Castle of Black Iron

It was quiet and solemn at the piers of Yiyang Harbor. Besides the last batch of soldiers of Hurricane Corps, tens of thousands of citizens of Yiyang City would leave by the fleet. After leaving, the entire Yiyang City and the three cities in Huaiyuan Prefecture would almost become empty.

If demons could arrive here, it meant that the entire Waii Sub-continent would collapse by then. Zhang Tie felt that it was meaningless to see over 100,000 people die in the three hopeless cities only to consume a few times more demonized puppets. Therefore, Zhang Tie didn’t arrange ”volunteers” to safeguard the three cities. He had all of them transported away.

A row of huge ships which varied from 10,000 tons to 1 million tons were anchored at the piers while passengers were walking towards their targeted ships silently.

After all of them boarded, the ships left for the east with whistles.

In front of some 1 million-ton huge ships, passengers were boarding in long queues. They were not holding tickets which had certain prices; instead, each one of them was holding a contract in Hua and Hebrew languages with their fingerprint on it. In this contract, they agreed to give up a part of their freedom and rights, to live in some lower provinces or remote places on the Eastern Continent and follow the partial arrangement of Party A.

Everything had two sides. Although it was a disaster for Waii Sub-continent, it was the best chance for numerous major clans, business groups, even local governments in lower provinces and remote places of Taixia Country to gain labor resources at the cheapest price and carry out fundamental development in their wild and barren land.

This policy was called ”serving the border areas” in Taixia Country.

As a national policy in Taixia Country, in each holy war, Taixia Country would gain a lot of foreigners from other Sub-continents. These foreigners would be used to reclaim their wastelands.

Most of the wastelands were in lower provinces of Taixia or more primitive, wild provinces.

Taixia Country had already formulated a complete package of laws and mechanism so as to ensure the smooth implementation of this national policy.

In holy wars, the labor force was also a special, powerful resource. Those foreigners who headed for border areas of Taixia Country might not be able to fight on battlefields; however, as long as they were alive, they would be valuable by doing labor work or delivering babies.

In Taixia Country, whenever the holy war broke out, ”serving the border areas” would become a big business. Those major clans which were ambitious to expand their clans’ territories in Taixia Country and make a pile would focuse on these foreigners.

When they arrived at Taixia, although these foreigners were not slaves, they were only one level higher than slaves. They were inhabitants in border areas of Taixia Country.

It was a trade for these foreigners to become inhabitants in border areas of Taixia Country. Those major clans and business groups took them away from dangerous sub-continents and avoided them from being killed by demons. As a compensation, they needed to serve those people on the contract as members of the ”serving the border areas” contingent in Taixia Country. They would contribute their loyalty, sweat, wisdom even lives to Taixia Country.

Since the start of this holy war, those huge ships had been constantly arriving at Yiyang Harbor to do the business of ”serving the border areas”. Half a year ago, this phenomenon reached its climax. They left Yiyang Harbor each day with 10,000-100,000 non-Hua people towards Taixia Country for ”serving the border areas”.

About 700,000 non-Hua people were transported to Youzhou Province of Taixia Country from Huaiyuan Palace. Most of them were talented workers, technicians, engineers and handicraftsmen.

Over the past half a year, as the corps leader of Hurricane Corps, Zhang Tie’s most important responsibility was to ensure that those ”serving the border areas” ships could return with full loads smoothly.

Those ”serving the border areas” ships had made agreements with Huaiyuan Palace. In this business, Huaiyuan Palace made great profits.

Zhang Tie’s responsibility was to save as more people as possible while ensuring the interest of Huaiyuan Palace.

Not everybody could serve the border areas of Taixia Country as they would. In such a critical moment, it became an extravagant desire, a welfare which could save their lives and a special treatment for many commoners to become inhabitants in border areas of Taixia Country. Those who could have the access to serve the border areas in Taixia Country were those whose family members were left to resist demons in their own cities. These people hated demons; meanwhile, they knew that it was a rare chance for them to leave Waii Sub-continent. Therefore, they would especially treasure the chance to serve the border areas of Taixia Country. For those people, they would be satisfied as long as they could arrive at Taixia Country and live steadily and safely with the protection of Taixia Country, the most powerful human country in this age.

Compared to those commoners displaced by the war, the hard work that they should do in the border areas of Taixia Country was nothing serious at all. They had long deleted the words ”hard work” and ”tired” from their life dictionary.

As long as they boarded the ”serving the border areas” ships, the kids would be separated from their parents. Take a 1 million-ton huge ship Flyingwhale as an instance, the moment the ship set off, those kids would be taken into different classrooms in different sizes. Each kid would get an exercise book and a pencil when they entered the classroom. A 60-year-old black-skinned teacher in glasses with gray hair wrote two Hua characters on the blackboard by chalk——太夏!

