The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  "Milord, what are they doing?"

  The turmoil on Wang Chong's side had attracted the notice of the Tibetans, and the officers were currently observing the situation with an uneasy feeling in their minds.

  This Tang army was far too strange, different from any other army they had encountered. And those steel walls thrust into the plateau made them all extremely anxious.

  "Don't rush. See what they're doing first. We'll still have time to strike once we see what they're up to," Buluhu said.

  The layers of steel somewhat obstructed their view, so they could only see that the number of people had increased.

  "Look! Milord, it's smoke!" a Tibetan officer suddenly said. Following his gaze, the other officers could clearly see that a thick plume of smoke was rising from behind the walls, from within the Tang army.

  "What are these Tang barbarians doing?"

  Buluhu's brow deeply creased as an indescribably strange feeling overtook him. In his years of campaigning, he had never seen something like this, so he could not understand the goal of his enemy's tactics.

  More plumes were beginning to rise, multiplying as he continued to think.

  "Those are… furnace fires!"

  Suddenly, in a flash of insight, Buluhu understood, and his entire body trembled. Those strange plumes of black smoke were the smoke from furnaces.

  Whoosh!

  At this moment, all the Tibetans could see the flames rising from the distant Tang army.

  "What are these bastards up to?"

  Buluhu was growing more and more perplexed. Furnace fires, steel, and around seven thousand cavalry—never had he seen such a puzzling display. In truth, it wasn't just Buluhu. The entire Ü-Tsang Mountain Army was confused by this sight.

  But this confusion did not last for long. They soon determined the goal of these furnace fires.

  "General, look over there!"

  Past the scattered steel walls, they could slowly see another, higher, steel wall rising up, glimmering with a silver sheen.

  Yes! This was a steel wall, different from those smaller steel plates thrust into the ground. This steel wall was an authentic portion of what would be a fortress.

  "General, this is bad! The Tang want to build a fortress on the plateau! They want to build a base here!"

  At this moment, everyone finally understood the aims of the Tang army. Unlike past armies, it didn't plan on some brief incursion. It intended to build a fortress of steel and put down roots to stand guard forevermore.

  The Tibetans were both stunned and infuriated.

  Since ancient times, the Tibetan Plateau had always been regarded as a blessed land conferred by the heavens to the Tibetan people. No other country or people could taint it. A temporary garrison here was one thing, but building a fortress of steel for a long-term garrison, even occupying the land, was another thing entirely.

  More than that, these Tang were obstructing one of the most important entry points of the plateau.

  And most unacceptable of all was that these Tang were building a fortress on the plateau right in front of the Tibetan army.

  "Impudent!"

  Even though Buluhu had a cautious and composed personality, even he couldn't prevent his face from turning red, his rage from bubbling out from between clenched teeth.

  "These Tang have no regard for anyone else. Their arrogance is as high as the heavens! Pass on my order! All troops, stand ready! Kill all these Tang and don't leave behind a single survivor! Let them know what it means for a grasshopper to try and stop a carriage, how gravely they have overestimated their strength!"

  Suddenly, an officer at Buluhu's side began to shout. "General, no, wait a moment." For some time, his gaze had been fixed on Wang Chong and he had been silent. Now, however, he seemed to wake up from a dream, and his expression became extremely agitated and fearful. "I remember now. That youth seems to be Wushang's…"

  But his words were interrupted by Buluhu's scarlet eyes. "What Wushang! Don't say anything! I don't care who he is! Anyone who dares to build a fortress on the plateau is a dead man. All soldiers, attack!"

  ……

  Bwoooom!

  The plaintive horns sounded, traveling far across the plains. The vast sea of Tibetan cavalry two thousand zhang away began to move, their horses neighing and armor clattering as a murderous energy began to explode outward, aimed at Wang Chong's forces.

  "Not good; they're about to attack! Quickly inform General!"

  The Qixi scouts paled and immediately began to fall back. Meanwhile, two horsemen broke away from their group, galloping toward the main camp of the Qixi Protectorate army on the eastern line. In this battle, the fate of one side was already sealed, so they had to report this matter as quickly as possible.

