The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “It’s that Tang commander!”

  Underneath the banner of the black Nile, Governor Osman of Cairo’s expression slightly shifted. His torch-like eyes immediately noticed the problem. All of it had been caused by the young commander behind the steel walls.

  “Interesting! To think that there was such an ability!”

  After overcoming his initial shock, Mameluke Commander Aybak began to lick his lips in anticipation. The Mamelukes were not only obsessed with defeating the most powerful opponents. They were also extremely interested in enemy generals with unique abilities.

  “This ability is very special, but it’s not impossible to deal with. Leave this person to me!”

  Osman’s eyes chilled as he exploded with a vast energy that soared into the sky. His pitch-black steely halo spread from under his feet in a mixture of metallic clanging and the rumbling of a mighty river. Soon, it had spread from Osman to every horseman of the Arab army.

  The chaos caused by the weakened halos was swiftly pacified and the army regained its initial appearance.

  “Hmph, it’s just a measly trick!”

  Osman’s eyes were tinged with disdain and scorn, but he had barely spoken when another invisible ripple of energy swept through the battlefield. The army that Osman had just pacified once more fell into disorder. With no warning whatsoever, the energies of all the Arab generals plunged, weakening the army even more than the first ripple of energy had.

  Everywhere he looked, the halos of the Arab generals were rapidly weakening. Without the buff of these halos, the tens of thousands of Arab cavalry were also weakening. The sandstorm that had only just re-manifested disappeared once more.

  The Bane of Generals Halo!

  Seated upon the White-hoofed Shadow, Wang Chong observed the battlefield with bright and awe-inspiring eyes.

  The Bane of the Battlefield Halo was possible to nullify, but only through the actions of a Great General. The Bane of Generals Halo was not as easy to neutralize. Even Great Generals would find it difficult to completely counter its effects, and both the Bane of Generals Halo and the Bane of the Battlefield Halo required the opposing Great General to expend a significant amount of energy.

  Let me see just how powerful you all are! Wang Chong mentally challenged the opposition.

  ……

  In the Arab camp, Abu Muslim, Osman, Aybak… all of them were keeping a close eye on the battlefield. While the first halo had been of little concern to Osman, the second halo had been a vicious slap to his face.

  “Damned thing!

  Osman’s face turned savage as he clenched his teeth. Without the slightest hesitation, a dark red halo as thick as blood erupted from his body and swept over the battlefield in a bloody storm.

  As one of the strongest governors of the Arabian Empire, Osman rarely boosted his army with two halos unless he personally entered the field. Even for Osman, unleashing two powerful halos was no small burden. But Osman had a proud personality that did not permit him to lose to some eastern infidel commander.

  But Osman was stunned to see that his second halo was only able to give a small boost to the Arab generals. They had still not recovered their original strength.

  “This is impossible!”

  Even Aybak was rather taken aback.

  He had known Osman for many years and knew how powerful he was. Osman might have been weaker than the Governor of War and the Governor of Iron and Blood, but he was basically unmatched amongst the other governors. That Osman had been forced to unleash two halos and yet still could not completely nullify the burden on the soldiers meant that this young Tang commander was far more powerful than all of them had imagined.

  “Osman, I’ll help you.”

  Aybak’s eyes coldly glimmered as he suddenly intervened. His body paused for a brief moment, and then there was an explosion of light as a silver halo swept over the battlefield like liquid mercury.

  The combined strength of Osman and Aybak was just barely enough to nullify the negative effects on the Arab generals, but their halos were still substantially weakened.

  Wang Chong’s clash between Aybak and Osman seemed to last a long time, but all of this had elapsed in the blink of an eye, and it was only at this moment that the two armies finally clashed.

  “Release!”

  A young and cold voice rang out over the battlefield. Chen Bin’s erect figure, standing on a supply carriage upon which a ballista had been placed, swung down his sword.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Black ballista bolts, wrapped in destructive energy, thundered toward the Arab army like roaring dragons.

