The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Since they are miscellaneous, I won’t touch too much about them. I’ll just leave the links here if you’re interested. Of the four of them, only Hua Mulan is fictional.

  Just for reference purposes, I took some liberty with the names (Zhou Jue <-> Zhou Zhang)

  If you still remember, the one being slapped in the previous chapter in the regional commanders arc is Zhou Zhang but the author is writing it as Zhou Jue at the moment. Thus, I decided to just go along and swap the two names.

  Btw, Old Censor He Can’s name is pronounced as ‘her chan‘ in case you’re wondering how to pronounce it.

  ~~~

  Speaking of fictional, it’s kind of weird how Diao Chan (If you have played the Romance of the Three Kingdom video games before, it’s the one holding two maces and often paired with Lu Bu) is considered as one of the Four Great Beauties despite being a fictional character as well.

  And regarding the argument on Kris, I understand that quite a few people are unhappy with it. I did some research and I realized that there’s a huge gap in the information between Chinese sources and English sources. Well, I agree that the author probably hasn’t done sufficient research but in any case, since I’m not too sure whether the countries will play a huge part in the story, I’ll just keep it as it is now.

  But in any case, for the readers who might have been misled by the information,

  Kris is recognized to have originated from Indonesia, not Philippines or India.

  Chapter 191: The Hidden Instructor

  Chapter 191: The Hidden Instructor

  After saying those words, Marchioness Yi walked away, leaving Wang Chong deep in contemplation behind.

  “Young master, who is Zhou Jue?”

  Zhao Jingdian asked. All he gathered from the previous conversation was that the person named Zhou Jue seemed to be a formidable figure.

  “Zhou Jue is the head of the Nine Gongzis of the capital, and a peer of my second brother. He has once crossed fists with my second brother and the fight ended in a draw.”

  Wang Chong said.

  “Ah!”

  Zhou Jingdian exclaimed in shock. Even though he wasn’t too sure who Zhou Jue was, he had heard of Wang Chong’s second brother, Wang Bei.

  Wang Bei was once regarded as the most likely candidate to inherit Duke Jiu’s legacy. Regardless of whether it was his wits or his martial arts, he was far above that of his peers.

  In the capital, Wang Bei’s reputation was immense. Even the Yao Clan’s Yao Feng had been taught a lesson by him. Otherwise, the latter wouldn’t have gone to the extent of sending a thug, Ma Zhou, to frame Wang Chong in order to vent his anger

  Weng Bei was an existence who no one dared to cross in the capital, and many thought that he would achieve great things in the future.

  Regardless of whether it was among the scions or the nobles, there was no one who dared to trifle with him… If only he wasn’t afflicted with the Berserker Syndrome!

  Wang Chong lowered his head solemnly.

  In truth, Wang Chong hadn’t revealed all that he knew about Zhou Jue to Zhao Jingdian. He knew that even though Zhou Jue looked like an honest and upright person on the surface, hidden deep inside was a heart filled with callousness.

  What made things worse was that he possessed astonishing talent.

  Second Sister Wang Zhu Yan, Marchioness Yi, and the others were also ranked among the top in the capital, but they were still a far way off from matching Zhou Jue.

  Zhou Jue was in a class of his own.

  On top of that, despite his apparent lack of backing, there had been some rumors of him being adopted as the foster son of King Qi. Although Zhou Jue had never acknowledged the rumor, he had never denied it either.

  That being said, there were evidences that Zhou Jue was able to enter the King Qi Residence freely.

  Besides, King Qi seemed to treat him exceptionally well too. At the very least, the powerful martial arts that Zhou Jue was equipped with definitely came from King Qi.

  Otherwise, given Marchioness Yi’s background, there would be nothing for her to fear.

  ——None of those whose names were put alongside Second Brother Wang Bei were mediocre.

  “Speaking of which, young master, what is the background of that lady from before? Marchioness Yi? How old is she for her to be conferred as a marquess? Does our Great Tang confer such titles on youths as well? Not to mention, a lady?”

  Zhou Jingdian rubbed the wound on his chest as he asked.

  “Hehe, Jingdian, you don’t live in the capital before so you might be unaware of it. She’s known as Little Marchioness Yi, the daughter of Marchioness Yi. Of the Marquesses in the empire, Marchioness Yi is the only hereditary female nobility. Back then, Emperor Gaozu has decreed that as long as Great Tang exists, the title of Marchioness Yi will be passed down from generation to generation. An edict was even bestowed to enforce it.”

  “Thus, despite her age, everyone still addresses her as Marchioness Yi as her position was already confirmed. It has been decided from the moment of her birth.”

  Wang Chong chuckled.

  In the Great Tang empire, hereditary titles were mostly of the level of the dukes. On top of that, they were mostly the descendants of the group who built Great Tang along with Emperor Gaozu.

  Marquesses shouldn’t possess the qualifications to pass down their nobility.

  The only marquess title that was hereditary in the Great Tang empire, not to mention a marchioness, was Marchioness Yi.

  “I see.”

  Zhao Jingdian came to a realization.

  Wang Chong chuckled silently. In truth, he didn’t expect for Marchioness Yi to appear in Kunwu Training Camp. At the very least, such a matter didn’t happen in his previous life.

