The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Pah!

  While Xu Qiqin was still struggling with her nigh defeated army, 'pah!', with a resounding smack from Wang Chong's white stone, the first examinee to clear had emerged.

  "Congratulations, you have passed the examination!"

  "This is wonderful! ——"

  Excited, the examinee leapt up and cheered in delight.

  "You must be joking! Even that fellow is qualified to pass the examination?"

  Xu Qiqin had been feeling stifled all this while, and upon seeing Wang Chong passing one of those whom she had defeated just a moment ago, she finally came to the limits of her tolerance.

  "Do you know how weak that fellow is? He could only withstand forty moves from me before falling in defeat, and yet, you actually passed him? If even someone of his ability can pass, what would be the point of this examination?" Xu Qiqin complained in dissatisfaction.

  "Then, how many moves did you use?" Wang Chong asked calmly.

  "... 46." Surprised by Wang Chong's question, Xu Qiqin answered blankly.

  "There, you have your answer. That is the reason why he cleared the examination. He has already surpassed his limit," Wang Chong replied calmly before moving on to the next examinee.

  Chapter 393: The Furious Xu Qiqin!

  Chapter 393: The Furious Xu Qiqin!

  "Thank you, gongzi!"

  As happy as that recruit was, he didn't forget to bow respectfully to thank Wang Chong before delightfully making his way out. He had thought that he didn't stand a chance in this examination, so he was pleasantly surprised when he actually passed.

  "Good luck!" Without turning around, Wang Chong waved him off.

  From the game with that recruit, he discovered the other party's unyielding spirit and ability to outperform himself in desperate times.

  Even though he was on the verge of losing, he still held on persistently, far longer than Wang Chong had expected him to.

  This was also the reason why he could confidently ask Xu Qiqin how many moves she had used in the game against him.

  A moment later, the second successful examinee emerged.

  "Congratulations, you have passed the examination!" Wang Chong smiled at a recruit from Longwei Training Camp as he relayed the good news.

  "Thank you, gongzi! Thank you very much!" The recruit quickly bowed in gratitude.

  "What is with your judgement? Even a person like him can clear the examination? He doesn't even know how to play Go! That fellow doesn't even know the basic rules of the game!"

  It was one thing for the first examinee, but seeing that Wang Chong cleared even such a person, Xu Qiqin could no longer hold back her rage anymore.

  She couldn't help but feel that Wang Chong was intentionally provoking her.

  She had crossed hands with that examinee earlier, and there were many occasions where he seemed to be ignorant of the rules of the game and she had to remind him of them. The silly chuckle that the latter made every time after making a mistake just seemed to rub her the wrong way.

  It was one thing for the others to pass the examination, but if Wang Chong couldn't come up with a valid reason for his victory, she would never let this slide.

  This was going too far!

  "He might have made quite a few mistakes throughout the game, but do you think that he is really ignorant of the rules? Lin Changting, recite the rules of Go to him!" Wang Chong said with a wave of his hands.

  Lin Changting gazed at Wang Chong in astonishment.

  It hadn't been long since he had started learning Go, so it wasn't entirely wrong for Xu Qiqin to say that he didn't know how to play the game. However, what eft him truly astonished was how confident Wang Chong was that he knew the rules of Go and could recite it.

  "Y-yes, gongzi!" As surprised as Lin Changting was, he quickly recited the rules. A bunch of Go jargon came out of his mouth fluently without much thought.

  Hearing the other party recite the huge chunk of rules that consisted of over a thousand words, astonishment flashed across Xu Qiqin's eyes. She had played against that fellow, and the feeling the other party gave her was that he was a fool.

  But this whole long bunch of rules, not even skilled players of Go would necessarily be able to recite it. Yet, the fool before her eyes actually managed to recite them fluently!

  This left her eyes widening in shock.

  The difference in his performance before and his actions now was simply too great; it was as if they were two different people!

  She couldn't imagine how the same person could be so different before her and Wang Chong.

