The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Incredible shock!

  The master and his subordinates stood atop the tower, their minds blank.

  Too many things had happened this day.

  It was one thing for the Western Turkic Khaganate to side with the Great Tang, but why had it also declared war on the Eastern Turkic Khaganate?

  Most importantly, how, despite their overwhelming advantage, with Supreme Divine, Meteor Divine, Irbis Shiyun, and Ishbara Khagan all in favor, had the Western Turks ultimately decided to side with the Great Tang?

  There were still many unclear details.

  Whoosh!

  As An Yaluoshan and his men reeled in shock from the news, a few seconds later, they heard the flapping of wings. Looking up, they saw a golden falcon with the emblem of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate descend toward the tower.

  Cui Qianyou personally received this bird, his hand exerting a pull that drew the falcon into his grip.

  As he opened the letter, his tough face paled.

  “Your Excellency, Ozmish Khagan has sent word that the army of the Western Turkic Khaganate just mobilized and assaulted the khaganate. The two sides are engaged in a fierce battle at the border!

  “The Eastern Turkic Khaganate was caught off guard and has suffered heavy losses! They’re requesting reinforcements!”

  The wall tower fell silent. Even the hardiest of the generals was somewhat at a loss, somewhat panicked.

  As for An Yaluoshan, his face had twisted into a nasty scowl.

  “Bastard!”

  An Yaluoshan clenched his fists in anger.

  “The Western Turks shouldn’t have joined the Great Tang so easily. What in the world happened?”

  An Yaluoshan stood atop the tower, coldly staring at the messenger below.

  Even though the weather was cold, the prostrate Youzhou messenger had broken out in a cold sweat.

  “It was a sudden development, so we don’t know the details, but there are rumors… that the Great Tang’s King of Foreign Lands appeared in the Western Turkic Khaganate!”

  “What?!”

  Everyone on the tower grimaced.

  Wang Chong?!

  Wasn’t he at the steel fortress in the Cang Province? How could he have crossed that vast distance and arrived in the land of the Western Turks?

  How?!

  “I heard that, in the battle at the capital, four people attacked Genesis Supreme,” Tian Qianzhen suddenly said. “Besides Wang Chong, there were three people who looked exactly like him. It now appears that this rumor was true. It seems that man in the capital has cultivated some sort of cloning ability.”

  He had a force under his command specifically meant for gathering intelligence, and he had read this in one of the reports.

  A clone!

  This was an almost mythical ability that surpassed the bounds of martial arts. Thus, none of them had believed this news when they first read about it. As for Genesis Supreme, he had remained aloof, disdaining to speak with mortals, so they had never gotten the full story on what had happened in the capital.

  But it now seemed that they had to believe that rumor.

  “Your Excellency, what do we do now?” A voice broke the oppressive stillness.

  The Western Turkic Khaganate had been an extremely important part of their plan.

  Once they recruited the Western Turkic Khaganate, the countries of the alliance would be like a steel monolith, and their combined powers would be enough to crush the Great Tang.

  But now, the Western Turks had joined the Great Tang, completely upsetting their plans. Even worse was that not only had the alliance essentially had an arm hacked off, the powerful Ü-Tsang Empire was now isolated from the rest of the alliance.

  For the alliance, this was the worst news possible. It had essentially lost an extremely formidable strategist in Dalon Trinling.

  Dalon Trinling would not forsake the Ü-Tsang army and run off to Youzhou alone.

  The air grew more stifling, An Yaluoshan’s heart cold.

  Everyone knew what he was thinking, but they also knew that deploying their men to assist the Eastern Turkic Khaganate in pushing back the Western Turks would do little to salvage this terrible situation.

  The mood was heavy.

  An Yaluoshan slowly closed his eyes.

  After a long period of helpless silence, a voice finally spoke.

  “Your Excellency, what’s done is done. The Western Turks are attacking the Eastern Turkic Khaganate to show their loyalty to the Great Tang. Thus, it will be impossible for the Western Turkic Khaganate to join the alliance.”

  Gao Shang had gotten to his feet now.

