The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Sun Zhiming, along with the thousands upon thousands of Tang soldiers behind the first defense line, began to pale.

  “What is this?”

  “The sound is coming from the west. What are the Arabs doing? Do they have some sort of secret weapon?”

  The men became uneasy, but the trembling quickly faded away. But just when they thought everything was over, another jolt traveled through the earth, and then another. The enormous sound this time was even louder and sounded even closer.

  “Just what is this? Why do they feel like footsteps?”

  “Impossible! You’re crazy! What sort of thing could have such heavy footsteps?”

  The eyes of the soldiers were wide open. For some reason, even though they could see nothing, they all felt nervous and uneasy.

  Boomboomboom!

  The sounds came one after another… and as the earth quivered, the stentorian sound grew even closer and closer. The earth, the steel walls, and the ballistae on the city walls all trembled.

  Rooooar!

  The heavens shook with this beastly bellow, and a fierce gale swept over the earth, stirring up sand and stone. Countless people looked on in shock as an enormous figure, a veritable mountain, began to rise over the western horizon. This thing’s body was so enormous that even the tall and muscular Arabs seemed like tiny ants.

  “What is that!”

  “How could there be such an enormous thing? I must be seeing things, I must be!”

  “What kind of monster is this? Impossible!”

  All of them found themselves at almost a complete loss for words. Even at this distance, they could sense the primal, brutal, and destructive aura of dread exuded by this black silhouette. The strength of humans, even of martial artists, was triflingly insignificant before this thing.

  “What is this?”

  Even Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi, looking down from the western walls of Talas, were stunned by this sight. This surpassed the bounds of common sense, and not even Wang Chong, with a life of fighting battles big and small behind him, could ever remember encountering such a thing.

  “I don’t know! The Arabs have never shown such a thing before. I can’t believe it! If I wasn’t seeing it for myself, I would never believe that such a massive beast existed in this world!” Gao Xianzhi muttered, his shock no less than Wang Chong’s.

  Wars were affairs between mortals, but what he was seeing had clearly surpassed that realm. Even though it was still very far away, he could already see the outline of that animal. He thought of it as an animal because it could move on its own, and both Wang Chong and Gao Xianzhi could see the vigor running thickly through its body. In comparison, the vitality of a martial artist was like a drop in the ocean.

  Like a rhinoceros, this animal had a single huge horn, though this one was golden. It had a fortress of a body and a pair of extremely red eyes. From a distance, one could still sense the desire to rend and destroy in those eyes. Anyone who saw them would feel a dread that came from the very depths of their souls, like they were ants being observed by a god.

  Could this be… the Behemoth Army that once existed in the Abbasid Caliphate?!

  Wang Chong’s mind was in turmoil as he looked down from the walls. For the first time, he sensed that this battle was moving past what he remembered and entering unpredictable territory. The ‘Behemoth Army’ was a product of the Arabian Empire at the very peak of its power. There were many legends about it that claimed that this army had helped the Arabs conquer many countries.

  But for reasons known to nobody else, the Behemoth Army vanished from the history of the Arabian Empire.

  Wang Chong had never known if this legend was true or false, as he had never seen the Behemoths himself nor seen any evidence for their existence. Deep within his heart, Wang Chong had believed it to be a fairytale, but he now knew that he had been wrong.

  Chapter 945 - The Descent of a Myth!

  Chapter 945: The Descent of a Myth!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Everything has changed! The Behemoth Army never appeared at Talas before… Did things change because of me again?

  Wang Chong’s mind was in disarray.

  He once more began to recall the legend that he used to joke and jeer about. It was said that the Emperor of the Arabian Empire, the Caliph, had two powerful armies under his command at the peak of the empire’s power. One of these was the Behemoth Army. These soldiers were under the Arabian Caliph’s direct command, and the governors had no authority over them.

  That these Behemoths had appeared in the distant Talas meant only one thing: the Caliph of Arabia had his sights set on this land. This war was now impossible to predict.