  ……

  Putting aside the reaction of the Qixi scouts, Wang Chong and Li Siye were completely unworried. On the contrary, they were actually quite pleased to see the Tibetan army slowly prepare for attack.

  "Lord Marquis, our plan was effective," Li Siye said as he peered into the distance.

  Chapter 768: Defeating the Mountain Army!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  "Mm."

  Wang Chong raised his head slightly and smiled.

  "This Tibetan commander is extremely cautious, but even the most cautious commander wouldn't be able to just watch as we built fortifications on the plateau, especially since the fortress we're building will also be filling up this triangular gap that's vital for leaving the plateau. If he were still able to endure, we could have just upped the construction speed and even begun constructing a second fortress… A man's patience has a limit. I don't believe that those impulsive Tibetans can last this long."

  Ü-Tsang, unlike the Central Plains, was not an agricultural society. Their culture foreordained that they could not be as patient and enduring as the Han. Their nature made them trend toward acting on instinct, and it was for this reason that they were known throughout the world for their ferocity and courage. To put it another way, they were impulsive.

  The most cautious and wise Tibetans were only less impulsive in comparison to their peers. People like Dalun Ruozan, well-versed in the texts of the Central Plains, composed, calm, and intelligent, were extremely rare in the Ü-Tsang Empire and could be counted on one hand.

  And no matter what, a Tibetan general of such caliber would never just randomly appear in this army before him.

  "Have them get ready!"

  Wang Chong looked forward while raising an arm.

  "Yes, Lord Marquis."

  Li Siye bowed and quickly turned his horse to the rear. 'As swift as the wind, as orderly as the breeze blowing through a forest, immovable as a mountain, aggressive as fire.' The Wushang Cavalry behind Wang Chong had already been trained to their peak. Their every movement was as one, and they worked with a tacit understanding that no other soldier could match.

  There was none of the loud ruckus made by the Tibetan cavalry. A single order was enough for the army to swiftly gather, forming a stark contrast with the Tibetans. Yet this silent and oppressive killing aura, coupled with the fact that three hundred of them were fresh from their overwhelming victory over two thousand, made it seem like this was the calm before a storm, a formidable pressure that no noise could overcome!

  Buzz!

  The Tibetans began their assault far faster than expected. A few seconds later, the earth began to quake and the plateau grass began to sway and rustle. Meanwhile, the thousands of cavalry were slowly building up speed as they charged.

  "Kiiill!"

  In an instant, it felt like the sky had torn open. The thousands of Tibetans began to shout and yell, their unified roars reaching into the heavens.

  "Full charge, River Formation! Charge in through the spaces between the walls. If those Tang barbarians think that they can stop us by just setting up a few steel walls, then they've made a grave mistake," Buluhu viciously said.

  The Mountai
n Army was different from other cavalry, which only knew how to charge on open area like the plains, steppe, or the plateau. No matter how complicated the terrain, even on complex mountainous terrain, the Mountain Army could still charge through. Anyone who believed that a few walls could stop them was being far too naive and deeply underestimating them.

  Rumble!

  The shuddering intensified and the grass began to sway even more. Eighteen hundred zhang, seventeen hundred zhang, sixteen hundred zhang, fifteen hundred zhang… the distance was shrinking and the Tibetan warhorses were only getting faster. Behind them, churning clouds of dust rose several dozen zhang into the air, adding to the astonishing momentum of the Tibetan charge.

  Not only that, while charging, the Tibetans did not take up their usual Echelon Formation. Instead, they split up into hundreds of small groups, all of them aimed at the gaps in Wang Chong's front row of steel walls. In this entire process, none of the Tibetans slowed down, only got faster and faster.

  "Interesting! This Tibetan commander is definitely unusual!"

  At this sight, Wang Chong half-closed his eyes. The primary role of this scattered array of steel walls was disrupting the famed Tibetan Echelon Formation and its endless waves of assault.

