Chi Weisi added. Judging from his swollen face, he had also suffered quite a bit under the Hu.
"Gongzi, be careful. I recognize this man, he is Abutong, the second son of Great Hu General Abusi. Those men beside him are the elites of the Tongluo Tribe. From birth, those from the Tongluo Tribe choose a colt to accompany them for life. They treat their horses just like their closest kin, so their horses also gain human traits. As such, the Tongluo horses are known to be untamable by anyone except for those from the Tongluo Tribe. The Tongluo are famed to be the strongest cavalry in the world. These people won't be easy to deal with!" Zhuang Zhengping whispered with a grim expression.
The Chi Clan was known for their steel guards, whereas the Zhuang Clan was known for their steel cavalry. Naturally, he had a good grasp of the various elite troops in the world.
But even the elite steel cavalry which the Zhuang Clan took pride in couldn't compare with the elite cavalry of the Tongluo Tribe.
The Tongluo cavalry had to adhere to an extremely strict regimen and discipline, and in terms of how they treated their war steeds, the Zhuang Clan couldn't even begin to compare to them.
For one, every single Tongluo steed grew up with a Tongluo youth, and the both of them shared a very strong relationship. On top of that, their steeds were dressed in a close-fitting armor which shielded them from head to toe.
Just the cost of these armors in itself could easily range up to tens of thousands of gold.
Not even the Zhuang Clan could afford such an expenditure.
Before allying with Great Tang, the Tongluo Tribe served as mercenaries, and the money they earned was devoted to crafting such armor for their steeds.
At the same time, members of the Tongluo Tribe were also very adept at battle. The first food that newborn members of the Tongluo Tribe ate was raw food dripping with blood.
At seven years old, they would be expected to hunt wild wolves alone.
Their entire tribe took pride in combat, and it was a glory in itself to die in battle!
Furthermore, the members of the Tongluo Tribe also had a unique set of fighting and cultivation techniques. These were further refined over several millennia years of battle, and they were only passed down within their group.
As such, all members of Tongluo Tribe possessed extraordinary strength.
But even so, the members of the Tongluo Tribe were very limited. Due to long years of standing on the frontlines, the Tongluo Tribe faced as astonishingly high death toll in war.
To date, there were only around thirty thousand Tongluo warriors!
But nevertheless, this army of thirty thousand struck fear deep into both enemies and allies alike, thus allowing Abusi to rise to the position of a Hu great general!
Even the Zhuang Clan was filled with awe for the Tongluo cavalry.
They were true warriors of the battlefield!
Hearing Zhuang Zhengping's words, Wang Chong thought, As I expected, it's indeed him!
He had never come into contact with Abutong. The Tongluo Tribe formed a small faction themselves, and they didn't come into contact with anyone else. Besides Wang Chong, it was the same for the other clans in the capital, as well.
The members of the Tongluo Tribe were extremely strong, so there were many who respected them. However, Wang Chong didn't have a high opinion of them.
The Tongluo Tribe had allied themselves with Great Tang in the era of Emperor Taizong.
The Tongluo cavalry didn't join the ranks of Great Tang because their beliefs were aligned with them or anything. Rather, Emperor Taizong had forcefully annexed them with his powerful army.
Back then, not even the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate was a match for the militaristic Emperor Taizong, needless to say thirty thousand Tongluo men.
Judging their current plight, they chose to submit to Great Tang.
And in the time in between, the members of the Tongluo Tribe did contribute much to the empire. However, this was just a means for survival.
Wang Chong knew that the Tongluo Tribe would eventually betray Great Tang.
Considering how the Tongluo Tribe were forced into Great Tang at the very start, it wasn't surprising that they would eventually betray Great Tang. However, what Wang Chong couldn't accept was their action of massacring the civilians of Great Tang right after their betrayal.
As such, Wang Chong truly couldn't find the slightest goodwill for the Tongluo Tribe.
"Hmph, Zhuang Zhengping, you sure do know us well!" On the other hand, Abusi sneered coldly. With their target appearing, their goal had been achieved.