  His expression was grave, but there was still some energy in his voice.

  “There is only one final chance to break out of this situation.”

  “What?”

  Gao Shang’s words took everyone by surprise, and like a drowning man clutching onto a piece of rope, they all turned to Gao Shang.

  Gao Shang was a scholar through and through, but everyone had to confess that he played an increasingly important role in Youzhou’s operations, surpassing the likes of Cui Qianyou and Tian Qianzhen.

  “What’s the way?” An Yaluoshan quickly said.

  “The shifting of the heavens and changing of dynasties are all decided by destiny. Fate has ordained that the Central Plains will face a calamity. No one can change this. And Your Excellency is the man who will deal with this calamity.

  “I have gathered several sorcerers from the surrounding countries and the Central Plains, including several priests, and we have determined that it won’t be long before the world falls into chaos. The Dragon Qi of the Central Plains will experience great turmoil, and Your Excellency is the black dragon, the future True Dragon, Son of Heaven, and Youzhou is Your Excellency’s dragon den. When the great shift occurs, we will follow the will of the heavens and guide the Qi of the Black Dragon to fuse with Your Excellency.

  “At that moment, Your Excellency and the commanders of the other countries will be bolstered by the fortune of the world, your soldiers endowed with divine might. As for the Great Tang, it will encounter numerous obstacles and hindrances. This will be Your Excellency’s best chance.

  “This is what it means to comply with the Mandate of Heaven! If we do this, Your Excellency will be able to lead the other countries in defeating the Great Tang!” Gao Shang sternly said.

  ‘Complying with the Mandate of Heaven’ was not an empty phrase. Whenever dynasties changed, the master diviners always had their ways of assisting the hidden dragons that were fated to deal with calamities grow stronger and defeat their rivals.

  Gao Shang had discovered this method from an ancient text that he had paid an enormous price to obtain.

  “I leave this matter to you!” An Yaluoshan finally said after a few moments of silence.

  An Yaluoshan had no idea what method Gao Shang spoke of, but after stealing some of the Sage Emperor’s Dragon Qi in the feast of all countries, An Yaluoshan knew that many mysterious and enigmatic things that he had never believed in really did exist, and they possessed far more power than a human could imagine.

  In his current situation, he had no choice except to trust Gao Shang.

  “Mm!”

  Gao Shang nodded and said no more. Some things would only be understood when the time was right.

  An Yaluoshan quickly turned to his generals.

  “Cui Qianyou, Tian Qianzhen, immediately deploy your men to assist the Eastern Turkic Khaganate against the Western Turks.”

  “Yes!”

  Cui Qianyou and Tian Qianzhen bowed.

  Rumble!

  Just when they were about to leave, a great rumbling came from the northeast. A boundless energy erupted out of the snowstorm and began to approach Youzhou.

  Everyone immediately turned to see what this was.

  At first glance, they couldn’t see anything, but a moment later…

  Neigh!

  A horse that seemed to be halfway through the dec
ay process, its body covered in rusted armor, emerged out of the snow. Atop this horse was a muscular warrior. At this moment, all of them could see the crimson eyes of that rider that were like burning flames, brimming with madness, brutality, callousness… All sorts of negative emotions were contained in those crimson eyes.

  And none of them could sense any life from that human-shaped rider.

  “The Yeluohe! It’s the Yeluohe!” someone nervously called out. It wasn’t any of the generals on the wall, but a nearby soldier of the Andong Protectorate army.

  The army around the Andong Protectorate headquarters had been quiet and orderly, but now, it was like a herd of sheep beset by tigers, a scene of utter chaos.

  All the Youzhou cavalry, including the drilling recruits, stopped whatever they were doing and hastily retreated as if they were running from the plague.

  The Yeluohe!

  The third batch of twenty thousand Yeluohe, the one that Genesis Supreme had promised, had finally arrived.

  No one had expected such a pleasant surprise!

  Chapter 2145 - The Leader of the Yeluohe!

  Chapter 2145: The Leader of the Yeluohe!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Rumble!

