The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  The trio looked a little extraordinary for those in their trade, as though there was something deeper to them. However, that was all there was to it.

  There were plenty of people like them in the capital.

  Usually, Wang Chong wouldn't have spared this trio an additional glance on the streets.

  However, Ma Yinlong spent three whole days gathering these three people in order to introduce them to Wang Chong. Given that effort, he really had to examine them seriously.

  "These people... they were officials from the Bureau of Punishments back then?" Wang Chong asked as he assessed the trio before him. He could sense the same emotions from them as the one he sensed from Ma Yinlong back then. If his deductions weren't off, they should be those who were also affected by the case back then.

  "Un, but just these two. Solitary Wolf was from the Bureau of Military Personnel," Ma Yinlong said heavily as he pointed to the ferocious-looking mercenary.

  "Back then, there were many important and minor officials across the six bureaus who were assassinated, causing a huge uproar. We were the officials in charge of the case back then, and failing to solve the case, we were all punished. I was demoted to become a copyist in the Bureau of Punishments. Old Eagle was stripped of his position and investigated. He ended up spending several years in jail, and after he was out, he had no choice but to retire as a bird merchant. Even though Steel Arms wasn't jailed, he lost an arm while facing the Goguryeons while investigating the case. After the incident, he spent his days in taverns in hopes of keeping his sobriety at bay. On the other hand, Solitary Wolf concealed his identity and became a mercenary instead, working for anyone who could offer him money."

  "Throughout these years, many of our brothers have died or were crippled. We are probably the only ones who survived the Goguryeons' assassinations." A tinge of sorrow permeated Ma Yinlong's voice as he recounted the affairs back then. The eyes of Old Eagle, Steel Arms, and Solitary Wolf behind him also reddened.

  Even though Wang Chong had never gone through the incident back then, and he knew not of the experiences of these men, he could roughly imagine what they had felt throughout these years from Ma Yinlong's voice.

  A decade ago, before King Sosurim assassinated the influential officials of the royal court, they were still ambitious young men of the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments. They had a bright future laid out before them.

  Yet, due to that incident, the brothers who investigated the case together with them ended up either dead or crippled. The haughty talented young men back then had fallen down to earth, reduced to such an unseemly plight.

  And it was on their sorrows that the name of “King Sosurim” bloomed to become a legend.

  The others also felt the same as well, and in an instant, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.

  "Heh, we shouldn't talk about these depressing matters anymore. Perhaps this is our life. Fifteen years have passed, and we still can't escape our destiny. Since the matter started with us, let it end with us as well. Old Eagle, Steel Arms, and Solitary Wolf, this is Wang gongzi. His grandfather... is Duke Jiu of Great Tang!"

  Initially, the trio only came here due to Ma Yinlong's plea. However, after hearing that Wang Chong's grandfather was Duke Jiu, their eyes were immediately filled with respect.

  "Wang gongzi!" The three proud men immediately lowered their heads before Wang Chong and bowed deeply.

  "Wang gongzi, since you're the grandson of Duke Jiu, you can't be considered as an outsider. Back then, when we failed to solve the assassination case, we should have been executed under the laws of Great Tang. It's your grandfather and his group of officials that convinced His Majesty to spare us. Thus, gongzi, feel free to command us as you please!" Steel Arms stepped forward and said, and the other two nodded in agreement.

  Wang Chong's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. This was his first time hearing of this matter.

  If not for the trio speaking of it, he would probably never have learned of it, either.

  But considering how large the case was back then, many eyes were probably on it. Given his grandfather's standing back then, it was natural that he would get involved as well.

  His grandfather would never stand idle and watch as Ma Yinlong and the others were executed by the royal court, given his temper.

  "Wang gongzi, don't judge them based on their appearance. Despite having a missing hand, being a drunkard, and a person who puts his life in for money, they are all top-notch experts. Furthermore, there are probably no other experts in the capital who knew the Goguryeons better than they do." Ma Yinlong said.

