Castle of Black Iron

Standing on the exterior wall of the castle, Zhang Tie watched a constructor operating a railed trailer to push a huge set of steam-driven boilers from a faraway material center to the foot of the gate of castle. The rail crane slowly lifted the set of steam-driven boilers in the air.

Safety hats on heads, some constructors of Long Wind Business Group fastened some wire cables onto the hanger plate to keep the balance of the huge machine while communicating loudly with the operators of the railed crane on the high platform.

"Slowly, slowly, a bit left, right, a bit left, okay, keep lifting, keep lifting, right..."

The construction site was so boisterous. Everybody was busy doing their own work. After the main project of the castle was completed, there were a lot of follow-up projects to carry out, among which, the most important was the installation and commissioning of the steam-driven power units and various defence weapons of the castle as well as the internal and external decoration and greenery of the castle.

The contour of this castle gradually became clear, but it was really ugly. It was just a concrete lump with exposed cement and various bulky steel components which was far from good-looking.

Liu Gong, the director of the construction team of Long Wind Business Group and a steward of Long Wind Business Group accompanied Zhang Tie to inspect the progress of the construction with safety hats on heads. Zhang Tie watched as he asked various questions.

"Is this set of steam-driven boilers the main boiler of the castle?" Looking at that huge machine being lifted in the air by the crane as he asked.

"Yes, this is the main power boiler of the castle. It’s output power is 9600 horsepower. Normally, this main boiler would be used to provide power to the ground-to-air weapons and 2 crossbow cannons. Being matched with it are 2 regular power boilers with slightly less output power. With 3400 horsepower as the output power of each regular power boiler, regular power boiler was mainly applied to drive some distributed-type attacking systems and small crossbows that were going to be installed on the castle!" Realizing that Zhang Tie’s question was involved with his own profession, Liu Gong replied at once.

Zhang Tie then pointed at that highest defence bartizan in the castle and asked, "Is this main power boiler going to be installed under that bartizan?"

"Yes, this main power boiler is going to be installed in the power room of the bartizan. The other 2 boilers would be installed here and there..." Liu Gong pointed at 2 places in the external castle and the internal castle respectively.

When he remembered how some steam-driven boilers exploded in the past, Zhang Tie became a bit worried. In this age, besides alchemist’s bombs, the only thing that could explode would be steam-driven boilers. However, although the power of steam-driven boilers was very amazing, strictly, it should not be called an explosion. Instead, it was just the result of fast releasing, high-pressure steam energy in an extremely short period, which was different from alchemist’s bombs.

Whereas, if the boiler truly exploded, the castle would also be heavily destroyed. Zhang Tie always kept an eye on the construction of this castle. Although he still felt unreal when he touched those icy, hard and crude concrete walls of the external castle, undoubtedly, Zhang Tie had spent a lot of time and money in building this castle.

Besides 400,000-500,000 gold coins’s debt, there was something else that he had put on the castle.

Because there was a word "Yun" in Lan Yunxi’s name, Zhang Tie then chose the construction site of his castle in Mount Yunju. Additionally, having their own castle was a dream for each boy when they were young; this castle would be the starting point of his undertaking in the future.

"Will these boilers explode?" Zhang Tie asked seriously.

"Hehe, the steam-driven boilers which would explode are old-fashioned. This castle adopts new-fashioned water pipe steam-driven boilers with relatively sophisticated structures. Its thermal efficiency and output pressure are both higher than that of average boilers. Additionally, it has automatic protection switches on water level, temperature and pressure. We can definitely reassure you about its safety and service performance!" Liu Gong patted his chest with full confidence.

Hearing his explanation, Zhang Tie finally became reassured.

"Now, what we need to consider is actually on the number of guardians and residents inside this castle!" Steward Ou who accompanied by Zhang Tie added, "This castle would be completed in 20 days at most. After then, we can produce all-purpose medicament here. As a result, many people would be attracted here. To support the complete defence and safety system of this castle, 70 guardians are needed in the castle on the Hidden Dragon Island at least; if on the land, the number needs to increase by one time at least due to frequent communication. I wonder about you plan?"

Zhang Tie thought for a short while before asked in a serious voice, "I wonder about your suggestion, steward Ou?"

