Chapter 379
Facing the sharp stare of the senior, Zhang Tie replied without any fear, "I just did what I should do!"
"What you should do?" A forbidding sneer appeared on the senior's face . "Don't you know that Huaiyuan Palace is enforcing military laws here? You think that's what you should do, but you might lose your life according to the military laws . Since its founding, Huaiyuan Palace has been strictly complying with the clan regulations left by Lord Huaiyuan for hundreds of years . Even an heir who once violated the clan regulations was abolished and imprisoned for the rest of his life by the clan . Do you think that you are unaffected by clan regulations just because of your all-purpose medicament? Do you think that Huaiyuan Palace won't kill you?"
"I'm just a small figure . I don't think I am great . If I violate any clan regulations, of course Huaiyuan Palace could kill me!" Zhang Tie raised his head . "But as a man, I have to do something!"
"Oh? You still have an excuse for your actions?" The senior turned his furious look into a smile . "Is your excuse more important than clan regulations? Tell me about your reason . Do they deserve what you did to them?"
"One of them saved my life before . I have to return the favour . This is the first reason!"
"What about the second reason?"
Zhang Tie kept silent for a short while before he continued with a lower, yet firmer tone, "The information that was gained at the cost of over a million common people's lives doesn't belong to a single individual, the six influential clans in Jinyun Country or their privileged lords . Nobody is qualified to hold this information personally . If the news about the holy war was locked, more average people would become cannon fodder as they wouldn't be able to prepare!‘’
"You really think so?" The senior of Huaiyuan Palace narrowed his eyes slightly .
"Yes!" Zhang Tie replied with a louder voice as he puffed up his chest . "In the last few days, many powerful people have already gained the information they wanted from Heavens Cold City . I don't think those big figures and influential clans in Central States Union are the only ones who have the right to know that the holy war will arrive next year, or even in six months . Why don't other people have any right to know about this information, which is so closely related to their lives?"
The senior fixed his eyes onto Zhang Tie's face . His sharp gaze almost shot through Zhang Tie's eyes and entered his mind . "Do you want to know why? Because only these people and clans can deal the greatest damage to the demons and keep more people alive . Because of their great combined power and organizational ability, they are qualified to know more information than commoners!"
"Therefore commoners are destined to die?"
With an extremely solemn face, the senior replied, "Have you seen how ants cross a river when it has flooded? Ants cannot swim, so all they can do is hug each other in a ball with tens of thousands of them and roll over the river . During this process, many of the ants on the outer sphere are flushed away by the flood, leaving those in the core alive . This holy war is akin to ants crossing a river . In the end, some ants would be flushed away by flood . However, some would survive . Sacrifice is unavoidable . While we cannot make sure that every ant will cross the river, we have to believe that only those ants who are powerful enough to unite can decide the future of the ants!"
Zhang Tie knew he was right . When the holy war arrived, most of commoners who were not powerful enough to unite with each other would not organize effective counterattacks towards the demons at all . Instead, they would only think about escape, escape and escape . . .
'At this moment, the big figures and I don't think the same . They pay more attention to the ants who can unite with each other . However, I want those commoners who cannot unite with each other, who are doomed to be flushed away by the floods, to make preparations ahead of the floods, even just a bit . They might not able to roll over the river like other ants, but at least they could have a chance to find a leaf for themselves .
'Is anybody wrong? Nobody is wrong . Each person has his or her own stance . Although my idea is almost perfect, I could actually only help a few "ants" . A Thor Mercenary Army of only tens of thousands of people was nothing compared to those big powers . I was just trying my best to help them in case of regret . '
Before coming to Huaiyuan Palace, his family members in Blackhot City were those ants, doomed to be flushed away by this flood in the eyes of those big figures .
Thinking of this, Zhang Tie smiled with self-mockery . Until then he didn't realize that although he was rich and more privileged than before, it was impossible for him to become a person like Lan Yunxi or the elites from other clans, because he could not think like them at all . His life experiences at the bottom of Blackhot City had been deeply impressed in his soul . Deep in his mind, there was a small figure, a poor guy, a flesh bag in the Iron Thorns Fighting Club, who would always do something at the sight of someone like him encountering unfairness or doomed to be cannon fodder .