  Too many things had changed from his previous life, but nevertheless, Marchioness Yi joining Kunwu Training Camp should be nothing but beneficial to him.

  On top of that, Marchioness Yi’s appearance had also reminded Wang Chong of a crucial fact.

  The establishment of the Three Great Training Camps was a groundbreaking affair for Great Tang, and he wasn’t the only one interested in it. Even experts like Marchioness Yi were getting involved as well.

  “Let’s go! There’s a limit to the number of trainees in the Three Great Training Camps and if we’re late, we might just end up being eliminated.”

  Wang Chong beckoned Zhao Jingdian, and the duo started ascending the mountain once more.

  The number of people at Kunwu Training Camp was astonishing. Tents and humans could be seen everywhere despite the massive size of the mountain it was situated on.

  It was always the most crowded on the first day.

  “Let’s go, we should clear the first round of examinations first.”

  Wang Chong said.

  There were many Imperial Army members stationed across the mountain, and the primary selection examination was conducted at guard posts.

  There were basic requirements on one’s cultivation and strength to qualify for Kunwu Training Camp.

  If one couldn’t even meet the basic requirements, there was no need for one to participate in the latter selection rounds.

  The primary selection consisted of three trials.

  First, the strength trial. The trial involved the lifting of a provided boulder, and any who were incapable of doing so would be directly eliminated.

  Next, the punching trial. Any individual incapable of performing at least one punching routine would be directly eliminated.

  Last but not least, the third trial. It was a random test to determine the true battle prowess of a martial artist.

  “I’ll pass the trial as long as I can overcome three of your punches?”

  Wang Chong easily passed the first two trials, and he was currently standing before the examiner of the final trial.

  “Yes! As long as you can dodge three of my punches, I’ll consider you to have passed the third trial.”

  The one who spoke was a man in hi
s twenties. He had an impassive expression, and it didn’t seem like he was from the Imperial Army. Rather, he seemed to be a itinerant martial artist recruited by the royal court to oversee this examination.

  “I understand.”

  Wang Chong chuckled. It seemed like his final trial was a test of agility.

  “Are you ready?”

  As soon as that man finished speaking, his fist immediately whipped out. Boom! Furious wind ravaged in the surroundings, but before he could get far, a fist appeared right before his face, merely a hair strand away from striking him.

  The surroundings fell completely silent. Everyone stared at Wang Chong, flabbergasted. On the other hand, that man’s complexion turned extremely awful.

  “You’ve passed the primary selection. Please continue up the mountain.”

  With a reddened face, the man bowed and obediently backed to the side.

  “Thank you for going easy on me!”

  Wang Chong flung his robe back and stepped forth from the crowd with a smile.

  It might have been difficult for him to pass tests of this level in the past, but after several months of hard work, these tests were nothing more than a walk in the park to him.

  With his Origin Energy Tier 7 cultivation, even though he had never cultivated any speed-type or dexterity-type secret art, his Dragon tier root bone granted him speed, endurance, reflexes, and nimbleness far exceeding that of ordinary humans.

  He could easily pass a trial of this level with just his raw physical speed.

  Taking a glance behind, Wang Chong saw that Zhao Jingdian was still in the midst of queuing for his examination. Thus, he chose to proceed up ahead first.

  Having passed the primary selections, the main show was up ahead.

  Challenging the instructors!

  There was a limit to the slots for the first batch of Kunwu Training Camp trainees. The instructors recruited by the royal court at the peak held the ‘fate’ of everyone here in their hands.

  Every single instructor was allocated a fixed number of students they could take in, and once they have met their quota, they would leave immediately. When all of the instructors have met their quota, the recruitment process would come to an official end.

  There was also a trick to be accepted into the camp. Most people randomly choose an instructor as soon as they reached the peak, not knowing that the selection of instructors also played a crucial role in the examination.

  Different instructors had different styles; some were skilled in charging at the forefront to break the enemy’s formation, some were skilled in the art of slaughter on the battlefield, some were skilled in one-to-one fights, some were skilled in cavalry fights…

  Most people were unaware that the instructors of the Three Great Training Camps were hand picked elite military officials, and all of them were veterans of the battlefield.

  It was only many years later when some things were exposed did the alumni of the Three Great Training Camps understand the significance of their instructors.

  To the future of the trainees, choosing a correct instructor was as important as getting hold of a top-notch cultivation technique.

  The reason why Wang Chong had Wei Hao look for the bearded plump man was for this very reason. Wei Hao’s Mountain Ascension Formula, complemented with the plump instructor’s unique prowess in charging on the battlefield, could amplify his strength.

  Similarly, Wang Chong was also looking for an instructor suited for him.

  “Kunwu Training Camp is very different from how I remembered it. I wonder if that instructor is still here!”

  Wang Chong thought.

  There were all kinds of instructors in the Three Great Training Camps, but the one whom Wang Chong was looking for was an extremely unique instructor.

  He doesn’t teach the trainees on how to charge on the battlefield, nor does he teach them how to fight on a cavalry, or even how to clash squarely with other soldiers on the battlefield… What he taught was the most advanced ‘Art of Commanding’.

