Zhang Tie had no idea what happened later at the Animal Trading Market and Master Abian's manor castle. According to the plan, after finishing off Samira with one strike, he took off running, his speed instantly comparable to that of a wild wolf sprinting at full speed.
Samira's two guards were left behind by Zhang Tie in just a few seconds, not even catching a glimpse of their dust.
Zhang Tie ran from the south of Black Flame City to the west, deliberately choosing to run through less populated areas, making a large detour in the wilderness.
Half an hour later, Zhang Tie, who had already run more than 30 kilometers, finally stopped in a forest more than 10 kilometers west of Black Flame City.
Zhang Tie loved running, loved the feeling of being like the wind. This time, after taking down Samira and having a good run, every pore on Zhang Tie's body, from head to toe, exuded a sense of exhilaration.
As soon as they stopped in the woods in the middle of nowhere, Zhang Tie burst into laughter.
Seeing that no one was around, Zhang Tie took off his coat, wig, and mask. Carrying the coat and Zhang Tie was too cumbersome, Zhang Tie simply threw them away. He could fold the mask into a ball and put it in his pocket. According to Tang De's method, this kind of mask with memory properties, as long as you don't tear it too badly, no matter how wrinkled you make it, will return to its original shape after being sprayed with water and patted. It's truly amazing.
After finishing all this, Zhang Tie was about to leave when he realized that he had actually grabbed the cage containing the Golden Unicorn Beetle from Samira and carried it all the way here. Now the cage was lying on the ground, and the Golden Unicorn Beetle inside had just followed him for dozens of kilometers at breakneck speed.
Zhang Tie squatted on the ground, opened the cage, and poured out the Golden Unicorn Beetle one by one. There were fifty or sixty Golden Unicorn Beetle of various sizes in the cage. They were actually quite cute little creatures with beautiful colors.
"Today I got my revenge, and incidentally saved your lives. Learn from this and be more careful not to get caught again!"
Several Golden Unicorn Beetle beetles were clumsily struggling to turn over on the ground. Zhang Tie picked them up and placed them on a tree trunk nearby. The Golden Unicorn Beetle, now free from their cages, scattered and fled.
Whether they understood Zhang Tie's words or not, Zhang Tie felt that several Golden Unicorn Beetle nodded at him as they left, and a few even turned their heads to look at their savior after crawling a few steps.
My mom believes everything has a spirit, and it seems there might actually be some truth to that.
Watching these little guys regain their freedom one by one, Zhang Tie also felt a sense of freedom. This feeling of exhilaration and vengeance truly gave him an unprecedented sense of exhilaration. It was like drinking iced plum juice on a sweltering summer day, or having a bunch of beautiful women undress to warm your bed on a cold winter night.
Zhang Tie believed that this was how a true man should act!
As long as no one saw that I killed Samira, even if Master Abian suspected me, he couldn't do anything to me.
With this matter settled, Zhang Tie felt much more at ease in Black Flame City, even if he was immediately sent to Karur. Samira was like a venomous snake; unless he cut off her head, who knew when she would jump out from the shadows again to bite him or those around him.
At noon, Zhang Tie returned to Black Flame City Black Flame City through the western gate.
Just a short distance from entering the city gate, a bald, imposing man in the Norman Empire lieutenant's uniform, exuding a menacing aura, drove past Zhang Tie in a car. Upon seeing the bald man, Zhang Tie immediately called out.
"Commander Fereau!"
"Screech..." The Norman Empire Lynx military off-road vehicle braked suddenly, and the burly man driving and the two soldiers sitting in the vehicle turned their heads. Then they saw Zhang Tie, dressed in civilian clothes, walking by the roadside.
" Zhang Tie!" Lieutenant Fereau nimbly jumped out of the car and came to Zhang Tie. He was about to punch Zhang Tie on the shoulder when he suddenly remembered something and stopped. "What's wrong? Is your injury healed?"
"I'm much better now. The air outside Black Flame City is fresh, and some exercise is good for my recovery, so I came out for a walk!" Zhang Tie casually made up a lie, then glanced at the pile of boxes containing military supplies stacked behind the off-road vehicle. "How's the camp now?"
"The division's orders have come down. In three days, the Iron-Blood Battalion, as the vanguard of the 39th Division, will advance to Karur! The situation in Karur is becoming increasingly tense. Our troops at the front are under severe strain. There are more than ten skirmishes of battalion or regimental scale between the two sides every day in the Karur region. The stench of blood is growing stronger there..."