"Of course, the fastest way is to directly employ armed guardians. We Long Wind Business Group could provide the employment service of armed guardians. Considering the long-term development, you can also directly employ clan warriors!"

"Employ clan warriors!" Zhang Tie was a bit shocked by this suggestion.

Steward Ou revealed a smile, "As you have a castle, you are qualified to employ clan warriors. As long as you could provide them good benefits, many freelance warriors would actually like to serve you, who has a bright future. Therefore, it’s very difficult to employ clan warriors!"

"I’m worried about the loyalty of these clan warriors!" Zhang Tie said.

"Their loyalty needs to be curtained, however, if you directly purchase slaves or those self-selling slaves, as long as you show them hope, you could easily curtain their loyalty."

Since coming to the Huaiyuan Perfecture, it was Zhang Tie’s first time to hear that slaves could be traded here. The term "self-selling" slave sounded fresh.

"You mean there are slaves in the Huaiyuan Prefecture? I also want to know what is a self-selling slave?" Zhang Tie became interested.

"There’s no slave in the Jinyun Country as a whole, or there’s no mechanism to force the production of slaves, but Jinyun Country and Huaiyuan Palace don’t forbid slaves and population trading. Many countries on the Waii Sub-continent admit the existence of slavery. There’re also many countries on other continents that admit the existence of slavery as population and slaves trafficking is a very significant pattern of population flow between continents and countries. The alleged self-selling slave refers to those who feel voluntary to give up and sell their own human rights by selling themselves to others as slaves. They are commonly seen in Huaiyuan Prefecture and Jinyun Country. After all, not everyone in this world could live well or make the most of their life. There is always someone who doesn’t even have food to eat or to survive. If they voluntarily sell themselves for food and sustainable living, of course we will feel pleasant to accept them!"

Hearing this explanation, Zhang Tie became silent. He remembered the content in the book General History of Human Clan that he kept reading these days. According to the book, farming slavery still existed even before the catastrophe when people considered their science, technology and civilization were the most developed.

Before the catastrophe, farming slaves existed in many countries. It was typical in some democratic countries which carried out apartheid. Those farming slaves didn’t have productive materials, political rights, right of free migration or property right; sometimes, their corpses didn’t belong to them either.

They were forced to work on land and stand various unfair events like economic exploitation, political oppression and discrimination on personality for their whole lives. Sometimes, in front of the bulldozers driven by powerful violent machines, their dignity could not even match a dog. In that age, everything was calculated in terms of price. After a farming slave was killed by people casually, his family could only gain 20-30 gold coins as the compensation; however, in that age, the price of many noble dogs was even as high as 1000 gold coins. Dogs that worth above 100 gold coins could be seen everywhere.

When Zhang Tie recalled the various existences of slaves before the catastrophe, he didn’t feel curious about those slaves in this age.

Zhang Tie thought it through at once as he felt that reading could truly broaden one’s vision.

"Hmm...does this exist in Huaiyuan Palace?"

"Are you kidding me? If people in Huaiyuan Palace have become self-selling slaves, why would we find our Clan Affairs Pavilion and our clan? As the posterity of Huaiyuan Palace, no matter how poor we live, our clan would at least give us a hand. Any posterity of Huaiyuan Palace could easily find a job in Huaiyuan Palace to survive. Those self-selling slaves are under strict management in all Chinese countries. There’s definitely no self-selling slaves from big clans. Even if there is, nobody would dare to buy them!"

"Where can I buy slaves in Huaiyuan Prefecture?"

"The largest population trading market in Huaiyuan Prefecture is in Stars Viewing City. They are under the management of Zhang clan. Average slaves and self-selling slaves worth about 50 gold coins each. Kids would be cheaper while beautiful women and male technicians would be a bit expensive. The price of slave warriors above LV 6 would be higher than 600 gold coins." Steward Ou explained.

"Is slaves trading normally seen in Huaiyuan Palace?"

"Hehe, rich people would always have some slaves."

After thinking for a short while, Zhang Tie made the decision at once. He smiled, "Now that Long Wind Business Group can provide armed guardians, I will employ 80 armed guardians from Huaiyuan Palace first to run the castle. Then I will take a look in Yunzhou City!"

