The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  He had been confused and misguided this entire time.

  “Child, we called you here to tell you one thing!”

  Another elderly voice spoke at this time, completely different from the other two voices.

  “Everything you have done is correct, and no matter how much people misunderstand or criticize you, do not take it to heart. All you should seek is a clear conscience, to look upon your heart and find no shame. Or are you doing this seeking the understanding and approval of others?”

  There was a faint hint of criticism in that final question.

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong’s mind trembled as if he had been struck by lightning, and he was suddenly enlightened.

  “Yes!”

  As he spent more time in this world, constantly struggling and striving, he had forgotten his original intentions. He did not need anyone’s approval, anyone’s understanding.

  He did all this because that was what he wanted to do, not so that he could win anyone’s understanding. Even if the entire world did not understand him, even if the entire world criticized him and called him the Demon King of Slaughter, so what? He had never been seeking these things in the first place, so why did he care now?

  The light flickered behind the curtain, and three imposing figures behind it, though never revealing their faces, had been observing Wang Chong’s reaction this entire time. Upon seeing that he had apparently understood, they gently nodded.

  “Kid! It’s fine as long as you understand.” The boorish voice spoke once more. “A man only needs to look up and find that he has not shamed the heavens, and look down and find that he has every right to hold his head amongst his fellow men. There’s no need to worry about anything else! There are so many juniors in the Central Plains, but only you, kid, suit my appetite. This old fellow has clung to life for a hundred-some years, and I’ve never been much of one to see others. If I hadn’t heard that you were feeling all down and depressed, I would have never even thought about meeting you.”

  “My utmost gratitude, Senior!” Wang Chong said. To be able to see them in this lifetime left him without any regrets.

  “Child, although Zhijie is a crude man, there is truth in his crudeness. As it is said, when heaven is about to confer high office upon a man, it will test his mind with suffering and hone his sinews and bones. You come from a clan of ministers and generals, are a descendant of Jiuling, and possess astonishing talent, particularly in the art of war. Although your path was one of bones and blood, it was also extremely smooth with few difficulties. A little setback is a good thing. Wash away at lead enough and you will see true gold. As long as you are not battered down, you will become even more outstanding!” the wise voice said.

  “Junior understands! Seniors, my utmost gratitude for your teachings!”

  Wang Chong stood up and gave a deep bow.

  “Kid, it’ll be fine as long as you get it! And here I thought that you would have a wooden head and we would need some time to get you to understand. It looks like those kids were right. You are a little smart!”

  The boorish voice heartily laughed.

  “Zhijie!”

  The third voice suddenly spoke, a hint of reprimand within it. But this voice quickly turned once more to Wang Chong.

  “Child, if one lives in this world and wishes to become a hero, one must go through suffering and difficulty. As long as the world can be prosperous and peaceful, as long as you feel that you have done the right thing, then that is enough.”

  “This junior understands!” Wang Chong replied.

  “Haha, we must have been brought together by fate, and since you’ve called us seniors, we can’t let that title down. We have to give you a little something, or else we’ll be mocked to death!” the crude and rough voice said.

  Buzz!

  Before Wang Chong could react, the world trembled as three streams of boundless Psychic Energy locked onto Wang Chong. With a sharp tug, these three enormous streams of Psychic Energy had pulled Wang Chong into a boundless Psychic World.

  Whoosh!

  Gales of dust howled and fierce fires roared. At this moment, a thunderous voice rang out at Wang Chong’s ear.

  “Kid, watch carefully!”

  The entire world quaked and rumbled. Wang Chong turned his head and saw three enormous figures standing in the center of the world, looming tall like mountains and exuding vast auras of blood and fire.

  Time began to reverse as Wang Chong traveled through spacetime and saw the insignia of an era far in the past. This was a chaotic world overrun by armies, the entire realm engulfed in war where mighty heroes fought for supremacy. Only the most outstanding commanders were able to break away from the pack and stand at the peak, creating legends of blood and steel in this world.

  Chapter 1320 - Inheriting an Inextinguishable Spirit and Will!

  Chapter 1320: Inheriting an Inextinguishable Spirit and Will!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “A hundred battles fought in sand make worn armor golden!”

  As Wang Chong watched, that rough and burly figure spread apart his feet and raised his right hand over his head as if he was holding up the heavens. Boom! There was an explosive peal of thunder, and then the world began to crumble and collapse.

  “Kill!”

  Roars filled the sky as countless soldiers poured out of every piece of the cracked ground, all of them wearing different suits of armor and holding up the banners of different factions. All of them moved with lightning-fast speed, their targets none other than those three stalwart figures standing in the center of the land.

  “Kill!”

  The clouds of war gathered and fires burned fiercely, rising one hundred feet into the air. Flying gravel and dust filled the world and tens of thousands of cavalry bellowed and roared. Clangclangclang! The clashing of weapons and the clattering of armor filled the ears, and those three figures soon vanished.

