The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “Kill!”

  But neither Zhangchou Jianqiong nor Xianyu Zhongtong was the first to strike. Instead, with an earthshaking roar, an old subordinate of Zhangchou Jianqiong was the first to strike. Wang Chong had seen this man at Zhangchou Jianqiong’s side quite a few times, but he had never had a lasting impression of him.

  This time, however, this old subordinate finally revealed his true strength. Though he led the vanguard, he did not lead cavalry, but seven to eight thousand infantry from the Annan Protectorate army.

  “Tiger!”

  “Tiger!”

  “Tiger!”

  With resounding bellows, the soldiers behind Zhangchou Jianqiong’s old subordinate raised up giant axes in both hands and lunged fearlessly at the Silver Spear Army.

  Thirty feet! Twenty feet! Ten feet!

  When both sides were six or seven feet away, the vanguard of the Annan Protectorate army suddenly dropped down and nimbly lunged across the ground.

  Swish!

  The air howled as the giant axes cleaved through the air and then brutally hacked into the legs of an Arabian warhorse.

  Blood gushed out, and the warhorse’s left leg flew into the air.

  Chapter 1838 - Attack of the Great Generals! (I)

  Chapter 1838: Attack of the Great Generals! (I)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Each warhorse of the Silver Spear Army was covered in thick armor. In normal circumstances, even the sharpest of weapons could not pierce through their defenses.

  But a suit of armor would always have chinks. When warhorses galloped, the areas around their joints would bend and stretch. Gaps would inevitably appear, and the Annan Protectorate army’s vanguard had used these points to cut off the legs of the horses and cripple the Silver Spear Army.

  A horse that couldn’t gallop, no matter how formidable, was worthless!

  “Bastard!”

  “Kill them!”

  “Pay attention to the warhorses!”

  “Kill these axemen!”

  The Silver Spear Army fell into disarray. The cavalry, shocked and infuriated, attacked the Annan vanguard with spears, scimitars, and various kinds of Stellar Energy, but the Arabs had underestimated the power of this force. These soldiers were extremely agile. While they had pressed their bodies low against the ground and were using giant axes in their attacks, they were constantly shifting their positions beneath the horses and nimbly dodging the attacks.

  The vanguard soldiers would only spend a few moments crippling each warhorse before moving on to the next. Moreover, they were also using the underbellies of the horses to cover their movements.

  Regardless of how formidable the Arab riders were, they couldn’t alter their attacks so that they struck beneath their horses, and this wasn’t even considering the thick layer of armor the warhorses had.

  Swish! Swish! Swish!

  In front of the first defense line, silver streaks of light flashed across the ground, running here and there, lunging from warhorse to warhorse. Boom! Boom! Boom! In the blink of an eye, more than half of the warhorses of the Silver Spear Army were crippled and brought crashing to the ground.

  And this was merely the beginning. The assault of the vanguard was not meant to deal with the Silver Spear Army, only open the way for the rest of the Annan Protectorate army behind it!

  Rumble!

  The earth trembled and dust churned as the sound of rumbling hooves swiftly approached the front line.

  Bang!

  A Silver Spear Army soldier mounted upon his crippled horse stared ahead with wide-open eyes, his jaw dropping and his lips trembling. He apparently wanted to say something, but a moment later, a horseman rushed by, and in a cold flash of light, his head flew into the air. Meanwhile, the body left behind on the warhorse gushed blood into the air.

  Swish! Swish! Swish!

  In the space of a few seconds, thousands of soldiers of the Silver Spear Army were beheaded, their trembling bodies dropping to the ground and spilling blood freely across the earth.

  The heavily armored Silver Spear Army had defeated countless foes, and their massive silver shields had even been able to block Su Hanshan’s ballistae.

  It should have been that no matter what opponent they faced, the Silver Spear Army would have never suffered such a devastating defeat. Alas, they were facing the Tiger of the Empire, Zhangchou Jianqiong. In the Great Tang, Zhangchou Jianqiong and Geshu Han had ten-some years of experience fighting back against the cavalry of Ü-Tsang, making them the most experienced Great Generals in the empire when it came to dealing with cavalry.

