The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Thirty years ago, the Wang Clan had Wang Bowu. Thirty years later, the Wang Clan now had Wang Chong. His destiny and his career were inextricably tied to the Wang Clan.

  If the Wang Clan declined, his career would thrive. If the Wang Clan thrived, then he…

  Li Linfu felt hatred and reluctance welling up in his heart.

  The Wang Clan was like the noon sun, and Wang Chong and Li Heng were bosom friends. There was nothing he could do!

  The old servant saw Li Linfu’s dejected expression and mentally sighed. He wanted to do something, but he was helpless.

  After some time, the carriage came to a stop with a thump, and the driver outside called out, “Wise Minister, we’ve arrived!”

  A gentle breeze rustled the surrounding trees in the darkness.

  The carriage, after leaving the capital, had driven into a forest.

  Li Linfu opened his eyes.

  “You all stay here. Without my order, you are not to move!” Li Linfu ordered, his expression grave.

  Creeak! Aji watched in surprise as Li Linfu stood up, took the lantern, and exited through the carriage door.

  There was nothing outside besides the carriage. With the light of the lantern, Li Linfu found a white birch by the side of the road. He walked up to the tree, saw a fresh mark on its trunk, and nodded.

  This is the place, Li Linfu mentally noted.

  “Wise Minister, where are you going? Aji will accompany you.” Aji’s worried and concerned voice came from behind him.

  “There’s no need.”

  Li Linfu waved his sleeve and then quickly vanished into the forest.

  The old servant was left speechless.

  For some reason, he felt that his Wise Minister had been acting very strangely recently, as if he was deeply concerned.

  He had taken care of the Wise Minister for several decades, and they had been inseparable except during court sessions. This was the first time the Wise Minister had decided to go alone.

  ……

  Whoosh!

  Deep in the dark forest, the winds howled like the screeching of owls.

  With the lantern, Li Linfu navigated the uneven terrain as he ventured deeper in.

  His expression was cautious, but there was no hesitation.

  “Li Linfu, you’re finally here. It has been a long time since we last met!”

  In this frightening atmosphere, a ghostly voice resounded through the forest, and then, in a gust of wind, two figures appeared in front of Li Linfu.

  These two figures wore black robes and floated in the air, their bodies seemingly lifeless.

  If Wang Chong had been here, he would have been blown away, for these two were none other than Genesis Supreme and the Tianfu Divine Lord.

  Chapter 2088 - The Deposed Crown Prince, Li Xuantu!

  Chapter 2088: The Deposed Crown Prince, Li Xuantu!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Surprisingly, Li Linfu only momentarily trembled upon seeing Genesis Supreme and the Tianfu Divine Lord before quickly calming down.

  He raised his head and directly said, “Speak. Why did you come to find me?”

  “Hmph, you want to get away from us now that you’ve become the Wise Minister of the Great Tang? Don’t forget how you got the position of Prime Minister!”

  Genesis Supreme’s voice was cold as he rudely spoke.

  An outsider would have undoubtedly been shocked to hear this. No one would have imagined the mighty Prime Minister of the Great Tang to have such a close relationship with the men in black. Moreover, from the words of the men in black, it was apparent that the men in black had played a significant role in getting Li Linfu the Prime Minister post.

  Such news was more than enough to shake the realm.

  Li Linfu said nothing, only let out a long sigh.

  Brought up and brought down by the same man!

  Twenty years ago, he had been a complete nobody and completely useless, a member of a branch family of the imperial household that was frequently jeered at by others. In an unexpected turn of events, he saved Genesis Supreme, who was on the verge of death after failing to assassinate the Sage Emperor, and assisted him in hiding from the Imperial Army.

  After that, those two began to work together.

  With the help of Genesis Supreme and the men in black, along with his own natural talents in politics, Li Linfu had ascended smoothly until he finally reached the post of Prime Minister.

  In this process, many of his old enemies or rivals failed or were exiled for various reasons.

