The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Rumble! The earth shook as thousands of warhorses picked up speed, exploding with an energy as weighty as a mountain as they surged toward the City of Steel.

  But it was at this moment that Wang Chong, with the help of the light from the blazing furnaces, was able to see white symbols on the warhorses of this mysterious cavalry force.

  Those were complex, white-colored religious symbols.

  When he saw those white symbols on the horses, Wang Chong suddenly paled.

  "Cheng Sanyuan! Su Shixuan! Quickly withdraw!"

  This anxious shout was like a peal of thunder, frightening everyone. Cheng Sanyuan and Su Shixuan turned their heads, dumbstruck. They were already ready to attack, and they had never expected Wang Chong to give the order to retreat.

  "This is an order!" Wang Chong said through clenched teeth, his expression ashen. His eyes were not on Cheng Sanyuan and Su Shixuan, but fixed on that distant cavalry charging toward them like bolts of lightning.

  The White Braves!

  This thought had thrown Wang Chong's mind into turmoil. He had only just now recognized those white religious symbols.

  In all the world, only one cavalry force would paint those unique white symbols on their horses.

  The Ü-Tsang White Braves!

  Everyone in the world could acknowledge one fact, and this was that the power of a cavalry charge was much greater than an infantry charge. And amongst all cavalry, the Arabian cavalry was the most formidable.

  Ü-Tsang's White Braves were the only force that could compare to the Arabian cavalry, even stand on equal ground with the elite Mamelukes.

  The Arabian Mamelukes, equipped with the peerlessly sharp Wootz Steel swords, had contributing greatly to defeating the Great Tang at the Battle of Talas. In the later advance into the Western Regions, they had been invincible, sweeping aside the various kingdoms.

  The nearby Ü-Tsang Empire quickly became their next target!

  When the Mamelukes turned their sights to the Tibetan Plateau, the Ü-Tsang Empire suffered grievous casualties, with the northern lines being almost completely run through. But then the Mamelukes encountered Ü-Tsang's White Braves!

  In that battle, the hundred-some thousand Mamelukes, each equipped with a Wootz Steel sword, ran into only four or five thousand Ü-Tsang White Braves, yet the White Braves managed to barely hold on and block their advance.

  Although the White Braves had suffered bitter casualties, almost being completely wiped out, the Mamelukes suffered nearly five thousand casualties, an unprecedented wound.

  This had been the greatest wound the Mamelukes had received since the beginning of their eastern campaign. It was for this reason that the Abbasid Caliphate eventually gave up its desire for the Tibetan Plateau.

  One could easily imagine the strength of the White Braves!

  The officers that Wang Chong had trained might have been well-disciplined, might have experienced the fierce combat of the southwestern war, but they were far from reaching the strength of the Arabian Mamelukes, much less the Ü-Tsang White Braves who could contend against them.

  Each member of the White Braves was at the Profound Martial realm. They were normally assigned to guarding the royal capital, and would only be dispatched on important missions, rarely involving themselves in ordinary wars.

  Wang Chong had never expected that the renowned and valiant White Braves of Ü-Tsang would appear here, outside his City of Steel.

  "Withdraw!"

  Outside the city, Cheng Sanyuan gritted his teeth. Although he was reluctant, he still chose to give the retreat order. Rumble!The city gate opened, and all the soldiers flooded in as they withdrew.

  "Where are you going!"

  A thunderous roar suddenly came from the distance. Before the voice had faded away, thwish! A sharp whistle came out of the darkness. Before anyone could react, an arrow shot out, instantly crossing the vast distance toward the neck of a horseman that was currently retreating into the city.

  The shot was incredibly precise!

  There was no armor to protect this area, so an arrow striking there meant certain death.

  "Careful!"

  Cheng Sanyuan's pupils constricted and his face paled. The enemy had shot this arrow with incredible speed and with no warning. At the very least, this horseman had not noticed. Clang!Cheng Sanyuan immediately slashed down.

