Castle of Black Iron

The east of Heavenlyqin Lake was a wetland with plenty of water and lush grass that covered over 600 square miles. Too many birds were resting here; especially wild swans.

Under the golden light of setting sun, Heavenlyqin Lake was shimmering while some deluxe cruisers were parking on the lake nearby the wetland.

Before each sunset, the 600 miles’ reed catkins, high grasses and flying nightingales would become a scenic spot nearby Xuanyuan Hill.

On the deck of a 100 m-longer white cruiser, those knights who had a conflict with Zhang Tie and Bai Suxian on the Golden Water River that day were appreciating the lakescape and the wild swans on the lake and in the sky pleasantly.

Yue Peng who was severely wounded by Zhang Tie didn’t come here. Evidently, the female knight who once stayed with Fang Xinyi had already become a pair of lovers with the other male knight.

“Brother Chuzhi, when did you get junior sister apprentice Yuling? How fast you are! Given such a fast speed, brother Chuzhi must have got hang of a secret method. Why not share it with brother Jiguang and me? Look, brother Jiguang and I are still single!”

“Chuzhi” and “Yuling” were that pair of “wild mandarin ducks” that Zhang Tie saw in the reeds on that evening a few days ago. When they saw the two people fall in love with each other so fast, the others couldn’t stand making a joke to spice up the atmosphere. Although the male knight made a joke orally, he was looking at Fang Xinyi as if he was implying something.

As long as she didn’t see Bai Suxian, Fang Xinyi was indeed like a charming, elegant fairy. At this moment, she just watched the dancing wild swans on the lake with a faint smile. Her beautiful facial contour, slim and snow-white neck and swaying hair were fatal to the other two male knights. Both of them wanted to pursue her.

“Hahaha, of course, there’s a secret method; however, only the sky, the earth, I and Yuling know it. If I told you about that, it would not work anymore!” The male knight called Chizhi replied in a dissolute way. The other two knights didn’t know what the so-called secret method referred to; however, Yuling threw a glare at Chuzhi bashfully.

Both Yuling and Chuzhi understood the so-called secret method.

“Ahh, what if Yue Peng was here? Younger brother Yue Peng is most poetic and talented. Facing such a nice lakescape, he could definitely make a good poem!”

“Younger brother Yue Peng might need a few more days’ rehabilitation. That day, I felt that Cui Li was too vicious; however, on the second day, I was told that Cui Li had already shown his mercy. You might have already heard about it. At Qian Gate of Gold and Power Market, Cui Li kicked a foreign knight to death, who was even a prince of a major country on a subcontinent. Because of this event, Cui Li almost had a fight with Han Yuanhong, the master of Gold and Power Market. Fire Dragon Hermit was not afraid even in Xuanyuan Hill; he’s indeed vicious and powerful!” A knight sighed with emotion while shaking his head.

“Don’t mention about these unhappy things. Based on our talents, as long as we try our best to cultivate, we will definitely promote to earth knights one day. No need to admire him. Although Fire Dragon Hermit is powerful, a lot of people in our sect are more powerful than him. The powerful ones in Taixia country are as countless as the stars over the sky! Additionally, Gold and Power Law is just so-so. Even some barbarians from subcontinents could attend such a Treasures Meeting. The piece of God’s Star has already been bought before we saw it. All the other treasures are average. There’re only a few secret items; all of them have been opened. Nothing to be curious about. It could never match our Treasures Meeting in Taiyi City.”

“Hahaha, fine, we will not talk about these unhappy things. Although Master Cai is not here, the waves sound and crane tweets here are also natural music. Oh, Xinyi, what are you looking at?”

After realizing that the subject was shifted to her, Fang Xinyi didn’t behave distantly anymore; instead, she turned around as she parted her hair and revealed a faint smile. All of a sudden, all the others moved their eyes onto her, “When I looked at these wild swans, I couldn’t help thinking about one thing. It’s said that wild swans are most soulful. As long as two wild swans fall in love with each other, they would not depart from each other until death. If one dies, the other will be extremely anguished and even commit suicide for love. If everyone could be as soulful as wild swans, all the lovers in this world would have a perfect soul destination!”

“After hearing Xinyi’s words, I feel that I should learn from wild swans!” The knight called Chuzhi watched Yuling as he said with a playful smile. Whether he wanted to learn something from wild swans or treat sky as the quilt and the earth as the bed. However, only the female knight called Yuling could sense his meaning.

Yuling threw a glare at Chuzhi as she turned around and looked at Fang Xinyi, “Xinyi, what’s your criteria about a good man?”

The other two male knights pricked up their ears at once.

Fang Xinyi smiled as she recited some lines, “Graze black cattle in the morning, return in the evening with wildflowers; insert wildflowers onto your gray hair and enjoy the colorful sunglow together with you!”

After hearing Fang Xinyi’s reply, all the other knights’ hearts pounded as it was really out of their imagination that Fang Xinyi could favor such a legendary figure. That man’s poem the Beloved Ones had fascinated so many beauties, but…

Before the others said anything, the lakescape became abnormal…

In the horizon, all the wild swans on the lake stretched out their necks and tweeted at the same time, which sounded like the siren of a million ton-level ship, causing the eardrums of travelers on the cruisers to quiver.

Closely after that, all the wild swans suddenly flapped their wings and slid over the lake before lying off. Large flocks of wild swans flew off at the same time in the distance along the 600 miles’ reed catkins.