"Wang gongzi, I have long heard of your name. It's a pity that our first meeting turned out like that, but your men have injured my men. How do you think we should resolve this issue?"
"Bastard!"
"What did you say?"
"Gongzi, don't listen to their nonsense. They are lying!"...
Wang Chong's group immediately became agitated, and they cursed angrily.
"Don't panic." Raising a hand, Wang Chong halted them. His demeanor was composed, and he seemed to carry a kind of charisma that induced trust in him.
Leadership seemed to flow from Wang Chong naturally.
Wang Chong placed a pill into Chen Burang mouth, and the pill immediately dissolved as soon as it came into contact with the latter's saliva. Chen Burang's face slowly regained a red glow, and his breathing also gradually stabilized. Only then did Wang Chong finally stand up.
He turned his head to stare at Abutong and the group of Tongluo youths around him coldly. Even though Abutong had expected hostility from Wang Chong, he still couldn't help but stiffen upon seeing the latter's eyes.
"Abutong, you injured my man. What should we do?" Wang Chong didn't bother explaining himself at all. Staring right at Abutong, a powerful disposition flowed from him.
"Hmph!" Abutong froze for a moment before sneering coldly.
"Didn't you hear my words? It's your men who injured my men! It's your men who took our Spirit Gathering Formation! Wang gongzi, don't you think that you should compensate us?" Abutong stepped forward. Peng! A dark green Halo of Thorns appeared from his body.
"Ah!" A commotion immediately broke out amidst the crowd. Even Zhuang Zhengping and Chi Weisi were alarmed, and they subconsciously took a step back.
True Martial realm halo!
Abutong had actually reached True Martial realm!
Only then did they realize that Abutong had been concealing his cultivation when crossing hands with them.
"Bastard!" the duo cursed furiously. Deep within, they were even more sure that Abutong was using them as a bait to lure Wang Chong over.
"Wang gongzi, I heard that you regard us Hu very lowly. Is that the reason why you sent your men to humiliate us and steal our Spirit Gathering Formation? If you don't give us an explanation for this matter, don't even think of leaving here today!"
Staring at the young man before him, Abutong felt a surge of exhilaration which he had never experienced before. There were too many factors restraining his father in the royal court, so despite being humiliated by the regional commanders incident, he couldn't redress his grievances.
But now, Abutong had a chance to teach the culprit a lesson he would never forget with his own hands!
"Abutong, it just happens that I was thinking the same. If you don't give me an explanation, don't even dream of leaving here!" Wang Chong also slowly took two steps forward. A dangerous glint flashed across his eyes as he glared at Abutong.
Chen Burang was injured because of him.
Wang Chong had an extremely good impression of this innocent young hunter, and the latter also played a crucial role in his future plans.
The latter would become the most capable Great Tang master archer general in the future.
And a man who devoted his entire life to archery couldn't possibly excel in close combat as well. These Tongluo youths had merely taken advantage of his weakness.
It was due to Wang Chong that Chen Bu
rang was harassed by these people.
If Wang Chong didn't cut this problem off from the stem, such matters would only continue to happen.
After all, it must be known that Abutong wasn't the only Hu in the capital!
Wang Chong knew what Abutong was up to, but if the latter thought he could take him down just because his cultivation had reached True Martial realm, then he couldn't be any more mistaken than that.
"Hmph! Seems like talk won't get us anywhere!" Abutong sneered. It was in his favor how Wang Chong refused to go along with him. If Wang Chong had decided to compensate him with money or pills instead, he would be put in a spot instead.
But since Wang Chong was still keeping his head up high at this moment, he need not beat around the bush.
"Hmph, this works fine with me too. We of the Tongluo Tribe have always settled conflicts with our fist. We don't win wars with our mouths!" Abutong stepped forward, and an imposing aura flowed from him.
"Wang Chong, as long as you can defeat me, I'll can treat it as if nothing has happened before. Otherwise, you can placate my wrath with your body, and I can drop the matter too!"
