In the blazing sun, all these black-armored cavalry rode in unison, as if they were of one mind. Not a single mistake was made as they marched.
Not even Wang Chong's eyes could see any problem.
That's right, as unmoving as a mountain, as aggressive as a fire! In his early years, Fumeng Lingcha oversaw Anxi. In the aspect of commanding troops, he truly does have some skill! Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
Even though there was bad blood between him and Fumeng Lingcha, Wang Chong had to admit that the Great General of Qixi did have some extraordinary attributes. Qixi was a unique place. To the west was the ever-ambitious Ü-Tsang, ready to rush down from the eastern edge of the plateau at any time. To the east was the Turkic cavalry led by the Ishbara Khagan of the Western Turkic Khaganate. Fumeng Lingcha was able to survive in this intersection of two factions and keep both of them out, and his strength was beyond question.
Just through this Qixi cavalry that was both as unmoving as a mountain and aggressive as fire, Fumeng Lingcha had already displayed the extraordinary abilities that had made him an Imperial Great General!
Alas, your envy is too great! Your thirst for authority too strong!
With this thought, Wang Chong quickly returned to his senses.
Fumeng Lingcha was truly a formidable character, and if some of his traits were removed, Wang Chong would have been happy to see that the Great Tang had such a Great General. But Fumeng Lingcha was simply far too selfish.
He was a Hu himself, so he brazenly promoted Hu in the army. All the important posts in his army were almost completely filled with Hu. Whether or not a Han had the ability, they were suppressed just the same.
Moreover, there were signs that Fumeng Lingcha was creating a miniature Hu court in Qixi.
If not, he wouldn't have been so furious at Wang Chong's memorial during the Regional Commanders incident.
In addition, while Qixi was excellent on the defensive side, it was lacking on the offense. In the many years of Fumeng Lingcha's tenure, he had never once been the first to attack, and this posture had never changed.
Qixi could only passively wait for Ü-Tsang or the Western Turks to attack.
Whether it was to alter the result of the coming Battle of Talas, prepare soldiers for Anxi, or change the circumstances of Qixi, Wang Chong had to either remove Fumeng Lingcha or have him transferred elsewhere.
As long as Fumeng Lingcha remained, he would never be able to freely move in the Western Regions. This had to be changed.
The rumbling slowly came to a stop as the two parties grew closer and closer, the atmosphere tenser and tenser. Finally, Wang Chong and Fumeng Lingcha, one young and one old, stopped at a distance of eight or nine zhang from each other. The atmosphere had reached maximum tension.
The two met gazes, none of them saying a word.
"You dare! The Lord Protector-General is present, yet you do not dismount and bow!" A shout came from behind Fumeng Lingcha as one of his deputies, fully armored and gripping black reins in his hand, jabbed a finger at Wang Chong.
You're trying to show off your strength!
Wang Chong inwardly laughed, but his gaze remained fixed on Fumeng Lingcha. In the past, the rankless and titleless Wang Chong would have been easily crushed by Fumeng Lingcha.
But at this time and place, Wang Chong had nothing to fear, not even in front of this Hu Great General whose words could move the world.
And besides, he had once been the true Grand Marshal of the World!
"Impudent! Our Lord is the Imperial Court's newly-titled Young Marquis, a title personally bestowed by the Son of Heaven. He is a true noble of the Great Tang, his status no less than the Lord Protector-General's. Moreover, during the title ceremony, the Sage Emperor personally conferred upon him a courtesy name, making him a disciple of the Son of Heaven! He represents His Majesty the Sage Emperor, and you dare have Lord Marquis bow?!"
As expected, a harsh rebuke came from behind Wang Chong. With no need for any words from Wang Chong, Cheng Sanyuan rode forward and reproved Fumeng Lingcha's deputy. Although they couldn't contend against Fumeng Lingcha's majestic pressure and gaze, they could certainly deal with one of his deputies.
Wang Chong sat unmoving on his horse, but he mentally gave a slight nod.