Although he had long anticipated this day, Zhang Tie's heart still skipped a beat when the news came from Lieutenant Fereau's mouth. In the blink of an eye, the thick smoke of war between the two great powers had already spread before his eyes, almost palpable.
This happened earlier than Zhang Tie had anticipated.
Lieutenant Fereau glanced at Zhang Tie, a mixture of regret and relief in his eyes, and said, "Given your injuries, you probably won't make it to Karur's next battle. Just focus on recovering in Black Flame City. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to meet again!"
After patting Zhang Tie on the shoulder, Lieutenant Fereau jumped back onto the Lynx and drove off, disappearing from Zhang Tie's sight.
Zhang Tie stood there blankly for a while, then started running at full speed.
Zhang Tie suppressed his speed as he ran through the streets of Black Flame City. His pace wasn't particularly alarming; it was about the same as someone chasing a thief after discovering their wallet is missing.
Zhang Tie ran straight back to his apartment on Monet Avenue. For the next two days, Zhang Tie only stepped out of the apartment once. When he returned, he was carrying two large sacks of various kinds of fruit that could be bought in Black Flame City, as well as a bucket of honey—he had completely immersed himself in the construction of Castle of Black Iron.
Two days later, two more man-made buildings appeared in Castle of Black Iron for the first time: two single-story wooden houses numbered 3a80, ordered from the Wilderness Home Guild, and a detached two-story wooden house numbered 3b90. They had become real buildings standing on the land of Castle of Black Iron. Because of these additional wooden houses, the entire Castle of Black Iron now looked more lively and interesting.
Both wooden houses have orange roofs and brown walls. They look very beautiful and exquisite. Because they adopt a modular design concept and construction method, these wooden houses are different from ordinary houses in appearance. They look more like the buildings made by elves or dwarves living in the forest in fairy tale illustrations. Both the shape and the lines are simple and unique, full of natural colors and ingenuity.
The wooden houses looked even better than in the pictures. With these three buildings completed, Zhang Tie's grain warehouse and biological laboratory in Castle of Black Iron were also finished.
All the ordered grain was sorted and packed into two single-story wooden huts by Zhang Tie.
Inside that laboratory, Zhang Tie began the fermentation process of the first batch of Origin Energy Spiritual Aura Yeast Solution in the three huge ceramic jars he had ordered. The water needed for this fermentation came from the mountain spring inside the Castle of Black Iron. In addition, Zhang Tie had also prepared the necessary fruits, bees, and sugar.
Just like the countless times he had made yeast solution at home before, Zhang Tie fermented three large jars this time, nearly 300 kilograms of yeast solution. He loved drinking this when he was a child; it was sweet and sour and very delicious, but he could never afford to drink too much of it. The yeast solution at home was all the starter his mother used to make rice wine. This time, Zhang Tie was determined to make enough at once so he could drink as much as he wanted in the future.
Besides these, Zhang Tie also left a bottle of Origin Energy Spiritual Aura Yeast Solution in the laboratory, initiating the second mutation and evolution of the Origin Energy Spiritual Aura Yeast Solution. This time, Zhang Tie also adopted the same method as the mutation and evolution of those bees, only investing Spirit Qi Value, regardless of how many times it went through. He wouldn't feel bad whether it succeeded or not, because it was all a profit anyway.
After completing these tasks within the Castle of Black Iron, on the afternoon of the day before the Iron-Blood Battalion was to depart for the Karur region, Zhang Tie, dressed in a crisp military uniform and boots, carrying an officer's longsword, emerged from his apartment on Monet Avenue with an unprecedented level of energy.
Zhang Tie went home first and spent the afternoon with his parents, having dinner together. Then he told them that the Iron-Blood Battalion would be heading to Karur the next day. During the meal, Zhang Tie's mother ate while shedding tears, and the atmosphere at home was particularly heavy. Although Zhang Tie tried his best to lighten the mood, even the smiles that his father and brother managed to muster were forced.
Zhang Tie's mother kept piling food into Zhang Tie bowl, and Zhang Tie just kept eating with his head down, shoveling it into his mouth no matter how much his mother put in.
The war against the Radiant Feather of the Sun God Dynasty is no child's play. The battle Zhang Tie is about to experience is even more dangerous and brutal than the war his bastard older brother, who became a martyr, experienced. The cruelty and bloodshed of the Sun God Dynasty's army are absolutely infamous throughout the entire Blakerson Human Corridor.
