Castle of Black Iron

Ma Aiyun, Gu Caidie and Yuan Ziyi promoted to LV 9 within 16 years. It was neither a high speed or low speed for women. No matter what, women were always weaker than men in cultivation. Of course, they could never match Zhang Tie.

The three people had not imagined that Zhang Tie could reach such a high position within 16 years. They and Zhang Tie sighed with feelings when they talked about their own experience.

The three women’s life trajectories remained unchanged in the past 16 years. However, Zhang Tie had long reached his heyday as he had become a well-known powerful knight and the 1st person in Huaiyuan Palace from the imperious teenager in Hidden Dragon Island with brilliant achievements.

Ma Aiyun spoke less. After 16 years, this vixenish senior sister apprentice became much more graceful, restrained and womanly. Recalling the one night stand in Heavenly Cold City, the moment Zhang Tie’s and Ma Aiyun’s eye light touched each other, they had got a special feeling.

“We three would stay one more day in Golden Light City. We will leave here the day after tomorrow. We’re living in Wild Lake Building outside Golden Light City…” Ma Aiyun told Zhang Tie leisurely as her beautiful eyes sparkled.

After Ma Aiyun finished her words, the three women exchanged a glance with each other before fixating onto Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie understood women well. According to Ma Aiyun’s words, the three women actually wanted to have another meeting with him. Because this old mansion was not the right place to chat, they were all restrained; additionally, women were always shameful to put it simply. Furthermore, there was a large difference between them and Zhang Tie in position. In case of offense, they could only put it indirectly. Perhaps, the three senior sister apprentices had met some trouble and needed his help; therefore, they wanted to find another chance to tell him about it.

“After today, I would be free tomorrow and return to Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory the day after tomorrow. Not until 42 days later would I come back to Golden Light City. Let me bid a farewell to you three in the Wild Lake Building next evening!” Zhang Tie said with a smile.

“It’s a deal!”

“Hmm, it’s a deal!”

After making an appointment on time and place, the three senior sister apprentices had a short chat with Zhang Tie before leaving the old mansion.

After seeing off the three senior sister apprentices, Zhang Tie didn’t need to meet guests anymore today.

In the afternoon, fewer people come to offer their condolences. After 3 pm, almost nobody arrived. After the sunset, the mourning hall was demolished. The old man’s corpse was then moved into the coffin. In the same evening, the Zhang family buried him.

It was a funeral custom of major clans in Taixia Country to bury the dead in the evening. As the sun set, the old man’s spirit and soul wouldn’t be harmed. However, due to poor visibility in the evening, the old man’s spirit and soul might not find the way back without light. Therefore, more preparations and investment were required, which couldn’t be afforded by small families. Gradually, it became a custom for major clans to bury the dead in the evening.

When the old man was going to be buried, Zhang family lit lamps for dozens of miles all the way from the old mansion to Phoenix Mountain, 2 special evocation lamps on two sides of the road in every 7 meters. The lamps didn’t go out overnight as they were guarded by soldiers of Huaiyuan Palace and Zhang people. Some streets in Golden Light City were directly closed as outsiders were not allowed in at all.

Some Masters were spraying water and leading the way ahead of them while reading mantras in weird tone. Some great-grandsons on the side of the old mansion were holding evocation banners, money trees and some funeral utensils at the end of the team. Zhang people kept spraying gold foils and joss paper. Guided by the evocation lamps, they accompanied the late old man all the way to the Phoenix Mountain.

Women didn’t go back until they reached the city gate while men accompanied the old man all the way to the mountain. After burying the coffin, they covered the coffin with a thin layer of soil on the same level with the ground——the completion of initial burial.

After the initial burial, most of Zhang men returned overnight, leaving some filial sons and grandsons to “guard mausoleum” for the old man.

As the old man had just come here like how people moved to their new home, he had not completely settled down in the first evening. Therefore, he needed some guards in case of being bullied by those wandering souls and wild ghosts in the evening.

Masculine males were required to stay to guard the mausoleum. Of course, Zhang Tie, Zhang Yang, Zhang Su stayed.

A shed was put up above the mausoleum of the old man. Zhang Tie, Zhang Yang, Zhang Su and some cousins stayed in the shed to guard the old man for one night.

After daybreak, some more people would come from the old mansion to replace them so that they could return to Golden Light City.

As of now, the old man’s funeral ceremony had almost come to an end besides mausoleum defense and sacrifice per 7 days. 42 days later, all the Zhang people should gather together again, build a tomb and a stele for the old man. After the final steps were accomplished, the funeral ceremony would completely come to an end.

When Zhang Tie returned to the old mansion, Elder Muyuan, Elder Muyu and Elder Muen came here to bid farewell to him. After staying in Golden Light City for 7 days to do favor to Zhang family and Huaiyuan Palace, the three elders had to leave there due to important affairs. After extending his thanks to the three elders solemnly, Zhang Tie saw them off till they boarded on an airboat, He had people take the three elders to their destinies by his imperial airboat.

Elder Muyu and Elder Muen left for Youzhou City; Elder Muyuan would go to Tiger Embracing City. As clan elders, none of them were free.

After last night and this morning, the mourning hall had already been demolished. Everything had gradually recovered, except for the two walls in the old mansion, which had been demolished, witnessed the glory and brilliance of the old man’s funeral ceremony. No clans across Northeast Military Region could hold such a grand funeral ceremony.

Watching the old mansion which suddenly became tranquil, many Zhang people were not even used to it. Some servants in the old mansion were still missing the grand scene and were talking about the big figures that they saw in the old mansion…