Castle of Black Iron

After walking out of his knight’s tower, Zhang Tie looked up at the dull red sky and took a deep breath. After that, he strode towards the Iron-blood Tower...

The sky in the Earth-elements Realm reminded Zhang Tie of Castle of Black Iron. In the Earth-elements Realm, it would also turn dark in the evening while the weird clouds in the sky caused a low visibility just like that in the evening on the earth’s surface.

On the earth’s surface, at night, sometimes the moons were bright and the stars were few when the visibility was very high; sometimes, the moons were covered with black clouds when it was pitch dark. In the underground world, the exotic clouds in the sky of the Earth-elements Realm seemed to reflect the climates on the earth’s surface too.

Besides day and night, the Earth-elements Realm was exchanging atmosphere with the earth’s surface, causing alternative four seasons and various climates.

After Zhang Tie left the knight’s tower for less than half an hour, the sky outside the Lion Fortress had completely turned dark.

Bang...

A loud sound drifted from the sky.

Zhang Tie looked up and caught sight of a golden lightning bolt which flashed across the top of that huge pyramid in the middle of the Lion Fortress. In a split second, it started to rain heavily.

It was Zhang Tie’s first time to see the rain in the Earth-elements Realm.

It was marvelous to see it raining in the Earth-elements Realm. Due to the existence of the transparent energy cover, all the raindrops would slide off the energy cover, causing a layer of exotic ripples on the dome of the Lion Fortress. It felt just like enjoying a heavy rain in the dining hall on the top floor of a skyscraper with a glass dome.

The heavy raindrops slid off the glass dome; however, the dining hall was dry. Sitting in such a dining hall, listening to the melodious performance of violin and piano, sniffing the fragrance of rose blossom, and having a candlelight dinner with a beauty in bobtail. How romantic it was...

However, Zhang Tie was in the Lion Fortress, which had nothing to do with romance.

Although there was no rose here, there were a lot of grim demons. The beauties here were a scarce resource. It depended whether you could have a dinner with a beauty. The fortress was filled with high-end eternal fluorite lamps. Zhang Tie thought that few candlesticks could be found here. Additionally, there was a river of magma with stimulative sulphuric smell being not far from the fortress. There was no feast here. All the resources on the earth’s surface were relatively scarcer here. Breadfruit, nutritious mushroom and watermelons definitely posed a great test to your palate...

Zhang Tie didn’t know whether the beauty would feel romantic when eating breadfruits, nutritious mushrooms and watermelons. No matter what, Zhang Tie didn’t feel that it was necessary for him to eat those fruits. By having those fruits, you would not starve to death and could maintain your physical strength to move; however, your palates would suffer a lot. As there was a lot of tasty food in Castle of Black Iron, it was unnecessary for Zhang Tie to endure hardships in his knight’s tower.

In the evening, Zhang Tie found fewer passers-by on the streets of the Lion Fortress. Besides knights, many logistical personnel and auxiliary fighters in the fortress had started to relax themselves. Only a few people were on duty.

Both humans and demons should comply with the universal rule of the balance of yin and yang. Sun would rise and fall; oceans would ebb and flow; plants had ups and downs. As living beings, how could humans and demons become intense around the clock like having dozens of kgs of viagra?

At this moment, perhaps, some human knights were still wandering and fighting demons outside the Lion Fortress and the first abyss while some others were still cultivating in their own knight’s tower; however, it was time for most of the human knights to relax themselves after one day’s busy work.

There were many bars on both roadsides of the streets in the Lion Fortress. As this place lacked resources on the earth’s surface, many people in the Lion Fortress chose to relax themselves in the bars, where they could enjoy music and laughter.

In the evening, Zhang Tie felt the Lion Fortress became more like a market. Walking on the streets and sensing the reassuring qi, Zhang Tie, who had been restless since he started to escape, gradually recovered his composure. As a person who grew up in a small city, this qi made him comfortable like bathing the spring wind and raindrops. The burst of laughter from roadside bars made him feel especially safe and genial.

Not every knight liked this atmosphere. Therefore, the bars in the Lion Fortress were all far away from the knights’ towers. However, Zhang Tie felt as free as fish in water in such an atmosphere. He didn’t feel bored at all.

