The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  An Yaluoshan turned to the voice and saw Wang Chong standing several dozen feet away, his eyes cold and his robes flapping in the wind. He appeared like a wrathful god, one hand held behind his back, his other hand thrust forward, holding up a pile of black shards. This was clearly the black ring he had detonated.

  Whoosh!

  The uproar in the hall instantly died down.

  An Yaluoshan felt stifled and could barely manage a word in his defense.

  “An Yaluoshan, in today’s feast at the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal, the officials have gathered together with the foreign dignitaries from all countries, a meeting of peace. You performed the Hu whirling dance for His Divine Majesty, so the waist drum and knife should have been enough. For what reason did you bring three powerful ritual tools? This king is the Nine Provinces Protector-General and saw your ill intentions and intent to harm His Majesty, and so came forward to stop you!

  “Such a conniving and treacherous person cannot be allowed to remain! Someone, arrest him at once!”

  Wang Chong’s face radiated rage and majesty.

  “Bastard!”

  An Yaluoshan was still vomiting blood on the floor in anger and shock. He was so angry that his injuries actually worsened, causing him to vomit blood again.

  Before he could even accuse Wang Chong, Wang Chong had turned around and made his own sham accusation. He felt like exploding from rage.

  “Your Majesty, I wasn’t! Truly!”

  An Yaluoshan waved his hands.

  With so many people watching, how could he possibly attempt to assassinate the Sage Emperor?

  The three black rings were meant to defend himself against Wang Chong. But how could he explain this to the Sage Emperor and the officials?

  Would he have to claim that he had been wary of Wang Chong from the very beginning, so had been wearing the three rings from the start?

  But who would believe him?!

  “King of Foreign Lands, you’re committing slander!”

  “Your Majesty, there was nothing of the sort!”

  Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi angrily glared at Wang Chong as they shouted.

  “And who are you two? Do you have the right to speak in front of His Majesty?” Wang Chong coldly said.

  On the right side of the ‘U’, Xu Qiqin was barely managing to suppress her laughter.

  An Yaluoshan was far too naive, trying to frame Wang Chong!

  Did he really think that the mighty War God of the Great Tang had gotten where he was purely through brute force?

  Trying to frame Wang Chong was simply self-punishment!

  Several Golden Guards who did not understand the situation instinctively followed Wang Chong’s order and walked over, but at this moment, a majestic voice spoke.

  “Withdraw!

  “An Yaluoshan is a meritorious official of the Great Tang. How could he harbor ill intentions against Us? Wang Chong, you are getting far too agitated over such a minor matter!” the ‘Sage Emperor’ finally said.

  “Your Majesty!”

  Everyone lowered their heads upon hearing the Sage Emperor speak.

  Wang Chong glanced over, his heart turning cold.

  With these words, the Sage Emperor was clearly favoring An Yaluoshan, even covering for him.

  Crucially, a sovereign did not speak lightly. Since the Sage Emperor had spoken, any evidence he had was pointless.

  “An Yaluoshan, thank you for your trouble!”

  The ‘Sage Emperor’ slowly rose, his voice devoid of emotion.

  “Although the King of Foreign Lands had good intentions, it is clear that he has treated you unjustly. Li Jinchao!”

  “The old slave is here!”

  The silver-haired old eunuch at his side respectfully lowered his head.

  “Bestow a Nine Revolutions Jade Marrow Pill!” the ‘Sage Emperor’ declared.

  “This old slave will obey!” the old eunuch hastily replied.

  On the floor, An Yaluoshan was delighted to hear these words.

  Chapter 2011 - Qiqin Resolves the Crisis!

