The three trembled and turned their heads, and they saw that the owner of that familiar voice was now confidently striding out of the formation.
Behind him were Gao Feng, Nie Yan, and the other guards.
"!!!"
All was silent. Elder Du, Elder Fang, and Huang Botian were all stunned, their faces covered with disbelief.
"This is impossible! No one can come out from my 'Four Symbols Yinyang Soul Trap' so quickly and easily!"
Elder Du's entire body was frozen, as if he had received some massive mental blow.
To his sides, Huang Botian and Elder Fang, who knew the secrets of the Four Symbols Yinyang Soul Trap, were also terribly shocked.
The Four Symbols Yinyang Soul Trap was a formation that was meant to protect Wushang. In every generation, only two or three people could use it, and only when encountering extremely formidable foes.
This formation used the Eight Gates1 of Life, Pain, Rest, Open, Stop, View, and the others. The positions of these gates would be constantly changing, and taking the wrong step would immediately lead to death.
As for how to leave the formation, only the person controlling the formation knew of the method. Even if Huang Botian were imprisoned in the formation, he would find it just as difficult to get out.
"Just what's going on here? No one knows the method to get out of the Four Symbols Yinyang Soul Trap. Could he really have some relationship with the Chief?"
Huang Botian's emotions were in turmoil, the expression in his eyes constantly shifting.
He had long ago heard that Xiaoyan was leading a group of outsiders into the village. As one of the village's Protectors, he knew every person that entered and exited the village. Huang Botian had been confident that these people were only capable of tricking a little girl like Fang Xiaoyan.
But now, seeing Wang Chong easily stride out of the formation, Huang Botian felt his confidence waver.
That Wang Chong was able to leave the formation so quickly meant that he already knew how to get out of the formation. There was no other explanation except that he had an extremely intimate relationship with the village.
"Elder Du, Botian, the two of you leave first. I'll deal with him!" the middle-aged woman known as Elder Fang nervously said. Right now, only she could halt Wang Chong's advance for a few moments.
"Wait a moment. Elder Du, Elder Fang, these people aren't bad people!"
With a whoosh of wind, Huang Botian jumped out of the ruins of the Stone General and hurried to stop the elders.
"If they harbored ill intentions, I would have already been finished!"
"Botian, what nonsense are you saying? Can you not even tell the difference between friend and foe?"
"Damn it, can you pay attention to the situation? Now is not the time for your martial mania to act up!"
Elder Du and Elder immediately noticed that Huang Botian's old ailment was breaking out again. Although Huang Botian was powerful, anyone who defeated him would immediately win his favor. He would start treating them as friends, and a classical manifestation of this phenomenon was phrases like, 'this person isn't a bad person' and 'these people aren't bad people'.
Every time Huang Botian began to act like this, all the villagers began to get headaches. He was always particularly stubborn about this, pushing the other villagers to the limit.
"Elder Fang, Elder Du, this isn't about my fondness for martial arts. Since he can see through the Four Symbols Yinyang Soul Trap, it means that he's definitely no ordinary outsider, and didn't he come in with Xiaoyan? If they harbored ill intentions, how could Xiaoyan have remained unscathed, and why have none of the villagers died yet?" Huang Botian said.
Elder Du and Elder Fang were instantly stunned.
"Haha, it's still Protector Huang that understands. This one did not come here with evil intentions. Otherwise, with my strength, everyone probably understands that Wushang Village would not be in this state."
Wang Chong chuckled, and as he spoke, he slowly walked in the direction of the trio.
His eyes shone brightly as they passed over Elder Fang and Elder Du.
Wushang Village was truly a den of crouching tigers and hidden dragons. One expert could use a powerful formation while the other could utilize formidable mental assaults.
Such experts were extremely rare in the martial world, but Wushang Village had them.
Suddenly, a dignified and elderly voice came from within the village, as resounding as a bell. "Let him in. The rest of you, withdraw."
