The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Not even everyone here together was a match for an enraged Qutaybah.

  Osman’s words plunged the tent into silence. Qutaybah was like the sun in the noon sky. One could lower their head to not see it, but it was impossible to ignore its existence.

  If Qutaybah stubbornly insisted on an attack, not even Abu Muslim could stop him. This was the predicament everyone in the tent was pondering.

  Boom!

  This moment of silence was suddenly shattered by the thundering of hooves emerging from the rear of the Arab camp. Everyone in the tent was stunned by this sound. They could truly think of nothing that might appear from the rear of their army.

  “Could it be…”

  An idea suddenly occurred to Abu Muslim.

  “Reporting!”

  At almost the same moment, an Arab messenger rushed into the tent and got down on one knee.

  “Lord Governors, a large number of soldiers have been spotted on the perimeter. They sent a message saying that they are our allies, Tibetan and Western Turk soldiers. Their commander is someone called Dalun Ruozan.”

  “What?!”

  Abu Muslim’s face was a picture of astonished ecstasy.

  “Wonderful!”

  Without any time to explain, Abu Muslim rose and strode out of the tent. Behind him, Aybak and Osman exchanged glances before following.

  ……

  At the same time, a group of soldiers was riding in a vast cloud of dust, crossing a narrow stone bridge as it proceeded toward the Arab camp.

  Gallop!

  A scholarly figure dressed in a blue robe rode a highland steed across the bridge.

  “Haha, Huoshu, it seems like we didn’t get here too late. The Arabs and Tang still haven’t started the decisive battle.”

  Dalun Ruozan waved a sleeve at the distant torches glimmering in the darkness like stars in the sky as well as the looming walls of Talas.

  “Just as Milord predicted, it seems that the trenches and pits we ordered to be dug proved useful. The Tang reinforcements arrived around two days late.”

  Huoshu Huicang rode out on a mighty Tibetan steed in a gust of wind.

  Although they had lost in a direct battle with the Tang and that boy called Su Hanshan, Dalun Ruozan had still managed to succeed in delaying the Tang reinforcements by using pits and trenches. This had delayed their arrival and bought their own side enough time to make their detour. Although it had been a particularly large detour, the Tibetans had still not arrived late for this battle.

  “Milord, look—the Arabs are moving!” a slightly plump deputy officer next to Dalun Ruozan suddenly called out.

  These words made everyone turn to the north. There, the orderly and vigilant Arab soldiers had begun to show signs of turmoil. As they watched, the Arab ranks fell to the sides, allowing a stalwart figure leading many other Arab generals to emerge and head in their direction.

  “Haha, an old friend has come. Come; let’s go and see Abu Muslim!”

  Dalun Ruozan urged his horse forward and galloped toward the Arabs.

  On the other side, Abu Muslim looked toward the Tibetans with a faint smile in his eyes.

  Chapter 1070 - The Battle Restarts!

  Chapter 1070: The Battle Restarts!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Bang!

  As the Arab and Tibetan armies joined together, both sides exploded with heaven-shaking cheers. These cheers traveled very far through the darkness, alarming the garrison on the walls of Talas.

  “Dalun Ruozan and Duwu Sili arrived early!”

  On the high walls, Cheng Qianli and Wang Chong stood side by side, their clothes flapping in the wind as they stared in agitation at the area in the distance brightly lit with torches.

  “When the floodwaters come, earth is used to stop them, and when an enemy army comes, soldiers must be sent to block its way. This battle has always been unavoidable!”

  Wang Chong held his hands behind his back as he looked into the distance. Although the arrival of Dalun Ruozan and Duwu Sili made his heart heavy, his eyes remained calm and serene.

  What should come would come eventually. At this point in the battle, there was very little that could shake his heart.

  “Pass on my order. Stop the training. Have the soldiers rest and prepare for the decisive battle tomorrow!” Wang Chong suddenly ordered without turning his head.

  “Yes!”

  A voice came from behind him and then swiftly departed.