After the meal, the eldest sister-in-law quietly finished cleaning up the dishes and went to the kitchen.
Zhang Tie helped his parents sit down in chairs in the living room, then knelt down before them and kowtowed three times.
Although he had been holding back his tears during the meal, Zhang Tie's father finally broke down in tears.
Zhang Tie stood up, smiled, and said, "Mom and Dad, don't worry, I'll come back alive. I won't die unless you two are blessed with many children and grandchildren. You gave me a good name; my life is definitely tougher than iron!"
Zhang Yang personally escorted Zhang Tie out of his home and accompanied Zhang Tie for quite a distance.
" Zhang Tie, that money..."
"That money came from a clean source; it's compensation from the Gregory Family!" As soon as his older brother spoke, Zhang Tie knew what he wanted. Before leaving, he gripped his brother's hand tightly. "We brothers don't care about such things. Once I leave Black Flame City, with all this war and chaos, you'll have a hard time finding out about me. If I don't return within six months, take that money and bring Dad, Mom, and Sister-in-law away from Black Flame City to the Eastern Continent. I'm entrusting Dad and Mom to you from now on!" Zhang Tie then took out the perforated resin card Tang De had given him and handed it to his brother. "When you get to the Eastern Continent, find Tang De; he'll take care of you!"
Zhang Yang's eyes were red and swollen. He gripped Zhang Tie's shoulder tightly, tears streaming down his face. Zhang Yang was also a soldier, so he knew what it was like on the battlefield. In such a battle, no matter how strong someone was, no one dared to confidently say they would come back alive. Zhang Yang knew that what Zhang Tie Zhang Tie said at home earlier was just to comfort his parents. But what Zhang Tie was saying now was the truth.
"Is it possible?" Zhang Yang asked Zhang Tie. Of the entire family, only he knew that Zhang Tie was actually still on sick leave. Zhang Tie had suffered serious injuries and been poisoned. Only a few days had passed, and Zhang Tie Zhang Tie could avoid the war. In fact, the Iron-Blood Battalion and the 39th Division, knowing Zhang Tie's condition, hadn't notified Zhang Tie to report to the Iron-Blood Battalion today, which was tacitly acknowledging that Zhang Tie could refuse tomorrow.
As Zhang Tie's older brother, Zhang Yang sincerely hoped that Zhang Tie wouldn't.
"When I got into trouble, the brothers of the Iron-Blood Battalion mobilized the entire camp without hesitation to surround the Gregory Family's stronghold, determined to avenge me. So this time, even if it means braving mountains of knives with them, I'm going!"
Zhang Yang sighed. He knew Zhang Tie's character best. This brother, though sometimes a bit cynical, was deep down the most loyal, righteous, and sentimental. Tang De had taken care of him for two years, and he was willing to give Tang De such a precious secret manual as < Abacus Mental Calculation > without hesitation. The entire Iron-Blood Battalion was willing to risk their lives for him, and he was willing to risk his life for the entire Iron-Blood Battalion.
This is Zhang Tie!
"I still have a few brothers and a few women in Black Flame City. You've met them, brother, they're Barry and Pandora. If I don't come back in the future, when you leave, if you're able, please take care of them. If you can, lend a hand!"
Zhang Yang nodded solemnly, and then the two brothers parted ways. Zhang Yang watched Zhang Tie disappear alone at the end of the street.
After leaving home, Zhang Tie breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he went to Fatty Barry's house and found Barry. When Zhang Tie found Barry, Barry had just finished dinner at home. Right downstairs at Barry's house, Zhang Tie told Barry that he would be heading to Karur with the Iron-Blood Battalion the next day. To Barry's astonishment, Zhang Tie handed him a key.
"This is a safe deposit box I rented from Golden Roc Bank in Black Flame City today. The safe deposit box number is 1067. I put some things and a letter in the safe deposit box for you. After I leave, you can take the things out of the safe deposit box with Doug and the others!"
Barry paused for a moment, then silently took the keys from Zhang Tie. "Are you going to say goodbye to Doug and the others?"
"Forget it, I can't stand seeing men shed tears for me. It feels like a funeral. It's more like a woman's tears." Zhang Tie laughed and hugged Barry tightly. "Take care, brother!" Then he waved and turned to walk into the night.