Castle of Black Iron

When Zhang Tie took everybody out of that long tunnel and arrived at the spacious underground mining field, he knew that all his followers had already confirmed that he wanted to share that great secret with them.

This was able to be seen from the look of desire in their eyes and their attitudes towards him.

Of course, what he wanted to share with them was a great, great mysterious knowledge. Hehhehhehheh...

In the dark mining field, there were only two burning torches with flickering flames. The dim sound of mining hoes knocking at a mining bed reverberated in the space. Among his fellow miners, some of them believed that Zhang Tie had a great, hidden cultivation secret related to mining, while the others didn’t believe that as they continued working hard in their usual place.

As for these guys who continued to work hard inside, Zhang Tie had to say sorry to them—now that it has become a great and outstanding mysterious knowledge, people who were not related would never be allowed to eavesdrop; otherwise, it would not be qualified to be called mysterious knowledge.

Arriving at the mining field, everybody, including those miners that had walked ahead, cast their eyes filled with desire onto Zhang Tie.

At this moment, Zhang Tie’s face showed a significantly serious expression.

“All brothers with food, please move one step forward...”

Hearing Zhang Tie’s instruction, over 30 people immediately moved out of the group and one step forward. Although nobody knew what Zhang Tie’s next instruction would be, nobody asked.

“If I want you to offer half of your food, would you be willing?”

“I will!” After exchanging glances, everybody then loudly shouted in unison.

Does Zhang Tie want to take food as tuition? Some of the animals started to be suspicious. Facing the slightly suspicious looks, Zhang Tie sneered inwardly, ‘This father doesn’t even feel reluctant to gift dozens of dried meat to Pandora, so who cares about your dried rations? If you could learn this ‘great mysterious knowledge’ in exchange for just a bit of dried rations, then mysterious knowledge would be worthless.’

At this moment, hearing their footsteps and seeing the flames, the guys who were just mining here also walked towards them out of curiosity.

Waving his hand, Zhang Tie called over the miner who had just been in awe at Zhang Tie and had guided them in the tunnel.

“What’s your name?”

“I am Potter!” that guy replied slightly tensed.

“Okay, Potter, I have a mission for you. Bring some brothers with you and distribute half of the donated rations to the students who have been mining here. Tell them that we will be using the mines for a day and that the dried rations will be their compensation!” Zhang Tie slightly raised his voice that was full of emotions, allowing all the other animals to hear it. “This is god’s will. Since they did not wait for me outside the cave like you all had, they have lost their chance to participate in our next course of action. Just have them leave for a day!”

Such a simple sentence caused two effects—those who thought Zhang Tie was going to take their food as “tuition” felt embarrassed, while all the others, especially the miners who had been guiding them, immediately became highly spirited.

“What if… what if… there’s someone that doesn’t want to leave?” The moment Potter opened his mouth, from his pessimism and the way he thought about a poor outcome, Zhang Tie realized that Potter must have been frequently bullied by others.

“Don’t feel like leaving?” Zhang Tie smiled and turned to face Wood.

Wood then patted his chest: “Trust me, they will leave after taking the food!”

After making that promise, Wood directly spoke to the crowd, “Which brothers would like to go with me to persuade those guys to leave!?”

Immediately, five or six tough guys with robust shoulders and thick waists walked out of the crowd.

A few minutes later, several miners left the mining cave with more food than they could have earned by mining. Some of them were happy since they were able to obtain a large amount of food without doing any work, while others felt reluctant to leave since they wanted to stay and join them. Of course, it was impossible to join them at this moment. After Wood and the other tough guys “persuaded” these guys to leave, those who had followed Zhang Tie all felt that this was a precious chance.

Zhang Tie let them compare themselves to the others, allowing a sense of excellence and identity to come out.

When Potter and Wood used their food and “fist” to clear out the mining field, Zhang Tie let the miners who were acting as guides take these animals to search the areas where people could easily hide, ensuring that there was nobody hiding here.

At this time, the more serious and cautious Zhang Tie was, the happier and more excited the animals were and the harder they worked.

Ten minutes later, the entire mining field was cleared. Everybody then gathered in front of Zhang Tie with their eyes full of desire fixed on Zhang Tie.

Zhang Tie pointed at the mouth of the cave in the distance and glanced at those animals in a profound way. “After a while when the inheritance ceremony begins, it cannot be disturbed by anyone, thus four of you have to defend that area over there and prevent others from coming in. Unfortunately, those four people would not be able to attend the inheritance ceremony, and since the inheritance ceremony will not be held for a second time during this survival training, it would be unfair for whoever has been arranged to defend that area. Thus, the people who defend that area must do so voluntarily. The four people will need to sacrifice their own chance for others!”