  Chapter 2011: Qiqin Resolves the Crisis!Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: MichyrrIt was truly a pleasant surprise. An Yaluoshan had initially been rather panicked, not expecting the Sage Emperor to speak up for him.He was absorbing the Sage Emperor’s Dragon Qi, but the Sage Emperor was surprisingly speaking up on his behalf.It seems that the information was right. The Sage Emperor truly regards him as a thorn in his side! It was worth sending him all those beauties!An Yaluoshan was overjoyed.“An Yaluoshan, We have accepted your kindness. Take this pill and rest.”The ‘Sage Emperor’ waved a sleeve as he spoke to An Yaluoshan.“Your Majesty…”An Yaluoshan ‘struggled’ to get up, and then he ‘furtively’ shot a glance at Wang Chong and hesitantly began to speak.“This lowly subject has always revered the Son of Heaven. When this lowly subject was on the border, he was always thinking that if he could see the Sage Emperor with his own eyes, he could die without regrets. This lowly subject has now paid respects to the Sage Emperor, but then the King of Foreign Lands… he… An Yaluoshan feels unwell. Your Majesty, please permit me to depart first and rest.”“Your Majesty, please give your permission!”Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi glared at Wang Chong with crimson eyes as they ‘indignantly’ spoke, appearing to be fearful and wronged.“Mm!”Wang Chong’s pupils constricted, and his expression chilled.“Want to leave?!”He was well aware that his palm just now had not been that strong, and An Yaluoshan’s injuries were far less severe than they seemed.He was clearly trying to use this chance to leave the capital without any further difficulties.In the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal, with all the countries gathered together, he had offered some so-called ‘dragon pearl’ that helped ‘Third Son Xuan’ suppress the Sage Emperor, and then he had stolen the Sage Emperor’s Dragon Qi right in front of Wang Chong and all the other officials. After committing such treasonous actions, did he really think that he could just disregard all the officials and leave as he pleased?Absurd!Had he been asked?“Mm, very well. You may withdraw!”The ‘Sage Emperor’ didn’t think about it much before giving his agreement.An Yaluoshan and his men were delighted to hear this. Gao Shang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly prodded Yan Zhuang with an elbow.“Let’s go!”They could not remain here for long. Though their plan had been ruined, they had not come away fruitless.As long as they could smoothly return to Youzhou, they would be as a fish in the sea or a bird in the sky!“Your Majesty is kind and magnanimous! My utmost gratitude, Your Majesty!”On the other side, An Yaluoshan acted like he had been relieved of a heavy burden, and he lowered his head, appearing on the verge of tears from gratitude.“Your Majesty!” A familiar voice that was utterly devoid of emotion rang out.An Yaluoshan, Gao Shang, and Cui Qianyou all trembled in shock. They turned and saw that Wang Chong had stepped forward, his expression confident as he bowed.“…This lowly subject also feels rather tired. If there are no other matters, this lowly subject wishes to withdraw early!”Wang Chong didn’t even glance at Cui Qianyou and the others as he spoke.But his words made the eyes of Cui Qianyou and Gao Shang twitch in shock.If Wang Chong were allowed to leave with them, they wouldn’t even be able to dream about leaving the capital today.“Hahaha, King of Foreign Lands, the Andong Protector-General is injured. You see that he has even vomited on the ground. But there is no need for you to leave as well!”Someone heartily laughed. On the left side of the ‘U’, Prime Minister Li Linfu stroked his black beard and gracefully walked past his table.“The King of Foreign Lands is one of the greatest meritorious officials of our Great Tang, one of His Majesty’s trusted aides. Your Highness needs to only look at your seat to understand. Moreover, the feast has only just begun, and there are so many foreign dignitaries here. Your Highness is an important official of our Great Tang, so how could you just leave?”Li Linfu was smiling so warmly that anyone who didn’t know the truth would think that he was good friends with the Wang Clan.“Prime Minister, what is the meaning of this? Wang Chong is a ma
rtial official. There should be no need for me to entertain the guests, yes?”Wang Chong coldly glanced at Li Linfu.Li Linfu’s honeyed mouth disguised the sword behind his back. He left little incriminating evidence, and he would never deliberately expose himself to deal with someone. In front of all the officials, he would always keep up his friendly appearance, but after helping An Yaluoshan, it seemed that he no longer feared Wang Chong.“Wang Chong, the feast has just entered its main event,” the ‘Sage Emperor’ suddenly said, his deep voice brimming with danger as it resounded in everyone’s ears. “You are the Great Tang’s only King of a different surname, and We recall that you have yet to offer a toast to Us? And you wish to leave? Is this to say that you have no respect for Us?”Whoosh!The entire pavilion seemed to get colder.Even the foreign dignitaries sensed that there was something wrong, and looked back and forth between the Sage Emperor and Wang Chong. As for Wunu Shibi and Namri Songtian, they had amused expressions on their faces.