Castle of Black Iron

Translator: WQL  Editor: Aleem

Although work did not always make people pleasant, people had to do it. The more important the position was, the more limits there would be. In many cases, people had to deal with it in high spirits in order to fulfill their obligations.

On the second day since Zhang Tie finished his talk with Lu Yanyu beside the field, he had started an inspection tour across Huanzhou Province, Kangzhou Province, Ningzhou Province and Military Province with Lu Yanyu by airboat.

Besides inspecting the official fields, Zhang Tie paid special attention to some major mines and large industrial complexes and plants in the four provinces.

Besides grains supply, Weiji General and Weiji envoys should also be responsible for providing armies with weapons, leather belts, military uniforms, kettles, sabers, swords, helmets, steam tanks, armored vehicles and military vehicles in the theater of operations.

Within days, the total population of the Taixia corps within the 4 provinces of Peacewest Military Region reached almost 480 million, including that from the top 4 armies of Taixia Country and the provincial armies in Peacewest Military Region. It was absolutely not an easy job to meet the demand for logistic equipment from so many soldiers.

Thankfully, Taixia Country was deeply rooted with a powerful state power mechanism on its back. Therefore, the military demand from almost 500 million people was not difficult to meet across Peacewest Military Region, which contained over 100 Cla.s.s A major cities based on equipment manufacturing industry, thousands of large- and medium-sized mines and metallurgical production bases, tens of thousands of industrial production plants and over 10 billion mu official fields, more than 7 billion people were still serving the corps in the theater of operations. Besides, there was a sound ground and air traffic network and perfect logistics operation as well as guarantee mechanism. All this made Taixia country confident to confront with demons in the western theater of operations.

The airboat moved very fast. Without any stop, it could fly almost 12,000 miles a day.

It only took Zhang Tie less than 7 days to travel across the entire Peacewest Military Region. During that short period, Zhang Tie understood a truth——the holy war was definitely not only between human knights and demon knights but related to everyone.

In a metallurgical base of Ningzhou Province, Zhang Tie saw an old, experienced technician who had retired for many years. In order to contribute to humans in the holy war, he returned to the workshop and taught some apprentices to make quality steel works as well as supervised the duration and quality of each furnace of liquid steel.

In the farms of those official fields of Military Province, Zhang Tie saw many foreign border men who had settled down in Taixia Country being driven indignified after hearing that demons had been invading Taixia Country and were going to destroy their homeland once again.

In a small city of Huanzhou Province, Zhang Tie saw all the households being busy making belts and special steel b.u.t.tons on caligas, male or female, old or young.

In an a.r.s.enal which produced steam armored vehicles in Kangzhou Province, Zhang Tie saw the factory directory and main engineers directly moving their homes into the production area. They had already made a military pledge to guarantee the quality of the products…

Within 7 days, Zhang Tie saw too many similar people, most of which were commoners. Everybody was exerting their utmost efforts on their own posts for the sake of the holy war.

After 7 days" inspection, Zhang Tie finally understood how big his power was as Weiji General.

Within the 4 provinces, over 5 million officials on different levels would follow his order directly. Any of his orders would influence over 7 billion people who served the logistics system of the theater of operations. All the 68,772 official and non-governmental industrial and mining enterprises would follow his order. This year, he could allocate 5.6 billion gold coins for the logistics system of the theater of operations as a whole, half of which would flow into official enterprises while the greater part of the rest would be used to purchase various quartermaster materials and equipment in terms of bidding. Those who were qualified to partic.i.p.ate in the bidding were all major clans from the 4 provinces in the theater of operations. Wherever Zhang Tie was, he would always be escorted imposingly by local major clans like a local emperor.

Besides, Zhang Tie could allocate enormous resources. For instance, he could allocate 64 airboats and over 200,000 airs.h.i.+ps and numerous ground vehicles. Additionally, all the railways, trains, inventory, distribution and transfer of materials in the theater of operations were at his discretion.

With such great power, he could definitely hoodwink the public in the rear end of the theatre of operations.

After acknowledging the situation facing the theater of operations, Zhang Tie finally understood why Lu Yanyu had a complex feeling when he saw Zhang Tie at the beginning.

As for people who loved power, such great power would make them feel like being in the paradise and vigorous all over just like having taken drugs. By contrast, as for Zhang Tie, such great power only made him feel a bit peac.o.c.kish within a few days. After that, he was still deeply impressed by those ordinary people who were working in common posts. Because Zhang Tie saw his parents and the other Zhang Tie who had no Castle of Black Iron from those commoners.

Through the inspection, Zhang Tie didn"t get lost in the illusion brought by power; instead, he strengthened his belief.