  Furthermore, how did Wang Chong manage to see through him?

  "It's not that he doesn't know the rules of Go, but that it hasn't been long since he came into contact with the game. He tries to think out of the box to find innovative ways to curb his opponent, but due to the limited time he has spent on the game, he doesn't have a thorough understanding of it yet. On top of that, there is no one to guide him along. As a result, in the eyes of others, he appears like a fool who is ignorant of even the rules of the game.

  "In truth, this is similar to the novel warfare which I have just spoken of. Perhaps even he isn't aware of it himself. Lin Changting, after this matter is over, come to my room. I have something to give you," Wang Chong said.

  Lin Changting's talent wasn't beneath Sun Zhiming. If he was groomed properly, he might just become yet another master of novel warfare like Sun Zhiming!

  “Thank you, gongzi!"

  Lin Changting was delighted. He had thought that it would suffice for him to clear the examination, but who knew that he would manage to earn Wang Chong's recognition on top of that. This was truly an unexpected gain.

  "Hmph, what novel warfare and conventional warfare, don't think that you can deceive me with those words!" Xu Qiqin said indignantly.

  She was unable to understand a single word that Wang Chong was talking about, and she couldn't help but feel that Wang Chong was making the "conventional warfare" and "novel warfare" up just to humiliate her.

  After all, if it was as important as he had said, how could she, given her background and vast knowledge. Not have heard of it?

  "Hehe!" Wang Chong chuckled softly, not bothering to explain himself.

  Xu Qiqin had truly misunderstood him. Be it the recruit earlier or Lin Changting, he had only cleared them because he thought that they had great potential.

  As long as they were groomed properly, they could become the brightest stars of the battlefield in the future.

  The only reason why Great Tang only had a hundred or so rising generals in his previous life was because there wasn't a discerning Bo Le to recognize them.

  (Translator’s Note: Bo Le is a famed horse tamer in the Spring and Autumn period, known for his ability to discern superior breeds. His name has, since then, been used to metaphor those who are capable of identifying, grooming, and using talents well.)

  In the entire world, who else other than he, the previous Great Marshal of the Central Plains and the esteemed War Saint, would be better suited to identify talents and nurture them?

  Of the Three Great Training Camps, the most capable instructor was actually him, it was just that no one was aware of it at this point.

  The examination continued, and even though there were two successful examinees at the start, most of the others ended up failing. In comparison to them, Xu Qiqin was actually doing quite well.

  In truth, the chess skills of most of the recruits in the Deflecting Blade Manor was truly not praiseworthy.

  However, it wasn't Wang Chong's intention to turn them into Go experts. Instead, he intended to use it as a medium to create a culture that emphasized the importance of military strategy here.

  Even if most of them wouldn't become a general eventually, they would still rise to become lieutenants, captains, vice-generals…

  If the top and middle leadership of the military possessed a deep understanding of warfare, Great Tang would be invincible!

  Cre
ating an army whose soldiers were skilled in warfare from top to bottom; this was Wang Chong's goal for the Deflecting Blade Manor!

  ---

  Time slowly ticked by. Xu Qiqin's current situation on the chessboard was already extremely precarious. Wang Chong's straightforward assaults had already torn through her formations on the chessboard, scattering her forces all around.

  In terms of strategy, Wang Chong didn't attempt to use any tricks. His movements were simple and consistent, Xu Qiqin could see every single move he made clearly.

  But it was such a simple playing style that had left her cornered.

  Xu Qiqin's face paled, and cold sweat was dripping down her forehead. This was a reaction from overexertion. Wang Chong's movements had nearly sapped her brain power dry.

  "Congratulations, you have passed the examination! Alright, we shall be ending here today. The results are already out. I hope that the rest of you can work hard to clear the examination the next time around!" Wang Chong's voice suddenly echoed in the room, and upon hearing those words, Xu Qiqin finally succumbed to her rage.

  "Wang Chong! What do you mean by that?" Xu Qiqin glared at him furiously.

