The Human Emperor c1-2382
Page 1205
Flabbergasted, An Yaluoshan carefully inspected the Dragon Qi.
At first glance, he had only been able to see the dazzling golden brightness.
But on second glance, An Yaluoshan now noticed a thin black line running from north to south along the length of the dragon’s body. The exuberant Dragon Qi and the faintness of the black Qi had made him miss it at first.
“Then I’m right!”
Seeing An Yaluoshan’s reaction, Gao Shang nodded, knowing that his conjecture had been correct.
“Although I do not have the ability to observe Qi, I can observe the stars. The Ziwei is swaying, and its luster has dimmed. This is an omen that the dynasty is about to change and that the Emperor is incapable. According to the Book of Changes, whenever this phenomenon is seen in the stars, black Qi will emerge within the Dragon Qi. Alas, the Great Tang has too many resources and too many loyal subjects. The support of all these officials and generals has maintained the Great Tang’s fortune, and this majestic Dragon Qi has obscured the black Qi. This is why we have yet to see signs of decline.”
Gao Shang paused for a moment.
“Your Excellency, look carefully. Under the Dragon Qi, you should see the collective fortune of all the officials of the Great Tang!”
An Yaluoshan instinctively followed Gao Shang’s directions and immediately found something new.
He had been so drawn to the grandiosity of the Dragon Qi that he had failed to notice it. Under the Dragon Qi, countless clouds of fortune had gathered in a variety of colors: white, violet, red, green. And they also had many different shapes. An Yaluoshan recognized phoenixes, Qilins, Dracolions, Luan birds, rhinos, elephants, great Pengs, flood dragons, pythons…
Each of these energies was majestic on its own and stood apart from the others, but they resonated with each other and linked together into some gigantic system. And upon closer look, one could see that a beam of Qi shot out from each cloud of fortune into the golden Dragon Qi of the Central Plains.
“So this is the fortune of all of the officials…” An Yaluoshan muttered as he glimpsed the concentrated fortune of the Great Tang for the first time.
At this time, An Yaluoshan was like a cautious intruder who was afraid of being caught, feeling both excited and also in great danger.
He was probably the only person in the world who could use his eyes to observe the fortune of the Great Tang.
“What boundless fortune! If our plan succeeds and we can absorb enough Central Plains Dragon Qi, I really might be able to become the master of the realm!”
This vast fortune above the capital made An Yaluoshan envious and greedy.
He had never before seen such a vast collection of fortune!
An Yaluoshan was a thief who had wandered into an overflowing treasury, and his mind had become incredibly restless.
What a pity! There’s still not enough black Qi. Otherwise, there would be no need for me to go into the capital! An Yaluoshan remarked to himself.
The fortune of the Great Tang was too great and the black Qi too weak. Although the signs of decline were lurking in the shadows, all of these capable officials made it so that this decline would not become evident for now, and he would find it very hard to find an opportunity while this situation persisted.
The more the Great Tang weakened, the greater his chances of ascendancy!
The majestic golden Dragon Qi was the worst of news for him!
Chapter 1988 - The True Manifestation of Fortune, the Violet Gold True Dragon!
Chapter 1988: The True Manifestation of Fortune, the Violet Gold True Dragon!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“Heh, Your Excellency, don’t worry! Dynasties change and fortunes wane! While the Great Tang might have vast reserves, the signs of decline have already manifested, meaning that its fate is sealed, just like how water will flow downhill. Even if someone tries to stop it midway, they can only delay it for a time. In the end, it will still flow down!”
Gao Shang waved his old paper fan and faintly smiled.
“We came to the capital precisely so that we could bring down the Great Tang’s true dragon. By using the energy of the future true dragon, Your Excellency, and bringing about a collision of Ziwei energy, we can create an opportunity for Youzhou!”
All of this was part of his plan. As long as this operation went smoothly, they could instigate the fall of the Great Tang.
