The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 166
Pu!
The sixth soldier!
The seventh soldier!
…
‘Tangerines—choose the softest one to crush’. Wang Chong specially picked out the isolated, injured, and panicking opponents who were sapped of their Origin Energy. As for the Goguryeon experts who were still in their peak condition, Wang Chong made sure to avoid them.
Just in terms of the effect of the Bane of the Battlefield, Wang Chong’s contribution was already greater than anyone else on Vermilion Bird Peak.
Xiu!
Suddenly, a piercing shrill sounded by Wang Chong’s ear. Somehow, a sensation warning him of danger grasped his heart. His body tightened as he saw a wolf fang arrow growing larger in his sight. With destructive might, it was flying toward him as swift as a bolt of lightning.
“Shit, the Turk master archers!”
Wang Chong’s face warped in shock. He immediately activated the Single Character Consecutive Slash to avoid it, but in the next instant, something unimaginable happened.
Peng!
At that crucial moment, a red arrow the thickness of a human’s pinky suddenly shot forth from the zenith of Vermilion Bird Peak and jolted the wolf fang arrow from its deadly path.
Boom! A powerful current was produced from the collision of the two arrows, causing Wang Chong’s robe to flutter.
Seeing the sight above him, Wang Chong was stunned.
Wasn’t that arrow protecting him… a little way too powerful?
Just to clarify, Vermilion Bird is an existence strikingly similar to the Phoenix but it isn’t the same as the Phoenix. The Phoenix is the legendary ruler of birds whereas the vermilion bird is associated with the constellations.
Court uniform -> It won’t be too far off if you think of it as the clothes of a court lady.
Also, one thing most people will probably be thinking about is why the recruits of Vermilion Bird Peak are so strong (at True Martial realm) whereas the recruits of White Tiger Peak are so weak (Origin Energy realm). I haven’t really read ahead but here is my conjecture.
During that era, while there are women in the military, they number in the minority (as in the number of them can probably be counted on your fingers). Those male youths who have reached True Martial realm and are inclined that way would have probably joined the military already, and as such, there will be no reason for them to join the training camp. Whereas ladies like Marchioness Yi, due to the difficulty in joining the military, are free to join the training camp.
As such, the ‘entrance requirement’ for females should probably be higher than the males due to the greater number of competitors for the slots.
Well, the idea of why the military is male-dominated in history revolved around the idea that males are physically stronger, but in this novel, it is never stated that males will have an easier time cultivating than females so the contextual background is unclear. Even so, perhaps this can explain the peculiarity to some extent.
Chapter 217: Expanding the Fruits of Success!
Chapter 217: Expanding the Fruits of Success!
“Princess Ni Huang brought that expert from the royal palace. Without this much capability, how do you think we were able to hold on until now? Also, the lady who tried to kick you previously is Princess Ni Huang’s maid. The princess doesn’t have a good temper, so it will be best for you to stay away from her!”
Marchioness Yi spoke without even turning around, seeming to be able to tell what Wang Chong was thinking. Her spear stabbed swiftly into the eyes and out of the heads of several wolves who were rushing down from the mountain. Like always, her movements were simple and clean.
No matter how the wolves tried to dodge, they still ended up being stabbed and knocked flying in the same manner.
“Princess Ni Huang?”
Hearing her words, Wang Chong was surprised. He retreated to a safe zone and glanced upward, only to see a brilliant red halo spinning around slowly like a beautiful fiery phoenix.
At that instant, Wang Chong understood something.
To think that there would be a member of the royal family on Vermilion Bird Peak! Wang Chong couldn’t have expected this at all. He’d been too focused on the future great generals, such that he’d neglected the offspring of the royal family.
But thinking about it now, there were indeed quite a few members of royalty who joined the Three Great Training Camps when it was first initiated.
“No wonder the Turks and Goguryeons haven’t managed to achieve anything here!”
Wang Chong mused.
The Three Great Training Camps strictly forbade everyone from bringing their servants and kin along. However, Princess Ni Huang wasn’t restricted by this rule.
