The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Given the strict house rules of the Wang Clan, such actions were usually forbidden. However, since she was with Cousin Wang Zhu Yan, mother would allow the matter slip as long as the latter sent a note over.

  After arranging the matter with the Sindhi monks, Wang Chong was completely free for the next few days. He would wake up in the middle of the night to cultivate his Dragon Bone Art and Herculean Fist. During the day, he would head to the Ghost Tree District and make a move with his black stone, dueling it out with the ex-God of War Su Zhengchen, who was still hiding in the shadows.

  The days went by peacefully and orderly.

  …………

  “Come! Let’s toast to Young Master Su!”

  “I don’t concede to anyone, but Young Master Su is an exception. Young Master Su has always been the person that I respect the most.”

  “Zhang Wei, I agree with you! Come, Young Master Su, let me propose this toast to you. You have always been a person which I respect the most. In the capital, who hasn’t heard of Young Master Su’s name?”

  “Indeed! Given the authority the Duke of Su possesses, who would dare to offend you? Even the Yao Clan and Wang Clan would have to tread carefully around you!”

  …

  In the Eight Gods Pavilion, wine cups knocked against one another. A large group of people was gathered around Su Bai and they were busy fawning over him. Su Bai, lying horizontally on his chair, raised his wine cup and accepted their praises readily.

  These scions gathered around him were of the most influential bunch in the capital. But honestly speaking, Su Bai didn’t think highly of them.

  Su Bai knew that they were fawning over him, but there was something that they were right about. That was, his father, the Duke of Su, Su Fuwei, was one of the most influential people in the Great Tang capital.

  Even existences like the Yao Clan and Wang Clan couldn’t disregard his father’s existence.

  “Right, Young Master Su, why would you suddenly call all of us over to treat us?”

  The group of scions put down their wine cups and asked curiously.

  Su Bai wasn’t a stingy person, but he wasn’t a generous one either. Even his acquaintances found it hard to meet him in the Eight Gods Pavilion and have him treat them to a meal. Given how they were completely unrelated to him, the entire matter was probably out of question.

  Yet, he took the initiative to invite everyone to the Eight Gods Pavilion to treat them to a meal. This has caught many of them off guard.

  As the saying goes, ‘the dumb bird learns to fly first’.

  Meaning, due to lack of talent, they would try their hand at something before anyone else could so that they could catch up with the others.

  Chapter 72: Aides of the Court of Judicial Review

  “Hmph!”

  Hearing those words, Su Bai harrumphed coldly. All of a sudden, his expression turned cold and the atmosphere stiffened. No one expected Su Bai’s mood to change as quickly as the weather.

  Everyone’s heart froze, and they swiftly shut their mouths in fear.

  The Duke of Su held immense power in the empire. Even though the rest of them were from prestigious clans as well, their standing was far from matching up to Su Bai’s. Thus, upon seeing Su Bai’s mood sour, they didn’t dare to speak.

  “Hmph, I didn’t expect all of you to forget that matter. Looks like you all need me to remind you about it. Have you all forgotten that we still have more than a thousand taels with Wang Chong? How can you all forget such an important matter?”

  Su Bai’s expression was cold.

  In an instant, everyone immediately understood why Su Bai was suddenly acting out of character.

  Those who weren’t close with Su Bai immediately felt immense regret. They truly shouldn’t have made this trip to the Eight Gods Pavilion.

  He was clearly making use of them to deal with the Wang Clan.

  This was a political battle among the Wang Clan, Su Clan, and Yao Clan. They couldn’t afford to get involved in such a fight.

  If they were to get involved in the battle among the empire’s top clans, it was likely that they would be destroyed in an instant.

  “Young Master Su, I, I feel a little…”

  “It’s only natural for one to repay one’s debt. Back then, we loaned money to Wang Chong together, so today, we shall claim it from him together as well. I will take anyone who refuses to go as trampling on my dignity. So, if anything happens to your family, such as your elders, relatives, or father being demoted or removed from their positions, don’t blame me for not warning you in advance!”

