Chapter 1041: The Mole
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
After the assassination occurred at noon, the court in Jinwu City had started to move.
The grand justice of Jinwu City was an old man in Zhang family who was experienced and capable. Before Zhang Yang delivered the order, those people who knew about Zhang Ping's schedule before he left the city had been "invited" into the court of Jinwu City for inquiry in the name of assisting the investigation and were withheld in the court for the time being.
After leaving Starlight Castle, Zhang Yang led Zhang Tie to the court.
Nobody knew what Zhang Yang had talked with this stray warrior called Xia Ping in the room. However, after coming out of the room, evidently, Xia Ping had won the trust of Zhang Yang as he could take the same car with Zhang Yang. It was a bit amazing.
Since he got on the car, Zhang Tie had felt that the knight-level bodyguard in the front seat was always paying attention to him. Although the knight didn't turn around to gaze at him, Zhang Tie felt that the greater part of his knight's consciousness was on him; it was nothing different than turning around to gaze at him.
Jinwu Business Group hired 2 knights from Golden Roc Bank, one knight served as Zhang Yang's bodyguard, the other one was responsible for the safety of the all-purpose medicament production base. After Zhang Tie was framed and escaped away, the Heavens Fortune Sect also assigned an experienced and stable knight to protect the Zhang family in Zhang Mansion. Unconsciously, three knights were serving Zhang family.
Although the knight in the front seat was focusing on Zhang Tie spiritually, Zhang Tie felt that he had not discovered it at all. He just watched Jinwu City through the window by inclining his head.
It was already dark while the road lamps on the streets had been lit up. The news that Zhang Ping was assassinated had already spread over Jinwu City. Apparently, more patrolling Jinwu guards and criminal hunters were on the streets. Although being in an intense atmosphere, Zhang Tie could still sense the prosperity of Jinwu City on both sides of the streets.
Jinwu City was small yet chic.
On both sides of the spacious and tidy streets, there were well-planned buildings, villas and manors that were close to each other. Given the signboards of those buildings, Zhang Tie knew that they were all names of trading companies and offices and hotels with distinctive styles. Although it was already dark, those streets in the downtown were still brightly lit and extremely boisterous. Passers were jostling each other.
Besides these buildings, Zhang Tie was deeply impressed by the afforestation of the downtown. Over half of the city was covered with green trees, most of which were various fruit trees.
Both sides of the many streets were brooks. In the lamplight in the evening, the limpid water in the brooks was enshrouded by steam, which looked a bit fantastic.
In Zhang Tie's lotus-flower eyes, the water temperature under Jinwu City was very high. There was rich and plentiful water spring resource under the ground. It was a huge hot river beneath the ground. After one opened a well in this city, if it met a hot river, the water in the hot river would enter the well and would become a warm spring. The warm spring flows that densely distributed in this city were like the natural heat units in this city. In winter, as long as the volume of runoff was increased, the temperature in Jinwu City would be several degrees higher than that outside the city. With such a good condition, the fruit trees in the all-purpose medicament production base could be high-yielding. Even in winter, some fruit trees could also be planted in some valleys with higher temperature so as to realize self-sufficiency and continuity of the production of the all-purpose medicament.
Jinwu City was indeed the perfect land for Zhang family to root in Taixia Country for a prosperity.
Over 10 vehicles were following Zhang Yang's vehicle. Because Zhang Ping was assassinated, there were even some wheeled armored vehicles among them. Such a fleet was especially awe-inspiring on the streets. Wherever this fleet arrived, it would move smoothly across Jinwu City.
Only after more than 10 minutes, the fleet had entered the gate of the court in Jinwu City.
The moment Zhang Tie and Zhang Yang got off the vehicle, the superior of the court had hurriedly walked towards them.
"Are they still there?" Zhang Yang asked.
"We're interrogating them!" The superior of the court answered briefly and immediately. At the same time, he threw a glimpse at Zhang Tie who was standing on Zhang Yang's side. Although he didn't know Zhang Tie, Zhang Tie knew him. Zhang Tie remembered that he had met this person once in the old mansion of the Zhang family. At that time, this man was on the side of Zhang Yuanshan as his subordinate.
"Prepare an isolated interrogating room. He will arrange the next steps!" Zhang Yang said as he pointed at Zhang Tie.
"This is..." The superior of the court looked at Zhang Tie.
"He saved my father today and is temporarily hired by me; he could find that mole!"
"Fine, please follow me, I will make the arrangement right away..."
That person led Zhang Tie and Zhang Yang into the building of the court.
"How many suspects did you get?" Zhang Tie suddenly asked.
"87 people in total!"
"After isolating them independently, bring them into the interrogating room one after another!" Zhang Tie sent the order.
"Hmm, what else do we need to do?"
"Nothing more!" Zhang Tie threw a glance at Zhang Yang before saying, "We will soon have a result!"
...
A few minutes later, Zhang Tie sat down in a hidden interrogating room of the court. The room was surrounded by iron walls. There was a mirror on each wall. Besides, there were one table, two chairs and one orange-colored fluorite lamp. Zhang Yang and the superior of the court were waiting in another room. According to the rule, the interrogation should be monitored by another person through the mirror, including conversation. However, Zhang Tie requested to interrogate himself.
After Zhang Tie sat down for half a minute, the first person had been brought in.
He was a young officer of Jinwu Guards. The officer probably had known the reason for the interrogation and realized that this process was unavoidable; therefore, he didn't intend to resist when being brought in. Whereas, out of his imagination, the one who interrogated him was a stranger.
The moment the officer entered, those who brought him in had closed the door from outside.
Zhang Tie watched the officer's eyes as he started to gradually inject his spiritual energy into the officer's consciousness. However, the officer didn't notice it at all.
Actually, Zhang Tie only needed to ask him a couple of questions, "Have you leaked the schedule of the castellan to anyone else today?"
After hearing this question, the officer became stunned before shaking his head, "Nope!"
"Good, you can leave!"
After entering the room for less than 10 seconds, the officer had left. In less than half a minute, another person entered the interrogating room.
...
"Have you leaked the schedule of the castellan to anyone else today?"
"Nope!"
"Good, you can leave!"
...
After leaving the room, the second person could directly leave the court as it indicated that he had accomplished the task to coordinate with the investigation. When they left the interrogating room, they were all very curious because they had not imagined that the interrogation could be so simple. What a game! Until these people left the court for a few minutes did they find that they had no impression about what happened, whom they had met and what had they experienced in the interrogating room just now. They only remembered that they entered and exited the interrogating room with a grey metal door. It seemed the part of memory about the interrogation had been deleted.
...
In another room, watching those "suspects" accessing to the interrogation room one after another so rapidly, even the superior of the court frowned, 'What's he doing? Judging by reading their face?'
"Colonel..." The superior of the court watched Zhang Yang.
"Just wait..." Zhang Yang said in a muffled voice.
The superior then became silent. Everybody across Jinwu City knew who was the real master of this city.
...
Half an hour later, the 52nd person was brought in. He was an elegant young man in a pair of glasses.
Zhang Tie asked those questions mechanically.
"Have you leaked the schedule of the castellan to anyone else today?"
"Yes!"
"To whom?"
"A 137"
The moment he answered, he immediately widely opened his eyes in a dumbfounded manner and watched Zhang Tie. Closely after that, Zhang Tie disappeared from his chair and appeared on his side. Almost at the same time, Zhang Tie had dislocated his jaw while putting one hand onto his head.
The moment Zhang Tie touched the one's head, the one had quivered a bit while a wisp of black blood flew out of his mouth corner. At the same time, his face started to turn black; his body also turned soft...
A few minutes later, Zhang Tie had to move his hand away from his head. Watching the puddle of blood on the ground, Zhang Tie exclaimed inside, "How vicious they are! This man's consciousness has been set with a trick like a landmine spiritually. The moment Zhang Tie asked him about the two questions, the landmine had been triggered. After being triggered, the spiritual energy directly stimulated the central nervous system of the guy and caused the two pieces of muscles in his throat to sharply contract like a conditioned reflex, breaking the trichocyst in the muscles. As a result, the guy was killed...
Chapter 1042: Counterattack
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
This guy's teeth also contained a trichocyst, which was used to commit suicide on his own initiative when in an emergency. However, the trichocyst in his throat was broken negatively. Zhang Tie had not heard about such a means before. What a rigorous and terrifying killers' organization!
Actually, before coming here, Zhang Tie had another idea. He felt that he might find more clues from this killers' organization. Given the rigorous arrangement of this killers' organization, Zhang Tie found it was almost impossible to find the culprit through this killers' organization. Because each member of this killers' organization must have contained two trichocysts in both throat and teeth, it was very difficult for him to make a major breakthrough from this killers' organization.
