The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

"Damn it!"

  "Careful of the arrows!"

  Howls and shouts came out of the darkness. None of the White Braves had expected such a strong volley of arrows at close range. Wang Chong's 'beehives' had been hidden very well and given no warning, leading the White Braves to suffer more than one hundred casualties.

  In a battle involving tens or hundreds of thousands of soldiers, this loss was insignificant, but to the five or six thousand White Braves, this was no small wound.

  "Raise shields!"

  "Defend!"

  At this moment, the ferocity of the White Braves revealed itself. Despite the furious volley of arrows, not a single White Brave retreated. In the dim light of the fires, the White Braves lowered their bodies and reached under their horses. When they stood up again, they each clutched a thick plate shield in their hand.

  The shields were raised into the sky, and in the blink of an eye, they were linked into a massive 'wall' that blocked all the arrows.

  "Everyone, get up there and open the gate! Attack the City of Steel!" someone who appeared like an officer of the White Braves harshly shouted. The moment he finished speaking, even more hooks crossed the forty meters of distance to latch onto the wall.

  Not only that, under the rain of arrows, several White Braves equipped with strange armor mounted their horses and charged toward the walls under the cover of the shields.

  Chapter 732: Counterattack

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Bang!

  A few moments later, a crash attracted the attention of everyone on the walls. They all turned and saw that a part of the walls nearby seemed to be flaking apart.

  Next to this crack crouched several White Braves with unusually strong auras, who were seemingly deepening this crack.

  Metal element warriors!

  Cheng Sanyuan's pupils constricted and he paled. Wang Chong's City of Steel was extremely sturdy, but this was its greatest weakness. When going up against powerful Metal element warriors, the tough walls instantly became like paper.

  "Someone! Target that area immediately!"

  Cheng Sanyuan immediately ordered over some archers, but before the arrows could land, they were blocked by the thick shields. The volley of arrows was stopped before some of the arrows could even be fired.

  A few of the arrows were even diverted by the Metal element warriors to shoot back toward the walls.

  No matter how sharp the arrow, they would all be much weaker against Metal element warriors.

  Cheng Sanyuan's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but turn to Wang Chong. "Lord Marquis!"

  The enemy was far more prepared than he had imagined. If this continued, the Tibetans wouldn't even need to open the gates to create hole after hole in the walls.

  In the blustery winds, Wang Chong gazed at the distant furnace fires, apparently not hearing a single word.

  "Lord Marquis, Lord Marquis…"

  Cheng Sanyuan's heart was thumping, and he couldn't help but call out a few more times.

  "There's no need to worry. No matter how many Metal element warriors they use, they won't be able to open a hole until at least daybreak."

  Wang Chong's voice was indifferent, his expression calm. He continued to look forward, no change on his face.

  Cheng Sanyuan froze for a moment, upon which he finally realized that though Wang Chong had not said anything, he was keeping note of every shift on the battlefield. But what surprised Cheng Sanyuan the most was still Wang Chong's last few words.

  Everyone knew the power of Metal element warriors, so Cheng Sanyuan had no idea why Wang Chong was sure that they wouldn't be able to break through the walls.

  "Yes, Lord Marquis."

  Though doubtful, Cheng Sanyuan managed to suppress his worries.

  On the other end, Wang Chong had perceived Cheng Sanyuan's doubts, but he chose not to explain. This City of Steel had been constructed using an immense amount of gold, an expense that many people couldn't possibly imagine.

  If anyone believed that this was a city made of pure metal, then they were making a grave mistake. In the lowest layer of the wall, Wang Chong had installed far too many large-scale defensive inscriptions, toughening inscriptions, and even repulsion inscriptions.

  Besides that, Wang Chong had also added thousands of small-scale inscriptions.

  Without exaggeration, one could claim that this steel was even more valuable than gold.

  If Metal element warriors wanted to break these walls, it wasn't impossible, but the time and energy they would need to pay would definitely be far more than they expected.