  The vanguard had only cut off the legs of their horses and not injured a single person, but a Silver Spear Army bereft of warhorses was just a pile of armored, human-shaped targets waiting to be cut down.

  In just a few seconds, the renowned Silver Spear Army was almost completely wiped out.

  This battle had allowed everyone, including Wang Chong, to see the extraordinary attributes of the Tiger of the Empire.

  But for Zhangchou Jianqiong, all this was merely the prelude.

  Neigh!

  Horses neighed while banners flapped in the air. Zhangchou Jianqiong’s Annan Protectorate army had always been a mix of cavalry and infantry. With the vanguard opening the way, the rest of the Annan Protectorate army flooded in, showing no fear in front of the Arab cavalry.

  “Arrow Formation!”

  “For the Sage Emperor!”

  “For the Great Tang!”

  The tens of thousands of soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army charged out from the steel walls and stabbed into the Arab cavalry on the left flank like a sharp knife. Upon seeing this, all the Arab cavalry exploded with killing intent.

  The only thing they feared about this Great Tang was the steel walls. Without the steel walls, these eastern soldiers were not even worth considering. No force on the continent could match the Arabs when it came to cavalry charges.

  This was a belief that all Arabs firmly held.

  Since the enemy had dared to leave their defense line, they would not mind crushing them to pieces.

  “Kill!”

  “For the Caliph!”

  “For the Hierophant!”

  “Crush the infidels and unite the continent!”

  The Arab cavalry roared as they charged with frightening speed at the Annan Protectorate army.

  Boomboomboom!

  A few moments later, the two armies clashed, weapon on weapon, flesh on flesh, warhorse on warhorse. The crashing, clashing, and shrieking all mixed into a single great din.

  Countless sparks exploded through the air.

  Neither side retreated even half a step. In the brief moment that had passed, both sides had lost thousands of men. This was a clash of both wills and strengths.

  However, it was a stalemate that did not last for long.

  Neigh!

  In the middle of the Annan Protectorate army’s Arrow Formation, a general bellowed and led his several thousand men charging out of the ranks, striking at the left flank. At the same time, Xianyu Zhongtong led his own soldiers out to strike at the right flank.

  The two forces struck without warning, but their timing was perfect.

  In this clash, the Annan Protectorate army and the Arab army had been closely matched, but as Xianyu Zhongtong and the other Annan general lashed out at the right and left flanks, they succeeded in creating chaos in the Arab ranks and tearing open two holes.

  They had chosen this moment to strike because the Arab cavalry on the flanks had just broken away from the main force to encircle the Annan Protectorate army, creating a small break in the ranks.

  This break was normally irrelevant and would have disappeared in a few seconds, but the attacks of Xianyu Zhongtong and the other general had come at the worst time. Their cavalry plunged into the gaps, their ferocious attacks swiftly widening them into massive wounds and stirring up chaos.

  As the chaos spread, the Arab
cavalry on both sides fell into disarray, and even those Arab cavalry facing the direct thrust of the Annan Protectorate army’s Arrow Formation were affected.

  Meanwhile, Xianyu Zhongtong and the other general were continuing to advance, widening the disorder.

  Neigh!

  As horses neighed, the Annan Protectorate army’s leading thrust broke through the Arab cavalry and swept unstoppably forward. At the same time, Xianyu Zhongtong and the other Annan general were constantly weaving in and out of the main force, creating more and more chaos and allowing the Annan Protectorate army to charge even farther.

  Boom! Boom! Amidst the repeated charges, the Annan Protectorate army found itself unstoppable, the Arab soldiers crumbling away.

  Whenever the Arabs tried to reorganize and intercept, the Annan Protectorate army generals would get there before them and scatter their defense line.

  “Lord Zhangchou truly deserves his title as Tiger of the Empire. Only under his command can the Annan Protectorate army be considered its true self!”