  "Steel Arms may only have a single arm, but his remaining right arm is extraordinarily powerful. His Right Arm Swordsmanship is forceful and deadly, even I don't have the confidence to stand up against him. Solitary Wolf often gambles with his life, fighting large groups of enemies at once. As such, his attacks wield fearsome might that even Goguryeon assassins would have to back down before. Even back then, he was an expert in the Bureau of Military Personnel, and he was currently more formidable than he was then—even the guards of the king residences wouldn't be able to match up to him now."

  "He would serve as the greatest shield for gongzi. Even if gongzi were to meet with the assassination attempts of the Goguryeons, as long as there is a breath remaining in Solitary Wolf, he won't allow anyone to get close to gongzi."

  Wang Chong could tell that Ma Yinlong was worried that he would underestimate the men he brought, thinking that they were incapable of protecting him.

  But there was indeed nothing Wang Chong could refute in Ma Yinlong's words.

  Be it Miyasame Ayaka or the experts from the Zhuang Clan and Chi Clan, they were no match for Ma Yinlong and his group at all. After all, they were much older and had cultivated far longer than Miyasame Ayaka and the others.

  The gap in their experience was simply too huge!

  ... However, I really couldn't tell that beneath the strong alcohol smell of Steel Arms is a formidable expert, Wang Chong thought.

  He had experienced Ma Yinlong's might personally, and given that the latter was full of praise for Steel Arms's Right Arm Swordsmanship, he must be truly powerful.

  Ma Yinlong had already introduced two of the trio, and only the last one was left.

  Wang Chong turned his gaze to the last man, Old Eagle.

  "As for Old Eagle, heh, his martial arts are only average. But he possesses a talent that we are in dire need of. That's the reason why I brought him here."

  Instead of beating around the bush, Ma Yinlong immediately dove into explaining Old Eagle's capabilities. "Old Eagle is a formidable eagle tamer, and back in those years, he was publicly renowned to be the best in the capital. This is precisely the reason why he was sent to work together with us to investigate the Goguryeons. The eagles he tamed are extremely intelligent, and they are capable of tracking, scouting, and hunting."

  "In truth, the person whom the Goguryeons wanted to eradicate the most back then wasn't me, Solitary Wolf, and the others, but Old Eagle. Even now, the Goguryeons are still trying to track him down. Fortunately, other than the few of us, no one has ever met him."

  "I believe gongzi knows that the Goguryeons like to use ravens as a source of communications. The ravens they use are exceptionally swift, such that even gyrfalcons aren't able to keep up with them. However, the eagles that Old Eagle trained have successfully captured and followed them without being noticed. If we want to find the Goguryeons' gathering point outside the city, we will require Old Eagle's ability."

  "Ah!" At this moment, Wang Chong finally widened his eyes in shock as he assessed the “bird merchant”-attired Old Eagle before him. At this moment, he finally understood why Ma Yinlong went through so much trouble to bring him here.

  With Old Eagle's help, the Goguryeons would be unable to conceal their tracks anymore. Furthermore, regardless of the messages they sent, Old Eagle would be able to intercept them beforehand.

  To deal with the G
oguryeons, Old Eagle's ability was indeed of vital importance!

  Chapter 252: Huge Harvest

  Chapter 252: Huge Harvest

  "Hahaha, wonderful! With all of you elders here, we won't have to worry about being unable to subdue the Goguryeons!" Wang Chong burst into laughter.

  At this moment, he couldn't feel any happier about his previous decision. Only with Ma Yinlong and his group could his plan be truly perfected.

  These people had fought with the Goguryeons for more than a decade now, and this had given them a deep insight into how they operated and their habits. With them on the team, the probability of success in the operation against the Goguryeons had increased immensely.

  "With Old Eagle here, it won't be a problem uncovering the base of the Goguryeons. However, this is still insufficient." Ma Yinlong wasn't as optimistic was Wang Chong.

  "It doesn't matter how many Goguryeon warrior or assassins die—the Goguryeon empire has more than enough troops to send over. This damage is truly insignificant to them. The main problem we have to deal with is King Sosurim."