  Just like Wang Chong had said, on the basis of the enemy's abilities, they wouldn't be able to get through the walls before daybreak, so Wang Chong wasn't concerned at all.

  Wang Chong was currently worried about something else.

  Something's wrong. What are you thinking…

  Wang Chong squinted into the distance as he inwardly muttered to himself.

  Cavalry was meant for charging on the battlefield, not assaulting a city. Even though they had brought battering rams, ropes, and hooks with them, it was still a waste of skills. Since his enemy had made so many preparations, even wrapping the hooves of their mounts, they should have understood that these methods would not be able to break the gate.

  The problem then was, what exactly was the enemy's goal? Or to put it differently, what was the true target of their attack?

  Wang Chong had been hailed as the War Saint of the Central Plains, and he had even played with renowned figures like Huoshu Huicang and Dalun Ruozan in the palm of his hand.

  No plan or tactic could hide from his eyes. Wang Chong could clearly sense that something was wrong.

  Clangclangclang! He suddenly heard the sharp ringing of metal. The first batch of White Braves had finally succeeded in getting past the forty meters of distance and the rain of arrows to mount the wall. Rumble! There was a metal clattering as pitch-black war halos began to resonate and shimmer beneath their feet. A wave of energy exploded, sending the guards on the wall screaming into the air.

  The warriors of the steppe, the strongest cavalry of Ü-Tsang, were finally revealing their powerful cultivation. Each of the White Braves had reached Tier 1 or 2 of the Profound Martial realm. Although these White Braves had been trained using the secret arts of the Great Snow Mountain and could not compare to the Profound Martial generals in the army, they were completely capable of crushing the elites of other armies.

  The various great clans had dispatched their best experts to protect the city during its construction, but they were simply no match for the White Braves.

  "Don't panic!"

  "Work together and attack as one!"

  "Not good! They're far too powerful!"

  "Ah!"

  Screams filled the air. Although the experts from the clans had attempted to attack in groups, it took mere moments for the stalwart White Braves to send them flying.

  "Kill!"

  "Kill!"

  Roaring in Tibetan, the White Braves who were usually tasked with guarding the royal capital and protecting the Tsenpo displayed their crushing power. Like tigers amongst sheep, they began to wreak havoc amongst the guards.

  Not a single person on the walls was able to take a single blow from them, causing the people within the city to pale.

  "Just who are these people?"

  "They're just ordinary soldiers. How could they be this powerful!"

  ……

  Every person had been given a deep shock. They all knew that the guards on the walls were well-trained and possessed abnormal strength. They usually only needed a few moments to gather together, and whenever they walked, they always had an erect posture, brimming with vitality.

  Those workmen hiding in the city who had originally believed themselves to be very safe began to panic.

  As the White Braves charged up the walls and seemed on the verge of opening the gates, the only person who remained calm was Wang
Chong.

  It's about time, Wang Chong quietly said to himself as he stood on the city wall. His expression was calm, as if everything was proceeding as expected. It seemed like nothing in the world could affect him, nothing in the world could exceed his predictions.

  Rumble!

  There was suddenly a deafening boom. A group of twenty to thirty soldiers, dressed in black armor, strode out from the shadow of the walls, their gaze sharp and their strength not one bit inferior to the White Braves.

  A man of around thirty years, who seemed to be the leader of this group, stood at the head of this force. He drew a Wootz Steel sword and harshly shouted, "Get ready! Attack!"

  Clangclangclang! Each of the soldiers drew their own Wootz Steel sword, the sharp tips aimed at the sky, a dense forest of swords glimmering in the starlight.

  Boom! In the blink of an eye, this group of soldiers had assumed formation and begun charging toward the White Braves on the wall. As they charged, Halos of Thorns began to emerge from their bodies, one halo after another spreading beneath their feet and strengthening them.

