Castle of Black Iron

Semi-jade Pavilion sold over 200 dazzling secret books including dos, methods, techniques, flows and skills. It was said to have the most kinds of incomplete secret books across Taixia Country. Looking at so many secret books on the brochure, Zhang Tie felt dazzled. Fortunately, he had not seen the virtual objects of these secret books. He only needed to select what he wanted from the brochure.

‘What a Gold and Power Market!’ Zhang Tie sighed with emotion when he read the introductions, ‘Perhaps only Xuanyuan Hill could have such a great store!’

According to the introduction, the secret books here were for sale; actually, it meant that the buyer could accept enlightenment only once. The buyer could not impart the secret method that he bought here to the others. If one really wanted to buy an incomplete secret method from here, the price would be pretty high.

Zhang Tie remembered that the Robust Ox Skill that he bought in the black market of Selnes Theater of Operations only cost him 10,000 gold coins; however, the same incomplete secret method in Semi-jade Pavilion would cost him 120,000 gold coins. The enlightenment fee for one time of Robust Ox Skill would be 1,200 gold coins. As for commoners, both 120,000 gold coins and 1,200 gold coins were not small figures. Even the value of this kind of secret method dropped greatly in the life or death situation facing Selnes Theater of Operations, Zhang Tie still felt that the incomplete secret methods in Semi-jade Pavilion were a bit expensive.

Of course, Zhang Tie would buy the entire incomplete secret method. As an earth knight, if he accepted others’ enlightenment here, it would be a joke and ruin his reputation to a certain degree.

Incomplete secret skills were the cheapest ones in this store. The prices of incomplete secret dos, methods, techniques and flows would rise by times one level after another. Even the cheapest secret flows would be priced at 300,000 gold coins; enlightenment for one time would also reach 3,000 gold coins. The price of enlightenment was 1/100 of that of the entire incomplete secret method.

After skimming over the prices of these secret books, Zhang Tie realized why Confucianism was treasured so much in Taixia Country. Because a commoner could barely learn any senior secret books or battle skills without a mater. The prices of these secret books would make people from common clans breathless.

Those major clans and sects would not favor these secret books. Because these secret books could not help people promote to knights. However, although Taixia Country was so big with such a large population, there were only very few knights. Those clans and sects with knights would be at least local magnates. Below these magnates, there were still huge demands for secret books on different levels. Not everyone was thinking about promoting to a knight. This also explained why these secret books could exist.

Like commodities, sutras were top luxuries. Not everyone could enjoy such top luxuries. Therefore, people with poorer purchasing capabilities would choose similar commodities of different levels below these top luxuries. That explained why dos, methods, techniques, flows and skills existed in the market.

Those joining Fire-Dragon Sect could have a chance to learn Fire-Dragon Sutra ; however, youngsters living in small villages such as Xujia Village might only learn a bit Heavenly Blue Technique . Those major clans and sects which owned secret sutras could also control the dissemination of their own secret sutras through enlightenment in case that outsiders learned them. Of course, disciples in major sects could learn secret books which could help them promote to knights; however, would every soldier in the army learn secret books that could help them promote to knights? Of course not. In the army, the simplest secret books that could help most of the soldiers promote to LV 9 or LV 10 were the best.

Besides armies, rural areas, towns, small cities or sparsely populated clans also required secret books on different levels. Anyone who could get hang of secret techniques or flows would be qualified to enroll apprentices and thrive their clans.

In Semi-jade Pavilion, even secret flows were divided into different ranks. The more complete the secret book and its attached battle skills were and the more surging points it would ignite, the expensive it would be.

If Zhang Tie didn’t have the special imitation ability of “King Roc Sutra”, he would definitely ignore such secret books like Bai Suxian. However, with this special ability and the marquis-level Fire Dragon Sutra , Zhang Tie became picky even if he came here especially for those attached complete battle skills of those secret books. Zhang Tie almost ignored all the secret books below marquis because it was meaningless for him.

After sifting those secret books for about 1 hour, Zhang Tie became a bit disappointed. He was too optimistic. Among over 200 secret books in the Semi-jade Pavilion, there was only one incomplete secret book above marquis-level being attached with complete battle skills, namely Shocking God Sutra. This sutra could light 281 surging points. It contained two battle skills, namely “Shocking God Swordsmanship” and “Shocking God Flight Skill”. No more senior secret books being attached with complete battle skills could be found in the Semi-jade Pavilion. Although there were duke-level and throne-level secret books, they were severely incomplete. Two secret methods and three secret flows were not even attached with a battle skill.

