The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  No matter where he went, he would not be able to escape the eyes of those five elders.

  “Miss Song, during the day, I heard your father, Alliance Lord Song, saying that your Righteous Alliance was apparently chasing after the Demonic Emperor Old Man, and that your senior brother Ji Andu apparently had some relationship with the Demonic Emperor Old Man. What is all this about?”

  Drawing back his gaze, Wang Chong quickly turned to Song Youran, who was seated next to him. Wang Chong only knew Song Youran on this mountain, so Song Yuanyi had decided to have Song Youran take care of him.

  “Does Young Master Qingyang not know?”

  A look of surprise appeared in Song Youran’s eyes.

  “Heh, you know that I didn’t pay much attention to this sort of thing in the past.”

  Wang Chong found a random excuse to cover for himself. Fortunately, Song Youran did not press any further.

  “So that’s how it was.”

  Song Youran quickly began to explain.

  “Around two years ago, before the establishment of the Righteous Alliance, there was a top-class expert in the world of sects called Zhang Wenfu. He was the number one man of the evil path, known in the world of sects as the Demonic Emperor. He was incredibly powerful and evil. He had become famous many years ago and had used an evil art called the Great Yinyang Heaven Creation Art to reach a level that very few people could ever reach. From the moment he became famous, he gathered many experts under his banner and become a great demon of the world of sects.

  “He had a ruthless personality and massacred his way across almost every part of the martial arts world. He made everyone pale in fear, and there were some who didn’t even dare to mention his name. Only my father was not afraid of him!”

  When it came to her father, Song Youran appeared proud.

  “But there is a saying that goes, ‘Good and evil will each have their own rewards, and if they do not come now, they will come in the future.’ Zhang Wenfu’s evil art was able to absorb the energies of others and turn them into shriveled corpses, stirring up extreme fury in the martial arts world. Although no one dared to oppose him for a long time, in the end, all the different kinds of Stellar Energy he absorbed caused him to suffer a cultivation defect.

  “At the beginning, he tried to hide it and resolve the problem on his own, but in the end, his disciple discovered it and leaked the news. Zhang Wenfu’s actions had infuriated the entire world of sects, so the evil and righteous sects joined together. With the assistance of the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s disciple working from the inside, they succeeded in heavily injuring the Demonic Emperor Old Man and shattering his dantian, freeing the martial arts world from his reign of terror.

  “That was the biggest incident in the entire world of sects, and completely altered the power balance. It was also at that time that the Righteous Alliance and Five Ancestor Alliance were established. And the disciple of the Demonic Emperor Old Man who had participated in that incident was recruited by my father into the Righteous Alliance, and he is none other than my senior brother, Ji Andu.

  “My father says that he’s already turned his back on evil and returned to the righteous path, and that I should give him a chance, but I know that he’s never changed. From the moment he entered the Righteous Alliance, he’s thought of every way to pursue me, and he’s even tried to get my father to agree to the marriage. His goal is none other than to inherit my father’s position and become the Lord of the Righteous Alliance. I’ve already refused him many times, but though he has ulterior motives, Father and the elders say that the pros outweigh the cons, and that he rendered great service back then. But nobody had ever imagined that the Demonic Emperor Old Man managed to survive in the end, leading to today’s incident.”

  When discussing her own marriage, Song Youran showed a hint of sorrow and loneliness on her white and tender face.

  Wang Chong looked thoughtful, then smiled and said, “Be at ease. No matter what he’s planning, he’ll never succeed!”

  “Ah?!”

  Song Youran was startled and immediately shot Wang Chong a confused glance.

  “Heh, if I say it won’t happen, it won’t happen. You’ll understand in the future.”

  Wang Chong did not explain any further.

  Song Youran became more and more astonished. Although Young Master Qingyang was very famous, he was lacking in strength, and even if he were a powerful martial artist, he would not be able to intervene in the matters of the Righteous Alliance. In the Righteous Alliance, there was only one person who could decide her fate: her father, Song Yuanyi.

