The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  The location of the main hall wasn’t known to the others, and even the Imperial Army members weren’t allowed to enter the area freely.

  “Qianqiu, you’re here.”

  The main hall was dark; there were no candles or oil lamps to illuminate the area. From the darkness, an authoritative voice echoed. At the top of the hall sat a majestic armored figure reminiscent of an exalted deity.

  A powerful and heavy aura reminiscent of the oceans and mountains lingered around him, inducing deference in those who stood before him.

  “Qianqiu pays respect to lord!”

  Walking into the hall, Zhao Qianqiu bowed deeply to the figure above. It was clear that he held great respect for the person seated above.

  And in truth, the true head of the Kunwu Training Camp was that person seated above him at this very moment, Zhao Qianqiu’s direct superior.

  “How is it? Did you manage to get anything?”

  The figure above asked nonchalantly.

  “Hehe, of course I managed to get something. Furthermore, there’s quite a few good buds this time.”

  Zhao Qianqiu chuckled after hearing the other party’s words. He began describing what that had happened during the day.

  “I only came and gave it a try because of the Sage Emperor’s command. I didn’t expect to find so many promising students this time around. One of them, Su Hanshan, despite his young age, already possesses incredible offensive ability.”

  “There are very few people who can break the defense of my Ten Directional Lightning Fingers. Yet, he managed to do it forcefully with a frontal attack. His offensive ability was so ferocious that even I found it difficult to withstand his blows. He even managed to breach my defense and leave a cut on me.”

  “Despite his lacking cultivation, he still managed to force me to a corner. Were he to mature, it’s hard to imagine how far he could go.”

  Zhao Qianqiu said with a look of awe. Su Hanshan’s performance must have truly left a deep impression on him for him to say such words.

  “To be able to overcome your Ten Directional Lightning Fingers and injure you, his ability is indeed astonishing. The greatest gem you have uncovered this time around must be him then? If so, we should focus our efforts on grooming him!”

  The authoritative figure said.

  But unexpectedly, upon hearing those words, Zhao Qianqiu fell silent instead.

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  Seeing Zhao Qianqiu’s bizarre behavior, the authoritative figure above asked doubtfully.

  Zhao Qianqiu was a candid and straightforward person, and it was rare for one to see him so hesitant.

  “That is a little hard to say. I can sense that Su Hanshan has a fatal flaw in his personality. Even as I stood beside him, I could feel his cold and distant aura. The other recruits instinctively avoided him as well. This isn’t a good thing.”

  “What we are choosing are talented marshals of the battlefield, not ferocious generals or reclusive experts. To become a marshal, maintaining good relations with one’s peers and subordinates is of utmost importance. Only when the entire army is united as one can they coordinate to destroy their enemies.”

  “However, Su Hanshan’s personality is way too cold. It is too difficult for others to approach him. I’m afraid it’ll be hard for him to become a figure capable of commanding an entire army on the battlefield.”

  Zhao Qianqiu said hesitantly.

  If Wang Chong was here, he would definitely be impressed. Zhao Qianqiu had only interacted with Su Hanshan for a short period of time, and on top of that, it mostly consisted of formalities. Yet, he was able to accurately predict Su Hanshan’s future.

  “A recluse who isn’t easy to get along with. That is indeed a problem.”

  The figure above fell silent—an extremely rare sight.

  “However, that child is still young so he can be molded in the days to come. Are you hesitating because of that?”

  “That’s not it!”

  Zhao Qianqiu shook his head.

  “Oh?”

  This time, the figure above was truly surprised.

  “Lord, do you still remember the Wang Clan member who caused a huge storm on the matter regarding the regional commanders policy and ended up being locked in the imperial prison by the Sage Emperor, Wang Chong?”

  Zhao Qianqiu asked.

  “I do. To possess such passionate love for one’s country, he didn’t let down his name as a member of a general clan, a descendent of Duke Jiu’s.”

  Apparently, the figure above had a good impression of Wang Chong.

  “He is currently under me.”