  In the distance, in the center of the fierce inferno, Wang Chong could faintly make out several determined figures wearing the armor of generals, their hands holding halberds as they blocked the countless frenzied attacks coming from all sides. In the face of this endless flood of steel, the three of them appeared extremely lonely and isolated, like a rowboat in the ocean.

  But despite this, the three of them exuded an immensely powerful aura. No matter how many cavalry came charging at them, the three of them stood tall and immovable as if they had been cast from steel and soldered to the ground.

  More and more wounds began to build up on the trio, and even their armor began to become tattered. But the three of them remained resolute as if nothing in the world could sway them.

  Bang!

  In a flash of light, the sky tore open, a massive banner dropping from the heavens and landing in the center of the trio. As the banner unfurled, one could clearly see a massive ‘'(Tang) upon it.

  “Haha, come!”

  At this moment, the three of them spoke with voices infused with peerless heroism and boldness!

  “Scarlet blood and a loyal heart forge a devoted soul!”

  At the battle’s most intense moment, another loud voice rang out, but this time, it was the wise-sounding person

  Boom!

  The world shook, the endless curtains of yellow sand breaking open to reveal a bloodstained and armor-covered fist hurtling in Wang Chong’s direction. At that moment, the three stalwart figures once more appeared in the world, and then they vanished.

  Rumble!

  The world turned dark as everything disappeared. When he opened his eyes once more, the tens of thousands of cavalry charging across the world were now tens of thousands of corpses piled on the ground. The earth was black, the sky was black, and even the blood flowing from the corpses was black.

  Wang Chong raised his eyes and saw that the three peerless generals were no more. Only one person was left, his back to the war banner. In the gusting winds, one could see that the golden w
ar banner was in utter tatters, so covered in holes that it was essentially a loose collection of threads.

  The peerless general’s body was laden with wounds, and countless arrows stuck out of his body. A black halberd had been thrust straight through his chest and out his back, causing blood to gurgle out through a terrifying wound. But the general’s eyes remained determined, and he did not even grimace in pain. His eyes were staring forward as if he was waiting for something.

  “Kill!”

  After some time, the earth began to shake once more as countless black-armored, savage-faced horsemen charged from the horizon like tigers.

  Even though this peerless general knew that he would probably not be able to hold, even though he was facing an army that stretched for as far as the eye could see…

  “Fiiiiiight!”

  With a furious roar and without the slightest hesitation, the general gripped his halberd and heedlessly threw himself into the fray.

  “To fight a hundred battles and never tire, never break, a body brimming with zeal and passion!” The third elder spoke at this time.

  Boom! A heavy war boot stomped down, causing the world to tremble, the rivers to reverse course. The three stalwart figures appeared again, fierce fires burning around them and yellow sands filling the sky. Ten times more cavalry than before had appeared around them, led by mighty generals, all of them charging like a surging river. But this time, everything was different.

  “Kill!”

  With a roar, a thunderous stampede of hooves came from behind the three, and then one horseman rode past the three, and then a second, a third, a fourth… An endless stream of cavalry rode past the three to confront the enemy soldiers coming from all around.

  Clang! Clang! Clang!

  The flashes of clashing weapons could be seen everywhere one looked, and innumerable cavalry were battling it out on this piece of the world. As they fell, there would always be someone to take their place and continue the fight.

  After some time, there were no more warriors to be seen on this vast earth, only countless corpses collapsed on the ground. As the battle ended, dawn broke, a red sun rising over the highest mountain. The world began to brim with life once more as green leaves, red flowers, and jade grass burst out of the ground, creating a grandiose and magnificent world!

  ……

  Wang Chong watched this all in a daze. At that moment, he felt as if he had seen a generation go from destruction to prosperity, from decline to revitalization. As he saw the lands becoming increasingly beautiful and magnificent, he seemed to understand something.

  “Kid, did you see it? No matter how you are wronged or what setback you suffer, the momentary slanders or praises from the people of the world are unimportant. Our greatest reward has always been the continuation and prosperity of the world!

  “When the country has reached a golden age, there is no need for words. When the sun and moon shine bright, the world will naturally be illuminated. If one wants to see a flower bloom or the moon shine brightly, one must have a heroic resolve tempered a thousand times in the fire of war. Did you get all that down, kid?”

  As the rumbling voice resounded in his ear, the illusions vanished, returning everything to normal.

  In a flash of light, Wang Chong had returned to the underground room with its neat walls of stone brick. Behind the curtain, the three stalwart figures were still silhouetted in the light of the fire, having not moved in the slightest. But if one looked carefully, their figures seemed slightly more exhausted than before.

  All three of them had consumed a significant amount of mental energy to produce that vision.

  It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

  “Kid, do you understand?” the boorish voice asked.

  “I understand!” Wang Chong replied.

  “Child, do you understand?” the wise voice asked.

  “I understand!” Wang Chong repeated.

  “Ha!”

  All three elders began to laugh.

  “Child, you were not born to be a fish in the pond,” the wise elder said. “This Great Tang is already beset by danger, and the seeds planted today will grow into the problems of the future. We old men are too old now, and in the future, this Great Tang, this world, will have to rely on people like you. If you can understand our intentions, then we did not have this meeting tonight in vain.”

