Castle of Black Iron

In camp, Zhang Tie’s routine was as precise as the gears of a difference engine. When he went down the steps of his storm, the wake-up call of No. 46 air cavalry regiment had just been blown. Under the dim lamplight of fluorescent lamps in the camp, Stone trotted towards him from the playground.

“Morning, sir…”

Zhang Tie threw a glance at Stone. Closely after that, he nodded and walked towards the playground of the camp, followed by stone.

“Did you go to bed after 1 am last night?” Zhang Tie asked.

“Ahh, how do you know that, sir?” Stone scratched his head with an amazed look as he threw a surprised glance at Zhang Tie and explained, “I didn’t see anybody over the tumbling frame last night; therefore, I practiced alone for a while…”

Tumbling frame training was a basic skill for air cavalries. A qualified air cavalry should stay awake and stood steadily after 10 minutes’ training on the tumbling frame. It was very difficult for commoners to do that; however, a warrior above LV 3 could soon adapt to various movements on the tumbling frame after training. As Stone wanted to be an air cavalry very much, he spared time in training on tumbling frame each night stealthily.

“You’d better not go to bed later than midnight. Young men like you should go to bed before midnight. If you burned the night oil, your health would be severely undermined as you would overdraft your physical potential. You’d better get up early than go to bed late if you want training…”

“Yes, sir!” Stone bore Zhang Tie’s words close in mind as he treated Zhang Tie’s words as authoritative as the Bible for Stone.

When Zhang Tie and Stone came to the playground of the no. 1 battalion, everybody else had already mustered up over there only after the wake-up call was blown for a few minutes.

Air cavalries had to run about 6 km every morning. Since Zhang Tie became their battalion commander, he would arrive at the playground on time and finish the 6 km running every morning, regardless of weather.

Today was not an exception.

Under Zhang Tie’s leadership, the entire battalion’s morale rose rapidly. Over the past 1 month, none of them complained about their hardship and tiredness no matter how hard they trained.

After Zhang Tie finished 6 km running with the fighters of the no. 1 battalion, it was still dim, except that the skyline was getting light faintly in the east. After running, everybody went to the canteen for breakfast. Starting from the first day when Zhang Tie joined this battalion, he had been taking breakfast with the fighters of no. 1 battalion. He never sought for any personal privileges.

The moment they entered the canteen and got their service plates, they had turned relaxed.

The moment they smelt the aroma that filled the entire canteen, all the fighters’ bellies had started to coo.

“Ahh, what’s that? It smells so good! Pork braised in brown sauce. Hahaha, it’s my first time to eat that in the theater of operations…” Guo Haichao, a subordinate battalion chief of Zhang Tie said as he burst out into laughter. At the same time, all the battalion chiefs escorted Zhang Tie to get the breakfast.

Old Gao the director of the canteen was making an inspection tour in the canteen with a big smile in a chef hat like a Maitreya as he guided some cooks to serve the breakfast. When Old Gao saw them coming here, his smile became more genial.

“Old Gao, it’s nice today. You even got us braised pork in brown sauce. You should request to try jump training as a reward…” Fang Shiming, another battalion chief made a joke with Old Gao.

“Look at my shape. If I got on the airplane, I’m afraid that the airplane would consume oil by two more times. Our battalion commander would never agree with that…” Old Gao grinned while patting his round belly.

“From where did you get the braised pork in brown sauce today?” Zhang Tie asked as he took over his service plate from Old Gao.

“Some farmers from peripheral farm villages sent us dozens of fatty pigs and a flock of sheep to us. I will make sheep soup for you tonight. As a tonic, it could drive away the chill from your body…”

“If you cook mutton tonight, don’t forget to send some to our brothers in the hospital…” Zhang Tie told Old Gao.

“Yes, sir. Even battalion commander is concerned about those assholes, not to mention this Old Gao!” Old Gao nodded with a smile.

Over the past month, as the no. 1 battalion intensified low altitude and super low altitude jump training, an increasing number of people were suffering wounds, although nobody died. Over 10 people had broken their limbs. However, Zhang Tie didn’t give up jump training at super low altitude.

As Zhang Tie jumped ahead of them each time, all the fighters and officers followed him to do that at their full efforts.

