The Human Emperor

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

“After that, Hou Junji was defeated and Emperor Taizong had him executed, his name and portrait removed from Lingyan Pavilion1. This matter was a major blow to Emperor Taizong, and the entire empire was shaken,” Su Zhengchen said.

Wang Chong deeply frowned upon hearing this. He had not personally experienced these events, so he did not have as deep an impression of them as Su Zhengchen. But from what Su Zhengchen had said, Hou Junji should have been dead, so what was going on with the ‘Hou Junji’ he was facing now?

Given his age, he didn’t seem like Hou Junji’s son or grandson, and besides, the two had scars in exactly the same places, as could be verified with Hou Junji’s portrait from Lingyan Pavilion.

That doesn’t make sense. What’s going on here? Could a dead man have come back to life?

Wang Chong’s mind was in turmoil.

Su Zhengchen spoke again. “However, later on, I heard that there was some incident at the execution ground during Hou Junji’s execution. I had already been placed under house arrest, so I don’t know the exact details, but ever since then, Hou Junji has never appeared. The Imperial Court told the public that Hou Junji was dead, and I don’t know about anything after that, nor was I paying much attention.”

Buzz!

This flippant observation from Su Zhengchen made Wang Chong’s heart shudder as he came to realize something.

Someone who has been dead for one hundred years can’t have come back to life, but if that man was never dead, everything is different, and many things start making sense. And if it’s what I imagine, Hou Junji must be hiding an extremely important secret.

If this man really is Hou Junji, then something must have happened on the execution ground that day. But who was it that saved Hou Junji?

There seemed to be some enormous riddle hiding behind everything. Wang Chong sensed that Hou Junji’s appearance was not as simple as it seemed, and that there would probably be a major difference in this Rebellion of the Three Princes.

Su Zhengchen stared at Wang Chong and solemnly warned, “Chong-er, I don’t know if this man is the real Hou Junji, but if he is, you must be extremely careful. Hou Junji has never been picky with his methods, and cares about the ends, not the means. Back then, when it came to martial arts and the art of war, he was only second to me. Given all the years that have passed and his formidable learning ability, he has probably reached an incredibly frightening level. Many years have passed since there has been any news of him, but now that he’s appeared again, he must have great ambitions. You have to be cautious.”

Looking at Su Zhengchen’s expression, Wang Chong couldn’t help but tremble.

“Chong-er, I promised His Majesty Taizong that I would never involve myself in the court again, so I’m afraid I can’t help you. But your master believes that you have the ability to get through this trial. Come; let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s rare for us to meet, so play a round of chess with me,” Su Zhengchen suddenly said, thus ending the discussion.

Now that he knew the Ghost King’s identity, Wang Chong was extremely uneasy, but even so, he still sat down and played a game with Su Zhengchen.

……

As Wang Chong emerged from the rear gate, Zhang Que emerged from his hiding place and came up to meet him.

“How was it? Your Highness, did you find anything out?”

“Mm, it really is him!” Wang Chong said.

“Ah? Then is Senior Su willing to help us?” Zhang Que asked. The more he learned about Hou Junji and his past record, the greater the pressure he felt.

Who could have imagined that the advisor by the First Prince’s side would be such a legendary figure?!

This sort of opponent was far above the normal caliber of foe they faced.

“Heh, relax!”

Wang Chong gave Zhang Que a surprising pat on the shoulder.

“Senior Su actually already took action!”

“Ah?!”

Zhang Que’s eyes went slack, completely confused by Wang Chong’s words.

Wang Chong merely smiled. Without an explanation, he swept his sleeve and left.

Although Su Zhengchen was restrained by the oath from the past to not intervene in court affairs, Su Zhengchen had invited Wang Chong to play a round of chess before leaving. While it had seemed like an ordinary game, it was in fact an exhibition of Hou Junji’s art of war. In this way, he had indirectly assisted Wang Chong.

‘Master one and master a hundred.’ Now that he knew Hou Junji’s art of war, he also indirectly understood Hou Junji’s style and the method to counter him.

Whoosh!

In a gust of wind, Wang Chong and Zhang Que vanished into the darkness.

……

By knowing oneself and knowing one’s enemy, one could emerge victorious in battle. Now that he knew the Ghost King’s true identity, Wang Chong found that the clouds had greatly cleared up.

Wang Chong knew what he needed to do next.

The King of Foreign Lands Residence spun to life like a giant machine as Wang Chong began to issue orders.

Meanwhile, as the stars turned and the sun rose, the entire capital was peaceful and quiet.

For the common folk, everything was peaceful, and no matter how fierce the quarrels in the court were, they were all far, far away.

