The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  From the moment Duwu Sili had appeared, Gao Xianzhi had been observing Chen Bin. With his level of cultivation, he could see at a glance whether Chen Bin was heavily injured.

  “Mm!”

  Wang Chong nodded and then urged his horse forward.

  “Let’s go. We should complete the exchange for Chen Bin!”

  Under the blazing sun, Wang Chong and Duwu Sili met in the center of the two forces, one thousand zhang from each side. At this moment, the atmosphere was grim, everyone watching Wang Chong and Duwu Sili with bated breath.

  “Boy, I’ve brought the hostage. Where is the secret of the formation phenomena that I want?” Duwu Sili coldly said as he stared at Wang Chong ten paces away. Although he appeared normal on the surface, he could not hide all of his vexation and anger.

  Ever since he had taken Chen Bin hostage, Duwu Sili had used every method at his disposal in the hopes of getting the secret of formation phenomena from Chen Bin. But despite his efforts, Chen Bin had not said half a word. In the end, all he had heard from Chen Bin was jeers and ridicule.

  Given Duwu Sili’s temper, he wanted nothing more than to put Chen Bin to death by a thousand cuts to vent his rage, but Wang Chong’s parting words had left him apprehensive, so much so that after interrogation, he had expended a great deal of energy to treat Chen Bin’s wounds.

  Duwu Sili had already spent more than twenty years pursuing the secret of formation phenomena. This secret was far too important to him. He could not permit a single mishap.

  “Lord Marquis! Don’t give the formation phenomena to him! This subordinate’s life is not important, but no matter what, he cannot be allowed to succeed,” Chen Bin suddenly pleaded.

  He was blindfolded and unable to see what was going on, but he had been carefully listening all this time. Chen Bin had endured for so many days and suffered so many tortures to prevent Duwu Sili from achieving his goal, but if Wang Chong agreed to a deal with Duwu Sili, all his efforts would be for naught.

  “Silence!”

  With a jab of his finger, Duwu Sili sent out a stream of Stellar Energy that sealed off Chen Bin’s four limbs and his voice.

  “Wang Chong, I’ve brought the hostage. You’re not suddenly going to say that your words don’t count, are you?”

  Duwu Sili already wanted to kill Chen Bin. What he feared the most was that Wang Chong would change his made and cancel the transaction.

  “Duwu Sili, my words are naturally valid, but you should also remember what I said last night. Completely! Unharmed!” Wang Chong coldly said.

  “Brat, don’t try to act clever after already getting a deal! When I captured your subordinate in the middle of battle, he was already on death’s door, struggling for his last breath. This had nothing to do with me, but with your battle with the Skyquaking Giants. I wasted a great deal of energy to treat your subordinate. This should at least be worth a ‘thank you’!” Duwu Sili said.

  Wang Chong’s brow rose as his gaze flitted over Chen Bin. The Skyquaking Army had been fired into the Tang army by catapult, and the giant ballistae guarded by Chen Bin and Xu Keyi were the primary objective of the Skyquaking Giants. Wang Chong was well aware of this.

  Wang Chong needed only a glance to see that Duwu Sili was not lying, and his expression relaxed.

  “Very good! Duwu Sili, my words have always been trustworthy. The secret to formation phenomena is here. Hand over my subordinate!”

  Wang Chong faintly smiled as he reached into his bosom, gripped a thin sheet of white paper between two fingers, and held it high into the air.

  The mood suddenly changed. Duwu Sili stared at the folded sheet of paper, his eyes ablaze. Even the nearby Dalun Ruozan behind him tilted his head slightly upward, regarding the paper with a serious expression.

  Dalun Ruozan had managed to maintain an attitude of indifference all this time, but for Ü-Tsang, obtaining the true secret of formation phenomena was a temptation nigh impossible to resist.

  Time seemed to slow down for a moment, even breathing becoming rough and heavy. The ordinary sheet of paper between Wang Chong’s fingers had instantly become the indisputable center of attention.

  Though Chen Bin had been muted and his body restricted, he could still hear very well. He could not say anything to Wang Chong’s words, but his body began to visibly shake.