  Atop the White-hoofed Shadow, Wang Chong had been observing the Annan Protectorate army on the left flank the entire time.

  As he had observed the charge of the Annan Protectorate army, Wang Chong had finally understood how Zhangchou Jianqiong had been able to restrain the ambitions of Dalun Ruozan, Huoshu Huicang, and Geluofeng.

  There might not have been anything very special about the soldiers under his command. He did not have as many cavalry as the Beiting Protectorate army, nor did he have the explicit support of the empire enjoyed by the Anxi Protectorate army, with numerous ballistae. He also did not have the divine mastery of the art of war that Wang Zhongsi and Zhang Shougui possessed.

  The most powerful attribute of his Annan Protectorate army was its ability to seize the moment on the battlefield.

  At a glance, it seemed like the Annan Protectorate army had not done anything special, simply charged forward in Arrow Formation, but Wang Chong had been able to clearly sense the subtle shifts with each charge, how each assault had been focused on the enemy’s weakest point.

  Zhangchou Jianqiong’s generals would also charge at the enemy’s weakest point to create more opportunities for their own side. This made it seem like Zhangchou Jianqiong’s Annan Protectorate army was nigh unstoppable, not even requiring any sort of complex formation to annihilate his foe.

  But this was merely a sublimation of the complex into the simple. This seemingly simple charge had fully embodied the formidable power of the Tiger of the Empire.

  Chapter 1839 - Attack of the Great Generals! (II)

  Chapter 1839: Attack of the Great Generals! (II)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Thudthudthud!

  Amidst fierce collisions, screams tore through the air. To the shock of the tens of thousands of Arab cavalry, they were unable to hold against Zhangchou Jianqiong in a direct clash and were utterly crushed, many of them being slain.

  The onlookers to this battle were all stunned. Wunu Shibi, standing on the steppe, had his jaw agape in shock.

  He and Zhangchou Jianqiong had been in two completely different regions. They had never fought and never met.

  At most, he had some impression of him from the information that had been gathered.

  But the Tiger of the Empire at this moment had left an extremely deep impression.

  “When did the Great Tang get this powerful?!” Wunu Shibi muttered to himself in shock.

  Shield soldiers in front, archers in the rear, using dense defensive formations to block the cavalry charge until their speed ground to a halt and then finally launching a counterattack—this was the Great Tang that Wunu Shibi remembered.

  When did the Great Tang become so bold that they would charge out, outnumbered, to face the world-renowned Arab cavalry?

  Was this still the Great Tang that all the other foreign countries knew?

  Khatabah, Abu Muslim, and the other Arab Governors were also stunned. They had never expected the Great Tang to attack them while being so badly outnumbered.

  Khatabah’s face darkened as he ordered, “Tell Apolis that if he loses in a direct clash against the Tang, there is no need for him to come back!”

  “Bastard! All soldiers, follow me! Kill!”

  Khatabah was not the only one provoked by this development. The ten-some Governors and Deputy Governors on the front line were enraged, and one of the Arab Governors immediately called over two Deputy Governors and charged with tens of thousands of men in Arrow Formation at the left flank of the Annan Protectorate army.

  Gallop! As this force charged, a massive halo erupted from the feet of the Arab Governor and caused the strength of his men to soar.

  This majestic energy completely surpassed that of the Annan Protectorate army.

  The two sides drew closer and closer. The Arab Governor was on the verge of collision with the Annan Protectorate army, preparing to use his formidable cultivation to break the offensive. But at this moment, Zhangchou Jianqiong’s eyes gleamed with cold light.

  “Hmph! Nothing but a bunch of clowns!”

  Zhangchou Jianqiong shot forward on his pitch-black steed, crashing into the Arab Governor like a lightning bolt.

  Bang!

  The two Stellar Energies exploded in the midst of the army, but a moment later, the stalemate was broken. Crimson energy swept through the air and tore apart the Arab Governor’s ebony Stellar Energy.

  Swish! Cold light flashed before anyone could react, blood gushed out, and a head was soon spinning through the air.

  One strike!

