Castle of Black Iron

Chapter 2015: The End

“…the household register official in Fuhai City always behaved meticulously and was happy about turning down Zhang Tie’s engagement. He thought that he had avoided a big problem; unexpectedly, he was going to have big trouble because of this. A catastrophe soon occurred to his family. In the evening when Zhang Tie left Fuhai City, a shadow rushed into Fuhai City like a wisp of smoke. In an instant, it had passed by batches of patrollers and come to the outside of the wall of Household Register Official Fan’s courtyard. What the 7 cm high wall to the shadow was what the threshold of a boite to a 1.7 m tall man. With a wuthering wind, the shadow instantly disappeared outside the wall and appeared in the courtyard of Fan’s house…”

The boite was pretty quiet as all the guests were listening to the story described by a man who was standing in the middle of the lobby on the first floor in front of the 2 m high screen while pricking up their ears. The man was talking about the splendid plot in the Legend of Black Iron Hero vividly, despite fabrications.

As for those who liked to listen to stories, they had listened to the following plots for more than once. However, even the same interesting plot would carry different splendid features in the mouth of different storytellers. Therefore, they keenly listened to it as many people among them held their breath.

In a box on the second floor of this boite, a young master at his 20’s with thick eyebrows and big eyes in brilliant clothes was sipping tea and listening to the storyteller’s performance with strong interest.

Two muscular bodyguards were standing behind this young master outside the door like two iron towers with crossed arms.

When the storyteller said that some guards of Fan’s household were beheaded after a wuthering cold wind, he heard a “bang”. Trembling once with fear, the young master who was immersed in the plots of the Legend of Black Iron Hero found that the door was pushed open from outside. At the same time, his cup of half-full tea sprayed over his hand, causing him to draw in his breath due to heat.

Out of fury, the young master turned around and wanted to scold his bodyguards. However, after hearing the words of the boy in green who was oozing sweat heavily over his forehead, the young master became stunned at once. “Young master, the grocery store has just opened…”

“What? You mean, that grocery store has just opened!” the young master instantly forgot about the hot tea water in his hand as he grabbed the boy and continued, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Of course!” the young man replied as he panted heavily and wiped off the sweat over his forehead, “I’ve already waited there for half a month. I would never miss it. I found that it was opened just now; therefore, I hurriedly came here to inform you, Young Master!”

“Let’s go!” After hearing the young man’s words, the young master immediately became excited as his rage suddenly disappeared. He didn’t even listen to the legend any longer; instead, he dropped a gold coin on the table. Following after, he turned around and rushed downstairs, coming to the street, followed by his two bodyguards and the boy.

This young master especially came here for that grocery store in Blackhot City. However, that grocery store was always closed. It only opened twice a month. The boss always disappeared. Therefore, he had been waiting here for more than half a month.

The street was crowded and boisterous. There were only 3 or 4 Hua people among every 10 people. Those foreigners and uniforms came from the other continents like Western Continent. Even barbarians, ascetics and pioneers from Western Continent and female jungle warriors from subcontinents could be spotted here.

The two sides of the street were full of brands in different languages. Besides Hua language, Hebrew and Slav that were widely accepted in Western Continent, even some rare languages could be seen here. Additionally, there was a myriad of items and commodities in those roadside stores. People could almost find everything here.

With different human races, commodities and cultures, the street was full of strange voices.

Many foreigners could be seen somewhere in Taixia Country such as Guizhou Province; however, only one place was crowded with so many foreigners on one ordinary street, namely Blackhot City in Youzhou Province.

It was Blackhot City in Youzhou Province, a city named after a city in Waii Subcontinent which was filled with western buildings. The two blackhot cities were similar to each other in both infrastructure and block plans. This city was also the most charming and legendary city in the eyes of “foreigners”. The owner of the city was Barly, a fat man whom people both loved and hated. It was Barly and his famous brothers who ruled this city.

The one who made this city well-known among humans was the hero in the Legend of Black Iron Hero. Almost everyone who had heard that name would come here to visit Blackhot City.

