The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  The spearman watched with eyes wide as an opponent's scimitar brushed past, letting him finish off the opponent and completely run him through.

  No matter what had happened, there was no doubt that he had succeeded.

  Similar things were taking place all across the battlefield.

  The strength of the Annan Protectorate soldiers had been almost equal at the start, but now, the Annan Protectorate army clearly held the advantage, suppressing their foes.

  "Hahaha, brothers, kill! It's time for the Annan Protectorate army to take its revenge!"

  "Kiiiill!"

  ……

  Cries of slaughter resounded through the skies as the Annan Protectorate army rallied. All the gloominess accumulated over this long campaign was swept away in an instant, and all the soldiers—the shieldmen, sabermen, axemen, and spearmen—began a full-out advance.

  "Something's wrong!"

  The Tang soldiers noticed nothing wrong, but the Tibetan commanders immediately noticed that something was off. Amongst the vast sea of Tibetan cavalry, a particularly powerful Tibetan general raised his eyebrows as he subconsciously turned his bright eyes to the summit.

  Wang Chong's Bane of the Battlefield had not only affected the northeast region, but the entire battlefield.

  Just a few moments ago, he had clearly sensed the subordinates around him weakening. However, Wang Chong's Bane of the Battlefield had no effect on generals, so he had no idea what had happened.

  "What's this? What's going on here?"

  Those bright eyes surveyed the battlefield, quickly settling on the northeast region. Logically speaking, the number of troops gathered around the northeast mountains should have given them the absolute advantage, but in actuality, the Tang army held the advantage.

  There was nothing normal about this situation!

  "Hyah!"

  A cold light flashed through his eyes as the Tibetan general suddenly turned his horse around and urged it to gallop toward the northeast.

  ……

  "Northeast region, left wing, four thousand five hundred meters! Right wing, one thousand eight hundred meters! Fire!"

  At the same time, at the top of the mountain overlooking the northeast region, the golden-armored Wang Chong stood under the flapping banner, his voice cold and flat. Twangtwangtwang!With Wang Chong's orders, two volleys of arrows flew through the air like the eyes of the god of death, landing separately on the left wing 4500 meters away and the right wing 1800 meters away.

  Crash! As horses toppled to the ground, the Tibetans, who had just been on the cusp of reestablishing order, instantly fell into chaos once more.

  Wang Chong stood on the summit and watched it all like an eagle high in the sky. No movement could escape his gaze.

  The master archers allotted to every large army were a strategic asset in his hands.

  At this stage, the number of casualties inflicted by the master archers was no longer important. Wang Chong was employing them for his tactical advantage, disrupting any area that looked like it was building up a threat.

  At its heart, the art of war was ultimately about disrupting, misleading, and weakening one's opponent, as well as doing one's utmost to create a numbers advantage.

  At present, the Tang army in the entire northeast region was in this state.

  The Tibetans had clearly held the numbers advantage, but at this moment, they had suddenly become the inferior side. Wang Chong used their internal chaos to construct invisible walls in the army that prevented them from helping each other.

  Tibetans screamed as they fell to the sabers and axes of the Tang army. Meanwhile, countless messages were echoing in Wang Chong's mind.

  "Congratulations to user for killing 182 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 342 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 687 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 1344 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 1788 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 2576 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 3936 Tibetan cavalry!"

  ……

  "Congratulations to user for killing 5722 Tibetan cavalry!"

  "Congratulations to user for killing 7549 Tibetan cavalry!"

  ……

  A stream of voices in his mind continuously reported the Tibetan casualties to him. This number was not rising at a steady rate, but climbing by leaps and bounds. In a few short moments, the Tibetan casualties were increasing at a terrifying speed.

  The winds swept across the summit, the energy carried by each dead Tibetan warrior flowing through the air to enter Wang Chong's body. Wang Chong had previously reached True Martial Tier 9, and now, he was showing signs of reaching the peak of Tier 9.

