Castle of Black Iron

“What the hell? What the hell? I’ve read 12 volumes of medical books and recited 1,000 time-honored ancient prescriptions. Why did he give such a question to us? Why? That’s unimaginable, unimaginable…” An old man grasped his hair with a pale look as if he had seen a ghost right on Zhang Tie’s side.

At this moment, many people felt deluded like this old man beside Zhang Tie.

They all came here with great hope. Previously, they thought Bian Heng would test their medical science. Unexpectedly, the first pass was such a mathematical problem.

It was like how a group of sportsmen went to a school to attend the examination for being P.E. teacher; however, when they arrived at the school gate, they found they were requested to play the violin; instead of finishing test items on the playground.

Those numbers and checkers had nothing to do with medical science!

Watching the 25-checker magic square, Zhang Tie’s face turned weird too. In a split second, Zhang Tie recalled those paper being filled with magic squares, numbers, patterns and lines in Bian Heng’s study room and Bian Heng’s frivolous words about enrolling disciples. Unimaginably, Bian Heng really did so only after a few days.

The words in ink were still fresh on the white piece of cloth. At the sight of those numbers, Zhang Tie had known that it was Bian Heng himself who left the question on it.

‘Why did Bian Heng do this? What for?’

Zhang Tie knew that Bian Heng was eccentric; however, he knew that Bian Heng would never play mischief in front of over 10,000 people.

Therefore, even Zhang Tie was confused about Bian Heng’s intention to give such a question.

At this moment, the most desperate ones were a few nerds who had not even heard about 9-checker patterns at all; instead of those like that old man beside Zhang Tie.

“Ah? What’s a 9-checker pattern?”

“It’s composed of 9 checkers in 3 rows and 3 columns. Each checker contains a number. The three numbers in the first row are 2, 9, 4 respectively; the three numbers in the second row are 3, 5,7 respectively; the three numbers in the third row are 6, 1, 8 respectively. However, if it’s composed of 25 checkers in 5 rows and 5 columns, it would be difficult to calculate…”

Among 10,000-odd people, someone looked pale; someone looked distant; someone deeply frowned who were calculating silently.

The incense in the burner had been lighted. They preferred to have a try rather than complain about it. If they could solve it, they might give an opportunity to be Bian Heng’s disciple.

Bian Heng didn’t explain why he gave such a test; nobody asked about that either. Nor were they qualified to ask about that. If they couldn’t pass the first test, they wouldn’t even have an opportunity to meet Bian Heng.

On Tang Mei’s side, all of them became silent including Tang Mei. They could never imagine that Bian Heng tested his disciple in this way.

At this moment, Tang Mei remained as quiet as before. As she was in veil, her expression couldn’t be noticed by others. However, those beside her could sense her attentive look.

This question was as easy as addition and subtraction within 10 for a university student. Even though Zhang Tie didn’t understand why Bian Heng did that, if he wanted the answer, he only needed to run the gears of the virtual difference engine for a short while. Almost in a split second, Zhang Tie had got all the solutions of this 25-checker pattern. It contained 24 solutions in total. Through rotation and reflection of three basic solutions, he could get 24 solutions. In each solution, the number of the addition of the neighboring 5 numbers was 65, horizontally, vertically or diagonally…

When Zhang Tie was thinking about giving Tang Mei’s favor, someone had already come out of the crowd and entered the room beside the decorated archway.

A person beside General Butler Qin also entered the room. Closely after that, he took out a piece of paper and gave it to General Manager Qin. After taking a look at it, the person who had entered the room was taken out of the room and stood right under the archway.

Seeing someone pass the first test, the crowd at the square were in hubbubs at once.

It was actually not strange. Among 10,000-odd people, there were always some smart ones. Although sportsmen were good at sports, some sportsmen could also play the violin.

Unimaginably, the moment that person stood under the archway before Zhang Tie told the answer to Tang Mei, Tang Mei had already walked towards the cabin.

Among 10,000-odd people, Tang Mei was the second one who found a solution of the 25-checker pattern.

After coming out of the cabin, Tang Mei also stood under the archway, which meant that she had passed the first test.

“Ah, a woman…” someone beside Zhang Tie exclaimed. In an instant, Tang Mei in veil became the focus of so many people.

After Tang Mei, more and more people got the solutions; some of them were not invited to stand under the archway; apparently, their answers were not correct.

The period of lighting incense was only about 40 minutes.

During this period, over 200 people got the solutions. After passing the test, they all waited quietly under the archway. As the incense in the burner was becoming increasingly shorter, over 10,000 people at the square became more flurried.

What was more interesting was that the two nice-looking youths beside Tang Mei and the immortal general who came here at the last moment also passed the first test.

