The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  The Black Wolf Yabgu pulled out his scimitar and swung it forward. In an instant, the five thousand Turkic warriors began to roar and bellow, all of them enthusiastically charging forward.

  “Kill them all!”

  “Hahaha, that guard yelling by the gate is mine. No one else better take him from me!”

  “Kill these Tang! Now is the time for us Turks to counterattack!”

  The five thousand cavalry pulled out their weapons and pushed their speeds to the limit, galloping to the gate of the Qixi Armory. With Qixi leaderless and rife with discord, there was no one left that could threaten them. Tonight, the blood of the Qixi Protectorate army would spill by the bucketload.

  Clangclangclang!

  The Turkic warriors began to unleash their war halos, which descended to their feet with a metallic clattering. With their five thousand halos released, the five thousand cavalry began to merge into one, a massive wave that swept over the earth, threatening to engulf the Qixi Armory.

  In the face of this wave of energy, the Qixi guards were like fireflies before the full moon, and they fell into further chaos as they panicked.

  The Black Wolf Yabgu was responsible for the western border, and he had battled with the Qixi Protectorate countless times. For this night raid, he had brought nothing but elites who had fought with him for many years. Even if they were not comparable to Dayan Mangban’s White Braves, they were definitely not too far behind, and they were definitely more than enough to deal with the armory guards.

  Rumble! The earth quaked, and as the five thousand Turkic cavalry emerged out of the darkness like ghosts from the abyss, the Qixi Armory guards fell into utter disarray. But just when these people were about to be pulverized beneath Turkic horse hooves…

  Bang!

  Without any warning, the several dozen Turkic warriors at the very front suddenly dropped down along with their horses. The surrounding earth had suddenly given way, revealing a massive pit, the bottom covered with sharp iron spikes.

  As these warhorses dropped down, their bodies were stabbed by the spikes, and some of the Turkic warriors who were thrown from their steeds fell into the pit and were left heavily injured. Neeeigh! The screams of the horses echoed through the air. The exultant and charging Turkic army instantly fell into chaos.

  “What’s going on?!”

  The Black Wolf Yabgu was greatly alarmed by this sight. His machinations had caused most of the guards around the Qixi Armory to be transferred away, leaving only one-tenth the original force, no threat to his men. Moreover, he had bribed more than half of the Hu commanders in the Qixi Protectorate army. He couldn’t think of a reason for the appearance of this large horse trap.

  “Careful!” the Black Wolf Yabgu called out, his eyes flying open as an intense unease seized his heart. This was not what had been agreed to, and he had a feeling that something had gone wrong. But before the Black Wolf Yabgu could give the call to pull back and have his army go around, shrill whistles suddenly filled the sky.

  Thwishthwishthwish!

  Fire arrows left dazzling arcs in the night sky as they dropped down around the soldiers. Fwoomp! Wherever a fire arrow landed, a massive fire would erupt, flames licking the sky. The raging fires were scattered all about, completely enclosing the Turkic army.

  The night became as bright as day.

  “Shit, it’s an ambush!”

  The Black Wolf Yabgu suddenly found it impossible to breathe, his heart even seeming to miss a beat. In his rush to destroy the Qixi Armory, he had failed to notice anything, but now that the surroundings were brightly lit by the fires, he could see that hay and dried leaves had been piled up on the ground, as well as scattered piles of torches.

  Chapter 828 - Fierce Battle at the Armory! (I)

  Chapter 828: Fierce Battle at the Armory! (I)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  It was obvious that these piles of hay and torches had been prepared beforehand, just waiting for the Turks to walk into the trap.

  But this was only the beginning. Rumble! A massive noise came from above the Black Wolf Yabgu as something howled through the wind. The Yabgu raised his head and saw that some black silhouette was rapidly approaching him. With a boom, it landed in front of him.

  Close up, the Black Wolf Yabgu realized that it was a massive wooden pillar. Something had been written on it, not in the Han characters commonly used in Qixi, but in Turkic.