“Your Highness, look,” Wunu Shibi said in Turkic, using a message transmission method to communicate with Irbis Shiyun. “The sovereign of the Great Tang is in discord with his subject. This is our greatest harvest from this visit to the capital, the best chance for our Western Turkic Khaganate!”Though he had run into a wall with Wang Chong, this scene was enough for him to return to Ishbara Khagan and complete his mission.Irbis Shiyun said nothing, but there was a pensive look on his face.“Your Majesty, this lowly subject will withdraw!”An Yaluoshan’s eyes flashed with glee as he seized the chance to bow, massage his chest, and begin to walk away with a ‘painful’ and ‘ashamed’ look on his face.An Yaluoshan was keenly aware that this was his best chance to leave.If he waited a little longer, leaving might be impossible.After exchanging a glance with Li Linfu, he quickly departed, ‘supported’ by Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi.Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang also silently took their leave, heading for the exit.With the Sage Emperor’s decree, not even King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong could stop them.As for Wang Chong…It had nothing to do with them now!An Yaluoshan withdrew, but King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong had no time to worry about them.They nervously and worriedly looked at Wang Chong.They both understood that Wang Chong wanted to deal with An Yaluoshan, but the ‘Sage Emperor’ was clearly helping him, and the ‘Sage Emperor’ was already unhappy with Wang Chong over the Peace Pavilion and selection of women, anxious to find a way to deal with him.No matter how much Wang Chong wanted to pursue An Yaluoshan, clashing with the ‘Sage Emperor’ was not a wise decision.Wang Chong, you can’t confuse yourself!Now is not the time to clash with the Sage Emperor!They were both worried, but they could not intervene.Trying to interfere at this time would only further provoke the ‘Sage Emperor’.The Pavilion of Petal and Sepal was deathly still, and time seemed to have stopped. The air was frozen as everyone stared at Wang Chong.Wang Chong’s eyes were constantly shifting.An Yaluoshan was the archcriminal behind the calamity, the future destroyer of the Central Plains.It was one thing if he was far away at Youzhou, but for this feast of all countries, he had delivered himself right to Wang Chong’s doorstep. This was a rare chance to settle things once and for all.But Wang Chong had never imagined that the one who would stop him at the final moment would be the Great Tang’s ‘Sage Emperor’, joined by Prime Minister Li Linfu!And this was the ‘Sage Emperor’, not the Sage Emperor he deeply respected. That one was now slumbering deep within the body, and the one standing before him was a licentious and immoral ‘Sage Emperor’, a completely different person. This was the ‘Third Son Xuan’ who had been criticized several decades ago by the previous Emperor and even stripped of his right of succession—a cruel Prince who did not have the right to his respect!It was very difficult for Wang Chong to give a toast to such an unprincipled Prince.“Your Majesty, the King of Foreign Lands had no such intention. He said before to this lowly woman that he planned to toast to His Majesty as soon as the performances were over!” A pleasant voice came from the right side of the pavilion. Xu Qiqin had stood up, her slender fingers holding a goblet as she slowly walked around her table and toward Wang Chong.“That’s correct, right, Your Highness?”Xu Qiqin turned to Wang Chong, her beautiful eyes tinged with concern.She could understand Wang Chong’s thoughts, but now was not the time to oppose the Sage Emperor. Regardless of his desire to leave and pursue An Yaluoshan, he needed to be patient.So many officials and emissaries were watching. If Wang Chong went against the decree, the ‘Sage Emperor’ would have every excuse to arrest him, and it didn’t matter whether An Yaluoshan was here or not.She was truly afraid that Wang Chong would give in to his emotions and offend the ‘Sage Emperor’.Wang Chong met eyes with Xu Qiqin, and countless thoughts passed through his mind.The concern and anxiety in Xu Qiqin’s eyes finally cleared his mind.It was true! Now was not the time to clash with the ‘Sage Emperor’. Moreover, as he looked past the walls, he could see the crowd looking back, and their silence finally made him completely calm down.An Yaluoshan needed to be killed, but he could not rush it. There were hundreds of thousands of people watching outside. If the people of the Great Tang knew that the sovereign was at odds with his subjects, the morale of the people would be dealt a massive blow. And Wang Chong’s status was no longer the same. After one war and the benefits this war had brought to the Great Tang, he had become the supreme and invincible War God to the people of the Central Plains, the protector of the Nine Provinces.The Sage Emperor was admired by both the people and the officials. No one wanted to see these two august figures openly clashing in the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal.