  Wang Chong flourished the paper and warned, “Duwu Sili, this opportunity only comes once. Have you still not finished thinking it over?”

  Everyone came back to their senses as if waking from a dream.

  Formation phenomena!

  These were what Duwu Sili had pursued his entire life, and now, they were only a few steps away! Duwu Sili found it nearly impossible to remain calm, and as he looked at the paper, his eyes glimmered with desire. Without hesitation, Duwu Sili almost unconsciously reached for Chen Bin.

  “Wait!”

  Just when he was about to hand over Chen Bin, Duwu Sili stopped and regained his composure.

  “Boy, how do I know that what you give me is real?”

  The air seemed to freeze, the frenzied desire dying away, replaced by cold and calm eyes.

  Correct! Wang Chong alone fully understood the secret to formation phenomena! No one could know if what he provided was real or fake. No one would be able to tell if Wang Chong was fooling them with fake information!

  Duwu Sili was no fool. He could not ignore this possibility.

  “Heheh…”

  Wang Chong faintly smiled. Under the covetous gazes of the crowd, he slowly put away the paper, his expression confident and assured, as if he had already predicted this situation. Duwu Sili was a suspicious person. An Imperial Great General of this level was not that easy to trick.

  “I knew that Great General would not so easily trust me.”

  With a flick of his wrist, Wang Chong threw out another sheet of paper. Bolstered by Stellar Energy, this thin sheet of paper was no different from steel.

  Phweee! With a shrill whistle, the paper turned into a white ray of light that shot straight at Duwu Sili’s face.

  Perplexed, Duwu Sili extended his fingers and almost unconsciously took this paper.

  “What is this?” Duwu Sili said in confusion. Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang also turned to look.

  No one knew what exactly Wang Chong had written on these two sheets of paper.

  “This paper records a part of the secret to formation phenomena. Duwu Sili, you have seven thousand Celestial Wolf Cavalry under your command. Pick sixty and have them practice according to the method on the paper. You’ll know very quickly if it’s real or fake.”

  These words were a great surprise to everyone. Even Duwu Sili had not expected this kind of move.

  Dusong Mangpoje frowned and whispered, “Great Minister, what’s going on?”

  “I don’t know. Just keep watching,” Dalun Ruozan said, his brow creased. This matter was developing somewhat differently from what he had predicted. Even he found it somewhat difficult to understand Wang Chong’s current actions.

  In front, Duwu Sili did not appear nearly as troubled. After giving Wang Chong a profound glance, he waved a hand behind him. Sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry quickly galloped up from the rear, fully armored and brimming with energy.

  “Practice according to what’s written on here.”

  Duwu Sili only glanced at the paper before passing it to a Celestial Wolf Cavalry officer.

  “Yes, Milord!”

  The sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry quickly got to work, taking up formation and practicing according to the method written out on the paper.

  All was quiet as everyone watched the sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry. Dalun Ruozan, Huoshu Huicang, Duwu Sili… everyone was focused on them. Wang Chong alone silently watched with a smile.

  As one of the world’s supreme forces of cavalry, the Celestial Wolf Cavalry were some of the best in the world in terms of strength, experience, and comprehension. They were capable of putting into practice Wang Chong’s formation phen
omena in the shortest possible time and with the greatest efficiency.

  Minute by minute, second by second, went by, and the sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry quickly finished their practice. Each one of them was now subtly different.

  The Celestial Wolf Cavalry officer rode over to Duwu Sili and respectfully said, “Milord, we’re ready!”

  Duwu Sili quickly scanned his men, and a look of shock flitted through his eyes. He had initially paid little attention to the paper that Wang Chong had sent over, but upon seeing the changes in his sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry, he was forced to alter his view. The contents of the paper now seemed much more likely to be true.

  He could clearly sense that the aura of his men had become much steadier and more composed after practicing the method laid out on the paper.

  Not even someone with Duwu Sili’s insight and experience had seen a technique elicit such a major change in the Celestial Wolf Cavalry in such a short time.

  “Begin!” Duwu Sili ordered with a wave of his hand. Unwittingly, he had begun to feel a tinge of anticipation.