Cheng Sanyuan and Su Shixuan truly did have fast reaction times. In this sort of setting, having them speak for him would be much better than if he spoke on his own behalf. This was also one of the reasons Wang Chong valued them so highly.
Wang Chong clasped his hands and said, "Lord Protector-General, I have been rude. Not knowing that Lord Protector-General would honor us with your presence, I did not come out to greet you. What noble errand brings Lord Protector-General here?"
His words instantly attracted everyone's focus.
The area around the City of Steel was silent. When the commanding officers on both sides spoke, even Cheng Sanyuan and Fumeng Lingcha's deputy had to shut their mouths. Everyone knew that today's main characters were these two, one young and one old.
The words that these two spoke starting from now would probably affect the future of both the City of Steel and Qixi. At a time like this, no one else dared to interfere.
Fumeng Lingcha said nothing, but his deep and hawkish eyes slowly looked Wang Chong up and down, sizing him up as a hawk would size up its prey.
During the Regional Commanders incident, the two had been almost mortal enemies. Fumeng Lingcha had even personally composed a memorial requesting the Sage Emperor to execute Wang Chong. But in reality, this was Fumeng Lingcha's first time seeing the 'archcriminal'.
Even though he was bursting with hostility toward this youngest son of the Wang Clan, Fumeng Lingcha still had to admit that this boy looked completely different from what he had imagined.
Young!
Far too young! He didn't look more than seventeen!
At this age, even someone as proud as Fumeng Lingcha was still fighting and clawing his way up the ladder in the Western Regions. But Wang Chong was already the Young Marquis of the Great Tang and had been given a courtesy name from the Son of Heaven himself, his status rising to the heavens.
If Wang Chong had merely accomplished all this because of the backing of the Wang Clan and the afterglow of Wang Jiuling's reputation, he could accept all this. But not long ago, Wang Chong had personally defeated renowned figures like Huoshu Huicang, Dalun Ruozan, and Duan Gequan.
Even now, Fumeng Lingcha was still wondering just how much of this was true.
But there was no question that Ü-Tsang and Mengshe Zhao had only been defeated after Wang Chong entered the fray, and they had even lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers, including a large number of cavalry. It was an indisputable fact that their casualties were greater than the Great Tang's.
A sixteen- or seventeen-year-old with such abilities was, in Fumeng Lingcha's estimation, simply impossible. Even someone who began to learn the art of war in the womb wouldn't be capable of such a feat.
The art of war could not be learned simply through reading some books. It required tempering through war, the experience of countless real battles. No Great General could circumvent this process.
But this was not the only thing that left Fumeng Lingcha confused and uncomprehending.
Fumeng Lingcha had spent half his life on the battlefield and had slain countless opponents. For this reason, his body exuded a baleful aura that made even his most trusted subordinates unlikely to approach him or meet his eyes.
There was a certain story in the Western Regions.
In the Western Regions, a particularly famous murderer had evaded capture for several decades, but one day, while passing through Qixi, he happened to accidentally run into Fumeng Lingcha's carriage. A single glare from Fumeng Lingcha had been enough to scare this murderer so badly that his courage shattered, he soiled himself, and he ended up dying a sudden death.
This was the power of the baleful air surrounding Fumeng Lingcha.
It was even
rumored that there was a time when the brave Tibetan cavalry attacked Qixi and were glared to death on the battlefield by Fumeng Lingcha.
Chapter 726: Fumeng Lingcha's Warning III
Chapter 726: Fumeng Lingcha's Warning (III)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
One could easily imagine just how thick the baleful air around Fumeng Lingcha was. This was an aura tempered through countless battles, obtained through endless killing, through stepping over mountains of bones. No normal person could stand against it.
But Wang Chong was at most seventeen, yet he dared to meet his gaze without the slightest fear. Fumeng Lingcha had never encountered such a situation before.
No matter what, this was something no seventeen-year-old youth could have.
If this boy isn't removed, he'll definitely be a big problem for me!