  Chapter 2012 - : Surrounding An Yaluoshan!

  Chapter 2012: Surrounding An Yaluoshan!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Qiqin is correct. This lowly subject offers a toast to Your Majesty!”Wang Chong took the cup from Xu Qiqin, bowed to the Sage Emperor, then raised his head and drained the cup.“Hmph!”The Sage Emperor coldly snorted. As he watched Wang Chong drain the cup, a smug and contented look appeared in his eyes.“That was risky!”At the edge of the hall, King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong sighed in relief.They had been extremely nervous just now. It was fortunate that Xu Qiqin had stepped in.At a time like this, anyone else coming forward would have had an incredibly high chance of provoking the Sage Emperor and making the situation worse. Only Xu Qiqin differed, as she was a woman. Not even the Sage Emperor would find it appropriate to treat her harshly.Moreover, she was the only one capable of calming down Wang Chong at this time.“It’s a good thing Lady Xu came with him this time!”King Song emotionally sighed, a lingering fear in his heart.Wang Chong, after finishing the wine, quickly returned to his seat with Xu Qiqin.The Sage Emperor turned back around and returned to his throne, satisfied.A potential storm in the empire was silently dispersed.The feast continued, and the music restarted. The conflict between Wang Chong and An Yaluoshan represented a minor quarrel to the feast overall, and the mood quickly warmed back up.As for Wang Chong, he grew restless in his seat. It was only a short while later that he grew tired of waiting and simply got up and left.It was dark outside the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal. Wang Chong immediately used a movement technique to bolt like lightning toward the gates, his movements creating small explosions.Boom!The palace gates opened. Outside, someone had been anxiously waiting, and immediately approached Wang Chong.“How’d it go?” Wang Chong said.Zhang Que got down on one knee and hastily reported, “Your Highness, An Yaluoshan has left the Imperial City, but he’s still in the capital. We’ve already sent men to follow him.“In addition, General Li Siye, Xu Keyi, and Miyasame Ayaka have already led their soldiers in pursuit.”An Yaluoshan had left some time ago, but Wang Chong had been extremely slow to appear, leaving Zhang Que frantic.It was fortunate that Wang Chong had still managed to show up at a time that could not be considered too late.Wang Chong’s eyes chilled, and a moment later, he erupted with energy!Space trembled as an immense wave of Psychic Energy radiated from Wang Chong, rapidly sweeping out in all directions.The capital was covered by a large forma
tion that placed a heavy limit on Psychic Energy, making it so that one could not probe wherever one pleased.But Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy was so strong that he could still spread out his Psychic Energy over a large area and gather a great deal of information.And given the time that had passed, An Yaluoshan couldn’t have run very far.Buzz!After a few moments of expanding his Psychic Energy, Wang Chong frowned.He had quickly found An Yaluoshan, but strangely, Wang Chong could sense not just one, but ten-some An Yaluoshans.Whoosh!A flapping of wings heralded the arrival of a messenger bird.Taken aback, Zhang Que quickly received it. As he glanced at the report, a look of joy flashed in his eyes.“Your Highness, good news! We found An Yaluoshan! He’s headed for the eastern gate.”“Don’t celebrate just yet! We need to see all the information first!”Wang Chong shook his head. With his Psychic Energy, he could sense that ten-some messenger birds were headed his way.As expected, these messenger birds arrived in quick succession.After reading all these reports, Zhang Que was dumbstruck.“A good trick!”Wang Chong didn’t even look at the reports, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness.Wang Chong was no stranger to An Yaluoshan’s trick. The trick had already been tried at the eastern gate. He had simply increased the number.“Truly well prepared! But do you think that’s enough for you to escape?”Wang Chong coldly laughed, and he swiftly vanished into the darkness.“Follow! Now is not the time to be shocked. Pass on my order! All men are to pursue at full speed and close the net on An Yaluoshan and all his subordinates!” Wang Chong’s voice came from the distance.