The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Wang Chong spoke in an easygoing manner. He seemed unaware of the anger on Xu Qiqin's face.

  "What are you trying to say?"

  This sudden question from Wang Chong caused Xu Qiqin's temper to instantly cool.

  "If my guess isn't wrong, Xu Chong, you've probably been in touch with the Way of Chess since you were a child. Probably more than ten years now? But these people…"

  Wang Chong turned his body, his gaze sweeping over the students.

  "At the longest, they've been playing chess for two years, and at the shortest, only one or two months. Although their chess skills are currently very lacking, they have huge potential."

  "Potential? What do you mean?" Xu Qiqin asked.

  Even Huang Qian-er was paying attention now. Although she hadn't taken part in the chess matches, she had been standing at the entrance of the Chess Hall, allowing her to clearly see everything going on inside.

  Wang Chong truly had been somewhat targeting this fellow called 'Xu Chong'; even she could see this. But this fellow truly had been too arrogant.

  Huang Qian-er had originally thought that Wang Chong would randomly come up with a reason to deal with him, perhaps even ordering him out using his status as owner of Deflecting Blade Manor.

  But it now seemed like Wang Chong was not simply messing around.

  "It's very simple. Think about it. One is a mature shrub while the other is the seed of Phoebe Zhennan tree. If you wanted to build a house, would you want a shrub or the seed of a Phoebe Zhennan tree?" Wang Chong asked, staring at Xu Qiqin.

  "What are you saying? Are you telling me that I'm the shrub?"

  Fires began to blaze in Xu Qiqin's eyes once more.

  "Haha, although it's just a metaphor, that's basically what I mean. The students I have chosen might be lacking in chess skills, but they're all Phoebe Zhennan seeds. As long as I raise them well, they will have limitless possibilities. As for you… although you are very good at chess, you've basically reached your limit. All your potential has been unearthed. There's no more room for you to grow. This is the reason you were eliminated!" Wang Chong calmly said.

  "Bastard!"

  Xu Qiqin finally exploded. Wang Chong had said so much, but he basically meant only one thing: 'This is all your strength amounts to; this is how far you'll go; there's no more room for you to improve.'

  How could Xu Qiqin's arrogant personality possibly endure this?

  "I'll kill you!"

  Xu Qiqin had gone crazy from anger. Without even thinking, she snatched at Wang Chong, Stellar Energy surging through her body. This simple snatch actually let out a thunderous boom. Even Wang Chong couldn't stop his eyelids from jumping.

  Boom!

  But in the next moment, with another massive boom, a slim palm, gleaming with the luster of white jade, cut in and accurately struck Xu Qiqin's arm. The air rumbled as shockwaves of energy shot out. Xu Qiqin's furious strike had actually been completely blocked in a very restrained fashion by Huang Qian-er.

  "Young Master, I advise you to conduct yourself with dignity!" Huang Qian-er coldly rebuked, her eyes brimming with danger. Even now, she still did not know that the person she was facing was a girl just like her.

  As if someone had poured a jar of cold water on her, Xu Qiqin suddenly calmed down.

  "Who are you… hmph, I thought it was somebody, but it was actually you, Fairy of Dainty Hands. When did you decide to become someone else's lackey?"

  Xu Qiqin had not recognized her at the start. When she finally realized that the icy beauty at Wang Chong's side was the Fairy of Dainty Hands famed throughout the capital, her entire look changed.

  Many people believed that all beautiful girls got along, but the truth was actually the exact opposite. What beautiful women hated the most was other women, especially women who were just as beautiful as they were!

  "Who are you? You recognize me? Hmph, I don't care who you are. If you dare to attack him, don't blame me for being rude… even though I also don't like him!" Huang Qian-er coldly returned.

  "…"

  Behind her, Wang Chong speechlessly rolled his eyes. Why had she added that last part? Wouldn't it be fine if she didn't? He really couldn't understand these women.

  "Xu Chong, it's useless. You can't touch me here. And besides, as I said, your potential has reached its limit, so that's that. If you're not convinced, you can leave now!"