However, each coin had two sides. From another perspective, now that this killers' organization was so rigorous and meticulous, it was impossible for the culprit to establish such an organization without great efforts. If this killers' organization was destroyed, it would also inflict a heavy loss and shock to the culprit. It was almost like breaking one hand of the culprit.
Only after a few minutes, the young man had turned into a puddle of stinky blood besides a pair of glasses, the remains of his clothes, some silver coins and gold coins...
This guy was an office secretary in the castellan's mansion. He had been in Jinwu City for over 1 year. This guy didn't do anything illegal in this term. He just received the order from his superior through his remote-sensing crystal lately. After reading this guy's memory, Zhang Tie only knew that this guy's code was 624 in the killers' organization. All the others in his memory were about his normal work and living trifles in Jinwu City and the scene when he contacted the two killers today...
Even though this guy contacted the two killers, they used the disposable contact code. It was not available for Zhang Tie at all. After contacting the two killers, this guy also destroyed his remote-sensing communication device.
Although this guy died, Zhang Tie didn't leave the interrogating room at once. After staying in the room for more than 10 minutes quietly, he opened the gate and exited.
Even the guards outside the door wondered why this guy was interrogated so long.
After leaving the interrogating room, Zhang Tie directly closed the door in case anyone else caught sight of the scene inside.
Zhang Yang and the superior of the court of Jinwu City walked over here right away.
Zhang Yang looked a bit solemn, "How about the result?"
Zhang Tie threw a glance at Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang then followed him in the interrogating room.
The moment Zhang Yang entered the room, he had smelt the stink and caught sight of the puddle of blood on the ground. Zhang Tie briefly explained the situation to Zhang Yang.
"I've found out the mole. However, as was imagined by you, elder brother, I couldn't get anything valuable from this guy. The opponent has made a more rigorous arrangement than us!"
"What else should we do now?"
"It doesn't matter that we couldn't get any intelligence from this guy. As long as the others thought that we've got what we wanted, it would be enough. Elder brother, you can release the news about the killers' organization right now." Zhang Tie threw a glance at Zhang Yang's hand and noticed three senior remote-sensing finger rings, one of them must come from Huaiyuan Palace given its art craftsmanship. This finger ring could be used to contact Huaiyuan Palace. As for the left two finger rings, one of them could be used to contact the Heavens Forture Sect.
"Because of your case, Huaiyuan Palace could establish a direct relationship with the supreme court of Xuanyuan Hill. I've not imagined that this relationship could be used by us for our own benefit!" Zhang Yang revealed a self-mocking smile before closing his eyes.
Zhang Tie knew that Zhang Yang was contacting Huaiyuan Palace and the Heavens Fortune Sect. Therefore, he just waited for him on one side. Zhang Tie could communicate with Huaiyuan Palace and Heavens Fortune Sect in the blink of an eye. However, his elder brother's spiritual energy was much weaker than his; his elder brother didn't have the multitasking ability, therefore, he had to concentrate on using the senior remote-sensing crystals.
Until 2 minutes later, Zhang Yang opened his eyes as he said, "I've already passed the news to them. Huaiyuan Palace will report the news to the Supreme Court of Xuanyuan Hill right away. Zhongzhou Province is one of the top nine immortal provinces in Taixia Country. The Supreme Court of Taixia Country is very powerful in Zhongzhou Province, which could never be matched by others local forces. If Supreme Court made a rapid response, the airboat of powerhouses of the Supreme Court would arrive at Pingsha Valley in Longxi Prefecture before dawn!"
"What about the Heavens Fortune Sect?"
"I'm afraid that Heavens Fortune Sect will not have enough time to join the action. However, now that they know that the culprit has a base in Zhongzhou Province, they will definitely dispatch powerhouses to Zhongzhou Province to seek for clues. Top sects like Heavens Fortunes Sect only cares about the overall situation in the world, even though this event is not directly involved with Heavens Fortune Sect, it might be involved with demons and dark forces in Taixia Country; therefore, Heavens Fortune Sect will not just stand aside. According to the customs of Heavens Fortune Sect, they would definitely coordinate with the powerhouses of other 6 top sects in Taixia Country to make an investigation in Zhongzhou Province..."
"We could only do this much!" Zhang Tie nodded. Watching his elder brother's finger rings, he suddenly remembered something, "Elder brother, do you have any space-teleportation equipment?"
Zhang Yang revealed a bitter smile, "No, it could not be bought easily. Besides that one of Zhang Taixuan and that of you which you gained from Master Jiang, I'm afraid that nobody else could have one in Huaiyuan Palace. Over these years, no matter how much would I pay, I still couldn't get one!"
"If so, elder brother, take this one!" Zhang Tie fumbled in his clothes and directly took out of the portable space-teleportation item that he gained from the demon baron in the hieron ruins before giving it to Zhang Yang. This item had been renovated into a pendant on a necklace. Like an identity plate of a fighter, it could be put into the pocket or worn around the neck instead of being too eye-catching. This portable space-teleportation item was even better than that one which Zhang Tie gained from the demon general. It could almost be regarded as a small superb artwork among space-teleportation items.
At the sight of the identity plate, Zhang Yang widely opened his eyes, "Is this a space-teleportation item..."
"Of course..."
As Zhang Tie had shocked Zhang Yang too much today, he didn't want to shock his elder brother anymore. He put this item in Castle of Black Iron previously; if he directly took it out of the void, he was afraid that his elder brother would suffer a heart attack. As one space-teleportation item could not be held in another space-teleportation item under normal circumstance, Zhang Tie pretended to put his hand into his pocket.
Zhang Tie noticed that his elder brother's hand was quivering when he took the space-teleportation item.
"Elder brother, like how you use a remote-sensing crystal device, you can inject your spiritual energy into this space-teleportation item and use it freely!" Zhang Tie warned his elder brother.
After taking the space-teleportation item, Zhang Yang became stunned for a few seconds as if he was sensing the usage of this item.
This space-teleportation item was empty inside. It was much larger than that of demon general, which was less than 30 cubic meters. There was only one remote-sensing crystal finger ring inside it. Zhang Tie brought the finger ring from Earth-elements Realm. He brought back over 10 pairs of remote-sensing crystal finger rings from the Earth-elements Realm. As these items were rarely seen on the earth's surface, it was very difficult for Huaiyuan Palace to get one pair; however, in Lion Fortress, with sufficient merit points, an earth knight could easily exchange for them. Remote-sensing crystal finger rings could be regarded as a "local specialty" in Earth-elements Realm.
The moment Zhang Yang injected his spiritual energy into this space-teleportation item, he had realized that it was very precious. He took out that remote-sensing crystal finger ring out of the void and watched Zhang Tie with an excited look. He didn't know what to say.
"Elder brother, come on. We're brothers. Don't be that excited only for one item!"
Zhang Yang could only let out a deep sigh as he found that he could never see through his younger brother at all. Although Jinwu Business Group had been vigorous in both scale and power, compared to the casual attitude when Zhang Tie took out a space-teleportation item, Zhang Yang felt that what he had done for Jinwu Business Group was nothing at all. When he thought about another identity of Zhang Tie, Zhang Yang felt more absurd. He was having a hard time imagining the look of the elders of Huaiyuan Palace when they learned that Zhang Tie had promoted to an earth knight.
"I really wonder what you've experienced these years. How could you take out a space-teleportation item so easily?"
"Heh heh, I'm too lucky..." Zhang Tie touched his nose as he revealed a smile. Space-teleportation items were very precious for others; however, it was nothing serious for Zhang Tie. After gifting one space-teleportation item to his elder brother and Lan Yunxi respectively, he still had some space-teleportation items such as the Xuanwu Secret Warehouse, Castle of Black Iron, those nanobeads and that one he gained from Master Jiang. Zhang Tie should be the richest one in Taixia Country given the quantity of space-teleportation items that he had.
"Do you want to take a look at home?"
"Is it convenient for me to go back home in this identity?" Previously, Zhang Tie prepared to go back home in incarnation; now that he met his elder brother, he didn't need to use that method anymore.
"You're now the savior of our father and the benefactor of Zhang family. There's no problem for you to pay a visit to our family members and receive the reward from Zhang family. When I came here, our dad and mom even told me to appreciate you with a great reward."
"Well, I will go back then. I will wait for the news from the Supreme Court of Taixia Country at home..."
When he realized that he could go back home soon, Zhang Tie became thrilled at once...
Chapter 1043: The Softest Place
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
After the negotiation in the room, the two brothers immediately left the court and returned to Zhang mansion.
As Zhang Ping's savior, it was very reasonable for Zhang Tie to go to Zhang mansion in others' eyes. Additionally, given the series of behaviors since Zhang Yang brought Zhang Tie into the court, the others could only think that Zhang Ping wanted to recruit this unknown stray warrior for Jinwu Business Group.