  Bang! Sword clashed against arrow, jolting it away. Yet the massive force behind the arrow made it seem like he had not slashed against an arrow, but at the ground.

  Crack! Cheng Sanyuan heard something break as his arm went limp and dropped.

  Cheng Sanyuan finally grimaced.

  "Hurry and close the gate!" Cheng Sanyuan immediately shouted.

  Rumble! Each gate of the City of Steel was manned by elite and well-trained soldiers. With Cheng Sanyuan's order, the foot-thick gates weighing nearly ten thousand jin swiftly closed.

  Right after the gates closed, whistling could be heard as a rain of arrows arrived. They crashed against the gate, unable to break through.

  But when these arrows struck the gate, they let out thunderous booms that rang in everyone's ears. At this moment, everyone had grim expressions.

  "Wang Chong, who are these people?" said a voice at his ear. Although this was only the first wave of attacks, even Bai Siling had felt that something was wrong.

  "Ordinary soldiers could never be this strong, and their commander wrapped the hooves of the warhorses! These people have definitely come prepared, and they're far stronger than the average cavalry force," Zhao Yatong grimly said.

  All warhorses had iron horseshoes on their hooves, so when thousands of cavalry were charging, they produced a frightening sound. Thus, it was very strange that these cavalry had somehow not managed to produce a single noise in the vicinity of the City of Steel.

  There was only one explanation for this.

  The opponent had come prepared by wrapping the hooves in thick cloth so that the sound of the hooves hitting the ground would be muffled.

  Zhao Yatong and the others quickly turned to Wang Chong.

  Based on the standard procedure, when an enemy attacked, Cheng Sanyuan and Su Shixuan would gather all the guards and experts and charge the foe.

  But before the battle had even begun, Wang Chong had called for a retreat. It was obvious that he had noticed something.

  "I'll tell you all later, but visitors never come with good intentions and those with good intentions wouldn't come. I can only tell you that the opponents this time are more formidable than we've imagined!"

  Wang Chong looked into the darkness with a grave expression.

  Not many people in the Central Plains knew of the White Braves, and if too many people knew about, it would only damage morale, which was certainly not a good thing.

  Ü-Tsang is actually using the White Braves to deal with me. It seems like the matter of spreading the plague over the Tibetan Plateau has made me a thorn in their sides. Even the Tsenpo is taking notice, Wang Chong quietly said to himself.

  The White Braves protected the royal capital and were not permitted to leave without the Tsenpo's permission, especially not to a place as distant as the City of Steel. In this operation, Wang Chong could sense the thick stench of vengeance as well as a firm resolve, an oath to kill!

  It seemed like the war of the southwest had become a deep-seated grudge in the heart of every Tibetan.

  This was certainly no good feeling!

  But these thoughts plagued Wang Chong's mind for only a few moments, and his eyes quickly became clear and calm.

  Wang Chong raised an arm into the air and declared, "Pass on my order! Prepare for battle!"

  The atmosphere had become extremely tense. All the workmen had retreated into the city, not even daring to breathe too loudly. On the walls, the clan experts nocked their arrows and aimed them out of the city.

  Gallop!

  The sound of hooves grew more and more concentrated, louder and louder. They seemed to be gall
oping on the hearts of everyone present, making the atmosphere increasingly tense.

  In the City of Steel, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

  Closer!

  Closer and closer!

  ……

  Boom! A blazing furnace outside the city walls seemed to be struck by some strange monster, hurtling into the air.

  The sky was suddenly filled with embers. In the light of these embers, one could see the flickering shadows of countless cavalry, like devils howling through the underworld.

  "Kill!"

  In a flash, those horsemen in the shadows had reached the walls. Their eyes were savage, and each of them exuded the ruthless energy of some primordial beast.

  Creak! Bowstrings went taut as the clan experts lined up and began to pull back on their bows, their arrows targeted at the White Braves outside the city.

  "Wait!"

  Wang Chong raised his right hand, causing the sounds to stop.