  Many people said that Li Linfu was a late bloomer, and his luck only erupted when he was forty-some years old and the Sage Emperor began to appreciate his talents, allowing him to reach his current place. Very few people knew that the men in black had been helping him this entire time.

  But the existence of the men in black was a taboo, and they were the Sage Emperor’s mortal foes that he had spent many years attempting to annihilate.

  Thus, after assuming the post of Prime Minister, Li Linfu had been extremely cautious, avoiding any direct connection with the men in black. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he refused to use their strength.

  Alas, everything was decided twenty-some years ago, and he could no longer escape his connection with the men in black.

  “This is not what I mean. The new Emperor is only recently enthroned, but your operations have been too frequent as of late. This is extremely unfavorable to me and can easily expose me,” Li Linfu said.

  A man had to lower their head when the roof was too low, and even the revered Prime Minister of the empire had to bow to the men in black.

  “Hmph, if we didn’t do so, how could we make you come out of the city? If you continue to attempt to distance yourself from us, we might need to go a step farther,” Genesis Supreme coldly said.

  Did Li Linfu think he could hide his plans from him?

  He had attempted to get in touch with Li Linfu several times, but Li Linfu had pretended to not receive his communications. The organization had nurtured Li Linfu for years, and now that he was Prime Minister, he thought that he could get out without paying back anything? Was anything ever that easy?

  Li Linfu dropped his head and said nothing.

  “Li Linfu, I know that you have already fallen out of favor. All of this is linked to that King of Foreign Lands. On this point, we actually share a common enemy.

  “As long as you help me this once, I guarantee that I can help you remove the King of Foreign Lands—perhaps even that Li Heng as well. When the time comes, we will place someone else on the throne, or perhaps… You are also a member of the imperial household. If you are willing, I can make you master of the Great Tang!

  “If you do not wish to have too much interaction after this, once this matter is over, I can guarantee that our relationship will end there and will cease affecting you.”

  As Genesis Supreme spoke, his expression and tone softened.

  “But before any of this can happen, you must help with this matter. Moreover, it’s about time you paid me for my services!”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  After a period of internal struggle, Li Linfu finally spoke.

  “And can you really get rid of Wang Chong?”

  Upon hearing Li Linfu’s last question, Genesis Supreme and the Tianfu Divine Lord smiled. In the end, what Li Linfu cared the most about was power.

  “Sir Li should know of the Venerable Genesis Supreme’s power,” the Tianfu Divine Lord suddenly commented. “Wang Chong lately has been like a turtle in its shell, not daring to leave the capital. Why do you think that is? You don’t really think it’s because he was cultivating in his estate, do you?”

  Li Linfu nodded. He did not doubt their strength, and this was why he had come.

  Seeing that Li Linfu had agreed, Genesis Supreme said, “Relax; what I need you to do this time is very simple and will pose no danger to you. You simply need to find someone
for me.”

  “Find someone?”

  Li Linfu creased his brow, raising his head in surprise.

  He had thought of many possibilities, but he had never imagined that Genesis Supreme would cause such a stir in the capital simply so that he could find someone.

  No one understood more than him the power of the men in black. Genesis Supreme could simply appoint someone to find whoever this person was. There was no need to mobilize the Prime Minister of the Great Tang.

  And how could people of their ability fail to find a person?

  As if knowing what Li Linfu was thinking, Genesis Supreme waved his sleeve and indifferently said, “Of course it’s not that simple.

  “This person is very special, and after wracking my mind, I find that you are only the person who can find his location.”

  “Who is it?”

  Li Linfu creased his brow in surprise.

  While he had originally come to complete his agreement with Genesis Supreme and had been rather reluctant, Genesis Supreme’s words had piqued his curiosity.

  What sort of person did Genesis Supreme want to find that not even the men in black could find? Why could only he find him?

  “I wish you to find a person of extremely high status, someone who should have reigned over the realm but has now been forgotten, a former loser!”