On January 20th, Zhang Tie and Lu Yanyu returned to Kangzhou City after the 7 days" inspection. On the same day, soon after Zhang Tie returned to Kangzhou City, the 2 airboats from Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory had landed in the square of the Peacewest Farming Administration of Kangzhou City.

…

With a smile, Zhang Tie watched the opening hatch doors of the two airboats while fiddling with the 3 walnuts as usual.

When the hatch door of the first airboat was opened, Zhang Tie"s elder brother, Li Tao, Lu Yishan and Sun Qiming got off one after another, followed by many people.

At the sight of Zhang Tie, Zhang Yang revealed a smile too. The others were slightly shocked at the sight of the two rows of imposing bodyguards in golden armors and that man who was waiting for them with a smile in the Cla.s.s III official uniform of Peacewest Farming Administration.

Zhang Tie didn"t want to put on airs. However, in this case, even though he didn"t put on airs, the great qi field among those people behind him had already implied everything. Across Taixia Country, perhaps only major officials on the level of commanders of military regions could have a subordinate Cla.s.s III official wait for them on his side with a kind smile.

…

“Thanks for coming from afar…” Zhang Tie told his elder brother with a smile.

“Pleasure. It"s only a couple of days" trip by airboat even from Youzhou Province…” Zhang Yang smiled as he looked at Zhang Tie from his head to his foot. After that, the two brothers exchanged a glance with each other silently.

After Zhang Tie and Zhang Yang finished greeting each other, Li Tao and Lu Yishan hurriedly moved forward to hail Zhang Tie.

“Master!” Li Tao and Lu Yishan called Zhang Tie at the same time with an exciting and awe-struck look. The two people had not imagined that Zhang Tie could be directly promoted to such an influential figure in the western theater of operations of Taixia Country only after coming to the theater of operations for less than half a year.

1 month ago, when the news that Zhang Tie was appointed as Weiji General of the Western Theater of Operations by Zuoqiu Mingyue reached Youzhou Province, the entire Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory even the entire Youzhou Province had been shocked. As Zhang Tie"s myrmidons, Li Tao and Lu Yishan were more excited. Zhang Tie"s rising position also indicated their rising positions. Since Zhang Tie was appointed as Weiji General in the theater of operations, it indicated that Zhang Tie"s influence had reached out of Northeast Military Region and Zhang Tie had officially become a top-cla.s.s figure among major clans and knights in Taixia Country. At the sight of Zhang Tie, Li Tao was a bit reserved more or less; however, Lu Yishan had been so excited that his face was red with excitement.

“Hmm!” Zhang Tie nodded toward them with a smile as he continued, “You had done a good job in Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory these days. I"ve already heard about that. Hopefully, you could contribute to the Western Theater of Operations of Taixia Country with the ability that you presented in Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory…”

“It"s owed to the great leaders.h.i.+p of the madams in Ironheart Palace. As the master called us here, we would certainly not shrink from any sacrifice!” Li Tao said after exchanging a glance with Lu Yishan. As Lu Yishan was a bit clumsy in remarks, he just nodded on one side. The two people both knew that Zhang Tie would like to put them in important positions this time. By following up Zhang Tie, the two people would definitely reach new heights in their lives and undertakings in Peacewest Military Region. As long as they did a good job at Zhang Tie"s request, the so-called vanity and wealth would come for them naturally.

Zhang Tie nodded as he was very satisfied with the two people"s att.i.tude.

After Li Tao and Lu Yishan finished their talks with Zhang Tie, Sun Qiming took in a deep breath before moving one step forward as he greeted, “Hermit!”

“I wonder whether my junior sister apprentice Lv Shasha would blame me for separating you from her in a short period!”

Although Zhang Tie was joking, given his tone, he didn"t treat Sun Qiming as an outsider at all. As his words sounded somewhat familiar, Sun Qiming felt a bit thrilled as he cupped his hands toward Zhang Tie and said, “If hermit needs me, it means that you"re trusting and favoring our Sun family. Before setting off, my wife warned me to finish the tasks arranged by hermit carefully; additionally, my wife also asked me to relate one sentence to hermit——hermit should take care of yourself on the battlefield. All the senior and junior sister apprentices of hermit on Hidden Dragon Island are still contacting each other. They all hope to watch hermit"s imposing look by forming a sword dance in front of them once again…”

The junior sister apprentice who once liked crying had already been a mother and wife. In case of gossips, since Zhang Tie exposed his real ident.i.ty to the public, he didn"t meet that junior sister apprentice privately anymore although being in Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory. After hearing that those senior and junior sister apprentices were still contacting each other, their expectations and wishes to him, Zhang Tie had a complex feeling at once…