  Zhao Qianqiu dove straight to the point. He began to describe the two battles he had with Wang Chong in detail. Throughout the entire encounter, Wang Chong had avoided mentioning his name, thinking that he could hide his identity. However, he had underestimated the fame he had accrued from the regional commanders incident. Zhao Qianqiu had already recognized him at first sight.

  Just that, Zhao Qianqiu didn’t expose him.

  “For him to possess superior martial arts on top of his loyalty to the country, it is truly something to rejoice over. Even though he can’t compare up to Su Hanshan, he’s indeed a good bud.”

  The authoritative figure above said. Clearly, he had a high evaluation of Wang Chong as well.

  “Lord, my evaluation differs from yours!”

  Zhao Qianqiu frowned. He didn’t bring up this matter just to inform the latter that Wang Chong was his student.

  “Even though that child attributed the attack to his instincts, I feel that there is something more to it. I find it hard to believe that a person’s instincts can reach such a level.”

  “Instincts can allow you to sense underlying danger, determine the flaws in an opponent’s moves, and acutely sense possible opportunities… But it doesn’t allow you to redirect your opponent’s Origin Energy and send it into disarray.”

  “Lord, you should know my ability as well. I’ve cultivated the Ten Directional Lightning Fingers for a long time already but this is the first time I’ve encountered a collision in my Origin Energy. It’s fortunate that this is only an ordinary test; were it the battlefield, such a lapse in my defense would result in my death.”

  Zhao Qianqiu said with a grim expression.

  Even though Wang Chong had attributed it to instincts, Zhao Qianqiu wasn’t duped. He had only pretended to accept the reason.

  To be entrusted the task of choosing potential marshal candidates by the Sage Emperor, how could he possibly be fooled that easily?

  Wang Chong had underestimated him.

  The hall fell silent. The immense presence in the room, for the first time, fell into deep contemplation.

  The Ten Directional Lightning Fingers was one of the stronger middle-tier offensive secret arts. Even though Zhao Qianqiu had suppressed his cultivation, this didn’t mean that nothing could be said about his encounter with Wang Chong.

  After all, the problem that Zhao Qianqiu raised had nothing to do with strength anymore.

  Even if Zhao Qianqiu were to use his full strength, it was highly probable that Wang Chong could still use the same method to direct Zhao Qianqiu’s Origin Energy into a state of disarray, resulting in a momentary lapse in his defense.

  This was more of a matter of skill rather than cultivation realm.

  This was still fine in Kunwu Training Camp—after all, this was a place to learn. At the very worst, he would only be slightly injured.

  But if it was on the battlefield, this negligence would seal his doom!

  “Are you certain that it isn’t just a coincidence?”

  After a long moment, a majestic voice sounded from above.

  “I’m certain!”

  Zhao Qianqiu replied grimly.

  “But this doesn’t make sense. To direct your Origin Energy into disarray while you are executing the Ten Directional Lightning Fingers, even old generals who are two ranks higher than you are incapable of such a fea
t. He’s just a mere fifteen-year-old child! How can he be capable of such a feat? After all, coincidences don’t happen in martial arts.”

  That person was also astounded.

  The matter that Zhao Qianqiu spoke of wasn’t a small matter. Theoretically, it should have been completely impossible. This was a feat far above that of Su Hanshan.

  “Lord, you should now understand the reason behind my hesitance, right? Even though Su Hanshan’s offensive capability is incredible, it might prove to be a flaw if he were to meet a stronger opponent. On the other hand… if a mere half of Wang Chong’s meticulousness and wits could be placed into military stratagems, even I would have nothing to teach him.”

  “It is this kind of person who is most suitable to become our future marshal. There’s no doubt about it!”

  Zhao Qianqiu evaluated.

  Chapter 203: Assault in the Middle of the Night!

  The entire hall fell completely silent. That figure above had fallen into deep thoughts as well.

  “So, what you mean is?”

  The figure above shot Zhao Qianqiu a questioning gaze. As an instructor, Zhao Qianqiu had a greater say on this subject.

  “Hehe, honestly, I haven’t given it much thought yet. This is all just my conjecture in the end, and this is only the first day. We’ll know what we should do as we move along.”