  With one strike, the Tiger of the Empire had slain the Arab Governor, and he was not done yet.

  “Five Mountains Lightning!”

  With a thunderous roar, dark red Stellar Energy erupted from Zhangchou Jianqiong’s body.

  Space began to shift around Zhangchou Jianqiong, and five massive mountains manifested, lightning flashing between the imposing peaks.

  But a second later, this manifestation transformed into a destructive storm that hurtled into the dense ranks of the Arab army.

  “Ah!”

  With bitter screams, the two Arab Deputy Governors were struck by the crimson storm. Unable to even take this single strike, they vomited blood and were blown back more than a hundred feet, taking nearly one hundred Arab cavalry with them.

  “How could this be?”

  Apolis trembled in shock at this sight.

  He had a deep understanding of the Governor and two Deputy Governors who had charged out. Although they were not amongst the strongest, they should have been comparable to the Great Generals of the Great Tang. But instead, the three of them had been slain and maimed by that one Tang. It was simply absurd.

  “Tiger!”

  “Tiger!”

  “Tiger!”

  The Annan Protectorate army was further invigorated at the sight of Zhangchou Jianqiong killing an enemy commander, and they charged forward with even greater vigor.

  Bang! Bang! Bang! The Annan Protectorate army knocked aside all opposition in its path. The Arab cavalry were like mere ragdolls, blown back with shattered bones and limbs.

  In the rear, Wang Chong and the others couldn’t help but slightly nod in approval.

  Zhangchou Jianqiong might have spent a few years in the capital, and the southwest might have been without any major wars for many years, but as the saying went, a treasured knife did not age. No! It was better to say that while this treasured knife of the Great Tang had been stored away for many years, this had only made its strength and sharpness even more frightening.

  Neigh!

  As Zhangchou Jianqiong was leading the Annan Protectorate army in a fierce advance, on the other side, An Sishun suddenly chose to attack with the Beiting Protectorate army.

  Clangclangclang! An Sishun’s attack was so sudden that before the Arabs could react, he had already plunged several hundred meters into the Arab lines and was continuing to advance.
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  Zhangchou Jianqiong specialized in seizing momentary weaknesses in the enemy formation and creating further opportunities to exploit. Meanwhile, when An Sishun found a weakness in the enemy army, he would expand it to its limit. At the same time, he would use his constantly shifting cavalry tactics to spread chaos from one end of the army to the other, with this chaos preventing the enemy cavalry in the rear from reaching the front line.

  An Sishun did not excel as much as Zhangchou Jianqiong when it came to creating opportunities, but he far surpassed Zhangchou Jianqiong when it came to exploiting these opportunities.

  Wang Chong examined An Sishun’s determined and swift strike on the right flank, and nodded in approval.

  “Zhangchou Jianqiong’s strength is exhibited in his tactical prowess, but An Sishun is a true cavalry Great General. Very few Great Generals can surpass him when it comes to command of cavalry!”

  Each Great General of the empire had their own unique traits. One might be skilled in tactics, one could be skilled in dealing with cavalry, and another could be skilled in using cavalry. There was also the Tongluo Great General, Abusi, who specialized in training soldiers. The quality of his men was far above those of the standard Great General.

  “Kill!”

  “For the Great Tang!”

  An Sishun led his soldiers in a fierce advance, and in a few short moments, the Arabs’ left and right flanks had been completely run through.

  “Bastard!”

  Apolis gnashed his teeth in rage.

  Everyone knew that the Arab cavalry were far stronger than those of other countries, but in this first contest, the Arab cavalry had disgracefully lost to the eastern infidels.

  “Go! Go! Go! Everyone, get in there and crush them!”

  Apolis’s eyes were red as he bellowed. It was one thing if the enemy had been cowering behind the defense line, but even though they had engaged in an offensive, the Arabs were still being routed. He could not accept this humiliation.

  Rumble!

  The Arab cavalry rumbled as it converged on the Annan Protectorate army and Beiting Protectorate army, and the screams and neighs grew even louder.