Castle of Black Iron

Last year, Zhang Tie saved over 200 million commoners from the demon camp who were previously used to wipe out land mines for demons after winning the wager from Abyss King in the War of Weishui River. After being saved by Zhang Tie, half of these people had already arrived at Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory as they chose to settle down here as Zhang Tie’s followers.

Previously, it was almost impossible for the Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory to transport over 100 million people from the bank of Weishui River to Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory at its solo effort within a short period. Thankfully, Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory had tens of thousands of allies. Each major clan and sect which cooperated with Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory on the production of fiery oil assigned one group of airships or some airboats so as to transport over 100,000, hundreds of thousands or millions of people from the bank of Weishui River to Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory. With their concerted efforts, they finally transported these people into Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory.

Take Heavens Fortune Sect and Lord Guangnan’s Mansion as an instance, they assigned groups of airboats and airships to transfer about 10 million refugees respectively.

As of now, there were over 1,000 towns like God’s Favor Town which had almost 100,000 people across Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory. These towns shared the same feature, namely, their names definitely contained one word from the following lines: Immortal Qianji’s favor is as heavy as Mount Tai; we extend our gratitude to you as if you are our parent.

These towns had just been founded in late months. All the residents in these towns were innocent commoners whom Zhang Tie had saved from the demon camp. The two lines also symbolized Zhang Tie’s high position in the hearts of those commoners.

Zhang Tie was their savior as he saved them from demons.

When they arrived at Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory, they were penniless. With Zhang Tie’s help, they settled down there, living in the houses which Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory built especially for them, plowing the farmland which Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory gifted them and working in the plants and workshops invested by Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory. Their kids studied in schools in Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory too…

Actually, they had become Zhang Tie’s subordinate followers. Zhang Tie became their superior leader and master.

Therefore, these people regarded Zhang Tie as their savior.

These people were different than the former ones in the cities of Fire-Dragon Prefecture. The former ones had independent properties who were not attached to Zhang Tie and could leave or stay whenever they wanted. By contrast, these over 100 million people who arrived at Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory were much closer to Zhang Tie as they enjoyed everything brought by Zhang Tie and were willing to attach themselves to Zhang Tie. In some sense, they had already become the followers of Zhang Tie and the members of the Zhang family. They enjoyed all the rights that commoners enjoyed outside; however, they had to follow Zhang Tie’s order completely within Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory. Whereas, they were not slaves; they were more like the laborers of Zhang Tie and Zhang family.

Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory was vast and had fertile land. With the concerned coordination and support of all parties, over 100 million people could completely be held on the land covering 6 million square miles given the wealth of Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory.

In the following 3 months, 100 million more people would arrive at Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory by batches. Finally, all the over 200 million people that Zhang Tie had saved at the bank of Weishui River would come to Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory and became the laborers of Zhang Tie and Zhang family.

Laborers and land were the foundation of major clans in Taixia Country. These laborers and land were inherited and bound to each other as the firmest mass basis and material foundation of a clan and a major sect. Among major clans in Taixia Country, servants, stewards, directors, myrmidons, private guards and dare-to-die fighters were basically selected from laborers. It could be said that major clans in Taixia Country depended closely on laborers as the interests, rise and fall of major clans and laborers were bound to each other. Major clans to laborers was what water to fish!

Zhang Tie’s family and Huaiyuan Palace both had laborers. Zhang Tie’s elder brother had tens of thousands of laborers in Jinwu City; Huaiyuan Palace brought over 1 million laborers from Waii Subcontinent; Zhang Tie’s Fiery-Dragon Bounty Territory also had more than 100,000 laborers since Bai Suxian gifted him so many dare-to-die fighters.

After all the people that Zhang Tie had saved from demons arrived at Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory, Zhang Tie would have over 200 million laborers, who would become Zhang Tie’s firmest supporters and advocates as well as the foundation for Zhang family to be a major clan.

Many time-honored major clans in Taixia Country held that if a clan didn’t have over 100 million laborers, it was not qualified to be a real major clan——having over 60 billion square meters land, over 100 million laborers, flocks of knights and a long history; founding a head clan.

Zhang Tie didn’t pay heed to the foundation of major clans in these new towns outside Dongyang City; instead, he only paid attention to commoners.

Nobody could understand Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie did nothing but take a look around here. He wanted to see how those people whom he had saved from demons at the bank of Weishui River lived. Those kids’ smiles satisfied him as if he took panacea. Even though Zhang Tie had not fully recovered, he felt everything he did was worthwhile.

All the other 11 towns were similar to God’s Favor Town. Therefore, Zhang Tie became reassured.

He would not live in vain until death.

As for the others, Zhang Tie had thought it through——just let it be.

When the sun was hanging high over the sky, Zhang Tie chewed a steamed bun as he took some in hand, returning to his taxi.

“Let’s go back to the airport!” Zhang Tie said as he wrapped the two steamed buns with paper before giving them to the driver, adding, “I’m afraid that you’ve not eaten lunch; therefore I bring you two steamed buns in case of hunger…”

After taking Zhang Tie’s steamed buns, the taxi driver gazed at Zhang Tie for a couple of seconds in a trance. Then, he suddenly let out a sigh, “You’re a good man. I even feel bashful taking your money…”

“Haha, don’t be that reserved. If you didn’t take money, I wouldn’t take your vehicle. It’s not easy for you to make money. I understand you. Just treat it as a tip…” Zhang Tie burst into laughter as he said, “Eat slowly. We have time. We can set off after you finish it…”

After eating the two steamed buns, the driver sent Zhang Tie back to the airport as fast as possible.

After returning to the airport, Zhang Tie drove his plane back to Iron-Dragon Sect at cost of almost the same time that he spent all the way here…

When Zhang Tie returned to Iron-Dragon Sect, his disciples had already prepared well the bloody figures for him…