  Zhao Qianqiu said carefreely.

  “Haha, that’s fine as well. Indeed, this is just the first day. I’ll soon be returning to the royal palace to report events to His Majesty. His Majesty has been keeping a close watch on the Three Great Training Camps.”

  The figure above chuckled.

  “Hehe, I’ll bid lord farewell then. It so happens that I need to prepare some activities for that bunch tonight. Kunwu Training Camp is no place for fun and joy. They should at least realize this much as my students.”

  Zhao Qianqiu chuckled as well.

  “Hahaha, alright. But don’t go overboard!”

  Hearing Zhao Qianqiu’s words, that figure above laughed as well. He seemed to have known that Zhao Qianqiu would do this.

  “I understand.”

  Clasping his fist tightly, Zhao Qianqiu turned around and left the main hall.

  Shortly after Zhao Qianqiu left, that figure left Kunwu Training camp as well.

  …

  Time passed slowly. Soon, darkness had completely consumed the skies.

  Meditating on the floor, wave after wave of Origin Energy flowed into the meridians and acupoints in Wang Chong’s arms, shoulders, waist, and crotch.

  Dexterity-type secret arts focused heavily on one’s arms, waist, and crotch. There were many acupoints and meridians that had to be paved open, and what makes things worse was that most of them didn’t overlap with the pathways of strength-type secret arts.

  The ‘Hexad Arms Technique’ was a high-tier secret art so the number of hidden acupoints and pathways one had to open was many times greater than ordinary dexterity-type secret arts. As such, the process was fated to be lengthy and tiresome.

  If Wang Chong wanted to cultivate a speed-type secret art on top of that, the number of hidden meridians and acupoints he would have to open up would be even greater. By then, the total amount of acupoints to open in itself could already potentially number in the hundreds.

  Given the overwhelming energy and time one needed to dedicate to the cultivation of all three types of secret arts, one’s cultivation would surely be impeded, thus limiting one’s ultimate achievement in the path of martial arts.

  This was the reason why Zhao Qianqiu didn’t recommend cultivating all three types of secret arts before reaching True Martial realm.

  However, Wang Chong was different. Back then, in the imperial prison, the Sage Emperor had bestowed him with two pills. The Zhuang Clan and Chi Clan had also each generously gifted him with a single pill, thus totaling up to four.

  On top of that, he could claim quite a few of those unique pills crafted by the alchemists in the royal court from Six-fingered Zhang every month.

  It was with such great resources that Wang Chong was willing to learn two or perhaps even three types of secret arts simultaneously.

  The cultivation of the Hexad Arms Technique was difficult but the benefits were great. When paired with the Single Character Consecutive Slash, his fighting prowess would be multiplied several folds.

  In truth, the reason Wang Chong saved the pills provided by the Sage Emperor was precisely to cultivate this Hexad Arms Technique after his release.

  “I should at least first reach minor accomplishment in the Hexad Arms Technique first before consuming any pill. This way, I can make use of the energy within the pill to open up the meridians and acupoints in arms, thus mastering it in the shortest time possible.”

  Wang Chong thought.

  In the Origin Energy realm, the Hexad Arms technique was definitely a dexterity-type secret art that stood at the zenith. Even when put against the more powerful secret arts available in True Martial realm, it still didn’t pale in comparison.

  Embraced by the night, the White Tiger Peak fell completely silent. Immersed in the cultivation of the Hexad Arms Technique, Wang Chong became oblivious to the passage of time.

  Ka!

  Following an unknown period of time, Wang Chong heard a crisp echo by his ear. It seemed like someone had stepped on a tree branch.

  He halted his cultivation immediately.

  “Hm?”

  Perplexed, his eyes shot open. Such a crisp sound on a silent night like this was more than suspicious.

  On top of that, it sounded extremely close to his room.

  Wang Chong focused all of his attention into his hearing, but his surroundings were completely silent. It was as though the sound he had heard was just a product of his imagination.

  “Weird. Am I mistaken?”