  Thudthudthud! The sounds of ballista bolts crashing into flesh rang through the air. Each ballista bolt unleashed a chorus of Arab screams and the whinnying of horses. A single volley immediately caused six to seven thousand cavalry to drop to the ground along with their horses. Behind them, the dense flood of Arabs rode over their bodies.

  Some Arabs who were still clinging to life immediately had their lives snuffed out by the stampede.

  In the first phase of this battle, the Great Tang had emerged victorious, but it had come at a heavy cost. Tens of thousands of soldiers had died, and countless weapons and equipment had been destroyed, including the pride of the Great Tang, the ballistae. The more than three thousand ballistae had been whittled down to a thousand-some, and this was after Zhang Shouzhi and his men had done their utmost to repair whatever they could.

  The severe loss in ballistae had forced Chen Bin to alter his strategy. He had waited to fire off this volley for a very long time, intentionally choosing not to fire beforehand as he usually did. Instead, he had waited until the soldiers were the most concentrated and the angle was the most ideal to finally fire.

  Neeeigh! As the seven thousand Arab cavalry fell to the ground, the cavalry behind them were carried along by their inertia into the bodies of their comrades, immediately throwing their ranks into chaos.

  Although Chen Bin’s volley had only killed seven thousand, he had lined it up in such a way that it had done far more than just kill seven thousand enemy soldiers.

  Chapter 1056 - Clash of Armies!

  Chapter 1056: Clash of Armies!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Release!”

  “Release!”

  “Release!”

  Chen Bin’s eyes were steady and determined as his sword swung down again and again. Every volley was fired only after thoroughly calculating the best angle and position. Ever since he had been taken hostage by Duwu Sili, Chen Bin had become a whole new man. He was even more composed and powerful, seeming even more like a rising general.

  Although he had only one thousand Tang ballistae, under his command, they could display whole new levels of power.

  Neigh!

  One row of Arab cavalry after another was felled, but the fierce assault could not be stopped. As the ballista bolts fired, the countless Arab cavalry roared and transformed into furious storms that slammed into the Tang shields!

  Bangbangbang! The clanging of metal was so loud that it almost ruptured eardrums.

  “Kill!”

  “Slaughter these infidels!”

  The earth rumbled as cold lights gleamed underneath the overcast sky. Looking down from the sky, all one could see was a vast sea of Arab cavalrymen while all one could hear was the shouts of fighting and the clashing of weapons. Bang! A neighing warhorse charged in, its metal horseshoes shining as it brought its foot down on one of the massive shields.

  Boom!

  With a metallic clang, the shield trembled and partially caved in. The soldier behind the shield was forced back a step by the impact while the blood and energy in his chest roiled and seethed.

  These soldiers weren’t fighting for the first time, but this group of Arab cavalry was clearly stronger than any others they had faced.

  Roooar!

  A Tang shieldman suddenly roared, his forehead bulging as he leaned fo
rward on his right leg and pressed his forehead down. His entire body tensed with muscle as he braced. Boomboomboom! The moment the Tang shieldman had finished his preparations, the Arab cavalry began to batter against his shield.

  The soldier’s body constantly vibrated as each collision inflicted severe injuries. Under his feet, the Defense Halo, Halo of Tenacity, and the Fortress Halo were constantly flickering like candles in the wind. But this soldier continued to clench his teeth and hold the line.

  No one who had survived up to this point was a weakling. Even though their opponents were strong, these veteran Tang shieldmen were able to rely on their rich experience to hold fast against the storm.

  “Kill!”

  At almost the same time, at another position on the first defense line, thousands of Arab cavalry bellowed as they charged out in a full offensive. The warriors that Qutaybah had brought from the north possessed unimaginable power. Even Wang Yan’s well-tempered and tenacious infantry, whom not even Abu Muslim’s army had been able to break through, felt like they were facing a real opponent this time.

  Boooom! With a metallic clang and an alarmed yell, one of the shieldmen in Wang Yan’s infantry formation was sent flying into the rear along with his shield. A gap had suddenly appeared in the tight defense line.