Hearing Zhang Tie’s words, everybody’s face turned pale. Everybody looked at the entrance of the mining cave and then looked at Zhang Tie, who showed the traces of a mysterious smile on his face. As they all did not want to miss the chance presented at this moment, they all became worried.

“Then, will the four people who come out have another chance to accept the same inheritance ceremony?” someone among the silent crowd plucked up his courage and asked.

“Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t. That is the meaning of sacrifice!” Zhang Tie swept a glance over all the animals. Hearing Zhang Tie’s reply, everybody felt a holy and solemn feeling filling this quiet mining field.

“What if… what if nobody wants to defend the entrance?”

“If you cannot find four people among you who would voluntarily sacrifice their own chance, then all I have to say is that you are a group of selfish people. Such a group of selfish people is not qualified to accept the inheritance of such a great Oriental mysterious knowledge like the Big Blessing Skill!” Zhang Tie coldly said.

Big Blessing Skill!

Hearing these words, all the animals were shocked. Judging from its name, it was a highly valuable mysterious knowledge. The name of the mysterious knowledge coming out of Zhang Tie’s mouth made everybody’s heart pound.

At this time, someone suddenly thought about something and exclaimed, “Last time when you were chased by the wild wolves and had chosen to jump into a 200 m deep hole in order to survive, you were able to be as lively as normal several days later. Is that the effect of the Big Blessing Skill...”

Although Zhang Tie had long burst into laughter in his heart, he kept silent...

All of a sudden, everybody felt that it was hard to breathe. With Zhang Tie, a living person who had benefitted from the Big Blessing skill, in front of them, nobody doubted the mysterious knowledge anymore.

This moment was a true test of the human heart. People would have to sacrifice their chance to learn the Big Blessing Skill in order to defend the entrance. These people could perhaps lose the chance to learn the Big Blessing Skill for the rest of their lives. It was the Big Blessing skill—a mysterious knowledge that enabled a guy to jump into a 200 m deep pitch black hole in order to survive! It might even have other effects. Who would want to give up on this chance?

Every person had a different expression on their face as they all struggled within their hearts. They had realized that if nobody sacrifices their own opportunity, then they would all lose this chance; however, if someone decides to sacrifice their own opportunity, then it meant that they wouldn’t have such an opportunity for the rest of their lives.

“I’m willing to make this sacrifice for everyone!” Potter stood out. With his lips pressed together, the youth was nervous; however, his face looked quite holy while the bright flames from the torch were reflected in his eyes, moving Zhang Tie. Looking at that somewhat serious face of Potter and the firm confidence in his eyes, Zhang Tie suddenly realized that after starting off with the “barbarian lifestyle in the mining cave”, he had gone too far with his act. Zhang Tie silently swallowed his saliva. At this moment, he had no other choice but to continue with the act. He will seriously continue the act in order to not let those guys be disappointed.

“Potter, as a fire-bearer, in this inheritance ceremony, you are not eligible to be a sacrifice for the others!” Zhang Tie solemnly told Potter.

Seeing Potter somewhat confused, Zhang Tie decided to make the act more convincing.

“Potter, do you think what had happened today was a coincidence?” Zhang Tie put one hand onto that youth’s thin shoulder. “Do you think it was a coincidence for you and I to be gathered here today? Do you think it was a coincidence for me to survive after jumping into a 200 m deep hole? Do you think it was a coincidence for me to beat back the bodyguards of the Samira Business Group yesterday? Do you think it was a coincidence for me to reveal Samira’s scheme in the office? Do you think it was a coincidence for me to let you fire-bearers guide us? Do you think it was a coincidence that you are a fire-bearer? No, these were are all arranged by God and destiny…”

“Fire-bearer!” Potter murmured the name filled with religiousness and mysteriousness as his eyes began to shine with a different kind of brilliance.

“Yes, fire-bearer. It is also a part of today’s holy inheritance ceremony. Everything that has happened today is arranged by God and destiny. Without the presence of you fire-bearers among the crowd, then the conditions for today’s holy inheritance ceremony would not be met…” Zhang Tie looked more serious than before as he started to hum an aria like the ones from the church choirs: “Those who walk in darkness… your face is covered in dirt, your footsteps are staggering, your hands are tainted with filth, and you walk in the dark and dirty land, yet the light and flames within your heart will never die out. One day, the light and flames within your heart will become a torch within the darkness. The ferocious, burning torch will light up the path for your brothers, enabling them to see the troubles and difficulties on the road ahead. For the people who take the responsibility of sacrificing their own opportunity, the burning torches in your hands will be the best blessings in the world. This is the blessing from light, which lights up the road towards the ultimate holy gate!”

Hearing Zhang Tie’s fabrications based on the religious books and the Bible that he had read, led by Potter, all the miners began to cry as tears began to drop down from their eyes. Since they were born, they had never thought that their humble bodies were holy and dignified.

……