Castle of Black Iron

"As we're all clan elders of Huaiyuan Palace, clan head, please go ahead. As long as it's for the benefit of Huaiyuan Palace, I believe all the elders could understand it no matter what the clan head says!" Elder Muray said in a muffled voice.

After Elder Muray finished his words, Zhang Tie and all the elders nodded.

"As we're in the Ancestral Shrine Palace, of course, we will center on the benefit of Huaiyuan Palace. We're all descendants of Huaiyuan Palace and Hua people of Taixia Country, we know what counts most, clan head!" Elder Muyuan said too.

When all the other elders expressed their stance, Zhang Taixuan nodded as he clapped twice.

As Zhang Taixuan's clap reverberated around the empty Ancestral Shrine Palace, two clan deacons walked out of a shadow and came to the side of the round table. One deacon lifted a tray which contained some files; the other deacon delivered the files to all the elders.

Zhang Tie got one too. With the strong spiritual energy, he could read this file as fast as taking a picture by camera. He could finish reading one page only by throwing a glimpse at it. Additionally, he could remember all the contents. The entire file was composed of 2 pages. Therefore, Zhang Tie finished reading them in the blink of an eye.

After skimming over the two pages, although Zhang Tie was always calm, he also became greatly shocked spiritually as he looked at Zhang Taixuan in an amazed manner.

Reflected by the flames in the Ancestral Shrine Palace of Huaiyuan Palace, Zhang Taixuan looked calm and profound. Nobody knew what he was thinking about. Although the other elders couldn't read as fast as Zhang Tie, they also finish reading the file rapidly. Zhang Tie noticed that Elder Muyu and Elder Muray couldn't help but quiver their hands after reading that thin file as if the two pages were pretty heavy.

After a few seconds, when all the clan elders skimmed over the file, they all looked at Zhang Taixuan with shocked looks.

"Clan head...how...how did you get this?" Elder Muyu asked in a bit quivering voice.

"After the riot broke out in Xuanyuan Hill on last November 15th, the Youzhou Provincial Governor's Mansion has received the notice from Northeast Military Region, which included the name-list of all the clans of Heavens Reaching Church who participated in building bloody seas. The Northeast Military Region request Youzhou Province to close down all the industries of these clans in Youzhou Province and arrest the chief personnel of these clans. After receiving that name-list, I handed it to Longwind Business Group and ordered Longwind Business Group to investigate all the businesses of these clans of Heavens Reaching Church and report it to me. After almost 2 months' efforts, Longwind Business Group finally figured out the businesses of these clans of Heavens Reaching Church and those business groups that were affiliated to them. Through screening and analysis, we got this first-hand intelligence!"

Zhang Taixuan glanced around the other elders in a solemn way while his clear and cold sound reverberated around the Ancestral Shrine Palace, "The business group of Wen Clan in Pingsha Valley was trading grains and grain seeds. However, 61 of the 78 clans being affiliated to Heavens Reaching Church across Taixia Country were trading grains and grain seeds too. Among the 61 clans, with the care and assistance of Han Zhengfang the finance minister, the business groups of Gao Clan of Time-honored Taste Palace in Liangzhou Province, Ke Clan of Pingshu Palace in Qingzhou Province and Zhang Clan of Huayun Palace in Ezhou Province ranked top agricultural business groups in Taixia Country. Their grains, grain seeds and reclaimed farms covered Taixia Country. They even had a market in Youzhou Province. As for the other 58 clans, their business of grains and grain seeds at least had a greater market share in one province! So many clans of Heavens Reaching Church were involved in the business of grains and grain seeds, was that a coincidence?"

"Elders, you should know that the trade in grains and grain seeds is not monopolistic in Taixia Country. Everyone could be involved it; additionally, the profit is very low. Because of the low profit of the trade in grains and grain seeds, they had to reach a scale so as to make big profits. Therefore, our Longwind Business Group has not involved in this business. However, during the dozens of years when Han Zhengfang served as the finance minister of Taixia Country, these clans of Heavens Reaching Church positively involved in trading grain and grain seeds. Are they only making money? As the finance minister of Taixia Country, Han Zhengfang could have better channels to have these clans involved in; however, these clans preferred the most unprofitable industry. Why?"

The air in the Ancestral Shrine Palace was like freezing with a chill, which couldn't even be driven away by flames.

All the elders were silent, including Zhang Tie. Because they all thought about the same possibility.