  "Now is not the time to fire. Everyone, wait for my order!"

  Wang Chong's face was incomparably stern. If these Tibetan cavalry were the same White Braves from his memories, then an ordinary arrow volley would be absolutely useless against them.

  Chapter 731: Attack on the City!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Tibetan cavalry used extremely thick and heavy plate armor, and the armor of the White Braves was even heavier and sturdier. Not only that, their armor was also strengthened with many toughening inscriptions.

  This had been the reason they were able to fight against the Mamelukes of the Abbasid Caliphate!

  Thwish! Thwish! Thwish!

  On the wall, Wang Chong's forces had chosen restraint, but the White Braves down below had chosen the completely opposite strategy. A shrill whistling filled the air as a dense rain of arrows shot toward the wall.

  It seemed like even space itself was being torn apart.

  When she saw the long tears left in the wake of the arrows, even Bai Siling paled.

  "Careful!"

  "Dodge them!

  Shouts could be heard on the walls as the clan experts, and even Bai Siling and Zhao Yatong, chose to dodge or hide from the arrows.

  These arrows contained an incredible power, and not even these two women were sure that they could block them.

  The only person who remained unmoving in the face of this violent storm of arrows was Wang Chong. His face was calm and unchanged.

  Boom!

  Hundreds of arrows with enough strength to shatter rock and bore through metal exploded toward him. But when these arrows were still several zhang from Wang Chong, they suddenly froze in the air.

  Bzzt! Wang Chong blinked, and there was a cold flash of light in the darkness. Suddenly, the countless arrows around him began to rotate under the force of some invisible energy, crashing into and pulverizing each other before dropping to the ground.

  Even the roars from the White Braves outside grew quieter for a moment. On the walls, all the clan experts and guards looked toward Wang Chong with deep reverence.

  The unmoving Wang Chong amidst the rain of arrows seemed like a god, bolstering and supporting their morale.

  "Ready!"

  "Raise the auxiliary walls!"

  With the creaking of gears, thick and angled metal plates began to rise from the walls, protecting the people behind them.

  Mere moments after these plates were raised, the second wave of attacks from the White Braves arrived. Ten-some White Braves were dragging a long, silvery-white object. Driven by the high speeds of the warhorses, it appeared like a shooting star as it flew toward the lofty gate.

  A panicked shout came from the wall. "Careful! It's a battering ram!"

  At this moment, everyone could clearly see that the silvery-white object had an extremely sharp tip. This was clearly a sharp battering ram of five or six zhang in length.

  The surface of this battering ram was covered in complicated silver patterns. Anyone in the army was familiar with these patterns as countless sharpening inscriptions.

  These sharpening inscriptions were always used on the best siege weapons, so that even a steel gate several feet thick could be run through.

  Bang!

  Before there was any time to think, everyone heard a massive boom. At that moment, the entire City of Steel hummed and shuddered as if it had actually been struck by a shooting star.

  Before the effects of the first strike had faded away, another set of galloping hooves could be heard. The second silver battering ram from the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple had arrived, hurtling forward as fast a lightning bolt.

  Boom! A second earth-shattering crash rang out in everyone's ears.

  "Lord Marquis!"

  Su Shixuan looked at Wang Chong, his face ghastly pale. If these attacks continued, the gate wouldn't be able to last for long.

  At the start, neither he nor Cheng Sanyuan had understood why Wang Chong had ordered them to retreat, but now, even Su Shixuan at his lowest could tell that this enemy was different from others, was no ordinary group of cavalry.

  No ordinary cavalry force would also bring battering rams with them while charging on the battlefield.

  This wave of enemies was far more formidable and prepared than he had imagined.

  "There's no need to worry. No matter sort of siege weapons they use, they'll never be able to open the gates of the City of Steel."

  Wang Chong's voice was flat, neither too loud nor too soft, yet it contained an intimidating strength.

  The White Braves were nearly invincible in a charge on open ground, and the cavalry under him were simply no match for them. But sturdy walls were a completely different matter.