  Bang! Stellar Energy exploded and waves of energy churned. The two sides were quickly engaged in a fierce melee, filling the air with the clashing of metal and explosions of sparks.

  The unstoppable White Braves suddenly found themselves facing formidable resistance. Not only were they facing opponents of similar levels of strength, these opponents had Wootz Steel swords that could cut through iron like mud. The White Braves on the walls found themselves being forced back, and began to pale.

  "Kill them!"

  Xu Keyi's voice rang out, and the black-armored warriors quickly paired up, each pair becoming a small formation. The first would slash at the enemy's right or left arm while the second would aim for the head.

  One by one, the White Braves began to fall.

  On this trip to the City of Steel, Wang Chong had only brought twenty to thirty Profound Martial elite soldiers with him. Unlike the other elites, these were the best of the best. Wang Chong had used the combined influence of King Song, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Xianyu Zhongtong, his father Wang Yan, and his grandfather Wang Jiuling to transfer them here.

  In the City of Steel, the soldiers led by Cheng Sanyuan and Su Shixuan were only the first line of defense. The walls of the City of Steel could be considered the second line. As for Xu Keyi's soldiers, they were equipped with Meteoric Metal armor and Wootz Steel swords, and each of them was at the Profound Martial realm.

  They were the third line of defense.

  Wushang had a complicated terrain and was surrounded by many factions, and it was hard to say that one would encounter ordinary warriors every time. If some experts were to attack, experts of the same level were needed to combat them.

  It was for this reason that Xu Keyi's group had been formed.

  "Everyone, get ready!"

  On the other side, Cheng Sanyuan and Su Shixuan were growing increasingly nervous as more and more White Braves mounted the walls.

  Clang! With a furious roar, Cheng Sanyuan and the others drew their swords. Taking up a simple formation of six or seven people, they charged toward the White Braves.

  Bangbangbang!

  The two sides were instantly engaged in combat. Although the White Braves were powerful, they were much less formidable than the formation containing Cheng Sanyuan and Su Shixuan.

  Squelch! Swords plunged through the necks beneath the chinks in the armor, stabbing into flesh. The White Braves began to fall, their eyes wide open and their bodies twitching.

  In a one-on-one battle, none of Wang Chong's soldiers were a match for the White Braves, but if they worked together, it was the White Braves that were no match.

  And in the end, the White Braves were still cavalry. By forsaking their warhorses and climbing the walls, they had given up their largest advantage.

  But for the White Braves, the true sound of death was still coming.

  Chapter 733: Ballista Team

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Everyone else, stand aside!"

  Thirty-some zhang from the most intense area of fighting, several black-armored soldiers kneeled on the ground, the swords in their hands pointed straight ahead.

  "Ready!"

  "Fire!"

  Twang!

  A bowstring vibrated and there was a massive boom as a long black arrow pierced through the air, instantly crossing the thirty-some zhang of distance. It struck a White Brave who had just climbed onto the wall, the enormous power bringing him over the wall and plunging him into the darkness.

  A stalwart White Brave on the wall saw the large machine next to the black-armored soldiers and immediately paled. "Ballistae! Careful!"

  On the battlefield, ballistae would always be one of the greatest threats to cavalry. No matter how many toughening or defensive inscriptions were added to their plate armor, they would never be able to stop the nightmarish ballistae.

  No one could have imagined that Wang Chong would use these inflexible, direct-firing, and rather inaccurate ballistae to defend the walls.

  In contrast to an open battlefield where two armies clashed, the walls of the City of Steel were narrow, with no space to turn around. In addition, the distance of thirty-some zhang was far too little for the White Braves to dodge the bolts.

  "Dodge!"

  "Careful!"

  ……

  The White Braves were all astonished and startled. Although Wang Chong only had four ballistae on the walls, the terror of these four ballistae was far more than any number of soldiers could bring.

  Anyone struck by a bolt was certain to die.

