Castle of Black Iron

After receiving the news, the knights of Iron-Dragon Sect hurriedly rushed towards the main palace of Iron-Dragon Sect in Xuantian Peak constantly like meteors from all the places across Youzhou Province. Closely after that, they entered the main palace with solemn looks and surrounded those people of the Supreme Court and imperial officers.

Even Liu Xing and Zhao Bing of Iron-Dragon Sect had come back from the other cities within the territory of the Fiery-Dragon Bounty Territory.

Over three decades, Liu Xing had already promoted to a black iron knight. Iron-Dragon Sect was full of talents and knights. Even Zhang Tie’s disciples had become masters.

At this moment, Liu Xing was already an intelligent and capable middle-aged man. As he cultivated Fiery Dragon Sutra, his pupils emitted strong light which looked like flames. As the first one who promoted to a knight and became one of the second generations of elders of Iron Dragon Sect among Zhang Tie’s disciples, he was qualified as the No. 1 senior fellow apprentice in Iron Dragon Sect.

“Sister Yu, what happened?” Liu Xing asked Yu Xiaoai secretly, who was waiting in the square, the moment he landed in the square outside the main palace with a glow.

Among Zhang Tie’s female disciples, Yu Xiaoai had the best flair. She was also the first female disciple who promoted to a knight over three decades.

Yu Xiaoai was a maiden over three decades ago. But now she was already an intelligent, beautiful knight with an exceptional personality.

“About 1 hour ago, the president of the Supreme Court of Xuanyuan Hill suddenly arrived at Xuantian Peak with a lot of knights and imperial censors. He said that they were going to search the backroom of suzerain in Xuantian Peak and catch Yun Zhongzi. Elders are negotiating with him about that in the main palace…” Yu Xiaoai made it clear in a few words.

After hearing Yu Xiaoai’s words, Liu Xing strode towards the gate of the main palace. When he approached the gate, he heard a passionate voice from the inside.

“I, Yuan Hua, was appointed as the imperial officer by Emperor Xuanyuan on the 857th year of Black Iron Calendar. I’ve been working as an imperial officer for over 70 years. I don’t feel regretful about my compensation. As I receive compensation from the country, I must be loyal to the country. Although I didn’t kill enemies on the battlefields, I’m also determined to die for my country. If demons approached Xuanyuan Hill, all the 178 people of my family will fight demons on the battlefield regardless of age. We all know that the meritorious deeds of Immortal Qianji shine through history. Therefore, we’ve followed the Youzhou Provincial Court’s officers here to catch the top criminals. We intend to supervise the Youzhou Provincial Court’s deeds. We dare never overstep our authorities for the sake of the fame of Immortal Qianji, Jinwu Palace and Iron Dragon Sect as a whole. Unexpectedly, you dare behave such presumptuously and despise the nine ministers. Do you want to rebel? If all the major sects in Taixia Country behave presumptuously and break laws forcefully like you, how could Taixia Country and Hua people be in peace? According to your deeds, you’re like demons; you’re the culprit of the world-wide disaster. You deserve death; you deserve death! Immortal Qianji was also the chief justice of the Youzhou Provincial Court. After being framed as the murderer of the tragedy in Fuhai City, Immortal Qianji still implied with Taixia laws even though he concealed his identity and had to leave his hometown. He was always frank and straightforward until the real murderer was found and he was claimed to be innocent. He didn’t break any law at all. However, you, as disciples of Immortal Qianji, don’t carry forward his patriotism; instead, you’ve already defied the law in the public before being wronged. If Immortal Qianji knew it, he would definitely feel ashamed of you!”

When he roared ‘deserve death; deserve death’, he almost used his full strength. Therefore, the entire main palace reverberated with his words. As a result, all the people of Iron-Dragon Sect here were in dead silence.

Even though Liu Xing only stayed in Xuanyuan Hill for a few days, he also heard about Yuan Hua, an imperial officer of Xuanyuan Hill.

When Emperor Xuanyuan went to Weizhou Province to investigate the civilian’s situation in plain clothes, he met a case——a major clan outside Weizhou City encroached the mountain forest of over 100 households of the same village and wanted to take that mountain forest as their ancestral graveyard. As that major clan had established marital relations with the provincial governor of Weizhou Province, local officials always preserved their interests. Therefore, victims dared not accuse them in fear of their power. However, a poor, diligent scholar outside Weizhou City who could barely afford his three meals a day claimed justice everywhere for the sake of the civilians by beating the drum in fear of threats and didn’t succumb to lure by the promise of gain. He wanted to punish that major clan who encroached the mountain forest of civilians; he even wanted to submit a written statement to a higher authority to accuse the officials of Weizhou City of harboring the major clan.

