Castle of Black Iron
chapter-857

As the party originated from Gobbling Province, one of the 36 upper provinces in Taixia Country, it was gradually called Gobbling Party by the public.

On the 687th year of the black iron calendar, the mysterious stele which was unearthed from the Gobbling Party of Taixi Country shocked the world.

Nobody knew what was the stele. It could not be damaged a bit by any means, even by powerful, high-rank knights. Therefore, it aroused a sensation in Taixia Country. Many high-rank knights across Taixia Country poured into Gobbling Province and wanted to try whether the mysterious stele was as firm as that in the legend. However, although they tried all the possible means only to damage even a bit of it. Not only common high-rank knights, even the 7 major sects in Taixia Country and the Xuanyuan Hill were shocked and dispatched powerhouses to Gobbling Province.

The mysterious stele was indeed completely out of people's imagination. No matter how many chakras had the knights formed, they could not damage the stele a bit.

Later on, through the authentication of some top alchemist masters in Taixia, they reached a more shocking conclusion——the substance of that mysterious stele violated all the ionization laws of substances on the planet. The stele could resist any element, energy and substance. The atoms and porous structure of the substance of that stele were always fixed. In another word, time didn't exist compared to that stele. That stele was really immortal.

"Immortal?" This word drove everybody mad; especially Hua people who used to treat themselves as immortals and keep pursuing the natural laws as the ultimate target. After that mysterious stele was unearthed, it aroused a storm in Taixia Country. In the opinion of all the Hua people, being immortal was a reflection of freedom. Only those being immortal could be free and produce such an immortal object.

After the mysterious stele was unearthed for 3 months and aroused a sensation in Taixia Country, a paragraph of Hua characters loomed on the unlettered stele, which could be translated in the following words——with benevolence as the core, morality as the body, ritual as the use and righteousness as the driving force, natural laws would loom on objects while containing objects. The essence of natural laws is real and reliable. Natural laws could not be described by words but shall be followed.

The paragraph of characters on the mysterious stele shocked the entire Taixia Country once again. The mysterious stele was therefore called Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele. The characters on it drove numerous people mad. Many people even treated the characters on the stele as the truth towards the natural laws.

In the beginning, the Gobbling Party was just a non-governmental organization or a group of people who studied the contents of the characters on the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele in Gobbling Province. Later on, this organization gradually expanded. It even had leaders. Therefore, the name of Gobbling Party gradually spread across Taixia Country.

By now, the so-called Gobbling Party was definitely not a local force in Gobbling Province; instead, it had developed into an organization that didn't belong to any sect and had a great influence among the people and in the imperial court of Taixia Country.

When the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele was unearthed in Gobbling Province, Zhang Huaiyuan the former West Expedition General of the God's Will Army, one of the top 4 armies in Taixia Country even went to investigate the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele himself. When the inscriptions appeared on the stele, Zhang Huaiyuan even wanted to carry the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele back into the abyss of the earth-elements realm with his God's Will Army despite world condemnation, which aroused a big trouble and offended Gobbling Party from then on.

"Why would Lord Huaiyuan move the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele back to the abyss of earth-elements realm?" Zhang Tie couldn't stand to ask Zhang Taixuan.

"Our ancestor Lord Huaiyuan was straightforward and candid. He thought that the inscriptions on the stele were casting spells on people. If the mercy, morality, rituals and righteousness advocated by the words spread over Taixia Country and became the truth that was pursued by people, it would cause limitless damages to Taixia Country. Before demons arrived, Hua people would have been exterminated. Because of this, in order to preserve the spirits of Hua people, Lord Huaiyuan preferred to move the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele back into the abyss of earth-elements realm despite world condemnation!" Zhang Taixuan let out a sigh.

'I've not imagined that Lord Huaiyuan was so heroic in Taixia Country. When hundreds of millions of people were watching the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele and wanted to laud it to the skies, he dared lead the God's Will Army to rob it and intended to move it back to the abyss of the earth-elements realm.' Zhang Tie felt blood boiling when he recalled the heroic look of his ancestor.

"Has he made it?"