  ‘In the thirty-eighth year of the Sage Emperor’s reign, on the seventeenth of the eleventh month, the Black Wolf Yabgu of the Western Turkic Khaganate, Agudu Lan, died in this place, and this stele was erected in commemoration’! (TN: The thirty-eighth year of the Sage Emperor’s reign coincides with the year 750.)

  “Bastard!”

  Agudu Lan was immediately enraged.

  “Just who was it? Get out here!”

  Agudu Lan’s bellow resounded through the darkness. Agudu Lan’s reputation in the Western Regions was no less than Dayan Mangban’s, both of them renowned generals who stood at the peak of the region. Anyone who dared to scheme against him from the shadows would have to pay a price.

  There was no one left in Qixi that was a match for him. Even if his opponent was lying in ambush, the results would prove that they had just been seeking death!

  After what seemed like both a second and an eternity, a roar of laughter began to echo in the darkness. “Hahaha, Agudu Lan, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!” It was an extremely young voice, one satisfied to see a plan succeed. Neeeigh! A warhorse with hooves as white as snow cried out as it galloped into view, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth of extraordinary demeanor riding upon it.

  “Kiiill!”

  A shout shook the heavens, and suddenly, hundreds upon thousands of cavalry were charging at the Turks like a hurricane, with a momentum more alarming and terrifying than the charge of the five thousand Turkic cavalry.

  “Wang Chong!”

  Agudu Lan did not notice those cavalry charging out of the darkness. That teenager had immediately seized all his attention the moment he had appeared.

  “This can’t be!”

  Agudu Lan felt like he had been struck by an enormous force. Although he had never seen this youth, he had reviewed mountains of drawings and information about him. Agudu Lan was extremely familiar with him, and knew of all his titles: the Young Marquis of the Great Tang, the Son of Heaven’s disciple, the future Eighth Great General of the Central Plains… but none of these titles could surpass his name, Wang Chong!

  Didn’t he go to the capital? Didn’t his second brother get in trouble? He even killed a princess! How could he appear here?

  Agudu Lan found it impossible to believe his eyes.

  Too sudden!

  Not even the entire Qixi Protectorate army appearing here would have given him as much of a shock. Only after confirming everything in both the capital and Wushang had he begun the operation. If he had known Wang Chong was in Wushang, he would have definitely been more cautious and waited much longer.

  Does he not even care about his second brother?!

  Countless thoughts flew through his mind, but Agudu Lan quickly composed himself.

  “Everyone, listen up! Eight hundred of you, push through the gate, spread the oil, and light the fire! The rest of you, follow me! Wang Chong, since you’ve come to find me, I might as well fulfill your wish. All soldiers, kill the Young Marquis of the Great Tang. The one who does will be rewarded one million taels of gold and the title of Dagan1! Kill!!”

  His scimitar glistening with cold light, Agudu Lan urged his horse forward, dragging countless afterimages behind him as he charged at Wang Chong. Behind him, the five thousand Turkic cavalry split up, eight hundred making their way around the pit to attack the armory while the remaining four-thousand-some followed Agudu Lan.

  The five thousand Turks had needed only a few moments to regain their composure, and none of them were panicked. But this sight only made
Wang Chong grin. No matter how experienced and well-trained Agudu Lan’s soldiers were, in Wang Chong’s eyes, they were amateurs showing off in front of a master. Agudu Lan’s Turkic cavalry wouldn’t even be able to keep up with the White Braves, much less the Wushang Cavalry.

  “Li Siye, Huang Botian, Elder Fang, Elder Du, follow me. Everyone else, deal with the Turkic cavalry. Don’t let a single one go!”

  Wang Chong’s eyes glimmered like sharp swords as he stared at Agudu Lan, his entire body exploding with fighting intent. Today, he could finally take care of both of the largest threats to Qixi. Dayan Mangban was already dead, leaving only Agudu Lan. With him gone, Wang Chong could leave Qixi without fear of any troubles in the rear.

  Rumble! Hooves pounded against the earth, each impact seeming to carry the weight of ten thousand jun, pushing the ground to the verge of shattering. Wang Chong and Agudu Lan charged at each other as fast as they possibly could. Even more frightening was that neither of them was holding anything back, building up attacks imbued with unimaginable power.

