Castle of Black Iron

Tideviewing Courtyard was at the foot of Tigerback Mountain near Whitedragon Gulf. A path led straight to Tideviewing Courtyard from Bian Heng’s residence on the mountain.

Being a small courtyard of five rooms, Tideviewing Courtyard was leaning against a mountain and facing the ocean. Being covered by a mangrove forest, it looked pretty tranquil. It was as large as Zhang Tie’s courtyard in Apricotblossom Village. It was a silver sand beach over 300 m away from Tiderviewing Courtyard. Therefore, Zhang Tie could even hear surging waves in the courtyard.

With the guidance of General Butler Qin, Zhang Tie looked around Tiderviewing Courtyard as he felt pretty satisfied.

“This courtyard and the sandy beach are all behind Tigerback Mountain. Nobody else would come here. Previously, Tideviewing Courtyard was prepared for our master. When master visited here for the first time, he spoke highly of the scenery here; therefore, we built Tideviewing Courtyard for him. After it was completed, master lived in here for a couple of times. However, master has not been here for over 3 decades. Even so, there’re still people taking care of this place. You won’t lack anything here. Butler Jin, do you like it?”

Tideviewing Courtyard was filled with triangle plums, yellow oleanders and crape myrtles. When the sea wind blew by, the faint fragrance filled the entire courtyard. Additionally, the entire ground of this courtyard was full of shadows of flowers and trees. Zhang Tie realized that this was indeed a good residence for viewing tide, listening to the sound of billows and cultivating oneself…

With Qin Mu’s guidance, Zhang Tie looked around the entire courtyard. When he found there was a high-level backroom for cultivation in this courtyard, Zhang Tie nodded inside. If such a courtyard was located in Tigerback Town, it would cost all the properties of ordinary people for one night.

“I like it. I like it pretty much. Thank you so much, General Butler Qin!”

“We provide 2 meals a day for free. Butler Jin, if you’re hungry, you could go to the main courtyard or Tigerback Town. You could also cook food here. Given your identity, if you feel inconvenient to live here alone, you could recruit two servants to look after you. Your monthly compensation is 30 blue crystal coins, being exclusive to the reward of our master. Additionally, you should be responsible for the expenditure of employing your servants. As for grains, you could get them from the main courtyard or purchase them yourself…”

Qin Mu told Zhang Tie as if he had already absolutely treated Zhang Tie as a butler of Tigerback Mountain. Zhang Tie just listened to it.

“I will not invite any servant anymore. I feel free alone here. It’s fine. I could take care of myself. I could cook food myself or eat in the town!”

“Good. Butler Jin, you will get your identification card tomorrow. Do you have any question?”

“Oh, I was told that our master had 8 disciples. But why I only saw 4 on the mountain?”

“Our master indeed has 8 disciples. The other 4 have already left the mountain, one in Star Emperor Immortal Palace; the other in Force Emperor Immortal Palace; one in Emperor NvWa’s Palace as their employed elders respectively. The other one is traveling across the world…”

3 of his 4 disciples leaving the mountain had become the employed elders of those major emperor-level immortal palaces. Zhang Tie really felt speechless about their positions and abilities. Not until then did Zhang Tie realize why so many people were here for learning from him. As long as they could be employed by Bian Heng, they would reach their heydays sooner or later.

“Is there any more questions, Butler Jin?”

“No more, thanks, General Butler Qin…”

“Hmm, I gotta get going. Butler Jin, you could live in Tideviewing Courtyard first. Here’s the key of Tideviewing Courtyard…” After giving the key to Zhang Tie, General Butler Qin left, leaving Zhang Tie alone.

Zhang Tie then came to a pavilion of Tideviewing Courtyard. Watching the sand beach and the shimmering sea level and listening to the billows every once in a while, Zhang Tie felt open-minded abruptly as he felt that fate was really marvelous. Yesterday, he had nothing to do with Tigerback Mountain; however, one day later, he had become the only butler of Tigerback Mountain besides the general butler.

Zhang Tie found that some fishing boats were catching fish on the sea level. They might be fishermen from Tigerback Town. Although they were catching fish in the private waters of Bian Heng, Zhang Tie didn’t want to stop them at all. The title of the butler of the fishing ground was just an excuse that Zhang Tie used to settle down in Tigerback Mountain. Although this fishing ground belonged to Bian Heng, now that Bian Heng didn’t care about it, Zhang Tie would not care about it either. Zhang Tie didn’t even have an interest in the Emperor NvWa’s City which covered such a large area, not to mention such a little fishing ground. Otherwise, Zhang Tie would not have left Dragon Emperor City.

Zhang Tie knew that Tang Mei must be in Tigerback Town. However, Zhang Tie didn’t know how to help them. After all, they didn’t lack money nor were in trouble. Additionally, it was out of Zhang Tie’s ability to ask Bian Heng to save her.

Of course, Zhang Tie had a solution. For instance, if Zhang Tie gifted the two golden secret items to Bian Heng, he might enable Bian Heng to save her. However, it was too stupid if he determined to gift two golden secret items to Bian Heng and asked the latter to save this girl out of mercy whose face was still secret to him as he felt that he was destined to marry her. Perhaps such a silly plot only existed in novels of knights. In reality, such an event was neither rational nor sensible. Without a proper reason, he might even be mistaken as a playboy with evil intent.

‘I shall not tell them about the fact that I’ve become the butler of Tigerback Mountain. After all, some secrets are involved in this case. Otherwise, they might think that I’m showing off in front of them, on which occasion, they would feel disgusting about me and I would not be able to help them successfully.’

‘I could only figure out Tang Mei’s disease first. When I become familiar with Bian Heng, I will find an opportunity to ask Bian Heng for the treatment. Given Bian Heng’s ability, he might be able to save Tang Mei with only one sentence.

‘The preoccupation is that I have to recover my qi sea as soon as possible so as to promote to a semi-sage level knight.’

After thinking it through, Zhang Tie settled down calmly.

…

Although Zhang Tie couldn’t use his battle qi to light up his chakra and cultivate, he could still use his spiritual energy to cultivate various secret methods such as Mental Cultivation by Abacus or the Great Wilderness Sutra ; especially the secret method of gathering two special energies in the air using his spiritual energy to attack others…

All in all, Zhang Tie would never be free in the Tideviewing Courtyard.

…

On the second early morning, Qin Mu had already had people send Zhang Tie’s identification card in Tigerback Mountain to him. Besides being his identification card, it could also be used to contact Qin Mun and Bian Heng for the sake of convenience.

Besides his identification card, Zhang Tie also got some sets of official uniforms in Tigerback Mountain. As the butler of Tigerbck Mountain, of course, he should not look poor.

Zhang Tie put away all the items. At noon, he left Tigerback Mountain for Tigerback Town…

After checking out the inn, Zhang Tie started to stroll around Tigerback Town.

When he separated from Tang Mei, Zhang Tie remembered their direction. Additionally, their uran carriage could be easily identified outside if they lived in an inn. Therefore, it was not difficult for Zhang Tie to find them…