Wang Chong deeply understood how formidable the experts guarding the royal family were.
Considering the powerful experts that Princess Ni Huang brought, it wasn’t surprising for Vermilion Bird Peak to be able to stand their ground.
“If Princess Ni Huang was able to bring experts from the royal family into the training camp, it means that other members would do the same as well. In other words… the situation might not be as severe as I thought.”
Considering this possibility, Wang Chong felt a load off his heart.
Princess Ni Huang definitely wasn’t the only member of the royal family in the Three Great Training Camps. Even though this assault was abrupt and no one was prepared, the worst scenario that Wang Chong was worried about—complete annihilation—wouldn’t occur.
“Charge!——”
A sudden bellow trembled the heavens. In the distance, black figures suddenly charged in. Even though they were a little late, the instructors and Imperial Army guards of Vermilion Bird had finally arrived on the main battlefield.
“Retreat! Everyone, retreat!——”
The faces of their enemies warped in shock. Knowing that they didn’t stand a chance now, they hurriedly escaped from the mountain, panic in their eyes.
“This is a good opportunity!”
Wang Chong’s eyes lit up. He hurriedly executed the Single Character Consecutive Slash and pounced forward. Pu! The Wootz steel sword impaled the back of a panicking Goguryeon warrior.
【Congratulations to user for killing 8 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
Along with the voice of the Stone of Destiny, the ripple extended further, and the Bane of the Battlefield within Wang Chong’s body grew stronger.
Along with the extension of its area of effect, the Goguryeon warriors were finding it even harder to escape from his halo. This intangible, but definitely existent, restraint on them threw the escaping Goguryeons further into chaos.
What terrified humans the most was the unknown, and until now, no one could understand why their cultivation would suddenly plummet!
“Pursue them! ——”
With both sides cooperating with one another, the death toll for the Goguryeons rose swiftly.
【Congratulations to user for killing 9 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
As Wang Chong’s Wootz steel sword pierced into the ninth Goguryeon warrior, the Bane of the Battlefield was upgraded once more.
Within a short period of time, Wang Chong had already killed nine True Martial realm soldiers. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have been unable to kill even one, but through this battle and their collective strength as a group, he managed to slay a whole nine!
“Marchioness Yi, help me gather some people. We’ll head to the Black Tortoise Peak!”
The Goguryeons had been defeated here, and Wang Chong had no desire to pursue them any further. Thus, turning around to Marchioness Yi, he made his request. The latter frowned. If Wang Chong had said such words to her under normal circumstances, she would have surely sent him flying.
But this wasn’t the time to be concerned about such affairs. Knowing that the situation at Black Tortoise Peak could be dire, she immediately got down to business.
“Fei Yan and Dan Xue, get your group and com
e over here. Accompany me to Black Tortoise Peak!”
Marchioness Yi gestured to the few ladies behind her and five young ladies who exuded strength rivalling Marchioness Yi’s gathered around them.
All of them had the sharp eyes of an eagle, and at a glance, it was clear that they weren’t people to be trifled with.
On the other side, Wang Chong also beckoned to the group that had just rushed over from White Tiger Peak. He liaised with some of the more familiar Imperial Army guards and instructors, and along with Marchioness Yi’s group, they headed to Black Tortoise Peak.
On Black Tortoise Peak, flames engulfed the area. Corpses and carcasses were scattered about, and it seemed like the camp had suffered much greater damage than either White Tiger or Vermilion Bird Peak.
“Charge! ——”
Upon seeing this sight, Wang Chong’s eyes reddened. He immediately led the group up the mountain. At the same time, he also activated the Bane of the Battlefield to the max.
Boom!
Two forces clashed with one another, and at the same time, the Bane of the Battlefield also swept across to cover most of the Goguryeon warriors. The halo was already much stronger than when Wang Chong first obtained it. As soon as it spread across the Goguryeons, panic immediately ensued.
Due to estimation errors from the abrupt fall in cultivation, at least seven Goguryeons were immediately slain.