  A frown etched itself deeply into Ma Yinlong's forehead.

  "Just as the saying goes, 'shoot the horse before the rider, capture the chief before the bandits'. Even if we were to ruin this operation of theirs, I don't have the absolute confidence that we will be able to capture King Sosurim. As long as he remains, the Goguryeons will be able to make a comeback time and time again... or perhaps, they might even go on a rampage to exact vengeance. We cannot bear this kind of damage," Ma Yinlong said.

  In an instant, the atmosphere in the room grew tense. Even the less intelligent guards from the Zhuang Clan and Chi Clan could understand the meaning behind Ma Yinlong's words.

  King Sosurim was the brain of the Goguryeons in Great Tang. If he wasn't captured, this operation couldn't be considered as a success. These kinds of assassinations would only be carried out again and again in the future.

  "Brother Ma is right. Gongzi, you have never fought against King Sosurim before, so you don't know him well. He might seem like a careful person usually, but there's an extremely demented side to him as well. He's definitely capable of doing such stuff." Steel Arms stepped forward and spoke with a grim expression at that moment.

  "Back then, we actually managed to achieve significant success in our operations. We managed to kill a huge portion of the core team of the Goguryeons in the capital. However, after the incident, King Sosurim began to exact his vengeance. Most of the brothers who fought alongside us back then were killed or crippled by relentless and frenzied assassinations from the Goguryeons, leaving behind only the few of us. My left arm was also taken away by them then."

  The other two didn't say a word, but their faces indicated their agreement to Steel Arm's words.

  Wang Chong frowned as he recalled the assault on Kunwu Training Camp that night. The Goguryeons there were vicious, and they were willing to die just to kill an additional enemy.

  Given that tenacity of theirs, they were definitely more than capable of doing such stuff.

  Only then did Wang Chong realize that he had placed his priorities wrongly.

  In truth, the very criterion for success in their operation would be whether they could capture King Sosurim or not. As long as the brain remained, the Goguryeons would remain as a thorn stuck in the flesh of Great Tang.

  Even if this assassination attempt was foiled, they could always conduct another one. Furthermore, what was truly scary was that there was no saying when the Goguryeons would strike. Great Tang might be able to keep its guard up for a month or two, but what if they were to exact vengeance a year or two later?

  At this point, destroying the bases of the Goguryeons and killing their men was already a secondary concern. The main issue was whether they would be able to capture the chief spy King Sosurim or not.

  "Elders, what are your thoughts on this matter?" Wang Chong raised his head to look at them.

  "Simple! The reason why gongzi is reluctant to attack the Goguryeon bases is to avoid alarming them, right? However, the current situation is different—what we will do is to alarm them!" A cold glint gleamed in Ma Yinlong's narrowed eyes.

  "It's about time to cause some chaos in the bases of those Goguryeons in the capital. In this operation, gongzi need not hold back. Only after destroying all of the Goguryeon bases in the capital will we be able to mess up King Sosurim's plan, and he will be forced to appear.

  "I know him. As the chief spy of Goguryeo, he is an extremely arrogant person. He wouldn't terminate a plan just because something goes awry; instead, he would bring it forward. As long as his plan could succeed, he has no qualms sacrificing any number of his men!" At the very end of his sentence, Ma Yinlong struck the table forcefully, and his face was so livid that even Wang Chong's heart skipped a beat.

  His will to slaughter King Sosurim was stronger than anyone else's.

  "Don't worry, leave this matter to me." After a short moment of silence, Wang Chong nodded.

  ------

  After leaving the Royal Jade Pavilion, Wang Chong headed straight for King Song’s Residence, and from there, he obtained several tokens that granted him the rights to mobilize various battalions of the Imperial Army.

  Only a qinwang like King Song would have the right to do such a thing.

  After that, Wang Chong went to find Uncle Li Lin. Dealing with the Goguryeons was an important affair; if they were to do well, it would be a huge merit on their part.

