The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  With the Trayastrimsa Heaven serving as the bridge, the Grotto Heaven Stellar Energy and Laws slowly moved to Wang Chong’s original body.

  As these powers nurtured him, Wang Chong grew stronger and stronger.

  Buzz!

  Space rippled as Wang Chong’s twenty-five-floor Trayastrimsa Heaven rose another floor.

  Twenty-six floors!

  It had taken only a few moments for Wang Chong to achieve a breakthrough, rising to the twenty-sixth floor of the Trayastrimsa Heaven. And just a few moments later…

  Boom! The Trayastrimsa Heaven behind Wang Chong trembled again and rose to twenty-seven floors.

  Just a few moments’ effort had been the equivalent of a hard year of cultivation.

  Not only that, as Wang Chong benefited from the energy of his divine embryos, his own Stellar Energy flowed back into the divine embryos.

  The three divine embryos had all been damaged on this journey to the Caspian Sea, but Wang Chong’s actual body was unharmed. The Stellar Energy of the original body began to rapidly heal the injuries of the three divine embryos.

  After a long, long time…

  Buzz!

  The majestic Trayastrimsa Heavens dissipated, the dazzling light returning to Wang Chong’s body.

  Wang Chong and the three divine embryos ended their cultivation.

  “Go!”

  Wang Chong waved his hand, and the three divine embryos obeyed, the floor under them rippling as they sank back into the earth to cultivate.

  Moving from the Subtle realm to the Grotto Heaven realm was no easy task. Talent and luck were both needed.

  With Firmament Supreme’s Grotto Heaven Law, Wang Chong now had an entry ticket.

  Advancing to the Grotto Heaven realm is no minor task. I should first bring my original body and my three clones all to the half-step Grotto Heaven realm. Then, I can gather together the power of the three divine embryos and break through in one go. This will greatly increase my chances, Wang Chong quietly said to himself.

  Plans were needed before moving out, and while Wang Chong was anxious to break into the Grotto Heaven realm, he could not rush the matter too much. It was not the best time to advance.

  “Come in!”

  Wang Chong quickly turned his eyes to the door. He could sense that someone had been standing there for some time.

  Creeeak!

  Zhang Que came in with a stack of intelligence reports.

  “Your Highness!”

  Wang Chong waved his sleeve and asked, “What business do you have?”

  “Your Highness, some reports concerning Li Linfu,” Zhang Que loudly said.

  “Oh?”

  Wang Chong’s eyes gleamed.

  Old Eagle, after obtaining Wang Chong’s approval, had engaged in several small operations against Li Linfu. Li Linfu lacked martial prowess, but he was a master political operator. After some thought, Wang Chong wasn’t able to allay his anxieties, so he had tasked Zhang Que with keeping watch on Li Linfu. Zhang Que was to report any movement from Li Linfu to Wang Chong in a timely fashion.

  “Speak! What has Li Linfu done recently?” Wang Chong said.

  Li Linfu was extremely shrewd, but he also cherished his reputation. This was why he spoke with a honeyed mouth while concealing a blade behind his back.

  Even when Li Linfu hated someone to his bones, he would maintain his usual grace, a smile on his face and nary a curse on his lips.

  This was not merely to make his enemy let down his guard. It was also because he valued his reputation, and his efforts had earned him the reputation as a renowned minister.

  Now that Old Eagle had let out rumors exposing his old scandals, Li Linfu would not let the matter go.

  But Zhang Que’s answer left Wang Chong surprised.

  “Your Highness, there’s been nothing. Although all sorts of scandalous rumors have been circulating through society as of late and many officials have begun to distance themselves from him, Li Linfu has been abnormally quiet. Moreover, there have been several court sessions where he has decided not to attend, seemingly knowing that His Majesty was displeased.

  Zhang Que bowed and said, “We’ve observed him for a long time, but the gate of Li Linfu’s residence has remained shut. No one goes in or out except some servants. Li Linfu probably knows that his time is done and is preparing to prioritize his safety and start avoiding Your Highness!”