Fumeng Lingcha's eyes chilled, and his killing intent flared up. Wang Chong's display had not only failed to engender any admiration, it had made Fumeng Lingcha even more intent on killing him.
The more outstanding and formidable this youngest son of the Wang Clan was, the more Fumeng Lingcha feared him, wanted to kill him.
At just seventeen, he had already been capable of stirring massive waves. A single memorial from him had been enough to throw hundreds of thousands of Hu into extremely passive positions. If he were allowed to mature, wouldn't the Hu commanders be pushed into the periphery, eventually forced out of all the higher levels of the army?
"Brat, listen to my words: it is the hard that are easy to break!" Fumeng Lingcha suddenly said. "Your edge is shining too brightly!"
Buzz!
The moment Fumeng Lingcha spoke, the atmosphere instantly became a hundred times more solemn. On the walls of the City of Steel, the more than one hundred thousand workmen and guards paled.
"Fumeng Lingcha is acting too brazenly! He's clearly trying to bully Wang Chong!"
On the wall, Bai Siling was fuming, but these words had barely left her mouth when a slender and soft hand grabbed her arm.
"Siling, don't say another word!"
Bai Siling turned in shock and saw that Zhao Yatong was looking forward, a look of unprecedented gravity on her face.
Bai Siling's face froze in confusion, but then she quickly sensed something and turned grim as well. She pursed her lips and said no more.
The City of Steel was so quiet that it was possible to hear a pin drop. Other than Wang Chong and Fumeng Lingcha, everyone was as quiet as a cicada in winter, not even daring to breathe too loudly, much less make a comment.
One of these was the Young Marquis of the Great Tang, the Son of Heaven's disciple, while the other was a lord of the Great Tang's western border, an extremely respected and influential Imperial Great General.
Everyone present could only look up to their lofty positions in fear and awe.
"Might I ask what Lord Protector-General means?"
Wang Chong's eyes half-closed, and his expression was much colder. Since Fumeng Lingcha had come with such an aggressive and threatening air, there was no need for him to be polite.
"You are a smart man. You didn't think that I had so quickly forgotten about the Regional Commanders incident, no? If I were you, I would immediately withdraw from Wushang and end this City of Steel!"
Fumeng Lingcha's gaze was frigid, his expression brooking no objections.
No matter how brightly Wang Chong's edge shone, no matter how welcomed he was in the capital, he would always be a young boy before Fumeng Lingcha.
In terms of seniority, there was a gap of ten thousand li between him and Wang Chong, and an even greater one when it came to age.
Thus, Fumeng Lingcha had never even thought about being polite to him.
"That is impossible!!"
Before Fumeng Lingcha could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Wang Chong's even more determined voice. It suddenly felt like the temperature had plunged, and the troops both parties had brought with them began to feel a numbness in their skulls, a tension that made their bodies tremble.
No one had imagined that these two major personages of the empire would be so hostile on their first meeting. When people at this level grew angry, anyone would pale in fear.
"Lord Protector-General, do you know what you are saying? Wushang is my territory, and it does not seem like I need Milord's permission to build a city on my own territory, much less Milord's concern!" Wang Chong coldly said.
The two were already at odds during the Regional Commanders incident, and Wang Chong had long expected that Fumeng Lingcha would not rest on his laurels as Wang Chong built his city in Wushang. But Wang Chong had never expected that he would come so early and with such ferocity.
"Brat, you are being too insolent!"
There was a gust of wind as Fumeng Lingcha suddenly urged his mount forward. At the same time, he began to exude a majestic energy. At this moment, he seemed as vast as a mountain, and his energy continued to rise, causing the air in a radius of several dozen zhang to grow hazy.
This powerful pressure was utterly stifling.
Neigh!
Even Cheng Sanyuan and Su Shixuan found it hard to resist Fumeng Lingcha's pressure, and their mounts were strenuously backing away.
"Milord!!"
The two paled in fright.
Warhorses in the army had all gone through intense training so that they would not retreat, even in the face of a sea of blood or mountain of blades. But the pressure of Fumeng Lingcha's baleful aura was so thick that not even warhorses could endure it.