Zhang Tie was shocked the most. He had just encountered Sun Jiagu in the daytime and was anxiety-ridden by his words. Zhang Tie had not imagined that the news brought by Zhang Taixuan was much severer than that mentioned by Sun Jiagu.

Agriculture was the root of stability, also the foundation for the development of Hua people. If Taixia Country didn't have grains or met a problem in grain supply, people would be starved to death; corps would not fight any more; cities would lose their vitality; the foundation of state political power and social stability would collapse; as a result, various contradictions would break out severely. As Han Zhengfang had served as the finance minister of Taixia Country for so many years, plus so many clans of Heavens Reaching Church were involved in this business, the influence and scope were inestimable. As long as there was any problem in agriculture of Taixia Country, the foundation of Taixia country would rock in the holy war.

The severest crisis that Hua people experienced before the Catastrophe almost led to the extinction of Hua people. Because the traitors, bureaucratic groups and the Three-eye Association coordinated with each other to control the agricultural production and grain seeds provision of Hua people. With this extremely miserable lesson, all the Class-A cities in Taixia Country listed grain seeds as the most important items in the top 6 warehouses.

Nobody could imagine that the same scene might happen once again in Taixia Country after over 900 years...

Elder Muray started to pant while Elder Muyuan pinched the handrail of his chair into pieces.

Even Zhang Tie felt empty in mind for a short while after receiving such a news. After being vacant for a few seconds, Zhang Tie remembered a sentence——the firmest fortress would always be broken through from inside!

Zhang Tie closed his eyes painfully...

"Han Zhengfang the finance minister is the master of Heavens Reaching Church; Heavens Reaching Church colludes with demons. Additionally, the clans and forces of Heavens Reaching Church monopolized the agriculture and the provision of grain seeds. They definitely hid a malicious intent. Demons would never give up such a chance. Therefore, I have every reason to believe that Han Zhengfang's biggest purpose during his term of office was to rock and destroy the foundation of Taixia Country and Hua people by playing a trick in agriculture. The grains especially grain seeds traded by these clans of Heavens Reaching Church might have been demonized. After combining with the growth state of the bloody figures in the bloody sea across the country, the result of demons' conspiracy in agriculture might break out in 2 years!"

"Han Zhengfang had served as the finance minister of Taixia Country for many years. The grains and grain seeds traded by the clans of Heavens Reaching Church have long spread over Taixia Country. After so many years, nobody could figure out how deep have the agriculture of Taixia Country been influenced by Three-eye Association. For the further development of Huaiyuan Palace, Huaiyuan Palace must make a timely response to it. That's why I summon all the elders here!" Zhang Taixuan glanced around once again before continuing, "Although I hope my guesses are all false, in the current situation, Huaiyuan Palace have to make preparation for the worst scenario so as to survive ourselves. Honorable elders, please speak your mind freely. We could draw upon all useful opinions and commonly tide over this catastrophe!"

All the elders became silent for a short while. Closely after that, they all moved their eyes onto Zhang Tie. As Zhang Tie would soon be the first grand elder of Huaiyuan Palace. Of course, he was invited to speak his mind firstly out of respect in accordance with the rule.

Under the gaze of everyone else, Zhang Tie slowly opened his eyes. He let out a sigh before saying in a muffled voice with a solemn look, "Clan head's guesses are all true. Don't have any fluke mind. The grain seeds traded by the business groups being affiliated to Heavens Reaching Church indeed have been demonized!"

Those elders exchanged a glance with each other. They had not imagined that Zhang Tie could confirm Zhang Taixuan's guesses the moment he opened his mouth. After hearing Zhang Taixuan's words, those elders indeed had a fluke mind.

Elder Muen broke the silence by asking a question that all the elders at present were concerned about, "How could Elder Mushen be so sure about that?"

"I came to Embracing Tiger City a bit earlier today. After arriving here, I took a round in Embracing Tiger City. Coincidentally, I met a person..." Zhang Tie described how he met Sun Jiagu in a calm tone, "Even Cheng Clan had already used demonized medicinal materials to poison commoners across Taixia Country and stealthily destroy the recovering capability and the ability of producing low-level medicaments in a large scale in the holy war, not to mention the grain seeds traded by the other clans of Heavens Reaching Church. Taixia Country might have long been covered with poisonous grain seeds. This is definitely real! Elders could see it soon!"

Zhang Tie had recovered his composure from being shocked, sad, empty and confused. Therefore, his voice was filled with an unspoken calm and wisdom...