Castle of Black Iron

Some people telepathy with each other. So did Zhang Tie and his brothers in Iron-Blood Camp of No. 39 Division. They killed enemies and bathed blood, they blocked blades and bolts for each other at the risk of their own lives.

Zhang Tie felt Freo, the bald-headed tough man's fresh blood was running through his body. While those brothers in Iron-Blood Camp were running Zhang Tie's fresh blood through their body.

After Zhang Tie got on the vehicle, Reinhardt also jumped onto it. Without saying anything, he just held the cigar and accelerated his vehicle at once.

As it was outside the gate of the alliance command, Zhang Tie was not afraid of being followed by others. If the alliance command in Mocco City could not even guarantee such a simple thing, they didn't need to fight in Selnes Theater of Operations any longer. They only needed to return home and wait for demons.

"Did you kill Master Abyan?" Reinhardt asked casually.

"Yup. He killed some of my women. Therefore, I have to kill him. However, I almost lost my life that time!" Zhang Tie took up a lighter and started to light that cigar which Reinhardt had thrown to him. After having a mouth of it, the fragrance of the cigar was filled in his mouth.

He learned to smoke the cigar from Reinhardt. Previously, as a poor teenager, Zhang Tie thought it was like smoking a cigarette; however, when in Iron-Blood Camp, he knew that the smoke of cigar didn't have to enter lungs; instead, it just stayed in the mouth for a while before going out.

"What happened? That old d**chebag couldn't be that sharp!" Reinhardt turned around and glanced at Zhang Tie.

"That old d**chebag was a shadow demon. His level was higher than mine. Therefore, I was almost killed!" Zhang Tie blew out the smoke.

"Shadow demon?" Reinhardt finally revealed a shocking look.

Zhang Tie nodded.

"What happened then? Abyan's fortress was swept off by someone. Even marshal Lin Changjiang and many big figures in the capital city were shocked by this!"

"He was my master. As I could not even have time to protect myself, I could not meet him at that time. Probably after thinking that I was killed, he especially came there and destroyed the fortress.

That strength was almost out of people's reach. Later on, Reinhardt went to take a look at the ruins of Abyan's fortress. Facing that deep and serene lake, he didn't know what to say besides being shocked. However, as a major commission officer of No. 39 Division, Reinhardt had his own channels to learn about the event which happened beside the encampment of No. 39 Division. According to the investigation group dispatched by the capital city, there was no such a powerhouse in Norman Empire, even across Blackson Humans Corridor. It was said that his strength had almost reached to that of the immortal level.

"You master is too powerful!" Reinhardt sighed with emotions as he felt happy for Zhang Tie.

"He is very powerful!" Zhang Tie replied with a bitter smile, "However, I don't know when I can see him again. His temperament is a bit odd. He's always alone. I wonder where he is now. I won't feel strange even if I didn't see him in the next decades.

Reinhardt glanced at Zhang Tie with an amazing look once again before shaking his head.

The scenery on both sides of the street flashed backward. Reinhardt drove very fast as he continuously glimpsed at the rear-view mirrors to ensure that nobody was following them.

"Where are we going?" Zhang Tie asked.

"Have a drink!"

"That's fine!" Zhang Tie nodded.

After being silent for over 10 seconds, Reinhardt opened his mouth, "We've received the 1000 vials of all-purpose medicament that you had Colonel Leibniz left to the brothers of Iron-Blood Camp. When the demonized puppets corps besieged the Blackhot City, those vials of all-purpose medicament saved a lot of brothers' lives!"

"That's good!"

Reinhardt became silent for another few seconds, "First Lieutenant Liu Xing died in the demon disaster!"

After hearing this news, Zhang Tie's hand holding the cigar quivered slightly when he felt being chocked by something...

...

Reinhardt kept driving ahead. After taking Zhang Tie around the Mocco City for over half an hour, he finally parked in a remote street. They then got off the vehicle and passed by two lanes before arriving at a small bar.

Some bald-headed tough guys in black vests were standing outside the gate of the bar. At the sight Lieutenant Colonel Reinhardt, a tough guy turned around and knocked at the door. A person then looked outside through a small window on the door. When all the guards nodded, he opened the thick iron gate from inside.

"I've not imagined that the guards here are so professional." Zhang Tie became interested in this place at once.

"Where are we?"

"This is demon hunters bar. Only powerhouses of demon hunting squads in Selnes Theater of Operations or those who had at least chopped off one demon's head could come here!" Reinhardt explained.

Zhang Tie nodded.

Zhang Tie and Reinhardt passed that thick iron gate and a narrow winding corridor which was hung over with sabers and swords before entering the bar. At this moment, although it was not dark, so many people had already gathered inside. After glancing at Zhang Tie and Reinhardt, those people turned around and kept drinking.

Like Reinhardt said, Zhang Tie saw various military uniforms and battle armors. They were at least captains.

After sitting at a table, before they opened mouth, a beauty waiter in the breast-exposing uniform had already served bottles of alcohol and some food on the table. Finding Zhang Tie was handsome, that waiter even leered at Zhang Tie before leaving with her twisting plump butts.

"You cannot order drinks here. We can provide you what we have!"