  “Vast Heaven Earth Art!

  “Great Yinyang Art!”

  Wang Chong pressed against the back of his horse as he unleashed his halos. In addition, after equipping the Karmic Battle Armor, Wang Chong immediately used the two supreme techniques of the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art. Buzz! The world was suddenly divided in two, the heavens bright and the earth pitch-black.

  At the boundary between these two domains, the images of the sun and moon manifested, bolstering Wang Chong into a mighty god who had descended from the heavens.

  Rumble!

  Wang Chong and his horse began to produce a fierce gale, destructive energy wrapping around them as they shot like a meteor toward Agudu Lan.

  “War God Raises the Heavens, Mount Sanmi!”

  As Agudu Lan’s roar echoed through the skies, light and shadow intersected while a dreadful energy exploded from his body. Rooar! A hoarse and low cry, like the bellow of a god, rang out in the air. The image of a massive god dressed in a full suit of armor had appeared above him, one palm extended into the sky, three heavy and massive mountains appearing with it.

  Even though these were only illusions of mountains, anyone who set eyes on them would feel an enormous pressure, subconsciously trembling in fear and worship.

  Mount Sanmi!

  This was the seat of the Western Turkic Khaganate, the place where Ishbara Khagan resided. In Turkic legends, it was said that the ancient spirits had once fought a great war in the skies over the khaganate. During this war, one of the divine mountains was knocked down from the heavens, falling to the earth to become Mount Sanmi, currently located in the Western Turkic Khaganate.

  Agudu Lan belonged to a branch of the Western Turkic Khaganate’s imperial clan, and this ‘Mount Sanmi Divine Art’ was one of the techniques of the imperial clan, possessing enormous power and shocking lethality. It was one of the supreme techniques of the Western Regions, and generations of Turkic leaders had used it to subdue the kingdoms of the Western Regions, making these small kingdoms fear the wrath of the Turks.

  “Come!”

  Agudu Lan roared as he shot into the air like a statue protruding into the sky, clashing fiercely with Wang Chong.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  As the two collided in the air, a violet gout of flame shot out, wrapping around Agudu Lan. Yet Agudu Lan’s expression remained savage, not minding this flame at all as he brawled with Wang Chong.

  “Li Siye, let’s go!”

  In the rear, Huang Botian was wearing a suit of black armor as he lunged forward to join the fight, Li Siye at his side.

  “Stone General!”

  “Halo of Storm!”

  Both of these fierce generals pushed their strength to the extreme, and their attacks exploded on Agudu Lan’s body with a thunderous boom. Meanwhile, Elder Du and Elder Fang dropped down from the skies with a crushing pressure, working with the other three to completely surround Agudu Lan.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Attacked by five people, Agudu Lan was immediately on the defensive. While the six people battled, the eight hundred Turkic warriors had finished circling around the pit and reached the gate of the armory.

  “Brothers, this is our chance! Lord Marquis and the others are putting their lives on the line. We can’t get lazy!”

  “Bastards! These Turk barbarians really think that no one knew of their secretive deals? Kill them!”

  “If you want to attack the armory, first get past us!”

  At the gate of the Qixi Armory, Xu Keyi, Cheng Sanyuan, Su Shixuan, Chen Bin, and the other officers were standing in a line, their Wootz Steel swords gleaming in the darkness. Kill! Eyes flashing cold light, these officers immediately led several hundred fully-armored clan experts against the eight hundred Turks.

  Whoosh!

  Wootz Steel swords sliced through the air, and a large Turkic steed and its rider were immediately cleaved in two, spilling organs out onto the ground. But Xu Keyi did not stop. With a nimble leap, he slashed at yet another Turkic warrior.