  Winds would herald a coming storm. All the opponents in this war had now arrived. Although the darkness was still peaceful, Wang Chong was well aware that this battle would be a most callous trial for each party to this conflict.

  ……

  A night quickly passed and light rose from the east.

  The sky was overcast and the temperature frigid. Ever since the black corrosion of the sun, the temperature of Talas had only been getting lower and lower. At this very moment, on the western side of Talas, two of the most powerful armies that had ever been gathered on this continent were in a distant stand-off across several hundred thousand feet.

  This stalemate had started last night and lasted until today’s dawn.

  Bwoooom!

  After some time, everyone suddenly heard the loud blare of a horn. Rumble! Stampeding hooves shattered the serenity, and four black banners rapidly began to advance from the Arab camp.

  Mighty figures loomed beneath these black banners, each with energies as vast as mountains. As these figures began to move, the motionless Arab army that was as still as a mountain came to life and began to surge toward Talas.

  Boom!

  At almost the same moment, as if sensing the grim and somber aura in the distance, the massive gates of Talas flew open with a bang. Waves of soldiers equipped with shining armor surged out in a flood of steel toward the steel defense line.

  “It’s begun!”

  Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi, Wang Yan, Cheng Qianli, the Demonic Emperor Old Man, the Wushang Village Chief, and the other commanders were riding at the front of this group.

  A mountain could not hold two tigers. After a pause of more than a month, Arabia and the Great Tang finally met for this unavoidable decisive battle.

  The winds howled, and the weather was even colder than it had been two days ago. Wang Chong rode his horse through this gale and quickly reached the front lines. Stalwart soldiers stood tall behind the steel defense line, their eyes fixed forward. Even though the battle had yet to begin, all of them could already feel the tension in the air.

  “Warning! The second phase of the Battle of Talas is about to begin!

  “This will be the final war between the Great Tang and Arabia. The two empires must determine the final victor!

  “Starting from now, for every fifty thousand Arabs killed in battle, user will be rewarded 10,000 points of Destiny Energy. If the number of Tang soldiers drops below twenty thousand, user will be penalized 100,000 points of Destiny Energy. If the battle is lost, user will be utterly obliterated!”

  A string of messages rang out in Wang Chong’s mind. This was the largest reward that the Stone of Destiny had ever offered him.

  But this high reward from the Stone of Destiny only made Wang Chong’s expression slowly turn grim.

  Is such a high reward indicating that this battle is riskier and more dangerous than any other one? Wang Chong lightly said to himself with no flicker of emotion in his eyes.

  Since this war was unavoidable, he would personally deliver the victory in this battle!

  ……

  “Milord, look over there!”

  A figure on horseback turned to look at that young figure that had appeared behind the steel walls. At almost the same moment, Dalun Ruozan, Huoshu Huicang, Dusong Mangpoje, and Duwu Sili turned to look at Wang Chong.

  Wang Chong was the most critical individual in this battle, and his appearance had garnered the attention of everyone. Even Abu Muslim and Ziyad turned to lo
ok.

  If there was a Tang that all of them wanted to kill in this battle, it had to be Wang Chong. If not for him, the Arabs and Tibetans would have already won this war and occupied the Western Regions.

  “Heh, at this stage in the war, the Great Tang has nowhere to retreat. Let’s see how he deals with this situation!”

  Dalun Ruozan faintly smiled.

  Although it had taken a great deal of time and needed a few detours, the Turko-Tibetan army of one hundred thousand soldiers had finally achieved its initial goal, successfully circling around the steel defense line to join with the Arab army.

  Wang Chong, we’ve returned to the starting point. Four hundred thousand soldiers versus one hundred thousand Tang, though this time it’s not Mengshe Zhao, but a three-party alliance. Can you do what you did in the last war, salvaging the situation and winning while outnumbered?

  These thoughts flitted through Dalun Ruozan’s mind as he smiled, and he quickly regained his composure.

  “Pass on my order! Get ready!”

  “Yes, Great Minister!”

  A messenger quickly left.

  Whoosh!