  “Young Master…”

  Song Youran was about to ask more questions when the sound of footsteps came from behind them, and then a voice.

  “Junior Sister, the alliance lord is asking for you. You need to go over now.”

  A Righteous Alliance disciple appeared behind the pair.

  “Ah? I’ll head over now.”

  Surprised, Song Youran quickly stood up.

  “Young Master, I’ll take my leave. If you have a problem, please feel free to inform me.”

  With these words, Song Youran left.

  All fell quiet, and Wang Chong turned his gaze once more down the mountain.

  After some time, rustling footsteps and a cold and sinister voice came from behind him. “Young Master Qingyang is truly in high spirits!” A figure was soon making their way over to Wang Chong.

  “Hah, Senior Brother Ji has truly taken great pains. For the sake of meeting me alone, you even found a way to have Miss Song leave.”

  Wang Chong smiled, not even turning his head as he spoke.

  Bzzzz! The footsteps came to a sudden halt, and Ji Andu narrowed his eyes as he stared at Wang Chong’s back, as a venomous snake would stare at its prey.

  “Hmph, you’re quite bold. You actually dare to pretend to be Young Master Qingyang in front of so many people!”

  Ji Andu coldly snorted, his words capable of freezing one down to the bones.

  Buzz!

  Time seemed to stop for a moment. Wang Chong’s face was emotionless, but his heart was shaken. In the end, Wang Chong had failed to deceive his senior brother.

  The air instantly became fraught with tension.

  “Heh, Sir Protector, what are you saying?”

  Wang Chong chuckled, his face unperturbed.

  “Ha! Everyone in the world of sects knows that Young Master Qingyang is lacking martial arts, so that guard at his side is incredibly powerful and was completely trained up by Young Master Qingyang. The two of them are completely inseparable, and there has never been a case where Young Master Qingyang journeys alone without his guard. Junior Sister might have been convinced by just a few words from you, but do you really think that the rest of us are so blind?”

  Ji Andu approached Wang Chong, sinisterly inspecting him.

  Stellar Energy had gathered on his right wrist, prepared at any moment to strike Wang Chong.

  Chapter 1352 - : Night Raid of the Men in Black (I)

  Chapter 1352: Night Raid of the Men in Black (I)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Wang Chong mentally smiled. As expected, his ‘senior brother’ was not that easy to persuade. The identity of Young Master Qingyang might have been capable of fooling others, but it was not enough to fool Ji Andu.

  But Wang Chong was not nervous.

  “Heh, it seems like Protector Ji has deep prejudices against me. Did I not already explain when Alliance Lord Song was present? We were ambushed by bandits and separated. If Protector Ji is interested in my guard, you won’t need to wait long to meet him. But this one helped the Righteous Alliance, yet Protector Ji is still so suspicious of me. Is this truly your only concern?”

  Wang Chong faintly chuckled.

  Bzzz! Ji Andu grimaced, and a cold and sinister energy erupted from his body, immediately making him much more dangerous.

  “Hmph, quite bold! Now that Junior Sis
ter isn’t here, you’re not afraid that I will kill you?”

  Ji Andu’s complexion turned colder and colder, and his index and middle fingers slightly curled as if preparing to strike. But Wang Chong remained unmoved.

  “Haha, five elders of the Righteous Alliance are down below, the alliance lord is on the summit, and there are several hundred Righteous Alliance disciples on the entire mountain. If Protector Ji wants to attack, then please do so!” Wang Chong said, his face relaxed and confident. It was obvious that he had little regard for Ji Andu’s threats.

  “You!”

  Ji Andu’s expression dimmed as rage blazed in his heart. This bastard clearly felt safe and secure.

  Wang Chong calmly smiled back. The five elders Song Yuanyi had arranged at the base of the mountain prevented him from silently leaving, but they also served as a check against Ji Andu.