On the 928th year of Black Iron Calendar, almost all the demons had been driven back to the underground space from the earth surface of those continents and subcontinents. It was said that human knights were still fighting demons in the Earth-Element Realm and urging that the holy war had not come to an end till now; however, in many people’s eyes, the holy war had almost come to an end when all the demons were driven back to the underground space.

It was April 5, the 941st year of Black Iron Calendar. Youzhou Province was in the period between spring and summer and full of vigor.

It took the young master, the boy and two bodyguards half an hour to come to a lane connected to an avenue that was neither boisterous nor remote near the Railway Station of Blackhot City.

It was a spontaneous, boisterous fleamarket not far from the lane. The avenue was crowded with people who left the railway station. In a commonplace at the corner of the lane, the grocery store that the young master had been waiting for half a month finally opened.

Watching the grocery store, the young master heaved a heavy sigh. He then slowed down so as to make himself look calm. Then, he walked toward that grocery with his followers.

A middle-aged man in slippers wearing a very crude look was lying on a sling chair with closed eyes as his T-shirt was half open. Soaking in the sunlight and rocking his sling chair, he looked pretty happy.

Undoubtedly, this crude middle-aged man was the owner of this grocery store.

“All the commodities are sold at market price. No credit is given…” that crude tough man said as he lay on the sling chair, eyes closed. Facing the coming young master and the other three guests, he just squinted his eyes. After taking a glance at them, he closed his eyes again. He didn’t even get up at all.

The young master remained silent. After entering the grocery, he started to look around casually.

The grocery only covered about 70 square meters. It contained all kinds of items, including crystals, ordinary low-rank medicaments and equipments and maps for exploration, etc..

After pretending to look around casually, the young master took three crystals which were worth about 15 gold coins. After that, he walked to a corner of the grocery and secretly looked at the items at the corner.

There was a 1 m high crude iron cabinet over there. It had been rusty. A plate was hanging on the cabinet, which wrote——Those who spent more than 10 gold coins could enjoy a lucky gold ore for free.

In the eyes of insiders, the so-called lucky gold ore was just a trick that was used to cheat fools. Although those items in the cabinet were giving out golden light, they were just cheap pyrites. It was definitely a very poor method of promotion if it was.

After spending 10 gold coins, one could only acquire pyrite that was worth 10 odd copper coins as a gift, even fools would not be cheated.

Perhaps this explained why this grocery’s business was such slack.

However, the young master’s eyes shone when he saw those cheap pyrites. Last year, his honest and simple cousin bought something from this grocery and acquired pyrite as a gift. Unexpectedly, one month ago, when the pyrite that was taken as the paperweight in the study fell to the ground and broke up, a nano bead rolled out of it.

It was a nano bead, space-teleportation equipment, also a silver secret item. As a result, his cousin was completely dumbfounded by this sudden big meat pie that fell off the sky.

This event was supposed to be a secret. After acquiring that nano bead, his cousin always kept it as a secret. Not until the other day did his cousin expose the secret to him while being drunk.

After hearing this piece of news, the young master kept the secret for his cousin; meanwhile, he admired his cousin pretty much. Therefore, he couldn’t help coming to this grocery and taking a look inside.

This grocery looked ordinary. Some commodities were even highly-priced. The boss was a crude middle-aged man, who didn’t look special whatsoever. It seemed that this boss didn’t know the existence of that nano bead among those pyrites. Otherwise, he might not gift those pyrites to people any longer.

“Boss, my young master wants to buy the three crystals, here are 15 gold coins…” The boy in green instantly walked to the front of the boss after receiving the acquiescence of his young master; meanwhile, he gave 15 gold coins to that boss.

That boss became slightly spirited only when he received money. After picking him up from the sling chair, he instantly took the 15 gold coins and put them into his pocket with a smile. After that, he pointed at the big iron cabinet at the corner and said, “Your young master could choose one piece of lucky gold from them. Haha, you cannot take it…”

“These pyrites feel good. I wonder whether do you sell them or not. I want to buy them and show the disciples of my clan the difference between gold and pyrite in case that they’re cheated outside!” the young master said calmly as he waved his fan.