  War banners snapped in the wind nearby, and beneath, Abu Muslim, Osman, Aybak, and Ziyad had gathered. The four of them were all looking in the same direction. The spot beneath the massive banner of black hell flame was vacant.

  “What do we do?”

  Governor Osman of Cairo turned to Abu Muslim.

  “Qutaybah still hasn’t appeared.”

  “Wait a little longer. We can’t win this battle without his soldiers,” Abu Muslim sternly said.

  Even though he appeared to occupy the same status as Qutaybah, both being Arab governors, in truth, Qutaybah stood far above the four of them. Even though the army was ready and waiting to set out, the horns having already been blown, the four of them did not dare to move until Qutaybah appeared.

  “How troublesome!”

  Aybak frowned.

  Aybak was the highest commander of the Mamelukes, and nobody had ever dared to make him wait so long, but Aybak did not dare to complain. Even more embarrassing was the fact that they couldn’t explain these matters to Dalun Ruozan.

  “How is it? Lord Governor, should we begin?”

  Dalun Ruozan rode over on a highland steed, speaking in fluent Arabic.

  “This…”

  The four appeared somewhat embarrassed.

  In this awkward atmosphere, an Arab horseman suddenly rode out from the rear of the army. “Milord, Lord Qutaybah is coming!”

  At these words, all four trembled and turned to look, and even Dalun Ruozan seemed to sense something. The distant Arab army was parting, allowing a golden-armored man as dazzling as the sun to slowly trot forward.

  He didn’t appear to be moving very quickly, but each step was suffused with tremendous weight. The moment this person appeared, elite governors like Abu Muslim and Osman seemed like fireflies before the bright moon.

  The moment this divine existence appeared on the battlefield, it instantly became the deserved center of attention.

  This is the Governor of War?

  Dalun Ruozan narrowed his eyes as this thought flashed through his mind. He hadn’t been present for yesterday’s battle, so he didn’t know how it had specifically played out, but upon his arrival last night, he had managed through his grasp of Arabic to gain a rough understanding of the events.

  So, this is the person that even Abu Muslim and Osman regard with such extreme apprehension?

  Dalun Ruozan had never met Qutaybah before, but this single glance was enough to leave an indelible impression on his mind. Ü-Tsang was not lacking for experts, and the Great Snow Mountain Holy Temple in particular was home to many reclusive masters. But other than the high priest, no one had ever been able to have such a severe impact on Dalun Ruozan’s mind. He suddenly understood why Abu Muslim and Osman so feared Qutaybah.

  “This fellow is terrifying!”

  At this moment, Duwu Sili spoke, his eyes narrowed and his eyelids twitching. Duwu Sili had made much progress ever since he had begun cultivating the formation phenomena. Other than those two old scoundrels he had been defeated by in the battle with the Tang reinforcements, he truly believed that there was no one else worthy of his respect, but this Qutaybah…

  Even Duwu Sili found it somewhat difficult to endure that fierce sharpness.

  Too terrifying! How could the Arabs possibly have such a terrifying expert!

  Huoshu Huicang and Dusong Mangpoje also tensed up, their eyes brimming with fear as they gazed at that distant golden figure.

  But Qutaybah appeared to not even see these people. Shrouded in golden light and wearing an aloof expression, he slowly trotted his horse forward.

  Qutaybah stopped in front of Abu Muslim. “Are you ready?”

  Although he was speaking to Abu Muslim and the other Arab commanders, Qutaybah’s eyes were looking forward, not even shooting them a glance.

  His voice was cold and his eyes were devoid of emotion.

  “Yes!”

  In the end, it was Ziyad who stepped forward and broke the silence.

  “Milord, when shall we begin the battle?”

  As Ziyad spoke, Abu Muslim, Osman, Aybak, Dalun Ruozan, Duwu Sili, and all the other commanders turned to Qutaybah.

  Although none of them were willing to say it out loud, the moment Qutaybah had appeared, the authority to command had passed from Abu Muslim to him.

  Chapter 1071 - A Battle of Four Armies!

  Chapter 1071: A Battle of Four Armies!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Clang!