At this voice, everyone trembled, all the villagers showing extremely respectful expressions.
"It's Chief!"
Elders Du and Fang first looked at each other and then gave a complicated look at Wang Chong. Although they were unwilling, since the chief had spoken, they had to yield the path.
"Young man, I don't care where you came from or what your background is, but in this place, it's best if you act wisely and temper your actions. You want to meet our chief, right? Enter!"
With these words, Elders Du and Fang stood to the side.
"Thank you!"
Wang Chong smiled and held his head high as he headed into the depths of the village.
Qin Qicheng had been defeated, as had Huang Botian, the formation had been useless, and the mental attacks had failed… Although the Chief of Wushang had surprised the villagers by making his view known, Wang Chong had expected it.
I can finally see the Chief of Wushang Village… I'm truly filled with anticipation!
Smiling, Wang Chong walked past Huang Botian, Elder Fang, and Elder Du.
The Chief of Wushang Village led the fifty to sixty thousand Wushang and was the strongest existence in the village. All the legends regarding the village revolved around its chief. When Wang Chong arrived at this village in his last life, the person he had wanted to see the most was the chief.
Alas, in the great calamity, all the elites of Wushang Village had been lost, including the mysterious chief. It was said that a veritable mountain of corpses of otherworldly invaders had been found around his body.
Of all the invaders that had died in that battle, more than half had died around him!
When Wang Chong heard of this, he was filled with respect, but he could only feel regret on missing a chance to meet him. Wushang Village had appeared like a comet, shocking the world but disappearing just as quickly as it had come.
All the core members of Wushang Village—its chief, elders, and protectors—died in the great calamity, taking many of Wushang Village's secrets with them. Even though many survivors from Wushang became his subordinates as the famous Wushang Cavalry, those lost secrets were irrecoverable.
Thwishthwishthwish!
Figures began to appear from all around as Wang Chong led his guards into Wushang Village. The villagers had begun to climb down from the cliffs and form a crowd, following Wang Chong and watching him with wary gazes.
Wang Chong remained relaxed and confident, his eyes seeming to not see these people. He had defeated Qin Qicheng's group and Huang Botian, so it would be stranger if the Wushang had a good impression of him.
"Everyone, disperse!"
An elderly and majestic voice came from out of the village. The moment this voice spoke, all fell quiet. The villagers following Wang Chong showed hesitation, but in a flash, the majority of them dispersed, swiftly climbing like apes along the steep mountainsides.
Only a small portion remained, but the atmosphere now was completely different.
Wang Chong followed a path cut out of the stone, around two zhang wide, observing his surroundings throughout. Although Wushang Village seemed to be a place of steep and lofty mountains, once one passed the edge of the village guarded by Huang Botian, everything changed.
The Wushang villagers had built a smooth and level path leading into the village.
Several hundred meters from the outermost perimeter, a large plaza made of tens of thousands of bricks appeared. Here, Wang Chong finally saw simple houses made
of rough mountain stone arranged in picturesque disorder.
The figures of people packed the area between these houses and the plaza.
The moment he stepped onto the plaza, Wang Chong immediately felt an aura of strictness, like he had stepped into a military camp. On the plaza, countless gazes turned to watch him.
For some reason, Wang Chong could also sense a stifling aura of tension in the air.
______________
1. The Eight Gates are a Daoist concept that is apparently used in fortune-telling. The Gates of Life, Open, and Rest have good connotations, the Gates of Death, Alarm, and Pain have bad connotations, and the Gates of Stop and View hold the middle ground.
Chapter 703: Mission, Grand Marshal's Summons!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
"Lord Marquis!"
A familiar voice suddenly rose from the plaza, immediately attracting Wang Chong's notice. The Wushang would never call him 'Lord Marquis', and the only one in this place who would call him 'Lord Marquis' and know his identity would be…
"Lord Marquis, it's General Li's group!"