【Congratulations to user for killing 10 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
Weng! A huge ripple spread outward. Now, Wang Chong’s Bane of the Battlefield had already reached an area of effect of four hundred zhang.
This distance was rather astonishing. Almost the entire Black Tortoise Peak was covered by the halo. With the chain effect from it, the Great Tang troops swiftly gained the upper hand.
“Everyone, work together to get rid of these fellows!”
A leader figure of the Goguryeon bellowed in his native tongue as he looked around with savage eyes. He was gathering some troops to deal with Wang Chong’s reinforcements.
Yiiii!
However, at that moment, a sharp sound pierced the air from the depths of the neighboring mountains. Upon hearing that shrill sound, the Goguryeons on Black Tortoise Peak suddenly wore frightened expressions. Even the lead figure seemed slightly unnerved.
This was the signal they had agreed upon previously for retreat!
Hong long long, a loud sound echoed from afar. Countless alarmed birds flew into the air from the forest. In the distance, additional reinforcements from White Tiger Peak and Vermilion Bird Peak were hurrying over after successfully chasing off all of the Goguryeons from their own camps.
“Damn it! Retreat! ——”
How could the Goguryeon warriors still be in the mood to deal with Wang Chong and the others? They quickly attempted to clear a path to escape from the mountain.
——No matter how slow they might be, it was clear that the operations at Vermilion Bird Peak and White Tiger Peak had failed! On top of that, without the cover of master archers, this operation was already doomed.
“Charge!”
Just as the Goguryeons were attempting to disengage, the mountaintop suddenly tremored. On the previously empty and silent Black Tortoise Peak, a great wave of figures abruptly appeared and charged toward the rear of the retreating Goguryeons.
“This!”
Wang Chong was dumbfounded, and Marchioness Yi frowned deeply at the sight. However, she soon realized something and harrumphed.
“Hmph, a bunch of tortoises hiding in their shells. To think that they would hole themselves up and only emerge at such a timing. It’s no wonder they were assigned to Black Tortoise Peak!”
The displeasure in her eyes was clear. It was apparent now that these fellows had been hiding and stalling; waiting for reinforcements to appear and fight their battle for them.
“Wang Chong, Marchioness Yi, why are you two here? ——”
An astonished voice cried out. On the mountain peak, a round-faced teenage boy rushed down toward them. On closer inspection, that teenage boy was Wei Hao.
“Why are you two here?”
Wei Hao widened his eyes in shock. He had heard the battle cries from the mountain and thought an organized army had arrived to rescue them. He didn’t expect Wang Chong and Marchioness Yi to be part of the reinforcing group!
“Hmph! Do you think that everyone is a little tortoise like you?”
Marchioness Yi disparaged coldly.
“What do you mean a tortoise? Don’t spout nonsense!”
Wei Hao’s face immediately flushed red. How could he stand being insulted by a beautiful lady?
“This is called a strategic retreat!”
“How dare you refute my words? Is your skin itching for a beating?”
Marchioness Yi didn’t have the patience to be arguing with Wei Hao, and she immediately glared at the latter with hostile eyes. Wei Hao’s face immediately warped in fear.
Recalling how he was trampled on beneath Marchioness Yi’s feet, his cold breeze blew in his heart. He knew that this woman wasn’t one to be reasoned with, and if he were to get on her bad side, he would surely be the one suffering. He promptly shut his mouth.
In the distance, the Goguryeons had already retreated dozens of zhang away. The instructors and Imperial Army guards of White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise peaks were in close pursuit.
With the crisis to Black Tortoise Peak having been resolved and having ensured that his friend was fine, Wang Chong decided to stop here.
‘A dog driven up the wall will bite.’ Wang Chong knew his strength wasn’t enough to deal with a desperate enemy, so he decided not to take the risk.
“Right, Wei Hao. I noticed that your peak is filled with flames and most of the buildings burned down. How did everyone survive?”
Wang Chong suddenly asked.
