The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  The intelligence and resolve he had shown far surpassed his age. The more one interacted with him, the more one would trust him, would want to follow and assist him.

  On the walls, Wang Chong had no idea what these people were thinking. His thoughts were on the strategic level, far above the battle before him.

  It's about time. Just where is it…

  Wang Chong's mind was currently whirring with thoughts.

  No matter how formidable the White Braves were, using them to besiege a city was putting the cart before the horse, so Wang Chong had never regarded them as a true threat. His thoughts were on other matters.

  Did I overestimate them? Someone who could think about using cloth to wrap hooves and bring battering rams from the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple shouldn't be an ordinary opponent. Just what are you up to…

  Wang Chong's brow furrowed as he silently thought. From the very start, he had noticed that something was wrong.

  Dingdingding! A metallic clattering rang out in his ears, and Wang Chong focused. In front of him, several hooks had flown up and latched onto the wall.

  In just a few moments, there was a roaring at his ears as red-eyed White Braves began to climb up the walls and appear before Wang Chong. Without a word, the White Braves pulled out their scimitars and began to hack down at Wang Chong.

  "Hmph, not knowing your own strength!"

  As Wang Chong broke his train of thought, he sneered. It was true that each White Brave was a Profound Martial expert, armed to the teeth and with incredible defensive capabilities.

  But even though they could contend against the powerful Mamelukes, they were just grasshoppers trying to stop a carriage to him. Against these charging White Braves with eyes of bloodlust, Wang Chong didn't even move, allowing them to slash at him.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Each White Brave slashed with all his strength, thunderous blows aimed at Wang Chong. A full-strength blow from these White Braves could even cleave apart mountains. But against Wang Chong, their scimitars seemed to strike an invisible wall several zhang out and were frozen in the air.

  "What's going on?"

  "What evil art is this fellow using?"

  "Why can't I move my scimitar?"

  "Pull it back! Back!"

  "Everyone, work together to kill him! He can't deal with all of us!"

  The White Braves were both shocked and furious, caught completely off-guard by this sight. Not in all the battles they had participated in had they seen a sight like this.

  But what frightened them the most was that flat and unconcerned voice.

  "Is that so?"

  These words were not spoken in Han, but in the Tibetan that they were all familiar with.

  "It's that Han!"

  All the White Braves stared in fear at Wang Chong, and when he raised his head to look at them, all of them felt an ill foreboding.

  "Run! Run!!" one of the Tibetans shouted out, and in the blink of an eye, all of them felt an intense danger that made their scalps go numb.

  Driven by some instinct, they abandoned their scimitars and fled, but it was already too late.

  Boom! Wang Chong blinked, and there was a cold flash of light. A powerful energy instantly began to pull all the White Braves back toward Wang Chong.

  "Careful!"

  "My Stellar Energy! He's absorbing our energy!"

  "Evil art! He knows evil arts!"

  "Ah!!"

  The strongest warriors of the Tibetan Plateau were now in complete panic, a primordial fear emerging in their eyes. Before the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art, the White Braves were helpless, unable to even move a muscle as their Stellar Energy flooded out of them and surged into Wang Chong's body.

  Not only that, even their thick plate armor, inscribed with so many defensive and toughening inscriptions, began to twist, crumple, deform, and constrict under the force of Wang Chong's technique.

  "Ah!"

  There was a short burst of screams before all eight of the White Braves were compressed into balls of flesh and metal, dropping around Wang Chong.

  The battle had begun quickly and ended even more quickly. Eight fierce White Braves had not even managed to get close to Wang Chong before having all their energy absorbed and being killed.

  Chapter 734: Dayan Mangban!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Seeking your own deaths!"

  Wang Chong didn't even glance at the remains as he quickly collected himself.

  With his current level of strength, even ordinary Saint Martial experts were no match for him. As soon as he had the chance, he could suck them dry of energy. These White Braves were only at the Profound Martial realm.

  Wang Chong didn't even need to move for those White Braves to all die around him.

  With a wave of his sleeve, Wang Chong sent the corpses of the White Braves rolling over the wall and down below.

  Rumble!

  Just when Wang Chong was beginning to move his attention to scan the area, it happened. Without the slightest warning, an earth-shattering boom came from within the City of Steel, followed soon after by miserable screams.

  "Ah!"

  "Shit! It's a spy! A Tibetan!"

  "Save me, save me! My leg!"

  "Run, run!"

  The originally calm city instantly turned into mayhem, with screams, explosions, pleas for mercy, crashes, and waves of energy adding to the din. In just a few moments, the atmosphere in the City of Steel had completely transformed.

  The controlled situation had suddenly become fraught with tension, and countless more variables had appeared.

  "This is impossible!"

  The Great Tang warriors on the wall were trembling in fear as they turned in shock toward the screaming below. Wang Chong himself had turned around even more quickly. For a single moment, the entire wall was quiet, as still as a grave.

  Even the black-armored soldiers operating the ballistae couldn't help but turn and look in shock.

  The City of Steel was the most defended place in the region of Wushang, and no place in the City of Steel was more heavily guarded than the inner city. In addition, all the workmen and craftsmen taking part in the construction were Han. Not a single one was Hu.

