Castle of Black Iron

With a cracking sound, being drawn by over 1,000 soldiers and dozens of armored vehicles using steel cables, a 100-m long half-collapsed section of the city wall in the north of Xiangshan City fully collapsed. Before dust fell down, over 10,000 soldiers and hundreds of trucks had swarmed up as they started to fill those bricks and cement into the trucks. Closely after that, those trucks poured them into the moat, filling a part of the moat.

Before these “construction wastes” were poured into the moat, some big steel gates in the north of Xiangshan City had long been demolished and thrown into the moat and were buried by tens of thousands of tons of construction wastes. Many reaches of the moat of Xiangshan City had been cut out and become narrow ditches. The entire Xiangshan City was like a large demolition site——the city gates were demolished, the city walls were destroyed, the steam defense facilities in the city walls were severely damaged.

It was the one million members inside Xiangshan City who did all this…

…

“Come here, after demolishing the walls of that house, tell engineer battalion to carry 2 more trucks of cement over here and completely fill this well. Son of b*tches. Even though this dad is going to leave, I will never leave anything to those lackeys of demons…”

Soon after Zhang Tie turned to a street, he had seen a captain of Taixia Country stepping on the stony rails of an open well whose diameter was about 4-5 m by his leather shoes while opening the button near his collar by a tug as hundreds of soldiers behind him were demolishing a delicate house.

Watching this scene, Zhang Tie shook his head towards those people on his side as he let out a sigh with feeling, “What a pity! We have to abandon this place…”

“This ancient well of Xiangshan City has a history of over 500 years. The ancient-well bean curds made of the water in this ancient well is a delicacy in Xiangshan City. Before I promoted to a black iron knight, I would taste the ancient-well bean curds whenever I came to Xiangshan City. In this block, each family has a workshop for making ancient-well bean curds for many generations. Because ancient-well bean curds in Xiangshan City was well known across Wuzhou Province, the supply was not adequate to the demand. Even though these households could live well by making and selling ancient-well bean curds…”

The old man who fought an earth demon knight a few days ago explained as he shook his head with a sigh.

This old man was called Long Miao. Previously, he was the grand elder of Long Clan of Sande Palace in Xiangshan Prefecture of Wuzhou Province. After demons invaded Taixia Country, he was assigned by the commander of Peacewest Military Region to defend Xiangshan City. There were two black iron knights on the sides of this old man, one was called Fang Hui, the other was called Peng Yulin. The two black iron knights both wore armors. Fang Hui looked fierce; Peng Yulin looked gentle. Fang Hui and Peng Yulin were now the leaders of two corps of Wuzhou Province which were defending Xiangshan City. Another black iron knight who was assigned to defend Xiangshan City had sacrificed a few days ago. Therefore, there were only four knights in Xiangshan City now, namely, Zhang Tie, Long Miao, Fang Hui and Peng Yulin.

Zhang Tie had stayed in Xiangshan City for 2 days. The two corps would evacuate tomorrow. Zhang Tie was suddenly touched by such a scene as he wanted to look around this city which was going to be deserted. Of course, the other 3 knights just accompanied him. In Xiangshan City, Zhang Tie didn’t interfere with any military or administrative affairs. He was only responsible for the demon knights who raided them. Fang Hui and Peng Yulin were responsible for military and administrative affairs. However, all the other 3 knights regarded Zhang Tie as their head faintly according to the rule of the knight’s world. Knights’ positions would be determined by their battle strength. As Zhang Tie had the greatest battle strength among the 4 knights; of course, he was taken as their boss.

Although they had just acquainted with Zhang Tie for a few days, they had been completely conquered by Zhang Tie’s overwhelming battle skills that day. As Qianji Hermit was a famous person, the grand elder of Long Clan of Sande Palace and the two leaders of corps of Wuzhou Province would like to stay with him. Although Zhang Tie was well-known across the world, he didn’t put on airs in front of average soldiers in Wuzhou Province and elders of major clans. His words and deeds felt pretty comfortable and satisfied people very much.