After getting their breakfast, Zhang Tie and those battalion chiefs then sat at the same table and started to enjoy it.

Besides braised pork in brown sauce, the breakfast also included steamed maize bun, porridge, rice, vegetables, pickled vegetables and some preserved fruits.

The battalion canteen was large. Even though there was no inferiority or superiority at the table, team leaders didn’t feel proper to swarm up when they saw those battalion chiefs were surrounding Zhang Tie, not to mention ordinary fighters.

Compared to those battalion chiefs who all filled their bowls with braised pork in brown sauce, Zhang Tie just added a bit into his bowl.

After putting a piece of aromatic braised pork into his mouth, Guo Haichao closed his eyes in an intoxicated way as if he was taking drug. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and sighed with full emotions, “Damn it, I finally got an orthodox piece of braised pork after coming to the theater of operations for 2 years…”

Among Zhang Tie’s subordinate battalion chiefs, Guo Haichao was relatively forthright. The other battalion commanders had their distinctive traits too. Those tricky guys that Xing Xiangtian warned Zhang Tie one month ago referred to these battalion chiefs. However, these tricky guys had almost become Zhang Tie’s loyal followers, who would follow Zhang Tie’s order immediately.

“We have to appreciate General Mushen. Otherwise, we could only take porridge and radish strips…”

“Yes. We could barely be full last year. I’ve not imagined that we could take meat this year…”

Those battalion chiefs sighed with emotions as they enjoyed the braised pork in brown sauce.

Before Zhang Tie took the office of Weiji General last year, the troops in the theater of operations were pretty poor. At that time, frontline troops could be full; however, they could barely take any meat. Although some meat cans were delivered to troops, after being mixed in the big pot, they would become very diluted while ordinary fighters could only get a bit oil. It was definitely a matter of luck whether or not someone could enjoy a piece of meat. Secondary troops were poorer. Last year, each fighter of secondary troops could only get rations. They could barely be full. Grains supply in the theater of operations was very tight. Many grains were transported from top 6 warehouses from surrounding cities in the theater of operations, some were even transported from places outside the theater of operations. Besides a high cost, they even occupied a lot of transport resources in the rear end. Due to the grains supply shortage, the deployment, allocation and normal training of forces in the Western Theater of Operations were greatly influenced.

After Zhang Tie took the office of Weiji General, the four provinces in the Western Theater of Operations made their first bumper crop harvest. The grains supply shortage facing the entire theater of operations was then alleviated. Especially after the second bumper harvest, the depression and famine that many people predicted previously never appeared anymore.

If not in a chaotic world, people could barely comprehend the important function of grains. Crop harvest could lead to the stability of everything and would slowly bring industrial and agricultural production to the right track. Fewer people would outflow. Later on, people would even flow in. With the recovery of agricultural production, dietary in camps would be richer. After autumn harvest, pork, mutton, chicken egg, aquatic products even beef appeared on the menu of the canteen in troops.

As the helmsman was responsible for navigation, of course, the improvement in the logistics supply of the theater of operations was owed to Zhang Tie by frontline fighters.

Before Zhang Tie joined the troop, he didn’t know that the fame and prestige of Weiji General could be so high among the hundreds of millions of ordinary fighters in the theater of operations. Especially after Zhang Tie got the essence of sword song in the combat with demon knights and killed a handful of demon knights one month ago, undoubtedly, Zhang Tie had been the hero widely accepted by the countrymen and the pillar of the country.

Zhang Tie enjoyed such a high prestige in ordinary troops while his prestige among air cavalries could even catch up with that of Zuoqiu Mingyue.

Because all the air cavalry troops across the theater of operations were almost established by Zhang Tie, including airplanes, Fiery Oil, airports and logistics.

Those battalion chiefs of no. 1 regiment just discussed about General Mushen; however, they didn’t know that General Mushen was sitting at the same table with them and listening to their praise. Those battalion chiefs didn’t think that their battalion commander would be jealous of Zhang Tie as they thought there was a great difference between General Mushen and them.

