The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Buzz!

  Dalun Ruozan was stunned by this news and raised his head. Dalun Ruozan was well aware of the significance of the Sage Emperor's rewarding Wang Chong. The Ü-Tsang Empire had suffered such a bitter defeat entirely because of the seventeen-year-old Wang Chong.

  Now that the Sage Emperor was richly rewarding Wang Chong, that youngest son of the Wang Clan would gradually begin to do more and more for the Great Tang, present more and more of a threat to the Ü-Tsang Empire.

  "Hmph, very good. It looks like you've noticed. The southwestern war has already passed. No matter how many warriors the Ngari Royal Lineage lost or how massive is the scope of this plague, all of it is the past. Death is inevitable in war, and prices must be paid. In our past wars with the Great Tang, we have suffered defeats of even greater magnitude. But even so, we did not come away empty-handed. At the very least, we know of a name. Wang Chong, wasn't it?"

  Dalon Trinling snorted. His gaze was as sharp as the edge of a saber, its cold light piercing through even the smoke in the hall.

  Astonished, Dalun Ruozan hurriedly lowered his head in subservience.

  "Victory and defeat are both commonplace for a soldier. Regardless of the price we have paid today, in the future, the Great Tang will pay an even greater price. But before that… why don't you tell us about this Wang Chong?"

  "Ruozan understands!"

  ……

  In the clouds of smoke, Dalun Ruozan's voice alone rang out through the hall.

  "…Your Majesty, Great Minister, in the southwestern war, Ruozan is undoubtedly responsible for the defeat of the empire. No matter what punishment is issued, this guilty subject is willing to accept it. But that youngest son of the Wang Clan… If it really is as Great Minister says, that he has received the great favor of the Great Tang's Sage Emperor, then in the future, he will definitely become a fatal affliction for all of Ü-Tsang. His demeanor is composed and confident. Even in the most intense and perilous moments of the battle, when the Great Tang army was on the verge of being annihilated, he remained unpanicked and continued to command the army.

  "Moreover, his tactics and strategy are mysterious and seemingly limitless, utterly impossible to predict. More importantly, although he is only seventeen, he is farsighted, his methods vicious. This sheep plague is his handiwork.

  "For him to have such foresight and stratagems at only the age of seventeen, I'm afraid that if he is allowed to mature, that old incident of the royal capital will repeat itself!"

  ……

  These final words seemed to thud against the ground, throwing the entire hall into an uproar.

  Whether it was the Imperial Great Minister Dalon Trinling or the most revered Tsenpo of the Ü-Tsang Empire sitting in the rear, everyone was stupefied. Not even Dalon Trinling, who had begun this line of questioning, had ever expected Dalun Ruozan's assessment of that youngest son of the Wang Clan to be so high.

  The old incident of the royal capital!

  Any Tibetan understood what this phrase represented.

  Ü-Tsang was protected by natural barriers. A lofty altitude and a thin atmosphere were the Ü-Tsang Empire's best defenses. All the foreign warriors who entered this place would find their strength greatly limited. Only the Tibetans, the natural inhabitants of this world, remained unaffected.

  As a result, Tibetans also called themselves the 'people chosen by heaven'.

  But it wasn't like Ü-Tsang had remained totally undefeated throughout history. At least in the last century or so, the walls of Ü-Tsang's royal capital had been breached twice. The first incident was during the era of Tang Taizong by the War God Su Zhengchen.

  The second time was twenty-three years ago by the Great Tang War God, now Crown Prince's Junior Guardian, Wang Zhongsi. Although he had not actually entered the royal capital, there had been scarcely a difference.

  This was because all the important officials, the Tsenpo included, as well as all the people in the royal capital, had already retreated far away.

  The royal capital they left behind had been an empty city.

  It was precisely because Wang Zhongsi saw an empty city that he decided to withdraw his troops. But that unstoppable edge and the large-scale upheaval and panic the incident had caused across the plateau had made it so that all Tibetans would feel a deep fear whenever they heard Wang Zhongsi's name.