  Wang Chong’s brows instantly creased.

  “Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

  Zhang Que’s heart tensed in surprise.

  Wang Chong’s reaction was completely different from what he had imagined. His liege was the Son of Heaven’s disciple heavily favored by the previous Emperor, and also good friends with the new Emperor. With his achievements, it was reasonable for Li Linfu to feel that his time was over and that he was no match.

  A new government was in power now.

  And if his liege was willing, he could take Li Linfu’s Prime Minister post for himself. Li Linfu would never be able to overcome his liege.

  But his liege did not seem happy in the slightest.

  “Something is wrong!” Wang Chong tersely replied.

  In any dimension, whether this life or his last life, Li Linfu was a formidable character with a burning desire for power. To seize his power was no different from killing him.

  If he hadn’t wanted to protect his post, Li Linfu wouldn’t have caused so much trouble in the past.

  His backstabbing ways, the Regional Commanders incident, his grudges against the Wang Clan… everything Li Linfu had done was to solidify his position.

  This distant member of the imperial household who had been down and out for several decades had finally ascended to the apex of power, and he would not relinquish it so easily.

  But despite being wounded, Li Linfu had gotten even more inconspicuous rather than countering. This wasn’t his style at all.

  Wang Chong sensed that there was a big problem here.

  Chapter 2090 - Wang Chong’s Protection for Xu Qiqin!

  Chapter 2090: Wang Chong’s Protection for Xu Qiqin!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Wang Chong’s brow twitched as he suddenly said, “Increase the number of men! Keep a twenty-four-hour watch on Li Linfu! I need to know his every movement!”

  “This– yes!”

  Zhang Que was startled, but he quickly lowered his head and affirmed.

  This development was completely different from what Zhang Que had imagined, but he had never doubted Wang Chong’s judgment.

  Zhang Que hastily departed.

  He worked quickly, and within one day, all of the information concerning Li Linfu arrived in Wang Chong’s hands.

  “What? Li Linfu is checking out palace records, and all of them from thirty years ago?”

  Wang Chong deeply furrowed his brow as he read the report.

  Matters could be separated into different levels of seriousness and priority. Li Linfu’s matter was secondary, and Wang Chong was only having Zhang Que investigate him to guard against any disturbance at this time. After all, the Youzhou war was imminent.

  Wang Chong had never expected that Li Linfu would actually be trying something.

  Palace records concerned mostly the imperial household, and outsiders found it hard to access them. But Li Linfu did have the privilege and status to read them.

  Yet Wang Chong was confused as to why someone of Li Linfu’s status wanted to read these records.

  “Our investigations have revealed that seventy percent of the books Li Linfu has read are connected to the Divine Dragon Coup. While he has also checked out other records, these are mostly a cover. This is the full list of records.”

  As Zhang Que spoke, he handed over another report.

  With Wang Chong’s current strength and influence, if he wanted to investigate any one person in the capital, it didn’t matter how well the other party tried to hide it, even if the other party was
Li Linfu.

  Wang Chong took the report and began to read it.

  His brow creased more and more. Wang Chong had done a similar thing, but that had been concerning the Sage Emperor. With the Sage Emperor having passed and a new Emperor on the throne, the Divine Dragon Coup from thirty years ago should have had no influence on the present.

  This old fox—what is he thinking?

  Wang Chong was perplexed. Li Linfu didn’t do things for no reason, and Wang Chong was sure that he had some ulterior motive.

  “Has Li Linfu noticed anything?” Wang Chong asked.

  “No; we entrusted Eunuch Bian with investigating the matter, and the guards protecting the palace records do not have such loose mouths,” Zhang Que replied.

  Li Linfu was a civil official, and with Bian Lingcheng colluding with them, it was far too easy to secretively investigate Li Linfu.

  “If that’s the case, does His Majesty know?”

  Wang Chong was pensive.

  Zhang Que bowed and said, “This subordinate does not know, but if everything is as expected, His Majesty should know.”

  If Bian Lingcheng knew, then Li Heng also should have known.

  Wang Chong nodded.