Cries of alarm came from behind Wang Chong as Gao Feng, Nie Yan, and the ten-some guards all looked toward the plaza.
Following the direction of the voice, past the villagers of Wushang, on the other end of the plaza, Wang Chong spotted a familiar figure. A man more than two meters tall was standing upon the plaza like an iron tower, his entire body exuding a powerful aura.
And in his hand was a massive sword taller than the average man, similarly imposing.
In the middle of Wushang Village, this person stood out like a crane amongst chickens, and no one could obstruct his gaze. Although all the Wushang had tightly surrounded him, they still kept a distance of several zhang from him, and their expressions clearly showed a great apprehension for this giant of a man!
Invincible Great General, Li Siye!
Many days after losing contact with him, Wang Chong finally discovered his number one general deep within Wushang Village. His breathing was extremely disorderly and his body was covered in wounds, but his posture remained erect and steadfast, like a lofty mountain. It was like as long as he was not willing to fall, nothing in the world could defeat him.
"General Li!" Gao Feng and Nie Yan shouted as they rushed to the plaza, their faces fraught with worry and concern.
Wang Chong did not stop them, but he was in no rush himself. All he did was slightly furrow his brow.
Li Siye's abilities were indisputable!
The title of 'Invincible Great General' was enough to testify to his abilities. Even though he was still not fully mature, he was still incomparable to an ordinary person. Moreover, after being tempered through the war of the southwest, Li Siye had grown even more composed and reliable, and he had grown even stronger as well.
This was why Wang Chong had tasked him with subduing the Wushang.
But Wang Chong had told him beforehand that the goal of this mission was to subdue and recruit, not kill and vanquish, thus forbidding him from using weapons. But now, not only had Li Siye used his extremely sharp and tough Wootz Steel sword, he was also covered in wounds and gasping for breath!
Wang Chong found it very difficult to imagine an opponent like this. What sort of man could make Li Siye use his Wootz Steel sword and all his strength and yet still be forced into this state?!
It had to be said that when Li Siye used all his strength, he had been able to take on the ten thousand Black Dragon Bandits alone, exterminating their base in Qixi and slaying their leader Black Dragon Zhao.
Now, however, it was Li Siye who was being suppressed.
Swish!
With a wave of his sleeve, Wang Chong began to stride toward the plaza. None of the villagers attempted to block him. Since their chief had requested to see Wang Chong, there was naturally no one who would make any problems for him.
"Lord Marquis!"
Li Siye continued to grasp his sword with both hands, but his determined face was a little haggard, his stalwart body trembling and heaving as he breathed. It was evident that he had consumed an enormous amount of strength.
Wang Chong nodded grimly. Without a word, he looked down at the ground around Li Siye.
Of the more than twenty people who had left with Li Siye, only seven or eight of them were lying on the ground, heavily injured. No sign could be seen of the rest. Gao Feng, Nie Yan, and the others had already arrived and were giving them treatment, but it appeared that their wounds were not light.
"Lord Marquis!"
Upon Wang Chong's approach, these injured soldiers began to open their eyes and moan, their expressions stricken with pain.
Wang Chong nodded and waved his hand, indicating that they should rest.
"Lord Marquis, I'm sorry. I've already done all I can, but the mission still failed. All I could do was protect them."
Li Siye's face was filled with shame, and for the first time, he lowered his proud head.
This mission had been much more difficult than he had imagined.
Li Siye had never imagined that this tiny and unremarkable village in the northwest would be hiding so many rare experts. A trifling recruitment mission had ended up being even more challenging than fighting the more than five hundred thousand soldiers of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army in the southwestern war.
"I know. I also don't blame you. Just leave this matter to me!" Wang Chong ordered with a wave of his hand.
The great calamity from his memories had still not happened and Wushang Village had not come under assault from the otherworldly invaders. This was still that conservative and xenophobic village, but it was also a village of legends. Wang Chong was forced to admit that his thinking had been too simple.