The atmosphere in Jinwu City was still intense. Across Jinwu City, besides Zhang Tie and Zhang Yang, nobody knew that the news of assassination attempt had been passed to the Supreme Court of Taixia Country and the Heavens Fortune Sect. Actually, this intense atmosphere was specially designed for outsiders. Not only this, when Zhang Yang left the interrogating room, he sent an order to a guard——From now on, lock the door of the interrogating room; you two stand outside it. Nobody is allowed in without my consent; additionally, the court should step up efforts to search for the accomplices and suspects in Jinwu City; remember to bring more relevant people into the court for investigation...
After making such an arrangement, besides Zhang Yang and Zhang Tie, nobody else knew that the real suspect had already been dead, including the others members in the court.
Zhang Yang made such an arrangement in order to puzzle the enemy and strive for more time for the Supreme Court's action in Zhongzhou Province. If there were other moles of the opponent in Jinwu City, seeing such an intense atmosphere in Jinwu City, they could only think that Jinwu City had not gained any key information at all. Therefore, they would relax their vigilance.
'During the past 4 years, the culprit didn't make any action. Why did he dare move at this moment? What reason makes him think that he could raise winds and waves once again?'
Zhang Tie had been thinking about this since he left the court for Zhang mansion in the inner city.
Wise people would know that the autumn was coming when he saw a leaf falling off the tree. Zhang Tie faintly felt that this was not a good omen.
Four years ago, few people knew that Emperor Xuanyuan was missing. However, a few days ago, this news had been spread over Taixia Country. Even commoners in the teahouses of Fire Dragon Bounty Territory had known that. Although they didn't discuss it in the public; privately, there were various discussions about this event. Everybody was faintly worried about it. As a result, this concern had started to grow in all areas.
The prices of grains within Northeast Military Territory which always remained stable had started to rise slightly in late months. The prices of bulk commodities such as steel and cement which were used to build cities and battlefortress slightly rose in Youzhou Province. Even prices of medicaments and weapons started to grow in Youzhou Province. The all-purpose medicament produced by Jinwu Business Group became urgently demanded. Additionally, people surrounding Class A cities started to pour in Class A cities at a faster speed.
All this reminded Zhang Tie of the scene when the holy war broke out in Waii Subcontinent. They were similar in many aspects. Even optimistic people had to be meticulous about this special scene.
Under this intense atmosphere, the assassination targeting at Zhang family happened. That invisible culprit started to move once again...
When the car entered the heavily guarded inner city of Jinwu City, at the sight of the prosperous scenery of Zhang family, Zhang Tie forgot about this question. He recovered his composure and prepared to meet his family members in the identity of Xia Ping.
...
In Zhang family's grand mansion, Zhang Tie met his family members.
What happened today had the entire family reunite with each other. Although being a bit late, they had not gone to bed yet; instead, they were just chatting with Zhang Tie's parents and waiting for Zhang Yang.
In the parlor, Zhang Tie saw his father, his mother, his eldest sister-in-law, Linda, Fiona, Beverly, Aimei and Aixue...
There was a 3-year old kid beside each of the six women, 3 boys and 3 girls in total. All of them were cute and tender. They all looked similar to Zhang Tie. Linda and Fiona gave birth to two more girls who were like angels; Beverly, Aimei and Aixue gave birth to a boy respectively. As Aimei and Aixue were twins, their sons also looked like twins.
Since Zhang Tie was framed and escaped away, Zhang Chenglei, Zhang Chengting and Zhang Chengpei had left Youzhou Province and joined Heavens Fortune Sect. They were enrolled as apprentices by a grand elder of Heavens Fortune Sect. Therefore, they could only go back home once at the end of each year. Although Linda, Beverly and Fiona were not willing to do that, they could only send their kids away after Zhang Tie was framed and left home.
Thankfully, after sending away the 3 boys, they had 5 more younger boys and girls. Therefore, they didn't feel too sad.
Although 4 years had passed, Linda, Beverly and Fiona remained unchanged on both looks and figures. Not only that, they looked more beautiful. After becoming mothers, Aimei and Aixue looked more like mature ladies of high society.
Although with two more wrinkles at her eye corners, Zhang Tie's mom looked good.
After looking at his family members and ensuring that they were all good, Zhang Tie became reassured at once.
At the sight of the stranger on Zhang Yang's side, all the others in the parlor paid more attention to Zhang Tie. As Zhang Tie had changed his figure and look completely, even his parents and wives could not identify him.
After taking in a deep breath, Zhang Yang pointed at Zhang Tie as he slowed his tone, "Dad, this is Xia Ping, he saved you at the city gate today..."
"Ahh, you saved me..." Zhang Tie's dad immediately stood up with an excited look.
It was a bit chaotic at the city gate at that moment, Zhang Tie's dad was circled by some bodyguards as he didn't have a great battle strength himself. In the last moment, he only felt that he survived the hell. The moment he felt a sharp cold wind approaching him, he had seen a golden light around him, which directly blocked the sharp wind, causing a sound "bang". He didn't know what happened concretely at that moment at all. He even didn't see clearly the faces of the last assassinator and the one who saved his life before being taken away by two bodyguards by car.
When Zhang Tie's dad stood up, all the other family members followed him up too.
"I was just traveling across Taixia Country. After hearing that Jinwu City is well-known for its all-purpose medicament and its prosperity, I just wanted to come here. It was out of my imagination that I could save castellan by accident...ahem...ahem...it's nothing serious, castellan...don't need to be so serious!"
Although he had long prepared for it, Zhang Tie still felt very uncomfortable when he expressed it. He almost forgot what to say. It was reasonable for the son to save his father. The moment his father wanted to appreciate him, Zhang Tie felt embarrassed.
"Although it's nothing serious for you, without your help, we Zhang family couldn't imagine about the outcome!" Zhang Tie's mom told Zhang Yang with a solemn look, "As this hero had saved your father, we should try our best to satisfy all of his demands. We have to appreciate him with a great reward. He's our savior!"
"Yes, mom, I know!" Zhang Yang nodded.
"Hero, thank you for saving my father-in-law!" Zhang Tie's eldest sister-in-law bowed towards Zhang Tie solemnly.
The others elder sisters-in-law and his wives all extended their thanks to Zhang Tie solemnly.
After that, Zhang Tie just sat on a chair seriously and chatted with his family members politely.
At this moment, some kids staggered all the way from their moms' sides to Zhang Tie. They surrounded him and pulled his clothes.
All the family members were startled by what they saw.
"It seems that the hero indeed has karma with my family. My grandchildren are not willing to be intimate to strangers in normal times. It's my first time to see them approaching a person whom they saw for the first time..." Zhang Tie's mom said with a smile.
"Heh heh, I also feel that these little guys are very cute..." Zhang Tie didn't know how to answer his mom. Although his look had changed, he shared the bloodline with these kids. The five little guys must have sensed it. Therefore, they approached him.
At the sight of this scene, Zhang Yang looked a bit sophisticated. However, he didn't say anything.
"Papa..." The moment Zhang Tie smirked, a little girl who was pulling his clothes had looked up and called him with big black spirited eyes.
After hearing this, Zhang Tie's heart raced while the entire family became quiet. Closely after that, they all felt a bit embarrassed. The smiles of Linda and the other 4 wives of Zhang Tie faded away at once.
Zhang Tie's mom let out a sigh, "Linda, it's too late, you'd better take them to bed..."
Until he saw Linda take the 5 kids away did Zhang Tie move his eyes away from those kids. When they left, the 5 little guys even looked back at Zhang Tie unwillingly. The little girl's eyes were even filled with tears. Even Linda, Beverly, Fiona, Aimei and Aixue felt like crying...
"Sorry to make you embarrassed, hero. My grandchildren are poor. Although we don't lack food and clothes, they have not seen their father yet since they were born. As they're growing elder, they ask their mothers about the whereabouts of their father every day..." Zhang Tie's mom said gloomily.
After hearing this, Zhang Tie clenched his fist while the softest place in his body ached...
...
That night, Zhang Tie lived in an independent courtyard in the inner city that Zhang family especially prepared for guests. Zhang Yang sent him here.
After leaving his family members, Zhang Tie had been silent. Zhang Yang could sense Zhang Tie's mood; therefore, he didn't speak either until they came to Zhang Tie's courtyard. Zhang Tie then forced a bitter smile while telling his elder brother in a secret way, "Elder brother, don't think too much about my case. The Supreme Court of Taixia Country will not slap their own face in a short period. I'm already very satisfied to see you..."
Zhang Yang nodded with a solemn look as he didn't know how to comfort Zhang Tie.
If someone told Zhang Yang that money was not omnipotent in Blackhot City, Zhang Yang would definitely spit his saliva onto that one's face. Because at that moment, money was omnipotent for Zhang Yang. If he had money, he would have a house, social status, power and everything else. However, today, Zhang Yang finally understood that money was really not omnipotent although it was very important. In Taixia Country, many things could not be solved with money.
