The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  "Hahaha..."

  Hearing Ma Yinlong's teasing, Wang Chong burst into laughter.

  "Elder, don't worry. I may not be confident in anything else, but my ability to earn money is still on the mark!"

  The group of four immediately burst into laughter.

  "Gongzi, you need not call us elders in the future. Just call us by our nicknames, Solitary Wolf, Old Eagle, and Steel Arms!"

  ---

  Watching Ma Yinlong's back disappear into the distance, Wang Chong sighed.

  Even though they hadn't worked together for too long, he had an extremely good impression of the Fang of the White Tiger.

  "Elder, I wish you luck." Wang Chong mumbled.

  After arranging some matters with Old Eagle, Steel Arms, and Solitary Wolf, Wang Chong grew busy once more. Even though the matter with the Goguryeons had come to an end, he still had a bunch of matters he had to attend to.

  The attack on the Goguryeon bases had brought Wang Chong incredible gains—dozens of chests filled with Goguryeon ginsengs. Other than leaving a few for his own use, he sent to the rest to the spirit vein for the consumption of selected recruits.

  They would become the Wang Clan's strength in the future, as well as Wang Chong's future subordinates. Thus, without second thought, he decided to give these precious ginseng to them.

  Following which, Wang Chong called Tuoba Guiyuan and settled the matter regarding the Wootz steel weapons.

  Only when all of these were done did Wang Chong finally find some time to spare.

  ------

  Unknowingly, eights day flew by.

  The mountain range beyond the capital was filled with lush trees. At the very peak of a certain mountain, white steam filled the entire area. In the middle of the steam, a man was meditating motionlessly.

  Spiritual energy gushed in from the surroundings, seeping into that man's body.

  "Hahhhh!"

  After a long moment, Wang Chong exhaled deeply, and his eyes opened amidst the white steam. The golden rays of a morning sun shone from the horizon, traversing through the trees, dyeing the entire area yellow.

  Gazing downward, one could see a flight of stairs linking the bottom of the mountain to the top.

  There were many beautiful infrastructures to be seen along the both sides of the stairs, be it elegant pavilions or long corridors. The number of infrastructures only increased the further one proceeded.

  At the very peak of the mountain stood a majestic cluster of halls divided into the residential area, training area, and resting area. There were also gardens, ponds, fake mountains... It seemed as though everything could be found here.

  Not too far away from Wang Chong, a group of young men and ladies were busy cultivating and sparring. A sharp gust of wind could be heard with every punch and kick they made.

  The group of ex-Imperial Army instructors whom Wang Chong recruited were standing around them. With austere gazes and stern bellows, they corrected the various faults of these young recruits.

  "It truly wasn't easy to come this far!"

  Wang Chong took a deep breath as he looked at the scene before him with deep pride and a strong sense of accomplishment.

  After devoting a huge amount of manpower, resources, and money, Wang Chong's base centered around the spirit vein was finally completed after five months of work.

  Even though it was still a humble base hidden in the depths of the mountain, everything was on track already.

  Eventually, this would become his strength to change the future of the world!

  "In the future, I'll have to expand the number of recruits. Also, I mustn't limit myself to this one base. Eventually, I'll have to establish a large number of such bases in every single province."

  Wang Chong gazed at the rising sun as hopes for the future sprang within him.

  This spirit vein might be his starting point, but it wasn't where he was going to end. In the future, he would expand this model throughout the Central Plains and recruit even more people. His base would be built on meritocracy; orphans and ordinary civilians would be given an equal chance as the scions from prestigious clans.

  Wang Chong had maintained a narrow outlook in his previous life. He had never thought of using his own birthright as a strength to wield.

  But when the catastrophe struck, the thin line between the wealthy and the poor faded entirely. Everyone went by just a single identity—men of the Central Plains. There was nothing shameful about wielding what the heavens had blessed him with at birth as his own strength to rally others.

  "Chong-er!"

