Chapter 1738 - The Day Before the Decisive Battle! Old and New War Gods Meet!
Chapter 1738: The Day Before the Decisive Battle! Old and New War Gods Meet!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Wang Chong’s heart thumped in realization. Although Hou Junji was facing him, he still believed that his true opponent was the recluse of the Su Residence, Su Zhengchen.
Wang Chong now understood his goal. For the Army-Shattering War God, not being able to have one final match with Su Zhengchen to completely surpass him was an enormous regret.
Perhaps in his eyes, someone as young as Wang Chong could never give such an astonishing performance. Everything had to be because of his master.
Wang Chong felt greatly calmed when he realized this, and he was even more determined to not expose the truth.
“To deal with you, my master still doesn’t need to come out!” Wang Chong indifferently said.
“Heh, stubborn old man!” Hou Junji took two steps forward and sternly said, “He can hide for now, but he can’t hide for the rest of his life! Once I take care of you, he’ll have no choice but to come out!”
Perhaps because Wang Chong had also ‘studied’ the art of war from Su Zhengchen, or perhaps because this was the moment before their decisive battle, Hou Junji finally decided to stop restraining himself.
Bang!
Hou Junji took a light step forward, and enormous energy immediately erupted from his body. He was like a tiger flaunting its claws or a dragon soaring to the heavens. At that moment, his eyes oozed contempt and his demeanor transformed, exuding majesty, dominance, conceit, pride, and sheer power.
Anyone who saw Hou Junji at this moment would instinctively be awed.
Hou Junji was now free of any restraint, and it was impossible to connect this sense of power and dominance with the black-robed elder from before.
Even Wang Chong, who had long known about Hou Junji’s true identity, couldn’t help but be slightly shaken.
Wang Chong was also a renowned War God who had seen many Great Generals, but even the veteran Great Generals were greatly lacking compared to the true Hou Junji.
As Hou Junji stood there, the hair on his temples rising into the air due to the power he was unleashing, his mind had already gone back in time, immersed into the memories of a distant era.
Hou Junji was proud and powerful, and his flawless record in that chaotic era of campaigning was proof of his ability.
As one of the earliest of Taizong’s subjects, Hou Junji had followed Taizong for much longer than Su Zhengchen, and he had much greater seniority.
Even when Su Zhengchen was at the height of his fame, Hou Junji had never lost to Su Zhengchen, but he was still regarded by everyone else as being beneath Su Zhengchen. This was something Hou Junji’s pride could not bear.
In this life, he needed to fairly defeat Su Zhengchen at least once and prove to everyone that he was the stronger one! This was one of the grudges that kept him bound to this earth!
“Let’s wait until you defeat me first!” Wang Chong sternly said.
“Hmph!”
Hou Junji waved his sleeve and harrumphed, ending the discussion on this subject.
“Let me ask you… The art you used on the western drilling ground to heal Zhao Fengchen’s injuries and recover his mental and physical energy was not a part of Su Zhengchen’s teachings, and the formation the Xuanwu Army used was also not of Su Zhengchen’s line, at least as far as this old man knows. Where did you learn them from? Have you betrayed your master and learned other martial arts besides his?”
A hint of killing intent appeared in Hou Junji’s eyes. Betraying one’s master was a grave crime. Even though he was Su Zhengchen’s enemy, he would not permit this sort of disrespect.
“So that was what you came here for!”
Wang Chong grinned. He thought that Hou Junji had remained unaware, but it seemed as if he had noticed something suspicious at the western drilling ground.
But if Hou Junji thought that he could threaten Wang Chong with just this, he was gravely mistaken.
“Is not Senior a farsighted and shrewd strategist? Then guess!”
Hou Junji’s eyes chilled, and the restaurant instantly fell silent.
“You’re truly quite bold. You clearly knew that I was coming to meet you, but you still came alone. If I kill you now, perhaps our agreement will end early, and this old man wouldn’t need to do much at all to seat the First Prince on the Supreme Throne of the Nine and Five!”
Wang Chong said nothing, only stared into Hou Junji’s eyes. He could sense the killing intent lurking within and knew that Hou Junji was not bluffing. If possible, he would not relinquish this chance.
“Senior, in truth, what I want to say is that… these words go the same for you as well! After all, the entire empire already thinks you dead!” Wang Chong indifferently said.
