The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  The divine visage of the white tiger? Wielding military authority? Located in the southwest…

  Third Son Xuan said nothing, his eyes narrowing as he began to carefully ponder these dubious words.

  Buzz!

  A moment later, a figure emerged in his mind, and his heart sank while his face turned cold.

  Could it be him?!

  The savage countenance of the white tiger, an ill omen of war and slaughter, high authority in the military… in the Great Tang, there was only one person who met all these conditions: the King of Foreign Lands, Wang Chong!

  Most importantly, that scoundrel was devoted to the evil spirit and had already opposed him several times in the court. The Peace Pavilion, the selection of women… that traitorous subject had hindered him at every turn. And his residence was located to the southwest of the Imperial Palace, matching the sorcerer’s words.

  Third Son Xuan’s face chilled even more.

  Nemesis star?!

  He only knew that this scoundrel was opposing him at every turn, not that he was also his nemesis star!

  If that was really the case, he could not allow him to remain!

  Third Son Xuan’s eyes flashed, and a strong killing intent welled up in his heart!

  “In addition, while I was in the Kunlun Mountains, I encountered people searching for the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass. The Rainbow Glass Divine Grass is extremely effective on people who are suffering from the ‘disease of the departed soul’. Most importantly, it is also extremely effective on evil spirits, both in the positive sense and negative sense.

  “Moreover, those people had luxurious and expensive clothes. I performed a divination and discovered that those people were inextricably connected to that white tiger, Your Majesty’s nemesis star. This lowly subject worries that this matter might be harmful to Your Majesty.

  “In addition, this lowly subject recalls from ancient records that the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass has miraculous effects on those who failed at reaching the Divine Martial realm. It is able to cure their injuries and strengthen their energy. It can even stop the waning of martial strength!”

  Bang!

  Third Son Xuan had not taken Master Xuan Ming’s words seriously at first, but the description of the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass’s effects on those who failed at reaching the Divine Martial realm made him pale.

  “Bastard!”

  Third Son Xuan’s face turned savage as he furiously roared.

  “Damn thing! Such audacity to dare to assist that evil spirit in opposing Us!”

  The hall trembled as a terrifying energy erupted from Third Son Xuan’s body.

  Third Son Xuan’s robes flapped, his hair wildly dancing around him.

  The Divine Martial realm!

  Across the realm, there was only one person who had ever attempted to reach that realm: the evil spirit in his body!

  If he hadn’t believed these words at the start, at that moment, he was certain that those people in the Kunlun Mountains were working against him!

  “Reckless thing! Not killing you is already an enormous kindness from Us! Yet you dare to betray Us and assist that evil spirit!”

  Third Son Xuan was so angry that his entire body was shaking.

  If a sovereign demanded a subject’s death, the subject had no choice but to die!

  He was the Sage Emperor, the ruler of all the people of the realm!

  Thus, he did not care for even Wang Chong.

  Was he so audacious as to plot rebellion?

  But he had never imagined how badly he was underestimating him.

  This treasonous scoundrel appeared obedient on the surface, but he had secretly sent men to the Kunlun Mountains to search for the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass to deal with him!

  If not for the fortuitous appearance of this Kunlun sorcerer, who had told him about this, not even in death would he have realized that he was being plotted against.

  This bastard! He dared!

  This was nothing but brazen rebellion!

  Bang!

  A stream of Stellar Energy flew out, obliterating the coiling dragon that Master Xuan Ming had ‘revived’.

  “Master Xuan Ming, stay here. Whatever you want, We will grant your wish!

  “As for Wang Chong, for daring to betray Us, We cannot let you remain!”

  A cold and sinister voice resounded through the hall.

  ……

  As time passed, everything continued to proceed smoothly.

  But under the surface, the undercurrent raged.

  In the night, outside the King of Foreign Lands Residence, a figure dropped their head, cautiously looked around, and entered the estate.

  Zhao Changfu entered the hall and followed the familiar path to the main hall. When he saw that majestic and powerful figure, he immediately prostrated, his voice filled with reverence.

  “Paying respects to Your Highness!”

  “What have you found in these last five days?”

  Wang Chong sat on his throne, looking through reports. He spoke without raising his head, unsurprised by Zhao Changfu’s visit.

  In truth, this piece that An Yaluoshan had gone to great lengths to plant at the ‘Sage Emperor”s side had long ago been firmly seized by Wang Chong through threats and promises of power, thus becoming his ‘eyes’ at Third Son Xuan’s side.

  It was precisely because of these eyes that Wang Chong could learn of Third Son Xuan’s movements in a timely manner without attracting attention.

  The court had received no warning when Third Son Xuan appointed an ‘Empire Guardian Heavenly Master’, but Wang Chong had already known the truth.

  “Your Highness, three days ago, the Sage Emperor began issuing orders to gather herbs and metals from across the land. In addition, the Sage Emperor has already constructed a laboratory for that Master Xuan Ming. No one is allowed to approach without a decree, not even the consorts. No one knows what he’s doing inside, but His Majesty goes in every day and stays for four hours before leaving.