After talking with Zhang Tie a short while, Zhang Yang left the courtyard with a complexed mood.
...
At midnight, Zhang Tie became restless. In a coat, he stood in the attic of the courtyard and listened to the cricket chirps at the window...
'The little guys should have fallen asleep!'
When he imagined about the cute looks of the little guys, Zhang Tie felt warm inside once again.
Zhang Tie was not a cold-hearted man; after hearing "Papa...", he felt soft and warm all over. Even being an earth knight, if he owed something to the most important person in his life and made the lives of his most beloved ones incomplete, it was meaningless for an earth knight to be unrivaled in battle strength and shock the entire province.
Zhang Tie looked at the direction of Zhongzhou Province while a whim occurred to his mind...
'Will I gain a chance to redress my case in that direction?'
Zhang Tie didn't know that what happened in Zhongzhou Province a few hours later would bring him the chance and shock the world, causing a great chaos in Taixia Country...
Chapter 1044: Zhongzhou Provincial Court
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
Longxi Prefecture, Zhongzhou Province...
There was a faint white line in the skyline in the east. The Faerie-dragon Star in the east was radiating its brilliance before dawn. It was pretty tranquil over the land.
A 500-m longer grey airboat silently flew out of the stratosphere tens of thousands of meters high and entered the troposphere. The airboat darted towards the southeast of Longxi Prefecture like a sharp arrow and a fierce beast that was going to dive towards its prey after passing through the clouds.
An old man with silver hair was standing in the prow and watching the land in the distance with his hands crossed on his back in a black robe and Xiezhi-shaped crown. A team of knights from the court of Zhongzhou Province was standing still behind the old man with solemn looks for over 10 hours. As the old man remained silent, the prow of the airboat was silent too. They just watched the clouds being broken through and the land at their foot moving rapidly backward.
Zhongzhou Provincial Court was evidently much more powerful than other provinces, which could be judged from the team of knights at the prow.
As a lower province in Taixia Country, when Youzhou was established, Zhang Tie as a black iron knight could rule the court in Youzhou Province because there wasn't any knight in the entire judicial system in Youzhou Province. By contrast, there were over 20 black iron knights in the court system of Zhongzhou Province. Additionally, the chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court was a famous earth knight.
Over 10 hours might be difficult for commoners to tide over; however, it was nothing serious for these knights who could cultivate 1-2 months per time.
They all remained silence; however, they all had questions inside. Because the knights in Zhongzhou court still didn't know why the chief justice summoned them to travel 10,000 miles overnight by airboat. However, the chief justice always behaved rigorously with unpredictable thoughts. As they all knew that the chief justice was bad-tempered, they didn't ask him about the reason at all. If the chief justice wanted to let them know, he would tell them; if not, of course, he had his reason.
At this moment, besides the chief justice, almost half of the knights on duty in Zhongzhou Provincial Court were in the prow. Besides, all the most elite subordinate forces of Zhongzhou Provincial Court, Bian Camp had sallied forth in full strength and gathered in the airboat.
Nobody knew about their destination and what they would do; however, they all knew that chief justice was going to solve a big case given such a large-scale action. The chief justice had not organized such a large-scale action for the latest decade.
"9 o'clock; full speed ahead; suspension in 5 minutes..."
The chief justice finally opened his mouth after over 10 hours' silence. The moment the pilot received the order, he immediately adjusted the flight route of the airboat and had the airboat make a big turn in the air. Through this adjustment, all the knights who were guessing about the destination just now became confused.
Commoners might not be able to determine the precise location in the air without asking the captain or the navigator as Zhongzhou Province was too large. However, the chief justice had kept everything in Zhongzhou Province in his mind, including grasses, woods, mountains and rocks. As long as he looked down, he would be able to determine the precise location of the airboat. This ability alone was admirable enough.
The moment the chief justice opened his mouth; it indicated that the puzzle would be revealed right away. Those knights who were familiar with the style of the chief justice were all spirited as they chested out and waited for the chief justice's order.
Finally, they heard the news...
"Last afternoon, the castellan of Jinwu City, Yanghe Prefecture, Youzhou Province was almost assassinated..."
It was the second sentence of the chief justice tonight.
After hearing this news, many knights from Zhongzhou Provincial Court faintly frowned. In the eyes of these knights, the assassination attempt of a castellan of a small city in a lower province was trivial. This event should be investigated by the Youzhou Provincial Court, it was not within the limits of responsibility of Zhongzhou Provincial Court.
"The castellan of Jinwu City is Zhang Ping. He has a son, Zhang Tie..."
The chief justice knew what the others were thinking about. Therefore, he continued and shocked the others once again.
Yanghe Prefecture, the castellan of Jinwu City, these words were too distant and trivial for those knights of Zhongzhou Provincial Court. However, the name Zhang Tie had been a heavy boulder that the entire judicial system in Taixia Country had to shoulder. As time passed by, this boulder grew heavier and brought greater stress to the judicial system in Taixia Country.
The tragedy in Fuhai City that happened 4 years ago had become the No. 1 pending criminal case in Taixia Country. In the folks, it even became the first deceived case in Taixia Country. As the main character of this pending criminal case or unjust case, the name Zhang Tie was even more famous than the grand justice of the supreme court in Taixia Country, who ranked one of the top 9 chancellors in Xuanyuan Hill in the judicial system in Taixia Country. Many people in the local courts in many remote places might have not heard about the name of the grand justice of the supreme court in Taixia Country; however, they were all very familiar with the name of Zhang Tie. The tragedy in Fuhai City and the name Zhang Tie both became the most eye-catching names in the local judicial systems across Taixia Country.
The provincial judicial systems across Taixia Country paid attention to the name Zhang Tie, not because of the fluctuated tragedy in Fuhai City, but because Zhang Tie was the former chief justice of Youzhou Provincial Court, a member of the judicial system in Taixia Country, the lion of Youzhou Province. When he served as the chief justice of the Youzhou Provincial Court, he inflicted a heavy loss on Heavens Reaching Church in a short period and won the admiration of the entire judicial system in Taixia Country. He even became the good model of the Supreme Court in Taixia Country...
Even though he was wanted by the judicial system, his article in the forum of the Mountain of Brightness shocked the entire human knights' world. The poem The Beloved Ones could almost be heard everywhere in Taixia Country until now. Additionally, the conspiracy behind the tragedy of Fuhai City that he exposed in his article shocked Xuanyuan Hill as it might be involved with demons and the remnants of Bloody Soul Temple which had already been eliminated. As a result, many moguls couldn't eat and sleep well.
Because of Zhang Tie, the entire judicial system in Taixia Country felt being roasted. Many people were swearing that the subordinate members of the Supreme Court of Taixia Country were all rubbish, who only knew how to frame good people instead of being able to catch the demons.
To be honest, after reading the article "The Inscriptions on the Gravestone of the Despicable", even many officers in the judicial system had confirmed that Zhang Tie was innocent. However, the laws of Taixia Country were unalterable. The evidence was complete. Before revoking those evidence, it was nothing than making a joke with the Laws of Taixia Country by revoking Zhang Tie's order for arrest.
Zhang Tie's father was attacked and almost assassinated...
Many people had been thinking about the relevant things about this news.
"According to the intelligence from Youzhou Province, they've already confirmed that the assassinator was from Zhongzhou Province, within our territory. Additionally, the culprit on the back of the assassinator was the very one who caused the tragedy in Fuhai City and framed Zhang Tie..." After hearing this news, all the knights from Zhongzhou Provincial Court held their breaths.
"Lord, sorry for my doubt; but this intelligence is too important. Now that those assassinators have arranged the assassination in Jinwu City, they must have made an overall preparation. Now that they were going to assassinate an important figure in the territory of Huaiyuan Palace, they would definitely assign dauntless people over there, who would not leave any clue easily. I wonder how Youzhou Provincial Court gained the intelligence in such a short period!" The one in front of the team of knights from Zhongzhou Provincial Court asked.
"We don't need to care about how Youzhou Provincial Court gained this intelligence!" The chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court turned around with a solemn look and snow-white eyebrows before adding, "If the intelligence is fake, Zhongzhou Provincial Court will definitely ask for an explanation from Huaiyuan Palace. The judicial system in Taixia Country could never be used privately. If the intelligence is real, the Zhongzhou Provincial Court should exert its full efforts to mop up and quell the evil forces in Zhongzhou Province for the safety of Taixia Country as a whole!"
All the knights from Zhongzhou Provincial Court exchanged a glance with each other as their hearts raced at once.
In a few minutes, the airboat suspended while there was a valley covering over 100 square miles at their foot. In the valley, there were some castles and manors. It seemed that it was a remote place in Longxi Prefecture of Zhongzhou Province. Those owners of the castles and manors should be the local forces.
