Castle of Black Iron

Soon after Yang Yuankang and his hunting team entered the Dragon Cave, the manager of the Long Wind Pearl Field started to suffer from a stomachache again.

The manager was called Zhang Heng, who was an elder of Long Wind Business Group under the affiliation of Huaiyuan Palace. He had served Long Wind Business Group for dozens of years. Recently he hadn’t been as healthy as before because of his age; however, he couldn’t stand being lonely, therefore, it was arranged for him to work as a manager of the Pearl Field on Hidden Dragon Island. Because there was little work to do in the Pearl Field, it was an easy job for him. Actually, it was almost like having a vacation.

In the early morning, soon after he got up, Manager Zhang suffered his stomachache once again.

He had been troubled with gastric ulcers for many years. Besides paying special attention to his diet, he had also tried many acupuncture therapies and medicine which were all very limited in effect.

Even while he suffered from that scorching pain which extended like a wildfire in his stomach, manager Zhang still wanted to make a patrol around the Pearl Field.

In contrast, the yakshas in the sea near the Pearl Field looked so energetic these days. Even though they had not been assigned with the task, they still went in the sea in the early morning to guide the young men to practice diving skills. This made manager Zhang Tie reassured.

Soon after making an inspection tour, manager Zhang returned to the office. He then covered his mouth with a handkerchief and started to cough heavily.

However, this time, he tasted blood in his mouth. After coughing, he looked at his handkerchief and was shocked by the red color mixed in with the mucus.

Is it really that severe? Gazing at the blood on his handkerchief, manager Zhang forced a bitter smile. The doctor had told him that if his gastric ulcer became severe, he would suffer a complication of spitting blood, which indicated that his blood vessels had been influenced. When this truly happened, it would be dangerous.

Heavy coughing, hemoptysis, plus increasingly scorching pain made manager Zhang weak for quite a while. Sitting on the chair in his office a bit tiredly, manager Zhang touched his upper abdomen and gasped for quite a while before relieved it a bit.

Hearing manager Zhang’s heavy coughs, senior Chen ran into his office, ”Manager Zhang, are you okay? How about calling a doctor for you from White Dragon Town?”

Senior Chen also knew that manager Zhang had suffered this illness for many years; however, hearing him coughing especially heavily today and seeing his forehead turn blue while the veins on his forehead almost pop out, senior Chen started to concern about him.

”Hehe, it’s okay, senior Chen. No need to trouble you. I know my disease very much...” Saying this, manager Zhang silently put away his handkerchief, ”You’ve been here for many years, after this year, I prepare to recommend you to the superior officer and let you take over my seat as I might not be able to stay longer on this position.”

Hearing this, senior Chen hurriedly wove his hand, face turned blushed, ”Manager Zhang, I don’t mean that...”

”Senior Chen, listen to me. We’ve been working for several years. I know your personality very much. I’ve worked for so many years. In the past, I could not stand being alone; now, I’m old and am not after fame and wealth any more. Therefore, I want to have a good rest at home and accompany my grandsons. As you’ve been very familiar with the affairs in the Pearl Field, it would be most proper for you to take over my position after I leave...”

Saying this, manager Zhang looked at senior Chen. These days, senior Chen looked very energetic; his face looked better one day after another. Compared to manager Zhang, senior Chen at least could work 10 more years in the Pearl Field according to his current condition.

”Manager Zhang, I think you’ve not got the proper prescription. Take me and some old buddies in the Pearl Field as an example, after working in the sea for half of our lives, we were always tortured by rheumatism and arthritis and felt that we could not stand any longer. But, now, as we’ve met the most proper prescription, we become fully energetic once again!”

Manager Zhang heard the news that senior Chen and some yakshas in the sea had greatly recovered from rheumatism and arthritis that they had been suffering for so many years. He didn’t pay more attention to this news. In his opinion, this was because they were just fortunate enough.

Hearing that they drank a special solution brewed by a young yaksha in the Pearl Field called Zhang Tie using a secret knowledge, manager Zhang then took this as an eccentric medicament. Besides feeling lucky for them and praising Zhang Tie’s talent, manager Zhang didn’t think too much about that.

For the words that the solution could make ones more energetic and feel not tired, manager Zhang thought that was a bit exaggerating. For him who had seen so many things, it was actually not difficult to reach the same effect. After drinking a bowl of ginseng braised with chicken soup, he could almost realize the same effect.

”Is that solution given by Zhang Tie truly that good?” Hearing senior Chen mention that thing once again, manager Zhang then casually asked.