  Boom!

  The sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry took formation and began to gallop into the distance. After traveling one hundred meters, the Celestial Wolf Cavalry officer gave a shout. Suddenly, the formidable power of the world pierced through the void and fused the energies of the sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry into one. Clang! The sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry took out their weapons and pointed them to the sky.

  Rumble! To everyone’s shock and awe, they could hear the rumbling of thunder in the sky. Thirty meters above the Celestial Wolf Cavalry, black wisps of clouds began to gather.

  In a flash, this phenomenon disappeared, but everyone present, whether it was Duwu Sili or Dalun Ruozan, appeared stunned.

  Formation phenomena!

  Although it was just the crudest version and had only lasted for a brief moment, it was truly the highest state of power a formation could achieve. No one had expected that Wang Chong could have the power of formation phenomena manifest with only sixty Celestial Wolf Cavalry.

  Chapter 1009 - Each With Their Own Plans!

  Chapter 1009: Each With Their Own Plans!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Shock!

  Everyone was speechless at this sight, and the solemn atmosphere turned strange. Even Dalun Ruozan had a different look in his eyes.

  “Duwu Sili, how was it?”

  Wang Chong drew back his gaze and grinned at Duwu Sili.

  Duwu Sili deeply gazed at Wang Chong, and then he suddenly laughed.

  “Boy, you truly are a lucky one. There’s actually someone willing to exchange formation phenomena for your life!”

  With his right hand, Duwu Sili tore apart the black cloth blindfolding Chen Bin. At the same time, his other hand unsealed Chen Bin’s limbs and voice.

  “Lord Marquis! No! You can’t give the formation phenomena to him!”

  The moment he opened his eyes, Chen Bin began to shout and yell, his voice both anxious and angry. The matter of formation phenomena was extremely important, and he had remained steadfast against endless pain and torture to prevent the secret from falling into Duwu Sili’s hands.

  But if Wang Chong gave the secret of formation phenomena to Duwu Sili, all his efforts would have been in vain.

  “Duwu Sili, I’ll never let you succeed!”

  Seeing that the transaction was about to be completed, Chen Bin became resolved, his eyes flashing with determination as he fiercely bit down on his tongue. But before he could bite down and end it all, a steely palm firmly grasped his lower jaw.

  “You want to commit suicide in front of me?!”

  Duwu Sili coldly chortled as he spoke into Chen Bin’s ear, and Chen Bin felt his heart sink like a stone.

  Duwu Sili turned his head to Wang Chong. “Wang Chong! You have guts! As long as you give me the true formation phenomena, I will return your subordinate. What do you think?”

  “Okay!”

  Wang Chong faintly smiled, his bearing not one bit inferior to the Celestial Wolf Great General Duwu Sili.

  “I will give the first half of the secret to formation phenomena to you. Once you release my subordinate, I will give you the other half!”

  Wang Chong immediately removed the previous sheet of paper and flicked it at Duwu Sili.

  Duwu Sili stretched out his hand and took it. This time, however, Duwu Sili unfolded the paper and carefully read it over. After a while, Duwu Sili took the first sheet of paper from the Celestial Wolf Cavalry officer and began to carefully compare them.

  During this process, everyone remained silent in anticipation of his answer.

  Incredible! I had always believed that the secret to formation phenomena was lost! To think that I would find the highest secret of formations in a place like Talas!

  Duwu Sili’s mind was raging as he gripped the two papers.

  As one of the three most powerful Great Generals of the Western Turkic Khaganate, Duwu Sili possessed an insight and breadth of experience that no normal person could compare to. Things like gold, jade, or beautiful women would find it very difficult to move his heart. Even the finest weapons would do little to stimulate his desires.

  But these two sheets of paper that probably weren’t worth more than two taels of silver made his heart thump madly in his chest.

  Formation phenomena! Duwu Sili had sought out this secret for more than half his life, but now, he held the secret in his hands, and only the last part was missing.

  With his experience and knowledge, he could tell at a glance that Wang Chong had given him the real thing.