Such places could be found everywhere in Zhongzhou Province. Local tyrants or small sects always liked these places.
The day had just broken while a golden line appeared in the sky in the east. The thin mist in the valley was also gradually dissipating. The airboat hid behind a cloud, sharing the same color with the latter. Therefore, it could be barely noticed by others on the ground. From this height, it was absolutely a good place to enjoy the sunrise; pitifully, those on the airboat didn't feel like appreciating the sunrise at this moment.
"It's Pingsha Valley at our foot. Go down there and search over there inch by inch. Arrest all the people over there for further detention and investigation, regardless of gender or age. Kill them if any of them dares resist you, am I clear?" The chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court sent an order.
"Clear!"
"Go!" The chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court shook his hand as he added, "I will watch you from the airboat. If you met any powerful opponent, just release your battle qi smoke, I will solve him..."
"Yes, sir!"
Closely after that, all the knights flew off the airboat and charged at those castles and manors. The airboat flew around Pingsha Valley slowly while over 8000 criminal hunters of Bian Camp under the affiliation of the Zhongzhou Provincial Court started to jump off the airboat like sowing seeds. When they were dozens of meters away from the ground, they opened their rotachutes. The moment they landed, they had rushed towards Pingsha Valley and surrounded it...
At this moment, the first sunlight had cast down onto the ground...
On the ground, with the rising battle qi totems and roars of fighters of Bian Camp, Pingsha Valley was in chaos...
Chapter 1045: An Earthshaking Case
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
The fighters of Bi'an Camp being affiliated to the Zhongzhou Provincial Court directly jumped off the airboat. Some of them started their action from the center of Pingsha Valley; some surrounded Pingsha Valley from outside, causing Pingsha Valley to become chaotic at once...
The rising battle qi totems of the fighters of Bi'an Camp indicated that someone had started to resist arrest. The two parties had started a battle.
"We're Zhongzhou Provincial Court and investigating a case. Everybody, put your hands above heads and lie on the ground. Anyone who dares resist arrest will be killed..."
The moment a team of brave fighters of Bi'an Camp landed in the periphery of Pingsha Valley, they had gathered immediately before rushing into a small manor in front of them.
There was a bamboo grove outside the manor. Right in the bamboo grove, there were some fortresses and bartizans which were used to protect the manor. After hearing the battle calls of the fighters of Bi'an Camp, the strings of the crossbows in the fortresses and bartizans sounded immediately while a row of bolts was shot towards these fighters...
The fighters of Bi'an Camp had long prepared for the counterattack. Each one in front rows was holding a 1.7-m high heavy shield. The bolts hit the towers, causing clatters. Facing the bolts, the team of fighters rushed towards the fortresses and bartizans.
All the 30 fighters in the team had released their battle qi totems. They were at least LV 6 fighters while the team leader was a LV 10 strong fighter. The rising battle qi totems could warn the other teams. If these battle qi totems disappeared, it indicated that this team had been exterminated by powerful opponents.
When the bolts were triggered one after another, jarring whistles drifted from the fortresses and the bartizans at the same time. These whistles also served as early warnings. At the same time, urgent bell tones were drifted from a castle in the distance.
With the urgent bell tones, more battle qi totems appeared and more battle calls and roars could be heard in Pingsha Valley.
...
"Shoot..." The team leader shouted. Closely after that, two fighters of Bi'an Camp advanced by rolls with crossbows in hands with the cover of shields. The moment they stood up, they had seized the opportunity. They loosed their grips and hit two bowmen in one bartizan at once, spurting out blood respectively. One of the two bowmen even fell off the bartizan.
As fortresses and bartizans were covering each other, the moment the bartizan was unpinned, the team leader immediately rushed towards one fortress ahead of his team members.
The LV 10 fighter released his battle qi to destroy or hit away those bolts that were shot towards him and protected his full body by his battle qi. When he arrived at the fortress, he immediately sprung up over 10 m high. After rolling in the air as flexible as a snake, he grabbed one seam between bricks by one hand. Closely after that, he quivered all over and shrunk his body before rolling into the fortress through the embrasure on the fortress.
One bowman who was carrying a crossbow at the embrasure could not imagine that one person could enter the embrasure. After being slightly stunned, he had been stomped onto his chest by the team leader of Bi'an Camp. As a result, that bowman's chest bones were collapsed as he spurted out blood. Closely after that, he was kicked off against the wall inside the fortress and died at once.
Two bowmen in the fortress immediately dropped off their crossbows and rushed towards the LV 10 team leader. However, before they approached him, two battle qis had been released and exploded their heads directly, spraying their blood and white brains over the walls.
"We're Zhongzhou Provincial Court and investigating a case. Anyone who dares resist arrest will be killed..." The team leader shouted as he rushed downstairs. Hearing the sounds upstairs, two ragged-looking people immediately rushed upstairs. As a result, the 3 people encountered in the middle of the staircase. Hearing the cry of this team leader, the two people on duty immediately rushed towards him. One of them even released a virtual image of a black spider on his back which indicated that he was a LV 6 fighter.
Now that they dared launch a counterattack, the team leader had nothing more to say. Undoubtedly, the two people's heads were shattered into pieces at once.
When this team leader opened the gate of the fortress from inside, the other team members had just arrived at the foot of the fortress.
"Next target, break in the manor..." The Class 10 team leader rushed towards the manor, followed by the other team members.
At this moment, a majestic voice as loud as that of a huge bell or drum drifted from the sky and spread over Pingsha Valley in a split second, causing fine ripples in the pond.
This voice came from the chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court. After the alarm bell in Pingsha Valley rang, the chief justice uttered as it was unnecessary for him to hide himself anymore.
"I'm Meng Haishan, the chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court. We're Zhongzhou Provincial Court and investigating a case. Put your hands above heads and lie on the ground. Anyone who dares resist arrest will be killed..."
After hearing this voice, all the fighters of Bi'an Camp became spirited as they continued to push resolutely forward.
As the courtyard wall of this manor was only 3 m higher, of course, it could not resist the team members of Bi'an Camp who were surging forward like fierce lions. The moment some team members in the front collided against the wall with their heavy shields, the part of the wall had been collapsed. All the team members rushed in at once.
The voice and the urgent alarms caused the courtyard to become chaotic. Even so, someone was still rushing towards this team of Bi'an Camp with weapons; however, they were killed in a split second.
Only in a few minutes, the team had broken through the outer courtyard and entered the inner courtyard...
There was a pool in the inner courtyard. When the team members passed by the pool...
With a crash, a weird black shadow jumped out of the pool. Closely after that, he waved his hand and shot out a lot of fine needles towards the team members.
The fighters of Bi'an Camp wore light metal armors and protective facial masks. Most of the fine needles couldn't break through their armors; however, some of them shot into three fighters' bodies through the seams between pieces of armors, causing them to fall onto the ground with a muffled sound...
At the same time, before the person who jumped out of the water finished his second round of strike, two powerful bolts had penetrated through his body, causing him to fall into the water once again. As a result, his blood changed the color of the pool.
The moment the facial masks of the three fighters who were falling on the ground were unveiled, the three fighters' faces had completely turned black while bleeding through their eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth. They had died.
"Watch out, there're hidden forces in the manor. Their weapons are highly toxic..." The team leader roared, "Shields ahead, press forward in protective formation, kill those sons of bitches..."
...
Almost at the same time, all the teams of Bi'an Camp on the ground had broken through the bartizans and fortresses in the periphery and started to suffer from a casualty. However, hidden forces were covering Pingsha Valley. It was absolutely a killers' nestle. Black shadows might jump out of every place like water, underground, trees, parterres, grasses and rockeries and attack the subordinate elites of Zhongzhou Provincial Court at the risk of their lives at any time. As a result, the subordinate elites of Zhongzhou Provincial Court started to bleed and sacrifice...
Everybody started to believe in the intelligence given by Youzhou Province. There was indeed a big problem in Pingsha Valley. It was really shocking for Zhongzhou Province, one of the 9 immortal provinces in Taixia Country to have such a hidden evil force. What an earthshaking case...
As long as the judicial system of Taixia Country investigated cases, even the top seven sects dared not resist them and hurt any one of them. Because it was equal to revolt. However, in this remote Pingsha Valley, after the Zhongzhou Provincial Court expressed their identity, the people here were driven mad and dared attack their subordinate elites at the risk of their lives.
It was more like deepening into a hostile country instead of being in Zhongzhou Province.
The Pingsha Valley was filled with battle calls and blood...
...
Outside a castle in Pingsha Valley, three teams of fighters of Bi'an Camp encountered a 30-m higher fortress being installed with steam city-defense equipment which covered over 200 square meters.