  “Rich meat goes not to outsiders”. There was very little benefit that Wang Chong could obtain from this matter, so he would rather pass on the chance to his family member.

  Uncle Li Lin was also very decisive about it. After hearing Wang Chong's words, he immediately went on to discuss the matter with Imperial Army Marshal Zhao Fengchen, and eventually, a huge number of Imperial Army soldiers were placed under Li Lin's command.

  With these, there were around four thousand experts under Wang Chong's grasp. At his request, there were also quite a number of master archers within the group.

  Needless to say, when clearing out the bases of the Goguryeons, with these troops, they could even fight a small-scale battle.

  The capital stood beneath the Son of Heaven's feet. In order to prevent fear and panic amongst the populace, as well as to prevent the Goguryeons from noticing anything beforehand, they gave up moving in the day, the time which it would be the most suited for them to move, and decided to operate deep in the night instead.

  ------

  "Are you all ready?"

  Late at night, Wang Chong stood beneath a tree, gazing at a residence far away. The rooms of the residence was brightly lit, like a lighthouse guiding everyone's way.

  "Gongzi, we're ready. Master archers are planted at every single crucial escape route, and the only fate that awaits any who dares to leave the residence is death," a messenger Imperial soldier reported quietly from where he knelt behind Wang Chong. From his angle, fully-armored Imperial soldiers stretched all the way to the horizon, encircling the residence tightly.

  These troops were all elites, and at Wang Chong's request, the front row was equipped with thick armor and a shield.

  The encirclement slowly narrowed, but without Wang Chong's orders, no one dared to make a move easily.

  "Ready! Release the signal!" Gazing coldly into the distance, Wang Chong abruptly chopped down with his hand.

  Boom!

  Responding to Wang Chong's gesture, a brilliant firework shot into the sky, leaving behind a long trail of smoke. It looked exceptionally conspicuous in the middle of the night.

  ——This was the signal to attack!

  "Charge! ——"

  The next instant, war cries shook the air. Above the land, many Halos of Thorns bloomed magnificently like beautiful flowers beneath the dark sky.

  Throughout the Great Tang capital, from the first base that Wang Chong was in, the second base, the third base... all the way to the fourteenth base, every single base that
the Goguryeons had established in capital, with the exception of the gathering point beyond the walls, had all come under attack.

  Four thousand Imperial Army guards of the royal court and the wall patrol charged forward as ferociously as ravenous tigers, leaping over the residence walls and into its courtyard.

  Shield-wielding troops, master archers, cavalry... All of the various troops cooperated with one another, covering all aspects of battle, be it defense or offense. In an instant, all of the Goguryeon bases were tightly surrounded.

  "Enemy attack! ——"

  From afar, these words, spouted in Koguryoan, rang loudly in the air. The Goguryeon sentries had finally noticed the advancing Imperial Army guards.

  【Congratulations to user for killing 21 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】

  Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded by Wang Chong's ears. Boom, frenzied winds blew in accompaniment to the voice, and a surge of energy gushed into his body from his surroundings.

  "What's going on?"

  Sensing the changes in his body, Wang Chong was stunned. The operation had just barely begun, and he hadn't killed a single Goguryeon. How could he receive such a notice?

  However, before Wang Chong's doubts could be resolve, an even more shocking scene occurred.

  【Congratulations to user for killing 22 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】

  【Congratulations to user for killing 23 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】

  【Congratulations to user for killing 24 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】

  【Congratulations to user for killing 25 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】

  A series of familiar, cold voices echoed in his head, leaving Wang Chong dumbfounded. Dense Origin Energy gathered from all around and turned into Wang Chong's strength.

  Within a short moment, Wang Chong's Bane of the Battlefield grew by an amount far greater than it had in the past few months. However, what was even more baffling was that it was still growing at an insane pace.

  Shocked!

  Perplexed!

  Everything that was happening before Wang Chong had exceeded his understanding, but the growing Bane of the Battlefield aura clearly reassured Wang Chong that everything was real.