Castle of Black Iron

“Without Master Jin’s help, I would just be like others and could barely be enrolled as Sage Bian’s disciple…” Tang Mei said as she looked straight into Zhang Tie’s eyes with shiny eyes without any embarrassment; instead, she was curious and exploratory as if she didn’t recognize Zhang Tie until now.

As for Zhang Tie, he didn’t need to cover anything in front of Tang Mei anymore at this moment. He didn’t deny it; he just waved his hand, saying, “You passed the former two tests yourself; as for the third test, I just pushed the boat in the direction of the current. When Uncle Guan met me, I didn’t know how to help you; coincidentally, I could give you a favor; it must be God’s will…”

“No matter what, without Mister Jin, the result would be different today. What Mister Jin did is tantamount to saving my life…”

“Hoho, don’t appreciate me…” Zhang Tie winked at Tang Mei as he said solemnly, “Let your master appreciate me if you want. I helped him find such a fairy-maiden as his disciple. It’s him who should be happy. As long as you stand beside him, you will gladden his heart and please his eye. You’re absolutely much greater than those stinky male disciples of his. In the future, he would be pleased. Just now, your master found me and appreciated me especially. He even promised me an enormous benefit…”

Even though she knew that Zhang Tie was joking with her, Tang Mei’s face still flushed which was very mesmerizing. Uncle Guan smirked at Zhang Tie aside.

As Zhang Tie made fun of them, he had already come to the gate of Tideviewing Courtyard. After taking out the key, he opened it, saying, “Please take a seat inside…”

“Sorry to trouble you…” Tang Mei replied politely as she followed Zhang Tie in.

Thoughtful Uncle Guan just shook his head as he said, “I will wait for Miss outside…”

…

The small courtyard was full of faint fragrance. A sweet-scented osmanthus tree was already in blossom. At such a night, sniffing the fragrance and hearing the sea waves, Tang Mei felt pretty romantic about this small courtyard.

“Master Jin, do you live here alone?” Tang Mei asked tenderly after looking at the environment in the courtyard.

“Yes, I’m alone here. I’m just here to manage Sage Bian’s fishpond…”

“Manage Sage Bian’s fishpond?”

“Yes, Whitedragon Gulf is the fishpond of Tigerback Mountain. I, although being a butler, am actually managing the fishpond for your master!”

After hearing Zhang Tie’s words, Tang Mei’s face flushed a bit heavily, making her more charming than flowers. “When we were in the carriage, I didn’t notice that Master Jin is so funny!”

“Hahaha…” Zhang Tie laughed as he directly took Tang Mei to the pavilion under the osmanthus tree frankly; instead of taking her into the parlor. Over there, they could sniff osmanthus fragrance and enjoy the nightscape of Whitedragon Gulf in the distance. Holding the wooden rail of the pavilion as he pointed at the coastline under the moonlight in the far. “I was always alone here. It was very tranquil. Therefore, I don’t have anything good to receive you, even a glass of warm water. I could only receive Miss Tang with the nightscape that the sea melts into the sky and the fragrance of the osmanthus blossoms. Hopefully, Miss Tang doesn’t mind it…”

“Master Jin, you’re aboveboard; of course, you do things aboveboard. I won’t mind it!” Tang Mei watched Zhang Tie with bright eyes.

Facing Tang Mei’s bright eyes, Zhang Tie silently moved his eyes away from Tang Mei’s face as he mocked, “Miss Tang, you might not understand me. I’m not aboveboard; to be honest, I’m just not a bad person. Of course, in the opinion of some people who can’t wait to turn me into ashes, I’m the evilest guy in the world…”

Tang Mei’s eyes became slightly dim; however, she remained her look unchanged, saying, “Master Jin, is that your word of self-modesty?”

“I was just telling the truth. If I were aboveboard, the grasses on my tomb have already been 1 m high…” Zhang Tie burst into laughter facing the sea wind.

Tang Mei became silent for a second. Closely after that, he slowly nodded and sighed, “Master Jin, this must not be your real identity and name?”

Tang Mei was indeed smart. Zhang Tie nodded as he admitted it frankly, “Right, it’s indeed not my real identity…”

“I wonder about your real identity.”

“If you know that, you won’t get any benefits from it; instead, you will be in great danger!” Zhang Tie said with a smile as he shook his head, “Just treat me as the ordinary people whom you encountered on the way…”

“I see!” Tang Mei revealed a charming smile like all flowers bloom together, “Master Jin, if you don’t mind it, I will call you Elder Brother Jin. You can call me Mei; instead of Miss Tang…”

Mei sounded too intimate. However, if he called her Tang Mei, Zhang Tie always felt weird just like spraying some soil over a pearl. However, watching her hopeful look, Zhang Tie finally gnashed his teeth, ‘Whatever, it’s just an appellation. Even she doesn’t care about it, why do I hesitate?’