  Bong!

  Drums soon began to thunder from the Arabian camp. The dense waves of Arab cavalry parted, leaving a clear path fifty-some zhang wide between the Tang defense line and that massive beast. The air was instantly brimming with tension. Behind the first defense line, countless warhorses widened their eyes and neighed in panic.

  Even these well-trained warhorses lost their nerve as they sensed the dreadful air rising from these beasts. Their instinctive fear drove them to struggle against the control of their riders so that they could flee the battlefield.

  “How incredible! The Arabs still had this sort of move in reserve! If they had unleashed these enormous beasts earlier, Talas might have already fallen. They wouldn’t have even needed our help!”

  On the eastern edge of the battlefield, Duwu Sili, Dalun Ruozan, Huoshu Huicang, and the other generals were watching from the hills. Although they sat at the upper level of individuals of the continent, they were still stunned by the moves the Arabs had kept in reserve.

  After a few moments of silence, Dalun Ruozan spoke. “It can’t be that simple. The Arabs must have a reason for not using these massive beasts. However, regardless of what that reason is, now that the Arabs have brought them, they will be a massive threat to the Great Tang!”

  Although it had been his plan to take a rest from battling the Tang so that he could see the full strength of the Arabs, he was still astonished by this display. He was somewhat unwilling, but he was forced to admit that the Arabian Empire was stronger than the Ü-Tsang Empire. In the continent, Arabia and the Great Tang undoubtedly stood above all other empires.

  Only Arabia could deal with the Great Tang, and only the Great Tang could deal with Arabia!

  The hills fell silent as everyone turned their focus to the Arab camp to the west of Talas and that enormous beast rising from it.

  Crack! A long whip flew through the air. At the feet of the Behemoth stood a thin and hunchbacked figure dressed in robes of dark red, who was constantly hollering something at this Behemoth. Although he had an unsightly appearance, this hunchbacked Arab seemed to have an extremely high status. Behind him were countless manservants and maids, apparently his, who were trembling in fear.

  Not far from them, a black-clothed Arab guard was blowing a strange tune out on a bone flute, one that lacked any sort of rhythm or tempo. Commanded by the whip and bone flute, the mountainous Behemoth slowly advanced.

  Boom! Boom! Boom!

  With boom after boom, the monster advanced toward the battlefield, its weighty footsteps ringing over the battlefield. Under the golden-red sun, the Behemoth seemed even more savage and dreadful. Whoosh! At that moment, let alone the Tang soldiers, even the vast sea of Arabs recoiled in fear from that giant beast.

  “Too, too… big!”

  A brave and muscular Arab warrior looked up at that golden horn that seemed like the peak of a mountain, and that fortress of a body, and those scarlet eyes. Unconsciously, he began to step back.

  The line between myth and reality grew fuzzy. This Behemoth arisen from ancient myths had transcended time and space to descend on the mortal realm.

  Roooar!

  The Behemoth roared, the sound waves carrying endless pressure and intimidation as they stirred up gales and gusts.
Even the clouds in the sky were swept away toward the sun in the east. The sky over the heads of the Arabs was now clear.

  Boom! The already fearful Arab warriors panicked, their warhorses fled in fright, and their neat ranks fell into disorder.

  The Behemoth Army!

  This was one of the legendary armies under the Caliph’s control and a symbol of his divine authority. Even the pugnacious Arab warriors regarded them as nightmarish existences.

  “They’re finally here!” exclaimed an excited and joyful voice.

  It could only belong to the supreme existence of the Arabian east, whose authority was second only to the Caliph’s: Governor of the East, Abu Muslim. He placed his hands on the armrests of his throne and slowly rose, a powerful energy bursting from his body.

  In this world, there was no city that the Arabs could not break, no opponent they could not defeat!

  Abu Muslim looked at that Behemoth as if he was looking at his proudest weapon!