  “Up!”

  The elites of the Crimson Moon Vanguard immediately noticed this sight, their eyes flashing. Three of the higher-level warriors of the Crimson Moon Vanguard immediately altered their directions, converging on the gap from three directions. Behind them, the other cavalry of the Crimson Moon Vanguard also began to notice this gap and began to instinctively gather around. They took up Arrow Formation and began to charge at the gap left open after that shieldman had been knocked away.

  As the veteran and valiant vanguard of Qutaybah’s army, the soldiers of the Crimson Moon Vanguard were all extremely well-trained. On the intense battlefield, each soldier could immediately notice gaps in the enemy formation and gather to attack and widen these gaps.

  This was also why Qutaybah had always made the Crimson Moon Vanguard the first to strike and tear apart the enemy defense line.

  Buzz!

  Wang Yan’s eyes widened at this sight. Although this was only the first wave, both Wang Yan and the soldiers under his command immediately felt an immense pressure. This new force of Arabs was different from the last one. They were far more aggressive and invasive.

  “Second row!”

  Clang! Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Yan pulled out his sword and gave the order, his expression extremely grim. He did not dare to show the slightest hint of neglect before these Arab cavalry.

  Not long after Wang Yan issued the order, a roar came from the second row. “Raaaa! Let me do it!”

  A tall and burly reserve shieldman gripped his shield, lowered his body like a tiger, and then lunged forward. Boom! The shield impacted against a Crimson Moon Vanguard that was trying to charge through the gap, the enormous force striking the breast of the horse and sending both it and its rider flying backward.

  “Western barbarian, get out of here!!”

  The shieldman angrily bellowed as he quickly drew back his shield and charged at three more Crimson Moon Vanguard charging at the gap. Caught off guard, these three horsemen were also sent flying out of the first defense line like they had been shot at by cannons. The severe imbalance even caused one of them to fall from his horse.

  “Get out of my way!!”

  This stalwart shieldman raised his shield high in the air and then thrust it into the ground. His body leaned forward and his legs spread apart as he rooted this steel shield weighing several hundred jin and sealed the gap.

  Shieldguards!

  Wang Yan had inherited the Wang Clan’s style of war. Everything he did was according to a rule or law and was done with strict discipline. Infantry formations were like a fortress, and a fortress never entrusted its defense to a single soldier, but in layers and layers of defenses. When a large gap appeared in any area, infantry in the rear would immediately emerge to fill it.

  In this fashion, the entire army would be like a fortress and would never crumble.

  This was a unique trait of that era in which infantry had reigned supreme.

  In this aspect, the soldiers under Wang Yan’s command could be considered true ‘soldiers of one hundred battles’. Moreover, Wang Yan had created a group of infantry particularly tasked with dealing with situations like this, the Shieldguards.

  Boomboomboom! The moment the Shieldguard charged up to fill the gap, countless warhorses surged forward and began to kick at his shield, but all of them were stopped. Soon, in a flash of cold light, the Crimson Moon Scimitars fell upon the heavy shield in a flurry of blows. But despite the shrill clanging of the heavy scimitars against the shield, the steel shield managed to stand firm.

  Hiss!

  All the Great Tang shieldmen widened their eyes in surprise at what they saw. The shieldmen standing at the very front line were the lifeline of the army. A shieldman required equipment that was sturdy, dense, and difficult to destroy. Thus, their shields were usually made from the finest materials.

  However, these unique red scimitars were able to leave behind very deep marks on these steel shields. Such sharpness was difficult to imagine.

  “Everyone, hold!”

  As orders rang out in the air, each shieldman began to endure almost inconceivably powerful impacts. However, as the veteran vanguard of the northern Arab army, the Crimson Moon Vanguard had far more tricks than just this.

  Neigh!