  Li Linfu’s actions were also good for helping Li Heng understand that Li Linfu was far too selfish, far too desirous for power. Li Heng had taken the throne, and a new era had come. This was a time for reform, and there was no seat at the table for Li Linfu.

  “Continue investigating! Try to bribe Li Linfu’s confidants. I want to know what he’s hoping to find in these records.”

  Wang Chong’s eyelids drooped as he lightly tapped against his desk.

  There were no impervious walls in the world. In the past, Wang Chong would not have found it so easy to find a weakness in Li Linfu’s residence, but now that Li Linfu had fallen out of favor, the times had changed.

  Several hours later, Wang Chong received his answer.

  “The deposed Crown Prince… Li Xuantu… Li Linfu wants to find the previous Crown Prince from thirty years ago?”

  Wang Chong was taken aback by this news, and his brow furrowed.

  He had to admit that this result was far too surprising.

  The deposed Crown Prince, Li Xuantu, had been a crucial character in the Divine Dragon Coup, but that man should have died thirty years ago. Why was Li Linfu looking for a dead man?

  His brow furrowed, and his index finger rhythmically tapped against the desk as he pondered the matter.

  The answer to his question had only left him more confused.

  And what did Li Xuantu have to do with Li Linfu’s current situation?

  Had the deposed Crown Prince left behind some descendant, and Li Linfu wanted to try something with them?

  Wang Chong shook his head and rejected the idea.

  He didn’t believe in this reason.

  He hadn’t investigated the Divine Dragon Coup very much, but he did know that Li Xuantu had not left any descendants. Moreover, with the new Emperor enthroned, any sort of descendant wouldn’t be able to cause much of a stir.

  Someone of Li Linfu’s intellect should have understood this.

  Then… what was he thinking?

  “Increase the number of men! Continue investigating!” Wang Chong said.

  “Yes!”

  Zhang Que nodded and departed.

  Meanwhile, perhaps Li Linfu had noticed something, or perhaps he was just expressing his cautious nature, but he stopped his research and seemed to calm down. He did not attend court, and he did not leave his residence very much, becoming extremely inconspicuous.

  If Li Linfu acted like this, then it didn’t matter what Wang Chong wanted to find. There was nothing to be done except let the matter go.

  ……

  Several days later, at the top floor of Pearl Moon Pavilion, two figures, one dressed in gold and one dressed in white, sat across from each other. The golden-clothed individual was a young and heroic man wearing an imperial robe, exuding an extraordinary aura. The white-clothed individual was a graceful and elegant woman, like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting.

  These two were none other than Wang Chong and Xu Qiqin!

  There was a small, square table between them, and on the table rested a ceramic tea pot with a slender spout. Two small tea cups were placed to their left and right, each one full of fragrant and steaming tea.

  An ideal pair of lovers, precious tea, fragrant aroma, a tea house built in a classical style—all of it together created a scene out of a fairytale.

  There were many things on Wang Chong’s plate. If he wasn’t busy with affairs of state, he was busy increasing his strength so that he could deal with the men in black. Rarely did he have a moment of peace and quiet like this.

  Upon receiving an invitation from his lover, Wang Chong had gone over without hesitation.

  It had been a very long time since they had last met.

  All was quiet, and Wang Chong’s mind was essentially blank as he reached out for his tea cup and took a sip.

  On the other side, Xu Qiqin silently examined Wang Chong’s determined face, a smile on her lips.

  This man was growing more mature and steady by the day, more and more like a mighty Great General.

  Perhaps not even Wang Chong had realized how much he had changed, his movements exuding a vigorous and alluring charm.

  Just by sitting there, Wang Chong exuded a fascinating aura.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Looking at Xu Qiqin, Wang Chong faintly smiled.

  “It’s nothing. The tea here is very fragrant.”

  Xu Qiqin smiled, a hand reaching out from a sleeve to lightly and elegantly sip her tea.

  “It truly is good. There are good reasons for the reputation of Mengshe Zhao’s Erhai Tea,” Wang Chong indifferently said.

