Castle of Black Iron

‘Head Clan?’

It was Zhang Tie’s first time to see the head clan. To be honest, Zhang Tie was indeed shocked by the great qi field of Mo Clan.

One clan could assign over 200 knights to respond to the Xuanyuan command. What a super powerful clan!

“What’s the relationship between Mozhou Province and Mo Clan of Fraternity Palace?” Zhang Tie asked Bai Suxian through a secret means.

As Bai Suxian grew up in Lord Guangnan’s Mansion, she was constantly influenced by what she saw and heard. Bai Suxian was very familiar with various inside stories, relations and allusions of officialdom of Taixia Country. Therefore, Bai Suxian was qualified to be Zhang Tie’s consultant.

“Before Mozhou Province was established, Mo clan of Fraternity Palace had rooted in Mozhou Province and had a great influence over there. When Mozhou Province was established, Mo clan of Fraternity Palace was already a very powerful local clan. Mo clan of Fraternity Pavilion is also the head clan surnamed Mo; additionally, Mo clan is also called Mo sect. The core of the ideology of Mo sect originates from the far-ancient sage in Taixia Country. The name of Mozhou Province is also related to Mo sect and Mo clan. Over the past hundreds of years, at least 10 Mozhou provincial governors came from Mo clan; 2 clan heads of Mo clan had even taken the office of commander of northeast military region. Although Mo sect is not as outstanding as the top 7 sects in Taixia Country, they deserve our respect…”

“Which is more powerful, Mo sect or the Gobbling Party?”

“Mo sect might not have greater influence than that of the Gobbling Party; however, Mo sect is definitely more solidarity and cohesive than the Gobbling Party. Even top 7 sects are not as solidarity as Mo sect. Only Mo clan of Fraternity Palace in Mozhou Province is a clan and a sect in Taixia Country!”

“Mo clan has too many knights!”

Bai Suxian threw a glance at Zhang Tie with a faint smile as she said, “You should know how they request their knight-level descendants?”

“How?”

“All the knight-level descendants of Mo clan should at least deliver 100 babies for Mo clan. If they couldn’t reach that target, they would be severely punished in Mo clan. Those who deliver more babies would be rewarded. Ordinary members of Mo clan are also proud of having more babies!”

‘At least 100 babies? Domestic discipline?’ Zhang Tie almost popped out his eyes as he said, “That’s too exaggerated. Knights could afford that, what about ordinary members of Mo clan?”

“It’s not exaggerating for Mo clan to assign so many knights here. Additionally, Mo clan is famous for its skilled craftsmen. Mo clan’s wares are well-known across the world. Additionally, Mo clan is also a rich clan in Taixia Country. Besides, Mo clan also worships frugality. It’s said that Mo knights usually wear cloth gowns and straw sandals and take coarse food and drinks. My father told me that Mo clan of Fraternity Palace is the most frugal and rigorous clan in Taixia Country…”

Zhang Tie understood it right away. Although Mo clan’s regulation seemed inflexible, if they could strictly follow this rule for hundreds of years, Mo clan and Mo sect would be very powerful. To a certain extent, delivery was fighting; people were power. The clans with more babies would be advantageous over those clans with fewer babies. Although this advantage didn’t seem evident at the beginning; when it reached a scale, the advantage would be decisive.

Of course, it was not difficult for a rich and frugal clan to raise a lot of kids.

When Zhang Tie thought about that, he threw a glance at the team of Mo clan of Fraternity Palace. Coincidentally, a shadow knight who led the team of Mo clan was watching him.

That was an old man with a wrinkled and unpretentious face. The moment they looked at each other, they became slightly shocked at the same time. However, Zhang Tie felt that that old man was not hostile to him. Zhang Tie then slightly nodded towards the shadow knight of Mo clan. The elder of Mo clan also nodded towards Zhang Tie with a faint smile.

After the knights of Mo clan arrived here for a short period, some more airboats arrived. After that, no more airboats landed for over 10 minutes.

The moment Zhang Tie thought that these might be all the knights in the northeast military region, he saw 5 black airboats as long as over 1,000 m flying towards here from the north with a strong killing qi. They directly suspended above this military camp. The moment the airboat arrived, some human shadows had shot off the airboats, making people giddy. In a split second, 5 people had stood on the rostrum.

