal bloodline, the one who wants to kill me should at least know that I’ve grasped a powerful disguising secret method. Now that that culprit could almost hit my secret, it would be meaningless for me to keep this trump card anymore...’

’Besides me, who else in this world could guess the incidental effect of King Roc Sutra. There’re so many secret methods in the world. If I really want to expose it to the public, I would find a reason that would make others muddle-headed.’

Zhang Tie had long prepared for the explanation of the secret that he could change his look and figure. He named the secret method as ”Chaotic Treasure Body”. After grasping it, Zhang Tie could keep the surging points all over his body in the state of ”fake dormancy”. Therefore, he could ”simulate” the order of lighting his surging points once again according to a complete secret method for a certain effect. Because it was the incidental ability of King Roc Sutra, Zhang Tie wouldn’t expose the secret even if he told others to check his state in ”Chaotic Treasure Body”.

’The combination of body-changing immortal bloodline and ”Chaotic Treasure Body” will definitely frighten those people who want to frame my family members and Huaiyuan Palace. Even though those people could uproot Huaiyuan Palace, as long as I’m still alive and could escape, they would be in fear forever. They would be alert in case of being revenged by me. Nobody would like to live such a life.’

The safest manner was to mix the truth with the false stuff.

After thinking through these crucial things and making a deep introspection about his gains and losses in the past 4 years, Zhang Tie became completely relaxed and entered a leisure and casual state. He started to be in a real ”slow” state and control his own life orientation...

...

Lying on Zhang Tie’s side quietly, Bai Suxian was listening to his tender yet powerful heartbeats as if she could hear the secrets that Zhang Tie had not exposed and how Zhang Tie bore mentally in the past 4 years...

Zhang Tie was watching the clouds in the sky while Bai Suxian was watching Zhang Tie. They were both silent; however, they didn’t feel it was embarrassing and improper; instead, they had a privity. At this moment, Bai Suxian really felt that she would like to fly with this man in the sky in this way for the rest of her life.

In such a tranquility, the cheers and laughter that drifted from the other swimming pool became clearer.

”Can you write a love poem for me?” Bai Suxian suddenly asked Zhang Tie.

”Love poem? But I can’t!” Zhang Tie scratched his head.

”Liar, how did you write the poem the Beloved Ones then?”

”Good lines are naturally born. I just gained it by accident!”

After hearing Zhang Tie’s words, Bai Suxian burst out into laughter. She stretched out her hand and stroked Zhang Tie’s hair, ”You’re really shameless. No matter what, you have to write a love poem for me.”

”Well, I will make one!”

Bai Suxian became serious at once while Zhang Tie cleared his throat as he made a short yet pithy love poem with clear articulation and a mellow and full tune emotionally.

”Our hearts have an emotional mine.”

”Love is the gold.”

”Hate is the iron.”

”If a man doesn’t know how to turn his wife into his mistress, he must be vulgar and moronic!”

After hearing this poem, Bai Suxian became stunned. It led her to endless aftertastes. Additionally, the lasting appeal of this poem resonated with the relationship between Bai Suxian and Zhang Tie to a certain extent. She watched Zhang Tie with full emotion and watery eyes as she asked in a tender voice, ”Is that your work?”

”Hehehe, I’ve read it!”

After Zhang Tie said that, hundreds of white swans flew over the airboat cheerily.

Iron-Dragon Airboat was only 4,000 m above the ground at a low speed. Even the flock of white swans were higher than Iron-Dragon Airboat. At the sight of those swans, Bai Suxian even forgot what to say. She immediately pulled up Zhang Tie from his armchair and ran towards the prow as she exclaimed, ”We are arriving at Xuanyuan Hill...”