THE HUMAN EMPEROR

1031-1050

After sending off Gao Xianzhi, Wang Chong himself soon left the study. In the northern training ground of Talas, Wang Chong met with Li Siye and his forty-six hundred Wushang Cavalry.

“Lord Marquis!”

Li Siye rode his Ferghana horse up to Wang Chong, placing a hand on his chest and bowing.

Wang Chong raised his head and asked, “Are they ready?”

“Lord Marquis, be at ease. Everyone is awaiting Lord Marquis’s call!”

Wang Chong nodded and sternly said, “Very good. Take these sheets of paper and have the Wushang Cavalry train according to them day and night. Our time is very limited. In one month, you must finish cultivating this formation.”

“Your subordinate will do all in his power to fulfill this order!”

Li Siye shot a glance at the contents of those papers, which caused his expression to turn grim and his pupils to constrict. After bidding farewell to Wang Chong, he immediately rode back to his men.

‘Asura Hell’!

This was the name of the formation that Wang Chong had described on those two sheets of paper. Li Siye had heard Wang Chong occasionally mention some Ten Great Formations. The Wushang Cavalry’s Ten Charges Ten Victories Formation was ranked the lowest of these ten, and the Asura Hell… was ranked second.

……

Gao Xianzhi entered the reception hall of the Lord of Talas and returned to his residence. After taking off the new suit of armor Wang Chong had forged for him, he seated himself before his own desk and began to handle military affairs.

Just like Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi had many tasks to take care of. The treatment of the Anxi Protectorate army’s wounded, the distribution of supplies, the placating of the Ferghanans and the Karluks, the repairs to the city, the patrol routes of the scouts… there were far too many matters to handle.

By the time Gao Xianzhi had finished reviewing all his documents, it was extremely late.

Placing his brush on the rack, Gao Xianzhi rubbed his eyes, a hint of fatigue within them. Winds would herald a storm. Although Talas was peaceful now, everyone could sense an enormous pressure. The sixty thousand soldiers of the Tang army were seizing every moment, doing all they could to strengthen themselves for the vicious battle ahead.

There was a knock on the door, and a guard of the Anxi Protectorate walked in with a cup of tea.

“Milord has worked hard. Drink some tea and rest.”

“Put it down.” Gao Xianzhi lightly rapped on his desk.

After the guard left, Gao Xianzhi took up the tea cup and was just about to take a sip when his gaze flitted past two thin sheets of paper, which made him remember something.

“It’s that technique Wang Chong recommended to me.”

At Gao Xianzhi’s level of cultivation, it was extremely difficult to make any progress. Almost on instinct, Gao Xianzhi had not believed that this thing could be of any help to him. But in the end, Gao Xianzhi could not bear to deny Wang Chong’s good intentions.

“I should still take a look.”

Gao Xianzhi shook his head and smiled. He casually took up those two sheets of paper and gave them a glance, but this single glance was like a sharp jab, causing his entire body to tremble and all his fatigue to vanish.

“How could there be something like this?”

Gao Xianzhi stared at a line of words on one of the papers.