“As long as we could kill all the demons and regain Xiangshan City, we would open this ancient well again…” Fang Hui said with full killing intent, “As we’ve passed 2 holy wars, nothing to be afraid about one more!”

Peng Yulin remained silent. When in the army of Wuzhou Province, Peng Yulin was always arrogant as a corps leader of Wuzhou Army. Additionally, he was also very powerful. Take that battle a few days ago as an instance, he could fight 3 black iron demon knights alone and could kill one black iron demon knight in the end. Everyone in the Wuzhou Army knew that General Peng never admitted that he was weaker than others; even in front of the commander of Peacewest Military Region, he was still very stubborn. He was even called Strongneck General. However, after witnessing Zhang Tie’s overwhelming battle skills, Peng Yulin was completely convinced by Zhang Tie.

After seeing the 4 knights approaching him; especially that his corps leader was standing on one side of a person, the military officer who was going to fill the well immediately knew the identity of the new arriver. Closely after that, he ran over here and stood at attention, causing a loud sound “Pah” as he reported, “Corps Leader, I am Captain Gao Fei of No. 6 Division of the 3rd Formation of Copper Furnace Corps of Wuzhou Province…”

“Hmm, go finish your job!” Fang Hui waved his hand, letting this little official officer leave.

“Yes, sir…” As Gao Fei left, he kept throwing a stealthy admirable glance at Zhang Tie. The news that Zhang Tie the Qianji Hermit was responsible for defending Xiangshan City had long been spread over the city these days together with the news that he had killed 2 earth demon knights and 2 black iron demon knights that day. In the eyes of ordinary soldiers, Zhang Tie was a legendary figure who was their super idol.

Zhang Tie walked towards the ancient well which was going to be buried. After that, he touched its stony rails.

The rails were covered with 1 cm deep marks left by slopes, which carried the hopes of so many households in this city for many generations. Those bluestones on the earth beside the ancient well became as smooth as a mirror in the baptism of years.

There were a barrel and some ropes on the rails. Although the nearby households had left here, these items were still placed well.

As this well had a history of over 500 years, the water could be seen 5 m beneath the mouth. Additionally, there was a light mist on the water. The water in the well was as limpid as the mirror.

The most part of the courtyard walls of a mansion had been demolished. When Zhang Tie sighed with feeling and was going to leave, a grey-haired old man in plain clothes walked out of a lane from aside with two barrels on his shoulder by a shoulder pole. The old man came to the well and lifted a barrel of water from the well…

As all the commoners in Xianghan City had been evacuated, Zhang Tie was a bit dumbfounded when he saw such an old man coming here for water.

Given his age, it was a bit difficult for him to lift the second barrel of water.

“Grandpa, let me help you…” Zhang Tie hurriedly came to the side of the old man and helped the old man lift a barrel of water. Zhang Tie then asked, “Grandpa, all the commoners in Xiangshan City have been evacuated, why are you still here?”

The old man revealed a smile, “Just carry those young men away. I grew up here by drinking the water in this ancient well since I was born; my father grew up here; my grandpa grew up here; my grandpa’s grandpa also grew up here; even my wife had stayed here. Demons would arrive, so what? Why do I have to leave when the demons arrive? Am I afraid of them? At such an age, what am I afraid of? If I leave here, who will accompany my wife?”

The old man’s reply made the 4 knights ashamed.

“But this ancient well is going to be filled!” Zhang Tie said kindly.

“I know, I know. I heard the military officer shouting outside just now. I just want to lift some water from here and make ancient-well bean curds for one more time before this well is filled. My wife favored ancient-well bean curd most when she was alive. As I could make ancient-well bean curd, she got married to me…” The old man said as he revealed a nostalgic look. He then looked at Zhang Tie from his foot to his head before asking, “All the young men who stay in Xiangshan City are Hua heroes; you look so young. Do you also come here to fight demons?”