  “I paid a great price to learn this information. Master Xuan Ming is refining pills for the Sage Emperor to drive out an evil spirit!” Zhao Changfu said, dropping his head.

  Upon hearing this, Wang Chong frowned.

  “I understand. You may leave!

  “Xu Keyi, give him one thousand taels of gold!”

  “Yes, Your Highness!” Xu Keyi quickly replied.

  ‘An Emperor does not lack for hungry soldiers.’ Although Zhao Changfu was a lowly person, lowly persons had their uses. Although Wang Chong could threaten him, threats were not as useful as the allure of gold and silk.

  Once Xu Keyi had left with Zhao Changfu, Wang Chong quickly turned to the nearby Zhang Que.

  “Zhang Que, what have you found on that Master Xuan Ming?”

  Zhang Que lowered his head and respectfully said, “Your Highness, we’ve learned that Master Xuan Ming truly does originate from the Kunlun Mountains. He is a reclusive sorcerer, and we have yet to find anything suspicious about him. In addition, although we had our suspicions that this Master Xuan Ming might be a man in black, various circumstances indicate that he is probably not.

  “The men in black should not be so daring as to appear right in front of the Sage Emperor. However, we cannot rule out Master Xuan Ming being sent by the men in black.”

  Wang Chong said nothing, but as he raised his head, he had a strange and contemplative look on his face.

  Master Xuan Ming!

  Wang Chong had heard this name before.

  In his previous life, during the final days of the Sage Emperor’s reign, this man had appeared and entered the inner palace, but his appearance had been very brief, and without stirring any great waves, he quickly departed.

  Even during the calamity, nothing was heard of this man. He had vanished like froth in the ocean.

  In the history of the Central Plains, there were countless talented men like this who had offered their services in the hopes of gaining the favor of the so
vereign, and the majority of them had not been able to cause much of a stir.

  Chapter 2031 - The Jadeblood Shark!

  Chapter 2031: The Jadeblood Shark!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Wang Chong had only taken notice of Master Xuan Ming because he was a sorcerer.

  I don’t remember him being very favored in my last life. Has my interference once more caused a butterfly effect that changed this man’s destiny? Or is there something else going on?

  Wang Chong’s mind was currently whirring with thoughts.

  Many things had already changed in this life, and the Great Tang had managed to avoid all of those disasters. But this had also led to many new developments, such as the feast of all countries.

  Master Xuan Ming had also not been appointed as the Empire Guardian Heavenly Master in his last life.

  Of course, he was still the greatest variable. There had been no King of Foreign Lands, Nine Provinces Protector-General, or renowned official of Lingyan Pavilion in his last life. For a moment, Wang Chong could not determine the truth.

  “Right, Your Highness, Young Master Qingyang has sent word that he will return to the capital in ten-some days!” Zhang Que suddenly said.

  “Oh!”

  Wang Chong’s eyes flashed, appearing surprised as he came to his senses.

  It was truly surprising for Young Master Qingyang to be returning so quickly.

  “Right, did he say anything else? Did he mention the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass?” Wang Chong asked.

  Zhang Que bowed and said, “After searching through all of the mountains, they finally found a herb, but they can’t confirm it. However, it is extremely similar to the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass mentioned by Your Highness and recorded in the ancient texts!”

  After a few moments of silence, Wang Chong said, “Have him return!

  “In addition, he needs to be cautious and move in secret. No outsider can know about the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass.”

  “Yes, Your Highness!”

  Zhang Que bowed and quickly left to deliver the order.

  The moment Zhang Que left…

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong suddenly trembled, a flash of insight in his mind.

  Young Master Qingyang… Sword Dragon… the Kunlun Mountains…

  A sorcerer… Master Xuan Ming… the Kunlun Mountains…

  The Rainbow Glass Divine Grass!

  He had sent Young Master Qingyang to the Kunlun Mountains to search for the Rainbow Grass Divine Grass, where Master Xuan Ming happened to be cultivating. Was that intentional or coincidence?

  Had Young Master Qingyang encountered Master Xuan Ming in the Kunlun Mountains?

  Did Master Xuan Ming know about the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass?

  Master Xuan Ming was refining pills for Third Son Xuan. If Master Xuan Ming knew the truth, then did Third Son Xuan…

  Wang Chong suddenly felt an ill foreboding!

  “Old Eagle, send a letter to Young Master Qingyang for me. Ask him if he encountered any sorcerers in the Kunlun Mountains,” Wang Chong said.

  After a few moments of silence, Old Eagle’s voice resounded in the hall. “Yes, Your Highness!”

  I just hope I’m overthinking it, Wang Chong quietly said to himself.

  ……

  Time went by, and though Old Eagle had sent the letter to Young Master Qingyang, Wang Chong did not receive a reply.

  Ten-some days later, a guard rushed into the main hall and got down on one knee. “Reporting!

  “Your Highness, we’ve just received word that Young Master Qingyang and Sword Dragon were ambushed on their way back to the capital.”

  “What?”

  Wang Chong had been holding a discussion on matters of grain and coal. This report made all of them pale.

  “How could this have happened?”

  “Who could have ambushed Young Master Qingyang?”

  “Was it people from the martial arts world?”