At this time, no one noticed that beneath a massive scholar tree in the western part of the city, a tall and thin figure was sitting motionlessly, a golden chessboard placed in front of him.

On the sides of the chessboard were two gourds containing chess pieces.

The elder simply sat there, seemingly fusing with the tree next to him.

Time continued to slowly pass.

Underneath the scholar tree, as a leaf drifted down, Su Zhengchen raised his head and suddenly said, “You’re here!”

Whoosh! As if in response to Su Zhengchen’s voice, a figure blocked the sun and appeared on the other side of the chessboard.

Before Su Zhengchen could say anything, the black-robed man sat down.

This man had graying temples and wore a black robe. On his eyelid was a thin scar. This was clearly the man who served at the First Prince’s side, the Ghost King.

No! To be more precise, he was Hou Junji, the Army-Shattering War God of the Great Tang.

The Ghost King stared at Su Zhengchen. Eventually, he said, “We finally meet! I’ve been waiting ages for this day!”

Their eyes met, lightning seeming to crackle in the air between them.

“I didn’t think that you were still alive!”

Su Zhengchen couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at Hou Junji.

“Hmph, even you managed to live until now, so how could I so easily die?” Hou Junji coldly replied, his cold and vicious eyes bursting with hatred.

These two had once served the same master, played chess against each other, and discussed military strategy. But they also had their fair share of grudges.

“I’ve been waiting for you for so many years. It’s time we finally decided which one of us is better!”

“After so many years, you still haven’t let it go?”

Su Zhengchen shook his head and sighed.

“Let it go? How could I let it go?!” Hou Junji coldly sneered. His eyes were derisive, tinged with a streak of obsession.

Amongst civil officials, there was no first, and amongst martial generals, there was no second. No scholar would dare to claim that they were supreme when it came to composing poems, but the same could not be said for generals.

Hou Junji possessed astonishing talent, and he had been praised as a child for his remarkable abilities, causing him to develop an arrogant personality. As he matured, very few people could ever compare to him, and once he entered the Heavenly Tactics Residence and swore fealty to Emperor Taizong, he stood out from all the other generals.

Everyone sighed in wonder at his impressive ability to comprehend and learn. No matter the occasion, as long as Hou Junji was present, he would be the center of attention. That is, until Su Zhengchen appeared.

From that moment, his luster had been completely overshadowed by this martial god.

As long as Su Zhengchen was present, he would appear dim and lightless. Everyone would only remember Su Zhengchen’s various achievements, and few would ever talk about his own.

They had both defeated their enemies, but when the common folk were chattering in the streets, the only name they talked about was Su Zhengchen.

He had done his best to chase after him, even obtaining the title of Army-Shattering War God, causing all the surrounding countries to tremble in fear, but in the end, he could not compare to the Great Tang War God.

His arrogance could not accept such a humiliation.

“Moreover, my desire has not been realized, so how could I just let it go?”

Hou Junji had a profound meaning in his words, a bright light flashing in his eyes.

Hou Junji did not go into details, but Su Zhengchen seemed to know what he was talking about.

“You will not succeed!”

Su Zhengchen shook his head.

“No matter what you do, someone will step forward and stop you! There were people in the past, and there will be people in the present!”

“Haha!”

Hou Junji scornfully laughed.

“Like who? That disciple of yours?” Hou Junji disdainfully said.

Su Zhengchen fell silent and did not answer.

“Hmph, back when I asked you to teach me your art of war, you got too attached and kept the essence to yourself. Not only that, you even reported me to His Majesty. And now, you’ve gone and taught it to some immature brat!”

Hou Junji gripped one of the gourds and took a black piece from within. Pop! The piece instantly exploded into powder.

Su Zhengchen was calm, his expression unperturbed.

“Your intentions were crooked, so if I taught you my art of war, I would have only been bringing disaster on the people.”

“Still so stubborn after so many years. The righteous do not grasp for wealth and the kind do not command soldiers. The art of war is the art of slaughter! You’re just too softhearted!”

Hou Junji coldly snorted.

Su Zhengchen’s brow furrowed as he shook his head, the disappointment in his eyes difficult to conceal. Even though one hundred and twenty years had passed, Hou Junji had not changed in the slightest, a vicious brutality dominating his heart.

Meanwhile, Hou Junji continued talking.

“But now, it doesn’t matter whether you teach me or not. I’ve learned all of your art of war, thoroughly and comprehensively. Even you are no match for me now, much less your disciple.”

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1. Historically, the twenty-four meritorious officials were commemorated in Lingyan Pavilion in the year 643. In the same year, Hou Junji was implicated in the Crown Prince’s rebellion and executed.↩