The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “Heh, if we kill them all, who will go back to report? Those barbarians might even think that their scouts got lost! Better to let him keep his lowly life!”

  A young and clear voice softly chuckled. A few moments later, a young general with a Xuan Metal bow on his back rode forward. It was none other than the commander of the master archers, Chen Burang.

  There had originally been no master archers assigned to patrol tonight, but Chen Burang had requested that the master archers be allowed to join in.

  The group quickly dismounted, searched the Arab corpses, and then mounted back up.

  “Brothers, keep a sharp eye out tonight. These Arab brutes are somewhat restless. I’ll leave this area to you while I return to His Highness to report. Tonight might be a busy one.”

  Chen Burang glanced in the direction of the Arab base. Amidst the bright lights, Chen Burang could sense powerful energies gathering together.

  These bastards are probably holding a conference of their own!

  Chen Burang muttered to himself as he rode away.

  ……

  In the domed fortress, all the Arab Governors and Deputy Governors were gathered, with Khatabah and the High Priest at the very center.

  Although the first day’s battle was over, the mood in the hall was growing tenser and tenser as the Arab high commanders convened.

  “The heavy weaponry used by those eastern infidels is too powerful. Apolis’s army wasn’t weak, but in front of those ballistae, they were nothing. It didn’t take long before two-hundred-thousand-some cavalry were completely wiped out.”

  “The same for our giant bird army. We mobilized this time accounting for almost everything, even equipping armor made from the best steel on them. At that altitude, master archers would find it hard to pose an effective threat, but in the end, the giant bird army still failed. Not only did they fail to display their full power, sixty percent of them were killed!”

  “That’s right! Who could have imagined that they would have so many birds, and that they would tip their claws and beaks with Wootz Steel? I don’t remember them having this many birds at the Battle of Talas!”

  “This is probably something they prepared to use against us. With that vast flock of birds, the giant bird army is basically crippled and useless!”

  “And those thirty-six special soldiers with giant swords meant to kill Behemoths! Wasn’t it said that the Great Tang had been in internal discord all this time? Why does it seem that they were completely unaffected? And for them to have prepared so much…!”

  The Governors of the various provinces were discussing today’s events in the large hall.

  The battle today had left a deep impression on them. The killing efficiency alone of that eastern empire had left all the Governors and the Deputy Governors deeply stunned.

  Chapter 1848 - Battle Fiend Saleh!

  Chapter 1848: Battle Fiend Saleh!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  A hundred rumors did not compare to a single meeting. This eastern empire was far more frightening than the Arab Governors and Deputy Governors had ever imagined.

  “Now is not the time to talk about this!” A cold and aloof voice cut off all the conversations.

  Clang! With the clattering of armor, the crowd parted, and Abu Muslim walked out from the rear.

  Abu Muslim got down on one knee and sternly declared, “Hierophant, the Tang are far stronger than we imagined. Tomorrow, I wish to command the army and personally deal with the Tang! I’ve fought with them many times, and no one understands them more than me!”

  Whoosh! The massive hall immediately fell silent. Everyone stared at the former Governor of the East, even Khatabah and the High Priest.

  After a few moments of silence, Khatabah spoke.

  “Abu Muslim, you think I cannot subdue these eastern infidels?”

  “This subordinate would not dare!”

  Abu Muslim’s face paled, and he hurriedly lowered his head.

  In the western world, the Hierophant possessed supreme status, even above the Caliph. No one dared to doubt the Hierophant, as doing so was suicidal. Not even the Caliph dared to do so, let alone Abu Muslim.

  “Your subordinate only wishes to wash away the shame of the Battle of Talas and once more serve the empire in swiftly conquering the eastern world!” Abu Muslim said.

  These words caused Khatabah’s face to somewhat relax. The Governors and Deputy Governors in the hall all glanced at Abu Muslim and softly sighed in relief. It was clear that he had passed this first trial.