‘What could they be used for? The complete version of Shocking God Sutra is not as advanced as Fire Dragon Sutra . Even if I spend great efforts to recover the complete version of this secret book and get hang of the Shocking God Flight Skill , would it be more powerful than the Fire Dragon Flowing Light Skill ? Would the Shocking God Swordsmanship surpass the Fire Dragon Burning Heavens Spear Skill ?’

This Shocking God Sutra was useless for Zhang Tie. The other incomplete secret books lacked corresponding battle skills, which Zhang Tie would not be interested in. He had already learned an emperor-level secret sutra; the only regret was that he had not grasped the corresponding battle skills of the emperor-level secret sutra, how could Zhang Tie be interested in these rubbishes?

‘I could not always have a good luck. There’re not too many duke-level and throne-level incomplete secret books being attached with complete battle skills in this world that could be further developed by me.’ Zhang Tie abandoned the thought that occurred to his mind in Xujia Village.

“I will take this one!” Zhang Tie didn’t reveal his disappointed feeling; instead, he just pinched his nose as he selected a secret book on the brochure of Semi-jade Pavilion.

Of course, Zhang Tie didn’t select the Shocking God Sutra; instead, he just chose an inferior count-level Double-moon Flow which included Crescent Hook Skill and Moon Shadow Movements . Zhang Tie chose this secret book because it was much cheaper. He just patched up his lie in front of Bai Suxian. Of course, it was unnecessary for him to spend too much money in vain.

“Childe, are you going to take this Double-moon Flow ?” A steward of Semi-jade Pavilion asked Zhang Tie.

“Yes, I will take this Double-moon Flow !”

After saying that, Zhang Tie even felt a bit pitiful. Thankfully, over 400,000 gold coins were nothing for him. He just took it as an experiment. Even if this experiment failed, at least he would learn that this way didn’t work! If he couldn’t find any proper secret book in Semi-jade Pavilion of Gold and Power Market, he would not find it in any other place.

“Alright, Childe, please wait for a short while. I will bring it back!”

The steward stood up and left.

“Why did you choose this one? I think the Shocking God Sutra is better!” Bai Suxian asked Zhang Tie out of curiosity.

“Big mouthfuls often choke. I bought this incomplete secret book only to learn its attached battle skills. I want to see whether I could have a gnosis from them. I don’t know whether this way works or not. I will have a try. If it indeed works, I will buy others back here. It won’t take me too much time. If it doesn’t work, I will abandon this thought!” Zhang Tie explained with a solemn look.

Bai Suxian nodded.

Not until Zhang Tie and Bai Suxian waited in the reception room for almost 10 minutes when Bai Suxian became a bit impatient, someone else swaggered in the room. It was the guy with a long face and sparse beard whom Zhang Tie slapped twice at the Qian Gate yesterday.

Although this guy’s face had been daubed with ointment, it still looked a bit red and swollen.

At the sight of this guy, Zhang Tie and Bai Suxian had frowned. However, this guy just watched Zhang Tie like a small man intoxicated by success.

“I’m sorry, Double-moon Flow is running out stock in Semi-moon Pavilion !

The moment Bai Suxian heard that guy’s words, her eyebrows had raised as she smashed onto the table and sprung up before roaring, “There was one just now; why it’s running out of stock now? Where’s the steward? Call him out. If you dare play trick in front of your grandma, this grandma will demolish your goddamn store.”

Bai Suxian’s fury and tantrum scared that guy one step back. That guy swallowed his saliva forcefully before sneering while stretching out his neck, “I’m the boss of Semi-jade Pavilion. If I say no, it’s a no. If you want one, pay me 5 million gold coins…”

“You…it was worth less than 500,000 gold coins just now; how it skyrocketed by 10 times now?” Bai Suxian who had not been ripped off since young raised her hand. Before she slapped that guy’s face, Zhang Tie who had been watching with a distant look on one side had already stood up and caught her wrist, “Let’s go…”

“But…”

Before Bai Suxian said anything, Zhang Tie had already stridden out of the store by pulling her hand, leaving the guy with long face and sparse beard standing in the original place; opening his mouth, he looked like a clown who had just gone on to the stage; before he started his performance, he found that all the audience had already left; therefore, he became embarrassed…