"If he could make it, there would not be Gobbling Party now!" Zhang Taixuan sighed, "The stele itself had been regarded as the immortal object of Taixia Country and the symbol of natural laws by many people regardless of the inscriptions on it. If Lord Huaiyuan wanted to seal it, he would shock the Gobbling Province even the whole country at once. Therefore, the entire Gobbling Province was at loggerheads. A great number of people who wanted to seek for the secrets of the natural laws from the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele didn't want it to be sealed. Thus, they started to prevent Lord Huaiyuan and the God's Will Army, almost deteriorating the entire Gobbling Province into a battlefield. The entire country was shocked. Later on, Emperor Xuanyuan issued the decreed and dispatched the commander-in-chief to appease this event in Gobbling Province!"

"Ahh? Who's the winner?"

"Before Lord Huaiyuan wanted to seal the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele with God's Will Army, people across the country wanted to consecrate it in the Xuanyuan Hill and fix its position as the immortal object of Hua people. However, after this event was appeased, Lord Huaiyuan and his God's Will Army were dispatched away from Gobbling Province. The Gobbling Party then instigated the public opinion to force Lord Huaiyuan to exit the God's Will Army and leave Taixia Country for Waii Sub-continent. Additionally, the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele is still in Gobbling Province; instead of being consecrated in the Xuanyuan Hill!"

"In this case, how could the leader of Gobbling Party be the master of the crown prince in the east palace of Xuanyuan Hill?"

"After the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele was unearthed for many years, one guy entered meditation and cultivation 3 years before the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele and promoted to the black iron knight at 18. After that, he continued to enter meditation and cultivation for 30 years before it and promoted to an earth knight, which shocked the entire country. After promoting to an earth knight at 48, it took him 5 years to finish his masterpiece The Morality and The Classic on Returning to the Nature . He even made annotations to the 12 classics of Taixia Country, which had been widely accepted by scholars and intellectuals across Taixia Country. It was said that The Classic on Returning to the Nature was the supreme truth that he had learned through medication. Anyone would improve his cultivation progress by cultivating The Classic on Returning to the Nature. Therefore, The Classic on Returning to the Nature was regarded as the treasure for cultivation by the members of Gobbling Party. Outsiders could not even have a chance to read it. After finishing his masterpieces, he entered the earth-elements realm and fought another 6 decades. Due to the great achievements that he had made during the 6 decades, he was awarded as the duke; besides, he promoted to a shadow knight. After leaving the earth-element realm, he refused all the high positions and rich compensations and entered his meditation in front of the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele once again. After another 6 decades, he promoted to a heavens knight. After that, he entered earth-elements realm and killed the demon duke and destroyed a fortress of demons with his own battle strength. By then, this guy had been well-known across the world for both political and military achievements. Plus, he had been longing for that position for a long time and the Gobbling Party had reached a scale, he naturally became the master of the crown prince in the east palace of Xuanyuan Hill and the leader of the Gobbling Party!"

'What a weirdo! What a weirdo!'

"Was Lord Huaiyuan killed by this guy?" Zhang Tie clenched his fist as he asked Zhang Taixuan.

"Although this guy didn't launch an attack himself, it's also related to this guy. When this guy promoted to an earth knight in 30 years and shocked the entire country, Lord Huaiyuan had been exiled to Waii Sub-continent. As this guy and Lord Huaiyuan were both earth knights by then, when this guy headed for the earth-elements realm, the Gobbling Party also instigated the public opinion to force Lord Huaiyuan to enter the earth-elements realm too. Their competition had been faintly carried on since then. Finally, that guy returned from earth-elements realm; however, Lord Huaiyuan fought to the death over there."

This was the history of the resentment between Zhang Clan of Huaiyuan Palace and the Gobbling Party. Although Lord Huaiyuan had passed away, the resentment between Gobbling Party and Huaiyuan Palace had not come to an end. The competition between Lord Huaiyuan and Gobbling Party was more like a competition between beliefs and ideas than a piece of Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele. Because of this, the two parties were always hostile against each other. Given the current situation, unless the offsprings of Zhang Clan of Huaiyuan Palace joined Gobbling Party regardless of their face and bowed towards the Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele, it was impossible for Gobbling Party to not cause Huaiyuan Palace troubles.

