The cheerful chirping of birds outside the window woke Zhang Tie Zhang Tie. When he opened his eyes, he saw a comfortable beige ceiling and was covered with a snow-white quilt. The familiar, faint smell of disinfectant made Zhang Tie realize where he was.
This is a hospital!
Zhang Tie tried to sit up in bed, but as he pushed himself up, a sharp pain shot through his left shoulder and lower abdomen, making Zhang Tie wince. Zhang Tie then remembered that before he collapsed at school, he felt as if he had been shot twice with arrows.
"Damn it, "Zhang Tie cursed under his breath, grimacing.
The wound on my lower abdomen doesn't hurt much, but the pain in my left shoulder socket seems to be more intense.
Lifting the blanket, Zhang Tie looked inside. "Damn it," he thought, "The bandages were just removed! Finally, I don't have to be a mummy anymore! Why are they wrapping me up again, and even more layers? Is this a side effect of being called a mummy?"
Outside the room, the sun shone brightly, and birds sang sweetly. Zhang Tie got out of bed, walked to the window, opened it, looked at the scenery outside, and took a deep breath.
Outside the room was a hospital garden with a pleasant view. Standing in the room, Zhang Tie immediately recognized his location from the outlines of several buildings outside the garden— the Holy Radiance Hospital in Black Flame City.
I never imagined that one day I would be able to stay in the best hospital in Black Flame City, and it seems to be one of those high-end private wards where I can stay all by myself.
Zhang Tie chuckled self-deprecatingly; the benefits of being an imperial officer were indeed no joke.
Seeing the sunlight streaming through the window, Zhang Tie, whose body was only wrapped in gauze and bandages, stretched out one hand, touched the warm sunlight, and closed his eyes in enjoyment.
Only now, feeling the warm sunlight streaming through the window, did Zhang Tie seem to finally emerge from the effects of the terrible poison.
The feeling was terrifying—stiff, cold. It was as if all the blood and muscles in your body were instantly frozen by a layer of ice, from your toes to your tongue. You felt as if your entire body no longer belonged to you, as if your physical body had vanished in an instant, turned to ashes, and could no longer give you any sensation.
At that moment, Zhang Tie thought he was doomed. This poison was far more potent than the high-grade rat poison in Tang De General Store. Under those circumstances, the time it took him from being shot to losing consciousness and collapsing was probably less than five seconds. The poison had already begun to take effect.
Even now, thinking back on that feeling still makes Zhang Tie feel lingering fear.
Zhang Tie hadn't even basked in the sun for two minutes when the door to the room opened, and a nurse carrying a tray pushed open the door and walked in. The nurse seemed to have come to change Zhang Tie's dressing. When she entered and saw that Zhang Tie was already awake, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Ah..."
The nurse had barely uttered a call when four soldiers in dark red uniforms rushed in.
"Sir, you're awake?" a soldier asked, his eyes wide.
"Did I sleep for a long time? What's the date today?" Zhang Tie asked.
"Today is August 11th, you've been unconscious for two days!"
Just over ten minutes later, Colonel Leibniz and a group of officers from the Iron-Blood Battalion received the news. They all came to the hospital and crowded into Zhang Tie's room.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Zhang Tie had woken up unharmed.
At this point, Zhang Tie already knew that the poison he had been given was called Blue Frost, and he also knew about some things that had happened in Black Flame City in the past two days that were related to him.
The Iron-Blood Battalion mobilized the entire force to surround the Gregory Family's castle because of his capture, wanting to avenge him. This deeply moved Zhang Tie.
A steward and a captain of the guard of the Gregory Family Black Flame City have been arrested. One of them was in charge of guarding the Gregory Family's armory, and the other was Gelis's father's superior. Gelis's father stole crossbows from the Gregory Family's armory to assassinate Zhang Tie, and the two of them were completely unaware of it.
These two were thus made scapegoats to quell the Iron-Blood Battalion's anger.
Also arrested was Sode. It was because Sode challenged him to a duel that he was assassinated at school. No one knew if Sode had any conspiracy with Gelis's father, one openly and the other secretly plotting against him. So after he was in trouble, Sode didn't escape either and was thrown into the Black Flame City prison in the blink of an eye. After some interrogation, Sode "finally confessed." After hearing that Gelis hadn't returned, he took the initiative to contact Gelis's father, and the two discussed killing Zhang Tie.
