Castle of Black Iron

After bowing towards Elder Muen, those deacons threw an awe-stricken glance at Zhang Tie before leaving. As they were responsible for taking care of the Ancestral Hall and serving clan elders, of course, these deacons knew what was this for.

”Elder Muen, what’s this for? Are we holding some ceremony?” Zhang Tie asked out of curiosity.

”Of course we need to hold a ceremony. Have you forgotten what we talked about last night?” Elder Muen revealed a smile.

”Ahh? Is that for me?”

”Of course!”

”This...is too grand!” Zhang Tie looked around and watched those busy deacons and disciples, those gold bricks with propitious clouds and the prayer flags that were hanging in the hall. That was really too grand. Last night, the other elders said there would be an official ceremony for one more knight in Huaiyuan Palace. Zhang Tie had not imagined that it could be such grand.

”Rotating Chakra Ceremony is a major event for our clan. Of course, we have to treat it meticulously!” Elder Muen said with a solemn look.

”Rotating Chakra Ceremony?”

”After promoting to a knight, you have formed your original Chakra; if the Chakra could rotate forever, it would indicate a great battle force of our clan. The rotating Chakra is not only related to yourself, but also related to the qiyun and prosperity of the entire clan and Huaiyuan Palace. Therefore, we have to hold a rotating Chakra ceremony to celebrate and display the dignity of the knight!” Speaking of this, Elder Muen looked around the entire hall with a narcissistic and emotional look as he lowered his voice, ”The last rotating Chakra ceremony was held here 68 years ago. Before Elder Muyu and Elder Muan promoted to knights at the same time, they were called Huaiyuan Double Jades due to great talents. They promoted to knights within 3 years one after another. In that rotating Chakra ceremony, the moment the two knights appeared, our Huaiyuan Palace shocked the entire Waii Sub-continent. In Jinyun Country, Huaiyuan Palace’s prestige even exceeded the other 5 major clans, Lan Clan, Ou Clan, Dantai Clan, Wang Clan and Li Clan. Each member of Huaiyuan Palace was proud about that. Since then, the rotating Chakra ceremony’s ritual instruments had been maintained everyday. Each member of Huaiyuan Palace expected for the moment when we could use those ritual instruments once again. And it came again 68 years later...”

”68 years!” Zhang Tie also let out a sigh while he was deeply moved by Elder Muen. Zhang Tie had not imagined that it was so difficult to be a knight.

”The big events of a major clan are warfare and sacrifice. In Taixia Country, each top clan would hold a rotating Chakra ceremony per 10 years or so. In each rotating Chakra ceremony, the cohesive force and influence of a clan would reach a new high. Before Huaiyuan Palace returned to Taixia Country, it’s a good symbol for Huaiyuan Palace to hold another rotating Chakra ceremony in this Ancestral Hall!”

”When will it start?”

”November 3rd. It’s a lucky day!” Elder Muen replied, ”We have to pay great attention to this rotating Chakra ceremony. It will take Huaiyuan Palace’s side more than half a month to prepare for it. Additionally, we have to send invitations to guests. It would take all the guests at least 1 month to arrive here. Today is September 24th. Although it is still a bit hasty, 40 days is okay !”

After thinking for a while, Zhang Tie said, ”I have something to deal with. I will leave Huaiyuan Prefecture for a while. I will come back before November 1st!”

As Zhang Tie had not been to Ice and Snow Wilderness for a long time, he planned to take a look back there in this period. As his current swimming speed was at least 10 times faster than that of before, it wouldn’t take him too long to make a round trip.

After being silent for a second, Elder Muen watched Zhang Tie seriously, ”As this rotating Chakra ceremony is related to the dignity of the clan, after sending out the invitations, guests will converge here from all directions. If you didn’t come back on time, the entire Huaiyuan Palace would feel bashful. If it’s a dangerous trip, you can have Elder Muray accompany you...”