  And if he went even further, all his halos would fuse into one massive Halo of Thorns, and he would have ascended to Tier 1 of the Profound Martial realm.

  "This is impossible, impossible!"

  Chen Shusun and the other officers were all dumbstruck by this sight, their minds in turmoil.

  Although they didn't have the instant knowledge of the Tibetan casualties that Wang Chong did, they could tell from their vantage point what was happening on the battlefield.

  The Tibetans were falling apart!

  Although the Tibetans had outnumbered the Tang, they were now no longer any match for the Annan Protectorate army. In that pocket where Wang Chong had trapped the Tibetans, large numbers of Tibetans were being hewed down like stalks of wheat.

  On the other battlefield, the Annan Protectorate army was like a sharp sword thrust into the heart of the enemy, their foe utterly incapable of putting up any resistance.

  If the Tibetans were a sea, then the Tang army was a rock in this sea. Although it seemed the weaker party on the surface, in truth, it possessed the complete advantage.

  "Wonderful, wonderful!"

  Chen Shusun clenched his fists, his face red from excitement.

  Even the other guards and officers around the banner now viewed Wang Chong differently. When Wang Chong had first taken command of the army, everyone had doubted him, including Chen Shusun.

  But now, as they looked at the battlefield below, not a single shred of doubt remained.

  I really didn't think that Youngest Master would have reached such high levels in the art of war. Even if Eldest Young Master were awake and still here, he wouldn't be able to compare. There's still hope for the army yet!

  Chen Shusun was inwardly ecstatic.

  The scene before him was not something any of the officers could have imagined in their wildest dreams. A unit of archers and a simple order to retreat had completely transformed the landscape of the battlefield. It was like the work of a god.

  Chapter 530: Turning Point! Counterattack! (III)

  Chapter 530: Turning Point! Counterattack! (III)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Cavalry, get ready!"

  Wang Chong had not even noticed what was going on behind him. His mind was in a state of complete calm and rationality. This battle had now reached the critical moment. At present, the Annan Protectorate army had the advantage and initiative, and Wang Chong was using the master archers to control the situation.

  But the Tibetans had not given up.

  As long as Wang Chong could break this final resistance, the 70,000 Tibetans would be thoroughly routed, the entire army crumbling to pieces.

  Neigh!

  All the cavalry trotted to Wang Chong's side, all of them looking down the mountain, their bodies exuding a powerful will to fight. This war involved three great empires and almost a million soldiers. For the first time, they were seeing the light of hope.

  After many days of fierce battle, this tiny sliver of hope was extremely important to the exhausted army.

  The summit was quiet, with no sound except the falling of the rain and the flap
ping of the banner. This dreadful silence reigned as everyone waited for Wang Chong's order.

  No one realized that their initial doubt and unease had already transformed into absolute trust toward Wang Chong.

  Come out, come out! I don't believe that you'll do nothing! Wang Chong thought as he looked down the mountain.

  The Swordfanged Beast, Jiaosiluo, was one of the Ngari Royal Lineage's Five Tiger Generals, and there was also the Crown Prince of Mengshe Zhao, Fengjiayi. Both of these were brilliant individuals who couldn't be underestimated. They might not have been as dazzling as Dalun Ruozan, Huoshu Huicang, or Geluofeng, but they still had extremely important roles.

  One could say that the bitter defeat of the Annan Protectorate army was directly related to them.

  Wang Chong didn't believe that Fengjiayi and Jiaosiluo would just sit back and watch as he pushed the Tibetans in the northeast to the brink of defeat. A general always had to keep their attention on the entire battlefield. If Fengjiayi and Jiaosiluo couldn't even do that, then Wang Chong had overestimated them.

  All that's left is to wait and see when the two of you react, Wang Chong thought.

  Wang Chong didn't have to wait long. There was a peal of thunder, and the ground to the southeast suddenly began to quake, the thunderous stampede of horses even drowning out the rain. The neighing of the highland steeds managed to travel far despite the rain and thunder.