  Wang Chong was baffled.

  The room was completely dark—there wasn’t a single lamp lit. Other than his own, Wang Chong could faintly hear another heartbeat. It was nearly imperceptible and exceptionally slow. It belonged to Su Hanshan.

  Unknowingly, he had returned to the room as well. Su Hanshan seemed to have noticed something was off as well, and he was trying to listen to the movements outside too.

  Peng!

  Suddenly, a loud explosion reverberated in the air. It seemed as though some heavy object had crashed into a room. It sounded extremely near, as if… it came from next door!

  Then, a loud and fearful scream echoed. It sounded exceptionally conspicuous amidst the silent night.

  “Jingdian!”

  Wang Chong’s body jolted in agitation, and his face warped slightly. That voice didn’t come from Zhao Jingdian but the person who adamantly declared that he wouldn’t share a room with Su Hanshan.

  But Zhao Jingdian shared a room with him, and the shout clearly meant that the duo had met with some kind of trouble.

  Weng!

  Wang Chong immediately dashed forward, headed straight for the door.

  Roar!

  Everything happened swiftly. Just as Wang Chong was about to reach the door, the roaring of a tiger suddenly shook the air. Amidst the shadows, a massive silhouette flashed. It pounced from beyond the door, bringing about a sharp mountain gale with its movement.

  “A tiger?”

  Wang Chong was taken aback. With the dim illumination from the night sky, he could vaguely make out the outline of a tiger. It was two meters long, with a head four times bigger than that of a human’s, and a physique even larger than a bear.

  Boom!

  With everything happening in the blink of an eye, Wang Chong wasn’t granted any time to think. His right fist punched forward, clashing heavily with the tiger’s claws.

  Peng! An immense force jolted Wang Chong back as a sharp pain assaulted his arm. Making use of the momentum, Wang Chong leaped further back, pulling some distance between him and the tiger.

  At the same time, the massive tiger landed on the floor. A slight crimso
n gleam could be seen from its eyes. Under the dim light, Wang Chong noticed that the tiger’s stomach was sunken in, and the outline of its bones could almost be seen.

  A starving tiger!

  As this thought flashed across Wang Chong’s mind, his complexion darkened. It was common sense that a starving tiger would be much fiercer and aggressive than in any other state.

  After the previous clash, Wang Chong gauged that the strength of the tiger was above his.

  On top of that, its bones were much sturdier than his.

  Despite the concept of Tiger Bone in a human’s root bone cultivation, it only meant that the cultivation method was modeled after tigers. It didn’t really mean that one was able to compare up to a real tiger.

  Roar!

  As soon as the tiger landed on the ground, a huge gale burst forth amidst the darkness and another two massive tigers appeared. They moved to flank Wang Chong’s previous assailant.

  Seeing the three tigers at the other end of the room, Su Hanshan stood up as well.

  There was no partition whatsoever within a room so Su Hanshan witnessed everything that had just happened clearly.

  While Wang Chong was marked by one of the tigers, the remaining two marked Su Hanshan. The threat that a single tiger posed was limited, but three at once meant something very different.

  Roar!

  The mountain trembled and the roar of a tiger sounded from the neighboring room—the room which belonged to Zhao Jingdian and the other fellow. As though influenced by the aggressiveness in the roar, the three massive tigers charged forward, one going for Wang Chong while the other two for Su Hanshan.

  An ominous wind blew through the darkness. In a flash, that massive shadow was already right before Wang Chong. Its speed, strength, dexterity, and burst power were astonishing.

  Back in the Wang Clan, Wang Chong had also tested the burst power of the Tiger Bone, and it had allowed him to cover a distance of several dozen zhang swiftly, a distance that was more than sufficient for him to capture a bird easily. However, compared to a real tiger, it seemed like he was still lacking.

  After all, how could an imitation compare up to a real tiger?

  Weng!

  Without time to think, Wang Chong immediately executed the Celestial Steps, dodging to the side. Boom! The table behind Wang Chong was smashed into smithereens as the claw of the tiger swept all the way downward, creating a huge hole in the floor.