  Genesis Supreme smiled as he spoke a riddle.

  “A sovereign of the realm… loser?”

  Li Linfu was perplexed. Genesis Supreme was not one to joke. What sort of person could have had the power to rule the realm yet had been forgotten?

  When had such a person appeared in the Great Tang?

  “Hmph, Li Linfu, you shouldn’t have forgotten the Divine Dragon Coup from thirty years ago, right?” Genesis Supreme suddenly said.

  Bang!

  As if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning, Li Linfu shuddered and stared in disbelief at Genesis Supreme.

  “Yo-you’re talking about him?!”

  Li Linfu was shaken, his mind reeling.

  He had never imagined that Genesis Supreme would be looking for him!

  He was the only one in the realm who matched Genesis Supreme’s conditions.

  Genesis Supreme earnestly nodded.

  The deposed Crown Prince, Li Xuantu!

  Thirty years ago, he had been the Sage Emperor’s greatest rival, and in the Divine Dragon Coup, he had almost become the true ruler of the realm.

  If not for that coup, the Great Tang might have been completely different.

  “But didn’t Li Xuantu die in that coup?” Li Linfu said.

  Everyone knew that the Sage Emperor had emerged victorious in the Divine Dragon Coup. With the defeat of the Crown Prince, the Sage Emperor assumed the throne and became the ruler of the Great Tang, the architect of a golden age.

  As for the deposed Crown Prince, losers all suffered the same fate.

  Li Xuantu never appeared again after the coup, and the final result was obvious.

  Genesis Supreme was implying that Li Xuantu was not dead?

  But how could that be?!

  Li Xuantu had possessed extraordinary talent and had been the Sage Emperor’s strongest rival. There had been many times when he had almost pushed the Sage Emperor into a dead end, and the previous Emperor had greatly favored him, believing that he could succeed the throne. How could the Sage Emperor not have killed such a significant threat after emerging victorious in the coup?

  After so many years, was he still alive?

  “You’re too naive. If Li Xuantu were really dead, I wouldn’t have come to find you. According to our intelligence reports, while Li Xuantu was defeated in the coup thirty years ago, your Sage Emperor spared his life and imprisoned him in a secret location.

  “We’ve searched many places but have failed to find him. But based on the results, all the evidence points at the Imperial Palace! For so many years, Li Taiyi had him at his side this whole time. Although our group is immensely powerful, this is true only outside the capital. The capital and the Imperial Palace are enclosed within a domain that prevents our people from entering.

  “Only you can accomplish this task!”

  Genesis Supreme turned to Li Linfu.

  Li Linfu’s heart was in turmoil.

  If what Genesis Supreme said was true and that man was still alive, the entire power structure of the realm could shift!

  This was a result he had never expected from his meeting with Genesis Supreme.

  Li Linfu suppressed his shock and nodded. “Understood. I will help you find this man!”

  After exchanging a few more words with Genesis Supreme, Li Linfu left.

  Genesis Supreme and the Tianfu Divine Lord watched as he disappeared from sight.

  The Tianfu Divine Lord drew back his gaze and asked, “Venerable One, though he is the Prime Minister, he is an ordinary man without the strength to truss a chicken. Can he really find Li Xuantu?”

  He was also surprised to learn that Genesis Supreme wanted to find the deposed Crown Prince.

  But in his view, Li Linfu was a feeble scholar, and he simply couldn’t bring himself to trust such a man.

  “Heh, you cannot underestimate this mortal. He has far greater abilities than you can imagine! A man who can sit on the seat of Prime Minister is not as simple as you think!” Genesis Supreme coldly said, looking in the direction Li Linfu had left.

  With a shake of his sleeve, Genesis Supreme turned around and vanished.

  Chapter 2089 - Grotto Heaven Laws!

  Chapter 2089: Grotto Heaven Laws!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  As time went on, the capital remained peaceful. As the new Emperor presided over the realm, everyone soaked in a harmonious atmosphere.