Therefore, the poor scholar had a hairbreadth escape. He didn’t die; instead, he encountered Emperor Xuanyuan. What he did was greatly favored by Emperor Xuanyuan. Emperor Xuanyuan instantly promoted him to a 5-class imperial officer in Xuanyuan Hill. As a result, due to Yuan Hua’s charge, the provincial governor of Weizhou Province was dismissed from his post; dozens of officials and the powers of the major clan who were in charge of encroaching the mountain forest were put behind the bars. From then on, the name of Yuan Hua spread across the country and was praised by people. Emperor Xuanyuan investigated the civilian’s situation in plain clothes and appointed Yuan Hua as an imperial officer also became a good story on everyone’s lips with great educative significance.

Over these years, Yuan Hua had paid an inspection tour across the country. His memorials could reach straight to the desk of Emperor Xuanyuan. Too many major clans, officials and evil gentries across the country had been accused by him. Therefore, many major clans were afraid of him very much as if he was a tiger. Due to his great achievements, Yuan Hua had accumulated sublime fame of being frank and straightforward and abhorring evils as deadly foes among the people.

Unexpectedly, this man also arrived. Liu Xing became greatly shocked. When he came to the front of the crowd who were surrounding the main palace, Liu Xing saw a gray-haired elder in the uniform of imperial officer reproaching Elder Sun with righteous words.

“Old stale and pedantic scholar, you make me so angry, so angry.” Sun Tiancheng, the herb king was panting heavily like an ox as his eyes almost popped out of his eyesockets with fury. However, he didn’t know how to refute Yuan Hua.

The duty of imperial officers was to find faults; of course, his words sounded reasonable.

The other elders and grand elders of Iron-Dragon Sect were all here. Liu Xing then stood aside with a solemn look. After exchanging a glance with those elders and grand elders, he just saw them coping with the current situation.

“As it’s in the holy war, Hua people should unite with each other to defend demons. However, Yun Zhongzi broke laws by force. He acted recklessly in the territory of Taixia Country like burning, killing and pillage. Over dozens of years, hundreds of innocent Taixia knights have been killed by Yun Zhongzi. Yun Zhongzi has already become the No. 1 criminal in Taixia Country. The number of Taixia knights that he killed was even greater than that Abyss Monarch once killed. According to the intelligence of the Supreme Court, Yun Zhongzi is already severely injured and is recovering in Xuantian Peak of Iron-Dragon Sect. Iron-Dragon Sect is frank and straightforward. Why not allow the Supreme Court to search him?”

Another imperial officer stood out as he roared with righteous words.

“If Iron Dragon Sect doesn’t coordinate with the Supreme Court’s investigation, I will hit my head against the pillar today in no fear of spraying my brains over the ground. I will sacrifice myself for the country!”

“Yun Zhongzi might have already surrendered to demons; therefore, he caused damages across Taixia Country. Don’t you fear being blamed by people across the world? Or maybe Iron-Dragon Sect is really colluding with that ghost?”

All the imperial officers here were innocent and had a distinguished reputation. Most of them were gray-haired. They were even well-renowned in Xuanyuan Hill and Taixia Country as a whole. At this moment, all the imperial officers were reproaching Iron-Dragon Sect with high spirits and eloquent words.

It was not a battle between knights; however, it was fiercer than a battle between knights. If an imperial censor really died here by hitting against the pillar with his head, the prestige that Iron-Dragon Sect and Jinwu Palace had established over the decades might be destroyed. If Iron-Dragon Sect didn’t coordinate with these imperial censors, these imperial censors would submit written statements to Xuanyuan Hill and arise public condemnation about Iron-Dragon Sect and Jinwu Palace. By then, Iron-Dragon Sect and Jinwu Palace might really be accused of rebelling or colluding with demons. On that occasion, the prestige of Iron-Dragon Sect and Jinwu Palace would also be destroyed. Besides, it would even arouse a series of severe outcomes.

“Damn! Who dare find trouble in this f*ther’s territory…” Right then, they heard a thunder-like growl from the gate of the main palace of Iron-Dragon Sect.

After hearing this voice, those disciples and knights of Iron-Dragon Sect in the main palace instantly gave way to him.

With a black face, Cheng Honglie, the commander-in-chief of Northeast Military Region, Lu Dingzhi, the Youzhou provincial governor and a youth entered. Being similar to Zhang Tie, that youth was Zhang Chenglei, Zhang Tie’s eldest son. Over three decades, the teenager had already become a real man with a powerful qi field. Even though he entered with the commander-in-chief of Northeast Military Region and the Youzhou provincial governor, he also released terrifying qi.

“Commander-in-Chief!”

“Provincial governor!”

“Young suzerain!”

Those disciples, knights and the three elders of Iron Dragon Sect hurriedly came over here to greet the three people.

Cheng Honglie’s face was always black; however, at this moment, his face turned shiny black with fury. When he entered the main palace, he glared at the president of the Supreme Court and complained, “Lord Li, what do you want? You take people to my territory stealthily and want to overturn the table without even noticing me in advance. Do you think that my place is not chaotic enough? Do you know that the entire Youzhou Province and Northeast Military Province have become chaotic because of your action? Only after such a short while, many owners of clans, leaders of armies, provincial governors and cheji generals in the territory of Northeast Military Territory have already contacted me and asked me whether demons are approaching us. Do you think it’s funny to do that…”