  "What do you mean by saying the results are already out? Are you saying that I have failed the examination?" All of her dissatisfactions came bursting out at this instant.

  She was still in the midst of playing, but Wang Chong had already announced that it was the end of the examination. Didn't that mean that she had failed the examination as well? But she had defeated every single examiner and examinee here! Was he trying to say that she couldn't even compare to those ordinary examinees?

  "Don't you know better than anyone else? Look at your bowl, how many stones are there left?" Wang Chong replied calmly.

  "What do you mean by that?" Xu Qiqin was at the peak of her rage, but in the next moment, as her hand reached for the bowl by the side of the chessboard, she suddenly froze and fell silent.

  In that instant, it was as if a pail of icy water had been poured over her.

  The bowl used to store her black stones was nearly emptied out. There were only four to five pieces in there.

  Wang Chong was right, the game was over.

  "Look at the bowl on the other side and look at how many white stones are in there," Wang Chong continued.

  Xu Qiqin immediately cooled down. Even without taking a look, she knew that the other bowl must be empty. In this game, Wang Chong's moves were standard and consistent, but for some reason, it was extraordinary powerful and pressurizing.

  Throughout the game, she actually didn't manage to claim more than a handful of his stones.

  Taking a look at the chessboard once more, a bitter feeling emerged in her heart.

  The majority of the chessboard was conquered by Wang Chong's white stones, and only a few scattered areas by the corners were in her black stone's possession. It was an utter defeat.

  In that instant, Xu Qiqin seemed to have noticed something.

  Hualala!

  Without saying much, Wang Chong picked up the bowl storing the black stones he had eaten and poured them out before Xu Qiqin.

  (Translator’s Notes: Each player has two bowls each, one to store the stones for them to make a move with, and the other to store the stones they had 'eaten' from their opponent.)

  "Take a look for yourself, there are at least a hundred stones in there. This is a complete defeat from your side. In fact, there are many examinees here who fared better than you. The Chess Hall has its own rules, so... you have failed the examination!" Wang Chong said impassively.

  Xu Qiqin's reddened face turn ghastly pale. It was only at this final moment that it all struck her at once. She had lost, and it was an even more disastrous defeat than the previous time.

  Her lips trembled uncontrollably, unable to accept this outcome.

  With his hands behind his back, Wang Chong said calmly,"Work hard! Though, I still do think that someone of your aptitude is not suited for our Chess Hall!"

  Those words immediately clouded Xu Qiqin's mind with rage.

  Boom!

  A deafening explosion sounded, and the entire Chess Hall seemed to have shaken for an instant. Right before Wang Chong's eyes, Xu Qiqin raised her fist and smashed the chessboard along with the table beneath it into smithereens.

  Wooden fragments flew across the room!

  The table was forged out of the incredibly resilient Phoebe Zhennan, but before Xu Qiqin's might, it was smashed as if it was paper paste, and even the wood's fiber was forced out under the impact.

  On top of that, even after the top of the table was shattered into pieces, the four legs still remaining upright, having been knocked deep into the floor.

  "Bastard!" Xu Qiqin bellowed, her furious voice echoing clearly throughout the Chess Hall. She could care less anymore. Even if her identity were to be exposed, she had to teach Wang Chong a lesson today!

  "Wang Chong, you are intentionally making things difficult, aren't you? You just simply want to humiliate me, don’t you?"

  Chapter 394: Provocation!

  Chapter 394: Provocation!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Xu Qiqin's charming face went deathly white and her lungs felt like they were bursting with rage. She was a proud daughter of Heaven from the majestic Longwei Training Camp. Upon seeing her, many scions of noble clans would lower their heads and deferentially call her 'Lady Qin', but she couldn't even be bothered to reject them.

  These loathsome men were seekers of pleasure, of mediocre aptitude. They were not even worth a glance from Xu Qiqin.

  Who said that women were inferior to men? She, Xu Qiqin, wanted to stomp on all the men of the world.