  Before those scions could make up an excuse to leave, Su Bai had already cut off their path of retreat. His cold gaze swept across the surrounding crowd, and the menacing threat in his eyes was clear.

  Those scions who had wanted to back off from the matter immediately shuddered and sat back down. Given the Duke of Su’s influence, it was perfectly possible for him to accomplish such task.

  “Young Master Su, there is something you don’t know about Wang Chong. There is a swordsmith whose sword was priced at 40000 gold taels in Bluebottle Pavilion and I heard that he’s called Wang Chong as well…”

  Amidst the crowd, a scion suddenly spoke hesitantly.

  “40000 gold taels?”

  Su Bai was taken aback.

  “Yes, Young Master Su. Do you think that it is possible for…”

  “Hmph, are you all fools? It’s just a similar name! How could it be possible for that swordsmith to be the same Wang Chong we know?”

  Su Bai sneered. He would never believe that Wang Chong would have such capability.

  What a joke! If Wang Chong was that capable, how could he be toyed around by a thug like Ma Zhou so easily?

  If Wang Chong was so capable and it was his sword that was worth 40000 gold taels, would he need to borrow money from the rest of them?

  How did these fellows come up with such ridiculous thoughts?

  With Su Bai pointing the matter out, the crowd also felt that the notion of it was ridiculous. If Wang Chong was that rich, there was no need for him to borrow money from them.

  At this moment, which one of them wasn’t depending on their clans for a living? Putting aside earning 40000 gold taels, even earning a hundred gold taels was an impossible task for most of them.

  It was inconceivable to them that Wang Chong could possess such immense ability.

  “Right, I suddenly recalled something. The Wang Chong at the Bluebottle Pavilion was said to be around seventeen to eighteen-year-old, making him much older than the other Wang Chong. Young Master Su is right, those two just happened to have identical names.”

  Another lanky scion recalled the rumor he heard and spoke up.

  “Indeed, I also remember hearing that! The swordsmith is indeed seventeen to eighteen-year-old. Since that’s the case, it is impossible for him to be that Wang Chong!”

  “I also heard the same news from my clan!”

  “Same here!”

  “Me too!”

  …

  Upon hearing those words, everyone immediately recalled the matter and started speaking up. This time, everyone finally calmed down. Even the scion who had brought up the possibility of two Wang Chongs being the same person felt embarrassed.

  Given the difference in age, it was clear that they were two different individuals. He had focused too much of their identical names and neglected this detail.

  Hearing those words, Su Bai harrumphed. Initially, he was feeling slightly unnerved by that possibility, but after hearing the details, his unease vanished.

  “Later on, bring your debt notes along. We will march off to the Wang Clan to demand Wang Chong to return our money. It is only natural that he should return our money. If anything happens, I will shoulder the burden! We shall make a killing together, and I guarantee you all here that nothing bad will happen!”

  Su Bai patted his chest confidently as he smiled coldly.

  Hong!

&n
bsp; This time, everyone cheered loudly in response.

  Glancing around, Su Bai smiled gleefully.

  “Write a letter on this matter and deliver it to the Yao Residence. Make sure it reaches the hands of Yao gongzi.”

  Su Bai beckoned Gao Fei over and whispered in his ears.

  “Yes, gongzi.”

  Kneeling on the floor, Gao Fei listened obediently to Su Bai’s words before turning around to leave.

  Watching as Gao Fei disappeared into the distance, the corner of Su Bai’s lips slowly curled up. He heard that Yao Feng was currently grounded in his residence and the entire Yao Clan was trying to stay out of trouble. At such a timing, this would prove as a valuable gift to them.

  He wondered how the Wang Clan would react when they realized that Wang Chong owed a huge debt outside.

  Upon thinking of this, Su Bai couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

  A show was about to start!

  …………

  Hu!

  In the courtyard, Wang Chong exhaled a deep breath and calmed his cultivation. A surge of warm energy flowed into his bones. After the last few days of cultivation, Wang Chong could sense that the strength he wielded has increased significantly, and the progress of the Dragon Bone Art was going smoothly as well. His root bone was also gradually advancing from ‘Panther Bone 1-dan’ to ‘Panther Bone 2-dan’.