“Haha, if young master wants them, of course, you can take them away!”

“What’s the price then?’

After taking a serious look at the young master, the boss suddenly said with a cunning smile, “Young master, if you want them, you can take them away with the same weight of gold coins!”

“What?” the two bodyguards behind the young master instantly became furious before their young master replied, “They’re just pyrites. How can you sell them like gold? Why not rob?”

At the sight of those pyrites in the big iron cabinet, they realized that it weighed 700-800 kg. How much would it cost! Even though the young master was born in a major clan, he could never spend gold coins so lavishly.

“Robbery is never as safe and fast as this!” the boss refuted straightforwardly as he showed the white of his eyes to the bodyguard, “No matter what, it’s my price. It depends on you!” After leaving these words, the boss yawned as he lay back on his sling chair and rocked it, bathing the sunshine again.

The young master gazed at that crude and cunning boss for a while as he wondered whether he had let the cat out of the bag. He doubted that there was something wrong with his excuse. As a result, the boss noticed the secret and started to rip off him. It couldn’t be otherwise. ‘These businessmen are good at corresponding to guests’ looks and words. Given my identity, I must have already let the cat out of the bag when I expressed that I wanted to buy these pyrites.’

After thinking about it for a short while, the young master gritted his teeth and took out some gold notes. It took him 16,000 gold coins to buy all the pyrites in the big iron cabinets. After that, he asked his two bodyguards to pack all the pyrites and take them away.

Of course, as for whether he could find something special from those pyrites, nobody knew. After that, that young master never came to this grocery any longer. However, soon after that young master left there with his followers, the big iron cabinet was full of pyrites again.

The boss was still lying on the sling chair outside the door with closed eyes. Bathing in the sunshine, he couldn’t help revealing a faint smile…

When the sun was going to set and the last beam of light left the boss, he stretched himself and stood up as he prepared to close the door.

At this moment, an ordinary black car parked outside the door. A fat man then got off the car. After looking around, he smirked and rubbed his hands before helping the boss close the door.

Only after a short while, another car parked outside the door of the grocery. A tall black tough man and four middle-aged men then got off the car and trotted in the grocery.

Closely after, they entered the grocery store, a man in black walked out of the other end of the lane and drove the car.

Only after a short while, loud cheers had drifted from the grocery store. Those middle-aged men appeared to discuss who was most handsome in the photo while drinking…

“Bagdad, you’re just displaying your chest muscles. You’re strong, but you’re not as handsome as me…”

“Lester, look at your shiny hair, you look like those pimps in brothels…”

“Forgot about it, Sharwin, look at your forever naive smile; don’t participate in such an adult topic…”

“As for two of them, due to reasons that everyone knows, they don’t air their views at this moment…”

“And that guy who’s showing his “V” fingers, do you know that? When I saw your pose, I always felt ashamed of you. I even wanted the photo studio to clean that pose. With your awkward pose, the level of our Brotherhood instantly declines greatly. Have you seen any big figure use his “V” fingers when taking a photo?”

“And that brat with black hair, I remember that he has not circumcised at that time…”

It was a time-honored photo in a photo frame. After being drunk, those middle-aged men took off the photo frame from the wall and put it on the table which was full of dishes and drinks. Then, they started to watch it, pass it and comment on it.

The photo was always yellowish. Seven horny youngsters were standing in a line on the photo. Bagdad was crossing his arms on the leftmost side, chesting out. Lester’s hair was shiny and looked mature. Sarwin was smiling shamefully. Doug was grinning as he put one arm around fatty Barly’s neck. Barly looked a bit sorrowful, yet he still pretended to smile. Hista made a pose of “V” fingers. Standing on the rightmost side, Zhang Tie looked a bit depressed and frozen.

Right behind them was a line of huge words on the gate of Blackhot City No. 7 Middle School——Welcome to the Black Iron Age!

…

End!