  This continent had played host to countless formidable civilizations. Just like how the Tibetan Plateau had once produced the powerful Zhangzhung Dynasty, the distant west, along the shores of the sea, had also been home to many powerful cultures. These cultures had vanished long ago, and many of their works had been lost to time.

  But there were still remnants of these cultures.

  By using a special method found in the ancient texts left by one of these bygone civilizations, the Arabian Empire had interbred fierce and large animals like rhinos, elephants, and lions to create this Behemoth Army. After failing countless times, they had finally succeeded in producing this stalwart guardian of the western border that made their enemies tremble in fear.

  There were not many of these Behemoths, but they were the symbol of the Arabian Empire. No fortification existed that could resist the attacks of these beasts.

  “Masil!”

  Abu Muslim stood in front of his throne, his eyes twinkling as he waved his hand.

  After a brief pause, a low and scratchy voice grated at everyone’s ears. “Lord Governor!”

  It was an extremely sinister voice, as if its owner was a poisonous snake who had slithered out of the ground and put on human skin. Even Ziyad couldn’t help but frown.

  The Arab generals around Abu Muslim couldn’t help but back up, maintaining some distance from that hunchbacked figure in dark red.

  Masil was one of the Abbasid Caliph’s close attendants as well as the commander of the Behemoth Army.

  This person was shrouded in mystery. Nobody knew his background, only that he had suddenly appeared in Baghdad before the Caliph, rapidly gaining his trust. Not long after that, the dreadful Behemoth Army began to take shape.

  Masil’s background was a mystery, and the Caliph had decreed that all the governors and generals were forbidden from investigating him.

  A veteran and renowned general, who had been nominated for a noble title by one of the governors, had once been suspicious of Masil. After sending men to investigate, he was quickly eradicated from the face of the earth. The guards of the Caliph had led the Imperial Guard against his estate, exterminating both him and his entire clan.

  This matter had sent massive waves through the Arabian Empire.

  Although the Caliph had announced that this general had harbored disloyal thoughts and had been thinking about rebellion, everyone knew the true reason for his death.

  From that moment, the mere mention of Masil’s name made people pale in fear, and no general dared to approach him.

  Abu Muslim silently stared at the red-robed figure slowly approaching him, little emotion in his eyes. Masil had unique status that made many people apprehensive, but Abu Muslim had never had any interest in his identity or background. Moreover, as the Governor of Iron and Blood, Abu Muslim was interested in only one thing: conquering his enemies.

  Everything else was secondary.

  “I presume that you understand the mission?” Abu Muslim said to the slowly approaching Masil.

  Masil was truly a grotesque figure. Half of his face was covered by a red scarf, but even the visible part was dry and cracked, like the bark of a withered tree. Those gray-brown eyes of his twinkled with a wicked light that made anyone who looked into them shiver in fear.

  The hunchbacked Masil’s lips moved beneath his scarf. “Lord Governor, be at ease. His Majesty gave me the orders when I left. For this Battle of Talas, everything will be done as Lord Governor wishes. Milord will lead the way.”

  “Mm. Our opponent this time is extremely powerful. Do you see those steel defenses and that city? I need your Behemoths to knock them all down. Leave what comes after to me.”

  Abu Muslim paused for a moment, his face turning grim.

  “Masil, this operation is key to our plans to conquer the entire east, so I hope that you can devote all your strength. You cannot be careless!”

  “Haha, Milord, be at ease. In this world, there is no opponent that my Behemoth Army cannot defeat. This is not the first opponent they have conquered, and it will not be the last!”

  Masil coldly chuckled. After saying this, he gave a nod and turned around.

  Bong bong bong!

  The war drums began to bang out the signal to attack. Everyone on the western battlefield focused on that man and the beast by him.

  Standing before the fortress-like body of the Behemoth, Masil finally gave the order to attack.

  “Kill!”

  Chapter 946 - The Behemoths Attack!

  Chapter 946: The Behemoths Attack!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Rooooar! With this savage bellow, the earth began to quake, and the air was instantly saturated with tension. Boom! The mountain of a Behemoth spread apart its four legs and began to charge like a lightning bolt at the two defense lines, its golden horn glimmering in the sunlight.