  “…Abu Muslim would never dare to question the Hierophant. As a warrior, I only hope to defeat the Great Tang in a fair battle. I hope that the Hierophant will fulfill my desire,” Abu Muslim respectfully said.

  Khatabah gazed at Abu Muslim, his face cold and emotionless.

  The illustrious Governor of Iron and Blood was undoubtedly one of the top Governors in Arabia, but unfortunately, in the Battle of Talas, he had ruined the reputation of the entire empire. As for Khatabah, he was a legendary existence of Arabia who had never lost a battle. While Abu Muslim had his own illustrious reputation and a deep understanding of the east, Khatabah was never one to use losers.

  “Heh, Apolis is dead. Since he’s so anxious to fight, what harm is there in Hierophant giving him a chance?” the High Priest suddenly said.

  Khatabah was taken aback and glanced at the High Priest. He had never imagined that the High Priest would speak up for Abu Muslim.

  The High Priest rarely intervened in military affairs. For him to make an exception indicated that he clearly had a high opinion of Abu Muslim.

  Khatabah was rather surprised and confused. Why did the High Priest hold a defeated general like Abu Muslim in such high regard?

  “Abu Muslim, I will give you one chance. Tomorrow, in the first attack, I will give you five hundred thousand soldiers. I do not like a general who loses twice. If you fail this time, I will personally execute you!” Khatabah said.

  “Many thanks, Hierophant!”

  Abu Muslim was elated by Khatabah’s reply. An ordinary Governor would have felt some apprehension, but not Abu Muslim.

  “Rise! I’ve gathered all of you here to discuss tomorrow’s battle. All of the empire, including His Majesty the Caliph, is watching us. I do not wish this battle to drag on for too long. We must conquer the east as quickly as possible!” Khatabah loudly proclaimed, his expression firm.

  “Hierophant, our most urgent task is to find a way to restrain the enemy Great Generals.” A rough voice resounded through the hall. A stalwart general squeezed through the crowd and grimly continued, “These eastern generals are much more powerful than we initially thought. Apolis underestimated them too much, causing him to die at their hands!”

  Shamsudin!

  This man was the Governor of Kairouan in the western part of Arabia and was one of the high nobles, possessing a lofty status in the empire. Only someone like him had the right to speak to Khatabah at a time like this.

  (TN: Kairouan is a city located in what is now the country of Tunisia.)

  “Correct. Those two Tang Great Generals were extremely strong. Ordinary Governors and Deputy Governors like us are no match for them. Only top-class Great Generals of Abu Muslim’s level can deal with them.” The Governor of Fez, Hasim, also stepped forward.

  Just like Shamsudin, he was also a high noble, and they were extremely close friends.

  The other Governors and Deputy Governors all agreed with the words of Shamsudin and Hasim, fear in their eyes.

  Although they had not participated in that first battle, witnessing it had left a deep impression on them.

  Although Arabia had many Governors and Deputy Governors, not many were able to reach the level of those two Tang Great Generals. As could be seen from the results of that battle, many Governors and Deputy Governors were simply no match for the Tang Great Generals.

  Khatabah was quiet for a moment, his brow slightl
y creasing.

  “There is no need for you to worry about these eastern Great Generals. I have an idea on how to proceed. Saleh!”

  “Your subordinate is here!” A voice rumbled through the hall.

  All the Governors and Deputy Governors immediately scattered as if the speaker had the plague.

  A moment later, a muscular man appeared, wearing a horned helmet and a black visor that masked his face. The area for several dozen feet around him was deserted.

  “He’s Saleh!”

  “The war fanatic who would kill even those on his side! Wasn’t it said that he was already dead?”

  “Ah, if I knew that he was that Demon King Saleh, I would haven’t stood next to him for so long!”

  “You really got lucky there!”

  The surrounding Governors and Deputy Governors were all stricken with fear, particularly those who had been standing next to him.

  Battle Fiend Saleh!