Donder told him that according to a discovery made by human psychologists before the Catastrophe, everybody was actually trying to do one thing——to make their personality formed in childhood more complete .
'I can hardly understand the "good intentions" of the big figures . Instead, I only want to do something to make me and my friends feel better . I am both resigned to the coming adversities and rebellious . I expect this world to be a paradise where "everyone is equal" . Does this expectation come from the small figure in my soul?'
"You didn't have to attend this action . Nobody has forced you to do that . But you came voluntarily in response to the summons of the clan . Additionally, you are very brave on the battle field . I appreciate it very much!" Seeing Zhang Tie stay silent for a while, the senior sipped a mouthful of tea and continued, "As it's your first mistake taking people inside the city privately, I will punish you according to the military laws of Huaiyuan Palace in the name of playing favoritism . Your clan contribution points for this action will be fully deducted . Furthermore, you should accept one hundred whips . Do you agree?"
"A country has its national laws, similarly, a clan has its regulations . As I have violated the regulations of Huaiyuan Palace, I accept the punishment voluntarily!" Zhang Tie said in a low voice .
"Hmm . There's another thing that you need to know . Someone of the Zhen clan once worked in the Alchemists Association of Jinyun Country . The quantity of vials that you ordered from Alchemists Association was too large and had attracted his attention . Therefore, the Zhen clan arranged for someone to assassinate you on Hidden Dragon Island . Additionally, the Zhen clan are members of the Three-Eye Association, which was developed by demons among the human race . After they heard that you can realize mass-production of all-purpose medicament, the other clans and members in Three-Eye Association probably already knew about it too . Therefore, you are in a very dangerous situation right now!"
"Three-Eye Association wants to kill me?" Zhang Tie was shocked by this information . He thought that he had solved the problem after sweeping then Zhen Clan . However, he had not imagined that Zhen's attack on him might only be the beginning, as Three-Eye Association was backing the Zhen Clan and might still be watching him at this moment .
"Based on Three-Eye Association's style, when we are on the verge of the third holy war, they will eliminate anyone who can reinforce the overall strength of the human race and help the human race to fight demons . Recently many alchemists have been assassinated, and a senior clan of the Carlo Federal Alchemists Association was swept . According to our investigations, these actions were done by Three-Eye Association . As you are much more valuable than a common senior alchemist, Three-Eye Association will definitely try to find a way to get rid of you!"
"Thanks for your warning, senior . I will take care of myself!"
"After the Zhen Clan's real status is exposed, Three-Eye Association will be in the thick of the storm . They might be lurking for a while more . Therefore, you should still be safe for a short period of time . If you agree, our clan can assign powerhouses to protect you!"
"I think the best protection is to disappear . I prefer if nobody can find me, or if Three-Eye Association just thinks that getting rid of me is not worth the trouble . I will deal with it myself!" Zhang Tie considered for a short while before he refused the senior's help .
One minute later, Zhang Tie left the senior's room with a calm look .
To tell the truth, the Zhang Clan's punishment to him for bringing outsiders into Heavens Cold City was fair . Zhang Tie wasn't grateful or resentful towards the Zhang Clan for the punishment . Instead, he thought he deserved the punishment . However, through this he felt an invisible chasm between him and those big figures, which also existed between him and Huaiyuan Palace .
This chasm was not cause by interest disputes, but purely the differences in values and world views . The big figures' distant attitude towards small figures and average people from the event in Heavens Cold City made Zhang Tie very uncomfortable .
If the Central States Alliance or Huaiyuan Palace could make a detailed announcement about the coming holy war, they'd spare time for commoners to prepare and they might be able to save the lives of hundreds of millions of people . However, Zhang Tie knew that he was dreaming .
When he left the senior's room, Zhang Tie recalled the faces of his friends still in Blackhot City and Bulapei——Barley, Owen, Doug, Hista, Bagdad, Leit, Alice, Beverly, Hanna, girls of Rose Association and . . . Miss Daina .