The gate of this fortress had been closed from inside, which could not even be moved by a LV 10 fighter's battle qi. The entire fortress had no entrance but some observation windows that were set for steam city-defense facilities. Some fighters of Bi'an Camp had been shot down by the bolts.
After realizing that they could not break through this fortress in a short period, a team leader gritted as he made a hand gesture to the other team members. Closely after that, he took out a metal cylinder and pulled its fuse towards the sky, shooting a red smoke into the sky, which then blew up and turned especially attractive...
In less than 10 seconds, a shrill shriek drifted from the sky, "Lie down..."
After receiving this order, the 3 teams of fighters of Bi'an Camp hurriedly lay down and rolled away from this fortress.
At this moment, a powerful battle qi wave drifted from the sky. The battle qi strike of the heavenly knight dived downwards the fortress in the shape of a whale.
With a bang, the fortress which blocked the way of the 3 teams of fighters of Bi'an Camp was instantly broken apart like a walnut being hit by an iron hammer. The reinforced concrete flew in all directions with broken bricks, machinery parts and bloody limbs. As a result, the 30 m higher fortress became only a few meters higher...
...
The knights from Zhongzhou Provincial Court became the decisive force of the Court in Pingsha Valley. Although the hidden forces like assassinators and killers in Pingsha Valley killed a lot of fighters of Bi'an Camp, they were finally mopped up by the knight-level powerhouses together with those firm fortresses...
Chapter 1046: A Secret Underground Tunnel
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
It took the subordinate elite forces of Zhongzhou Provincial Court less than 1 hour to sweep Pingsha Valley; especially with the coordination of knight-level powerhouses of the Zhongzhou Provincial Court. The entire Pingsha Valley had been fully under control of Zhongzhou Provincial Court before the sun rose completely.
Since the beginning, although Pingsha Valley was filled with battle calls and battle qi totems, Meng Haishan the chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court didn't see any battle qi smoke of knights at all. It implied that there was no knight-level powerhouse in the valley.
Under the early sunlight, the airboat declined to a height above the most attractive castle in Pingsha Valley.
A few hours ago, this castle was still tranquil; however, at this moment, its one wall had been broken while the ground and the top of the walls were covered with blood stains. Besides, there was a stinky smell in the air.
When Meng Haishan got off the airboat, some subordinate knights were waiting for him respectfully on one side. These powerhouses from Zhongzhou Provincial Court didn't look good.
It was too quiet in the castle as if the bloody battle had not happened just now. Across the castle, besides silent fighters of Bi'an Camp, they could not even hear the cries of women, kids and captives.
Meng Haishan looked a bit gloomy. Of course, he knew that they didn't arrest any captive alive. After knowing their own identities, all the people here chose to struggle at the cost of their lives.
It was in Zhongzhou Province, one of the 9 immortal provinces in Taixia Country. Zhongzhou Province had been in peace for hundreds of years, when did such a force develop here?
"How's the situation?" Meng Haishan asked in a muffled voice.
"We've controlled the entire Pingsha Valley; but..." A knight said.
"But what?'
"But we've lost a lot of fighters of Bi'an Camp!"
"How many people have we lost?"
"457 people in total!" The knight replied in a low voice.
The figure almost accounted for 1/10 of the total population of Bi'an Camp in Zhongzhou Province. It was as miserable as a battle between two armies. The Zhongzhou Provincial Court had not met this situation for hundreds of years. It was in Zhongzhou Province, instead of those subcontinents and barren land being far away from Taixia Country. The casualty facing the Zhongzhou Provincial Court could shock the entire country.
After hearing this figure, Meng Haishan's face turned gloomy at once, "Is there anyone injured?"
"Nope, it's completely a killers' nestle. Those killers' blades, hidden weapons and bolts are highly toxic. The moment their weapons touched us, we would die immediately!"
"Show me there!"
Some knights of Zhongzhou Provincial Court then led Meng Haishan to an open land on the other side of the castle. Some rows of dead fighters of Bi'an Camp were tidily placed on the open land while the surrounding fighters looked sad.
These fighters lying on the ground were not heavily wounded; however, their faces had turned completely black. Many of them were bleeding from their eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth, making them very terrifying.
After squatting down and checking some corpses, Meng Haishan stood up and asked in a cold tone, "Where're the people in the castle?"
"They're all dead. As they all resisted us with their full efforts, we have to kill them all!"
The corpses of the native people in the castle were also pulled out and placed tidily on the other side. However, the population of these corpses was less than that of the dead fighters of Bi'an Camp.
"Just these?" After looking at those people's corpses, Meng Haishan frowned.
"Some corpses could not be collected at all. Because they all held a toxic in their mouth. After failing their counterattack, they all broke their toxics and turned into a puddle of stinky blood!"
Such puddles of blood could be seen everywhere in the castle.
"Have you got anyone alive?"
"Some farmers were caught easily in the farmsteads and manors outside the castle; however, they didn't know anything. They only knew that Pingsha Valley was the industry of Wen family and they were hired by Wen family. Wen family is a local tyrant in Longxi Prefecture. Previously, they only had a bit influence in the local place. About 2 decades ago, Wen family met an accident by airship; as a result, only the master of Wen family survived. 1 decade ago, Wen Haoyun the master of Wen family promoted to a black iron knight. From then on, Wen family established Pingsha Sect in Pingsha Valley. As the head of Pingsha Sect, Wen Haoyun enrolled disciples and slowly expanded his undertaking. Besides Pingsha Sect, Wen family has two business groups, one is responsible for trading agricultural products; the other was responsible for logistics. Those farmers only knew that Wen family has frequent exchanges with Pingsha Sect!"
"Agricultural products, logistics?" Meng Haishan's eyes flickered. The two business groups of Wen family could provide them with the best cover; especially that business group in logistics, which could easily cover the movements of all the personnel and materials between Wen family and Pingsha Valley. Additionally, the air accident that Wen family met might have other reasons. 'Notice all the judicial agencies across Zhongzhou Province, investigate the affiliated business groups, agencies and personnel of Wen family and Pingsha Sect right away. If any of them dares resist, kill them at once..."
"Yes, sir..."
"Have you caught Wen Haoyun?"
"Those alive farmers could not have a chance to touch Wen Haoyun; therefore, they don't know the whereabouts of Wen Haoyun. According to those farmers, when Wen Haoyun was not in Pingsha Valley, all the affairs in Pingsha Valley and Wen family would be managed by a steward surnamed Qi. This steward always lives in this castle. However, when we occupied this castle, we didn't find him. We're searching for the two people..."
"Wen family and Pingsha Sect might be involved with those rebels of Heavens Reaching Church. Report what happened here to the Cheji General's Mansion in Zhongzhou Province right away; request Cheji General's Mansion to assist our investigation and prepare for possible dangers!"
In late years, the Heavens Reaching Church in Taixia Country didn't stir up any trouble, which felt a bit weird. However, everybody knew that the Heavens Reaching Church would definitely arouse a big trouble if they wanted. Especially in prosperous and populated places like Zhongzhou Province, if the Heavens Reaching Church really made a big trouble, the outcome would be unimaginable. Therefore, after confirming that the background of Pingsha Sect might be involved with the Heavens Reaching Church, Meng Haishan the chief justice of the Zhongzhou Provincial Court would notice the Cheji General in Zhongzhou Province immediately.
Pingsha Valley had been suppressed and under the control of the Zhongzhou Provincial Court except for a couple of figures. Even though a couple of people had escaped, a black iron knight could not cause any trouble in Taixia Country. However, Meng Haishan still felt restless and amazed unconsciously.
The restless and amazed feelings originated from his mysterious consciousness as an earth knight and his judgment after serving the judicial system for dozens of years.
Although Bi'an Camp suffered a great loss, this raid was smooth overall. There were no big fluctuations. They didn't even meet a knight-level opponent. Therefore, Meng Haishan felt restless.
'Although Wen family and Pingsha Sect dared fight the judicial agency of Taixia Country, their force was too weak. Actually, without the participation of Bi'an Camp, a knight-level powerhouse in Zhongzhou Provincial Court could sweep the entire Pingsha Valley at zero cost. But what made Wen family and Pingsha Sect so decisive and dauntless to fight the judicial agency in Taixia Country?'
'Even though the personnel in Wen family and Pingsha Sect are really b*stards of Heavens Reaching Church, such a force in this remote place of Zhongzhou Province is too trivial. This is not the usual means of those rebels of Heavens Reaching Church.'
As Meng Haishan was frowning and thinking about it, a fighter of Bi'an Camp ran towards him.
"Lord, we found a secret tunnel leading to the underground space in the basement of the castle..."
"A secret tunnel leading to the underground space?" Meng Haishan shrunk his pupils as he said, "Go, let's take a look over there..."
