Castle of Black Iron

Zhang Tie knew that he had already fallen into a delicately designed trap. At the sight of those corpses that he had killed two weeks ago, although being very infuriated, Zhang Tie still remained extremely calm.

Facing these strictly hierarchical and terrifying secret police of the Norman Empire, as long as he made one mistake, he would disappear from this world.

Although these people had died two weeks ago, they were still well preserved like having been killed just now. Zhang Tie was not that foolish to ask how they could have preserved these corpses so well as it was just a trivial problem. Donder had told him many methods to preserve corpses such as the most commonly seen freezing or if something slightly more complex - ointment or paste. There were many methods that could be used to keep corpses "fresh", allowing the others to set him up.

The moment he saw those corpses, Zhang Tie immediately figured out a couple things. First, these were the people who had burned the warehouse. They did this to destroy the scene and prevent him from noticing that the corpses had disappeared when he went back to check on them. Zhang Tie had then believed that the fire was set by other saboteurs of the Sun Dynasty.

Second, when he killed those people from the Sun Dynasty, the process was definitely under these people’s monitoring. They had to have been hiding in the darkness. They must have witnessed how he killed those people or discovered it through investigation.

After understanding those two things, Zhang Tie became more clear-minded.

"You must be responsible for the two missing soldiers of the No. 21 Division. You did that to make me trust that Sun Dynasty’s saboteurs were still in Blapei and make me believe that the fire was set by the saboteurs to destroy evidence inside and eliminate my doubts?" Zhang Tie asked icily, staring at the silver-haired Major Franca.

Major Franca then flicked his hand to let all the other red gloves surrounding Zhang Tie exit, leaving only him, Zhang Tie, and the corpses all over the ground in this messy billiard room of the beer hotel.

Zhang Tie’s pupils immediately shrunk from his actions. At this moment, this one still dared to face him alone. This meant that this guy was at least a fighter above LV 8 and was very confident in defeating him. Zhang Tie didn’t believe that this person who had been thinking about setting him up for such a long time didn’t know his performance in the Iron-Blood Camp. Although being a LV 4 warrior, he could easily deal with LV 6-7 fighters.

"You’re right. I assume the responsibility for the two missing soldiers of No. 21 Division to make everybody believe that the spies and saboteurs of the Sun Dynasty were still in Blapei. Given the effect, it worked!" Major Franca casually said as if chatting with Zhang Tie. Meanwhile, he took off his red gloves and slapped them onto one palm.

"It’s said that there’s a disagreement between members of the Order Committee of the Norman Empire and Marshal Lin Changjiang. Could that difference in views between the top-class figures truly make you so frenzied that you’d kill soldiers and frame military officers of the Norman Empire?"

Zhang Tie stared at Major Franca with sharp and fierce eyes.

Hearing Zhang Tie’s words, Major Franca started to laugh like a lunatic.

"Now that you know what we’ve done, you must know our role in Blapei. Hehehehe, in the eyes of the big figures, small figures like us can only make someone disgusting. We are like a pile of rotten meat covered with worms or vomit, a number of beggars or dirty shit. We were dispatched here to make someone frown, lose appetite, or better lose temper several times at the sight of us. Do you know how we feel being treated as worms, rotten meat, shit and vomit? You could never know..." Major Franca’s face twisted slightly. "In order to get rid of such life and easily throw out a pile of people like me as if cleaning up vomit, it’s nothing serious to kill two soldiers and set up a military officer."

Under the laughter and wolf-like eyes of Major Franca, Zhang Tie saw an oppressed ambition, madness, and a terrifying man.

"That is to say, from the beginning, those spies of the Sun Dynasty had been under your monitoring."

"Hehe, smart!" Major Franca rubbed his thumb and his third finger, making a crispy sound, before pointed at those corpses lying on the ground. "Soon after coming to Blapei, I had clear trace of these mice and scumbags. Previously, I was just waiting for them to cause enough damage before catching them to satisfy the superior who had dispatched me to Blapei.