One person in the middle of the 5 people was an old man who had snow-white long eyebrows and cold eyes. The moment the old man arrived, Zhang Tie had felt like seeing an aggressive, towering mountain peak which was composed of longswords in front of his eyes with a strong sense of oppression. People could barely look straight into his eyes. The moment the old man glanced over from the rostrum, it felt like tens of thousands of sword qi sweeping over the drill ground. Some knights’ longsword directly jumped out of their sheaths. As a result, so many people at present changed their faces while the entire drill ground was filled with the hums of swords…

‘What a realm!’ Zhang Tie was also scared. Given the strong qi of this old man, he felt like the king of swords. In front of this old man, Zhang Tie felt that his so-called cultivation base as sword sage was just a laughingstock. Who dared say that he was a sword sage in front of this old man?

The shadow knight who was suspending in the sky just now was also on the rostrum right beside the old man. Additionally, Commander Cheng of the northeast military region and the other two strange knights were also on the side of the old man.

“I’m Ye Qingcheng…” The old man opened his mouth which sounded metallic. The moment he opened his mouth, all the hums of swords across the drill ground had stopped while there was an uproar among the knights as if this name was magical.

“This is the former marshal of Black Armor Army, the class I Pillar Marshal of Taixia Country. He has already retired since the last holy war…” Bai Suxian said beside Zhang Tie.

Undoubtedly, this old man was a heavenly knight.

“At the request of Emperor Xuanyuan over 10 years ago, this old man would be responsible to rule the army of knights within the northeast military region as long as Xuanyuan Hill delivered Xuanyuan command to summon knights to fight demons. Here’s the Xuanyuan tiger-shaped tally that Emperor Xuanyuan gave me!” The old man explained as a brilliant tiger-shaped tally which was about 33 cm in length appeared in his hand. The old man loosened his hand. The tiger-shaped tally then floated on his side while giving out yellow light. In the light, the image of a fierce tiger appeared like a battle qi totem. The fierce tiger roared towards the sky, which could be heard by everyone at present. After that, the fierce tiger entered the tiger-shaped Xuanyuan tally.

After gazing at the tiger-shaped tally for a while, Zhang Tie found that Ye Qingcheng was not controlling the tiger-shaped tally by his spiritual energy as a divine dominator, but the looming sword qi around him. The sword qi carried the tiger-shaped Xuanyuan tally in the air like water. Evidently, this tiger-shaped tally was also a special rune equipment…

The tiger-shaped Xuanyuan tally given by Emperor Xuanyuan was an authoritative evidence for Ye Qingcheng to lead so many knights. Without the consent of Emperor Xuanyuan and the qualification as a heavenly knight, who could command over 10,000 knights within one military region? At the sight of the tiger-shaped Xuanyuan tally in Ye Qingcheng’s hand, all the knights at present admitted Ye Qingcheng’s identity and authority.

“Now that you could come here after receiving Xuanyuan command shows that you all are loyal to Taixia Country. As you’re going to fight demons in the west border of Taixia Country, please accept this old man’s bow!” Ye Qingcheng deeply bowed towards all the other knights at present on the rostrum.

Many knights immediately bowed towards the old man too, including Zhang Tie.

After straightening up his body, Ye Qingcheng said with an extremely solemn look, “As the situation facing the west border of Taixia Country is constantly changing and very dangerous; the commoners of Taixia Country are suffering from slaughters. You will fight demons at the risk of your life on the battlefield. Collisions between large formations of humans and demons are inevitable. You should follow the commands on the battlefield. From now on, there’s no clan head, elders, sect owner on the drill ground; but only soldiers of Taixia Country who have received Xuanyuan command. In Taixia Country, soldiers should comply with military disciplines. All the knights at present have to follow the following 17 military disciplines. Those who dare violate the following military disciplines would be chopped by this old man for sure. Please bear them in mind!”

“First, anyone who doesn’t march on after hearing drumbeat; who doesn’t stop after hearing the sound of gongs; who doesn’t get up after seeing banner; who doesn’t ambush after banner is put away will be regarded as violating military disciplines and be chopped.”

“Second, anyone who doesn’t respond to it after hearing his name being called; who doesn’t come when being called; who doesn’t come on time and alter master’s laws will be regarded as being indolent and be chopped.”

“Third, anyone who has heard about the enemy’s latest situation in the evening; who doesn’t report it to the superior; who gets up late and is confused about signals would be regarded as making the army slack and be chopped.”

“Fourth, anyone who always complains about the rules; who is furious about his chief commander; who doesn’t follow the order will be regarded as being disobedient to the army and be chopped.”