Zhang Tie nodded as he lifted another barrel of water. As the barrels carried here by the old man were a bit large, 2 barrels of water lifted by the common barrel on the rail could only fill 80% of one of old man’s barrels.

“Where’s your hometown?” The old man had a free chat with Zhang Tie.

“Youzhou Province!”

“Youzhou Province, within Northeast Military Region. It’s indeed far away from here. I’ve only been to Huanzhou Province and Yinzhou Province since I was born!” The old man suddenly became interested in talking with Zhang Tie as he asked, “Have you killed any demon?”

“Just a few!” Zhang Tie replied modestly as he pulled up the 4th common barrel and poured the water into one barrel of the old man.

“My youngest grandson is as old as you. However, he’s not as great as you!” The old man sighed with feeling, “Our northwesterners; especially our Wuzhou people are all hospitable. As you come here from afar to fight demons, if you don’t mind, how about tasting my ancient-well bean curds? You might not enjoy it after today…”

“Fine, thanks, grandpa. Where do you live? Let me help you carry water back!” Zhang Tie said as he took the shoulder pole from the old man’s hand and lifted the two barrels of water.

“Not far away in front, I will show you the way…” The old man directly walked in front of them towards the lane.

After lifting the barrels, Zhang Tie looked back at Long Miao, Fang Hui and Peng Yulin, “Let’s go there together. It seems that we have the luck to enjoy the ancient-well bean curd today. Otherwise, we could only eat it after this holy war!”

After hearing Zhang Tie’s words, Fang Hui hurriedly rushed over here and would like to take Zhang Tie’s shoulder pole. At the same time, he said, “Let me do it, let me do it…”

Few black iron knights across Taixia Country could feel at ease and justified having an earth knight carry water for them, not to mention that the earth knight was Zhang Tie the Qianji Hermit.

Zhang Tie revealed a smile as he waved his hand, which indicated that he didn’t mind it. At the same time, Zhang Tie replied, “Haha, don’t care about that, I’m just helping this grandpa. Brother Fang, after today, you could brag that water of the last ancient-well bean curd that you ate in Xiangshan City was carried by me…”

The grand elder of Sande Palace burst out into laughter as he replied, “That’s true. The water of the ancient-well bean curd that we will eat today is carried by Qianji Hermit. Who else would believe that we could enjoy such special treatment? Who else in Taixia Country is qualified to enjoy it? In the future, even if I fought demons to death on the battlefield, I would not have any regret…”

“I suggest keeping this ancient well. Even if demons really occupied this place, given the strong suspicion of demons, they would not dare drink the water from this well. Because we have filled all the other wells and destroyed the freshwater system.”

Being more considerate than Fang Hui, Peng Yulin had sensed Zhang Tie’s commiseration. If they filled the last well, there would be no fresh water across the city. In this situation, after the army evacuated tomorrow, this old man would die before the arrival of the demons’ army.

“Keep it then. Younger brother Peng is right. Even though such an ancient well is kept in Xiangshan City, demons dare not drink the water inside it…” Fang Hui thought it through at once. The decision of the two corps leaders was the supreme order in Xiangshan City. Therefore, Fang Hui especially called the military officer Gao Fei to leave 2 people here to prevent this well from being filled before they evacuated.

They soon came to the old man’s home in the depth of the lane. The old man was alone. His wife’s sacrificial tablet was put in the middle of the main room…

The old man’s surname was Zhou. He was an aborigine in Xiangshan City. The residents in Xiangshan City had started to evacuate 4 months ago. The old man swore to not leave Xiangshan City. Therefore, he stayed with a cat. There were enough grains and woods which were enough for him to live a few years. Additionally, the old man even reclaimed a patch of arable land in his courtyard. Therefore, he could meet self-sufficiency.