  This was an infamous Demon King of Slaughter in Arabia. It was rumored that he had a cruel and aggressive personality. In battle, he enjoyed tearing his opponents in two and even feasting on their raw flesh and blood. It was even rumored that this general of Khatabah’s had already eaten eighty-eight extremely formidable enemy generals.

  But the most dreadful thing about Battle Fiend Saleh was that when he pushed his cultivation to its limits and entered a berserk state, his eyes would turn red and he would fail to distinguish between friend and foe. At that time, his strength would soar but he would lose all rationality. Not only would he kill his foes, he would kill his comrades.

  This trait earned him a terrible reputation within the empire. Even the Governors and Deputy Governors of the empire feared him like he was some demonic emperor, let alone his foes.

  But it was rumored that Battle Fiend Saleh had died in a battle ten-some years ago. Yet to their surprise, he was still alive. The scale of this eastern expedition was simply unheard of in the history of the empire, and all of the empire’s Governors and Deputy Governors had been gathered.

  As these Governors all managed different territories, there were many present that they did not recognize. Saleh was wearing his trademark bull-horn helm, but nobody had paid it any mind at first, taking him to be a subordinate of some Governor. But to their surprise, this had been Saleh himself.

  “Saleh, in tomorrow’s battle, I leave those two Tang commanders to you and the Generals of God,” Khatabah commanded.

  “Hah, Hierophant, be at ease. If those two move out again, I will personally go in there and rip them in half!”

  Saleh sinisterly chuckled, his body seething with thick killing intent that appeared red like blood.

  This sight had the others in the hall both fearful and relieved.

  Saleh was even stronger than Abu Muslim. He stood at the very top of the empire’s rankings. If he went out, he was definitely capable of killing those Tang commanders!

  While the enemy commanders were powerful, their greatest problem was the steel walls. This empire was skilled in defensive fortifications, and they were able to erect those steel walls with astonishing speed. In the little time that had passed, they had already managed to effectively repair the gap created by the Behemoths.

  “We Arabs are masters of the cavalry charge. If we cannot get rid of those steel walls, we will not be able to utilize our full strength.”

  “That’s right! And those ballistae and giant ballistae also pose a massive threat to us. If we can’t take care of those two, even if we can defeat the Great Tang, it will come at a heavy price, and we won’t have enough strength to conquer the other countries.”

  Several other people began to speak at this time.

  Arab cavalry was unparalleled in the world, and no other cavalry force in the world even came close. Even though the Great Tang had killed Apolis and two hundred thousand Arab cavalry in the first battle, all of them still firmly held on to this belief.

  No matter how outstanding the Tang soldiers seemed, they were still no match for the Arab cavalry in their eyes.

  Their true fear was the mysterious weapons used by the Great Tang.

  If they could not break the steel defense line, if they could not get close to the enemy, then the power of the Arab cavalry charge became nothing.

  What would become of the Arab cavalry’s reputation if this were allowed to occur?

  “There’s no need to worry about that,” the High Priest suddenly said. “The first day’s battle was only the beginning. The Hierophant and I have yet to use our full strength, and we have already found a way to deal with those steel walls. Tomorrow, we will be certain to give you a pleasant surprise.”

  All the Governors and Deputy Governors turned to the High Priest in curiosity.

  Chapter 1849 - Tactical Planning!

  Chapter 1849: Tactical Planning!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Everyone had seen the power of the Great Tang’s defense line. The two hundred thousand Arab cavalry had been wiped out before they had even broken through the first defense line, and even the Behemoths had only broken a portion of the steel walls. None of them knew what the Hierophant and the High Priest were planning that could destroy those steel walls.

  As if understanding what they were all thinking, the High Priest swept his sleeve and nonchalantly said, “Cease your questions! You will know tomorrow!”

  Everyone lowered their heads. None of them doubted the High Priest. The High Priest was the most mysterious person in the empire, who not even the Caliph knew much about. But he was also the one who had created the Behemoth Army, and no one doubted his strength.