After Sode confessed to his conspiracy with Gelis's father, Sode succumbed to his injuries from the duel and died in prison—thus revealing all the details of Zhang Tie's assassination.
Sode's confession cleared the Gregory Family of suspicion of being the mastermind behind the assassination. At this point, no one cared about the life or death of a nobody. Zhang Tie just sighed inwardly. Whether Sode was involved or not, the matter was over. With Sode dead, there was no need to pursue it any further.
In this matter, I deserved those two arrows; they were indeed meant to hit me. Although there's still no evidence to suggest I killed Gelis, Gelis's father is convinced, so what can you do? I was just too careless, oversimplifying the Gelis affair. I thought that without evidence, no one could touch me. I never considered that sometimes, some people, once they've made up their minds, don't need any evidence at all.
Gelis's father had fought desperately, hoping to exchange his life for his own, and his death was not unjust. It was only right for him to avenge his son. Even now, Zhang Tie realized that although he had killed that man, he couldn't hate him at all. That man might have been a good father, but he had just raised a bastard son.
The only ones wrongly accused in this incident were probably the Sode and Gregory Family. They were the two innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire when the city gates caught fire. One of these innocent bystanders was a crocodile, and the other probably wasn't even a tadpole. They were more like plankton. Since the crocodile was in trouble, everyone pushed the plankton out of the picture.
This is the rule of the game in this world. Just as Tang De said, the rich always get into trouble and the poor suffer. It's the same everywhere.
The whole thing started with Gelis. Zhang Tie was also deeply reflecting on his naiveté in handling Gelis. Evidence is something only the weaker party needs—something used for self-comfort, to seek sympathy and support, but which is actually completely useless.
What evidence does the Norman Empire need to annex Black Flame City? What evidence does a lion need to eat a rabbit? What evidence does a courageous person need to settle scores? What evidence do powerful figures need when deciding the lives of millions? My long-held mindset of being a victim almost cost me my life in this matter. Faced with such a situation, what would a true strongman do? He would definitely return to Black Flame City and find an opportunity and reason to kill Gelis's father as well, eliminating the threat in its infancy. He wouldn't give such a person the chance to plot against him.
Naïve, naïve, so naïve! Once Zhang Tie understood this, his mind opened up considerably, and he took a step forward in his character, becoming more mature.
Another benefit of this incident was that while some people initially had doubts about Zhang Tie's experience of being struck by lightning, this event completely convinced everyone. After being exposed to the deadly poison Blue Frost, everyone watched in disbelief as Zhang Tie, without any external assistance, lay in bed. Relying solely on his body's instincts, he actually withstood the poison— Blue Frost truly astonishing feat. If it weren't for the mysterious changes the lightning strike caused to his body, making his Acquired Electrocution Syndrome" incredibly strange and unlocking the mysterious potential within his body, how could he have possibly survived?
The first group of people who came to visit Zhang Tie Zhang Tie started to become interested in the lightning that struck Zhang Tie. They inquired about the time and place of the Zhang Tie, the size of the lightning, Zhang Tie Zhang Tie's physical condition at the time, and the parts of his body that were hit. Even Colonel Leibniz showed interest.
Zhang Tie, who was well-prepared for this, gave a flawless answer. If anyone were to verify this, they could certainly find evidence of a recent lightning strike near a large tree on the hillside in the place Zhang Tie mentioned. Unless someone has the ability to travel back in time, no one could find a loophole in Zhang Tie's lie.
"You should rest well during this time. The doctor said your injuries will take a month to heal, so I'm giving you a month's leave. You don't need to go back to the barracks during this period. You can go back after you've recovered!" Colonel Leibniz gave Zhang Tie a long leave. Leibniz was in a good mood these past two days. After successfully resolving this matter, the sincerity of the Gregory Family made him smile even in the middle of the night. Through this incident, Colonel Leibniz realized that Zhang Tie was simply his lucky charm. He valued Zhang Tie even more. Zhang Tie would bring him great luck not only in Nottingham but also in Black Flame City.