  Some Crimson Moon Vanguard members in the rear, with the symbol of a red scimitar striking a shield on their chests, suddenly pulled on the reins of their horses. They coldly looked ahead as they lowered their bodies against their horses and rapidly began to accelerate. As everyone looked on, the warhorses of this unique force of cavalry suddenly stepped onto the backs of the warhorses of the cavalry in front of them and soared into the air. They flew over the high shields and even over the steel walls, descending like divine soldiers into the rear of the defense line.

  Rumble! Dust churned and all was in chaos in the middle of the army. One, two, three… one hundred elites of the Crimson Moon Vanguard had jumped over the walls and landed in the army.

  The Crimson Leap!

  This was a unique skill of the Crimson Moon Vanguard specifically targeted at infantry and shield formations. The Great Tang was far from the first empire the Crimson Moon Vanguard had encountered that used infantry formations and large shields. The Governor of War had encountered far too many such formations in his many conquests.

  The Crimson Leap was meant to break such shield formations.

  For this purpose, Qutaybah had even equipped the bottom of these warhorses with thick armor to protect the bellies of the horses, which were exposed during the Crimson Leap.

  “Kill them!”

  At this moment, Wang Chong’s big brother Wang Fu bellowed, his expression harsh and determined. In a flash, countless sabermen and axemen formed squads of ten and surrounded these Crimson Moon Vanguard before they could inflict too much chaos.

  Although the Crimson Leap had been pulled off successfully, the disorder created had been far less than expected.

  Chapter 1057 - A Battle Without Precedent in History (I)

  Chapter 1057: A Battle Without Precedent in History (I)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Kill!”

  Countless sabermen and axemen densely surrounded the Crimson Moon Vanguard, their weapons coldly gleaming as they swept down. This incredible reaction time and cohesion left these Crimson Moon Vanguard paling in shock.

  As the vanguard of the Arab War God Qutaybah, they had encountered many powerful opponents, but no matter how strong their foes had been, they had always been able to cause some chaos in the enemy ranks and create opportunities for the army behind them. But these Tang from the east were completely different from a
ny foe they had faced.

  Although they had managed to get into the rear of the enemy army, they had been almost instantly surrounded and had no space to charge. They had never even thought about this situation before, much less encountered it.

  Clangclangclang! In a few seconds, the Crimson Moon Vanguard had begun to battle with the axemen and sabermen. The crimson scimitars left sharp and bloody glows in the air as they clashed against the sabers and axes. In clangs of metal, the scimitars shattered the edges of these axes and sabers and even cut through the heavy armor worn by their wielders, causing blood to gush forth.

  Several sabermen and axemen were heavily injured and forced to retreat, but the Crimson Moon Vanguard slowly began to fall under the concerted attacks.

  The golden-armored and divine figure of the Governor of War slightly frowned as he watched all this from beneath his black hell flame banner, but he said nothing. At the same time, far across from him, Wang Chong’s eyes twitched.

  He had not interfered very much in this first clash, only watched. This army from the northern Arabian warzone was for more formidable than he had imagined. Their offensive abilities and the ferocity of their assaults had reached incredible levels. There was no question that this would be the greatest trial the Great Tang would face.

  “Milord, do we need to send the Mo Saber Unit?” asked Xi Yuanqing, the number three individual of the Anxi Protectorate army.

  The Arabs were coming in endless waves, and their attacks were incredibly vicious. Moreover, the Crimson Moon Vanguard were just a small part of the Arab army, yet everyone, including Xi Yuanqing and Cheng Qianli, felt an enormous pressure.

  This sort of situation had never occurred in the first phase of this war.

  “There’s no need.”

  Wang Chong shook his head, his eyes like a placid lake, devoid of even the smallest ripple of emotion.

  “It’s not time to use the Mo Saber Unit. Inform the soldiers of Greater and Lesser Balur as well as the soldiers on the front line to prepare to attack! In addition, inform the second line of shieldmen to be ready to step forward and take the places of the first line and have the third line of shieldmen stand ready to receive orders! The hard is easy to break. With all the momentum behind them, the Arabs are in the highest spirits and are at their sharpest. At this time, our primary goal should be to grind away their drive and not allow them to engage in too many large-scale clashes!”