  The earth swayed and shuddered as tens of thousands of cavalry appeared in a row, charging toward the Andong Protectorate headquarters like a tsunami. Their tens of thousands of cold, red eyes, devoid of any emotion, were like things out of one’s deepest nightmares.

  So many Yeluohe gathered together, their intimidating energy fused together, even managed to produce heavenly phenomena. Rumble! As these Yeluohe approached the Andong Protectorate headquarters, black clouds gathered and followed the Yeluohe in their advance.

  Powerful!

  Cold!

  Unstoppable!

  These were the feelings the Yeluohe warriors gave to the Youzhou generals. Moreover, it seemed that once there were enough Yeluohe, they evolved to a new level of power.

  And not only that…

  Creee!

  In the very front, a powerful Yeluohe that was more than three meters tall savagely howled and charged out of the snowstorm.

  Clang!

  The giant Yeluohe raised up his spear, and as his war horse stepped forward, a silver halo flickering with white flames instantly erupted from its feet and spread to the entire army.

  White halos swiftly spread to all of the Yeluohe, making them appear more frightening than even devils.

  Halo?

  The leader of the Yeluohe?

  At this moment, let alone the ordinary Youzhou cavalry, even An Yaluoshan and Gao Shang were dumbfounded.

  This last batch of Yeluohe from Genesis Supreme was far too powerful. They had never known that these inhuman Yeluohe could also have a leader.

  Boom!

  A few moments later, the twenty thousand Yeluohe cavalry stopped in unison around ten thousand feet away from the Andong Protectorate headquarters, all of their eyes slowly turning toward An Yaluoshan.

  Silence!

  Absolute silence!

  At this moment, all time in the region of Youzhou seemed to have stopped. Even the six hundred thousand Youzhou soldiers had fallen silent.

  “An energy that can swallow up the world and the ability to strictly follow orders! Incredible! Truly incredible!”

  Tian Qianzhen looked down from the walls, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

  The twenty thousand Yeluohe were extremely powerful, and with the strict discipline they showed, let alone the Great Tang, they could conquer the world!

  “Congratulations, Your Excellency! Congratulations!”

  Tian Qianzhen immediately got down on his knees in front of An Yaluoshan.

  “Congratulations, Your Excellency! Congratulations!”

  Cui Qianyou, Tian Chengsi, and all the other Youzhou generals kneeled as well.

  Even Gao Shang had prostrated.

  He had to admit that this batch of Yeluohe was far more powerful than he had imagined.

  “Congratulations, Your Excellency! Congratulations!”

  Upon seeing what was going on, all the Youzhou soldiers got on their knees, their voices resounding.

  “Hahaha!”

  Seeing this vast army, particularly the powerful Yeluohe, An Yaluoshan felt pride swell up in his heart, along with boundless ambition, and his eyes exploded with light.

  “Good! With these Yeluohe, what can I not accomplish? All we need to wait for now is a shift in the heavens. Wang Chong, you won’t be able to get cocky for too long!”

  An Yaluoshan looked toward the south, his laugh resounding across the heavens.

  ……

  Several days went by, and putting aside Youzhou, far away in the capital, at the King of Foreign Lands Residence…

  “Your Highness, the northwest is settled. The Western Turks fought a fierce battle with the Eastern Turks, and the Eastern Turks were caught totally unprepared and suffered heavy casualties. Ozmish Khagan is enraged and has already begun to gather his army for a counterattack. Barshad was wounded, but his life is in no danger. At present, the Western Turks have engaged in a strategic retreat. Barshad has sent a letter asking for what he should do next.”

  Zhang Que respectfully offered a letter.

  Zhang Que felt sincere admiration for Wang Chong. With one trip to the north, he had completely overturned the Turkic steppe.

  After attacking the Eastern Turks, Barshad had no path of retreat. This was his show of loyalty to the Great Tang.

  “Have him retreat!”

  Wang Chong lightly sipped on his cup of tea before casually saying, “As for the food promised, send it over!”