The future world's greatest Wushang Cavalry was not as easy to subdue as he had imagined.
I still have to personally do this!
Wang Chong mentally sighed and turned his head to look past Li Siye.
In his last life, he had personally subdued the Wushang Cavalry. In this life, it seemed like it was still his turn! Not even the future Invincible Great General Li Siye could serve as his substitute!
"You are the Young Marquis this warrior spoke of?"
Before Wang Chong could say anything more, an elderly and energetic voice rang out in his ear. As Wang Chong looked in the direction of the voice, he saw that a group of elders dressed in simple robes were standing across from Li Siye, their expressions stern and their heads held high.
Each of these elders was over the age of forty, and some them were already graying, with heads of silver, at or above the age of seventy.
But even so, none of these elders had the demeanor of an old man.
Wang Chong could sense vast and dreadful auras of power from them, not something any ordinary elder would have.
For Huang Botian to be able to control stone and transform into a thirty-meter-tall Stone General was formidable enough in Wang Chong's view. But in comparison, these elders were clearly on another level.
The auras exuded by some of the elders made even Wang Chong feel pressured.
What a powerful cultivation! Imperial Martial realm… at the lowest, Imperial Martial realm! Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
Above the True Martial realm was the Profound Martial realm, and above the Profound Martial realm was the Imperial Martial realm, of which Wang Chong was currently an expert. But these elders standing across from Li Siye were at the Imperial Martial realm or above.
A few of these elders exuded an energy that shocked even Wang Chong. This was not the strength of the Imperial Martial realm, but the Saint Martial realm!
This nameless valley in the Great Tang's southwest was actually hiding this kind of strength! If he had not seen it with his own eyes, Wang Chong wouldn't have dared to believe it.
Two Saint Martial realm, seven Imperial Martial realm… This is Wushang Village's strength from before the calamity. It truly is powerful! And this
is probably only the tip of the iceberg!
Wang Chong's eyes shone brightly as countless thoughts flitted through his mind.
Even he had to mentally sigh at such a sight.
Wang Chong had never had a chance to experience the strength of Wushang Village as it was before the calamity. This had been his greatest regret as commander of the Wushang Cavalry. However, the more regret he felt, the more Wang Chong became set on a single idea. No matter what, he had to protect Wushang Village and prevent the tragedy of the otherworldly invasion from repeating itself here.
This powerful strength had better places where it could be used, an even larger stage. It was not meant to die here without any reinforcements. As this thought flashed through Wang Chong's mind, a familiar voice rang out.
【Impromptu Mission: 'Grand Marshal's Summons'!】
【Every Grand Marshal requires soldiers, just like how soldiers require a leader! This is the Grand Marshal's summons! Within three days, the unyielding Wushang must be thoroughly enlisted and the first batch of Wushang Cavalry recruited. For completion of this task, user will be rewarded 400 points of Destiny Energy.】
【If the mission fails, user will gain the hostility of the Wushang and lose this chance to recruit the Wushang. Moreover, the conflict between user's subordinate officer and the Wushang has caused animosity with the Wushang. Due to this, failure will mean forever losing any chance to gain the loyalty of the Wushang!】
……
When he heard the voice of the Stone of Destiny, Wang Chong instantly paled.
Wang Chong had not expected to hear the Stone of Destiny's voice here. From the information the stone had divulged, this operation to recruit the Wushang had suddenly become of a one-time nature, and he only had three days.
It must have been because I sent Li Siye and they fell into conflict, causing the Wushang Chief and the elders to feel hostility toward me, resulting in all this.
Wang Chong's mind was currently in turmoil.
The Stone of Destiny had never given missions without reason, and during the war of the southwest, Wang Chong had gradually begun to realize that rather than giving missions, the Stone of Destiny was using the only method it could to give him well-intentioned warnings.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 471