The Human Emperor

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

Wang Chong began to make his Stellar Energy flow according to the mantra of the world’s supreme art, allowing it to sweep like a torrential river through his meridians.

Bang!

A few moments later, there was a massive boom as a secret acupuncture channel in his body opened. At this moment, a dazzling and majestic golden building began to manifest behind him.

The Trayastrimsa Heaven!

Half a month had passed since his return, and Wang Chong had been completely focused on cultivation. Finally, he had taken his first steps in cultivating the world’s number one art. In the Trayastrimsa Heaven behind him, one could see five floors. Let alone compared to the first-generation successor’s twenty-some floors, he was lacking even compared to the sixth-generation successor.

However, for Wang Chong, being able to reach the fifth floor of the Trayastrimsa Heaven meant that he had entered the fifth layer of the Origin Immortal Art, meaning that he had finally established his foundation.

To reach the fifth layer after only ten-some days was quite astonishing, but Wang Chong’s energy was continuing to circulate.

Just when Wang Chong was about to end his cultivation, thick golden beads of energy emerged from his cells and gathered in his meridians.

Bzzzz! A few moments later, a surge of Stellar Energy shot toward the fifth floor of the pavilion, and in a golden burst of light, another floor took form.

The sixth heaven!

Wang Chong had made another leap in progress in the Origin Immortal Art, reaching the sixth layer.

Whoosh!

Wang Chong ended his cultivation and exhaled. As he opened his eyes, sweat poured out of his body, completely drenching his clothes.

“Senior!”

The image of the Origin Immortal Lord surfaced in Wang Chong’s mind.

The golden energy that had emerged at the last moment had not belonged to Wang Chong. The Origin Immortal Lord had transferred it to Wang Chong’s body through his finger right before his clash with True Lord Yellow Dragon.

This powerful energy had transformed into latent energy within Wang Chong’s body that fully became Wang Chong’s own once he started cultivating.

Wang Chong couldn’t help but feel sorrow when thinking about the Origin Immortal Lord’s end. Although they had only met once and there was no deep friendship, the Origin Immortal Lord had definitely meant him no ill. On the contrary, he had given Wang Chong his most treasured possession.

But…

As Wang Chong had been leaving, the earth had collapsed, burying the two mythical figures of the Origin Immortal Lord and True Lord Yellow Dragon beneath the earth, and at that final moment, Wang Chong had not been able to sense the Origin Immortal Lord’s aura.

I hope that everything turned out fine! Wang Chong quietly said to himself.

Given what the Origin Immortal Lord’s last words had been, the chances of his survival were slim to none, but as Wang Chong hadn’t seen the Origin Immortal Lord die, he still held a tiny hope that the Origin Immortal Lord had survived.

Knock! A light rapping came from his door.

“Enter!”

Wang Chong took in a deep breath and focused his mind. The door to the study opened to reveal a familiar figure.

“You’re here!”

Seeing Xu Qiqin, Wang Chong gave a relaxed smile.

“Finished?” Xu Qiqin asked.

Wang Chong smiled and gave a faint grunt.

Xu Qiqin gave Wang Chong a reproachful glance and then allowed two maids to enter, bearing towels and a basin of water to clean Wang Chong up.

Wang Chong felt a chill on his forehead that drained away his fatigue. His heart softening, Wang Chong couldn’t help but look up at Xu Qiqin.

Seeing her again after several months, Wang Chong suddenly realized that Xu Qiqin had become even more alluring. Unlike the Nightmare Beast’s illusion, this Xu Qiqin was real and intelligent. When he saw her, Wang Chong felt like he could let all his burdens down.

“They said that you’ve spent several days in your room without eating or drinking. Even if you’re cultivating, you have to pay attention to your body. If this happens again, I’ll stop working for you. Spending an entire day worrying over your condition is really bad for my mind.”

Xu Qiqin had no idea what Wang Chong was thinking, and she looked at Wang Chong with displeased eyes as she wiped off his sweat.

“And who told you my condition? Tell me and I won’t let them go!”

Wang Chong smiled as he extended a hand, trying to hold down the towel being held by Xu Qiqin.

But he accidentally ended up gripping Xu Qiqin’s slightly chilly hand instead.

Startled, Xu Qiqin instantly blushed. As she slowly extracted her hand, one could see that even her fingertips had turned pink from embarrassment.

She’s just as cute as ever!

Wang Chong wanted to tease Xu Qiqin, and when he saw the look on her face, his smile grew even deeper.

Shaking his head, Wang Chong took the towel which still had Xu Qiqin’s warmth and continued to wipe the sweat off his face, acting like nothing had happened.

“When did you get back?” Wang Chong asked, raising his head.

“Last night, but since it was late, I decided to wait until today to come and see you.”

Wang Chong nodded. When Wang Chong went to the northwest, Xu Qiqin had not been in the capital.