  To combine kindness with might was the way to control one’s subordinates. Although Wang Chong had ordered Barshad to attack the Eastern Turks to ensure that he could not back out, he had also promised him food to resolve the Western Turks’ crisis.

  At this moment, Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong spoke in his deep and steady voice, appearing somewhat worried. “Wang Chong, the Hu are not our people, and have different cultures and customs. Can this Barshad really be trusted?

  “What if they betray us during a battle? The results would be unimaginable!”

  It wasn’t just Zhangchou Jianqiong in the hall. King Song, Wang Chong’s father Wang Yan, his big uncle Wang Gen, Beacon General Jiang Yunrang, the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of Personnel, Inner Court Eunuch Director Li Jingzhong…

  Almost all the factions of the Imperial Court had gathered here.

  Everyone turned to Wang Chong to see his response.

  Wang Chong sipped his tea and confidently said, “Relax! Nothing will happen!”

  This war would decide the fate of the Central Plains and its millions of people. With so much on the line, he would never act on emotion and bet everything on Barshad’s loyalty.

  “Barshad already proposed moving all of the Western Turks’ livestock and their old, young, women, and infirm into our interior, with only the warriors remaining in the north. In addition, the food we’ve given them is only enough to sustain them for the short term!” Wang Chong indifferently said.

  Everyone in the hall was astonished by the news.

  Barshad had proposed it on his own?

  This new Western Turkic Khagan was truly a wonderful person!

  With this, the Great Tang’s troubles in the rear were completely resolved.

  Wang Chong took in their reactions and smiled.

  Barshad truly was an interesting person. He had heard that Barshad had read ‘Righteous Individuals and Important Political Figures’ and had further studied the histories of the Central Plains, and if his proposals were anything to go by, he had not read those books in vain.

  Barshad trusted in Wang Chong and the Great Tang, and knew what the Great Tang was thinking, so he took the first steps to resolve the Great Tang’s concerns about its rear. In this aspect, Barshad truly was different from his father. He wa
s sincere in siding with the Great Tang.

  Thus, Wang Chong did not mind trusting in Barshad.

  “This is wonderful. This lowly one has never doubted Your Highness’s ability!” Li Jingzhong suddenly said, glancing at the others.

  He had come representing Li Heng, and this statement was an acknowledgment of Wang Chong’s abilities.

  “…This lowly one and His Majesty are still concerned about An Yaluoshan in the northeast. Your Highness, what should be done?” Li Jingzhong said.

  “A report has come from Youzhou saying that an additional twenty thousand Yeluohe have appeared in the Andong Protectorate headquarters. In addition, his army of six hundred thousand soldiers should be done training soon. In ten-some days, he should start sending out his soldiers.”

  Wang Chong squinted as he lightly divulged a heaven-shaking piece of news.

  “This! Your Highness!”

  Ten-some days!

  So fast?!

  “Your Highness, are those Yeluohe really so formidable?” a major official uneasily asked.

  “They truly are not something an ordinary person can contend with, but I have made plans. Gentlemen, please rest easy,” Wang Chong calmly said.

  After pausing for a moment, he continued, “Xu Keyi, how is the training of the various armies going?”

  “Your Highness, the Mo Saber Unit, the Wushang Cavalry, the Divine Martial Army, the Divine Prison Army, the Xuanwu Army… all of the elite armies will be done training in ten-some days. As for the ordinary soldiers, although they have been put through intense training, it was rather rushed, so it still might not be enough,” admitted Xu Keyi, standing behind Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong turned pensive.

  With each passing day, An Yaluoshan grew stronger and stronger. The best solution was to attack before he was ready, but this was a war of grave importance. An Yaluoshan already had thirty thousand powerful cavalry that could take mortal injuries without dying, whose strength was far above that of ordinary soldiers.

  Without the elite armies like the Mo Saber Unit or Wushang Cavalry, the Great Tang would find it very hard to contend against Youzhou and its allies.

  But Wang Chong and An Yaluoshan were racing against time.

  “Wang Chong, regarding the two battlefields, have you already decided?” Zhangchou Jianqiong said.