Colonel Leibniz felt that his decision to recruit Zhang Tie into the army was absolutely brilliant.
After seeing Zhang Tie wake up, Colonel Leibniz finally released the guards. After the officers of the 34th Division left, those who had been waiting in the hospital and restricted from seeing Zhang Tie rushed in.
Everyone had been taking turns staying at the hospital for the past two days, waiting for news from Zhang Tie. Zhang Tie saw Light, Doug, his older brother, Beverly, and Wood. Everyone looked a little haggard, indicating that they hadn't rested well these past two days, especially his older brother. Although he was forcing himself to be energetic, Zhang Tie could tell at a glance that his older brother was exhausted, not physically, but mentally.
Upon seeing his older brother's bloodshot eyes, Zhang Tie's first question was, "Do Mom and Dad know about what happened to me?"
Zhang Tie's biggest worry right now is how anxious his parents will be these next few days after they find out about his situation.
"At first, I didn't dare tell them at all. I told them that after your duel, you spared that person's life and went back to the army camp. Because there were so many people, there was a little disturbance at your school, but you didn't lose a single hair. Later, when I learned that you had a chance of recovery, I dared not tell them even more, so they still don't know. It's just that Dad seems to have heard some uncertain rumors outside, and last night he mentioned you to me with some doubt. Mom also seemed to have some suspicions, but I managed to fool her. If it's convenient for you, it would be best if you came home sometime to say hello, even if you don't come inside, just say hello to Mom at the door so she can see you!"
Hearing that his older brother had managed to keep the news of his incident from their parents for two days, Zhang Tie finally breathed a sigh of relief. Not many people witnessed the attack at school, and the school quickly descended into chaos, leading to various rumors. Especially when these rumors spread outside the school, and because the Gregory Family was involved, they took on even more forms. Thanks to his brother's deliberate concealment, his parents hadn't had to worry, which was a stroke of good luck amidst misfortune.
Anyway, he had plenty of time to rest, so Zhang Tie wasn't in a hurry. He chatted with Light and Wood for a bit, comforted everyone, and then told them to go home and get some rest. He also told the other members of the Airplane Brotherhood that he was alright. Then Zhang Tie's gaze fell on Alice, who had been quietly watching him without saying a word since he entered the room.
Everyone else tactfully left the ward at this point. Looking at Alice's slightly red and swollen eyes, Zhang Tie smiled and made a muscle-flexing gesture with his right hand, which was still able to move freely.
Alice's tears immediately streamed down her Alice. She walked over and, as if afraid of hurting Zhang Tie, gently hugged Zhang Tie. For a full two minutes, she buried her face in Zhang Tie's chest, weeping without saying a word. Zhang Tie was startled and quickly wiped away Alice's tears. "I'm so sorry, did I scare you that day? I know it wasn't good to kill someone in front of you, the scene was indeed a bit bloody..."
Seeing that this man was still worried about whether the scene from that day had frightened her, Alice just shook her head, but tears welled up even more profusely in her eyes.
"Then why are you crying?" Zhang Tie tenderly kissed away Alice's tears. "You must not have slept well these past two days!"
"They all say you reacted quickly enough. If you had chosen to dodge then, those two crossbow bolts wouldn't have hit you at all. Because we were right in front of you, in that life-or-death moment, you chose to let us live, pushed us aside, and used your own body as a shield for us, facing the incoming bolts. Isn't that right?" Alice cupped Zhang Tie's face in her hands, her beautiful, tearful eyes filled with deep, unwavering affection. "Why were you so foolish?"
Zhang Tie chuckled awkwardly, unsure what to say. It was just his instinctive reaction; he hadn't thought about anything else. Zhang Tie simply felt that while he was still standing, there was no reason for Alice and the others to face danger. Especially now, knowing that the crossbow bolts were coated with Blue Frost, Zhang Tie felt only relief that two of the bolts had hit him...
"To be honest, I'm just happy right now. Thank goodness those two crossbow bolts hit me! If they had landed on you, I don't know how I would have coped. I can't imagine what I would have done if I had left you lying here, never to wake up again. I might have been driven crazy by this..."
At this point, there's really no need to say anything more.
Alice's fiery lips then pressed against Alice, as if she wanted to devour Zhang Tie whole.