  ______________1. ‘Dagan’ was a title used in the Turkic Khaganate as an officer rank of some sort.↩

  Chapter 829 - Fierce Battle at the Armory! (II)

  Chapter 829: Fierce Battle at the Armory! (II)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  The six hundred men Xu Keyi had brought with him had all served as training partners to the Wushang Cavalry. They were true elites, cavalry themselves and familiar with all the various tactics and techniques used on horseback. Although they were few in number, they were extremely powerful, and experts at dealing with cavalry.

  They were clever and agile, never engaging with cavalry in a direct confrontation, so even though they were outnumbered by the Turks, they were able to avoid any serious injuries. In addition, such was their strength that they were all like Xu Keyi, cleaving through the Turks and their horses, armor and all, with just a single blow!

  Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

  The Wootz Steel swords sliced through the darkness, playing out the eerie dance of death, the only sound that of sharp edges cutting through flesh and the thud of bodies hitting the ground. “Aaaah!” Corpses covered the ground in front of the Qixi Armory and screams began to fill the air.

  “Spread the oil! Use the oil to deal with them!”

  “Light the fire! Burn these Tang to death!”

  The Turks were not lacking in quick-witted and intelligent soldiers, and the eight hundred warriors quickly began to open up the leather bags and throw them into the air, spraying Xu Keyi’s men with Arabian oil. Meanwhile, other Turks were ready with fire starters. With a whoosh, they ignited them and threw them toward the oil.

  “You’ve gone mad! This oil was meant for destroying the Qixi Armory!”

  “It’s too late for that! If we don’t kill them, we’ll all die here!”

  One Turk tried to stop his comrades, but he was quickly cut off. The fire starters, little embers of fire in the night, flew toward Xu Keyi’s men. But while still several feet away, they were blocked by an invisible wall of energy, burning away in the air, unable to get close to the Tang.

  “Profound Martial realm!”

  The eight hundred Turks felt their hearts grow cold. Profound Martial experts had sturdy barriers of Stellar Energy around him, so the Arabian oil would find it very difficult to pose a threat to them.

  “Hmph, you only realize this now?” Xu Keyi sneered. “Everyone, hear my order! Kill them all!”

  With this order, another several dozen Turkic warriors were felled. But while this intense battle ensued, no one noticed a group of Turkic soldiers stealthily working around the battle and heading to the gate. However, around one zhang from the gate, they noticed something strange. No matter where they went, the Turks would always end up coming back to their original spot.

  The Qixi Armory gate one zhang away seemed to be in another time and space. No matter how they tr
ied, they couldn’t get close.

  “What’s going on? Why can’t we get over there?”

  “What spirits are at work here? How did we get back here?”

  “What evil arts have those Tang used! This is too strange!”

  “Don’t worry about that! Just charge over on our horses!”

  “Ah! I hit the wall.”

  The Turks felt their hairs standing on end. They had used all sorts of methods to try and get into the armory, yet the gate continued to stand there, impossible to approach. These warriors of the Turkic steppe were true soldiers, and even if their heads were to drop to the ground, they would never crease their brow, yet this situation was simply too strange and impossible to understand using common sense.

  They had used all their strength, but none of it had been of any use.

  Hmph, the armory is such an important thing, so did you really think that we would only have six hundred soldiers here to deal with you?

  Xu Keyi had just cleaved through another Turkic warrior when he heard these comments, and he couldn’t help but chortle to himself. The marquis was a god of planning, and he had already made arrangements against all of Agudu Lan’s strategies. After all, the Qixi Armory was not some toy, and it could not be left undefended.

  Elder Fang and Elder Du had installed an illusory formation in front of the Qixi Armory gate. Everything would look normal from a distance, but as one approached, they would be caught in the formation and led elsewhere, which resulted in those Turks constantly running into walls. The ‘gate’ that they saw wasn’t even the real gate.

  And even if they used pure strength to push through, they would fall into another befuddling formation. Under the influence of this formation, what they believed to be a straight-line charge would actually lead them on a slant. Xu Keyi had no idea how those elders had managed to pull it off, but he had asked Elder Du and Elder Fang to let him try it out one day. On that day, Xu Keyi had come out with a swollen face, his eyes unfocused and his head dizzy, with the rest of the day spent vomiting.