An Yaluoshan quietly chuckled. He was extremely confident in Gao Shang’s abilities.
“Signs of decline have already appeared, and once we succeed, our greatest opponent will be that King of Foreign Lands.
“During my night observations, I saw a gigantic star next to the Ziwei, blazing bright and as large as the Dipper Star. This is the Emperor’s guard, and it has always been assisting the Emperor Star by obstructing outside shocks. If my guess is right, this should be the King of Foreign Lands. Your Excellency, see what his fortune appears like!” Gao Shang said.
In ancient times, a technique to observe Qi had already been developed. This was a very important ability, as understanding the luster and shape of one’s fortune could help one in the future when dealing with the person in question. One could even directly act against their fortune, causing their mind to be muddled or them to be abandoned by the heavens.
While Gao Shang did not know the method to observe Qi, he knew things that could influence it!
An Yaluoshan said nothing, turning his gaze toward the city gate.
At the same time, Cui Qianyou, Tian Chengsi, and Yan Zhuang turned to An Yaluoshan, extreme focus in their eyes.
Wang Chong was the most dazzling general star of the Great Tang, the Great General of the highest status. After vanquishing Arabia, he had surpassed Su Zhengchen and stood at the very summit of the legends of the Great Tang.
More importantly, he was also the greatest foe of Youzhou!
All of them were very interested to know the shape of Wang Chong’s fortune.
All was quiet as everyone waited for An Yaluoshan’s answer.
“Mm?”
But a few moments later, An Yaluoshan gasped in surprise, his brow slightly creasing.
“What’s wrong?” Gao Shang asked in concern.
Everyone also felt their hearts thump as they carefully listened.
“Something’s not right! I can’t see his fortune!” An Yaluoshan said.
“How could this be?”
Gao Shang was shocked.
“Wang Chong is a scion of a great clan, the King of Foreign Lands, the Nine Provinces Protector-General, an enshrinee of Lingyan Pavilion, and the Empire Guardian Great General. His titles and achievements are far above any of the other officials, so his fortune is bound to be more outstanding and brilliant. Your Excellency only needs to seek out the largest and most obvious of the fortune manifestations. That one is certain to be him!”
“It’s not there! While the fortunes of the officials are vast and powerful, the most formidable are in the forms of Great Pengs or Qilins. While they have slightly different forms, they share the same basic form, and at least five of them are the same size. None of them could be his fortune!”
An Yaluoshan shook his head. He was also curious about Wang Chong’s fortune, but not even he had expected this development.
“What about the city gate? The Sage Emperor had him welcome Your Excellency at the city gate, and we’ve reported our arrival time. He should be there. Your Excellency, look again,” Gao Shang said.
Gao Shang’s brow was furrowed. He had read many books and developed many plans, and rarely did he miscalculate. The current situation had him rather confused.
An Yaluoshan’s eyes roved the skies of the capital for a time, but in the end, he still frowned and shook his head. “No, I still don’t see it!”
An Yaluoshan was befuddled. Even a minor rank-seven official would have a manifestation of fortune. Could a major rank-one official like Wang Chong not possess a for
tune, or did Wang Chong have control over his fortune so that not even An Yaluoshan could see it?
But An Yaluoshan decided to follow Gao Shang’s advice and carefully inspect the city gate.
This time, a violet gold object drew his attention.
It was a large pillar of energy rising out of the ground, appearing like a giant hook.
An Yaluoshan didn’t notice much else initially, but when he made out its full shape, his body trembled in shock.
“Im-impossible!”
An Yaluoshan’s eyes flew open as if he had just seen something absurd.
This sudden change immediately made him the center of attention.
“Your Excellency, what happened?” Yan Zhuang said.
His subordinates glanced at each other in confusion. What could An Yaluoshan have seen that could cause such a major reaction?
An Yaluoshan said nothing, but his mind was reeling.
An Yaluoshan had heeded Gao Shang’s advice and closely inspected the area around the city gate.