Neigh!
On the other side, the Qixi elites and their warhorses were in a similar situation. But since these were Qixi elites who had served Fumeng Lingcha for a long time, they had urged their horses back in advance.
The only people left were Wang Chong and Fumeng Lingcha, the two commanders.
When enemies met on a narrow path, the more courageous would emerge victorious. The energy Fumeng Lingcha had unleashed was not something ordinary warhorses or soldiers could endure. This was enough to highlight the discrepancy between the two.
Although Wang Chong had already reached the Imperial Martial realm, he was still far from Great Generals like Fumeng Lingcha. The difference in strength was recognizable at a glance.
"Bastard!"
Wang Chong's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. He knew what Fumeng Lingcha was up to, and if he had still been the Grand Marshal of the World, Fumeng Lingcha's move would have been useless.
But that was then and this was now, and he was still very lacking when compared to the supreme Great Generals of the empire.
Even so, Wang Chong did not panic. He extended the index and middle finger of his right hand and thrust them into the thick mane of his horse, pressing them against an obscure acupuncture point. The neighing and nervous warhorse suddenly calmed down, its eyelids drooping.
Let alone the Qixi soldiers, even Fumeng Lingcha was stunned by this sight, completely surprised by this development.
Fumeng Lingcha could never have known that though Wang Chong was weaker than him, Wang Chong knew countless ways to calm a warhorse.
A horse had a certain acupuncture point that could induce drowsiness. If the appropriate amount of strength was applied, one could use this point to calm down a horse.
This was one of the simplest methods.
"Brat, a good trick!"
Fumeng Lingcha gave a furious smile, even more intent on killing Wang Chong.
"Not even your father or older brother would dare act so insolently before me! I will give you another chance! I will let you carefully think about it for ten days. If this city is still here, don't blame me for being rude! Remember! This isn't your capital!"
Leaving these words ringing in the air, Fumeng Lingcha turned his horse around and galloped off.
"Withdraw!"
Shouting out this single word, Fumeng Lingcha took off into the distance. Behind him followed the elites of the Qixi
Protectorate, stirring a thick cloud of dust, leaving just as quickly as they had come under the respectful gazes of those in the city.
"Bastard!"
Not long after Fumeng Lingcha left, Bai Siling and Zhao Yatong rode out of the city.
"This is your fief, awarded to you by the Sage Emperor. What right does he have to act this way!"
Bai Siling's face was red from rage.
"Fumeng Lingcha truly is acting above his station, and he clearly came this time to deal with Wang Chong. But this really is his territory, so it will be very difficult for us to overcome him," Zhao Yatong said. She was much calmer than Bai Siling and much more rational, but her brow was similarly fraught with a deep concern.
In the end, Fumeng Lingcha was still a Protector-General of the empire and one of the supreme Great Generals. Whether in prestige, strength, or status, he was far above Wang Chong.
And this place was very far from the capital, so the Wang Clan had much less influence. In contrast, Fumeng Lingcha wielded the real power here. If Wang Chong offended him, he would find it very hard to make any progress in this place.
"He would dare!" the furious Bai Siling said with an air of indignation.
"Can a Protector-General ignore the laws of the land? I don't believe that he would dare to act recklessly! The Imperial Court has so many imperial censors, and the spittle from a single one is enough to drown him to death. And even if he really was so bold, would the Sage Emperor forgive him?"
"He wouldn't dare to do anything in plain daylight, but it's hard to say what he would do from the shadows."
At this voice, Bai Siling's brows rose in anger, but when she turned her eyes, she saw a familiar face.
"Wang Chong?!"
Bai Siling looked in a daze at Wang Chong.
"If Fumeng Lingcha really wanted to move, then that's what he did just now. This was a warning, and also a threat. As one of the supreme Great Generals, he truly has far too many methods available to him. It seems like the existence of the City of Steel really is a threat to his status, making him uneasy," Wang Chong said.
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 485