Zhang Tie knew that these people were the "ants" that would be flushed away by the flood . During the long holy war, their lives had become trivial . If they could survive the holy war it meant they were lucky . However, if not it was nothing strange . Even though the holy war was coming, nobody felt it was necessary to notice them at all .
This made Zhang Tie uncomfortable and furious .
After that, Zhang Tie saw Lan Yunxi in the airship . A few days before, Zhang Tie had heard that Lan Yunxi forcefully triggered her ancestral bloodline and killed three powerhouses of the Zhen clan who were above level 10 when she assaulted Heavens Cold City . Because of this, her primordial qi was heavily weakened . She needed to recuperate for a period . Therefore, she left the battle field from then on .
Zhang Tie had seen many people to inquire about her whereabouts, yet nobody knew where she had gone . He even thought that Lan Yunxi had returned to Huaiyuan Palace for recuperation . Therefore, Zhang Tie was a bit amazed at the sight of Lan Yunxi in the airship .
She was followed by a man, who was over twenty years old . With sword-like eyebrows and sparkling eyes, the man was as white as jade . He was robust and tall in a blue silk warrior's robe . A long sword was hanging at his waist . What a handsome guy! Walking together with Lan Yunxi, the man was not overwhelmed by Lan Yunxi's qi field at all . Instead, he kept laughing and jesting with Lan Yunxi .
Zhang Tie passed by them calmly without even glancing at them .
When she brushed past Zhang Tie's shoulder, Lan Yunxi peered at him and slightly bit her lip instead of saying anything . In contrast, the man completely ignored Zhang Tie .
"Younger sister Xi, here's the Jade Marrow Primordial Qi Recovery Ointment . I had my man bring this from Shantai Family in Qinghua Mountain by airship . I hope it can help you recuperate as soon as possible . "
After he'd walked two steps away from them, Zhang Tie heard the man's voice . He then clenched his fist and felt jealous inside .
. . .
Five minutes later, Zhang Tie accepted his punishment in the open square of the camp of Hidden Dragon Palace, which aroused the attention of many people .
"Zhang Tie, student of Hidden Dragon Palace, brought outsiders into Heavens Cold City privately by playing favoritism . As punishment, all the clan contribution points that he gained through joining the action of assaulting Heavens Cold City were cancelled . Additionally, he will suffer one-hundred whips!" A military inspector of Huaiyuan Palace declared Zhang Tie "guilty" after glancing over the onlookers . He then ordered a soldier to execute the punishment on Zhang Tie .
Hearing this, all the onlookers exchanged glances with each other . Zhang Tie's performance in Heavens Cold City in the last few days was very outstanding, which brought him a good reputation . However, it was really beyond everyone's imagination that he could suffer such a punishment . Therefore, everybody just watched silently .
A two meter high pile of wood was fixed on the ground in front of Zhang Tie . An iron chain was fixed on the wood pile which was used to handcuff the offender's hands .
The soldier then walked towards Zhang Tie and wanted to fix Zhang Tie's hands onto the wood pile .
"I will stand still right here, just whip!" Zhang Tie took off his shirt, exposing his robust back .
"The whip in the army is no joke . It's a dragon whip made of the large tendons of mutated killer whales and steel wires . An average person would pass out with only 3 whips . I suggest you to respect this whip . Otherwise, you might lose your honor in public . I respect you as a tough guy considering your excellent performance in Heavens Cold City recently, therefore, I am warning you about this!" The inspector murmured to Zhang Tie .
"Thanks, no need . I want to know whether the whips of Huaiyuan Palace can wake me up a bit!" After saying this, Zhang Tie smiled at Ma Aiyun and the other girls who had concerned looks .
After another glance at Zhang Tie, the inspector moved back as he nodded towards a muscular, barebacked, tough-looking guy who was holding a whip and preparing to execute the punishment . The tough guy then opened a rosewood box on his side and took out a black whip, which was as thick as a kid's arm . He then raised the whip in the air to show it around to the onlookers . After that, he dipped the whip in the water barrel before he pulled it out . After that, he slapped it towards Zhang Tie's back . . .
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