  Even though the change seemed to be insignificant, to Wang Chong, it meant that he was able to utilize more of the incredible martial arts in his arsenal.

  “I should be able to succeed in a few days’ time.”

  Wang Chong thought.

  Focusing all of his efforts in his martial arts, he wasn’t just training at night now. He extended his training to the day, and his cultivation was rising at a much faster pace than before.

  After ending his cultivation, Wang Chong greeted his mother and just as before, he left his residence. But this time, he could sense that something was amiss.

  “Wang Chong is here, Wang Chong is here! ——”

  Suddenly, a loud shout could be heard. Before Wang Chong could react, a figure leaped down from the tree in the distance. Then, the seemingly ordinary street seemed to burst into commotion.

  Carriages appeared from all directions, and every single of them was heading for the Wang Family Residence.

  “Block him, don’t allow him to escape!”

  “Wang Chong, where do you think you are going! ——”

  “Wang Chong, you should repay the money you owe us. Do you think that you can shirk it off?”

  …

  The street suddenly burst into action. Initially, Wang Chong thought that he was under attack and he immediately put up his guard. But upon hearing their words, he burst into laughter. He immediately understood what was going on.

  “Gongzi, what is going on? We’ll call for some backup from the residence!”

  Shen Hai and Meng Long appeared by Wang Chong’s side immediately. They stared warily at the carriages charging toward the entrance, as though facing hordes of enemies.

  “There’s no need for it. I can deal with this myself.”

  Wang Chong shook his hands.

  Hualala!

  As he spoke, the doors to the carriage suddenly opened. A large group of people leapt down the carriages, surrounding Wang Chong, blocking him from all directions.

  “Wang gongzi, Young Master Wang! A month has passed, surely you haven’t forgotten about your debt?”

  From afar, a cold voice echoed from a massive green carriage.

  “Su Bai, heh. You bastard, I knew that it is your doing!”

  Wang Chong turned around and sneered coldly at the massive green carriage. Having gathered this huge crowd here, it was clear that Su Bai was here to wreck havoc.

  There was no need for Wang Chong to be polite to him.

  “Heh! Wang gongzi, you can’t put it like that. I am only here to claim my money, why do you make it sound as though I’m intentionally causing you trouble here?”

  The doors to the green carriage opened, and dressed in a green silk robe with cloud embroidery and a violet coronet, he stepped out.

  “…Right, of course you would know that I’m here for the debt. However, I wonder if you know that I have filed this debt note in the Court of Judicial Review.”

  Su Bai whipped out a paper from his sleeves and holding it up, he gleefully smiled. As he spoke, two figures alighted from the green carriage and stood by Su Bai’s side.

  “Bastard!”

  Seeing the duo, Wang Chong complexion immediately darkened. Wang Chong knew that Su Bai would make use of this debt note to create a huge ruckus. He wasn’t afraid of the latter coming to his doorstep to demand money, just that he didn’t think that he would involve the officials from the Court of Judicial Review in the matter.

  These two austere and stony-faced officials were aides of the Court of Judicial Review. Furthermore, Su Bai chose the two most conservative, strict, and unlikeable members there.

  Usually, these two would only appear when someone violates their contract, and their appearance rarely means anything good.

  Since Su Bai called them along, he was clearly trying to blow the matter up!

  Looking at Wang Chong’s awful complexion, Su Bai laughed gleefully.

  If Wang Chong thought that he would only pursue him for his debt, he was truly underestimating him. How could the son of the Duke of Su be so useless?

  To corner Wang Chong, he brought two of the most impartial officials of the Court of Judicial Review over.

  Right now, he was going to introduce Wang Chong to the world of politics!

  “Wang gongzi, if I’m not mistaken, this note should be written by you. Su gongzi said that you owe them all 1700 gold taels, is that true?”

  The Court of Judicial Review aide standing by Su Bai’s left asked.