Hahahaha!
The Tongluo youths behind him burst into laughter.
This was their true motive. Their goal had been Wang Chong all along.
"Bastard!"
Everyone's faces flushed in anger behind Wang Chong.
Wang Chong raised a hand to stop the crowd behind him.
"Sounds fair to me." Even though Wang Chong's words were calm, a fiery blaze was burning in the depths of his eyes.
"Conflicts that words cannot settle should naturally be settled with fists."
Shua!
In that instant, the laughter in the area vanished. All of the Tongluo youths, including Abutong, stared at Wang Chong with bizarre gazes.
They didn't expect the belief of this young Han man to be aligned with theirs.
From the very start, this was a world where the strong reigned mighty!
Chapter 301: Tongluo Secret Art!
Chapter 301: Tongluo Secret Art!
"Well said!" Abutong suddenly started clapping. "However, we might not have to go through so much trouble for this matter..."
Weng!
With a flash of light, a cold wind suddenly blasted into the surroundings, and Abutong vanished from the spot with unbelievable speed.
Boom!
Almost instantly, Abutong appeared right before Wang Chong, and his hand reached forward to grab him.
At the same moment, a loud exclamation sounded behind Abutong. The group of Tongluo youths swiftly backed away, as though alarmed by something.
Abutong's face warped in shock. Turning around, he saw Wang Chong standing nonchalantly on the spot he was previously at, seemingly expecting him to make this move.
With a frigid expression, Abutong said, "Wang Chong, looks like I have underestimated you! I admit that you do have the qualifications to cross hands with me. Huorja, clear the area!"
Abutong raised his arm, and the group of Tongluo youths immediately backed away respectfully.
"Zhuang Zhengping and Chi Weisi, you all should back off as well." Wang Chong waved his hands.
Zhuang Zhengping, Chi Weisi, and the others were indignant, but they still followed Wang Chong's instructions and backed away with Chen Burang.
"Gongzi, be careful!"
Abutong was no weakling. The previous move he made was extremely swift. If his target had been any of them other then Wang Chong, that person would have already fallen.
With the people from both sides backing off, a huge empty space was soon opened up on the main peak.
In this empty space, Wang Chong and Abutong were staring at one another, and the atmosphere grew tense.
"We are in trouble." Realizing the nature of the event, Zhuang Zhengping frowned.
"Even among the Tongluo Tribe, Abutong possesses astonishing talent. Furthermore, due to the Tongluo Tribe's vast experience in battle, he is likely to be stronger than even those of equivalent cultivation realm as him, and gongzi is a single realm weaker than him!"
Wang Chong had yet to reach the True Martial realm, everyone here was aware of this fact. Even though it was only a single realm of difference, the gap between Origin Energy realm and True Martial realm was like heaven and earth.
Putting everything aside, just the augmentation from the halo meant that Abutong's Stellar Energy was far more formidable than Wang Chong's.
"I understand this as well, but we have no other choice at this point. Abutong planned out this entire matter to lure gongzi over. Regardless of whether gongzi is willing or not, this fight is inevitable. Furthermore, if we were to step forward and assist him, the other Hu will surely intervene, and that would only diminish our chances at victory." A worried frown also sat on Chi Weisi's forehead.
Under the current circumstances, they had no other choice. Thus, even though everyone knew that Wang Chong shouldn't accept the duel, there was nothing they could do.
On the other hand, the atmosphere wrapped around the Tongluo youths was the complete opposite. A glint reflecting savagery and mischief lit their eyes.
"Young master, there's no need to be polite with him!"
"Show him that we are not to be trifled with!"
"Teach him a lasting lesson so that he will never dare to disrespect the Great General and you in the future!"
The group sneered. Even though Wang Chong's ability to dodge that strike from Abutong was shocking, no one still thought that he would be a match for their young master.
After all, their young master's capability extended far beyond that single fist. That fist was only an appetizer consisting of less than a tenth of their young master's full might.