Of course, there were powerhouses being proficient in searching in the Bi'an Camp. After entering the basement of the castle, they started to knock here and there and soon found a secret tunnel in the basement of the castle...
The chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court and some knight-level powerhouses soon came to the entrance of the secret tunnel inside the castle. At the sight of the entrance, they were all shocked.
Generally, the entrances of secret tunnels should be very narrow which could only allow 2 people to pass shoulder by shoulder. However, the entrance of this secret tunnel in front of them was like a huge, grim, bloody mouth. The tunnel was so spacious that it could almost allow two cars to pass side by side.
The basement leading to the secret tunnel was a large training field, which contained various training tools. On the table of the training field, there were some corpses which were for an autopsy. Being male, female, old or young, those corpses looked grim and painful and had started to smell bad.
After throwing a glance at it, the powerhouses from Zhongzhou Provincial Court had known that this place was used for training killers and assassinators.
Everything here looked terrifying and grim.
The dark and grim secret tunnel was not used to escape away from Pingsha Valley; instead, it led directly to the deep underground space. Nobody knew what it was used for.
"Zhao Long, you stay outside, the others follow me in..."
After having one knight to stay outside in case of an emergency, the chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court rushed into the secret tunnel, followed by the other knights...
Chapter 1047: An Earthshaking Change
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
After entering the grim secret underground tunnel less than 2000 m, they had entered a bubble-shaped underground space...
Anyone who entered this underground space for the first time might be scared by what they saw. Everything inside here was so terrifying that commoners could not imagine it at all.
It was a bloody pool; precisely, a bloody, stinky sea, which covered over 10 square miles.
This bloody pool was surrounded by senior crystals above Class V and some huge gold bricks. Like the banks of the bloody pool, these crystals and gold bricks were carved with runes on their surfaces. As crystals gathered the energy from everywhere, those bizarre runes flickered looming red light. At first sight, those runes looked like bloody eyes, which were gazing at the bloody sea while an invisible energy covered the entire bloody sea like a huge net...
Although there was no wind, the bloody waves moved and lapped against the banks being composed of crystals and gold ceaselessly.
Over 100,000 terrifying, semi-transparent flesh balls were floating in the bloody waves. Looking down from a height, those floating bloody balls would look like roes. Being close to each other, they covered the entire bloody sea.
In those floating semi-transparent flesh balls, there were humans who shrunk their bodies by hugging their own legs like fetuses in female wombs.
However, those inside the flesh balls were all as large as adults.
In the center of the bloody sea, there was a bloody 9-storey crystal tower being covered with exotic runes. A furious sound was reverberating above the tower, "Why, why the forces of Zhongzhou Provincial Court would raid Pingsha Valley at this critical moment? You destroyed my efforts. Why? Only in a few days, the fighters in the bloody pool will become fully mature and will sweep Longxi Prefecture and topple over the entire Zhongzhou Province. Why? Why now? Who leaked the news?..." Being full of killing qi and unpleasant feeling, this sound was almost like a roar.
The reply came from another person. Compared to the first voice which sounded furious and unwilling, the second voice was full of panic; it was even trembling, "Master...per...perhaps there's some problem with the killers that we assigned to Youzhou Province to assassinate the castellan of Jinwu City. Yesterday, our informer passed the message that they've done that..."
"Impossible. Our assassinators would commit suicide immediately soon after they finished their task whether it succeeded or not. Their body and spirit will disappear at once. Even if the moles of B department in Youzhou Province could be controlled. Nobody could trace us from them..." The first one still roared.
At the same time, they heard heavy earthquakes and loud sounds from the secret tunnels above the bloody sea.
Hearing that, Steward Qi with a long grim face kneeling on the top of the crystal tower quivered all over due to fear as he said, "Ma...master...Meng...Meng Haishan, the chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court...arrives. The gate above the secret tunnel could not prevent an earth knight for a long time...please ma...make a decision at once..."
The one being called master by Steward Qi was Wen Haoyun. Wen Haoyun looked younger than 30 years old. With a narrow and long face, his cheeks collapsed inside; in a brilliant boa silk robe, his eyes looked brutal and sharp.
Although being furious apparently, Wen Haoyun felt flurried inside too. He also heard the sound above him. Watching the trembling body of Steward Qi kneeling on the top of the tower, Wen Haoyun recovered his composure. After taking a deep breath, he narrowed his eyes and told Steward Qi, "You're right. We have to make a quick decision. Although the fighters in the bloody sea have not been fully mature and would have some side effects after being awakened in advance, they're already available. Although it's not the right moment to activate them, it's much better than allowing those guys of the Zhongzhou Provincial Court to strangle the efforts of the archbishop here..."
"Master...do you want to wake...wake up these fighters?"
"Yes, but before doing this, you need to do one more thing for me..."
"Ahh, go ahead..." Steward Qi raised his head.
"Over these years, you've spent too many efforts for the great undertaking of the archbishop. At this moment, wish you could forgive me..." After saying that, Wen Haoyun shot out a battle qi from his finger and blew up the head of Steward Qi. After that, the headless corpse of Steward Qi fell into the bloody sea and melted in a split second.
After doing that, the earthquakes and sounds were closer to him. Wen Haoyun immediately sent a message by his remote-sensing crystal finger ring. After receiving the reply, the finger ring disappeared at once.
Closely after that, he took off all of his clothes. Those clothes disappeared at once too. He then threw a final glance at the bizarre crystal ball on the top of the tower which almost turned fully red before breaking his finger by teeth, dropping his fresh blood onto the crystal ball. When his fresh blood spread in the crystal ball, the bloody sea slowly boiled. He then smashed the crystal ball. Closely after that, a disguising mask appeared in his hand. After putting on the disguising mask, Wen Haoyun jumped into the bloody sea at once...
The moment his body entered the bloody sea, many sounds "puff" could be heard in the bloody sea. Those figures tore apart those flesh balls and stood up. They looked around the bloody sea with distant looks. Only after a few seconds, their distant looks had disappeared; instead, bloody and brutal looks appeared on their faces...
So many bloody figures jumped onto the bloody sea like frogs that had just been hatched. After standing on the ground in the bloody foot for the first time and adapting to the environment for a few seconds, those bloody, naked fighters had started to run faster and faster while uttering strange roars. Some of them even ran on the walls of the mountain cave which were vertical to the ground by both hand and foot. Like fierce beasts, they rushed towards the other tunnel...
When running, all of them released LV 9 fighters' battle qi totems.
This underground space was connected to 3 tunnels, each of which led to a place in Pingsha Valley or its surroundings. As the proverb went, the wily hare had three holes. Now that this plan was so important, there should not only be one tunnel that led to this bloody sea.
More and more fighters were hatched out of the bloody sea. In each second, many people would break out of the flesh balls and landed from all directions. Only after adapting to the environment for a few seconds, the army of bloody fighters would run towards the other two tunnels.
As these bloody fighters were running faster and forcefully, the entire underground space was filled with thunder-like footsteps.
Nobody had noticed that Wen Haoyun was one of those bloody fighters.
At this moment, the safest method for Wen Haoyun to leave Pingsha Valley was to disguise himself as one of the bloody fighters. Even if there was a heavenly knight, he could not identify Wen Haoyun from over 100,000 bloody fighters. As long as he didn't display his battle strength above LV 9, he would become safe among the bloody fighters. Additionally, he could command the other bloody fighters to move.
...
After Meng Haishan broke one more alloy gate which was harder than that of bank vault by barbarous force, the galloping footsteps and the roars of those wild beasts became very clear for some knights with acute senses.
Hearing these sounds, all the knights changed their faces at once, including Meng Haishan.
As knights, they could identify that those sounds were running footsteps; additionally, those footsteps grew louder, causing greater earthquakes. The frequency, strength and the distance between two feet of each people reminded the knights of the most elite troops in top four armies in Taixia Country.
How could there be so many elite fighters in the underground space?
"Ahh, what is below us? Is there a corps?" A knight asked with a terrified look.
"Tell Bi'an Camp on the earth's surface to prepare for the coming battle. Notice all the cities in Longxi Prefecture to be in the emergency state..." Meng Haishan roared as he released his battle qi tornado immediately. The virtual image of his cultivation method was blue surging waves.
...
2 minutes later, with a roar "Open", the last obstacle was broken, exposing everything in the underground space to them.
The bloody sea made all of them widely open their eyes.
"Bloody Sea..." Meng Haishan almost screamed even though he was always calm.
Many bloody fighters were still walking out of the bloody sea; however, over 2/3 of the flesh balls in the bloody sea had been empty. At the sight of these knights, hundreds of bloody fighters immediately charged at them without any fear...
"Kill them all..."
The chief justice of Zhongzhou Provincial Court roared.
At the same time, numerous naked bloody fighters had rushed out of the mountain caves and ran towards the surrounding regions after crossing Pingsha Valley like water that spilled out of a water vat.