  In those words, he could sense the profundity of the Great Dao and the principles of the world. It was impossible for Wang Chong to have fabricated this in such a short amount of time. No! No one could fabricate such words! The level of understanding and theory in these words had clearly surpassed Duwu Sili’s Celestial Wolf Illusory Formation and could make any formation on the continent appear dim and lightless in comparison.

  Most importantly, all the words flowed smoothly together, each concept linking cleanly to the next with no flaw or error.

  If techniques like this could be fabricated in a single night, Duwu Sili would still have to throw himself to the ground in admiration. Even if it was fake, he would still admit defeat. This would only mean that he, Duwu Sili, was too blind and that he had deserved to be deceived!

  Or perhaps, three or four months ago, Wang Chong had predicted that he would come to Talas, knew that he would crave the secret of formation phenomena, and then used a great deal of time and painstaking effort to create this fake secret of formation phenomena to deal with him.

  But that was just a little too absurd!

  “Boy, I can give you the hostage.”

  Duwu Sili raised his head, smiling as he put away the two sheets of paper.

  “But how do I know that the second half is real and you haven’t pulled any tricks? If it was fake, wouldn’t all my efforts be for naught?”

  At this moment, Anxi Vice Protector-General Cheng Qianli finally butted in, no longer able to endure this conversation. “Duwu Sili, you’re a little paranoid. We already gave you the first half, and you’ve seen the power of the formation phenomena for yourself, but you still haven’t handed over the hostage. How do we know you will release him? If we give you everything but you don’t hand over the hostage, won’t we be the ones suffering an even greater loss?”

  The Great Tang’s side had already displayed enough sincerity, but Duwu Sili seemed to want even more, getting an inch and demanding a foot.

  “Haha, Duwu Sili, if you haven’t seen it, you naturally won’t know!”

  Wang Chong finally spoke, his expression relaxed as if having long known that Duwu Sili would ask this question.

  “The second half might be fake or it might be real. Duwu Sili, you have a paranoid personality, and I’m not prepared to persuade you. You can choose to stop the transaction. I don
’t get my subordinate and you don’t get the formation phenomena, and we both go away empty-handed. But you can also choose to believe in me and take a risk. In this way, I can get my subordinate and you can get the true formation phenomena. Make your choice!”

  Duwu Sili’s expression froze. He had never expected Wang Chong to so frankly admit that the second half could be fake. He was caught off guard and now didn’t know how to choose.

  If he had heard these words from Wang Chong earlier, he would have turned around and left, but now that he had seen those two papers regarding the formation phenomena and seen the vast horizon and enormous power within, Duwu Sili found it very difficult to look away.

  “Boy, you’re getting too conceited! I’ve already received two parts of the secret to formation phenomena. If you dare say such words to me, are you not afraid that I’ll just kill him now?”

  Duwu Sili slowly turned his head to Chen Bin as he spoke, his eyes growing cold. His fingers slowly began to clench, power slowly traveling to the tips. With just a single move, he could shatter all of Chen Bin’s bones and kill him.

  “Heh, Duwu Sili, Chen Bin is my subordinate and I value him highly, but to you and the Western Turks, he’s just an insignificant ‘nameless soldier’. To exchange the life of a nameless soldier for the secret of formation phenomena… Duwu Sili, you’re already getting quite the deal. Are you really willing to kill him?”

  Wang Chong grinned, his sharp eyes cleaving like swords into the deepest parts of Duwu Sili’s mind.

  Dalun Ruozan’s eyes flickered at these words, a flash of curiosity and interest in their depths.

  Duwu Sili still did not understand Wang Chong that well!

  Debating with him? Even Dalun Ruozan was no match for him, so how could Duwu Sili be?

  “Haha, okay!!”

  Duwu Sili laughed and made the choice that Dalun Ruozan had expected.

  “Boy, I can make a deal with you, but we’ll hand off at the same time. I’ll count down from three, and at ‘one’, I’ll throw your subordinate to you and you’ll throw what I want to me. We’ll act at the same time, and no one is permitted to play any tricks! If I discover that what you’ve given me is fake, I’ll first kill Chen Bin, and then I’ll slaughter all your subordinates!”