After experiencing so many troubles with their family members, these kids were maturer than those of the same age. Although hundreds of kids were in this classroom, it was pretty quiet.

After writing down the two characters, that black-skinned teacher turned around and watched those kids whose age ranged from 7 to 15 years old and spoke in Hebrew.

”When the ship sets off, each inch of the deck and cabin in this ship belongs to Taixia Country. You’re already standing on the land of Taixia Country. Taixia has become your homeland. From today on, you have to learn everything about Taixia Country from me before you disembark. After disembarking, you will find that the more Hua words you learn, the better life you will have than others in the future and the faster you will upgrade from your current class to the mainstream society of Hua people and gain more social respect and approval. I hope you to upgrade from your current status as inhabitants in border areas to the official citizens of Taixia Country. I hope you could expand broader space for your families and your kids in the future.” That teacher said as he watched those kids. He knew that these kids might not understand his words for the time being. However, they would understand it sooner or later. He then turned around and pointed at the two characters on the blackboard by his pointer, ”Read after me——TAIXIA...”

”TAIXIA”——Hundreds of kids read after him in a non-fluent way.

”This is where we’re heading for. The greatest and most prosperous human country in this age and the only human country which could defeat demons. Without Taixia Country on the back, there would be no human. If you left Taixia by chance in the future and if someone asked you which country did you come from, you could tell him loudly that you come from Taixia Country. Read after me——TAIXIA”

”TAIXIA”

This time, these kids had a more accurate pronunciation.

After half an hour, the teacher started to check the two Hua characters ”太夏” on their exercise books. The one with the best characters and the most accurate pronunciation would gain an apple as a reward.

Watching that red apple, all the kids’ eyes brightened up.

...

At night, the last huge ship where Zhang Tie was in left Yiyang Harbor, which meant that the entire Yiyang City was deserted.

Standing on the deck, Zhang Tie watched this city which was going to be occupied by demons with a strange eye light.

...

After the fleet had set off Waii Sub-continent and sailed 3 days on the vast ocean towards the Eastern Continent being escorted by Zhang Tie, Zhang Tie knew that the fleet would not be raided by demon knights anymore. Therefore, he declared his decision to the commissioned officers of Hurricane Corps.

After declaring this decision, Zhang Tie revealed a smile towards the confused and shocked commissioned officers, ”I’ve already contacted the other elders of Huaiyuan Palace and told them about my decision. It was my honor to be the corps leader of Hurricane Corps these couple of years and stick to the end on Waii Sub-continent with you. Your performance is perfect. Honestly, I don’t think that I’m a good corps leader. Thankfully, I’m reassured after taking you out of there. When you arrive at Youzhou Province, you will have a new corps leader and a new start. I have one sentence for you, ”With your fists, you could launch a more powerful strike tomorrow!”

After saying that, Zhang Tie stood up and gave a military salute to all the commissioned officers of the corps.

Facing the silent gaze and solemn salute, Zhang Tie put his tiger-shaped military plate of Hurricane Corps on the table of the conference room before turning around to leave.

After leaving the conference room, Zhang Tie found Donder who was also in this huge ship and told Donder about his plan, as a kind of farewell.

After hearing Zhang Tie’s decision, Donder sprung up at once. Being driven extremely furious, he directly pointed at Zhang Tie’s nose with a red face and swore him regardless of Zhang Tie’s current noble status, just like how he blamed Zhang Tie in Blackhot City as Zhang Tie’s boss, ”Do you know how many knights do demons and Three-eye Association have? Do you know that the demon general could kill you multiple times by just one hand? Do you really think that you’re unrivaled after becoming a bullsh*t knight? Do you think you’re the incarnation of the savior or what? Or do you think that you’ve already formed 3-5 chakras? How could this father have such a stupid student like you? How could you make such a stupid choice?”

Zhang Tie wiped off the saliva that Donder sprayed on his face and gave a big hug to Donder. As a result, Donder could not even move. He then forcefully patted Donder’s shoulder and told him in a low voice, ”Don’t worry. I will not die. I’ve not even seen my wives and kids on the Eastern Continent yet. How could I die on Waii Sub-continent?”

”Why do you...”

”Trust me!”

Watching Zhang Tie’s face seriously, Donder finally let out a sigh, ”If you really want to go back, I have one sentence to tell you. You’d better always keep it in mind!”

”What’s that?”

”If you die, another man would definitely make love with your women and have your kids!”

Zhang Tie’s face twitched as he replied, ”Why not say something good?”

”Good words cannot hurt your soul!” Donder said with a solemn look.

F*ck——

Zhang Tie almost wanted to give up his plan after hearing Donder’s words. However, after struggling for a while, Zhang Tie finally stuck to his plan. ’I have to do this.’

Nobody else knew that Zhang Tie would leave except for Donder and those senior commissioned officers of Hurricane Corps...

After leaving the fleet, Zhang Tie returned to Waii Sub-continent without any concern...