  Everyone was in disbelief.

  Amongst them, Young Master Qingyang and Sword Dragon were the most inconspicuous. Let alone people of the Imperial Court, not even many people from the martial arts world had seen them before. And Young Master Qingyang was much stronger now, so how could someone have ambushed him?

  But there was no reason for the guard to lie, so what was going on?

  “Is it because of the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass?” someone suddenly said.

  Everyone instantly fell dead silent.

  Zhang Que, Xu Keyi, Su Shixuan, Old Eagle… all of them grimly frowned.

  The Rainbow Glass Divine Grass, though a natural treasure, was not that useful for those who had nothing to do with the Divine Martial realm. If the enemy had come for this herb, the incident took on an entirely different nature.

  “Mobilize the Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain teams. Have them search for Young Master Qingyang’s location.” A dignified voice rang out in the hall.

  “Yes!”

  Upon hearing Wang Chong’s words, everyone lowered their heads and responded in the affirmative.

  Whoosh!

  Countless messenger birds took to the air.

  At the same time, mounted scouts began to spread out from the capital.

  But after three or four days, just when things had reached their most tense, there was a surprising development.

  A messenger bird flew into the King of Foreign Lands Residence with news from Young Master Qingyang.

  Young Master Qingyang and Sword Dragon had only suffered light injuries and would be at the capital soon.

  In addition, the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass had not been stolen, and the two of them would deliver it to Wang Chong.

  The news came quickly, but Young Master Qingyang and Sword Dragon arrived even more quickly.

  The letter had said that they would arrive in two days, but on the same night, they rode into the capital and furtively entered the King of Foreign Lands Residence.

  The main hall was brightly lit, and Wang Chong was clearly a bit surprised to see the two of them.

  When Young Master Qingyang and Sword Dragon saw Wang Chong, they let out a sigh of relief.

  Their breathing was ragged, and they had clearly consumed a great deal of Stellar Energy. From the intense fatigue on their faces, it was clear that they had been running for some time.

  “Wonderful!”

  Wang Chong’s eyes flashed as he stood up, walked around his desk, and stood before the pair.

  “You’ve finally returned!”

  Wang Chong waved a hand, upon which a golden stream of Subtle realm energy flew through the air and entered their bodies, restoring their Stellar Energy and healing their wounds.

  In just a few moments, the blood returned to their faces and their breathing steadied, their condition vastly improved.

  “Young Master! We completed the mission and successfully brought back the Rainbow Glass Divine Grass!”

  Young Master Qingyang let out another sigh of relief, and together with Sword Dragon, he bowed.

  Whoosh!

  His fair white hand shot out of his sleeve, holding a sandalwood box around one foot long.

  The box had not been opened, but it exuded a thick medicinal aroma that permeated through one’s soul.

  “In addition, besides the divine grass, we found another object. Young Master, please take a look!”

  As Young Master Qingyang spoke, he gestured at Sword Dragon, who understood and took something from his bosom that he offered with both hands.

  Buzz!

  Wang Chong gave it a casual glance, but a moment later, he snatched the object out of Sword Dragon’s hand.

  The object had instantly made Wang Chong’s expression turn grave.

  Sword Dragon had brought back a dagger, half a foot long and bizarrely shaped, one side of the blade appearing like an exceptionally sharp saw.

  But this was not what Wang Chong’s attention was on. What truly had his attention
was the familiar wavy patterns on the blade.

  Wootz Steel!

  Wang Chong was far too familiar with this sort of metal. After all, he had been the first one to bring Wootz Steel onto the world stage!

  Wang Chong’s Wootz Steel cavalry and their peerlessly sharp swords had taken part in battle after battle, gaining world renown.

  The other countries had longed for these weapons for some time and had tried both openly and secretly to obtain this precious metal. However, though many people had obtained Hyderabad ore, only Wang Chong alone had the method to forge Wootz Steel weapons.

  Wang Chong knew the whereabouts of every Wootz Steel weapon he had forged, and for outsiders to obtain them was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

  However, out of respect for the special status of the Great Tang imperial household, Wang Chong had sent a batch of Wootz Steel weapons as tribute to the Imperial Court.

  Later on, Wang Chong had heard that the imperial household had forged some Wootz Steel weapons into daggers, calling them ‘jadeblood sharks’.

  These weapons were produced in extremely small numbers and granted only to the best of the elites. Not even the servitors and Golden Guards had a chance at them, let alone others.

  Apparently, First Prince Li Ying had also tried to get these jadeblood sharks for the Rebellion of the Three Princes, but he had ultimately failed, because no one knew where the weapons were stored.

  But what truly confirmed the identity of these daggers to Wang Chong was the image of the coiling dragon representing the imperial household on the daggers.

  This was a ‘jadeblood shark’!

  Wang Chong’s eyes twitched a few times, his expression turning grave.

  “The enemy underestimated our strength. Sword Dragon and I were both injured during the initial ambush, but the wounds weren’t fatal. We fought with them for a spell, killing some, heavily injuring others, and capturing a few.

  “Once we found out where they came from, Sword Dragon and I were both stunned, but there is no doubting these daggers.