  She had gotten used to being haughty, gotten used to viewing those men with contempt. Xu Qiqin had never imagined that in this trifling Deflecting Blade Manor, she would be humiliated by Wang Chong.

  "What are you up to?"

  In a flash of light, a white figure instantly interposed itself between Wang Chong and Xu Qiqin: Huang Qian-er, with a large silver sword on her back. She seemed like a glacier that would not melt for eons as she icily stared at Xu Qiqin.

  She had certainly not been able to tell that Xu Qiqin was a woman masquerading as a man. In this aspect, women seemed to innately lack the ability to make such distinctions. At this time, Huang Qian-er only knew that if anyone dared to threaten Wang Chong, she would sent that person flying out the window.

  The handsome young man across from her looked rather strong, but he was absolutely no match for her!

  Xu Qiqin didn't even see Huang Qian-er. Her eyes were red and her entire person was about to explode from rage.

  "Wang Chong, your bullying has gone too far!"

  Xu Qiqin's chest rapidly rose and fell. She had never felt so wronged before. If Wang Chong did not give her an explanation, she couldn't be blamed for beating him black and blue and hanging him from the flagpole.

  "Haha!"

  The sight of Xu Qiqin's infuriated appearance caused Wang Chong's lips to curl into an almost undetectable smile. Xu Qiqin was right on the mark.

  He truly had intentionally failed her.

  And he had also kept her completely in the dark. Wang Chong had intentionally provoked her into a great fury, goaded her into lashing out.

  As one of the greatest geniuses in all of the Great Tang and the most formidable 'Proud Daughter of Heaven' in the field of logistics, Xu Qiqin was assuredly an entire level above everyone else.

  There was practically no one in the Great Tang that could compare to her.

  Anyone who could gain the help of Xu Qiqin and the Xu Clan would be a tiger with wings. At least in the field of logistics, they would be able to rest easy.

  'Before the troops and horses can be mobilized, the rations and fodder must be prepared.' A war lasting for two months would need to begin preparations for logistics and supplies two years in advance.

  The importance of logistics went with
out saying.

  In the other world that Wang Chong came from, that fellow called 'Napoleon' had ultimately suffered defeat on the verge of victory because of his poor logistics. He had squandered away his great undertaking, destroying the work of decades.

  Logistics was far too tedious a field, and touched upon every other field. It required intelligence, but not only that! In this aspect, one could be stronger than the heavens and they would still be useless.

  Wang Chong knew that he had no talent in this field. In his last life, in the final phase of his defeat, he had essentially been running on no provisions or logistics.

  He truly required a formidable logistics master like Xu Qiqin. With someone like her, he would not have lost so quickly.

  Such a chance was hard to come by. The talented daughter of the Xu Clan, Xu Qiqin, had disguised herself as the young man Xu Chong and come to the Deflecting Blade Manor of her own volition to challenge him.

  If Wang Chong let go of this opportunity that had fallen into his hand, he wouldn't be Wang Chong!

  "Xu Chong, you seemed very unconvinced?" Wang Chong asked, utterly unmoved.

  "Convinced? Convinced about what? There's not a single person who's a match for me here. I would batter everyone here so badly that they would cast off their helmets and armor and return home in utter defeat. Besides you, who else here is more formidable than me? Him, him, him… or him?"

  Xu Qiqin jabbed her finger at the surrounding examinees, her entire person fuming with anger.

  Those weaker had passed while the stronger had failed. Where in the world did such reasoning exist? She had sensed by now that Wang Chong was intentionally making things difficult for her!

  Even if she had to risk revealing her identity, she would teach this bastard a harsh lesson.

  "Haha, do you think that they're weak? Or do you think that you're very strong?"

  Wang Chong looked at Xu Qiqin, the smile on his face capable of making anyone furious.

  "Do you think I'm not?" Xu Qiqin shot back. She was no three-year-old child. Wang Chong's excuses couldn't fool her!

  "Haha, let me ask you, how long have you been playing chess? And how long have they been playing chess?"