"Hmph!" Hearing the voices of his peers, Abutong sneered coldly, and a frigid gaze surfaced in his eyes.
"Wang Chong, my fists and kicks are blind. I might not be able to hold back in the battle."
"Hah! That's exactly what I wanted to say!" Wang Chong scoffed in response as he stretched his hands and legs. How could he possibly be unaware of Abutong's thoughts? However, this happened to coincide with what he intended.
Hmph! You're seeking death! Even though Abutong didn't say anything, he was provoked by Wang Chong's words. Deep within him, he made up his mind to teach Wang Chong an excruciating lesson he would never forget.
While he didn't intend to let Wang Chong off the hook easily from the start, Wang Chong's actions had further strengthened his resolve.
Zheng Xuan had used his connections with King Qi to suppress the other instructors. Even though he could only stall them for a short moment, it was more than sufficient to teach Wang Chong a lesson.
Boom!
Abutong stepped heavily against the ground, and the earth immediately tremored. At the same time, a furious wind blew, and Abutong's robe fluttered. A greenish-black halo slowly surged out from beneath Abutong's feet.
Unlike usual martial halos, the emergence of Abutong's halo caused a slight tinge of scarlet to appear in the air, and these scarlet tinges swiftly gathered together to form thousands of minute bloody edges.
The trembling of these thousands of minute bloody edges sliced the air in the surroundings into innumerable pieces.
Sss!
Seeing the unique halo and the floating bloody edges in the air, everyone's heart turned cold. Even though they weren't the one crossing blows with Abutong, they could still easily sense the danger within the matter.
If they were struck by those bloody edges, they would be severely injured even if they managed to avoid death. Not to mention, it would surely be an extremely gruesome sight.
After Abutong summoned his martial halo, the aura he exuded also abruptly changed. He suddenly felt like a domineering and callous warrior of the battlefield, and this left everyone slightly astonished.
Even Wang Chong had to view him seriously at this point.
This fellow... is indeed strong!, Wang Chong thought.
&n
bsp; Of the scions in the capital, how many had ever been on the battlefield and witnessed the brutality and bloodiness there? Even though most of them were skilled in martial arts, they had only engaged in friendly duels and the sort in their time.
But Abutong was different.
The Tongluo Tribe viewed combat as an honor, and most of its members had been on the battlefield. They had witnessed the callousness of the battlefield, and even participated in it personally.
Just in mental resilience alone, Abutong far exceeded most of the opponents that Wang Chong had encountered. It wouldn't be easy to deal with him.
"Hmph!" Wang Chong simply chuckled nonchalantly. Abutong might be tempered by the callousness of the battlefield, making him a difficult match for most scions in the capital. But compared to Wang Chong... Abutong was still far lacking.
The intensity and frequency of battlefields that Wang Chong had experienced was something Abutong could never imagine in his life. The thing that Abutong and the Tongluo Tribe took pride in meant nothing at all to Wang Chong.
"Wang Chong, prepare yourself!" Abutong's voice was clear and powerful, imbued with a chill that could freeze one's bones.
Not only so, the furious roaring of valiant war steeds seemed to vaguely sound around him. The overwhelming bloodthirstiness originating from the brutal battlefield shook everyone's heart, and for a moment, the illusion of innumerable asuras rising from the depths of hell flashed across everyone's minds.
Hong long long!
Before everyone's gazes, the shadow behind Abutong warped, and an impassive and towering silhouette rose from the ground. That brawny silhouette seemed to wield incomparable strength, and the scarlet saber in his hands further accentuated his fearsome might.
The Tongluo War God!
Upon seeing the towering shadow behind Abutong's back, all of the Tongluo men began cheering in excitement. The Tongluo War God was the deity which the members of the Tongluo Tribe had revered for the past millennia.
It was a deity that represented war, death, and glory!
The reason why Tongluo warriors didn't fear death was because they believed that they would return to the embrace of the Tongluo War God after their deaths, and share unparalleled honor along with their deity.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 222