  As everyone awaited Qutaybah’s reply, they all heard the crisp hum of a sword. Before anyone could react, a vast stream of golden Sword Qi shot into the sky. Kabooom! With an enormous explosion, this incredible golden Sword Qi descended and crashed into the ground.

  Kacrack! The earth cracked open in a long fissure before Qutaybah, spanning the battlefield and extending all the way to the Tang steel walls. The earth swayed and dust churned as if the entire world was quailing at Qutaybah’s feet.

  “Qutaybah!”

  “Qutaybah!”

  “Qutaybah!”

  In an instant, the entire battlefield was ringing with Qutaybah’s name. At this moment, Qutaybah was the strongest existence in history.

  Now that everyone had experienced Qutaybah’s terrifying strength that could make gods take fright and ghosts weep, Qutaybah’s prestige in the army had increased to its maximum.

  Bwooooom! Following Qutaybah’s strike, the horns blared and the vast sea of Arab cavalry took formation and surged toward the Tang defenses.

  ……

  “Lord Marquis, the Arabs have begun their attack!” Xue Qianjun gravely said as he gazed at the rows of Arab cavalry charging at them.

  Clangclangclang!

  The air resounded with the clattering of metal as countless war halos began to emerge from the feet of the Arabs, rapidly forming a dense forest of halos. The momentum of this charge was enough to topple mountains and reverse the seas.

  Wang Chong only glanced at them before turning his gaze to the nearby Su Hanshan.

  “Su Hanshan, is it all ready?”

  “Mm.”

  Su Hanshan waved his hand toward his rear, and gears immediately began to groan as five thousand ballistae were loaded and aimed, the sharp points of their bolts coldly glimmering under the overcast sky.

  Wang Chong glanced at the more than twenty thousand ballista soldiers and gave an approving nod. Although these ballista soldiers had been formed from the bandits and brigands of the Silk Road, after Su Hanshan’s training, these soldiers had already begun to give off a tenacious and determined aura.

  With his own unique form of charisma, Su Hanshan had succeeded in washing away any sign of their former lives as bandits. Even Wang Chong found himself admiring this feat.

  In the future, he will definitely reach the goal he couldn’t rea
ch in his last life and become a true Great General of the Great Tang, Wang Chong said to himself as he shot another glance at Su Hanshan.

  Su Hanshan had an extremely sharp and incisive fighting style that excelled at penetrating defenses. Few Great Generals of the Great Tang could compare to him in this aspect. And only Su Hanshan was capable of turning unruly folk like bandits and brigands into top-notch soldiers.

  “General Zhao!

  “General Wang!

  “General Long!”

  Wang Chong loudly called out these names without turning his head.

  “Milord, the Xuanwu Army awaits your orders!”

  With the clang of a saber, Marshal Zhao Fengchen of the Great Tang Imperial Army reached behind his back and pulled out his seven-foot Earth’s Scar. In the gloomy light, the blade of Earth’s Scar seemed to be streaked with faint blood.

  Behind him, the eight thousand heavily-armored soldiers of the Xuanwu Army began to move. In the face of the vast and crushing sea of the Arab army, their eyes showed no fear, only a burning will to fight.

  Soldiers were raised for a thousand days to be used in a single moment. Zhao Fengchen had trained these soldiers using a special method, and this Xuanwu Army was already beginning to sense the enormous strength of this method.

  The other units of the Imperial Army were already unable to compete with them.

  The Xuanwu Army currently had the confidence to defeat any opponent.

  “Milord, Wang Sili awaits your orders!”

  Not long after Zhao Fengchen spoke, another voice spoke from a nearby army, wholly distinct from the ranks of the Xuanwu Army. At the front of this army was a man with wise and profound eyes. On the left breast of his armor, seven stars brightly twinkled.

  Starving Wolf War General Wang Sili!

  This dauntless general serving under Big Dipper Great General Geshu Han now stood tall and straight, his body brimming with the will to fight as he stared at the approaching Arabs.

  No matter what grudges Wang Chong had with Geshu Han in the past, at this moment, in this place, none of it was important.