Steward Ou also revealed a smile, "Now that you want to employ armed guardians from Long Wind Business Group, I will bring you the agreement tomorrow!"

"Is it expensive?"

"It might be expensive for others, but for you, it’s too cheap!" Steward Ou said.

Zhang Tie burst out in laughter. He really enjoyed this compliment. He found that as long as male had money, they would gain more respect.

’It really feels nice to have money!’ Zhang Tie mumbled.

In the next half an hour, Zhang Tie made a round in the castle with curiosity. He inspected project progress of the castle, especially fixed his eyes on the various pipes that were to be used to connect some steam-driven power units. Finally, he came to the Black Dragon Town satisfactorily and prepared to enter the Dragon Cave to form his LV 7 battle totem——A huge centipede.

It was good weather today with bright sunshine. After knowing that his gift was not thrown away by Lan Yunxi from the Phoenix Resting Pavilion, Zhng Tie became very happy. He felt that both his love and undertaking were developing towards a good direction. After inspecting his castle, he became more excited...

It was more populated than before in the Black Dragon Town. Zhang Tie first came to the drugstore opened by Yang Yuankang and the other senior brothers, only to find that the drugstore had been closed by noon with a plate on the door——The all-purpose medicament today has been sold out. We will open 9:00 am tomorrow and sell another 6 vials. One vial for each person. Don’t jump the queue please!

Although the plate had been displayed, including the number of vials to be sold tomorrow, there were still dozens of people sitting on stools and quilts outside the store while chatting with each other.

Seeing Zhang Tie peeping inside, some of them shouted, "Brat, if you want to buy the all-purpose medicament, move to the end of the line, haven’t you seen so many people waiting outside here..."

"I want to know why do you wait here for? Isn’t it said that there are only 6 vials of all-purpose medicament to be sold here tomorrow?" Zhang Tie glanced at that line with a dubious expression.

"Ha, if we cann’t get one tomorrow, we will get one the day after tomorrow or two days later. If we wait here for 3-5 days, we will definitely get one. As long as we get one vial here at the cost of 8 gold coins, we can sell it at the price of 10 gold coins so easily. As we are all commoners on the island, we would never make money so easily by doing other jobs!" That man who stopped Zhang Tie explained.

"Yea, I heard these all-purpose medicament is produced by an alchemist master. It only takes him a short while to produce some vials of medicament a day to survive us a year!" Another one added.

’Alchemist master, when do I become an alchemist master. I’m not even a herbal medicine apprentice.’ Zhang Tie felt a bit hilarious. Message had been distorted when it came out of the Hidden Dragon Palace.

"I have another question. Who will you sell the medicament to?"

"Of course, those women on the island!" Those guys stared at Zhang Tie like looking at an idiot, "You don’t know that? Although those women on the island are good at fighting, when they talked about the effect of all-purpose medicament, they always use words like skin beautifying and regeneration and anti-aging, which are nothing to do with average women. That day, I met a woman; I offered her 11 gold coins for one vial of manjusaka, she bought it without even a blink of her eyes. She even felt it was too cheap!"

"Why not ask for more gold coins!" The others started to feel regretful with him.

"But I don’t know that woman is so rich..."

When they discussed about that, Zhang Tie had left from that drugstore. ’Women, women again. How could these women act like flies sting smelly chicken eggs when they heard about something that could make them more beautiful and younger? Zhang Tie had not imagined that it was same both in and out the Breaking-Heavens Department. If it kept going like this, he was afraid that all the all-purpose medicament that he produced would be their cosmetics.

Zhang Tie could imagine how his all-purpose medicament is sold on Ma Aiyun’s side. He heard that his all-purpose medicament had been sold out among the girls of Breaking-Heavens Department even before Ma Aiyun and the other senior sisters opened a drugstore in Blue Dragon Town.

Zhang Tie estimated that such a situation would last at least 1 month. Not until the latest batch of medicament was well fermented could this situation be slightly improved.

However, knowing that his medicament becoming so popular among the girls, Zhang Tie also became very thrilled as this indicated that he had more chance to contact Lan Yunxi in the future.

After leaving the drugstore, Zhang Tie casually made a round in the Black Dragon Town. With his super spiritual energy and sense, Zhang Tie instantly found something abnormal.

He felt being traced...