Castle of Black Iron

Neither Zhang Tie liked nor disliked the crown prince of Taixia Country.

As the crown prince’s master was Meng Shidao, they were on the same side. However, given the relationship between Meng Shidao and Huaiyuan Palace, as the offspring of Lord Huaiyuan and the grand elder of the Zhang family, Zhang Tie was not on the same side with the crown prince.

Whereas, Zhang Tie didn’t dislike the crown prince, because the crown prince always enjoyed a good reputation across the country. Zhang Tie had never heard any immoral incidents about the crown prince. Additionally, demons were invading Taixia Country. Zhang Tie admired him more or less as the crown prince could carry the heavy burden in Xuanyuan Hill and stabilize the overall situation of Taixia Country under that circumstance. At least Zhang Tie was not that patient to do that if he were the crown prince.

Zhang Tie felt that the crown prince of Taixia Country was like those moguls and big figures in Andaman Federation when he was a small figure in Blackhot City. Neither did Zhang Tie like them nor dislike them. However, after establishing a connection with these moguls and big figures, Zhang Tie became valuable in their eyes; therefore, he could only spirit up to deal with them.

It was a matter of etiquette. Zhang Tie’s mom usually told Zhang Tie to behave properly.

‘Now that the crown prince has fetched top-notch doctors to cure my wounds and opened the imperial warehouse to me, I have to meet him. Better early than late. Whatever, the crown prince has behaved pretty politely after knowing that I’m awake. I couldn’t put on my airs and make him embarrassed. Otherwise, the Gobbling Party would screw me.’

Zhang Tie was aware of this situation and the plan of the crown prince; however, when he saw the crown prince, he still remained kind and calm; instead of showing his arrogant and unyielding attitude on his face.

The so-called mature performance referred to how you could make the opponent feel at ease when you feel free whenever it was and whoever you were facing as long as you two were in a duel.

After experiencing so much, Zhang Tie had been much more mature.

Zhang Tie was living in an imperial manor called Purple Manor in the Emperor’s Imperial City of Xuanyuan Hill. Being very famous, this place was only about 13 miles away from the imperial palace. It was being guarded by knights of Imperial Guards.

The crown prince was called Xuanyuan Changying. Xuanyuan was an imperial surname, which was the most honorable family name in Taixia Country. Although being similar to how knights rotated a chakra to select the exclusive word for their name, Xuanyuan was not exclusive to a clan. Any Hua emperor who ruled Hua people could use Xuanyuan as their family inheritance. All the other family names of Hua people originated from Xuanyuan. Those Hua emperors could be coronated with the family name Xuanyuan. It was one of the most solemn ceremonies to coronate someone with the family name Xuanyuan like the coronation of an emperor. The imperial households of Taixia Country surnamed Xia dated back to the Catastrophe. Because family Xia had an emperor, Xia was then renamed as Xuanyuan.

What was Xuanyuan? Before the Catastrophe, ignorants always said that Xuanyuan referred to the axle shaft. They said Emperor Xuanyuan Huang invented axle shafts; therefore, Xuanyuan referred to the axle shaft. That was a big mistake! Xuanyuan actually referred to the axis of the planet. The planet was rotating around this axis. Before the Catastrophe, countries founded by Hua people usually called “XX中”. The character “中” referred to the axis of the planet given its shape, which also represented the descendants of Xuanyuan clan. However, before the Catastrophe, due to vicissitudes and many large-scale wars, human civilizations were destroyed one after another. Most of those Hua people who survived those wars had already forgotten about the glory of their ancestors. Although they knew Xuanyuan and “中” in their countries’ names, most of them didn’t know the meanings of “Xuanyuan” and “中”. After the Catastrophe, when Hua people gradually regained their glory, more and more people started to know the true meaning of “Xuanyuan”.

Therefore, the family name Xuanyuan became the supreme family name today.

…

Zhang Tie just waited in a parlor of Purple Manor for the arrival of Xuanyuan Changying as he considered about the background of family name Xuanyuan. ‘It seems rather interesting. A person’s surname means the axis of a planet. How overbearing it is! That’s really something! Only the most powerful Hua people could match this family name.’

Not until a string of footsteps drifted from the path outside the parlor did Zhang Tie raise his head as he saw a man in his 30s walking towards the parlor by strides, followed by some guards. With a straight nose, high forehead and sparkling eyes, he wore an imperial robe made of gilded and black silk and a crown on which two Hua dragons played with a pearl.

No sooner did Zhang Tie see that man than he stood up from the chair.

Watching Zhang Tie standing up to greet him, the man in gilded imperial robe immediately revealed a fervent and brilliant smile as he nodded inside, ‘Previously, I thought Zhang Tie might be frivolous, but I find him solemn and decent.’ The crown prince felt comfortable.

“His Majesty…” Zhang Tie clenched one hand in the other towards that person when the latter entered the parlor alone, leaving his guards outside.

As a knight, Zhang Tie didn’t even need to kneel down towards Emperor Xuanyuan, not to mention the crown prince.

The moment he entered the parlor, Xuanyuan Changying had fixated onto Zhang Tie. Although being born with a noble look, Xuanyuan Changying also exclaimed inside at the sight of Zhang Tie. Zhang Tie still looked like a teenage boy in an official school. Given Zhang Tie’s look, nobody could imagine that he had already promoted to a shadow knight and killed a heavenly demon knight by striking the latter 9 times with a rod as a divine dominator. Average earth or black iron demon knights were as weak as pigs or dogs in front of this person.

“Without Mushen, Weishui River would be as dark as a long night forever!” Crown prince raised his head and sighed with feeling after watching Zhang Tie seriously for a while.

“Thanks, His Majesty. Zhang Tie is embarrassed by the undeserved praise!” Zhang Tie really felt a bit embarrassed by such high praise from the crown prince Chang Ying…

“It’s from Commander-in-chief Zuoqiu. Across the country, everyone is aware of General Mushen’s military exploits above the bank of Weishui River. What you did will glorify you, your family and the country forever…”