  Wang Chong wasted no time in adding oil to the fire.

  "You… bastard, you want me to leave, so I won't!"

  It would have been fine if Wang Chong said nothing, but now that he had, Xu Qiqin no longer wanted to leave. Her personality would never allow herself to be led away by Wang Chong.

  Moreover, with Huang Qian-er here, Xu Qiqin knew that she wouldn't be able to make any trouble. If one ranked the female descendants of the capital's noble clans, Huang Qian-er would be in third place.

  Although Xu Qiqin was still unconvinced, she had to admit that Huang Qian-er was probably stronger than her. If they were to fight, she probably wouldn't have any advantage.

  "Hmph, don't get too complacent? You want me to say that I really do only have this much skill and can't beat you? Just wait and see. I will definitely crush you under my feet, returning today's humiliation one hundred times over!"

  After saying this, Xu Qiqin turned and left, not staying a moment longer.

  Wei Anfang suddenly walked up from the side and whispered to Wang Chong, "Young Master, we should drive him out. Is there a need for a person like that to stay here?"

  Wang Chong couldn't help but smile. Wei Anfang really was a blockhead who knew nothing of grace. Why should he drive away a great beauty like Xu Qiqin?

  He didn't even have time to stop her.

  "There's no need to worry about him. Someone come over and tidy this place up. Also, arrange for someone to send those students who just passed to the spirit vein."

  "Yes, Young Master!"

  Wei Anfang nodded and affirmed his orders.

  Upon leaving the Chess Hall, Wang Chong ran to the training camp. After so long, it was about time for him to meet his instructor, Zhao Qianqiu.

  ……

  After passing through most of Kunwu Training Camp, Wang Chong saw Zhao Qianqiu at the main peak.

  "Haha, you've finally come back!"

  Seeing Wang Chong come in from outside, the armored Zhao Qianqiu immediately stood up, his eyes glimmering as he strode toward Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong felt very emotional as he saw Zhao Qianqiu.

  Not so long ago, Wang Chong had only run off to Zhao Qianqiu based on his knowledge from his past life of Zhao Qianqiu's fame and the Halo of Dusk Stallion that he possessed. Unwittingly, however, the two had established a very deep connection.

  This time, if it hadn't been for Zhao Qianqiu's 'Thousand Li Fragrance', he really might have died in that forest.

  "Hmph!"

  After taking in a deep breath, the instant Zhao Qianqiu was about to reach him, Wang Chong dropped to the ground, one of his knees driving into the ground and his waist bending. With great reverence, he kneeled on the ground, bowing to Zhao Qianqiu using the most solemn military etiquette.

  "Teacher, thank you!"

  Wang Chong's voice echoed through the hall.

  From this moment, both nominally and mentally, Wang Chong truly regarded Zhao Qianqiu as his teacher, a teacher for the rest of his life.

  Perhaps Zhao Qianqiu was not some great master of military strategy, and perhaps his future achievements would not match up to those from his previous life, but none of that mattered to Wang Chong.

  Chapter 395: Suspicion

  Chapter 395: Suspicion

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Wang Chong, what are you doing?"

  Zhao Qianqiu stopped several steps away, a flabbergasted look on his face. When they had interacted before, Wang Chong had never been so respectful.

  "Many thanks to Teacher. If not for Teacher,
Wang Chong might have died on his journey back to the capital," Wang Chong sternly said.

  "Haha, and I thought that this was some big deal. Rise, rise. You're the student that I'm most proud of. In this training camp mission, did you really think I was completely unprepared?"

  Zhao Qianqiu heartily laughed, not taking Wang Chong's words too seriously.

  Wang Chong said no more, and used this opportunity to stand back up. What he believed and how his mind had changed were naturally different from what Zhao Qianqiu imagined.

  But there was no need to say these things.

  "Come, come, come! Quickly, sit down. How are you doing? Has your body recovered?" Zhao Qianqiu asked.