  Squish! The enormous hooves thundered down, and one fearful Arab soldier too slow to move was instantly smashed into a metal pancake. The Behemoth continued its charge unperturbed and unimpeded.

  Rumble! The battlefield of Talas became like a plank on the ocean, tossing and turning as it was ravaged by winds. Horses neighed in panic, their manes blowing in the wind, and they became much more uneasy and harder to control.

  “Hold!”

  “Get a handle on the warhorses! Everyone, stay in position! Hold formation!”

  “Ballistae, get ready to fire!”

  Behind the defense line, the army was in turmoil, the charge of that enormous and savage beast causing an atmosphere of terror to sweep through the world. Even the veteran and resolved Tang warriors couldn’t help but feel a deep dread, much less the warhorses.

  This battle had already surpassed the bounds of their imagination. This was no longer man versus man, but man versus Behemoth.

  “Everyone, get ready!”

  A thunderous shout rang in everyone’s ears, and in a flash of light, a black silhouette jumped down from the high walls. Leaping Dragon Art! Even a martial artist would die if they jumped down from the lofty walls of Talas, so this technique of Wang Chong’s was perfect for such a situation.

  Bang! Wang Chong spun in the air several times before landing firmly on one of the steel walls below.

  Wang Chong’s appearance had a calming effect on the army, and even the panicked mercenaries seemed to find their backbone and go back to preparing for battle. But only Wang Chong knew that his mind was just as astonished and surprised as his soldiers’. After all, he knew that the Behemoth Army should have never appeared on this battlefield. But he showed none of this shock, and his sharp eyes were locked on to the distant charging Behemoth.

  The Arabs, the Tang, and the tens of thousands of Tibetans and Turks were watching as this dreadful monster charged. Dalun Ruozan and Huoshu Huicang held their breaths and squinted.

  This battle was directly related to the fates of the two empires of the east and west. If Arabia won, the continent would undergo an unprecedented tra
nsformation. The Tibetans and Turks, as stakeholders in this struggle, would naturally be drawn into such an upheaval.

  “Too powerful! Such powerful vitality! That’s not something a human can have, not even Great Generals!”

  “Now it’s time to see how the Great Tang deals with it. No ordinary methods can stop that!”

  “It’s a formidable killing blow! The Anxi Protectorate army might end up finished today!”

  Huoshu Huicang, Dusong Mangpoje, Duwu Sili, and Dalun Ruozan stood in a row, their clothes flapping in the wind as they watched from the hills.

  In the distance, the rhino-shaped Behemoth was getting closer and closer, exuding a stifling wave of dread.

  Three thousand zhang, two thousand zhang, one thousand zhang…

  The Tang soldiers and mercenaries tightly grasped their weapons, their breathing heavy and their eyes nervous, the stench of death dominating all else.

  Wang Chong stood on the steel wall, his hair and clothes being tossed and turned by the wind, his mind unprecedentedly focused.

  “Master archer unit, fire!”

  Wang Chong’s cold voice echoed over the battlefield.

  Creakcreak!

  The armored master archers standing behind the first defense line pulled their bowstrings to their maximum extent, their muscular physiques and energetic auras indicating that they were all elites of the Anxi Protectorate army. In the era of the Sage Emperor, the Great Tang had placed an unparalleled focus on the Western Regions. The six hundred thousand soldiers of the Great Tang were carefully picked through, with only the best and strongest being sent to the Western Regions to become soldiers of the Anxi Protectorate army.

  An archer unit made purely of master archers was something that could only be found in the Anxi Protectorate army. Not even Wang Chong had such a force under him.

  Boomboomboom!

  The air exploded as thousands of arrows instantly filled the air. The master archers of the Anxi Protectorate army could each fire five to ten arrows at once, and could fire two to three times a second. A hundred-man unit of such master archers was equivalent to three to four thousand regular archers, perhaps even more.