  This Tibetan commander was not only unusual for remaining cautious even with an overwhelming advantage in numbers. In a situation where the Echelon Formation couldn't be used, he had still formed his army into another extremely powerful charging formation.

  This aspect alone put him over the vast majority of Tibetan commanders.

  "Unfortunately, this still isn't enough, because you simply have no clue what you're facing!"

  Wang Chong's eyes twinkled for a moment, but he quickly returned to normal.

  The Tibetan general was quite outstanding, but alas, he was completely unaware that he was not facing any ordinary Tang army, but the supreme 'War Saint' of the Central Plains. The skills he had displayed were nothing at all in Wang Chong's eyes.

  The steel walls that Wang Chong had erected were also not as simple as he thought they were.

  "Xu Keyi, have all the craftsmen retreat to the rear. There's no need to halt construction on the fort. I have a feeling that these walls will quickly come into play," Wang Chong said, his eyes still looking forward.

  "Yes, Lord Marquis."

  Xu Keyi bowed and quickly fell back. The three thousand craftsmen at the front quickly retreated to the rear of the army, where they also began to work on the construction of the massive fortress.

  Fourteen hundred zhang, thirteen hundred zhang, twelve hundred zhang, eleven hundred zhang…

  The vast Tibetan cavalry covered the earth, howling through the air as they grew faster and faster, closer and closer. When they reached one thousand zhang, rumble! A halo spread out from Wang Chong's feet, swiftly expanding to his entire army.

  Clang!

  A sword swept through the air, and in that moment, a gale stirred and metal began to clatter. Five thousand Wushang Cavalry shot forward like an arrow leaving its bow, their horses neighing. Though only five thousand, they gave off the invincible aura of tens of thousands.

  The Wushang Halo, the Halo of Sharpness, the Halo of Dusk Stallion… these halos appeared beneath the feet of the Wushang Cavalry. At the very front of the army, Li Siye's giant figure led the charge. Beneath his feet, a massive Halo of Thorns exploded like a storm, swiftly spreading to every Wushang.

  At the start, the ground beneath the five thousand Wushang had been dim, with no halos whatsoever, but in an instant, four to five top-class halos had been added beneath them, and with the addition of the halos from the other officers, each Wushang Cavalry had at least seven different halos.

  Cheng Sanyuan, Su Shixuan, Xu Keyi… these people each cultivated a different war halo, and when all these halos covered the army, these Wushang Cavalry that didn't seem very strong were instantly bolstered to terrifying heights.

  "How could this be?"

  The rapidly swelling strength of the Great Tang cavalry had a massive impact on the Tibetan Mountain Army. This was like a tiny and insignificant ant suddenly transforming into a giant that could move mountains.

  And the numerous powerful halos beneath the feet of the cavalry were even more astonishing.

  All the Tibetans felt an enormous pressure.

  Even their commander, Buluhu, couldn't help but widen his eyes. He had fought in many places: the Western Regions, Arabia, Greater and Lesser Balur, Tukhara, the Great Tang… but of all the armies he had encountered, none of them had given off as formidable an aura as this army.

  Buluhu wanted to alter his plans, wanted to warn his troops, but it was too late. An arrow, once fired, could not be recalled, and besides, this was no longer his choice. Once cavalry began to increase in speed, it wasn't possible to stop them in a short timeframe, and any attempts to do so would only result in self-destruction.

  Just where did this army come from?

  This was the only thought Buluhu had time for, as the two armies were already colliding. Boom! Five thousand Wushang Cavalry struck like a bolt of lightning into the Tibetan cavalry.

  Clang!

  In this din of metal, no one noticed Wang Chong observing the battle, smiling as he unleashed both the Bane of the Battlefield and the Bane of Generals. The two halos exploded outward and attached to the Tibetan cavalry, including their commander.

  The cries of alarm were almost immediate as the entire Tibetan Mountain Army instantly felt their strength drop without any warning.

  Neigh!

  The cries of horses echoed over the plateau, and then, under countless stunned eyes, the thirty to forty thousand soldiers of the Tibetan Mountain Army began to collapse, mowed down by the five thousand Wushang Cavalry.