  After rescuing Wang Chong from the forest and sending him back to the Wang Clan, Zhao Qianqiu had not paid him a visit. It was not appropriate for a training camp instructor like him to involve himself in the conflict between King Qi's Yao Clan and King Song's Wang Clan.

  Military men were military men, and it was best for them to not involve themselves in political matters. This was also an unwritten rule in the army. Truly pure soldiers kept as far from politics as possible.

  Moreover, by delivering Wang Chong to the Wang Clan, he didn't need to pay a visit and would still be treated very well. This was also a reason Zhao Qianqiu had been at ease and not gone over to inquire as to Wang Chong's well-being.

  A noble clan of ministers and generals like the Wang Clan undoubtedly had more resources than a military instructor like him!

  Wang Chong sat himself on a chair and replied, "I'm doing well. I've basically fully recovered, with no after-effects."

  Wang Chong's injuries primarily arose from that arrow. The destructive energy attached to it had inflicted terrible damage on him.

  A normal person wouldn't be able to recover in two to three months. However, Wang Chong had bought the Gold Organs, so his critical internal organs were far stronger than average.

  Thus, it had not even taken a month for Wang Chong to move on his own without any impediments.

  "Then it's fine. I've been rather worried all this time, so nothing could be better."

  While speaking, Zhao Qianqiu returned to his own seat. With a wave of his large sleeve, a silhouette like an arrow flew toward Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong's palm almost subconsciously snatched at it. He looked down and saw that it was a book rolled up into a tube.

  The book was not open, but Wang Chong could still see the words 'Dusk Stallion' on the front. He instantly tensed up. As expected, Zhao Qianqiu's voice resounded in his ear: "The training camp mission. You weren't here, but we already agreed to the terms. This is the Halo of Dusk Stallion that you wanted. Take it and study it well. If there's something you don't understand, you can come and ask me, but don't get your hopes up. It's said that this technique is very difficult to cultivate. I also haven't cultivated it before, so I won't be able to guide you much."

  "Many thanks, Teacher!"

  Wang Chong was elated. In an instant, he felt like there was a great weight in his hands. Although he had taken a great risk and had almost died in the forest, he had finally managed to obtain the most precious, and at the same time most underestimated, technique in the entire training camp.

  In his last life, the Halo of Dusk Stallion had been neglected in the training camps and practically no one had learned it. But he had finally managed to do something that no one in his past life had been able to do.

  The Halo of Dusk Stallion finally belonged to him.

  In this instant, Wang Chong tightly gripped the book in his hands while his heart leapt with joy.

  He put away the Halo of Dusk Stallion book, then suddenly asked, "Right, Teacher, when you were rushing over that time, did you see any groups of people?"

  "What's wrong?"

  Zhao Qianqiu's brow rose as he asked this question. Wang Chong's inquiry seemed to be implying something. He had clearly sensed something.

  Wang Chong did not hide anything, and explained what he had felt while he had been hiding underground. Although it was one group of people who had been pursuing him that day, what happened afterward made it clear that there had been other groups.

  Although all these people had been targeting him, each group had its own methods, making it obvious that they weren't together. Moreover, the number of people meant that there had not been only two groups.

  Even when counting in King Qi and the Yao Clan, Wang Chong couldn't understand where these groups had come from.

  And King Qi and the Yao Clan were clearly together, right?

  Why did they need to split into two groups?

  Upon returning, Wang Chong had begun to seriously contemplate the matters of that day, and the more he thought, the more strange it felt. Alas, the state of his body at the time left him incapable of investigating.

  "This…"

  After hearing Wang Chong's recount, Zhao Qianqiu furrowed his brow and said, "We also investigated the area where you were hiding. The footprints on the ground were extremely messy, and more than one group of people could make. Moreover, we began moving far earlier than you imagined. In that period of time, we really did see other people, but we were quite some distance from them, and the moment those people saw us, they began to keep their distance. There was simply no opportunity to get a close look."

  Zhao Qianqiu revealed a pensive expression.

  The sneak attack on Wang Chong seemed like a simple assassination, but Wang Chong's recount changed things.