  If he still managed to get inexplicably injured while surrounded by such defenses, they would become a laughing stock. Thus, Wang Chong also had an invisible layer of protection.

  Ji Andu silently stared at Wang Chong’s back, the expression in his eyes constantly shifting. Wang Chong’s words truly did make him extremely apprehensive, but a moment later, he seemed to think of something and loudly laughed.

  “Hahaha, so what if you’re the real Young Master Qingyang? Do you think I have no way of dealing with you?”

  An extremely dangerous light flickered through Ji Andu’s eyes. With a flick of his fingers, a sharp bolt of energy shot toward Wang Chong’s right shoulder. He was actually choosing to attack Wang Chong without any regard for the consequences.

  But a moment later, whoosh! Wang Chong’s body vanished in a flicker of light as if he had long ago predicted Ji Andu’s strike, dodging the attack by a hair.

  “Hmph! Still want to pretend?”

  Ji Andu’s entire body seethed with killing intent.

  “Protector Ji, have you forgotten who I am?!”

  Wang Chong stood seven or eight paces away from Ji Andu as he spoke to him.

  Ji Andu immediately felt choked up. Young Master Qingyang was well-learned in all martial arts of the world. He had been able to command the Righteous Alliance disciples against the Black Yin Ancestor, so he was naturally capable of dodging his attack.

  “Protector Ji, I assisted your group out of the kindness of my heart, and my remaining here was even on request of your alliance lord. If Protector is so dissatisfied with me, it seems that I should simply bid my farewells to Alliance Lord Song now!”

  Wang Chong’s smiled as he intentionally raised the volume of his voice.

  “You’re threatening me!”

  Ji Andu’s face chilled. As he prepared to strike again, a sharp cry came out of the darkness.

  “Protector Ji, what are you doing?! Young Master Qingyang is an honored guest of our Righteous Alliance. He must be treated with all due respect!”

  The elderly voice resounded through the air, and a few moments later, heavy footsteps could be heard approaching Wang Chong’s location. Ji Andu turned and saw that an elder of the Righteous Alliance was striding over.

  Ji Andu instantly paled, his heart tightening.

  Besides the five elders at the base of the mountain, there were also several other elders patrolling the base. Ji Andu was so focused on Wang Chong that he had not been paying much attention to any other footsteps. However, he had not expected that Wang Chong had long ago made calculations and raised his voice at the right moment so that the elder would hear ‘bid my farewells to Alliance Lord Song now’ and be drawn over.

  “Hmph, I’ll let you off for now!”

  Ji Andu saw that he would no longer be able to keep probing Wang Chong’s strength and withdrew his fingers.

  “Elder has misunderstood. Young Master Qingyang is a benefactor of our Righteous Alliance, and I only wanted to come and pay him a visit. Young Master, let us talk some more next time!”

  After saying this, Ji Andu immediately turned around and made his way back up the mountain.

  The Righteous Alliance elder walked over and worriedly asked, “Young Master Qingyang, are you okay?”

  “Heh, I’m fine. Protector Ji seems to have some misunderstanding of me, but there’s no problem now,” Wang Chong indifferently said.

  Nearby, Ji Andu, who had walked some fifty paces away, immediately twitched.

  “Oh?”

  The Righteous Alliance elder frowned, a confused look on his face.

  But if Wang Chong wasn’t willing to elaborate, there was nothing he could do. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he turned around and resumed his patrols.

  On the summit, Ji Andu stood in the darkness and shot a glare at Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong was well aware that this matter was far from over. Since Ji Andu was willing to draw away Song Youran so that he could openly threaten him, he undoubtedly had some other tricks up his sleeve as well.

  You’re seeking death!

  As this thought flitted through Wang Chong’s mind, his eyes turned ice-cold.

  Wang Chong quickly calmed back down and began to meditate. As time passed and Wang Chong was cleaning up his Stellar Energy, he felt a slight heat at his chest. At the same time, a faint green light began to shine through his clothes. Though it wasn’t particularly bright, it still stood out in the darkness.