Wang Chong had long ago made plans for the brilliant Queen of Logistics, giving her all the scattered but extremely important matters to handle.

It had been more than two months now since she had departed.

“How is it?” Wang Chong continued to ask.

Xu Qiqin knew what Wang Chong was asking about, and now that they had gotten to serious matters, her smile faded.

Besides seeing Wang Chong again, Xu Qiqin had also come to report to Wang Chong on progress in various matters.

“The resources needed for the Promised Land, including the rivets, ropes, and high-quality steel for construction of the city, as well as many skilled workers, are something that I began to plan for a long time ago. The various great clans have been fully cooperating with us, and a group of more than thirty thousand workmen have already boarded the ships. They set off from the harbor at Jiaozhi ten-some days ago for the Promised Land.

“In addition, sixty-eight bags of seeds for the hybrid rice developed by Sir Zhang were also placed on the ships, and they should be passed to the people from Sindhu for them to plant on a large scale,” Xu Qiqin sternly said.

While the matter in the capital was urgent, the militarist-Confucian conflict at a critical point, Wang Chong had dispatched her to oversee these matters instead.

Although Wang Chong hadn’t given a detailed explanation, Xu Qiqin sensed that these were extremely important to Wang Chong’s plan and were not solely connected to any upcoming war.

But as long as Wang Chong didn’t mention it, Xu Qiqin wouldn’t ask.

“In addition, not too long ago, I received word from Wang Liang that the city in the Promised Land has already begun to take form. The people sent over from Sindhu played an important role, and after another seven or eight months, we will have a city on that foreign land.”

“Mm!”

Wang Chong nodded.

The Promised Land had an extremely important role in his plans, but he had chosen not to make that role public yet. With Xu Qiqin and his cousin Wang Liang handling things, and the Sindhu High Priest providing people, the chances of error were minimal.

“Inform the great smithing clans of the capital to pick disciples with potential. In three months, when sending over the steel, have these disciples join the shipment. In the future, when the Promised Land needs steel, these disciples should handle it. They should set up many furnaces there, and in the future, I hope that a large-scale steel-smithing system will emerge there,” Wang Chong sternly said.

“Mm! I will handle this matter soon.”

Xu Qiqin firmly nodded.

The Xu Clan was a logistics clan, and Xu Qiqin had always been extremely serious when it came to business.

“The large granaries you had the great clans build have finished their second phase. Besides the granaries that are out in public, the great clans have also constructed forty thousand granaries in remote areas. Each of these granaries is five times the size of one of the granaries controlled by the local governments.

“The grain-buying group we’ve organized has begun to purchase grain while not affecting the people. We’ve also sent people to the other countries, from Goguryeo to Arabia, and even farther, to buy grain.

“And according to your orders, the skilled craftsmen have also begun to forge these… cans. They’re also thinking of ways to make dried fruits. There’s been some progress on this front, but they still haven’t gotten used to the other technologies.”

Wang Chong nodded, completely unsurprised by Xu Qiqin’s report. When the calamity arrived, the earth would sunder and everything would turn to ash. Planting crops would become impossible.

Thus, technology for preserving and storing food was incredibly important.

Right now, the calamity had not arrived and there were no obvious disasters. In other words, all the countries were rather well-off.

This was the best opportunity to start storing up food, and Wang Chong had taught the craftsmen the method for making cans. This kind of technology had never appeared in this world, and Wang Chong himself only had a concept in his mind of boiling food and then sealing it for preservation.

The rest would depend on the craftsmen of this era.

“Do you have enough gold?” Wang Chong asked.

Buying food to fill the granaries would cost a large sum of gold.

“It’s enough! Three hundred million taels of gold is a temptation no one can resist. Even though Arabia is on bad terms with the empire, once we sent over our people and began to use our gold, we were still able to obtain an endless flow of food. And when it comes to livestock, the Arabs seem to have even more than the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates.”

Xu Qiqin reported on several more matters, including Xue Qianjun’s progress on the Ten Eastern Islands. All of these operations required logistical support, and a normal person would have never been able to handle so many miscellaneous affairs at once.

But the Queen of Logistics easily handled them, all while keeping everything orderly and neat.

After getting this comprehensive report, Wang Chong fell into a contemplative silence.

At this moment, rapid footsteps came from outside. Wang Chong and Xu Qiqin turned to look in time for Zhang Que to barge his way in.

Upon seeing the two people in the room, Zhang Que was stunned.

“Ah! Lady Xu, you’re here as well!”

Zhang Que panicked.

“I… I’ll take my leave!”

Wang Chong slightly frowned as he asked, “Zhang Que, what’s wrong?”

Xu Qiqin couldn’t help but smile.

“You should talk first. I have some matters to handle!”

Xu Qiqin left, leaving Zhang Que and Wang Chong in the room.

“Speak; what happened?” Wang Chong asked.