Castle of Black Iron

Chapter 1198: The Inquiry

Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem

Zhang Tie just sat and drank tea water in the parlor of the courtyard. He had already taken off his hood, revealing an excessively young face.

He just helped that middle-aged man by himself. What counted most was the sentence that middle-aged man roared when being driven mad——All the people across the world are swarming around as flies do for good and hang around as dogs do for food. I’ve been so poor for the well-being of all the people across the world. It’s meaningless. If you want to torment all the people across the world, just do it. If you want to kill me, just do that. Aren’t you heavens reaching? Aren’t you preparing for turning all the medicinal materials into poisons? Come on, kill me...

As the middle-aged man shouted it when losing his marbles, very few people would believe in his words. However, as Zhang Tie was proficient in Soul Forbidden Method, he could clearly sense that that man was in his right mind although being despaired and mad. He was not talking rubbish. He just aired his grievance in a self-abandoned way.

——Turning all the medicinal materials into poisons!

This sentence caught Zhang Tie’s attention.

At Zhang Tie’s request, over 10 waiters entered the bathroom of the courtyard with a lot of clothes, shoes and socks in hands for the selection of that middle-aged man. They made two rounds. Some waiter even pushed a dining cart into the bathroom. Zhang Tie just waited there patiently. When he drank tea water, he took out a vial of water-element crystal which gave out shiny blue light and started to absorb it.

Even grasshopper legs were meat. Although Zhang Tie had prepared to not take absorbing element crystals as the major method for forming his chakra; now that he was free, given that it was inconvenient for him to cultivate “The Great Wilderness Sutra” and the other secret methods, he just casually took out one vial of water-element crystal and started to absorb it just like cracking melon seeds. By the way, he could increase his battle strength to a certain degree, why not? No matter what, Zhang Tie had a lot of water-element crystals.

After entering Castle of Black Iron and absorbing the fruit of brilliance, Zhang Tie could carry out 26 tasks at the same time. In this state, Zhang Tie’s absorbing speed was much faster. Even though Zhang Tie didn’t make his utmost effort, he had completely absorbed one water-element crystal in less than 1 hour.

After absorbing the 1st water-element crystal, Zhang Tie took out the 2nd one. When he absorbed half of the 2nd one, the middle-aged man entered the parlor of the courtyard.

The moment that man entered the parlor and saw that water-element crystal being consumed in a visible way, the thought that he was ready to risk everything immediately disappeared. Meanwhile, he became restrained all over.

“Thanks...thanks hermit for saving me!” After entering the parlor, that middle-aged man bowed deeply towards Zhang Tie while putting his two hands on both sides of his legs. Lowering his eyes, he just waited for Zhang Tie’s order.

Zhang Tie threw a glance at that man. After taking a bath, having a full meal and putting on a new set of brilliant clothes, that man didn’t look that sloppy anymore.

Given his look, this man was at his 40s. He had an average figure with a gentle, narrow and long face. At his age, he had only lit 4 surging points on his spine. Therefore, he was very average in cultivation. Additionally, he might have suffered some wounds in his guts, which had not been recovered yet. However, he should have seen the world. At least, he had seen water-element crystals and knew that Zhang Tie was holding a water-element crystal. Those who could absorb water-element crystals were at least earth knights.

Zhang Tie didn’t feel strange about the words of this person. If the man had not even seen a water-element crystal, even Zhang Tie would doubt that he had made a wrong judgment.

“Take a seat, I have something to ask you!” Zhang Tie put it straight as he pointed at the chair beside his teapoy. When Zhang Tie talked with him, his battle qi had surrounded the entire parlor. Therefore, nobody else could hear the contents of their talk.

“Yes, sir!” That man also sat straight on a chair beside Zhang Tie. At the sight of his deed, Zhang Tie nodded inside too. If this person dared be presumptuous in front of an earth knight, he must be really mad. If so, Zhang Tie would not say anything else to him. Given this man’s response, although he looked restrained, he was at least polite. It was similar to that when a commoner met a strange earth knight.

“What’s your name? How long have you been to Youzhou Province?”

“This humble man is Sun Jiagu. Since I came to Embracing Tiger City from Qiongzhou Province by sea last October, I have been living in that inn!” That man answered honestly.

“You said you’re a pharmacist?”

“I’ve just promoted to gourd-suspending pharmacist master 2 years ago!”