  In other words, of all of the instructors, he was a hidden ‘gem’.

  And no one on the entire mountain, with the exception of Wang Chong, knew about it.

  Based on what Wang Chong recalled, this instructor kept an extremely low profile throughout his stay at Kunwu, and he only remained here for three years. Thus, three years from now, there wouldn’t be anyone teaching this skill in the training camp anymore.

  And when that person’s identity was exposed, countless people were filled with regret.

  However, even though that person kept a low profile, it was, by no means, an easy feat to come under his tutelage.

  Of all of the instructors, his conditions for recruitment were the harshest. Students who would easily pass with the other instructors were all flatly rejected by him.

  However, the main reason why Wang Chong wanted to come under him wasn’t because of his ‘Art of Commanding’. Rather, it was due to his authority as the highest ranked instructor in Kunwu Training Camp.

  There were several ultimate arts within the Three Great Training Camps which would go missing in the future that could only be obtained through him. Other than that, the strict rules of the Three Great Training Camps were a bother as well.

  Once one became a trainee, one would have to attend all trainings, morning practices, and sparring sessions. It was unavoidable regardless which instructor one came under.

  For the others, such rules may not be much of a hindrance, but that wasn’t the case for Wang Chong. The cultivation technique that Wang Chong had set his eyes upon, be it the《Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art》 or 《Art of God and Demon Obliteration》, were not techniques that could be learned or mastered through these sessions.

  Wang Chong’s level could no longer be raised through routine training.

  Thus, he didn’t wish to be constrained by such rules.

  Of all of the instructors, only that person was the most lax. As long as one passed his test, one would be exempt from all of the routine training sessions.

  All in all, Wang Chong found this instructor’s policies to be the most aligned with his preferences.

  Chapter 192: Future Great General!

  Chapter 192: Future Great General!

  There were many people on the mountain, be it the participating examinees or the Imperial Army guards. Thus, it wasn’t easy for Wang Chong to find the instructor he had set his eyes upon among the huge crowd.

  “You fool! Didn’t you hear what I just said…”

  Just as Wang Chong was searching for the hidden instructor, he suddenly heard a slightly harsh and suppressed voice.

  “But gongzi, this is my only chance…”

  A pleading voice responded.

  “Hmph! I don’t care whether this is your only chance or not. Don’t forget that my father is in control of your father’s livelihood. If you refuse to follow my commands, you can start packing up for your return to the countryside. At that time, don’t blame me for not warning you in advance!”

  “That fellow is extremely powerful so you better keep this in mind. No matter what happens, you must severely injure him for me. I know what you’re capable of so you can definitely do it…”

  The harsh voice from before threatened menacingly.

  “Hmph! Just another scion bullying those who come from humbler backgrounds. It is one thing if it is somewhere else, but to dare to do it within the Three Great Training Camps, he sure is brazen!”

  Wang Chong sneered coldly within.

  He had heard of some people making use of their family’s authority to force others to act as they please so as to give themselves an edge during the examination.

  As it was hard to trace down these methods and they weren’t explicitly forbidden in the rules either, the instructors had no way of dealing with them.

  Wang Chong didn’t expect to really stumble by such an incident.

  Wang Chong quickly turned around and looked toward the origin of the voice. Ther
e were many people walking about Kunwu Training Camp, but there were very few who paid that group any attention.

  Across the crowd, Wang Chong saw three haughty figures standing before a shabbily-dressed teenager. The teenager was kneeling on the ground, grabbing onto the leg of one of the men, pleading earnestly with all of his might. Despair could be seen in his eyes.

  Initially, Wang Chong didn’t pay it much heed, but after seeing the other party’s appearance, he suddenly jolted.

  “Why… is it him?”

  Wang Chong stood there in a daze as some memories surfaced in his mind. In his previous life, the Kunwu Training Camp became the birthplace of countless rising generals.

  The number of great generals who walked out of Kunwu Training Camp was more than enough to light up the skies of Great Tang for a very long time. That was the era in which Great Tang was at its greatest, as well as the era which Great Tang showed the final glimpse of its greatness.

  Back then, while all those brilliant stars were lighting up the skies. Wang Chong was only an ordinary civilian.

  By the time Wang Chong’s era came, they had already fallen. This was why Wang Chong had never really met or interacted with them.

  This was also one of the deep regrets in Wang Chong’s heart.

  Despite being the final Grand Marshal of Great Tang, he didn’t have many talented generals who could hold their own ground on their own. This had proven fatal in the catastrophic war.

  Unable to prop up the situation by himself, Wang Chong could only hold on for a little over a decade before complete defeat.

  If he could alter history and rise during the era of these great generals; if he had so many great generals under his command, perhaps everything would have been different.

  This was the main reason why Wang Chong paid particular attention to the future great generals from the Three Great Training Camps, especially toward those from Kunwu Training camp.

  Among those rising generals in Kunwu Training Camp, there was a person who was unique even among the group—That person specialized in surprise attacks.

  Even among the many rising generals in Great Tang, there were very few great generals who possessed aptitude in that field.