“Fifth, anyone who laughs loudly; who despises the forbidden contracts; who breaks the gate of the camp will be regarded as despising the army and be chopped.”

“Sixth, anyone whose bows have no arrows; whose arrows have no feathers or heads; whose sword blades and spears are not sharp; whose banner is broken and unclear will be regarded as a liar and be chopped.”

“Seventh, anyone who cooks rumors to bewilder the public; who fabricates deities or ghosts; who believes in dreams; who publicizes heresy will be regarded as rumormonger and be chopped.”

“Eighth, anyone who likes talking; who confuses right and wrong; who alienate the relations between soldiers will be regarded as a troublemaker and be chopped.”

“Ninth, anyone who mistreats commoners; who rape women will be regarded as a rapist and be chopped.”

“Tenth, anyone who steals properties; who kill commoners and take their heads as meritorious deed will be regarded as a thief and be chopped.”

“Eleventh, anyone who gathers together to talk about issues and enter the other’s tents privately for intelligence will be regarded as a detective and be chopped.”

“Twelfth, anyone who leaks what he has heard and planned to the outside and is known by the enemy will be regarded as a betrayer and be chopped.”

“Thirteenth, anyone who doesn’t respond to the command timely by lowering their eyebrows and heads with sad looks will be regarded as hating the army and be chopped.”

“Fourteenth, anyone who runs about in the army; who talk loudly and don’t follow the disciplines will be regarded as disordering the army and be chopped.”

“Fifteenth, anyone who pretends to be sick, wounded or dead so as to avoid from attending the war will be regarded as deceiving the army and be chopped.”

“Sixteenth, anyone who’s responsible for money and grains delivers more money and grains to his relatives which arouses the animosity of the other soldiers will be regarded as provoking strifes among soldiers and be chopped.”

“Seventeenth, anyone who doesn’t observe the enemy carefully; who report the number of enemies wrongly will be regarded as delaying the army and be chopped.”

After hearing the 17 military disciplines, Zhang Tie’s heart pounded as he bore all of them in mind.

After saying the military disciplines, Ye Qingcheng waved his hand while tens of thousands of light spots shot out of his hand towards all the knights at present, one token for one person.

At the sight of those light spot, each knight stretched out their hand and grasped the token.

After holding his token, Zhang Tie found it was yellow and felt icy. It was neither made of gold nor jade. A piece of remote-sensing crystal was inlaid in the token, which had a pattern of a dragon fighting a tiger. Besides, there were three classic Hua characters “Xuanyuan Command” on the token. Below the three characters, there was a line of words “No. 136 earth knight from the northeast military region”. Additionally, there was another line of smaller words at the bottom of the token, “Fantasy No. 76 cabin of black-dragon airboat!”

“What about yours?” Zhang Tie threw a glance at the tokens of Fire-Dragon Hermit, Bai Suxian, Elder Muray and Elder Muyu.

They showed their own tokens towards Zhang Tie at the same time.

Only the numbers on their tokens were different from each other.

Mountain Lifting Hermit’s room was “Fantasy No. 77 cabin of black-dragon airboat!” as it was close to that of Zhang Tie. By contrast, the cabins of Bai Suxian, Elder Muray and Elder Muyu are both yellow cabins of black-dragon airboat…

Elder Muray and Elder Muyu accepted it pleasantly; however, Bai Suxian pouted her mouth when she found that her cabin was a bit far from that of Zhang Tie’s.

After looking at the token, Zhang Tie looked up at those grim airboats in the sky and caught sight of the three words Black-Dragon Airboat on one airboat.

“As you’ve got the military disciplines and received the Xuanyuan command’s tokens. We will set off right away. Please board the airboats according to the number on your token and follow me to fight demons…”

Soon after Ye Qingcheng finished his words, he had flown off towards the sky. Except for Commander Cheng, all the other 3 knights on his side followed him off.

All the knights on the drill ground also flew towards the sky like meteors…

“Let’s go!” Zhang Tie said as he flew off too…

“Come back alive…” Soon after Zhang Tie flew off, he had heard a voice. Zhang Tie looked around and found that Commander Cheng was watching him. Zhang Tie nodded towards him as he entered the Black-Dragon Airboat immediately, followed by Bai Suxian, Mountain Lifting Hermit, Elder Muray and Elder Muyu…

Only after 2 minutes, as the last knights entered the airboat, the 5 huge airboats had set off towards the west…