There, An Yaluoshan had spotted a massive violet gold pillar. This pillar was several thousand meters tall, reaching out from underground and soaring into the sky.
But as An Yaluoshan looked more, he realized that he was wrong. This was no pillar, but the claw of a gigantic violet gold dragon!
The dragon hand was unimaginably vast, far larger than any of the other fortune manifestations. Reaching out of the ground, the dragon hand held the entire capital in its grasp, rendering the city an impregnable fortress.
That curved violet gold pillar An Yaluoshan had seen was merely one claw of the dragon hand!
An Yaluoshan had never imagined that a person’s fortune could manifest in this way.
“How could this be?!”
After hearing An Yaluoshan’s description, Gao Shang and the others cried out in alarm, all of them shaken by this news.
“How could such a thing be possible?!” Gao Shang muttered, his eyes widened in disbelief.
He had read innumerable ancient texts, but none of them had ever described a fortune manifesting in this way.
Wang Chong was not of the imperial clan, but he was the first King of a different surname appointed by the Sage Emperor. This was why his fortune had manifested as a violet gold dragon. But what was far more shocking was that this fortune manifestation was so large that a single hand was enough to hold the capital. Just how enormous would the actual body be? Just how blessed was his fortune?!
Bang!
As An Yaluoshan and his subordinates reeled in shock over this discovery, on the distant gate tower, Wang Chong, who had leaned back with his eyes closed as he waited for An Yaluoshan, suddenly stood straight up, his eyes flying open.
Bang!
Wang Chong lightly stepped forward, and a majestic energy soared into the skies.
In An Yaluoshan’s eyes, the world underwent a heaven-shaking transformation.
Roooar!
All An Yaluoshan had been able to see before was one hand of a giant violet gold dragon reaching out of the earth, holding the capital. But as Wang Chong erupted with energy, violet Qi soaring into the skies, a dragon’s roar resonated through the world, and the head of the enormous dragon broke through the earth and soared to the heavens.
For the first time, An Yaluoshan saw the true form of Wang Chong’s fortune!
Shock!
Majesty!
Unimaginable power!
An Yaluoshan stared at the violet gold dragon that had appeared in the sky, rendered speechless by its savage visage and mountainous head.
The skies of the capital had been covered in the various fortune manifestations of the officials, in different forms and sizes.
The smallest were the size of a house while the largest were practically half the size of the capital. All of them had been shining brilliantly, like the sun or moon.
But all of these fortune manifestations were mere embers before the violet gold dragon, fireflies trying to compete against the moon. Even the most intense of the fortune manifestations was like an ant in front of the dragon.
As An Yaluoshan examined it, he found that the dragon’s entire body was brimming with grandiose and boundless energy that burned more brightly than the sun. This energy was constantly radiating from its body and nurturing the Central Plains Dragon Qi above it.
This violet gold dragon was constantly supplying fortune to the Dragon Qi, making it more and more resplendent, even repairing that sliver of black corrosion!
“How could this be?”
Everyone was left stunned once more by An Yaluoshan’s description, and Gao Shang’s mind grew restless.
The decline of a dynasty could not be prevented by just one or two people. The efforts of the major officials would be like a cup of water on a burning cart. While they could delay the inevitable, there had never been any one person who could change destiny and reverse the decline of an empire!
If it was really as An Yaluoshan said, then Wang Chong, as a general, had accomplished the inconceivable task of singlehandedly repairing the Dragon Qi of the Central Plains.
In a flash, the area went eerily silent, everyone feeling a suffocating sensation.
“Your Excellency, Wang Chong’s fortune is too strong and cannot be ignored. In the future, we have to think of a way to remove him, as he will inevitably be the greatest obstacle in Your Excellency’s plans!” Gao Shang sternly said, his expression turning grim.
Gao Shang had never met Wang Chong, but he had heard the tales. Yet he had believed that this man was, at most, someone of Su Zhengchen’s level, an illustrious general with a divine grasp of strategy.