As Zhang Tie usually disappeared, Elder Muen was afraid that Zhang Tie would disappear once again. If so, Huaiyuan Palace would have a big trouble. If Zhang Tie was still the previous one, Elder Muen would have rebuked him; however, Zhang Tie’s status was as same as that of him now. Although Zhang Tie had not become an official clan elder, he could not be looked down by anyone else in Huaiyuan Palace. As a clan elder, unless making an unforgivable mistake when he would be punished by all the other clan elders, he had the right to refuse any order in the clan. Negotiations were available instead of orders for him.

”Elder Muen, don’t worry. I’m not going to fight demons this time. I will be safe!” Zhang Tie explained with a smile as he understood Elder Muen’s concern.

”Hmm, come with me...” Elder Muen then led Zhang Tie into a rear court of the Ancestral Hall, where the clan elders usually cultivated in. After that, Elder Muen took out of a mini brocade box from a cabinet in a room.

Zhang Tie took it and found a finger ring inside. Given its look, the finger ring was nothing different than common finger rings, besides being thicker and wider. However, Zhang Tie knew that common finger rings could never be put away here in such a solemn way. Additionally, Zhang Tie remembered that all the clan elders were wearing a similar common finger ring.

”This is a top-quality remote-sensing crystal finger ring that could only be worn by clan elders of Huaiyuan Palace. According to our plan, you should wear it when you confirmed the knight character at the end of the rotating Chakra ceremony. Now that you want to leave Huaiyuan Prefecture, you can put it on first. You can contact the other clan elders with it in an emergency.”

Zhang Tie took it and looked at it carefully. However, he found that it didn’t look like a remote-sensing crystal at all.

”There’s a mini top quality remote-sensing crystal inside this finger ring. You cannot see it without using your spiritual energy!”

Zhang Tie then sensed a fine hole which was dozens of times narrower than that of needle eye on the surface of the finger ring. After injecting his spiritual energy into that fine hole, Zhang Tie sensed the core of the remote-sensing crystal which looked like a drop of running water.

The smaller the remote-sensing crystal was, the easier it would be carried and the more precious it would be. After being sealed inside the finger ring, the remote-sensing crystal could almost not be seen by others. Such a delicate craftsmanship and the value of such a tiny remote-sensing crystal was amazing. Compared to that remote-sensing crystal gifted by Zhang Yang, this finger ring was much more advanced. After wearing this finger ring, when a message was transmitted here, he would receive it instantly.

Furthermore, this finger ring was a rare Knight-level rune equipment. After scanning over the metallic surface of the finger ring with his spiritual energy, Zhang Tie had seen lines of the message in his mind.

——Huaiyuan Finger Ring

——Knight-level Equipment.

——With this finger ring, the wearer could increase his nimbleness by 2%, his recovery speed by 2% and his perceptive ability by 2%.

What a rarity! What was more was that there was an in-laid top quality remote-sensing crystal inside the finger ring.

”This finger ring is produced in the Items Pavilion of Huaiyuan Palace. Only clan elders are qualified to wear it. Each clan elder has one!”

Zhang Tie took it solemnly. Although the Huaiyuan Finger Ring was light, it was valuable.

There was an exclusive long-distance communications identification code for this finger ring in the box. After skimming it, Zhang Tie rubbed it into ashes in front of Elder Muen.

”In the encryption department of the Ancestral Hall, someone was keeping an eye on the other side of this remote-sensing crystal around the clock. Through the transfer of the encryption department, you could contact the other 5 clan elders through this finger ring!”

The encryption department was exclusive for the long-distance communications among clan elders, which was under the management of royal and reliable clan deacons. This agency displayed the wealth and privileges of clan elders of Huaiyuan Palace.

”Did Elder Muyuan transmit the message from Eastern Continent to here by Huaiyuan Finger Ring this time?”

”Hmm!” Elder Muen nodded.

After becoming a clan elder, according to the regulations of Huaiyuan Palace, Zhang Tie could only call other elders’ courtesy names. Even if they were father and son or brothers, they could also not call each other according to their seniority in the family unless at home or privately. Therefore, Zhang Tie could not call 6th granduncle in the public anymore.

...

After 10 minutes, Zhang Tie strode downwards Yiyang Mountain, the center of Huaiyuan Palace alone.