  "Kiiiill!"

  Almost deafening cries came from the distance. In the blink of an eye, an army of Tibetan cavalry came galloping over from the distance, their momentum astonishing, their aura and energy far surpassing those of ordinary Tibetan cavalry.

  "General has ordered that those who kill Tang soldiers will live and those who retreat will be executed!"

  A fierce messenger held aloft his scimitar, charging out of the rain like a white ray of light, his voice ruthless beyond compare.

  "Royal Guardsmen, receive this order! Any who retreat are to be executed!"

  Roar!

  Responding to that messenger was a heaven-shaking roar of brutality. The muscular and imposing Tibetan Royal Guardsmen suddenly dismounted, unsheathed their bright scimitars, and stood in a row, all of their weapons aimed at the summit.

  For all these Tibetans who outnumbered their foe to be in such chaos, all of them like aimless houseflies and desperately trying to retreat, was an utter disgrace to the strength-worshiping Tibetans.

  While the Royal Guardsmen dismounted, the new wave of thousands of Tibetan reinforcements transformed into a flood that charged at maximum speed toward the summit.

  "Not good! It's dangerous!"

  On the summit, under the massive banner, Chen Shusun became nervous.

  Although his understanding of the art of war was inferior to Wang Chong's, Chen Shusun was still a veteran officer. Although the Tang army held the initiative, this had been the result of the tactics and formations that Wang Chong had utilized.

  But even the most powerful of tactics and formations had a limit. There was no doubt that the Tang Square Formations that had gone on the attack had reached their upper limits. If another wave of eight or nine thousand elites arrived, their lines might crumble from the pressure.

  "There's no need to worry!"

  Wang Chong waved his hand, unconcerned. "Let them charge."

  "But, Milord, we won't be able to endure!" several of the Tang officers worriedly said. Wang Chong wasn't familiar with any of them, but he knew that they were his big brother's bodyguards.

  "There's no need to worry! It will be fine as long as the lines don't immediately collapse," Wang Chong calmly said.

  Wang Chong made no attempts to intercept this wave. As expected, the scene that the officers on the summit had worried the most about occurred.

  Rumble! Like a flash flood, the grandiose wave of Tibetan reinforcements smashed into the Tang formation, causing a massive upheaval, screams ringing through the air.

  Outside of the pocket that Wang Chong had formed, the two units of the Tang army that had gone on the offensive showed signs of breaking.

  Ten!

  Nine!

  Eight!

  ……

  Wang Chong calmly looked down the mountain as he mentally counted down. From the high ground, Wang Chong could clearly tell that as the battle progressed, the Tibetan reinforcements had completely shifted their focus to the two offensive Tang formations.

  They were so focused on pressing forward that they no longer paid much attention to the troops on the summit. Moreover, as the battle grew more intense, this sort of trend only continued.

  Four!

  Three!

  Two!

  One!

  ……

  When his count reached 'one', there was suddenly a ripple in the Tibetan reinforcements. This ripple was inconspicuous, akin to an eddy of foam in a stream, but for Wang Chong, this was enough.

  "To the southeast! All cavalry, charge!"

  After so long, Wang Chong finally dispatched his precious cavalry.

  There was an earth-shaking rumble. The cavalry had waited on the summit for this order for far too long, and now that it had been given, all of them were vying to be first. Like a mighty waterfall, they galloped down the summit.

  Neeeeigh!

  The cries of the horses mixed with the clattering of metal. In a few short moments, the cavalry had reached a terrifying speed. As the cavalry charged, no one noticed Wang Chong take a step forward from under the flapping banner, his eyes flashing.

  Boom!

  The loud neigh of a horse emerged from the depths of space-time while the indistinct figure of a massive divine warhorse appeared behind Wang Chong. At the same time, a blazing halo expanded from under Wang Chong's feet and extended toward all the cavalry.