  Just as he was deep in contemplation, a familiar voice suddenly sounded by his ears.

  Chapter 267: Little Sister's Secret!

  Chapter 267: Little Sister's Secret!

  Turning around, Wang Chong saw a familiar figure staring at him from beneath a tree.

  "Teacher!"

  Laughing, Wang Chong rushed forward.

  The man beneath the tree was none other than Wang Chong's teacher, Demonic Emperor Old Man. After months of absence, the Demonic Emperor Old Man was visibly much stronger than before, and his complexion looked significantly better as well.

  His aura seemed to have changed as well. The aura of callousness that he, as a man of the unorthodox, had once carried had faded, and in its place was gentility and composure.

  Those who didn't know of his background would surely think that this gray-robed smiling elder before them was just an ordinary old man.

  "Teacher really has changed a lot."

  Looking at his teacher who was sipping on a cup of fragrant tea, Wang Chong thought. It was as if the dying man he had met back then wasn't the same man as he was seeing before him right now.

  Even though Wang Chong didn't know how it all happened, he felt happy for his teacher.

  "How is your progress in your martial arts going?" The Demonic Emperor Old Man asked as he placed his teacup down.

  "It's still going fine, but I haven't managed to gather my Origin Energy to form the white ripples yet," Wang Chong bowed and replied respectfully.

  He had reached Origin Energy Tier 9, but to be able to create the white ripples, his Origin Energy would need to be further refined.

  Once he mastered it, his fighting prowess would increase by leaps and bounds.

  This was exactly what Wang Chong had been doing every day on the spirit vein.

  "Un. In order to create the white ripples, your Origin Energy must be compressed to the limit. This is also the reason why I called you here. You should proceed slowly and not get anxious. Given your talents, within five days at maximum, you should be able to make a breakthrough,” the Demonic Emperor Old Man said.

  "Yes, I understand," Wang Chong replied respectfully.

  No matter how fearsome a reputation the Demonic Emperor Old Man had out there, there was no denying that the latter did treat him very well. Rather than his disciple, the latter seemed to regard him as kin, instead.

  Humans would reciprocate feelings. Unknowingly, Wang Chong also viewed the Demonic Emperor Old Man as his kin, as well.

  "Haha, third brother, you're here!"

  Suddenly, a laughter as crisp as the ringing of bells sounded. Then, a small figure with two conspicuous braids reminiscent of horns rushed out excitedly.

  "What are you here for? Are you done with your homework already?" All of the sudden, the gentle Demonic Emperor Old Man's face turned stern, and he reprimanded the small figure sharply.

  Shua!

  As though a pail of cold water was poured over her, the excited little sister of the Wang Family suddenly stopped, and fear surfaced in her eyes. But soon, she pouted angrily and glared at the Demonic Emperor Old Man indignantly.

  "Why? Do you feel indignant?"

  "Hmph, what is there for you to be so smug about? To think that a person of your age would actually bully a small child like me!"

  "Heh, say whatever you like, but as long as you can't defeat me, don't even dream about leaving here!"
>
  "Old fogey!"

  Seeing the old man and the young girl glare at one another, Wang Chong nearly burst into laughter.

  His little sister possessed extraordinary strength, but her boisterous personality made her incapable of cultivating silently for prolonged periods, thus resulting in her indolence. Unfortunately, no one in the Wang Family could keep her under control, either.

  Wang Chong did have the mind to intervene, but it was a pity that he wasn't able to defeat her yet.

  But this time, his little sister seemed to have met her nemesis. Acting coy, playing cute, feigning pity, pleading, throwing a tantrum, insulting, assaulting, sneaking out... For the past few months, in order to get off the mountain, she had tried every means at her disposal.

  But none of it would work on the Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  Little sister, don't blame me for this. You were the one who came up here out of curiosity, Wang Chong chuckled inwardly.