  The five thousand Wushang Cavalry swept through the army like no one was there, the Tibetans unable to take even a single blow. Countless Tibetans along with their horses were jolted aside and into the air.

  "Stop them… Stop them!"

  "Those who retreat will die! Attack them from the flanks!"

  "Echelon Formation, form up a defense!"

  "No one can defeat us Tibetans on the plateau! Attack!"

  Shrill shouts filled the air as the Tibetan officers shouted order after order, but no order could avert the Tibetan collapse. The entire army had crumbled, crumbled so quickly that it was difficult to believe.

  ……

  "Heavens! What am I looking at?! Quickly report this to the General! Hurry!"

  "I've gone crazy! How could our Great Tang have such a formidable army! This is the plateau! And they're fighting Ü-Tsang's elite Mountain Army!"

  "General definitely won't believe us."

  Far from the battlefield, eagles were taking off into the sky as the spectating Qixi scouts watched the battle in shock and awe. After fighting with the Tibetans for so many years, they were finally seeing that the Great Tang cavalry could also be this formidable and possess such a powerful charge.

  On the plateau, they were even capable of utterly crushing those Tibetans, the 'proud sons of the plateau'.

  Chapter 769: The Death of Buluhu!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Five thousand, seven thousand, nine thousand… in the distance, the losses of the Tibetan Mountain Army had risen to incredible levels, and this number was still climbing at an astonishing pace. The power and efficiency of five thousand Wushang Cavalry charging in Arrow Formation simply couldn't be compared to the three hundred from before.

  But the battle was far from over.

  "Ready!"

  A loud voice echoed through the skies. In front of the scale-like steel walls, Chen Bin raised his sword. Cavalry charging at high speeds wouldn't just stop, and though Li Siye had led the Wushang in a charge through their ranks, dividing the army in two, those two halves were still hurtling toward the walls.

  Right now, with Wang Chong's five thousand Wushang Cavalry already deployed, the Tang
had only around fifteen hundred elites from the southwest and experts from the great clans. Sixty zhang, fifty zhang, forty zhang, thirty zhang… the distance was getting smaller and smaller, and if these Tibetan cavalry charging under their inertia were not stopped, the eight thousand craftsmen transferred from the City of Steel to the plateau would be crushed beneath the hooves of the Tibetan warhorses.

  Twenty-five zhang, twenty-four zhang, twenty-three zhang…

  At twenty zhang, Chen Bin finally gave the order.

  "Release!"

  Buzz!

  Thousands of arrows suddenly exploded out of the foremost of the steel walls, covering the sky.

  "Aaaah!" Screams filled the air as countless Tibetans and their horses were pincushioned, their corpses falling to the ground.

  'Beehives', this heavy weaponry that Wang Chong had installed within the City of Steel, had also been installed on the plateau for this battle and were now displaying their formidable killing power.

  "Release!"

  Chen Bin waved his sword, and yet another volley of arrows was fired, felling several thousand more Tibetan cavalry before the walls. The operation of the 'beehives' was extremely simple, and even though Chen Bin commanded only around fifteen hundred cavalry, he could utilize three thousand beehives.

  And each beehive had forty to fifty arrows.

  All fired at once, this was 150,000 arrows, and this was only with what Wang Chong had available to him. Even the Tibetans and their plate armor would suffer heavy casualties against these volleys of arrows that came at them from every angle.

  "Careful!"

  "Dodge the arrows!"

  Tibetan shouts rang out over the battlefield. These terrifying attacks made all the Tibetan officers tremble in fear. No one had expected that even without the terrifying force of five thousand cavalry, the remaining Tang forces would still possess such frightening fighting power.

  In this exchange, seven to eight thousand Tibetans had fallen beneath those silver walls, the dense gathering of human and horse corpses forming yet another barrier for the Tang.

  "What's going on here? They definitely aren't the Qixi Protectorate army. Where could such a formidable Tang army have come from?"