Chapter 617 - The Decisive Battle! Dalun Ruozan's Plight!
Chapter 617: The Decisive Battle! Dalun Ruozan’s Plight!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“If this is the case, then I can try when the time comes.”
Wang Yan was still skeptical, but he had no better methods, so he was willing to try Wang Chong’s suggestion.
“Right, Father, with regards to the Mighty Miracle God Formation, I once heard a little about it from Senior Su Zhengchen. Perhaps it could be of use to you,” Wang Chong added, pretending to suddenly recall something.
“The War God?!!”
Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong shivered as they turned in shock to Wang Chong.
“Young Master Wang, you know the War God?!”
Xianyu Zhongtong grabbed Wang Chong’s arm with an expression of extreme excitement. He knew that Wang Chong was very talented, but he had never expected Wang Chong to know the almost mythical War God of the Great Tang.
That person was a godlike existence in the Great Tang. Many people even said that he was dead. Yet Wang Chong claimed that he actually knew that most esteemed War God.
“Chong-er, are you telling the truth?”
Even his father Wang Yan seemed quite stunned.
Wang Yan had left the capital quite some time ago, so he did not know of Su Zhengchen’s situation. As for Xianyu Zhongtong, he had been living in the southwest, and the distance from the capital made it difficult for news to travel, so he was even more unaware.
In truth, even in the capital, only an extremely small circle of people knew of Wang Chong’s relationship with Su Zhengchen.
“Your child is definitely not lying,” Wang Chong said.
It was forbidden to speak about anything from his last life, so Wang Chong was forced to use Su Zhengchen’s name to explain. In addition, Su Zhengchen spent most of his time in his estate, refusing guests at the gate. Outsiders had no chance to meet, and his father would probably be no different.
“No wonder Young Master Chong has such a profound grasp of the art of war.”
Xianyu Zhongtong’s eyes glowed as if he had discovered the source of Wang Chong’s astonishing talent. Although Wang Chong was still very young, everything could be easily explained if the War God was involved.
“Chong-er, what did Senior Su say?”
Wang Yan creased his brow. He was more concerned about what Su Zhengchen had said than about the source of Wang Chong’s astonishing talent.
Wang Chong paused for a few moments before giving out the method to advance the Mighty Miracle God Formation.
In his last life, once the disaster descended and the countless foreign invaders began to surge in, the mountains and rivers began to shatter and the earth began to sunder. All the secret martial art manuals no longer remained secret.
As the Grand Marshal of the world, the supreme ‘War Saint’, Wang Chong had once researched the supreme war formations of the Great Tang to use them in war.
Although time had been limited and Wang Chong had not been able to delve into everything, he had still come away with some results. And the Mighty Miracle God Formation, as the formation that his father had been most skilled in, was one with which he had achieved the earliest results.
Although it was impossible to greatly increase the power of the Mighty Miracle God Formation in such a short amount of time, a small increase in its offensive power was achievable.
As Wang Yan listened to this method, he grew more and more surprised. He had been using the Mighty Miracle God Formation for six or seven years now and knew every detail of it by heart.
But it was precisely for this reason that when Wang Yan heard this method, he knew that this was an even higher level of the skill.
Wang Chong said that this was a kind of method, but it would be better to describe this as a technique called ‘Mighty Miracle Strike’. It allowed for a large boost of power over a very short time that permitted one to unleash an abnormally powerful blow.
This move would place an incredible burden on the bodies of all the people in the formation, but it was truly capable of increasing one’s offensive power.
“Senior Su really told you this?” Wang Yan muttered in shock.
All the supreme formations of the Great Tang had long histories, had been refined hundreds of times. Formations like the Mighty Miracle God could be dated to as far back as Taizong’s era.
Wang Yan had never imagined that someone could further improve this kind of formation that the country relied on to an even higher level.
“Lord Protector-General, speak with my son for a bit. I have something to attend to.”
Now that he had obtained the method to improve the Mighty Miracle God Formation, Wang Yan was impatient to leave. The Mighty Miracle God Formation was linked to the outcome of this battle, so Wang Yan could not wait.
The moment Wang Yan left, Xianyu Zhongtong asked, “Young Master Wang, why did I never hear you mention the old War God before?” This matter was truly the most surprising thing he had heard today.
“With the enemy here, how could Wang Chong be in the mood to discuss such things?” Wang Chong said with a bitter smile. From a certain perspective, it wouldn’t be overboard to say that he was Su Zhengchen’s successor, but Su Zhengchen was not his master in the art of war. On the contrary, Su Zhengchen had lost to him in that aspect.
If not for the urgency of the situation, Wang Chong wouldn’t have even brought the matter up.
“Young Master is correct.”
Xianyu Zhongtong was filled with a deep awe.
“What thoughts does Young Master have on the coming battle?”
“Lord Protector-General, what are your thoughts on Mengshe Zhao Great General Duan Gequan?” Wang Chong somberly asked.
“Oh?”
Xianyu Zhongtong frowned, his expression turning grave. He had originally believed that Wang Chong would ask him about the Vajra God Formation. He didn’t think Wang Chong would ask about Duan Gequan.