  "Third brother, you should quickly return and gather your troops. Let's call big uncle over to slaughter this old fogey!" Failing in the glaring contest, the little sister of the Wang Family rushed forward in a frenzy to her elder brother for help.

  "You must be joking, like I will agree to that!"

  Wang Chong was nearly laughing his guts out. If his little sister were to know that his mother had specially sent a letter to him to allow her to cultivate diligently here, she would probably be even more frenzied.

  "Little sister, big uncle is busy and can't possibly come over. Your cousin and I aren't a match for him, either. I think you should just listen to him obediently and cultivate. When you finally surpass him, you will be able to leave here,” Wang Chong advised with a mock bitter face.

  "AHHHH! I'M ABOUT TO GO INSANE! THIS OLD MAN FORCES ME TO TRAIN EVERY SINGLE DAY! ..." the little sister of the Wang Family complained angrily, unaware that her brother was in cahoots with the old fogey before her.

  "Hmph, old fogey, just you wait! One day, I'll surely defeat you!" She pointed a finger at the Demonic Emperor Old Man angrily. Defeated, she could only fling her arms and walk over to her brother despondently for consolation.

  Wang Chong didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this. Just as he was going to console her, suddenly——

  Haha, I got you! Just as she was passing by the Demonic Emperor Old Man, a cunning gleam suddenly flashed across her beady eyes.

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man couldn't see it, but on the opposite side, Wang Chong could see everything clearly.

  Th-this... Little sister is actually resorting to trickery!, Wang Chong widened his eyes in shock.

  Was this still the innocent little sister he knew? Or was his little sister forced to awaken her hidden talents?

  However, something even more shocking awaited him.

  Peng!

  His little sister leaped up with a jumping power that was disproportionate to her body size. Following which, a powerful fist came falling upon the Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  Boom!

  Powerful shock waves and Stellar Energy diffused into the surroundings. That tiny fist that his little sister wielded carried unimaginable strength. Kacha! The tree behind the Demonic Emperor Old Man fell instantly under that powerful shock wave, and the tiles on the ground cracked immediately.

  After this, a brilliant and giant green halo emerged from his little sister's small body.

  Wang Chong had never seen such a huge halo before. Rather than a halo, it seemed like a humongous light sphere instead. Within the light sphere, Wang Chong could feel the might of the mountain and earth.

  Under the effects of the immense green halo, his little sister's aura seemed to vaguely harmonize as one with the mountain range and trees beneath her. Spiritual energy rushed out from the spirit vein to fuse together with her small fists, amplifying her strength further.

  Boom!

  A powerful might emanated into the surrounding, causing the entire mountain to tremor ever so slightly. At the same moment, Wang Chong clearly saw a vague image of the winding mountain range behind her.

  Halo... Little sister has already reached True Martial realm! Wang Chong was astonished.

  If he hadn't witnessed this personally, he really dared not believe that her little sister would have made a breakthrough to True Martial realm after a few months with his teacher. Furthermore, he had never seen such a halo before, and it was unimaginably powerful. It far surpassed any True Martial realm halo that Wang Chong had seen.

  With such strength, probably none in the True Martial realm could surpass her!

  It seemed that his little sister had grown much more than him during this period of time!

  "HAH!"

  While such thoughts were running through Wang Chong's mind, the little sister of the Wang Family bellowed loudly as a storm-like barrage of fists harnessing her full might fell upon the Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  Boom boom boom!

  A thick white mist immediately filled the entire field. No matter where or how powerful the little sister of the Wang Family attacked, the Demonic Emperor Old Man was able to easily deflect it with just a single finger while his other hand rested behind his back.

  Left, right, up, down, front, back... No matter where the attack came from, the Demonic Emperor Old Man could deflect it easily without moving a step. It was as if that single finger was the strongest barrier in the world, taking down every single attack the little sister of the Wang Family could possibly launch at him.

  "AH!!! I quit!" Seeing that her attacks were completely ineffective, the little sister of the Wang Family shouted furiously and threw a tantrum. However, at that moment, she lost her balance and fell to the ground. In an instant, her mouth pouted even more angrily.