  If he said he had a way, he had a way!

  After a few moments of silence, Abu Muslim suddenly stepped forward. “Hierophant, High Priest, there is one other matter!

  “For this war, the Great Tang has sent all its elites. All the soldiers appearing before us are their very best, and they also have a special banner that can stack the abilities of their armies on top of each other, greatly increasing their power. In the Battle of Talas, my and Qutaybah’s soldiers lost to them because of this. This is an extremely special banner that we must make countermeasures for,” Abu Muslim seriously said, bowing.

  Buzz!

  Khatabah and the others in the hall all had strange expressions, Khatabah even raising an eyebrow.

  “What war banner? Why did you not mention it before?”

  Everyone focused their attention on Abu Muslim.

  Abu Muslim bitterly smiled. He was a defeated general, so how many people would listen to him? Moreover, that banner had appeared very suddenly, and not even Abu Muslim had been entirely sure what it was, so how could he bring it up with others?

  Abu Muslim lowered his head and deferentially said, “Hierophant, that banner’s origins are extremely mysterious, and even the Great Tang appears to rarely use it. After that battle, I sent many spies to the Great Tang, exploiting their militarist-Confucian conflict to gather information, but all I have learned so far is that it is called the Nine Dragon Blood War Banner. I know nothing else.”

  Khatabah’s brows pensively creased, but this soon passed.

  “I understand!”

  Khatabah gave a slight nod and turned to Lucis.

  “Lucis, when you discover the enemy using the war banner Abu Muslim has spoken of, do as we previously discussed and activate the Moon God Tree!”

  The Moon God Tree?

  All the people in the hall were taken aback. Despite the many Governors present here, none of them had heard of this name before.

  But the High Priest’s black robe faintly trembled in understanding.

  The Moon God Tree, also known as the Tree of the Sea Mother, was a power of an ancient civilization that Khatabah had obtained from that well in Hamuhad.

  The Tree of the Sea Mother was one of the strongest treasures he had obtained and contained a mysterious energy. But using the tree’s power was no simple task, and it req
uired paying a heavy price. Even Khatabah had to pay this price when first obtaining the tree, and it could not be used as one pleased.

  “Shamsudin!”

  Khatabah suddenly turned his head.

  “I give you command over all the archers, the hunting falcons, and also the giant bird army. In tomorrow’s battle, I need you to completely wipe out all the Great Tang’s birds.”

  Shamsudin shuddered upon hearing this. Although he had a group of excellent master archers under his command, he hadn’t expected the Hierophant to so abruptly make this decision.

  “Shamsudin, everyone in the empire is watching this war. If we cannot exterminate the Great Tang and conquer the eastern world, taking all these infidels under our rule, do you really think you can go back alive?

  “Even as a high noble, if you cannot serve your empire, you are only useless trash. A high noble like you will face the same end as Apolis.”

  “Yes, Hierophant! This subordinate will do his utmost to exterminate all their birds!”

  “Hasim, I will place all the giants under your command. Amongst all the Governors of the empire, you have the greatest skill with catapults. In tomorrow’s battle, you are to accurately cast all the giants into the Great Tang’s ballista formation. If there are any mistakes that spoil our chances at victory, I will personally end you!

  “I have killed many high nobles who failed to obey my orders. Even if you report this to the Caliph, no one will be able to help you!” Khatabah callously said.

  “This subordinate would not dare. Hasim will definitely complete the Hierophant’s mission!”

  Hasim inwardly trembled as he lowered his head and bowed.

  “The steel walls, the ballistae, the giant ballistae… I will deal with all of this. Tomorrow, the entire army will mobilize, and we must destroy this eastern empire. Anyone who dares to retreat tomorrow will be executed without question!” Khatabah coldly proclaimed to the people in the hall.

  “Yes!”

  Everyone immediately lowered their heads.