  In the southwestern war, the entire Ngari Royal Lineage had essentially been crippled, but that was still only a local war. Ü-Tsang had four royal domains and one royal capital, so the losses suffered by the Ngari Royal Lineage were not too great of a wound to the overarching Ü-Tsang Empire.

  The true factor was the sheep plague.

  However, Dalun Ruozan was saying that this Wang Chong also had the potential to repeat that old incident and breach the walls of the royal capital!

  This was an assessment of the highest order, especially since in the past few decades, the Ü-Tsang Empire had done all it could to increase the prosperity of the empire, and had even begun to learn the forging methods of the Great Tang. It had purchased a great quantity of refined iron and weapons, and also begun to raise and breed many warhorses so that it could train a large army of elite cavalry. Dalun Ruozan's assessment in the present seemed even more inconceivable.

  "Great Minister, Your Majesty, this guilty subject has seen many renowned officials and generals of the Great Tang while presiding over the Ngari Royal Lineage, including the Great Tang Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong and Longxi's Geshu Han. But none of them could make me feel so threatened as that youngest son of the Wang Clan. This lowly subject advises that no matter what cost we must pay, we must eliminate that youngest son of the Wang Clan!"

  Dalun Ruozan spoke these final words with utmost sincerity.

  The generals and ministers of the Four Royal Lineages could not enter the royal capital as they pleased. Dalun Ruozan keenly understood that this was his last and only chance to convince the Tsenpo and the Great Minister.

  "For this matter, I know what we must do!"

  Dalon Trinling stared into Dalun Ruozan's eyes. After a long time, he slowly closed his eyes. The fragrant smoke cloaked his body, making his figure indistinct, but a faint resolve could already be seen on the intelligent face of the Imperial Great Minister.

  The Imperial Great Minister and the Royal Great Ministers had all made their name through their intelligence!

  In some cases, a few short words were enough to voice many questions.

  ……

  "It truly is a divine mountain!"

  At this moment, while the royal capital of the Ü-Tsang Empire was submerged in silence, in the distant southwest of the Great Tang, an erect figure, sumptuously dressed and with a long and slender face, was standing at the base of a mountain. This middle-aged man carried an air of elegance and confidence as he stood there, a white oil paper umbrella decorated with images of pear blossoms in his hand.

  Before his eyes was the place where Wang Chong and his one hundred thousand Annan Protectorate army soldiers had fought their desperate battle and defeated the five hundred thousand soldiers of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army.

  This nameless mountain in the Great Tang's southwest had gained a new name after the war: the Mountain of God. It had already become a mountain of good luck and fortune to the southwest.

  The southwestern war had just been too inconceivable!

  One hundred thousand soldiers had defeated the five hundred thousand valiant warriors of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army, even killing four hundred thousand!

  At the crucial moment of the battle, when the Tang soldiers were running short on water, they actually managed to dig water out of the bare mountain surface!

  If a god was not watching over them, how could all this be explained?

  So this mountain of the southwest must be a divine mountain.

  As for that young man from the Wang Clan who had stood at the peak of this mountain, energetically commanding his one hundred thousand soldiers and vanquishi
ng the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army with a faint smile on his face, protecting the nearly one million civilians of the southwest, he was naturally the incarnation of this god, perhaps even the god's son.

  Because only he was able to summon that supreme deity!

  The mountain was covered in bruises. After that intense battle, its surface was uneven, with many places showing marks of explosions of energy and fierce combat. All over, one could see that the tan soil of the mountain had turned a reddish-brown.

  In a few areas that had been depressed the most, it was even possible to see dried purplish objects. These were condensed pieces of blood.

  The middle-aged man's eyes were half-closed as he took in a deep breath, smelling that thick stench of blood that still had yet to dissipate. The man showed no signs of disgust. On the contrary, he seemed to be a little intoxicated.

  To some people, war was a vicious plague that should be avoid at all costs.

  But to other people, it was the finest source of nourishment!