Hearing their talks, Zhang Tie felt a bit strange and bashful; meanwhile, a warm feeling surged in his heart. Zhang Tie found that what he had done in the theater of operations was all worthwhile. It was already worthy to have so many people keep your contributions in mind. Justice was in people’s hearts. Precisely, Zhang Tie didn’t like awards and vanity.

“If General Mushen was here, those earth demon earth knights would never be that rampant…”

“Yup, it’s said that General Mushen alone penetrated through the large battle formation of demons by sword. As a result, most of the demon knights were afraid of him. He was even at deuce with a shadow demon knight!”

“Oh, battalion commander, have you heard that news?”

He Jiajun, a battalion chief, suddenly approached Zhang Tie and whispered to him when Zhang Tie was listening to their talk quietly.

“Which news?” Zhang Tie threw a glance at He Jiajun while all the other battalion chiefs moved closer as they pricked up their ears.

Compared to forthright Guo Haichao, He Jiajun was more gossipy and well-informed. He was born in He Clan, Starlight Prefecture, Kangzhou Province. Additionally, he had an uncle who was serving as local supervisor of a corps in Ningzhou Province.

“It’s said that Taixia Country plans to establish an exclusive air cavalry army, which would be on the equal footing with top 4 armies. Commander-in-Chief Zuoqiu intends to appoint General Mushen as the leader of the air cavalry army!”

“From where did you get the news?” Zhang Tie asked with a frown.

He Jiajun revealed a mysterious smile as he further lowered his voice, “When my uncle followed his corps leader to attend a conference, some corps leaders chatted about that. It’s said that Commander-in-Chief Zuoqiu had already submitted a written statement to Xuanyuan Hill; however, the crown prince has not agreed with his proposal. It seems that the resistance comes from the Gobbling Party…”

Such vivid gossip could really frighten many people. However, it was far-stretched for Zhang Tie. ‘If it was true, Zuoqiu Mingyue must have told me about that. How could he suddenly pose it to Xuanyuan Hill without my consent? Zuoqiu Mingyue knows that I don’t even want to be Weiji General, not to mention leading Air Cavalry Army of Taixia Country.’

However, except for Zhang Tie and a few people, most of the people almost believed this gossip because it was too vivid. Additionally, what made Zhang Tie reassured was that at least the Gobbling Party had already been in a disadvantageous position in such gossip. Although it was not a reliable gossip, it manifested the opinion of people in the theater of operations…

‘I really wonder who fabricates such a news!’

Zhang Tie threw a glance at He Jiajun. After pretending to think about it for a short while, he said calmly, “This news might be fake. The air cavalry troops have just been established in the Western Theater of Operations. There’s even no establishment of air cavalry troops in other provinces of Taixia Country, not to mention the leader of air cavalry army being on equal footing with top 4 armies of Taixia Country. You know, all the leaders of the top 4 armies of Taixia Country are heavenly knights. Zhang…Mushen is just an earth knight. I don’t think that he could be on equal footing with them for the time being…”

“If General Mushen really becomes the leader of air cavalry army of Taixia Country, I don’t think that anyone would doubt his ability. To be honest, all the air cavalries who drive planes in the air are General Mushen’s apprentices and apprentices’ apprentice. It could be said that General Mushen is the first human air cavalry. Additionally, I don’t think that anyone else in Taixia Country fits this position better than Elder Mushen!’ Guo Haichao said while wiping his mouth.

“Old Guo is right. It’s our great honor to have General Mushen become the leader of our air cavalry army. I would approve him for sure!”

“Haha, your words don’t work. You’re just a battalion chief in charge of 100 air cavalries. When you promote to a knight and have 1 million air cavalries, your words might be convincing…” Fang Shiming said before bursting out into laughter.

“Damn it. Even though this father is not a knight, I would also approve it. You bite me…”

When He Jiajun wanted to say something, he saw a regimental adviser at the entrance of the canteen. After noticing Zhang Tie, that adviser walked over here and whispered to him. Zhang Tie nodded towards him. Then, the adviser left.

After that adviser left, Zhang Tie ate up all the food and dishes inside his service plate before putting down his tableware and throwing a glance at those battalion chiefs as he said, “The corps leader told me to attend a conference. If I’m not back in time for the training, you just proceed routinely…”