”It’s not good, it’s marvelous. Since drinking that thing, I and the other old buddies didn’t suffer from arthritis any more. What’s more, we all feel healthier these days like having become several years younger!”

The moment he mentioned the solution gifted by Zhang Tie, senior Chen had become spirited. Because the solution was too effective, senior Chen and his other old buddies asked for some more from him and carefully hid it. These days, they would only drink a small mouth of that solution everyday as they all felt recovering vitality.

”Hehe, you’re lucky enough to meet the right prescription...”

”Manager Zhang, that thing could not only cure our diseases, senior Wei told me that yesterday his grandson got a fever and caught a cold. He kept crying. As the boiled decoction of the medicinal ingredients tasted too bitter, his grandson didn’t eat it. As a result, the whole family became so anxious just like ants on the hot pot, including senior Wei, guess what?”

”What?” Being curious about senior Chen’s words, manager Zhang kept asking.

”Heh heh, since realizing the marvelous effect of the thing given by Zhang Tie, senior Wei bought a beautiful and delicate silver kettle and put them inside the kettle. In usual time, he would take the kettle with him like treating a treasure. Yesterday, his grandson cried because of catching a cold, senior Wei then teased him with that silver kettle; however, he had not imagined that the moment his grandson smelt the flavor of the solution from the mouth of the kettle, he desperately wanted to eat what was inside. Senior Wei then opened it and let his grandson drink several mouthfuls. The result was that soon after drinking that, his grandson had become calm. In 1 hour, his grandson’s cold and fever had relieved and finally was cured!”

”It also works on fever?” Hearing this news, manager Zhang became dumbfounded for a while. This folk’s prescription seemed to have too many effects. It didn’t seem possible. But he believed that senior Chen wouldn’t tell a lie. Because there were only several hundred people in the Pearl Field. As long as something happened, it would soon be spread among the rest.

”That’s why we say it’s marvelous...” senior Chen revealed a big smile, ”Senior Wei even told me that he wanted some more from Zhang Tie for his grandson. Hearing senior Wei’s daughter-in-law mentioning about it, some households in the Pearl Field even wanted to ask for some solution from Zhang Tie for their own kids!”

After chatting with manager Zhang for a while, senior Chen left manager Zhang’s office. Sitting in his office alone, manager Zhang considered about senior Chen’s words as he faintly shook his head. Perhaps, it was a just a coincidence. If that solution was really that effective, it could definitely be sold like the medicament produced by alchemists.

After senior Chen left, manager Zhang still felt a scorching stomachache. The wildfire like scorching pain was gradually enlarging. After standing it for some more minutes, senior Zhang’s forehead oozed fine sweat drops.

Senior Chen’s praise and favor about the strange solution kept ringing in manager Zhang’s ears. Manager Zhang then pulled open a drawer under his desk.

There was also a glass bottle in the drawer, which was containing the solution which was mentioned by senior Chen. This was what Zhang Tie gifted the manager before he left the Pearl Field.

It was just a common glass. When Zhang Tie gifted it here, manager Zhang just felt that Zhang Tie was sensible. Because he regarded it as a folk prescription for curing rheumatism and arithmetic, he just put it into a drawer.

At this time, manager Zhang took out of the bottle.

The color of the solution inside the bottle looked very energetic as the golden color was mixed with a faint green color.

Remembering that senior Chen said it smelt very good, even kids wanted to eat it. Being driven by curiosity, manager Zhang opened the lid of the bottle and smelt it carefully.

He smelt a strange and refreshing flavor.

Only after smelling several times, manager Zhang had started to drool. Having lost appetite from early morning until the present due to the intense pain, manager Zhang suddenly felt hungry and wanting to eat something.

After taking a careful look at the solution, manager Zhang couldn’t stand to have a sip like drinking alcohol.

It tasted really good. He then took another sip...

In only half a minute, manager Zhang had felt a wisp of cold and comfortable sense from his stomach which was suffering from a scorching ache. In a short while, that fire in his stomach had been dying out.

”Wuh...”

At the beginning, manager Zhang thought it was an illusion. After sensing it seriously, he realized it was true.

He then took another big mouth of that solution before rested in the chair with his eyes closed.

10 minutes later, manager Zhang became so excited that he directly stood up with his eyes shimmering brightly. Fixing his eyes on that bottle of solution, when he wanted to take another mouthful and had an another look at it, manager Zhang found his hand was shivering...