He didn't know that the old butler would be so ridiculously powerful. In that momentary encounter, Wang Chong couldn't even sense his presence at all.
All of the sudden, the old butler suddenly felt like an enigmatic existence to him.
"To think that King Song would dispatch him!" Wang Chong muttered to himself. Even though Wang Chong was astonished, he wasn't really surprised by this turn of events. That was because he was the one who requested it.
For this operation, he had requested for King Song to dispatch an expert to assist him should the need arise.
It was just that Wang Chong didn't expect that person to be this old butler.
"Yes, it's indeed this person. I'll be depending on you, then." Wang Chong swiftly regained his calm and smiled.
Err err!
Hearing those words, King Sosurim's face was streaked with fear. Releasing frightened moanings, he mustered all of his strength to struggle. But, kacha! The old butler tightened his fingers and snapped the other party's neck.
Peng!
The old butler flicked his wrist before dumping King Sosurim's corpse onto the ground, right before Ma Yinlong and the others.
"Lad, I've already killed the man for you. You should settle everything else yourself."
Leaving behind these words, the old butler clapped his hands and left, as though he had just done something completely insignificant.
"Thank you, elder." Wang Chong bowed respectfully as he watched the other party leave. Only then did he leap down from his horse.
Hu la! At the same moment, Ma Yinlong and everyone else rushed forward to examine King Sosurim's body.
"He's dead!"
"He's really dead!"
"Unbelievable! We almost let this fellow get away!"
The group stared at King Sosurim's corpse with complex emotions. This fellow was cunning and vicious, possessing the traits of a wolf and a fox.
In the past fifteen years, he had been an unrivaled existence in the capital, causing destruction as he pleased... But now, he was lying lifelessly on the ground with nothing, but fear on his face.
Those who had once lived under the fear of King Sosurim could even more vividly feel how difficult it was to slay this Goguryeon chief spy.
"This matter... has finally ended!" Looking at the corpse on the ground, Wang Chong released a long sigh of relief.
On top of preventing the future assassinations and damage he would cause, killing King Sosurim also preserved Great Tang's dignity and honor.
It sent a stern message that the Central Plains would not allow any foreigners to act as they pleased on its lands.
【Congratulations to user for killing King Sosurim! For unraveling the assassination plot of the Goguryeon Empire, you are awarded 20 Destiny Energy.】
That anticipated message finally sounded in Wang Chong's mind, and a hint of a smile slowly appeared on his lips.
However, at that moment, a shocking incident occurred.
【Congratulations to user for killing 1581 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
【Congratulations to user for killing 1582 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
【Congratulations to user for killing 1583 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
--
【Congratulations to user for killing 1588 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
【Congratulations to user for killing 1589 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
【Congratulations to user for killing 1590 soldiers of the Goguryeo Empire!】
Amidst a frenzied wind, great energy gathered from the surroundings and seeped into Wang Chong's body. In that instant, Wang Chong felt his Bane of the Battlefield aura rising to new heights. At the same time, the Goguryeon death toll also increased by 10.
"Hm? Killing King Sosurim is actually equivalent to killing ten Goguryeon warriors?"
Wang Chong was taken aback.
This was the first time he realized that killing a high-tier commander could translate to a higher death toll for ordinary soldiers.
"Uncle, I'll leave everything else to you," Wang Chong said.
"Un." Li Lin smiled. He understood Wang Chong's intentions. With King Sosurim's corpse, he would be the greatest contributor to this operation.
This was a huge merit. With this, as long as he could raise his cultivation up to the required level, he would surely be promoted. It would no longer be a dream for him to rise above the others and become an esteemed Marshal.
The clopping of horses sounded in the distance. Wang Chong chose to leave before those from the patrol squad and the city defense squad arrive.
------
Boom!
When the corpse of the culprit, King Sosurim, who had caused a huge storm in Great Tang by slaying many officials fifteen years ago appeared in the capital, it caused a huge uproar.
The royal court swiftly put up notices to confirm the authenticity of this matter.
When the offspring and family members of those victims of that tragic incident back then learned of this matter, they immediately broke down in tears.
Due to this incident, the Wang Clan won the gratitude of nearly every single official in the capital, and many even personally paid a visit to the Wang Clan to express this.
As such, the Wang Clan earned greater prestige and support from the populace and officials.
In fact, due to this incident, the Sage Emperor made an exception and summoned Li Lin, who led the operation, and Ma Yinlong, Steel Arms, Old Eagle, and Solitary Wolf from the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments back then to the royal palace to reward them.
This incident also caused a stir amongst the foreign tribes and Hu in the capital.
King Sosurim, known as the “Fox of Goguryeo”, despite his anonymity in the Great Tang, was a well-known figure among the Hu.
After the things he had done, his influence had been immediately pushed to the peak.
There was no doubt that he was the greatest spy in Great Tang's capital. As such, his death had left many shocked.
A rare peace settled upon the capital for a period of time.
Even the fierce Goguryeons had decided to lay low and live their lives silently for this period of time.
------
"Damn it!"