  But beneath the peaceful surface, the undercurrent grew more and more furious, though only a few people knew of this.

  Ten days later, Wang Chong’s three divine embryos finished their long trek and returned to the capital.

  Buzz!

  In the main hall, the floor rippled as Wang Chong’s three divine embryos emerged out of the ground, radiating, brown, azure, and golden light respectively. But the greatest change was with the energy on their bodies.

  This time, the three divine embryos had a faint hint of spacetime energy.

  “Not bad! It really was a good harvest!”

  Wang Chong looked in delight at the three divine embryos.

  The harvest had been much greater than he had initially imagined. Destroying the teleportation gate was good enough, but he had also obtained the precious law energy within Firmament Supreme’s Grotto Heaven Core.

  Though Firmament Supreme eventually self-detonated and destroyed a part of the law energy, if he gathered together all of the Grotto Heaven Core Law energy the three divine embryos had collected, he had around eighty percent.

  “Once the time is right, I can combine these Grotto Heaven Laws together and have a much easier time cultivating.”

  Wang Chong’s eyes were bright with satisfaction.

  The peak of the Subtle realm and the Grotto Heaven realm seemed only one step apart, but in truth, it was a gap as great as that between heaven and earth. Yet in obtaining Firmament Supreme’s Grotto Heaven Law, he essentially had a staircase crossing this gap. It would now take much less time and difficulty for him to reach the Grotto Heaven realm.

  “Faceless man, come here.”

  Wang Chong turned his gaze to the other side of the hall, where the faceless man was standing.

  With the mission at the shores of the Caspian Sea over, the faceless man had returned to the capital. More importantly, the faceless man had also absorbed some of the precious Grotto Heaven Stellar Energy from Firmament Supreme and was showing signs of advancement.

  “Your Excellency!”

  The faceless man silently came forward and bowed.

  “This is for you. This contains knowledge of the origin of energy, and I have also added in part
of my memories and understanding. Take it and digest this knowledge. At your level, once you comprehend the origin of energy, you have a high chance of reaching the Subtle realm, which will make you much more helpful in future operations,” Wang Chong said from the raised platform.

  Bang!

  He flicked his finger, sending a warm ball of light flying through the air and into the faceless man’s body.

  “Many thanks, Master!”

  The faceless man bowed, but his voice did not carry much emotion.

  “You’re dismissed.”

  Wang Chong waved his hand, and the faceless man took his leave.

  He had his own places to be. If he did not wish to report something to Wang Chong, Wang Chong would not ask.

  The hall fell silent. With the faceless man gone, Wang Chong waved his hand, closing the doors of the hall. In a flash of light, Wang Chong activated the powerful protective formation he had requested the Formation Elder to set up underneath the hall, covering the entire hall in a barrier.

  Boomboomboom!

  At this moment, the air in the hall rumbled as Wang Chong and his three divine embryos all exploded with howling energy. Behind them, golden pavilions manifested, magnificent and grandiose, seeming to extend into the depths of spacetime.

  The Trayastrimsa Heaven!

  At this moment, Wang Chong and his three divine embryos were all using the supreme art of the Central Plains.

  Each of these Trayastrimsa Heavens was at least twenty-five floors, with Divine Embryo 1’s rising up to twenty-seven floors.

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong appeared in the center of the hall, positioning himself and three divine embryos so that they were in the positions of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Xuanwu Turtle, the four directions. The four Trayastrimsa Heavens were pushed to their limit and began to fuse together.

  Their four energies began to fuse, strands of golden Origin Immortal Stellar Energy flowing between the four pavilions.

  And within these streams of Origin Immortal Stellar Energy were mysterious strands of spacetime energy.

  Wang Chong’s three clones had seized Firmament Supreme’s Grotto Heaven Core Laws and Stellar Energy, and they were now sharing it with Wang Chong’s original body.