“Yes!”Zhang Que swiftly broke out of his stupor, mounting a horse and riding after Wang Chong.Gallop!Thundering horse hooves rang out through the night as countless men moved out according to Wang Chong’s order: the City Guard, the patrolling Imperial Army soldiers, Wang Chong’s Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain teams, and the numerous pleasure-seeking scions of the capital who had been waiting the whole night.An invisible net of enormous proportions began to rapidly close around An Yaluoshan’s men.……As the people of the capital immersed themselves in pleasure, spreading cheers and laughter through the streets, elsewhere in the darkness, figures were agilely navigating the rooftops.On the ground, groups of cavalry moved around streets, communicating with each other as they searched the capital.“Kill! Don’t let a single one go!”In houses, street corners, and the shadows, Youzhou soldiers would fly out and attack these pursuers without a second word.These people attacked with brute force, ignoring their own safety as they attempted to distract and disrupt the pursuers, buying time for An Yaluoshan.But all these attacks were like ants trying to shake a tree. These men were vastly outnumbered by the combined force of the City Guard and Wang Chong’s men. After a brief struggle, they were swiftly slain.When the face visors were removed, it was revealed that almost all the soldiers were Hu.“Take them away! Don’t let the common people notice!” Hoarse and fierce voices spoke into the darkness.The City Guard soldiers emerged from the darkness when the battle was over, efficiently working to drag away the deceased Youzhou soldiers without drawing any attention.They guaranteed that the ordinary people would not notice this pursuit in the darkness.Meanwhile, in another direction…Rumble!A bronze carriage was moving toward the eastern gate, swiftly moving through shadowy streets.“Your Excellency, the entire capital is crawling with men serving the King of Foreign Lands. We might not be able to escape unscathed!”Several figures convened in the carriage, all of them with worried expressions.Inside the carriage, one could hear the thundering of hooves approaching from all sides, getting closer and closer.“Bastard! He still won’t let me go, even after all this! If we really can’t escape, we’ll just have to find a way to force ourselves through!”An Yaluoshan ground his teeth, hatred and tension in his eyes.He had not expected Wang Chong’s hatred to run so deep that he would chase him so relentlessly! Leaving the capital would be impossible at this rate.Neeeigh! A sharp cry came from outside.“An Yaluoshan, you can’t escape!”The thunderous roar exploded from the air, instantly creating a gale around the carriage.Whoosh!An Yaluoshan turned ghastly pale.“Run! Why aren’t we moving?” An Yaluoshan urged, but a moment later, swoosh! An arrow pierced through the carriage window, brushing past An Yaluoshan’s nose and thudding into the inner wall.All sound stopped.An Yaluoshan’s face paled even more.Whoosh!In a cold flash of light, a wave of Sword Qi sliced off the roof of the carriage, revealing the scene.The driver was already dead, and around the carriage, the horses of the City Guard had tightly encircled the area, the tips of countless arrows glinting in the torch light. All of them were aimed at An Yaluoshan.“An Yaluoshan, after entering the capital, you didn’t think you could escape so easily, did you?”Wang Chong stood in front of the carriage, mounted upon a tall horse.The mood was deathly still.“Your Highness, you are not the one who can decide whether I can leave or not!”An Yaluoshan slowly stood up. At this dangerous juncture, he had actually calmed down, his face devoid of fear. In fact, his gaze toward Wang Chong was tinged with derision.Buzz!Upon seeing that mocking smile, Wang Chong felt his heart thump, instantly sensing something strange.Swish!Wang Chong sent out a wave of Sword Qi that swept upward, tearing open An Yaluoshan’s clothes. As the cloth tore apart, white and plump skin completely free of any injury was revealed. There was no sign of the injuries that should have been there from the incident at the Pavilion of Petal and Sepal.A fake!Wang Chong instantly understood, and his face twisted into a nasty scowl.Whoosh! With one strike of his sword, he killed the An Yaluoshan in the carriage.A bizarre smile on his lips, he collapsed into the carriage in a pool of blood. At the same time, the City Guard struck, turning all the other people in the carriage into hedgehogs.An Yaluoshan’s face slowly began to change, the lines turning harder and thinner. In the end, it became an entirely different and unfamiliar face.The faces of Cui Qianyou, Tian Chengsi, and the others also slowly changed to other faces.