...
Almost at the same time, a man with a light golden face in Xuanyuan Hill rubbed a remote-sensing crystal finger ring while a gloomy look flashed across his eyes. He threw a glance at the east direction of Xuanyuan Hill where the Zhongzhou Province was located through the window.
"Lord, minister of civil and administrative affairs is waiting for you..." An officer in a purple robe appeared outside the gate and reported to him respectfully.
After the gloomy look disappeared in this man's eyes, the man turned around in a normal look.
"Please show me the way..." The man replied kindly.
"Lord, please follow me..."
Chapter 1048: Flames of War in the Immortal Province (I)
Translator: WQL Editor: Aleem
Huian City, 80 km away in the south of Pingsha Valley...
Huian City was a Class D LV 3 city in Taixia Country.
The area of this city within the city wall only covered less than 30 square miles. There were large tracts of farmsteads outside the city. Taixia Country had been in peace for a long time. As one of the nine immortal provinces in Taixia Country, Zhongzhou Province had not broken out any war for hundreds of years. Therefore, Huian City maintained its original look. Although being matched with steam city-defense facilities, the city wall was only about 10 m in height.
From a certain degree, Huian City was an ancient city. Native residents were very proud of their own city. As Zhongzhou Province had many Class A cities, Huian City, as a small city which maintained its original look looked special and thought-provoking.
As the granary of Zhongzhou Province, Longxi Prefecture was famous for Huian rice and wheat. Additionally, Huian City was close to Huihe River, the water quality of which was suitable to brew liquor; therefore, Huian City was also famous for some brands of liquor in Longxi Prefecture. Huian City's Double-well Liquor was sold to other provinces and could even be seen in Xuanyuan Hill.
Huian City was famous for brewing liquor. Grains and liquor produced in Huian City were sold across Taixia Country. Over hundreds of years, local residents lived better and better due to diligence and intelligence. People in Huian City and its surroundings were wealthy and safe. Even the buildings inside the farmsteads nearby Huian City were tasteful and exquisite under the governance of the immortal province. Many barbarians who came to Huian City from subcontinents and saw the broad farmlands, garden-like farmsteads and the tidy buildings with rich Hua style in the farmsteads would exclaim that this was a paradise on the earth.
In an early morning of August, the sun had just risen. The boundless plain outside Huian City was covered with golden ears of wheat, which were very eyeable...
The wheat outside Huian City had grown mature. As it was a good weather, a lot of farmers had started their steam machines and prepared to reap ears of wheat. Due to the holy war, the prices of grains were rising steadily; especially this year. It was a bumper year. At the sight of the heavy ears of wheat in the fields, all the farmers outside Huian City revealed big smiles as they felt pretty pleasant inside...
The city gates in Zhongzhou Province would not close all the year round; the soldiers at the city gates would be on duty by shifts.
Even though native old men in Huian City didn't remember when the city gate of Huian City was closed last time. Last time, it might be closed during the 2nd holy war. From then on, nothing else could enable Huian City to close its city gate.
However, it was an exception today.
In the morning, a series of tidy and urgent footsteps drifted from the Zhengde Avenue being connected to the north gate of Huian City. In the astonishment of those who were accessing to the north city gate, a team of over 1,000 fully armored soldiers of Huian City rushed over here under the leadership of an officer. Those with sharp eyes even noticed some criminal hunters and officers in Huian Municipal Court among those soldiers.
"At the order of the castellan, close up all the city gates of Huian City right now; close up all the city gates of Huian City right now; Class I war preparedness; start all the steam city-defense equipment on the city walls right now..."
Before arriving at the city gate, the officer had started to roar.
Hearing the roars and watching the flurried movements of these soldiers, the north gate of Huian City became bustling at once. They didn't know what happened at all. Additionally, 2/3 of a fleet of vehicles was still in the city. After hearing that the city gate was going to be closed, the fleet sped up to leave the city.
"What's wrong with you? Haven't you heard me? Close the gate right away!" The officer was driven mad and rushed towards the driver of one vehicle which was still leaving the city orderly followed by some soldiers and two criminal hunters from Huian Municipal Court when he found that the pneumatic device remained still.
Watching the officer walking over here with a furious look, the squad of guards at the city gate remained silent. The team leader of these guards looked a bit embarrassed. A person who looked like a steward moved a few steps forward with a big smile as he explained, "Officer, this is the fleet of Double-well brewery. They are going to discharge cargo in the airship base outside the city. The rest of the fleet will leave the city gate in only 2 minutes. As these people at the city gate are all familiar with us, I invited them to spare 2 more minutes for us. Please forgive us. We only need 2 minutes..."
As Huian City had been in peace for so long, when the guards received the emergency order of closing the city gate, they were perplexed because they didn't have the sense of urgency at all. Additionally, as they were familiar with people from Double-well Brewery, which was well-known in Huian City, they intended to postpone 2 minutes to close the city gate so that the fleet of Double-well Brewery could leave the city gate.
With a sound of "chuang...", the officer pushed the steward away and pulled out his long sword at once. In a split second, he moved his sword towards the neck of the leader of the garrison team at the city gate, causing everybody at present to change their face...
The sharp blade cut open the skin of the team leader's neck, causing blood drops to roll down. The team leader's face turned pale at once as his feet turned soft too. Just now, he thought that his head was going to be chopped off.
"If the city gate is not closed in half a minute, I will chop off your head!" The officer said mercilessly.
The moment this officer moved, the two criminal hunters who followed this officer here had run towards the cabins of two trucks; after showing their identity plates to the drivers, they directly dragged the drivers away from the seats. Closely after that, they reversed the two trucks at the same time, leaving space for the pneumatic device of the city gate although colliding with the vehicles behind them heavily.
The moment the two trucks crashed, many terrines of Double-well liquor broke apart, filling the air with the aroma of Double-well Liquor.
"What are you doing? These liquor will be transported to Zhongzhou City, the father of the mayor of Zhongzhou City is going to celebrate his 120th birthday. The old man favors our Double-well Liquor most; he ordered our liquor for the banquet. Do you assume the responsibility if you delay the delivery time? You're just a soldier from outside, how could you be so presumptuous? Even the mayor of Huian City would give some face for our Double-well Brewery..." The steward looked extremely bad after being pushed away by the officer as he started to assume the mayor's authority as his own by raising his voice...
As a Class A city, Zhongzhou City was the provincial city of Zhongzhou Province. The mayor of Zhongzhou Province's official rank was as same as that of the prefectural governor of Longxi Prefecture and closer to that of the provincial governor of Zhongzhou Province. Given social positions, the mayor of Zhongzhou City was even higher than that of the prefectural governor of Longxi Prefecture and was easier to be promoted.
"F*ck off!" The officer directly kicked onto the steward's belly, sending him to fly away and fall onto the ground outside the city gate. As a result, the steward almost died.
The officer didn't use his full strength. Otherwise, he could easily kick a commoner to death. However, even so, the steward didn't pick himself up for quite a while.
When the steward picked himself up, the pneumatic device of the north city gate had been triggered and the city gate had been closed.
Only after jumping and swearing the officer a few seconds outside the city gate, the steward had heard the exclamations from the tower over the city gate. The steward turned around and saw a black, dense smoke rushing into the sky from a town a few miles away from Huian City.
'Fire?'
The moment this whim occurred to the steward, he caught sight of another black smoke in a farmstead in another direction...
'What's happening?'
At the sight of the two dense black smoke in two places, someone among the crowd being blocked outside of the city hurriedly climbed onto the trucks and watched the smoking places in the distance.
"Ahh, why are so many people escaping away from Fuan Town? What's happening..." A guy on the top of a truck exclaimed...
The city gate of Huian City was closed urgently; dense smokes rushed into the sky from farmsteads and towns outside the city; someone escaped out of there... After integrating with these messages, the steward's face turned pale at once, 'There must be a big event...'
Although the steward assumed the mayor's authority as his own just now, he was not stupid. At the sight of the closed city gate behind him, he understood what happened at once. Closely after that, he started to scream and forcefully hammered the thick metal city gate, "Ahh, open the city gate, let me in..."
It was already a bit chaotic outside the city gate...
At the same time, all the soldiers on the city gate had changed their faces, including that officer and two criminal hunters who followed him in from Huian Municipal Court.
On the city gate, they could see clearly what was happening inside Fuan Town by telescopes.
At the sight of the dense smoke and fire in the center of Fuan Town, many farmers who were doing farming work in fields put down their tools and prepared to put out the fire. However, before those people arrived there, more and more residents cried and rushed into the wheat fields from all places in Fuan Town...
Only after 2 minutes, those who ran less than 1,000 m out of Fuan Town firstly had been caught up by some bloody figures and torn apart in the wheat fields...