  But as this matter touched upon politics, the purely military man that was Zhao Qianqiu felt his head ache. He could come up with the idea of letting out tigers in the middle of the night to train his students, but complex political problems like these left him helpless, as much as he wanted to help.

  "…But that arrow you spoke of—I did find that!"

  Zhao Qianqiu suddenly got up and, under Wang Chong's flabbergasted gaze, walked to the wall of the room and opened a secret compartment, extracting from it a certain item.

  "An arrowhead?"

  Wang Chong looked doubtfully at the object in Zhao Qianqiu's hand. It was nothing more than a black arrowhead, as long as a knuckle.

  "We found this at the place where they ambushed you. It's just the arrowhead. The rest of the arrow was taken away by someone else. We only managed to turn up this arrowhead after repeatedly searching the area, digging it up out of the dirt ten-some zhang from where you were wounded. If we hadn't kept searching that area to find your whereabouts, we would never have been able to find it. Based on our speculations, this should be the remnants of that iron arrow that heavily wounded you."

  Zhao Qianqiu walked over and gave the arrowhead to Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong gravely examined the arrowhead. There was essentially nothing left of the arrow shaft. The only thing in his hand was the bare black arrowhead.

  At first sight, this arrow seemed to be very ordinary, no different from any other arrowhead. But upon careful inspection, Wang Chong immediately noticed something different.

  The surface of the arrowhead had a few tiny veins, the remnants of inscriptions. The blackness of the arrowhead and the minuteness of these traces had made them very difficult to notice.

  This was not all. Wang Chong carefully examined it again and made a few more surprising discoveries. The arrowhead had been made from very special materials. It had certainly not been made from ordinary refined iron, nor had it been made from Xuan metal, and it certainly hadn't been made from a metal like Wootz Steel.

  Wang Chong had forged quite a few Wootz Steel swords, so he was now very sensitive to the weight of metal.

  At the moment, he was the only person able to get his hands on Wootz Steel, and it was out of reach for anyone else. Thus, this metal's quality was clearly inferior to Wootz Steel.

  Based on the weight, Wang Chong could sense that this metal's quality lay between refined iron and Xuan metal. It was very close to Xuan metal, but there was also something different. It seemed to contain somethin
g else.

  "…While you were recovering, we carefully examined it. This arrow was made with a mix of refined iron, Xuan metal, and some other type of special metal powder. The arrow itself also underwent a special forging process, causing the interior of the arrowhead to be somewhat looser. You were probably also able to notice this."

  Zhao Qianqiu shot a glance at Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong nodded. Indeed! He had already noticed that this arrowhead was slightly lighter than actual Xuan metal arrowheads.

  "This method will undoubtedly decrease the toughness of the arrow. It's precisely because of this that once this arrow hits something hard, the arrow will splinter. The arrowhead will break off from the arrow shaft and they will land in different places.

  "That's not all. The method will greatly increase the speed at which Stellar Energy circulates through the arrow, allowing a master archer to better exert their strength and improving the damaging power of the arrow. In short, this is a unique arrow technique that relies on the archer's Stellar Energy to inflict injuries, not like ordinary arrows, which rely on the sharpness of the arrow to pierce the vital points of the foe.

  "If struck by this sort of arrow, even if it's not at a vital point, one will still probably be severely wounded. And someone proficient in this sort of unique technique is no ordinary master archer. If we start our investigations from this point, we can definitely find out who shot this arrow at you!"

  Zhao Qianqiu finally gave his conclusion.

  He had not been sitting back in this period of time. He had found many more clues from this arrowhead, and by following them, he could definitely find the person who had ambushed Wang Chong.

  As for the two or three different groups of people that Wang Chong had described, he truly knew nothing.

  Wang Chong was quiet. He already understood what was going on. Although that arrow had been extremely formidable and even had sharpening inscriptions carved on it, it had struck the Heart Fortification Mirror of the Tibetan cavalry.

  The three hundred Tibetan cavalry had all been heavy cavalry. For the sake of defense, they had inscribed layer after layer of toughening inscriptions on their Heart Fortification Mirrors.