  “This is…”

  Wang Chong thrust his hand into his bosom and took out an object. After glancing at it, he grimaced.

  He raised his hand and scanned his surroundings. Nothing could be seen in the dark night, and there were only gusts of wind blowing overhead.

  The situation was no different from what it had been a few moments before, but Wang Chong knew that something had already changed, that a hidden danger might attack at any time.

  Swish!

  Wang Chong swiftly stood up and made his way up the mountain, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

  As Wang Chong was leaving, few people noticed that a figure dressed in black had appeared at a place not far from the foot of the mountain. He was hidden behind a thick tree branch so that only his eyes peeked out, which were sharply observing the mountain.

  “It’s the third watch, the best time to strike. In a little while, we’ll strike at them so fiercely that they’ll be throwing aside their weapons in their desperation to escape, and blood will flow like rivers!”

  The man in black gave a strange chuckle and quickly turned to another man behind him.

  “Blood Eye, have you found the target?”

  “Keke, relax. The target is still on the mountain. He won’t be able to escape.”

  Blood Eye was squatting down, hidden in another tree, his aura seemingly fused with it. If one did not get up close with the intention of looking for someone, they would never be able to notice him.

  “Ha! The time is upon us! We should move out!”

  The two of them lunged forward with a ghostly silence, quickly making their way to the location where the three men in bamboo hats were.

  Whoosh!

  As the breeze blew, all things were concealed in the darkness, and all fell silent. Around five minutes later, another gust kicked up, sweeping in from the east and blowing toward the Righteous Alliance.

  Such a thing was completely normal at night, and no one noticed that there was something abnormal in this wind.

  On the eastern face of the Righteous Alliance’s temporary base, a Righteous Alliance disciple wearing the uniform of the alliance was seated cross-legged on the ground, his mind focused on cultivation.

  The gust suddenly blew past, and the disciple’s nose flared. As he took in a few breaths, his eyes suddenly opened, revealing a hint of drowsiness.

  But before he could even tell what was wrong, thump! His body went limp and he dropped to the ground.

  One, two, three…

  As the gust blew past, one Righteous Alliance disciple after another fell over like wooden pillars.

  “Who is it?!”

  A fierce bellow
rang out through the night. The Righteous Alliance elder guarding the eastern base of the mountain stood up and stared, a wary look on his face.

  This elder was far more sensitive to danger than the normal person, and just now, he had sensed an incredible danger.

  “Hah!”

  Around one li away, a man in black emerged on a tree branch, while two others hovered in the air, their hands behind their back and cold smiles on their faces. They each had a black bag by their side, and through the control of their Stellar Energy, white powder was flowing out of these bags like silver rivers and into the wind.

  The Righteous Alliance had at least one thousand disciples at their base. Ordinary people would try to keep their distance from such a force, and not even the Five Ancestor Alliance would dare to attack it while Song Yuanyi was there.

  But these men in black cared little for even the secular power of the throne, so why would they care about the factions of the martial arts world? No matter how many experts had gathered on that mountain, they would attack all the same.

  “Not good! Enemy attack! There’s poison in the wind! Everyone, hold your breath!” An extremely panicked cry rang out through the darkness, and a moment later, the silent mountain slopes exploded in an uproar.

  “Ah!”

  Cries of alarm came from the summit as increasing numbers of disciples were roused from their meditation and noticed the situation down below. But it was already too late, as the odorless Celestial Powder had already succeeded in felling numerous disciples.

  Evil truly does inexorably linger! Even when I was hiding here, I was still found out!

  Wang Chong looked down from the summit, his eyes cold.

  Although the battle had not yet begun, Wang Chong had already sensed the odor of those men in black.

  It had been a very long time since he had left the capital, but these people continued to linger like haunting ghosts, attached to him like maggots to a bone.

  Chapter 1353 - Night Raid of the Men in Black (II)