Generally, there were two kinds of bars in the Lion Fortress: first, being exclusive for people in certain classes and circles such as logistical personnel and knights. Although there was no stipulation in explicit terms, those customers basically stuck to this game rule. Outsiders would not enter a bar which was exclusive to a specific group of people in case of arousing others’ attention. Additionally, it was impolite; second, they were open to people regardless of their identities. They just drank, chatted, bragged, accosted girls, exploited connections and learned from others, etc...

Iron-blood Tower belonged to the first type of bar. Only knights consumed there.

The Iron-blood Tower was over 1,000 m in height, making it outstanding among the other knights’ towers whose height on average was only about 500 m.

Under the heavy rain and rumbling thunders, Zhang Tie came to the Iron-blood Tower on time.

Compared to the exaggerated gates of the other high towers, the gate of the Iron-blood Tower was much smaller. At the sight of its gate, Zhang Tie had known that it was a private place. If Zhang Tie was a bit taller, he had to stoop down.

After entering the gate, Zhang Tie came to a vestibule. After passing the vestibule, Zhang Tie entered a metal tunnel, both sides of which were carved with various rough reliefs. There were blue fluorite lamps in the tunnel, creating a pretty good atmosphere. Zhang Tie could hear the melodious piano tune in the tunnel from the bar. The ornaments below the crystal floor of the tunnel were earth-elements crystals...

This tunnel was luxurious enough even for knights.

The moment he exited the metal tunnel, Zhang Tie’s sight had been expanded. He caught sight of a woman, whose black hair was covering her shoulders, playing a melodious piano tune on a music stool...

At the sight of the woman, Zhang Tie had felt getting an electric shock; he almost forgot how to walk...

The woman raised her head and threw a glance at Zhang Tie. The pair of eyes were like black gemstones. How familiar and unforgettable they were...

...

Being late at a heavily rainy night in the common bus station in Blackhot City...

The girl was watching him while her face was covered with tears...

"...when I grow as beautiful as Miss Daina, if you’re still alive, will I marry you on behalf of her?"

The boy burst out into tears...

...

In a split second, Zhang Tie felt like returning to the past while that girl’s words rang in his ears...

After so many years, the girl had been even more beautiful than Miss Daina...

Although Pandora had changed her look, Zhang Tie could still recognize her. The boy had changed his look too; however, he could never be recognized by Pandora.

’Why is she here?’

In a split second, numerous whims flashed by Zhang Tie’s mind.

...

"Young brother Cui Li, here..." Gong Ziyao stood up from a cassette at 9 am direction and wove his hand towards Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie revealed a smile and waved his hand towards Gong Ziyao before striding towards Pandora...

Pandora wore a black longuette. Therefore, Zhang Tie didn’t know whether she was working here or having a rest. However, each of the two identities was out of Zhang Tie’s imagination.

Right under the gaze of Gong Ziyao and Zhou Shufan, Zhang Tie stopped in front of Pandora who was playing a piano tune and glanced at her right hand.

He caught sight of the very black seal ring on her fair, plump, smooth and slim fourth finger of her right hand.

"Young sister, do you have a boyfriend?" Zhang Tie watched Pandora with his glittering eyes while asking her in a hoarse voice.

With a sound of "Huala", before Pandora replied, 8-9 knights had sprung up while staring at Zhang Tie with malicious eyes...

The greater part of the 8-9 knights were Hua knights while the rest two were Hebrew knights.

...

"Audacious..."

"How dare you be so rude to Miss Pandora?"

"Does this guy treat us as farts?"

...

Along with the furious reprimands, two Hua knights were just gazing at Zhang Tie silently with sharp killing qis.

Pandora stopped playing her piano as she faintly raised her head and threw a glance at Zhang Tie. Closely after that, she asked, "Who’re you?"

"Cui Li, from Yongzhou Province!"

"I’ve already got a boyfriend!"

"When I caught sight of you, I fell in love with you immediately. Pitifully, I’m one step later!" Zhang Tie shrugged while he threw another glance at Pandora. After that, he directly walked toward Gong Ziyao and Zhou Shufan.

Watching Zhang Tie leaving so fast, the other knights who had just sprung up sat down...