  Wang Chong knew what Su Shixuan was worried about, but this sort of situation would not occur.

  The gates of the City of Steel were not made of ordinary steel, but the Meteoric Metal that Wang Chong had imported from overseas. No matter how many sharpening inscriptions those battering rams had or how powerful the White Braves' charge was, they would never be able to break through the gates of Meteoric Metal.

  And besides that, Wang Chong had even added many defensive inscriptions onto the gates.

  Ü-Tsang isn't good at manufacturing things, so they would never be able to forge such a high-level item. It must be a product of the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple.

  Wang Chong's mind was abuzz with activity. The regard Ü-Tsang had placed on him was constantly surpassing his expectations, but no matter what they had planned, they would never be able to succeed.

  The City of Steel was his dream built on his blood and sweat. In order to give himself a foothold here, he had made ample preparations. Not even the mighty White Braves would be able to break his walls.

  "Tell Xu Keyi to start getting ready!" Wang Chong said.

  "Yes, Lord Marquis!"

  A messenger quickly left with the order.

  Outside the City of Steel, the White Braves were only just getting started in their assault. Boom! Boom! Boom! The silver battering rams struck again and again, crashing against the gates.

  At the same time, there was a metal clattering as five-clawed hooks caught onto the edge of the walls.

  "Up!"

  With a roar, several hundred White Braves dismounted and began to climb up the walls along the ropes attached to the hooks.

  "Everyone, come with me! Stop them!"

  Su Shixuan grimaced and unsheathed his sword, the first to emerge from the cover of the auxiliary walls and rush toward the hooks.

  Fully-armored soldiers rushed to catch up with him.

  Every person outside the walls had extraordinary strength. If they succeeded in mounting the walls using these hooks and opened the gate, the more than one hundred thousand workmen within the city would be exposed.

  The City of Steel would be the site of a massacre!

  Clangclangclang! Swords hacked at the hooks, severing the ropes. Without the ropes, the White Braves droppe
d back to the ground.

  But before they hit the ground, the White Braves cast out their right hands, causing yet another set of five-clawed hooks to latch onto the walls. The White Braves immediately restarted their rapid ascent…

  "Sir Zhang!"

  Just when the Tibetan assault was at its most intense, when Wang Chong could see that the White Braves had packed the base of the wall, he suddenly turned his head to Zhang Shouzhi, who was being protected by several guards.

  "It's about time for us to use the beehives."

  "Mm."

  Zhang Shouzhi nodded and turned around, quickly descending the walls.

  Although he was only skilled in construction, Zhang Shouzhi had been with Wang Chong during the war of the southwest, so he was not completely ignorant in military affairs. These people were formidable cavalry, yet they also had battering rams and hooks, tools that cavalry usually did not use.

  These were clearly not ordinary opponents.

  But no matter who they were, they had clearly underestimated Wang Chong's convictions in building his city here and the preparations he had made.

  Buzz!

  While hundreds of White Braves were trying to get up the walls along the hooked ropes, none of them noticed that a dense honeycomb of holes had appeared on the wall, fifteen meters from the ground.

  The cold glimmer of arrows could faintly be seen within these holes.

  Boom! In a flash, thousands of arrows suddenly exploded from these holes, enveloping the White Braves outside. This sudden attack caught the White Braves completely off-guard.

  Dingdingding! Countless arrows landed harmlessly against thick armor, but tens of thousands of arrows had been fired from the wall, and there was no means of dodging them at such close distances. Plushplushplush! Arrow after arrow managed to find a chink in the armor, shooting into unprotected areas like the neck.

  Thudthudthud!

  In a flash, thirty or forty White Braves who had been caught off-guard dropped to the ground, their corpses sprinkling the battlefield. Others had their ropes severed by the sudden arrow volley and dropped to the ground. In addition, the White Braves outside the walls were also caught in the arrow volley. Squelchsquelchsquelch! Seventy or eighty White Braves were shot dead.