“Well, I will call you Mei from now on. You can call me Elder Brother Jin. Aunt Wu said that you were 21 years old. After all, I’m elder than you. Even if you call me Elder Brother, it’s also acceptable…”

“Elder Brother Jin, will you look down upon me…” Tang Mei asked as she lowered her head at a stroke.

“Ah, why’d you ask me about that?” Zhang Tie was confused.

“Among those people who attended the tests with me today, the two youths were both famous doctors in Tigerback Town. They have greater popularity among the people. Additionally, they all come from dignified time-honored clans. Elder Brother Jin, you must be curious why so many people wanted to help me only after we separated from each other for a few days.”

“Err… I think it one’s fortune!” Zhang Tie also had such a question; however, he was always uninterested in figuring out such questions; especially when it was related to a woman.

“The reason is simple. They glimpsed at my face behind the veil by accident!”

“Oh, I see. Everyone likes beauty…” Zhang Tie understood. Tang Mei’s face was attractive to men. It was even as effective as a nuclear bomb.

“However, I let them see my face on purpose!” Tang Mei said calmly as if it happened to others instead of her. At the same time, she watched Zhang Tie’s face calmly.

Zhang Tie became shortly stunned. When he found Tang Mei became silent for a few seconds, Zhang Tie opened his mouth, “Why are you telling me about this? If you didn’t mention it, I might not know it forever!”

Tang Mei revealed a short smile which carried a bit grievance. “When I was young, my parents passed away due to an accident. Over these years, I was living with my two elder brothers and aunts. Since I was 14 years old, through how those men beside me watched me, I knew what my look meant to men. From then on, I started to wear veil. Since I found that I was affected by cancer, I had not taken off my veil in the public. Even my two elder brothers could barely see my face…” Tang Mei then shook her head, adding, “I don’t know why I’m telling Elder Brother Jin about these. Perhaps, I couldn’t stand talking about that or didn’t want to cheat you. Elder Brother Jin, will you look down upon me after knowing this?”

Zhang Tie finally understood it. Watching Tang Mei seriously, he took in a deep breath, saying, “It’s all in human nature. As a human, of course, I could understand you. I don’t feel there’s any problem with what you did. You just didn’t want to wait for death. You just wanted to make use of your advantage for a bit opportunity. You didn’t do anything wrong, why would I look down upon you?”

“Really?” Tang Mei asked as she widely opened her eyes.

“If I cheat you, I’m a puppy dog!” Zhang Tie replied solemnly.

Tang Mei revealed another brilliant smile which caused all the blooms to feel bashful and Zhang Tie stunned in a split second…

After staying in the Tideviewing Courtyard for a short while, Tang Mei got up and bade farewell to him politely. Zhang Tie didn’t ask her to stay a bit longer. After all, it was already late, if Tang Mei stayed here for too long, it might arouse gossips. As Bian Heng’s disciple who had to stay in Tigerback Mountain for a long time, Tang Mei should pay attention to the details.

Zhang Tie walked Tang Mei out of the gate of Tideviewing Courtyard. When Tang Mei was going to leave the courtyard, she suddenly stopped and turned around, asking an unexpected question, “Elder Brother Jin, when you saw me waiting for you outside Tideviewing Courtyard, did you recall another woman?”

“Ah?” Zhang Tie became utterly petrified. He didn’t understand how Tang Mei knew that. ‘Women’s intuition and perception are too amazing.’

“Elder Brother Jin, you don’t need to answer me. I’ve already known that the girl must be more beautiful than me in your heart…” Tang Mei smiled at Zhang Tie, saying, “Please go back, Elder Brother Jin. See you…” After saying that, Tang Mei strode out of the gate. Uncle Guan then helped her put on an outer garment before leaving there together.

Seeing Tang Mei off, Zhang Tie didn’t recover his composure until the two people left.

After closing his gate, Zhang Tie returned to his courtyard. Standing in the courtyard alone, he looked up at the bright moon for a short while as he wanted to shout out his desire hysterically——Are you alright? However, he stayed silent in the end.

After standing there for a while, Zhang Tie returned to his cultivation room. Taking off his outer garment, he ran his battle qi in his qi sea as hot waves started to flow in his body. Cold icy fluid was rapidly coming into being outside his body and gradually surrounded him.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Tie had been in the song of ice and flame.

The fire was Dragon’s True Flame. The icy fluid was flowing over Zhang Tie’s body like high-speed gears. Some hard ice needles and scums inside the icy fluid constantly hit Zhang Tie’s body at a high speed, strengthening Zhang Tie defensive ability…

After his qi sea was completely recovered, even without Bian Heng’s needles, Zhang Tie could still create conditions to constantly quench his body. Previously, Bian Heng would carry out medical treatment for him two times per two days; but now Zhang Tie could quench his body two times a day. Such a quenching condition was stricter and could bring him better effect. Through quenching his body in this way, Zhang Tie didn’t feel any pain at all; instead he felt being more and more powerful in that airy condition…