To the far northeast of Great Tang, across many mountains and rivers, toward the east of the Eastern Protectorate Manor, in Hwandu City of the Goguryeon empire, a figure smashed his fist onto the table.
"Wang Chong, I'll remember your name! One day, you shall pay the price for your actions!"
The figure clenched his jaws and bone-chilling hatred burned in the depths of his eyes.
------
Time passed swiftly, Regardless of the uproar outside, after the event with King Sosurim, Wang Chong lived his days both peacefully and lavishly.
"Chong-er, eat more, eat more! How hard must you have worked to grow so thin? These are the sea cucumbers your father had General Zhang from Lingnan deliver over. They are very nutritious, so eat more."
On the dining table of the Wang Clan, Madam Wang grabbed a huge piece of sea cucumber and placed it on Wang Chong's plate dotingly.
His little sister wasn't around, his father and big brother were deployed elsewhere, and his second brother was in the death prison. Thus, Wang Chong tried to spend as much time as possible with his mother. However, after hearing her words, his outstretched chopsticks paused for a moment.
"General Zhang? Lingnan?"
Wang Chong glanced at the luxurious meat drizzled with rich soup on the fresh sea cucumber in his bowl in astonishment. His mother might not have noticed anything was amiss, but Wang Chong instantaneously realized something.
His father rarely sent anything back home, especially sea cucumbers such as this. With just a few bites, he could tell that this was no ordinary sea cucumber. These were top-grade jade sea cucumbers!
Other than its succulent texture, it was said to be able to lengthen one's lifespan and nourish one's body, a
llowing one to return back to one's youth. This was the favorite beauty product of the consorts in the royal palace.
Initially, Wang Chong thought that his mother had gone out to purchase this. After all, with the huge revenue from the Wootz steel business, the Wang Clan had become rather affluent and could afford this kind of luxury as well. However, from the looks of it, that wasn't the case.
"But father doesn't have any friends by the name of General Zhang, not to mention, Lingnan?"
His mother might not be well-versed in the affairs of the military, but how could Wang Chong possibly be ignorant of it? After his previous life, he had a good grasp on his father's connections and subordinates.
Putting aside how there weren't many people whose name went by Zhang in the military, he knew that his father had never been to Lingnan. So how could he possibly have connections there to have sea cucumber delivered here?
General Zhang, General Zhang... This is obviously Zhangchou Jianqiong!, Wang Chong thought.
Zhangchou Jianqiong wanted to enter the central political arena, and the Wang Clan had done him a huge favor this time. Wang Chong knew that the general was currently on his way here, but to think that he would send a few boxes of sea cucumbers over before even arriving here...
He... sure is incredible, Wang Chong smiled after he knew the origin of the sea cucumber.
If his father had been here, such gifts would probably not have been accepted.
However, Wang Chong was different. Knowing that it was from Zhangchou Jianqiong, he felt even more reassured.
"Chong-er, what's wrong?" Madam Wang asked in surprise.
"It's nothing,” Wang Chong replied, recovering from his thoughts, before burying himself in the food.
Judging from the time, Zhangchou Jianqiong should be arriving in the capital very soon, Wang Chong thought.
Jiannan was extremely far from the capital, but Wang Chong was certain that Zhangchou Jianqiong would surely trudge on regardless of day or night, so his traveling speed couldn't be gauged through normal standards.
It was a crucial moment in the selection of the Minister of War, so he had to be present at the scene himself.
Alright, it's about time for us to meet anyway!, The thought flashed across Wang Chong's mind before he started gobbling down the sea cucumbers again.
This meal was indeed sumptuous!
It's getting too hard to differentiate the military ranking of the characters due to lack of precise terminology. Thus, from this point onward, do take commander and general with a pinch of salt. Neither represents a rank higher than the other, though I'll try to keep it clear by the context.
Chapter 266: Three Followers!
Chapter 266: Three Followers!
Leaving the dining hall, Wang Chong headed straight for his study.
This was where he had been cultivating recently.
"Hm?"
Unexpectedly, when he entered the study, he saw four figures standing within. Before he could even speak, putong! The four figures immediately kneeled down.
"Elder Ma and the others, what are you doing?"
Astonished, Wang Chong quickly rushed forward to pull them up. He dared not accept such grand formalities from them.
"Wang gongzi, we can't possibly express our gratitude toward you with words. Please accept our kowtow!"
The four in the room was none other than Ma Yinlong, Steel Arms, Old Eagle, and Solitary Wolf. Their eyes were red with agitation as they lowered their heads to kowtow.
"Elders, how can I accept this?" Wang Chong was astonished. If he recalled correctly, Ma Yinlong and the others should have been meeting the emperor in the royal palace a moment ago.
They should have been celebrating after that. Why would they suddenly come here?
"Gongzi, you might not be able to accept it, but this is something we must do! Fifteen years, it has been fifteen years! If not for gongzi, we would have never been able to cleanse ourselves of this humiliation!"
Ma Yinlong, along with the other three, kowtowed heavily on the ground several times before getting to their feet.
Wang Chong could sense their emotions, and he felt deeply moved.