Zhang Tie nodded. At this moment, all the supplies in Selnes Theater of Operations were in short. The rationing system was executed here. Even if you were a commissioner, you should also appreciate for having some alcohol. Alcohol could serve as hard currency here. The boss of this bar was already an able man to supply such goods.

As they drank alcohol, Zhang Tie and Reinhardt chatted about their recent situation.

Two years ago, Reinhardt had already left No. 39 Division and the Iron-Horn Corps and was dispatched into the Iron-Plough Corps in the North Border Military Region of Norman Empire. He was now a colonel.

This time, facing the flooding demons, Norman Empire decided to dispatch three elite corps of about 1.4 million soldiers northward into Selnes Theater of Operations. The Iron-Plough Corps where Reinhardt was in, like the trump card of North Border Military Region, also arrived at Selnes Theater of Operations at the order.

Although the demon disaster in Sun Dynasty had not been fully cracked down, Norman Empire had to deal with the current situation with their full efforts.

As long as the demon army broke through the Selnes Plain, the entire Symbian Republic would be destroyed by demons sooner or later. Closely after that, Norman Empire, being next to the Symbian Republic would naturally become the next target of demons. Therefore, how long could Norman Empire keep demons in Selnes Theater of Operations almost determined how long would Norman Empire survive.

Besides Iron-Plough Corps, the trump card troop in North Border Military Region, the most powerful imperial Iron-Blood Corps of Norman Empire which always safeguarded the capital of Norman Empire also arrived at Selnes Theater of Operations. The one who led the three corps northward and defended in Sladic City was rightly the crown prince of Norman Empire. Iron-Plough Corps was in Mocco City while Reinhardt served as the captain of demon hunting squadron of Iron-Plough Corps.

"I've just received the report from home. Marshal Lin Changjiang has already accomplished strategic besiege towards those demonized puppets in Sun Dynasty with 9 imperial corps of about 4 million soldiers. After half a year, the empire will sweep all the demonized puppets of Sun Dynasty and break through the strategic tunnel towards the south of the empire..."

"Even Norman Empire has prepared to retreat?" Zhang Tie asked out of amazement.

"As long as the demon army breaks through the Selnes defense line, the empire has to make a strategic retreat. Selnes defense line is a psychological pass for many people. Once this pass is broken, not only Norman Empire but many other countries would try their best to carry out large-scale strategic transfer!" as Reinhardt said this, he took up a bottle of alcohol and poured in half of it before putting it heavily on the table, "Actually, able people have long taken their family members to the south by airship. Only commoners could not leave. You should know the situation in Selnes Theater of Operations better than me that it would deteriorate sooner or later. We're just sparing some more time for commoners..."

Zhang Tie nodded. The demon army could not be held in the north of the Selnes Plain forever. This was determined by the sharp strength gap between the two parties. Everyone knew that. As long as this human defense line in Selnes Theater of Operations was broken through, everybody could only retreat in an avalanche type...

Gradually, it was dark. Zhang Tie found more and more people in the bar. Additionally, after drinking a bit, many of them would enter a room behind the bar and stay there for a long time. Some didn't drink at all. Holding few bulging items, they entered the same room. After a short while, hundreds of people disappeared in front of Zhang Tie's eyes.

"There's an enclosed underground warehouse behind the room. This is the largest illegal demon hunters market in Selnes Theater of Operations. Many demon hunters would come here to trade items everyday. They could usually see many nice items here, including rune equipment, secret knowledge and weapons, etc. ..." Reinhardt explained.

Being shocked by Reinhardt's introduction, Zhang Tie asked, "Ah? There is such an illegal market?"

"Actually, demons have many similarities with humans. They even have a stronger desire for wealth and good items. Some special demons could even cultivate using human cultivation methods. After demon corps swept those countries in the north, many demon soldiers would always carry spoils of war with them. Those spoils were traded in the demon hunters market at the beginning. But now, there are more items to be traded here..."

With Reinhardt's explanation, Zhang Tie finally understood the current situation of the illegal demon hunters market. Those being traded in this market at the beginning indeed came from the demon soldiers. However, as the war proceeded, many more powerhouses arrived here from Blackson Humans Corridor, increasing the variety of items being traded here.

Those items of the demon hunting squad being killed by demons probably finally returned to the hand of other demon hunting squad through dead demons. As those items were relatively argumentative, they could only be traded in the illegal market.

Now, there were over 10,000 LV 9 or higher population of demon hunting squads across the Selnes Theater of Operations, which included the elites of all countries. Some among those squads would disappear or sacrifice everyday. Similarly, each day, some of the demon hunting squads could gain something. After keeping what they needed, they traded unnecessary or argumentative items with other demon hunters in the illegal market.

Such an illegal market had become a half-exposed secret to the demon hunting squads. Many generals of the alliance command also knew that. However, nobody could stop it. All the members of demon hunting squads were working at the risk of their lives. They were bearing great stress from demon corps on the ground. If they were not even allowed to trade items privately, it would be too ruthless to them. Of course, as the situation in Selnes Theater of Operations was a bit complex, it was hard to determine whether some items of the 'allied forces' belonged to booties and whether they should be returned to the original owners...

"Perhaps, I could get a 'King Roc Sutra' here", a thought flashed across Zhang Tie's mind...