  Moreover, all of them had their backgrounds and families registered in the Bureau of Revenue, verified by the officials and great clans in the capital. Besides that, all of the workmen had crew leaders, the crew leaders had foremen, the foremen had chief foremen… There was layer after layer of accountability, making it simply impossible for outsiders to sneak in.

  The City of Steel was also guarded by several thousand guards and cavalry that maintained a perimeter ten li out from the city.

  One could say that even though Wang Chong's City of Steel had many people, it was probably the hardest place in the Western Regions to sneak into. In addition, Tibetans looked completely different from the Han. Even if the White Braves were taller than the average Tibetan, they still had very different physical features. Just the red blush characteristic of the plateau on their faces made them easy to pick out.

  This was not something that could be hidden by a taller body!

  Just how had these Tibetans managed to sneak in?

  "Over there!"

  At this moment, no one was more composed than Wang Chong. Although he was surprised at the start, he suddenly felt like he had found the answer to all his questions. From the start of the battle, Wang Chong had never been able to clear up a single problem: why were these people so confident that they could break the City of Steel?

  Just by relying on these battering rams and hooks?

  Assaulting a city was completely different from a battle on the open field, and such methods were meaningless. Only when he heard the screams from within the city did Wang Chong finally understand.

  The opponent this time was far more difficult to deal with than he had imagined, and far more frightening.

  Although Wang Chong
still didn't know exactly how it had been done, there was no question that his enemy had managed to pass the many safeguards of the City of Steel and had also succeeded in altering his appearance enough to sneak into the city.

  These spies hidden within the city were his enemy's true trump card.

  I truly want to know just who is the leader of this attack! Wang Chong quietly said to himself, his eyes turning cold and sharp.

  He had encountered his fair share of renowned Tibetan generals. Whether it was the slain generals Tumi Sangzha, Longqinba, or Jiaosiluo, or the even higher-ranked Huoshu Huicang and Dalun Ruozan, he knew the style of these generals like the back of his hand.

  But this Tibetan general had a completely different style. The muffled hooves, the feint attack, the plate shields, Metal element warriors, hooks, battering rams, infiltrators within the city, and even attacking by night to avoid being observed by birds—Wang Chong had never encountered any Tibetan general who used such tactics.

  This was a complete departure from the straightforward nature of Tibetans, and in some aspects, this general was even craftier than some of the generals of the Central Plains who were well-versed in military strategy. Not even the Fox of the Battlefield, Yao Guangyi, could compare to this mysterious commander.

  Wang Chong found it very hard to recall a Tibetan general that was this hard to deal with!

  But the urgent task at hand was to take care of the mayhem in the city. Otherwise, the massacre of the powerless workmen would lead to such chaos that the gates might end up falling.

  Buzz!

  Without any time to think carefully, Wang Chong leapt off the walls. But the moment he jumped, he suddenly felt a strange sensation behind him. What originally felt like a wheat bristle instantly began to expand, turning into a furious storm in a split second.

  "Heheheh, I've caught you…"

  An indifferent and cold laugh faintly echoed in his ears like a joke from the god of death. Although he could see nothing, Wang Chong immediately felt an intense danger.

  "Not good!"

  Wang Chong paled. His enemy had remained hidden here for some time, concealing his energy and waiting like a venomous snake. Only when Wang Chong was focused on the distant turmoil and revealed a flaw had he suddenly struck.

  And this strike was a fatal one.

  Not since his reincarnation had Wang Chong encountered such a sinister, cunning, and lethal foe.

  Bang!

  There was no time to think. An enormous storm of Stellar Energy exploded from Wang Chong's body, and he immediately pushed the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art to its limits. Visions of the sun and moon appeared on Wang Chong's shoulders.

  Boom! A sharp bolt of energy, imbued with a destructive energy, swept past Wang Chong's original position like a sharp arrow. It continued to travel for several hundred zhang, twisting the air in its wake until it eventually landed a hundred zhang from the gate in a fierce gale.

  The intense winds pounded against the gate, causing it to bang and rattle, and filling the defenders with fear.

  On the other end, Wang Chong had turned to look after barely dodging the strike, and the sight left him astonished.

  "Brat! Your reaction's rather good! You actually managed to dodge that."

  In a place close to Wang Chong's original position was a muscular and barbaric silhouette standing like a god, his right hand holding a black and red spear, more than one zhang long and thicker than a child's arm.

  His gaze was cold and arrogant, brimming with disdain. It seemed like nothing in the world was worthy of his acknowledgment, much less able to stand on the same level as him.

  But the most frightening of all was the savage, ruthless and murderous aura seething around him. It was like he existed solely to destroy all things of this world!

  Wang Chong had seen many experts, but never one as savage and dreadful as this, more like a crazed demon than a human. He was bursting with an intense desire to kill and destroy that he had never encountered in any other expert.

  "Just who are you?"

  Wang Chong looked gravely at that insane demon of a man, his mind in turmoil.