Hou Junji grimaced at Wang Chong’s words.
Bzzz! A formless energy exploded out of Hou Junji’s body, and at the same time, the aloof Wang Chong unleashed his own energy. The two energies slammed into each other with a tremendous explosion, and a nearby sandalwood table was blown to smithereens, the debris swept into a corner of the restaurant by the shockwave.
The entire capital was already in a precarious situation. A historic conflict could break out at any time, and the two sides in conflict were precisely the two people present in this building.
If Hou Junji were killed, the First Prince’s side would have its wings snapped, and the same would happen to Wang Chong’s side with his death.
Whoosh!
Vortices of energy revolved around the two as the pair entered a standoff.
“Senior was hailed as the Army-Shattering War God, but one hundred years have worn away at your sharpness. Have you fallen so far as to consort with that shameless Celestial God Organization?” Wang Chong suddenly asked, a harsh gleam in his eyes.
Hou Junji had not been making idle threats. Wang Chong’s Psychic Energy had already encompassed the entire restaurant, and not long after Hou Junji had appeared, sixteen men in black had appeared around the restaurant, with two of them almost being at the Subtle realm.
It was obvious that Hou Junji was willing to go to any lengths to kill him if the opportunity presented itself.
“The art of war is the art of deception. As long as one can win, what does it matter the methods one uses?” Hou Junji indifferently said, unmoved by Wang Chong’s criticisms.
“In addition, do you really think those ten ballistae you have positioned one hundred meters away can threaten me?”
Hou Junji’s eyes also gleamed with harsh light. Wang Chong had noticed the men in black, so how could Hou Junji not notice the ballistae Wang Chong had hidden? Even though Wang Chong had placed them two streets away and had moved them into position at the very last moment, he still hadn’t been able to hide them from Hou Junji.
Ever since the Battle of Talas, Wang Chong’s five-man ballista teams had become renowned throughout the world for their terrifying accuracy and firing speed, causing all the other countries to tremble in fear. Ten ballistae were equivalent to fifty elites, and they could fire one hundred bolts in the space of a second.
“Not enough to kill the enemy, but enough to protect oneself! In addition, this is near the palace gates. Tell me: how long do you think it will take for the Imperial Army to arrive? Or are you saying that even if the palace gates are on fire and all the people of the capital are watching, the First Prince will still be able to sit unperturbed in his palace?!” Wang Chong coldly said, a confident expression on his face.
Hou Junji couldn’t help but frown. At his level of cultivation, even ballistae posed little threat to him, and they would naturally be ineffective against the men in black. But if Wang Chong had set up these ballistae purely to hinder him and aid in his own escape, then this was more than enough.
At Wang Chong’s level of strength, the smallest sign of weakness from his opponent was enough for him to flee!
More importantly, ballistae were the Great Tang’s heavy weaponry and strategic military assets. The technology and skill behind them had always been one of the Great Tang’s greatest secrets. The use of these military weapons in the middle of the capital would be certain to cause a great stir in the populace. This was probably Wang Chong’s true goal.
While the balance was currently tipping in favor of the First Prince’s side, and he had control of nearly all the armies inside and outside the palace, even he would become restless if too many eyes were paying attention to the palace gates.
“You all heard it! Why haven’t you dispersed yet?” Hou Junji suddenly called out.
For a few moments, there was silence, and then there was a massive boom as figures broke out from the walls and vanished in various directions.
Wang Chong sensed these powerful figures vanishing, but his face was completely unperturbed, as if he had long ago expected this.
The proud Hou Junji was someone who only struck if he was certain about the kill. Since the chances of killing Wang Chong had now plunged, he naturally had no reason to keep the men in black around.
Wang Chong continued to ‘watch’ the men in black until they had gone far, far away.
“Withdraw!” Wang Chong suddenly said to Hou Junji. “Even if you have control of the Imperial Army, and also Anxi, Beiting, and Big Dipper, you still will not succeed!”
Wang Chong had already been down this path once, and the Rebellion of the Three Princes had not succeeded in his last life. Now that he, the new War God of the Great Tang, had control over a powerful force, he would do his own part to make sure that the rebellion failed.
“You were one of Taizong’s valued subjects, an important general who campaigned for the empire. You should understand what effects a rebellion will have on the empire.”