  War was paradise to those warriors who truly craved battle!

  The most beautiful sights were there for them to witness!

  The moment where life faded away was the most gorgeous of vistas.

  The middle-aged man fully closed his eyes, facing the divine mountain as he began to imagine the hundreds of thousands of warriors on both sides charging to fill their lines and being cut down like wheat stalks. The intoxication on his face increased, thickened.

  "So beautiful!"

  The man let out a long moan.

  King Song's arrival had completely altered the situation in the southwest. All the soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army had left with King Song to the border between the Great Tang and Mengshe Zhao. The 'Mountain of God' was currently deserted.

  "Your Highness, the Annan Protectorate army might be patrolling this area. We should move quickly. Don't forget, His Majesty entrusted us with the task of investigating the truth behind the grievous defeat of the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang alliance!"

  A man nearby spoke. Although he was dressed like those merchants who frequently traversed the Tea Horse Road, beneath his clothes, he was all muscle. His eyes, which were constantly and warily observing his surroundings, and the long package wrapped in white cloth at his waist both indicated his true identity.

  This was a powerful warrior, and no ordinary one either. Only one kind of person would have his sort of straight posture: a soldier.

  "Hahaha, what are you afraid of? The southwestern war is already over. The attention of the Tang is all on the Erhai border. If there's nothing happening, what would they be doing running over here?"

  The slender-faced man raised his pear blossom umbrella and laughed, his expression leisurely and free.

  His demeanor and expression made it very hard to believe that this man was one of the eight kings beneath Yeon Gaesomun of Goguryeo in the northeast, holding the same title as King Sosurim but standing at an even higher level, 'King Micheon1'.

  ______________

  1. Historically, King Sosurim was the seventeenth King of Goguryeo and Micheon was the fifteenth King of Goguryeo. They lived centuries before the Tang Dynasty. There is probably some significance in Yeon Gaesomun conferring the names of ancient kings from Goguryeo's history on his subordinates.

  Chapter 655: The Gathering of Foreign Powers!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  In the lands of Youzhou to the northeast, King Micheon of Goguryeo was one of the top priorities on Zhang Shougui's kill list. This King Micheon had dealt him many a setback on the battlefield.

  Unlike the other kings, King Micheon had four long sabers. Normally, however, he only used one saber when fighting an enemy. In a large-scale battle, he would use two sabers. As for a third saber… as of yet, no one had been able to force him to use his third saber.

  King Micheon was cruel and bloodthirsty, completely unlike the spymaster King Sosurim, who delighted in concealing himself.

  In the fierce confines of the battlefield, he was an insane machine, growing stronger the more he killed, immersing himself deeper and deeper into the battle. It was rumored that he had a habit of using human blood to brew fine wine that he would guzzle down.

  And King Micheon never cared about his own life!

  His only enjoyments in life were intense and frenzied battle and the thick stench of death that covered the battlefield. The 'cheon' of 'King Micheon' did not mean a river of water, but a flood of blood washing over the world.

  In the southwestern war, more than four hundred thousand Mengshe–Ü-Tsang warriors and more than one hundred thousand Tang warriors had died in battle.

  When King Micheon heard of this matter, he immediately volunteered to venture into the Tang interior to investigate the southwestern battlefield.

  "In addition, with regards to His Majesty's mission, who said that I wasn't investigating?"

  His eyes half-closed, King Micheon raised his intoxicated nose and sniffed at the air. Suddenly, he made a flying leap. Swooshswooshswoosh! Moving like a ghost, he arrived at the southeastern edge of the summit in mere moments.

  "Hahaha, what a thick stench of blood! On this entire battlefield, I can only smell the scent of one living person. None other than a person slaughtering to their heart's content! How many people did this person kill? Five thousand, six thousand? No, it is exactly eleven thousand and eighty-seven people! How formidable!"

  King Micheon raised his head and madly laughed.