  “Go, then,” the third elder said. “Whether it’s martial arts or anything else, there’s nothing that we can teach you. Your future achievements will certainly surpass ours. Remember, a precious sword’s sharpness is created through honing, and only with bitter cold can the plum blossom obtain its fragrance. The more slander and criticism you endure, the greater your achievements will be in the future.

  “Fate brings together and it brings apart. This is the extent of the destiny between us. Remember, once you leave this place, you cannot speak of today’s matter to anyone!”

  “This junior would not dare to disobey!” Wang Chong sincerely said.

  “You can leave now!”

  Plush! The fire was extinguished, plunging the area behind the curtain into darkness. At the same time, the vast auras of the three elders receded like the tide and soon became nigh imperceptible.

  Wang Chong knew that the three of them were indicating that Wang Chong should leave.

  “Junior understands the pains Seniors have taken!”

  Wang Chong finally stood up from his chair, and then he turned to the curtain and got down on both knees. A gasp of surprise came from behind the curtain, but Wang Chong seemed to not hear as he respectfully kowtowed three times.

  In his last life, he had a stubborn personality, so he spent the majority of his time in learning martial arts and getting used to his position as Supreme Grand Marshal. When he finally understood the three of them and what they had fought for, all the troubles they had gone through, they had already gone. He didn’t even have a chance to kowtow to them.

  Seniors, in the last life, you burned out your lives to the last drop so that your tattered bodies could hold up the world. In this life, let me take on this heavy duty!

  After three kowtows, Wang Chong did not remain any longer. Standing up, he took one last glance behind him before leaving in the direction he had come.

  “Milord!”

  The Duke of E Residence guard and the two Ultimate Martial Army soldiers were waiting at the entrance by the ancient temple, their torches raised high. When they saw Wang Chong, they breathed sighs of relief.

  “Your Highness, you must keep what happened tonight a secret. You cannot discuss it with anyone!”

  “Mm.”

  Wang Chong was lost in thought, but he still firmly nodded.

  Even without this reminder, Wang Chong would still not have mentioned this matter to outsiders.

  The identities of those three seniors could not be leaked no matter what.

  Whoosh!

  Wang Chong strode forward, leaving the area, and the others followed closely behind.

  Rumble!

  As he stepped forward, the sound of explosions shook the earth from deep underground.

  Wang Chong turned his head just in time for an intense shockwave to emerge from beneath the earth. He could clearly sense that the secret tunnel was in the middle of collapsing. Boom! A moment later, the broken-down ancient temple trembled, and it too collapsed into a pile of rubble.

  Chapter 1321 - First Buds, the Opening of the Minds of the People! (I)

  Chapter 1321: First Buds, the Opening of the Minds of the People! (I)

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  After a momentary daze, Wang Chong came back to his senses, and used a movement technique to head back toward the Wang Family Residence.

  The Duke of E Residence guard and the two Ultimate Martial Army soldiers parted ways with Wang Chong, swiftly vanishing into the darkness in another direction.

  ……

  As he left the for
est on the southern edge of the city, Wang Chong felt the chill of the cold winds and immediately became much more clear-headed. A bright moon had appeared in the sky at some point, and as he looked around at the dark and tranquil capital, he suddenly felt like he was dreaming.

  Now that he thought about it, everything had been so unreal that Wang Chong even now did not dare to believe that he had met those venerable seniors. Indeed, there was no proof that he had seen them, making him feel even more that this was a dream.

  But then he took out the invitation card from his bosom and saw the golden insignia at its lower right corner, and he knew that this had not been an illusion. In addition, in Wang Chong’s memories, the only Zhijie that matched with this golden insignia from more than one hundred years ago was that peerless general of Taizong’s generation, Cheng Zhijie1.

  Suppressing his emotions, Wang Chong once more set off for the Wang Family Residence.

  ……

  After his meeting with the three venerable seniors who had guided him in his last life, Wang Chong immediately felt much better. As his seniors had said, since he had never sought those things, why did he care about them? Even if the entire world slandered him, there was nothing to worry about.

  Meanwhile, as the days went on, with certain people urging on the crowd, the criticisms of Wang Chong in the capital intensified. In the restaurants and tea house, more and more storytellers promoted Confucian teachings while criticizing Wang Chong’s ‘Might Makes Right’. By the end, it became a general trend in the capital to criticize Wang Chong.

  But once things had moved to an extreme, they could only begin to move in the opposite direction. While everyone was criticizing every inch of Wang Chong and making him out to be an ambitious schemer, a few people began to develop somewhat different ideas.

  “Everyone now knows that the Great Tang only has so many wars because of those ambitious generals who are caught up in their personal desires and are constantly starting battles. These people are truly the disgrace of our Great Tang… and these people all looked to the King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong!”

  A storyteller wearing an azure robe wildly gesticulated as he spoke to a restaurant in the capital.