Looking at Black Tortoise Peak from afar, he’d thought they had suffered massive casualties. However, the actual situation was clearly very different. This piqued Wang Chong’s curiosity. Even Marchioness Yi’s attention turned to Wei Hao at these words.
The master archers of the enemy were fearsome foes, and even the buildings were not sturdy enough to withstand their arrows.
“Hehehe!”
Hearing Wang Chong’s question, Wei Hao’s face immediately glowed with delight.
“Those wolf fang arrows are indeed formidable, but they aren’t a match for us! Don’t forget, we are the Black Tortoise Peak! Everyone here has a shield, and when all of us are gathered together, how can it be easy for the arrows to strike us?”
“Shield?”
Suddenly, a bizarre expression appeared on Wang Chong and Marchioness Yi’s faces. They quickly turned their gazes toward the peak of the mountain. They hadn’t noticed it before, but with the slight illumination of the flames there, they now realized that all of the recruits had a black shield in their hand. If they didn’t pay careful attention, it was indeed extremely easy to overlook this.
Chapter 218: Truth!
Chapter 218: Truth!
“…”
In an instant, everyone fell silent.
Black Tortoise Peak didn’t have the support of a Princess Ni Huang and neither were they as offensively oriented as White Tiger Peak either. In fact, they didn’t even have a single master archer like Zhou Huang.
Yet, with just a shield, most of them actually managed to survive this ordeal.
Even the experts whom Marchioness Yi brought here felt that Wei Hao and the others were way too lucky.
“Young general, that person… seems like Wang Chong from the Wang Clan!”
Just as Wang Chong and Wei Hao were gathered together, no one noticed that at the top of the peak, beside a blazing campfire, a few young men with Hu characteristics along with some Han men were currently staring down with cold gazes.
The Black Tortoise Peak was exceptionally high, making it easy to survey the surrounding situation from here. They could easily sp
ot the escaping Goguryeons and Turks spreading themselves within the forest, as well as the wolves whom the Goguryeons ordered to stall the pursuing troops.
The Turks and Goguryeons had caused quite the uproar with this assault. However, none of the gazes of these young Hu and Han were on them. Rather, their focus was on Wang Chong instead.
“Hmph, that kid sure is lucky. White Tiger is the west-most peak, closest to the capital, and exactly where the Turks and Goguryeons were focusing their efforts. Yet, he somehow managed to survive!”
By the campfire, a young Hu leader spoke coldly. The Origin Energy around him coalesced into a green Halo of Thorns and slowly began to revolve around him. Countless wolf fang arrows lay on the ground nearby but none of them managed to even get close to him.
To most, this night was no different than a nightmare. Yet, to those men standing by the campfire, this was nothing more than a small game.
Be it the Goguryeon condor snipers or Turk master archers, regardless of how thickly the arrows poured in, they were no threat to them at all.
The reason was simple. In this world, there wasn’t a single master archer alive who could threaten a true Tongluo tribe member. Members of the Tongluo tribe were the best cavalry in the world, as well as the cavalry that possessed the least fear for archers.
As the second son of great Hu General Abusi, Abutong had been learning how to grab arrows with his bare hands from young and could now easily do so even when blindfolded.
The barrage of wolf fang arrows threatening Black Tortoise Peak couldn’t harm him at all.
“Young general, it is currently chaotic now. Why don’t we…”
Beside Abutong, a young Tongluo youth made a gesture to kill, hostile intentions simmering in his eyes. Wang Chong’s memorial regarding the Hu had already made him the thorn in the eyes of all Hu. Countless Hu had been plotting how they could claim Wang Chong’s head, and this seemed to be an ideal situation for them.
“No!”
Contrary to his expectation, Abutong waved his massive hands and rejected the idea immediately.
“If I’m not mistaken, that lady beside him should be Little Marchioness Yi, the daughter of the only marchioness in Great Tang. Any woman in this country who was conferred a title of nobility and placed in command of armies is a lunatic, and that woman is a lunatic among lunatics!”