Castle of Black Iron

'Should I continue to follow Senel Clan members until I get a chance or come back to exterminate this clan when I'm powerful enough?' Zhang Tie thought.

'It's indeed a tricky problem. Although incarnation has many benefits, it also has shortcomings.'

'During incarnation, my original body would enter a marvelous state like hibernation of some animals or trance of convalescence. Like falling asleep, my original body doesn't need to eat or drink in 1-2 months. The only trouble is that I cannot cultivate in this state.'

'Although "patience" could bring me some chances, it would take me a great amount of time.'

'If I spent more than 10 days in cultivation, I might further improve my battle force. I could read the endless true words of the "Great Wilderness Sutra" on the 4th storey of All-spirits Pagoda for more than 600,000 times, which indicates that I've finished half of the work to activate the 4th storey of All-spirits Pagoda. If I spent more than 10 days to light surging points, I could at least light 2 surging points with the effect of the leakless fruits. That means I will be closer to LV 12 great battle master.'

'I've not eaten the ripe fruit of source of wing demons. Neither have I started to cultivate the "Soul Capture Forbidden Skill" of Bloody Soul Temple from Taixia Country that I obtained from Scala. If I focused on those iron-armored demons, I might find a chance to kill enough LV 9 iron-armored demons and get a fruit of source of them.'

Zhang Tie became perplexed when he hid in the hole. If he kept acting like this, he might not even find a chance to exterminate Senel Clan even when the demonized puppets corps occupied the entire Blackson Humans Corridor, 'How long will it take, one year or two years?'

When Zhang Tie was considering this question, he heard whispers of two clan warriors of Senel Clan on both sides of the vehicle, who were responsible for escorting vehicles of grains and weapons.

"Is that Tripoli, the capital of Symbian Republic ahead of Stancy City?"

"Right. After passing by Stancy City and tiding over Niecon River, we will arrive at the capital of Symbian Republic!"

"Pitifully, given the information from the vanguard corps, it seems that Tripoli's current situation is like that in Stancy City. All the resistible forces in the Symbian Republic have retreated to Norman Empire. They keep retreating southwards. None of them dare to block our army!"

"Ho...ho...that's great. We only need to chase after them. I'd like to see where they could hide."

"It's boring. We don't have a sense of conquest. We've not obtained any booties for a long time. Neither did we see any fresh, beautiful women..." The speaker swallowed his saliva at this moment before continuing, "I really recall those days in Titanic Duchy!"

"As long as we are fast enough, I don't believe that all the people can evacuate from this continent. Because of demon disasters, even the civilians in Norman Empire have not fully evacuated!"

"Therefore, we have to take Norman empire; then, we will obtain manpower resources, food, beautiful women and a great amount of wealth!"

"Heh, heh, heh..."

After hearing these words, Zhang Tie made his determination. 'Before the demons corps arrive at Norman Empire, if I cannot find a chance to kill Senel Clan members, I will leave them and improve my battle force by eating fruits first. I would never hang on the same tree of Senel Clan to death. After improving my battle force, I'll have a lot of chances to deal with Senel Clan in the future.'

'It's nothing serious even if I failed this action. Even the god would not allow one to be always smooth and successful.'

The moment Zhang Tie made the determination had he become relaxed. He then laid in the small hole and watched the heavy rain outside.

In the eyes of that insect, the scene was utterly different from that in people's eyes. They were not raindrops, but dense rain bullets. Each rain bullet was as large as its head. Like shells, each of them would cause a pit on the ground. Those fine dust and grits rose and fell. After a short while, the ground had become an ocean while numerous rivers and lakes came into being. Being baptized by rain bullets, those wild plants and tiny grasses were shaking with full rhythm. It seemed that they were communicating with this world in a bizarre way...all that in Zhang Tie's eyes formed a marvelous scene and brought Zhang Tie into an exotic realm.

How could people see such a marvelous scene!

Even Zhang Tie's new home was fashionable. He chose his temporary settlement in a junction on the top of a materials vehicle, which was hidden, safe and water-proof. If not someone climbed on the top of the vehicle and demolished it, nobody would find such a small hole at all. While he was staying in this small hole, he recalled the tree hollow where he lived in Wild Wolf Valley.

If there was no demonized puppet or war, these days' travel was unforgettable for Zhang Tie for sure. Even walking the same route, the world in the eyes of an insect was also utterly different than the world in the eyes of a person. Zhang Tie, in the incarnation of the little beetle, felt pretty fresh in a new world.