“I didn’t want to say anything, but since Young Master has asked, I’ll say it straight. In this war, the one I’m worried about the most isn’t Huoshu Huicang, but Duan Gequan.”
Xianyu Zhongtong had an extremely solemn expression. In the time that Wang Chong had known him, this was his first time seeing Xianyu Zhongtong so serious.
Wang Chong sat upright and indicated that he was willing to listen.
“Wolves stand out in the open. No matter how vicious or numerous they are, you can mentally prepare yourself to face them. But a venomous snake hiding in the grass can’t be seen or heard, so you can’t defend yourself against it. Duan Gequan is this venomous snake.”
In the darkness, Xianyu Zhongtong spoke a set of words that shocked Wang Chong. Xianyu Zhongtong gave off the impression of an honest, loyal, and upright individual.
Wang Chong had never imagined that Xianyu Zhongtong would have such a high evaluation of Duan Gequan, nor that Xianyu Zhongtong, though seeming careless and crude, was actually keeping a close eye on everything.
“Lord Protector-General, what happened at the battle of Erhai?”
Wang Chong finally voiced the question that concerned him the most. He was sure that Xianyu Zhongtong would have never said such words if he had not experienced that most miserable and unforgettable experience.
Xianyu Zhongtong’s eyes twitched, his face twisting in his reluctance to think back.
“Duan Gequan has never been one to rashly move out. He’s always staring at you, watching, seeking out your weaknesses, until he can deliver the fatal blow at the crucial moment.”
A bloody light emerged in Xianyu Zhongtong’s eyes. The battle of Erhai would always be the greatest defeat of his life, the deepest disgrace, the nightmare that he would never be able to forget.
Even when Wang Chong asked, he was still unwilling to recall those things.
The banner flapped in the wind, and as Wang Chong looked at that protector-general who was bound to be cursed by the world, he saw the pain, hatred, and shame in his eyes, and felt deeply moved.
Wang Chong’s understanding of Xianyu Zhongtong had always come from the mouths of others, from the gossip about him on the streets of the capital. Besides this, Wang Chong knew nothing else of him.
For the first time, Wang Chong was understanding the world deep within the mind of this ‘criminal of the Great Tang’.
“I understand.”
Wang Chong earnestly nodded.
“I’ll have to trouble Milord with Duan Gequan. In addition, Wang Chong has another matter that he would like to discuss with Lord Protector-General.”
“Oh?”
Slightly moved, Xianyu Zhongtong finally showed a sliver of surprise.
No one knew what they discussed, only that Xianyu Zhongtong left very late.
“Young Master, rest at ease. If that situation really does occur, Xianyu will pay any price to hold him down.”
Xianyu Zhongtong had an incredibly serious expression on his face.
“Then I’ll have to trouble Lord Protector-General,” Wang Chong said as he sent him off.
Once Xianyu Zhongtong left, the summit returned to silence. Wang Chong stood alone beneath the banner, his mind unsettled. The state of the battle meant that what he could do was extremely limited.
No one knew how this battle would end up, not Huoshu Huicang, Dalun Ruozan, Wang Chong, or Xianyu Zhongtong. But Wang Chong did know that the outcome of this battle would soon be decided.
“I wonder how Dalun Ruozan is doing?”
Wang Chong suddenly thought about his opponent down below. Although his situation was poor, Wang Chong knew that Dalun Ruozan’s situation was certainly not much better.
……
Dalun Ruozan’s situation truly was very poor.
“Reporting! Another twenty soldiers fell ill from the climate and were sent to Mengshe Zhao’s military physicians.”
A Tibetan messenger kneeled on the ground, his head lowered. More than seven such messengers were lined up in the tent.
Another Tibetan messenger finally couldn’t help but say, “Great Minister, the food of Mengshe Zhao is not suitable for us. The soldiers are all suffering diarrhea. Great Minister must think of a way to resolve the food problem.”
“I know. You’re all dismissed.”
Dalun Ruozan waved his hand, in a foul mood.
A voice came from behind him. “We can’t last for too long. We nomads still can’t adapt to their food.” The god-like figure of Huoshu Huicang was standing like an unmoving statue behind Dalun Ruozan.
Dalun Ruozan gave a long sigh.
Huoshu Huicang was right, and how could he not know of it?
The entire Tibetan army was currently eating the food of Mengshe Zhao. The problem of hunger was temporarily addressed, but the entire army was suffering diarrhea.
A few of the soldiers had such fierce bouts of diarrhea that they even fainted.
This was the result of Tibetan stomachs failing to adapt to Mengshe Zhao food.
And for the Tibetans, the ultimate result was a swift plunge in the fighting power of the army. If this continued, in five to seven days, the Tibetan army would lose the ability to threaten the Annan Protectorate army.
“We no longer have any other method. This is our last resort. Right now, this war is about who can last the longest, who will fall first. We cannot retreat now, nor do we have the ability to.
“If we can’t occupy the southwest, the heavy price we have paid will be for nothing,” Dalun Ruozan harshly declared.