"These mice and scumbags were very far-sighted as they caught a disabled first lieutenant of the logistics department to force you to bring them into the logistics base of Blapei to cause great damage there. This was really a great idea. I actually hoped they would succeed there; sadly, against my expectations, you killed them all and completely destroyed my plan. Nevertheless, this was also a good thing as I found something more valuable from you!"

Major Franca licked his lips as he greedily stared at Zhang Tie.

"What do you want from me?" Zhang Tie asked icily.

"Not get, but trade!" Major Franca said, full of confidence. "As long as you tell me your secret, I will forget what happened here today. Nobody will have seen you here. You will continue to be a first lieutenant of the Iron-Horn Army and enjoy your life by making love with your mistress in Blapei and continue to enjoy your ’Woman’s Excellence’."

Major Franca even told the name of a weapon that Zhang had Tie once used on battlefields.

"What secret?"

Zhang Tie’s heart suddenly raced.

"Ho... ho... don’t be nervous. I know you’re very nervous. You’ve got too many secrets. For instance, how did you kill those people before they could react? How did you suddenly form Iron-Blood hidden strength? Why weren’t you afraid of blue frost? How could you become a terrifying, powerful soldier from an average student in Blackhot City in only several months?" Major Franca then let out a sigh while his voice and eyes became tender. "Actually, I also want to be like you. If I can have your abilities, I can get rid of my life being regarded as vomit. Can you help me?"

Zhang Tie knew that it was useless to explain that he was struck by a lightning bolt any more. This man had set him up for the secret that could make him so powerful. Everything that happened today originated from this man’s ambition and greed.

"What if I don’t tell you?"

"Hehe, those people who sent me here would be interested in a young military officer from the Iron-Horn Army who would betray the Norman Empire!" Major Franca seriously looked at Zhang Tie. "I bet you don’t know how the Order Review Committee and the secret police of the Norman Empire deal with traitors.

"You, your family members, even your friends will regret having come to this world. Even if you’ve formed the Iron-Blood Battle Qi, nobody will be able to save you. Even the Iron-Horn Army, Lin Changjiang, and the special protection tradition of the Battle God Church will not be able save you. Besides, you’re just a trivial first lieutenant who has only formed the Iron-Blood Hidden Strength..."

Zhang Tie lowered his head. It was very weird that he didn’t feel infuriated at all. For some reason, hearing Major Franca’s words, he only recalled the scene at school several months ago. That day he had been leisurely sitting under a tree. Then some guys walked in front of him and threw down some dining plates, ignoring whether he would refuse or not...

Sometimes life was like this. You leisurely sat under a tree and watched the sky when some bastards decided that you were easily bullied and threw some dining plates in front of you, letting you make a choice between humiliation and pain.

Today, that person who threw a pile of dirty dining plates in front of him became someone from the secret police of the Norman Empire, the silver-haired Major Franca.

The same choice was put in front of Zhang Tie.

Franca thought it was a choice; however, it was not a choice for Zhang Tie at all as the two paths were both dead.

Raising his head, Zhang Tie glanced at Major Franca. "Although you’ve talked much just now, only one sentence is right!"

"Which sentence?"

"You’re really disgusting. It was really proper to send you here to Blapei!" Zhang Tie calmly said.

Major Franca’ face immediately turned blue...

"Have you made the decision? Do you know the outcome of refusing me at this moment..."

Major Franca fiercely gazed at Zhang Tie with his eyes needle-like. He wanted to continue...

But Zhang Tie smiled.

"Outcome? There’s no outcome. You’re just a small major, a small figure in the eyes of big figures. Perhaps I truly have some secrets, but who are you? You’re not qualified to trade with me. Do you feel that it’s your turn to be unrivaled across the Northern Border Army of the Norman Empire? Do you think that secret police could easily frame an officer of the Norman Empire who had won the Iron-Blood Medal by only talking?"

"Do you think to negotiate with me?" Major Franca asked, gazing at Zhang Tie as he revealed a scornful smile on his blue face, which also had a wisp of alertness mixed in it.

"There’s no choice but I have another way to go!"

"Which way?"

"The bloody way!"

Zhang Tie pulled out his sword.