In Huaiyuan Palace, nobody dared to follow clan elders unless the one was bored of living too long. Additionally, only knights were able to follow knights.

”Ahh? Are you a new disciple? We’ve not seen you before!” When Zhang Tie went downhill, he met some deacons who were going uphill at the same age of Zhang Tie. Watching the young man who was wearing a different warrior’s costume from that of others, the other deacons asked amazingly. ’As all the deacons, stewards and disciples in the mountain were uniformed costumes respectively, nobody dared wear casual clothes here. Who’s that one? How can he be so audacious?”

”No...”

Zhang Tie answered calmly before walking downhill in a handsome way under the amazing gaze of the disciples.

...

After half an hour, Zhang Tie came to an apartment on one avenue of Yiyang City.

...

”Ahh? Mr and Mrs James have already checked out half a year ago. They’ve already left Yiyang City by the sea!”

The concierge of that apartment was a strong white man. He answered Zhang Tie politely when he found that Zhang Tie was a Hua man in an expensive set of warrior’s costumes.

At this moment, as a great batch of Hua people were evacuating from Yiyang City, more and more other human species flooded in. Many Siberians found their jobs in Yiyang City, which made up the shortage of labor forces in this city.

The concierge’s reply was within Zhang Tie’s expectation completely. On the way here, he had guessed that Miss Daina had already moved away. Last time, after he left Yiyang City two months ago, Miss Daina should have married her fiance. As such a long time had passed by, it was impossible for Miss Daina to stay in Yiyang City.

Zhang Tie didn’t know why would he come here. As a whim just occurred to his mind, ’What’s going with Miss Daina? If she’s living well, I just want to take a glance from the distance without any malicious intention.’ However, after finding that someone else was living in the residence of Miss Daina and her husband, Zhang Tie couldn’t stand to inquire the concierge about the whereabouts of Miss Daina.

”Do you know their whereabouts?”

”They might have gone to the Eastern Continent. As to the details, I have to say I don’t know. It’s heard that Doc James is proficient in surgery. Someone dug him out of his previous hospital. His wife got pregnant. Of course, they left here by chance...”

’Had Miss Daina got pregnant? Given the time, she should have become a mom.’ Zhang Tie felt complex inside.

’I married some girls and became a father; Miss Daina also married a man and became a mother. Is this the so-called life?’

...

After leaving Miss Daina’s residence, Zhang Tie walked for a while in the boisterous streets of Yiyang City. Finally, he recovered his composure and called a taxi for Golden Sea City.

The driver of the taxi was a black man, who could not speak Hua language fluently. Zhang Tie just pointed at his destination on the map showed by the driver. The driver then understood where he was heading for.

Zhang Tie prepared to visit Zhang Clan’s head in Golden Sea City. On the way, the driver completely treated him as a tool for practicing Hua language. Hearing his jokes in awkward Hua language, Zhang Tie sighed helplessly, ’Yup, c’est la vie——even the woman being loved by a knight married another man; met a driver who joked in awkward Hua language when you were depressed.’

The taxi driver parked outside the old mansion of Zhang clan. Zhang Tie tossed a gold coin at the driver as he said, ”Keep the changes...”

As the travel fee was less than 10 silver coin, the driver was overjoyed by a gold coin.

” Xiexie 1 ...Xiexie...” The driver instantly accelerated away 2 .

Zhang Tie shook his head as he walked towards the old mansion of Zhang Clan...

A limo drove by Zhang’s old mansion accidentally. When it passed by Zhang Tie, the vehicle suddenly slowed down. The window was rolled down while a beauty in a very womanly skirt watched Zhang Tie’s side with a slight frown. Zhang Tie also looked at her. The woman’s eyes instantly turned bright.

”Is that you?” The woman exclaimed with an amazement.

After gazing at her for a few seconds, Zhang Tie remembered who she was, the crazy girl who hugged him and called him hubby when she saw him for the first time...

’Nana...’

After changing her make-up, the little female delinquent almost could not be recognized by Zhang Tie...

However, based on Zhang Tie’s knowledge about women, the moment he saw her, he knew that her current look was completely disguised...