This was the marvel of life.

In the eyes of every life, even an insect, this was a different wonderful world full of possibilities and vitality.

'Who else has the right to deprive the other lives to sense this fresh and wonderful world?'

...

Suddenly, the material vehicle parked. Closely after that, the vehicle quivered a few seconds while someone jumped off it and unveiled the waterproof cloth over the vehicle. He started to unload those items from the vehicle in the heavy rain. At the same time, it turned noisy outside the hole.

The army was going to encamp here.

Those senseless demonized puppets could stay overnight as long as they huddled together. They would eat everything they saw on the way here. However, for those members of clans of Three-eye Association and their lackeys in the demonized puppets corps, they had to pitch tents at least. Of course, the common human members of clans of Three-eye Association would at least eat some dried rations during the march period; however, those like Battie, Houghs and Elder Quentin maintained high standards in food, drinking and living even during the march period.

Zhang Tie once thought about poisoning those b*stards of Senel Clan as it was the most convenient way for him to kill them; however, he found that the major figures like Koz, Quentin of Senel Clan were very meticulous in daily food. Before starting meals, they would have special people taste the food. Besides, their dining wares, including the glasses, vessels, knives and forks were able to identify poisonous substances. Therefore, the poisons that Zhang Tie carried didn't work anymore.

When the noises outside the hole turned smaller, it almost stopped raining. When the night fell, Zhang Tie drilled out of that "temporary settlement" on the top of the material vehicle. After that, he popped out his wings and started to "inspect" the near environment.

Usually, the material vehicle was parked in a hidden place in the rear of the camp. That temporary campsite was separated from the dense demonized puppets with barriers. The tents of Battie and Houghs were on both sides of the tent of Elder Quentin. Koz's main tent was also close to them. When Zhang Tie flew out of the hole, he saw the two guys walking in the main tent together with Elder Quentin and a liaison officer of Arthur Clan, another clan of Three-eye Association which controlled the middle corps.

Arthur Clan originated from Verof Federation of 17 human countries which collapsed first in the north. In the past 100 years, three federal presidents came from this clan. Besides, this clan controlled the largest military-industrial complex in Verof Federation as the biggest noble clan in Verof Federation. Who could imagine that such an influential clan could be a member of Three-eye Association? The reason that demons corps could take Verof Federation rapidly was closely related to Arthur Clan. Arthur Clan had much deeper background than Senel Clan. The knight that Zhang Tie killed was a knight employed by Arthur Clan. After that knight "disappeared", Arthur Clan dispatched another clan knight whom Zhang Tie saw after he killed Scala in Mocco City.

Now that the liaison officer of Arthur Clan was there, it indicated that they ought to be negotiating about the march route tomorrow in the main tent. Zhang Tie had eavesdropped such talks sometimes; however, he didn't get any valuable information from their talks; additionally, he was even afraid of exposing himself. Therefore, Zhang Tie didn't want to do that once again.

They encamped in the south of Stancy City. It seemed to be a river in the distant as Zhang Tie could hear gurgling sound of water. He then flew towards that river.

It was a great river, which was wider than 200 m. Due to heavy rain, the water near the bank was a bit dirty. It seemed to be an iron bridge over there previously; however, it had been completely demolished now. There were only two piers on two ends.

The iron bridge was replaced by more than 10 chain bridges above the river, which were paved with planks being linked with iron wires. Perhaps it was hard for commoners to build chain bridges above such wide river; however, it was very easy for a corps with knights. Heavy equipment such as armored vehicles might not be able to pass chain bridges; however, common vehicles and horses could easily pass them.

At the sight of the firm chain bridges, Zhang Tie had abandoned his thought——to kill them when they pass the chain bridges.

'Won't I find any chance to clean Senel Clan members? Do I have to wait until the future?'

With a depressed mood, Zhang Tie flew along the bank for a while before returning to the encampment.

Of course not. There were always unexpected things in this world.

Before he reached the encampment had Zhang Tie heard a thunder-like sound which contained an unrivaled aggressive qi, "Who's Koz, the owner of Senel Clan?"

The moment Zhang Tie heard this voice had become stunned because he was familiar with this sound. Zhang Tie remembered that he might have heard it somewhere. At the same time, a solemn and dignified face loomed in Zhang Tie mind...

Elder Muray, Huaiyuan Palace...

Zhang Tie quivered all over as he almost fell down from the air, 'Is that him?'

After recovering his composure faintly, Zhang Tie hurriedly rushed back towards that encampment from where he had just left...