  The cavalry of the Annan Protectorate had already reached a terrifying speed by charging down the mountain, and now with the sudden buff from the Halo of Dusk Stallion, they instantly became even faster.

  Rumble!

  Four thousand cavalry flooded down the mountain in a torrent that swept away everything before it.

  "Not good!"

  "There were Tang soldiers on the summit! Take formation, take formation!"

  "It's cavalry; be careful of their charge!"

  ……

  The quaking from the summit alarmed the reinforcements, and all of them looked up in shock at the soldiers furiously charging toward them. The boundless rain made it very difficult to see what was going on at the summit from the bottom of the mountain.

  No one had expected that the Annan Protectorate army was still keeping soldiers in reserve at this stage in the battle. And it was cavalry, whose power was only amplified in this kind of geography.

  Four thousand cavalry against the eight or nine thousand Tibetan reinforcements… this strength was already enough to alter the course of this battle!

  "Take formation! Take formation!"

  A Tibetan officer was frenziedly kicking and beating the surrounding soldiers so that he could get them back into formation, but it was all too late. These soldiers had focused all their attention on breaking through the Tang soldiers in front of them, hoping to shatter them as quickly as possible. This meant that they had already lost the ability to swiftly assume formation.

  Boom!

  Before anyone could react, the four thousand cavalry flowed through the gaps in the army like water through a sluice gate and thrust into the Tibetan reinforcements.

  No one could resist such a terrifying collision. The Tang soldiers who had survived up to this point were the elite of the elite, and coupled with the strength of the cavalry charge, each Great Tang cavalryman was striking with the power of a True Martial Tier 7 expert.

  This power was not something a normal Tibetan cavalryman could easily stop!

  Cavalry were an important force on the battlefield because of the strength that came from combining man and horse. In Wang Chong's hands, the strength of this charge was further pushed to prep
osterous levels.

  "Aaaaah!"

  A scream tore through the air as a Tibetan and his horse were both sent flying several dozen zhang by the impact. His comrades fared no better. Bangbangbang! In a flash, hundreds of Tibetan cavalry were thrown into the air.

  The sounds of muscles tearing, bones breaking, plaintive whinnies, clattering metal, halos resonating, and mighty impacts… all of it mixed into a single, clamorous din.

  "Kiiiill!"

  A resounding shout echoed into the clouds as all the Great Tang cavalry revealed a vicious killing intent. In this fierce melee, the newly-arrived Tibetan reinforcements fell into complete chaos.

  "Aaaaah!"

  "Stop them! Stop them!"

  "We can't hold, we can't!"

  "They have too many people!"

  "Oh no, Milord's been killed!"

  ……

  The counterattack that the Tibetans had barely managed to mount instantly dissolved. Even the Tang lines which had been on the verge of breaking had now completely recovered.

  At this point, the Tibetans were mired in an unprecedented situation. The forces trapped in the pocket were cut off from reinforcements, and their lines had collapsed in three places. These soldiers had originally been pursuing the fleeing Tang soldiers, but before they had even come close to accomplishing their mission, they had lost almost ten thousand of their number and had ended up in a dire situation.

  "Damn it, what's going on here? This person definitely isn't Wang Fu!"

  Midway up the mountain, a Tibetan officer gazed at the fluttering banner on the summit, his eyes red with fury as he bellowed.

  In the entire southwestern Tang army, including the Annan Protectorate army, the only person who presented any sort of threat to the Tibetans was the Wang Clan's Wang Fu. That person's talent was something that even Huoshu Huicang and Dalun Ruozan had praised.

  Yet not even Wang Fu could have this sort of terrifying ability to command and lead!

  It had taken only a few moments for the tides on the battlefield to be turned. So unprecedented was this feat that it could be called a miracle. At the very least, no one on the Tibetan side had ever thought this possible.

  And when one considered the fact that the Tibetans had the numbers advantage, this fact was even harder to accept.