After the incense was lit up, General Butler Qin raised his hand, which meant that all the remaining people who couldn’t get the answer had lost the opportunity to be Bian Heng’s disciples from then on.

It was pretty quiet at the square. Some looked ashy; some let out a deep sigh. All the remaining people were watching the 200-odd people under the archway who had passed the first test as they wondered about the second question.

After taking a look at those people under the archway, General Butler Qin opened his mouth in an instant.

“Very good. You’ve passed the first test. As for the second test, I will not explain too much about it. The second question is also a mathematical problem, but it’s more difficult than the first one. It’s a 36-checker pattern. You have 1 to 36 to choose from. Within the period of lighting half an incense, if you could get the answer, you will pass it…”

Just now, they had about 40 minutes to solve the 25-checker pattern; but they only had about 20 minutes to solve the 36-checker pattern. It was definitely over two times more difficult than the first question.

After hearing General Butler Qin’s words, many people who looked ashy at the square just now gradually recovered their composure; because they instantly understood that they could never pass the second test even though they had passed the first one, fortunately. When they thought that many people who had passed the first test would be eliminated in the second test, many people felt balanced.

Zhang Tie became more curious about Bian Heng’s purpose. ‘Does he want a mathematician or a disciple?’

The period of burning half an incense was about 20 minutes. Under the gaze of everyone, only 4 of the 200-odd people could pass the second test.

It was quiet at the square as everyone focused onto the 4 people who had passed the second test.

Zhang Tie was shocked again as Tang Mei was the third one among the 4 people who got the solution of the second question.

Everyone at present was waiting for the last question nervously and quietly.

“Before I count 10, if anyone among you could get the answer of 64-checker pattern, he or she will pass the third test and become my disciple officially…”

It was Bian Heng’s voice which originated from the mountain and reverberated at the foot of the mountain.

After hearing his words, everyone at the square was in hubbubs. ‘Before he counts 10? That’s impossible! The third test is thousands of times more difficult than that of the earlier two. It’s already out of people’s ability.’

However, Bian Heng just ignored the astonished sounds of the crowd as his calm voice started to sound in their ears.

“1…2…3…”

The interval between the two numbers was only a bit more than 2 seconds. The period of time for consideration was limited to the minimum.

When Bian Heng counted 2, Tang Mei’s body slightly quivered as an abrupt voice sounded in her ears.

“5…6…7…8…9…”

Tang Mei gnashed her teeth as she strode forward, saying, “I’ve got the answer…”

“What, girl, you’ve got the answer…” Bian Heng stopped counting at a stroke. Besides Zhang Tie, nobody else at the foot of the mountain noticed how Bian Heng showed up. With a shadow, the old man with unkempt hair had already appeared under the decorated archway as he gazed at Tang Mei with his shrewd shiny little eyes.

“My respects to you, owner…” General Butler Qin and some disciples and handymen hurriedly bowed towards Bian Heng.

“Ah, Bian Heng. He’s Bian Heng…” Those people at the square were in hubbubs at once at the sight of Bian Heng.

Bian Heng gazed at Tang Mei as he asked, “Girl, tell me your answer…”

After being composed, Tang Mei opened her mouth, “From left to right, from top to bottom, the numbers in the first row are respectively, 1,63, 38,28,7,57,36,30, the addition of which is 260; the numbers in the second row are respectively 64, 2, 27…”

It took Tang Mei 2 minutes to finish her answer. As she said, Bian Heng kept his eyes closed as if he was calculating it. When Tang Mei finished it, Bian Heng suddenly clapped his hands as he opened his eyes. With great excitement, Bian Heng asked, “Girl, what’s your name?”

“Tang Mei!”

“Hmm, you have my word. From now on, you’re my disciple…”

As Bian Heng finished his words, if people’s eyes carried temperature, the air around Tang Mei might be burned.

Tang Mei also slightly quivered as she looked very excited. After hearing Bian Heng’s words, she directly knelt down and kowtowed three times in front of Bian Heng, which was an official rite that a disciple should present to her master when being enrolled.

“Get up. Now that you’re already my disciple, show us your look. Remove your veil…”

After getting up, Tang Mei became slightly hesitant before removing her veil. In a split second, the square at the foot of Tigerback Mountain became quiet. The eyes of many people beside Tang Mei directly became dull…

Zhang Tie had seen a lot of beauties. However, when Tang Mei unveiled her look, Zhang Tie’s face became shortly blank too as he felt having a dream just like seeing a brilliant moon coming out the clouds…

What a beautiful look! Heller’s face was the perfect look of men; Tang Mei’s face was the perfect look of women. Being carved by the Mother Nature, each inch of her face was perfect. Even stones would be affected by her look.

After being shortly blank, Zhang Tie recovered his composure as two words occurred to him——fairy maiden!

Only such a person could be envied by God and suffer from cancer…