The old man had a private workshop and a small mill. He had prepared soybeans…

The old man was happy about inviting the 4 knights to his home. After taking out some jujubes and letting them enjoy themselves, the old man started to make bean curds.

…

On the next early morning, over 3,000 large airships arrived at Xiangshan City and landed at the airports in the city and outside the city. Soon after that, they started to evacuate the garrisons in Xiangshan City.

All the city gates of Xiangshan City had been demolished. Some 100-200 m long sections of city walls were destroyed. All the water resources in the city had been destroyed. They had burned everything they could into ruins. As for those which couldn’t be burned, they had smashed them, destroyed them or buried them. Additionally, the engineer teams of the two corps had set some traps especially targeting at LV 9 demon fighters inside and outside the city…

Only after a couple of hours, all the garrisons in Xiangshan City had boarded airships and all the airship had flown off.

When he left Xiangshan City, Zhang Tie threw the last glance at the city which had been completely damaged and cleaned. He also saw that old man who was lying and napping on a sling chair on a jujube tree leisurely with a colorful cat in his arms in his own courtyard under the warm spring sunshine.

Zhang Tie didn’t know what to say. He only had a strange feeling. In a split second, he felt that his spirit had been sublimed…

‘If you’re not afraid of it and have something to rely on mentally, what could this world do to you?’

The ancient-well bean curd, the ordinary old man who was lying on the sling chair bathing the sunshine with his wife’s sacrificial tablet and didn’t even care about the hundreds of millions of demon fighters and hundreds of thousands of demon knights became the last impressions in Zhang Tie’s mind about this city…

“Let’s go…” Zhang Tie turned around and told the other 3 knights in the sky. Closely after Zhang Tie’s words, a golden light had shot here which startled Long Miao and the other two knights very much. Fang Hui even thought that they were raided by a demon powerhouse as he almost launched a counterattack.

Zhang Tie stopped Fang Hui at once as he said, “Brother Fang, don’t worry, this is my pet mount…”

Soon after Zhang Tie’s words, the thunder hawk had arrived in front of Zhang Tie and started to circle around Zhang Tie jubilantly.

All the other 3 knights were shocked by such a mighty bird.

“Ahh, what kind of bird is it? How could it move even faster than the speed of sound?” Fang Hui and Peng Yulin both widely opened their eyes as they watched the thunder hawk like watching a monster. The two knights had not heard and seen such a nice bird at all.

Only the grand elder of Long Clan of Sande Palace’s eyes shone when he caught sight of the thunder hawk as if he had seen a rarity.

“Older brother Long might know it.” Zhang Tie said with a smile.

After hearing Zhang Tie’s hint, Fang Hui and Peng Yulin moved their eyes onto Long Miao at the same time.

Rubbing his mustache, Long Miao said with uncertainty, “It seems…like the legendary thunder hawk which could gain a rebirth after being struck by thunderbolts. Thunder hawks could fly fast. According to the legend, thunder hawk should at least experience the baptism of thunderbolt once in its whole life. If it succeeded, it would accomplish a round of evolution and mutation. Like how snake sloughs and how knight forms a new chakra. After being struck by a thunderbolt, it would make a spurt of progress in ability. Previously, I saw a thunder hawk which had survived thunderbolts three times in an auction. Finally, it was purchased at the price of over 1 million gold coins. This thunder hawk is many times larger than that one I saw and could move at such an amazing speed. If it becomes so nice after experiencing the baptism of thunderbolts, it must have evolved many times. It could be called an immortal bird. If it was tamed, it would be even more precious than a silver secret item…”

“Haha, Elder brother Long is really experienced and knowledgeable!” Zhang Tie burst out into laughter. Closely after that, he rode on the thunder hawk and rushed into the sky under the admirable looks of the other 3 knights. At the same time, he said, “Besides flying at a high speed, this thunder hawk also has a sharp sight in the sky. It could even discover target from hundreds of miles away. With its help, I promise to clean up all the demon knights who dared harass and raid the airship troop…”