  This person was crafty and cunning, well-versed in the ways of strategy and tactics. And he was also patient and skilled in concealment. All this plus that thick killing intent that could only have been refined through mountains of corpses and seas of blood had completely upset Wang Chong's traditional impression of Tibetan generals and experts. It was enough to leave a deep brand on anyone's mind, leave them a sight that they could never forget!

  A powerful foe!

  Unquestionably powerful!

  Wang Chong knew that he had made an extremely terrifying opponent in the northwest, one that he had no recollection of.

  No!

  As his gaze passed over that black and red spear that seemed to want to even pierce the heavens, Wang Chong's eyes widened as his mind recalled a single person. The northwest was a complicated land. Ü-Tsang, the Great Tang, the Western Turks, the kingdoms of the Western Regions, and also the Abbasid Caliphate, Charax Spasinu, Sindhu… various factions intersected here, engaging in fierce combat every month.

  While determining a person's identity through their killing intent wasn't exactly difficult, it wasn't that easy either. But if one added to that the demonic spear that was so rarely used in the Western Regions in his right hand, the task was no longer very challenging.

  At the very least, Wang Chong's mind was able to quickly produce a result.

  It's him!!

  Wang Chong's eyes widened as his face turned even graver. Thick killing intent, cunning and hard to deal with, proficient in military strategy, Tibetan, black and red spear… When these bits of information were gathered together, a name immediately leapt out to Wang Chong.

  Dayan Mangban!

  A brigadier general of Ü-Tsang and a future Imperial Great General of illustrious name. For a time, his reputation had even surpassed that of traditional Ü-Tsang Great Generals like Dusong Mangpoje and Huoshu Huicang. He had even nipped at the heels of the King of Generals We Tadra Khonglo, and was called We Tadra Khonglo's successor!

  There was a period when this man was the most threatening existence to the Tang in its waning days, because he was mad, dangerous, bloodthirsty, yet also extremely intelligent. Most importantly, he had a very carefree way of thinking, and it was impossible to predict his actions using common sense.

  His bloodlust and madness meant that he would heedlessly and crazily do things that no normal person would do. And his incredible intelligence meant that every time he did strike, he would present a massive problem and threat to his opponents.

  He had fought with the Turks, the Arabs, the Characenians, the Sindhi, the Great Tang… The list of his targets was extremely long, and there were times when he even crossed one country to attack another.

  If not for the otherworldly invasion, Dayan Mangban would have been the number one target of the various factions in the northwest.

  But these were not the reasons Wang Chong knew of him. Rather, Wang Chong clearly remembered that Dayan Mangban was one of the two critical figures behind Qixi Protectorate's lack of soldiers.

  And the renowned White Braves of Ü-Tsang just so happened to be one of the armies he had led.

  And when the Mamelukes of the Abbasid Caliphate advanced on the plateau and were given a heavy blow by the White Braves, Dayan Mangban had been the Tibetan commander.

  Chapter 735: The Threat to Qixi!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  So it was him!

  Wang Chong clenched his fists, his killing intent swelling. Whether it was for the Great Tang or the thirty thousand soldiers of the Anxi Protectorate army, Wang Chong had to eliminate Dayan Mangban. And it was at precisely this moment that he heard that familiar voice ringing in his mind.

  【Impromptu Mission: 'The Threat to Qixi'!】

  【The star of an enemy general is slowly rising over the plate
au, appearing in the skies of Qixi. This is a general star that exists purely for slaughter and death. A loathing and a desire to destroy all things shrouds his heart. Only war can soothe his cravings, can make him feel joy and excitement. This is a threat to the empire, and even more a threat to Qixi!】

  【User has three months to destroy this general star of death. Otherwise, Qixi will be the first sacrifice to fall under his iron hooves. Mission completion will be rewarded with 400 points of Destiny Energy. Failure will result in a penalty of 2000 points of Destiny Energy.】

  【This mission is not optional and cannot be abandoned!】

  【The three months begin now!】

  ……

  Wang Chong momentarily froze upon hearing the voice. He had never expected the Stone of Destiny to issue a mission targeted at Dayan Mangban. Moreover, unlike other missions, this mission would not result in his death, but failure would result in a deduction of Destiny Energy as a penalty.

  Moreover, the penalty for failure was five times the reward!

  This also meant that in rewards and penalties, the Stone of Destiny favored heavy penalties so as to compel him to complete the mission. In addition, he was given only three months for this mission!

  It doesn't matter how much time is given or how much Destiny Energy will be deducted, because I'll be personally killing him!

  The thoughts quickly flitted out of his mind, and Wang Chong's right hand reached for his sword. Clang! His Wootz Steel sword was unsheathed, glimmering with cold and dazzling starlight.

  Wang Chong straightened his body, his eyes locking onto the nearby Dayan Mangban as a will to fight exploded out.

  The White Braves outside the city were no longer important. As long as he could kill Dayan Mangban, the battle would come to an end.

  "Hahaha, interesting! You're actually challenging me!"

  A crazed laughter rang out over the City of Steel. In the darkness, Dayan Mangban's eyes shone with an odd light as he took measure of the sword in Wang Chong's hand. Black and red spear in hand, long hair blowing in the wind, he seemed in the darkness like a dreadful demon god.