At least tens of thousands of wild swans rested here. As a result, the scenery that tens of thousands of wild swans flew off at the same time was like white clouds, leaving travelers on the cruisers dumbfounded. In the sunglow, so many wild swans flew towards the same direction. In less than 1 minute, no wild swan could be seen over the lake anymore.

Although being far away from the bank, all the knights had good sight. They saw large flocks of wild swans flying off the water too.

“What’s happening? Why all the wild swans are flying away? Theoretically, the wild swans should have a rest as the sun is setting. Is there an earthquake? It’s said that birds would make abnormal responses when an earthquake is coming.” A knight on the cruiser muttered.

“It shouldn’t be an earthquake. Otherwise, the other birds should also have sensed it; however, look, all the other birds over this wetland are still resting there!”

“Yup, it’s really strange…”

Fang Xinyi faintly frowned her beautiful eyebrows as she said, “Let’s go take a look…”. Soon after her words, Fang Xinyi had flown off the cruiser. All the other knights also flew off after exchanging a glance with each other out of great curiosity.

At the same time, all the wild swans in another two lakes nearby Xuanyuan Hill flew off towards Xuanyuan Hill. The travelers on the cruisers in the three lakes exclaimed about such a wonderful scenery.

Of course, such an abnormal phenomenon was eye-catching. After flying for a short while, Fang Xinyi and her partners had already seen some more knights chasing after the wild swans. They were shocked so much as they wondered why so many wild swans suddenly flew off at the same time.

Wild swans flew very fast; the three lakes and the wetlands where wilds swans rested were also close to Xuanyuan Hill. Therefore, those wild swans soon arrived at Xuanyuan Hill.

When they arrived at Xuanyuan Hill, Fang Xinyi and her partners were really startled by what they saw. So many wild swans were gathering here from all directions in an order.

Over 10,000 people would look endless. There were at least 100,000 wild swans in the sky which looked like moving clouds in the sky.

After sensing the no-fly zone above Xuanyuan Hill, all the knights that followed wild swans here could only suspend outside the no-fly zone as they watched the wild swans entering the air territory of Xuanyuan Hill smoothly.

Wild swans could fly fast and reach above 6,000 m high. Therefore, people on the ground could easily see all the wild swans as long as they looked up.

The abnormal phenomenon in the sky attracted the attention of everyone on the ground of Xuanyuan Hill. Watching the army of wild swans flying over, the ground of Xuanyuan Hill started to become disordered.

…

All the drivers on the roads stretched out their necks and watched those wild swans flying across in front of them as they widely opened their mouths. Some cars even collided with the vehicles on their sides, causing a traffic jam at once.

…

A team of Hua fighters at the border of Xuanyuan Hill watched the abnormal phenomenon for quite a while before reporting it to their superior. When a knight walked out of barracks and became stunned by what he saw for a few seconds, he also started to swear loudly.

“F*ck, this dad is a common knight, not a sage-level knight. Look at these birds. What do you want me to do? Fly in the sky and shoot them off or wail the air raid siren? Such an abnormal phenomenon might happen once in a few years. Just wait for a while!”

The abnormal phenomenon mentioned by this knight referred to that when Zhang Tie promoted to a black iron knight a few years ago. However, that knight didn’t know that this time was utterly different than that time, although it was aroused by the same person.

…

Under the gaze of so many people on the ground of Xuanyuan Hill, over 100,000 wild swans gradually divided into 12 huge flocks like 12 clouds in the sky. When the onlookers were extremely startled, the 12 clouds started to change their shapes slowly.

Due to constant traffic accidents, some roads had been jammed. Those drivers directly got off their vehicles and looked up at the sky on the roads. When a taxi driver watched the 12 clouds gradually changing their shapes, he muttered, “I feel those birds are going to form 12 words. I find the first one might be Finance, the fifth word is Zheng!”

The 12 clouds were indeed changing their shapes. The first word was Finance and the fifth word was Zheng.

In a few minutes, the 12 clouds had changed into clear and powerful words as if a celestial being painted them in the sky by a huge hand. Anyone could see them clearly as long as they were not illiterates. At the sight of the 12 huge words in the sky, everyone on the ground changed their face at once. Even the knight who lost his temper outside his barracks had turned pale in a split second.

The 12 words formed a sentence.

——Finance Minister Han Zhengfang is the master of Heavens Reaching Church

Like the largest and commanding banner and advertisement, this sentence composed of over 100,000 wild swans directly slashed towards the emperor’s imperial city like a huge sword from outside.

After being empty, chaotic, intense and furious, the knight general standing in the camp finally recovered his free-thinking ability. Only after 2 seconds’ consideration, he had confirmed that a major event was going to happen in Xuanyuan Hill today whether the sentence in the sky was real or not.

“Fall in…” A roar drifted across the barracks.

…

Something big was indeed going to happen in Xuanyuan Hill!

Suspending in the sky near the border of Xuanyuan Hill, Zhang Tie just watched the wild swans flying towards the emperor’s imperial city calmly and resolutely.

There were dozens of knights and an airboat within miles. All of them were watching Xuanyuan Hill in the distance while changing their face sharply; however, nobody could imagine that the culprit was right on their side.

After all the wild swans entered the no-fly zone of Xuanyuan Hill, Zhang Tie knew that his plot had succeeded. No power could prevent what would happen next…