  “Right, how is the matter of the coal proceeding?”

  The mining of coal in Hengan, Yangquan, and the Shuo Province was ongoing. There was nothing problematic about mining it, but transporting it and storing it was another matter entirely, far more complex. This was why Wang Chong had left the task to Xu Qiqin.

  “Everything is taken care of. The five hundred warehouses we’ve built up across the country have already been filled,” Xu Qiqin confidently said. Though she was in the capital, everything ran in an orderly fashion. After all, just taking care of some coal was no problem for the famed Queen of Logistics.

  “I actually have to thank you for letting the Xu Clan handle such an important task. Big Uncle has asked me to convey his thanks. The clan will probably make quite a lot of money this time.”

  Xu Qiqin covered her mouth and giggled.

  Wang Chong also chuckled at this. The mining of coal needed someone to manage it, and so long as the strategic objective was achieved, Wang Chong didn’t care who did it.

  Moreover, the great cold front was coming, and every second was vital. The great clans were highly efficient, and for Wang Chong, efficiency was of utmost importance.

  “Your big uncle is too polite. The Xu Clan is a clan of logistics and is far more skilled in this field than any other clan. Moreover… fertile waters shouldn’t be allowed to flow into the fields of outsiders!” Wang Chong said.

  “Disgusting!”

  Xu Qiqin instantly blushed and dropped her head.

  Wang Chong’s heart trembled upon seeing her shy display.

  But their conversation soon changed topics.

  “Right, you were frowning just now, as if you had something on your mind. Did something happen?” Xu Qiqin kindly asked, raising her head.

  “It’s nothing. Just a few minor matters,” Wang Chong said, not trying to make an excuse. He just had too many things to worry about.

  “The capital is just a little too peaceful. Be watchful in this period. If it’s not necessary, you should send others to do your errands.”

  Wang Chong’s eyes flashed with worry.

  “What? You’re worried about my safety?”

>   Xu Qiqin was touched by Wang Chong’s concern.

  “Are you worried about that Genesis Supreme? Do you feel that he might do me harm?”

  “Mm.”

  Wang Chong nodded.

  “Refrain from hurting others, but keep on guard against those who might hurt you. Genesis Supreme’s activities around the capital are too frequent as of late. If he doesn’t get what he wants soon, if he can’t break the Miniature Nine Provinces Domain, he might start resorting to other methods,” Wang Chong said.

  He had recently sensed the auras of Genesis Supreme and the Tianfu Divine Lord around the domain. These two powerful foes keeping watch on him from the outside was no good experience.

  “Heh, it’s not that easy. Big Uncle has already increased the guards around me, and the Imperial Army has adjusted its patrol routes. Every hour, another patrol group passes by our house. Moreover, didn’t you also leave a mental brand on me?” Xu Qiqin asked.

  Wang Chong had gone to surprising lengths to protect Xu Qiqin.

  Chapter 2091 - Connection! Flash of Insight!

  Chapter 2091: Connection! Flash of Insight!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  The mental brand Wang Chong had left on Xu Qiqin would inform him the moment Xu Qiqin was in danger. It was essentially impossible to kidnap Xu Qiqin within the capital.

  “Better to be safe than sorry. We can’t be careless on this matter!”

  Wang Chong’s face turned grim along with the topic of conversation.

  “Mm.”

  Seeing Wang Chong turn serious, Xu Qiqin also withdrew her smile.

  “Is that Genesis Supreme really so frightening? You really think he can break the Miniature Nine Provinces Domain left by the Sage Emperor?”

  “A constant refrain is certain to return an echo. There must be a reason Genesis Supreme has lingered on the outskirts, and those tricks being played in the palace are far too vulgar. Genesis Supreme should understand that they won’t be able to break the Miniature Nine Provinces Domain.

  “He knows that they won’t be effective, but he persists. He must be holding something back,” Wang Chong said.

  He would never underestimate his foes, and Genesis Supreme was simply too strong. The consequences of the Miniature Nine Provinces Domain breaking were unimaginable.