The Human Emperor

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“Perhaps after this battle is over, the other countries will really have to rethink their relationship with the Great Tang and Arabia. These two empires are just too powerful. The Great Tang especially is too close. Fortunately, given how the Great Tang borders so many other countries, its Great Generals have been scattered. Otherwise, if they were together, no empire would be able to stop them!”

Wunu Shibi felt a shiver go down his back.

For many years now, the other countries had always believed that they could sit on the same level as the Great Tang, but it was now apparent that they had been deluding themselves.

And there was also that warning from the Great Tang’s Sage Emperor. This was not some mere bluster. They truly had the strength to carry out their threats.

“Hyah!”

With these thoughts in mind, Wunu Shibi turned his horse around and began to ride back into the steppe. This war in the northwest was of utmost importance and no longer concerned just the Great Tang and Arabia. He needed to return to Ishbara Khagan and discuss this matter with the other Western Turkic generals.

Gallop!

As Wunu Shibi vanished into the distance, several other powerful auras began to silently depart as well.

They also needed to digest the information they had learned from this battle.

……

Night quickly fell, but even though the curtain had fallen on the battle, this was only the beginning for the northwest.

“Hyah!”

To the northwest, the Arab base was awash with light.

As darkness fell, a horn blared. Amidst rumbling hooves and clouds of dust, tens of thousands of Arab cavalry carrying torches scattered throughout the base.

Blazing torches were planted throughout the area, illuminating several dozen li around the base.

In the darkness, countless Arab cavalry were patrolling the vicinity.

Creee!

At the same time, sharp cries and the flapping of wings came from above. Tens of thousands of Arabian hunting falcons had taken to the skies, vigilantly watching out for any approaching enemies.

Any abnormal movement in the darkness would immediately be noticed by many hunting falcons and cause them to flock over.

“These Arabs… truly formidable! Such a tight defense, without the slightest flaw, practically every inch protected. It seems a night raid on their base is utterly impossible!”

A figure watched the Arab base from an extreme distance, a deep fear in their eyes.

The Arab base’s defenses were too meticulous, and torches illuminated every corner. It was impossible to raid the base in these circumstances—they would be discovered from a distance of ten-some li.

Among all the opponents he had faced, this was the first one that was so formidable, so cautious, so impregnable.

Whoosh! Zhang Que led his scouts away without anyone noticing.

As Zhang Que was leaving, in a place extremely far from the City of Steel, a group of elite Arab scouts was similarly disappointed.

The Great Tang wanted to raid Arabia, and Arabia wanted to do the same to the Great Tang.

But before they had even gotten close to the City of Steel, they gave up.

Creee!

Sharp cries came from overhead. The Arab scouts only needed to raise their heads to see tens of thousands of various kinds of birds circling the skies, thick clouds of them that covered every angle.

And the City of Steel itself had numerous sentries, both open and hidden, surrounding it.

It was easy to avoid the obvious sentries, but much harder to avoid the hidden ones.

Even before they had reached the perimeter, they had nearly run into several groups. If they hadn’t been some of Arabia’s best scouts who had taken part in numerous campaigns, they would have already been exposed.

But even so, they had needed to expend great effort and endure many dangers to reach this place.

“Hahaha, Arab friends, since you’re here, there’s no rush to leave. Let us give you a good welcome!”

Galloping suddenly came from a distance, and the enemy force rode straight toward the Arab scouts with no attempt to hide their approach.

Whoosh! The Arab scouts instantly paled.

“Let’s go!”

They immediately turned their horses around and began to flee. But at this moment, there was a harsh whistle in the air. Plush! In a splash of blood, an Arab horseman grunted and dropped from his horse.

“Watch out! Master archer!”

The Arab scouts grimaced. Master archers had frightening vision, and even in the darkness, not even a fly several li away could escape their eyes.

More importantly, the arrow had pierced through their armor. This was clearly an extremely formidable master archer.

Bang!

With no time to think, the Arab scouts scattered in ten-some different directions. They moved extremely quickly and proficiently, displaying their abundant battlefield experience.

But they had underestimated the power of the Tang master archers. Given that they had already discovered the scouts and had allowed them to venture so deep, they would not let them go so easily.

Boomboomboom!

The air howled as arrows pierced through the veil of darkness, leaving long white trails in their wake as they struck the fleeing Arab scouts.

Thud! Thud! Thud! The Arab scouts were all brought down before they could get very far.

The last Arab scout just barely managed to avoid the fatal blow, shifting so that the arrow stabbed through his right thigh and pinned it to the side of his horse. Panicked, the man took off and swiftly vanished into the night.

A few seconds later, the Tang cavalry gathered together, their sharp eyes and clean movements indicating that they were all elite scouts.

“Captain, why did you leave one alive? Since these barbarians dared to invade our Great Tang’s territory, shouldn’t we kill them all?”

“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.