Be it Ma Yinlong, Steel Arms, Old Eagle, or Solitary Wolf, they were true men. It had been fifteen years since that incident happened, but despite being stripped of their positions and living entirely different lives, they could never put down the matter.
A part of it was for themselves, a part of it was for Great Tang, and a part for their deceased comrades... They were indeed people who were worthy of respect.
"You're being too courteous. King Sosurim has been slain, and everything is over now. That reminds me, I have yet to congratulate you all for your return to the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments!" Wang Chong congratulated the four of them earnestly.
He had already received news that the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments had invited back to their ranks during the meeting with the Sage Emperor.
Hearing Wang Chong's words, Ma Yinlong, Old Eagle, Steel Arms, and Solitary Wolf glanced at one another and smiled.
"Speaking of which, that's the very reason why we're here now."
"We've turned down the invitations from the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments!" Ma Yinlong said.
"AH?!" Wang Chong's body jolted as he exclaimed in shock. "Why?"
The four of them had originated from the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments. It was only due to that unfortunate matter fifteen years ago that they were demoted and transferred away. According to what Wang Chong knew of them, the four of them must be intent on returning back to their places.
The fact that they would reject such a precious offer was beyond Wang Chong's expectations.
"When I was first demoted to the Bureau of Personnel, I did dream of returning to the Bureau of Punishments once I cleansed myself of the shame. However, fifteen years have already passed, and the tenacity I had back then has faded."
"Indeed, we were still hot-blooded youths in our twenties then. But now, we're all in our forties already."
"Everything has changed! Our comrades back then are no longer there, are we to compete with those bunch of youngsters in there now?"
"What Old Eagle said is precisely what we are all thinking. Honestly speaking, we're already satisfied with avenging our comrades and cleansing ourselves of shame. Besides, the places in the Bureau of Punishments and Bureau of Military Personnel are already full. If we were to enter now, they would have to create some special positions for us, and the youngsters in there would be affected by our entry too. There's really no point to it."
"After so many years out here, we are already used to this life. Returning now would only make us feel uncomfortable. So, we turned down the offer..."
The group of four spoke their minds.
Wang Chong could see that there were many complicated emotions brimming in their eyes, but the strongest of all was determination. Clearly, they had thought this matter through many times, and their will was resolute.
"Since this is elders' decision, I will respect it. May I ask what do you all intend to do from now onward?" Wang Chong asked. After hearing that they wouldn't be returning to the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments, some thoughts sprouted in his mind. However, he wasn't confident that they would be willing.
"This is precisely the reason why we're here. If gongzi doesn't mind, we would like to follow behind gongzi!" The one who spoke these words was Old Eagle. Saying so, he stepped forward.
"Same as well. If not for gongzi, who knows whether I could have avenged my brothers. I ask of gongzi to accept me." Solitary Wolf stepped forward and spoke grimly.
"If gongzi doesn't despise the fact that I only have a single arm, I ask of gongzi to accept me as well." Steel Arms stepped forward with a slight smile.
"What are you all saying? How could I possibly mind it? I'm more than delighted to take you all in!" Wang Chong said
with a brilliant smile.
He was still wondering whether he could have them follow him since they were unwilling to rejoin the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau of Punishments. However, he had no confidence in recruiting them, and he had no idea how he should bring it up either.
Who knew that they would offer themselves instead!
Wang Chong had witnessed their amazing strength for himself. Even the single-armed Steel Arms had incredible offensive power.
Not to mention, most of them were Profound Martial realm experts.
Wang Chong didn't have any sizeable fighting force other than the guards in his residence. However, these guards were lacking in strength, and even Miyasame Ayaka could defeat all of them alone, not to mention there were plenty of experts stronger than her out there.
If these people could follow him, his strength of his fighting force would grow in an instant.
As such, he was excited to accept their offers.
Of the four, only Ma Yinlong hadn't expressed his decision yet.
"Gongzi, pardon me but I won't be able to follow you for the time being as... I have something important I must attend to. After I'm done, so long as gongzi doesn't mind, I'm willing to serve you for life."
After a moment of silence, Ma Yinlong spoke with a voice tinged with deep sorrow.
"Just that, I've no idea how long it would take for me to resolve the matter. It might be a year, ten years, or perhaps even longer than that."
"Hm?" Wang Chong was slightly surprised, but he soon smiled.
"Don't worry, elder, feel free to do whatever you need to. Should you need help, feel free to look for me."
Everyone had their own secrets. Even though Wang Chong didn't know what it was that would take Ma Yinlong such a long time, his instincts told him that it was something related to the matter back then.
"There's no need for it." Ma Yinlong waved his hands with a smile. "I'll be counting on gongzi to take care of my brothers. Gongzi is the offspring of Duke Jiu, and your eyes are on the entire world. Perhaps, my brothers would be able to achieve much more beside you than being in the Bureau of Military Personnel and Bureau Punishments. Also, Solitary Wolf is a money-grubber, and he has heard that gongzi is earning huge buckets of money every day. I'll have to ask gongzi to take care of that as well."
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 198