  If Wang Chong were here, he would definitely be stunned. Because the place King Micheon was speaking from was exactly where the southeastern lines had been broken and he alone had killed more than ten thousand Mengshe Zhao and Tibetan soldiers.

  The battle was already over, the corpses buried.

  But King Micheon had only sniffed the air to learn the exact number of people Wang Chong had killed. Probably not even Wang Chong knew this number.

  "Milord, are you saying that one person killed ten thousand people here?"

  A figure jumped out of the rear to arrive at King Micheon's side, looking at the vacant surroundings in alarm.

  "Hahaha, this is a comrade! Inconceivable physical strength and an inconceivable internal energy! And also an inconceivable fighting and killing intent!"

  King Micheon paid no attention to his guard, his voice growing more and more excited.

  "That's right, I also smelled a very unique blood. It was restless blood, like it was on fire…"

  With these last words, King Micheon seemed to wake from a stupor. A contemplative expression quickly appeared on his face.

  "I hear that in the capital of the Great Tang, the Berserker Syndrome runs through the lineage of the Wang Clan. Once the Berserker Syndrome breaks out, the blood will begin to boil, the victim falling into a mad slaughter that can't distinguish friend from foe. Could this be the result of the Berserker Syndrome?"

  King Micheon began to get more and more excited.

  "I didn't think that I would be so lucky as to smell the blood of a warrior with Berserker Syndrome! It's simply sublime! This is the true blood of slaughter, and the strength was so long-lasting that they managed to kill ten thousand people! How wonderful would it be if I could get my hands on this blood!

  "But I heard that the Berserker Syndrome skipped generations, and it would only affect one person per generation. The inheritor of this condition for this generation of the Wang Clan is called Wang Bei, and he's currently imprisoned in the prison within the Imperial Palace. How could the Berserker Syndrome appear here?"

  King Micheon's smile faded as he narrowed his eyes in thought. After a few moments, he suddenly gave a chuckle of understanding.

  "Tulin, this is where you come in. Inform His Majesty that the youngest son of the Wang Clan also has Berserker Syndrome. Two people with Berserker Syndrome have appeared in a single generation! Interesting, interesting!"

  The Goguryeon warrior called Tulin standing behind him was dumbfounded.
But King Micheon was still speaking.

  "However, Berserker Syndrome is known for being able to warp one's will and cause the patient to kill both friend and foe. It seems like this youngest son of the Wang Clan was constantly killing, but he only killed Mengshe Zhao and Tibetan soldiers. This self-control is truly astonishing!"

  An error of a hair would lead to a discrepancy of one thousand li. Although the Berserker Syndrome bestowed incredible strength on a warrior, once one lost control and turned the other direction, it would have been ten thousand soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army dying to Wang Chong's sword.

  Swords did not discriminate among those they killed, including people on one's own side.

  But across this region of the battlefield, King Micheon could not smell the blood of any Tang soldier. Not just anyone could control themselves so well.

  "What a troublesome character!"

  King Micheon muttered to himself for a while, his pupils constricting as he began to understand the difficulties he faced.

  "This is so upsetting! You can kill people like flies, so why control yourself?"

  Undeniable envy surfaced on King Micheon's face. If he possessed such a powerful bloodline ability, it would be a match made in heaven.

  Alas, this boy owned this powerful strength yet insisted on controlling it. This fact was extremely upsetting to the bloodthirsty King Micheon.

  Buzz!

  As he was speaking, his mind was suddenly given a jolt. A powerful energy had appeared in King Micheon's perception. His voice came to a halt as he fiercely turned his head in the direction of the energy.

  At the base of the mountain, figures dressed in black merchant-like clothes were currently inspecting something, their heads lowered.

  The leader of this group also sensed something. Raising his head, he glanced up at the place King Micheon was standing. Their gazes met in the air like two bolts of electricity clashing. But then they mutually looked away as if nothing had happened at all.

  "Hmph, it seems like the Turks have arrived," King Micheon sneered. Although they were separated by a significant distance, King Micheon had immediately noticed the high nasal bridge so emblematic of the Turks.