If not, even though the offsprings of Zhang Clan survived well with both honor and wealth, it was nothing different than death.

Therefore, Huaiyuan Palace could only continue to turn hostile against Gobbling Party. If Huaiyuan Palace became scared at this moment, not only the Gobbling Party would turn pleasant and rampant; even those who supported Huaiyuan Palace such as Commander Cheng would belittle Huaiyuan Palace.

When the ancestors planted the tree, the posterity would enjoy the cold. Similarly, when the ancestors beat the tiger, the posterity would be prepared to be attacked by the tiger. As an offspring of Lord Huaiyuan, Zhang Tie knew that he didn't have the right to choose something. Since the day he came to this world, he had been branded as the offspring of Lord Huaiyuan, who should not only carry the honor in Waii Sub-continent but also the resentment in Taixia Country. On such a critical issue, Zhang Tie could only stand firmly on the side of Huaiyuan Palace; share honors and humiliations with Huaiyuan Palace.

After being silent for a short while, Zhang Tie made his determination, "Next year, the output of all-purpose medicament of Jinwu Business Group would increase to 15 million vials, half of which would still be sold by Long Wind Business Group without any surplus condition. Long Wind Business Group could get commodities from Jinwu Business Group at 50% off!"

Zhang Tie's decision meant the benefit of tens of millions of gold coins a year. This figure was not small even in Taixia Country.

'Now that Gobbling Party said I was greedy about money and liked to stock land and commodities, I will show them what they want to see. I will show them money makes the mare go.'

When wealth reached a certain scale, it would become a terrifying, overwhelming strength.

Zhang Tie revealed a tameless sneer at his mouth corners, 'F*ck you, Far-ancient Immortal Moral Stele; f*ck you, Gobbling Party; f*ck you, heavens knight! This father even dared to fight the entire demons and Three-eye Association, do you think that I'm afraid of you? F*ck! Do you really think that you're Emperor Xuanyuan?'

Zhang Tie always accommodated himself to circumstances. He had been very satisfied with the living during the past two months when he just read brief reports from the court temple in Youzhou Province and played with his sons. However, Zhang Tie was also very unyielding and unruly. He would turn more unyielding and unrulier if he met a more powerful enemy. Facing those great challenges, Zhang Tie's ambition and spirit would also rise.

At this moment, Zhang Tie felt that he had returned to the No. 7 National Male Middle School. Although he just sat below a small tree leisurely and didn't mean to incur someone; some b*stards still came to his side and threw some service plates in front of him so as to reflect their lofty images.

After hearing Zhang Tie's decision, Count Long Wind became silent for a short while. As the head of Huaiyuan Palace, he knew the importance of Zhang Tie's decision, "As Taixia's industrial development is much more advanced than Waii Sub-continent, the shipbuilding industry in Yanghe Prefecture should also be integrated so as to be more competitive. You can have Jinwu Shipyard merge Long Wind Shipyard!"

Long Wind Shipyard had an asset of over 50 million gold coins. After Jinwu Shipyard merged Long Wind Shipyard, Zhang Clan's Jinwu Shipyard immediately became the largest shipbuilding enterprise in Youzhou Province. Zhang Tie's family would also become the largest shareholder of Jinwu Shipyard.

Count Long Wind just presented Long Wind Shipyard to Zhang Tie so forthrightly.

Zhang Tie nodded without any hesitation...

'I wonder how would my grandpa feel after knowing that Count Long Wind presented the largest shipyard in Yanghe Prefecture to me.'

...

After half an hour, Zhang Tie left White Tiger Complex vigorously under the escort of some officials of Zhang Clan.

After raising his head and throwing a glance at the snowflakes in the sky, Zhang Tie didn't put on his hood; instead, he directly strode towards the Land Bureau which was less than 1 mile away from White Tiger Complex.

In the heavy wind and snow, all the snowflakes just stayed 10 cm away from him...

At the sight of this scene, all the passers-by thought that they mistook it as they all kept their eyes on Zhang Tie...

...