For Gao Shang, a shrewd schemer who knew the principles of divination and Qi and could read into the future, this sort of character was not much, at most a somewhat more troublesome foe.
But if Wang Chong was able to singlehandedly go against the heavens and reverse the decline of the Great Tang, then he was something else entirely.
In his mind, Gao Shang instantly raised Wang Chong’s threat level to the very highest.
Chapter 1989 - The Two Sides Meet (I)
Chapter 1989: The Two Sides Meet (I)
“Fortune?”
Gao Shang had no idea that his words had stirred up something else in An Yaluoshan.
An Yaluoshan looked toward the capital with a savage visage.
“What does it matter how strong he is? One day, I’ll stomp him to the ground and make him admit defeat!”
The stronger Wang Chong appeared, the more An Yaluoshan wanted to defeat him.
As An Yaluoshan and his subordinates were still immersed in thought, the air exploded, carrying a cold voice that resounded in their ears. “An Yaluoshan, this king has waited for you for some time. Are you still not coming?”
Wang Chong!
This voice made all of them pale.
To their surprise, after sensing their energy from the eastern gate of the capital, Wang Chong had concentrated his energy to send his voice over a distance of ten-some li.
“Hmph! Let’s go!”
An Yaluoshan came back to his senses. His face chilled and his eyes coldly glinted as he swung his arm down and rode forward with his men.
“Gao Shang, Yan Zhuang, since we’ve been invited, let’s move according to our original plan!”
“Yes, Your Excellency!”
Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang bowed.
Whoosh!
A few seconds later, countless messenger birds took to the skies from the Youzhou force, flying in every direction.
‘Make the plan and then put it into motion.’ They had known that Wang Chong would be in the capital and that he would oppose them, so it was impossible for Gao Shang and his men to not amply prepare themselves.
No matter what Wang Chong was planning, they would not let him get his way.
Buzz!
As those messenger birds took flight, an undercurrent began to surge. In the prelude to the feast of all countries, an invisible contes
t began between Wang Chong and An Yaluoshan.
……
“He’s coming! He’s coming!”
“An Yaluoshan is coming with his Youzhou subordinates!”
Meanwhile, the foreign emissaries and officials within the capital heard that An Yaluoshan and his Youzhou soldiers were approaching the eastern gate.
All of them were focused on the meeting between these two important subjects of the Great Tang.
The air gradually tensed.
……
“Finally here! He even brought his soldiers with him?”
At this moment, on the high walls of the capital, Wang Chong squinted at that great cloud of dust coming from the east, a sharp glint in his eyes.
Clap!
Wang Chong made a gesture, and a moment later, gears began to groan. Past his hundred-some estate guards, the covers were taken off heavy ballistae, their sharp bolts aimed in the direction of the city gate.
At the same time, the archers concealed in the crowd removed armor-piercing arrows from their quivers and took aim at the gate, pulling back on their bow strings until they formed almost a full moon.
These arrows could easily pierce through heavy armor. Together with the ten heavy ballistae and his one hundred elite guards, in this sort of battle involving less than ten thousand men, Wang Chong could easily crush an opposing force.
In a flash, the atmosphere at the eastern gate became as taut as a bow string.
“Wang Chong, what are you doing?!” A shrill voice came from the side. The old eunuch who had delivered the decree several days ago immediately rebuked Wang Chong, his brows furrowing.
He had arrived not too long ago to preside over the ceremony.
“His Majesty had you welcome the Andong Protector-General, not…”
But this time, the old eunuch had only just started to speak when a stream of Stellar Energy emerged from the ground and surged into his body, instantly sealing twenty-some of his acupuncture points. The old eunuch froze, unable to utter another word.
You, you dare!
All the old eunuch could do was move his eyes, and he stared at Wang Chong in both shock and dismay.
He was a eunuch of the palace carrying an imperial decree! How could Wang Chong dare to strike him?!