A gourd-suspending pharmacist was the 3rd level in the world of pharmacists. Before this level, there were herbal medicine apprentice and knapsack pharmacist. If one person could only reach the level of a gourd-suspending pharmacist at his 40s, it meant he was very average in his qualification. He was more like a roving doctor or could at most open a clinic in the downtown to survive himself. If he wanted to make greater achievements, he had to ascend to some more levels.

“What’s wrong about you? How could you deteriorate to such a degree? On the street, you said that someone wanted to turn all the medicinal materials in Taixia Country into poisons and even kill you!”

After hearing this question, Sun Jiagu finally plucked up his courage to ask Zhang Tie while looking straight into Zhang Tie’s eyes and gritting his teeth, “May I know your family name and which sect are you from, hermit?”

“I’m Zhang Tie, a clan elder of Huaiyuan Palace!” Zhang Tie exposed his real identity frankly too.

After hearing Zhang Tie’s name, Sun Jiagu widely opened his eyes at once, “You...you’re that...Zhang Tie...the provincial chief justice who caused a great loss to Heavens Reaching Church in Youzhou Province and...”

Given Sun Jiagu’s shocked expression, Zhang Tie knew that he must have heard about Zhang Tie’s name and even seen Zhang Tie’s image on order for arrest. However, he couldn’t remember whom this young man was for the time being.

“Right, I’m that Zhang Tie who was once wanted by the Supreme Court across the country; however, the Supreme Court have already canceled off my order for arrest last year. I’m innocent and have already returned to Youzhou Province!” Zhang Tie revealed a smile, “I wonder whether I could ask you about something with my identity!”

Sun Jiagu looked at Zhang Tie as he quivered his lips. Before he uttered, he had dropped tears.

“Go ahead, I’m afraid that you’ve not told that to anyone else. Therefore, you feel a great stress. Just say it. Now that we could meet each other by accident, I wish to be your first audience!” Zhang Tie said kindly.

“Yes...I will say it...I will tell you all of it...” Sun Jiagu wiped off his tears by sleeves as he gradually recovered his composure, “I was born in Yongfeng Prefecture, Jizhou Province. I served as a herbal medicine apprentice in a drugstore at 16; when I was 31, I promoted to a knapsack pharmacist. I spent most of the time in herbal medicines and have learned how to make ordinary medicinal pills. Later on, through recommendation, I entered Taian Palace, a local major clan in Jizhou Province and got married. After that, I worked in a drugstore being affiliated to Cheng Clan. Cheng Clan of Taian Palace has over 20 cities, hundreds of thousands square miles’ medicinal fields and dozens of medicinal mountains; additionally, they have earth knights. Cheng Clan is good at planting herbal medicines and producing medicines, which are circulating across Jizhou Province and many surrounding provinces. Even the corps across Taixia Country would purchase Cheng Clan’s medicines by large batches. As I excel at making some low-level medicinal pills, I was responsible for supervising and guiding the lads and apprentices to make medicine pills.”

Zhang Tie listened to Sun Jiagu’s explanation seriously as he nodded from time to time. Sun Jiagu’s experience was similar to that of most of the low-level pharmacists in Taixia Country. These people couldn’t continue to promote in the industry of pharmacists; therefore, most of them would seek a reliance and stable work in a major clan. Although top-class medicaments were precious, many low-level medicaments and medicinal pills were the absolute mainstream in the market across Taixia Country even among all the humans. Whatever, commoners and ordinary fighters below LV 9 accounted for most of the people in this world. Only by meeting the demand of these low-level people could the industry indeed grow.

Although senior recovery medicaments were good, above 99% of commoners in this world might not have a chance to see senior recovery medicaments, not to mention using them.

Basically, Zhang Clan’s all-purpose medicaments were targeted at commoners. Because all-purpose medicaments could only replace the effects of some preliminary and low-level medicaments.

Zhang Tie made a hand gesture to let Sun Jiagu continue.

“I enjoyed a good treatment in Cheng Clan. Previously, I planned to stay in Cheng Clan for the rest of my life. Whatever, it was a stable life. However, I discovered an amazing plot in Cheng Clan by chance!”

“What plot?”

“The entire Cheng Clan are stealthily making medicinal pills and medicaments using poisonous medicinal materials; additionally, they are distributing their poisonous medicinal materials to the other provinces across Taixia Country...”