  This was an extremely stern-looking elder. He wasn’t tall, his hair was white, and his face was as stiff as a piece of stone. When he spoke, other than his wrinkled mouth, no other part of his body moved. He felt as though a standing corpse, and the sight of him induced fear in others.

  “You should know about the laws of the royal court. If the emperor violates the law, he will be judged just like any other commoner. Even if you are the descendant of Duke Jiu, you can’t escape the law!”

  The other elder, who was as emaciated as a dried corpse as well, said impassively.

  After which, countless eyes from the surroundings shot to Wang Chong, curious to see what would happen.

  “The two officials here, this doesn’t seem to be appropriate?”

  Ignoring Su Bai, Wang Chong glanced at the two officials.

  “The Court of Judicial Review should only interfere in a matter when the other party is proven to be unable or unwilling to fulfill the contract. However, the contract isn’t even carried out yet, so aren’t your arrivals a little too early?”

  Su Bai meant nothing to him, but the two officials were potential problems. Wang Chong had to drive them away first.

  The two elders are officials, but they are the aides of some other officials in the Court of Judicial Review.

  Chapter 73: Loaded!

  “Even though it doesn’t align with the rules, what Su Bai said made sense. 1700 gold taels isn’t a small sum and given your capability, there is a high possibility that you aren’t able to repay them. If the Court of Judicial Review finds it highly possible for one to break the contract, we can interfere in the matter. There are similar exceptions in history as well.”

  The lips of the two corpse-like aides of the Court of Judicial Review moved.

  “But don’t worry, as long as you are able to fulfill the contract between Su gongzi and the others, the Court of Judicial Review won’t do anything.”

  For the Great Tang Dynasty to prosper, honesty and credibility stood at the very core of its principles. Only with these could a society grow affluent. This is the very aspect of it that attracted traders from all ove
r the world to Great Tang, be it the Charax Spasinu, the Abbasid Calipahte, Silla, or the Turkic Khaganate.

  Thus, the Court of Judicial Review punishes those who break contracts severely. Even though Su Bai was the one who invited the duo here, they would leave immediately if Wang Chong fulfills the contract.

  “Wang Chong, what are you afraid of? Do you wish to break the contract? The debt note written in the Eight Gods Pavilion is clear, do you intend to shirk from it?”

  Su Bai stood forward and sneered eerily. Wang Chong thought that he would be here just to demand money, but how could that be possible? Today, he came with the purpose of humiliating the Wang Clan.

  “Su Bai, I’ll give you one last chance, so consider it carefully. Business is one thing, but are you sure you want to side with the Yao Clan to deal with our Wang Clan?”

  Wang Chong sneered coldly.

  Wang Chong knew that Su Bai has an intimate relationship with Yao Feng, but private relationship and official relationship were two different matters.

  At this point, it was clear that Su Bai was trying to blow the matter up. This was no longer a private grudge between the two of them.

  “Hehe!”

  Su Bai sneered coldly. Unwilling to waste a single word on Wang Chong, he glanced at the others, and understanding the intention behind his gaze, the crowd by the side immediately roared:

  “Wang Chong! Return our money!”

  “Return our money! Return our money!”

  …

  The voice echoed like waves, and each wave was louder than the previous.

  “Hmph!”

  Looking at the formation before him, Wang Chong sneered coldly. If he had truly squandered that money on frolicking, he would be in a dire situation today.

  However, Su Bai would have never expected that Wang Chong would use their money to build a wealth for himself. He obtained the rights to distribute the Hyderabad ore, and the current Wang Chong was nothing short of the word ‘loaded’. 1700 gold tales, along with an interest of 1000 taels, to him, was just spare change.

  “Shen Hai, come here!”

  Wang Chong beckoned Shen Hai:

  “Bring the box beneath my bed here!”

  There was a total 5000 gold taels in the box. His uncle, knowing that Wang Chong had passed all of his money to Wei Hao, specially sent this sum here. Stored in a wooden box, no one could tell that such a huge sum laid within.