  All the White Braves instantly felt a helpless fear and found it difficult to fully utilize their strength.

  "Rah! Let me do it! I'll kill them all!" a White Brave growled in Tibetan, his expression savage as he pulled out his scimitar and leapt forward. He wanted to convert his extreme speed into a jump that would bring him to the black-armored soldiers so that he could kill them all and destroy the ballistae.

  But the White Brave could only make it several zhang before, boom! A pitch-black bolt thundered through his chest, sending his corpse flying and bringing it down almost one hundred zhang past the wall.

  "Next one!"

  "Ready!"

  The officer commanding the four ballistae had an ashen complexion, but he remained extremely calm. After shooting down that White Brave, he immediately ordered for the next bolt to be loaded and aimed for the next shot.

  The soldiers operating the ballistae seemed ordinary, but they were all elites that Wang Chong had selected from the Annan Protectorate. They were also involved in one of Wang Chong's new ballista experiments.

  The greatest flaw of ballistae was the fact that they could only fire straight and lacked flexibility, making them very easy to dodge. Moreover, the manufacturing costs for the ballista bolts was extremely high. Thus, Wang Chong was attempting an experiment.

  He had selected the soldiers from the army who displayed incredible talent in operating ballistae and formed them into small teams. In this way, he could somewhat resolve the problem of accuracy. In addition, this team of talented ballista operators would be able to display the might of the ballistae to their maximum extent.

  From the current situation, it seemed like Wang Chong's experiment was bearing results.

  The only problem was that ballistae were still a weapon under the control of the Imperial Court. Wang Chong could construct as many ballista bolts as he wanted, but he could not do the same for ballistae.

  Even transferring these four ballistae had required Wang Chong to use King Song's influence in the court and a special application.

  Twang!

  Boom after boom filled the City of Steel, echoing far into the darkness. There might have been only four ballistae on the walls, but operated by those ballista teams, they fired very frequently.

  The frequency of ballista fire made it seem like there were thirty
or forty ballistae rather than just four. The White Braves on the wall were almost completely suppressed.

  A few of the White Braves attempted to use other soldiers to cover them, but it was clear that all the White Braves had underestimated the accuracy of these four ballistae. Once the ballistae were visually calibrated, the White Braves would be shot the moment they revealed themselves.

  The appearance of these four ballistae instantly altered the course of the battle on the walls.

  ……

  "Wonderful! I knew Lord Marquis would have a way!"

  "No wonder Lord Marquis didn't move. He already predicted all this!"

  "Haha, Lord Marquis is a divine strategist. Not even the Tibetans or Mengshe Zhao were a match for him. I was just saying that these enemies could never stop him!"

  "Heheh, and just who was trembling in fear just now?!"

  The more than one hundred thousand workmen had been silently observing the battle from within the city this entire time. When they saw this sight, they instantly became confident. Wang Chong was the nail that kept the entire City of Steel firm.

  Although they had all been somewhat dissatisfied to see Wang Chong just standing on the wall, by now, no one dared to doubt him.

  In the distance, Wang Chong's back was illuminated in the swaying light of the fires, his clothes flapping in the wind. At this moment, the crowd saw Wang Chong's back as a majestic and stable mountain.

  Plans made in the tent can decide victory one thousand li away. Whether it's the southwest or the northwest, no matter what it is, as long as he wants it, nothing can escape his grasp. It's no wonder so many great clans in the capital want to build relationships with him, giving him whatever he wants, whether it's people or money.

  Because if they follow him, they'll always be able to succeed!

  While the workmen in the city were chattering, nearby, no one noticed that Zhang Shouzhi was silently watching Wang Chong, mentally sighing in emotion.

  Of all the craftsmen, he had been the first to follow Wang Chong and had experienced life and death with him. Thus, Zhang Shouzhi had a rather good understanding of Wang Chong.

  But the more he understood Wang Chong, the more admiration and respect Zhang Shouzhi felt for this teenager.