  "Hmph! Old fogey, I'll surpass you one day!" Furious, she harrumphed angrily and immediately charged back into the hall to cultivate.

  "Teacher, her halo..." Wang Chong was astonished. Just like the previous him, his little sister was an indolent person who was content with living her life leisurely.

  In his previous life, his little sister had never managed to cultivate a martial halo, so the appearance of the massive green halo had left him shocked.

  Everything was already different from his previous life.

  "That is the 'Halo of Mountains', a True Martial realm 1-dan halo. It allows one to gather strength from the mountains, granting her incredible might. It can be considered as a strength-type halo, but of the highest tier," the Demonic Emperor Old Man said.

  There was no need for him to hide anything from Wang Chong. Since the first time he saw that girl, he could already sense the astounding talent and strength emanating from her.

  It would be difficult to find even one like her amongst a million people. If not for that case, he wouldn't have forcefully taken her in as his disciple and had her remain here to cultivate.

  "What's going on?" Wang Chong was bewildered by the situation. There were many types of strength-type halos, such as the Halo of Great Might and the Halo of Herculean Strength... They did boost the strength of martial artists, but never to such a ridiculous extent.

  His little sister's ability to harness the power of the mountain was completely inconceivable. That halo was nearly to the class of a Profound Martial realm martial artist by itself.

  "Even though I'm not too sure, either, I can fathom a guess. Year, month, day, and time, these are known as the Four Pillars. Every single pillar consists of two words, and together, they form the Eight Characters of Birth. This is the divination art that I once studied when I was younger."

  "I have asked your mother about it, and your little sister is born in the yiwei year, which possesses the yin attribute. If I'm not mistaken, she was probably born in a yin year yin month yin day yin time, thus giving her an “Eight Characters of Perfect Yin”, also termed as the Moment of Absolute Yin.

  "A person who was born at such a time will be aligned with the secrets of the world, granting them superior talents from birth. Extreme yin will req
uire the complementation of extreme yang, thus her body is exceptionally potent in absorbing yang energy. Even if she does nothing at all, she would still possess herculean strength. And once she starts cultivating, even absorbing the essence of the mountain wouldn't be beyond her.

  "Given her talent, as long as she puts in a little more effort, her future accomplishments will be limitless! It is very possible that she might even surpass the me back then!"

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man couldn't help but sigh in contentment at this moment. To be able to accept these two incredibly talented disciples in his later years, he was without any regrets now.

  "!!!" Wang Chong stared at the Demonic Emperor Old Man in shock. To think that there would be such an explanation behind his little sister's herculean strength.

  Shocking!

  Yiwei year is a concept from the sexagenary cycle, where years are recorded in a cycle of 60. Yiwei is the 32nd year in the cycle. It is an ancient method of recording year, month, day, and time.

  Chapter 268: Elder Xiang!

  Chapter 268: Elder Xiang!

  "Such talent really shouldn't be wasted. Since your Wang Clan is a clan of ministers and general, you should leave this young lass with me. In the future, she might become an invaluable expert to your clan!" the Demonic Emperor Old Man said.

  "Teacher, don't worry. Feel free to teach her as you please. I'll explain everything to my mother," Wang Chong replied.

  It wasn't easy to find someone who could curb his little sister. Wang Chong was no samaritan, so his little sister was truly foolish to have thought that she could have depended on him to talk his teacher out of this.

  It was already a huge kindness on his part that he didn't get his teacher to intensify her training.

  "Un."

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man nodded before looking at Wang Chong worriedly.

  "I don't know whether it's a right decision for me to impart to you the Little Yinyang Art—your progress is too fast. I thought that since you weren't a member of the martial world, your cultivation wouldn't progress too fast. To think that being in the military would actually augment your cultivation instead. This ultimate technique might be powerful, but it has a fatal flaw.