The Records of the Human Emperor

Chapter 241: Phantom Steps!

Wang Chong chuckled inwardly. Miyasame Ayaka was much smarter than he thought.

Since that’s the case, I need not say anything about it, Wang Chong thought.

Given that ten people had ‘vanished into thin air’, it was impossible that the Goguryeons hadn’t realized anything yet. Wang Chong’s ambushes would only grow harder and harder from this point on.

“Gongzi, what do we do next?” Miyasame Ayaka asked, kneeling on the ground.

“Hehe, since they’re on their guard now, we just have to change location. Miyasame, you have recalled the faces of all those Goguryeons, right?” Wang Chong asked.

“Yes. Our men are keeping an eye on the Goguryeon warriors, ” Miyasame Ayaka replied respectfully.

Even though Wang Chong’s activities had been mainly directed at this Goguryeon gathering point, his operation wasn’t just limited to here.

Every single Goguryeon that Wang Chong uncovered was being tracked, and the gathering points they headed to had been noted down.

Even though this was the first Goguryeon gathering point uncovered, there were many subsequent discoveries.

“A cunning hare has three burrows”. In a place like the capital, it was impossible for the Goguryeons to have just a single gathering point.

“Are we going to strike the other gathering points now?” Miyasame Ayaka raised her head and asked.

“Heh, there’s no rush to it.” Wang Chong chuckled as he waved his hands lightly. Having killed so many Goguryeons, he should let the matter die down for a time. Besides, there was something else he had to do.

------

“Chong-er, come over.”

It was deep in the night, in the main hall of Big Uncle Wang Gen’s residence. Dressed in a loose robe with a pin holding his hair in place, Wang Gen gestured to Wang Chong from his seat, his expression kind.

Placed before him was a china plate, with two cups of fragrant tea on it. White steam rose from the cup and gradually faded into the surroundings. Placed on another wooden table were five plates of exquisitely-prepared light snacks.

From the preparations made, it seemed like Wang Gen knew that Wang Chong would be here.

“Big Uncle!” With a slight smile, Wang Chong bowed deeply. In the past month, Big Uncle’s complexion had improved greatly. It seemed as though he had been getting along well, and even the authority he exuded naturally had grown.

“Congratulations, Big Uncle. It seems like you’ve been promoted once more,” Wang Chong chuckled.

“You brat, what nonsense are you spouting? At my current position, taking even a step forward is as difficult as ascending the heavens. How can I possibly be promoted that easily?” Big Uncle Wang Gen reprimanded jokingly.

He would have never allowed Wang Chong to crack this kind of joke to his face in the past, but at the current moment, he was becoming more and more satisfied with this nephew of his.

It was impossible for him to be promoted, but it was the truth that his influence in the royal court was growing.

And this was linked to Wang Chong in every single way. While the regional commanders incident was full of bumps, it eventually brought the prestige of the Wang Clan to greater heights. At the same time, it won the support of many officials as well.

Also, considering the close relationship between the Wang and the Song, the reinstatement of King Song had benefited the Wang Clan greatly as well. Naturally, Wang Gen’s standing in the royal court would improve in step.

“You came for Yang Zhao’s matter?” Wang Gen asked.

“Un,” Wang Gen smiled. “Big Uncle, what’s the current situation in the royal court?”

“What else can happen? Zhangchou Jianqiong can only forcibly push his way through. After all, considering that a military official from the borders suddenly barged into the affairs of the royal court, there’s bound to be a lot of people who can’t accept it. Rather, it would be a wonder if he could enter the central circle of politics that easily.”

Wang Gen sipped on his tea before knocking on the seat beside him with his forefinger. Understanding his intentions, Wang Chong walked over to his side with a smile and sat down.

“Chong-er, let me ask you once more. Are you certain that Zhangchou Jianqiong would be able to enter the royal court?” Wang Gen put down his teacup and asked grimly. This was a matter with huge implications. He had to confirm it.

“Of course, that person is supporting him as well,” Wang Chong said, pointing to the roof.

Wang Gen frowned. A person as intelligent as him couldn’t possibly not understand what Wang Chong meant. Pointing to the heavens… naturally, this referred to the Sage Emperor.

Considering the Sage Emperor’s position, it should be impossible for there to be any interaction between him and Zhangchou Jianqiong. 

While Zhangchou Jianqiong did guard Jiannan for several decades, he hadn’t achieved any merits. Given a portfolio such as his, it should be impossible for him to enter the Bureau of Military Personnel.

Since it wasn’t the intention of the Sage Emperor, that left only one person.

Consort Taizhen!

In the blink of an eye, many thoughts flashed across Wang Gen’s mind. Consort Taizhen and Yang Zhao were cousins, and Yang Zhao did have some past dealings with Zhangchou Jianqiong.

It wasn’t too hard to make the connection.

The Sage Emperor had never shown much interest in ladies, but for some reason, he was possessed of an exceptional fancy for Consort Taizhen. In fact, for her, he was willing to stand against nearly the entire court and demote King Song.

If Consort Taizhen was intent on pushing Zhangchou Jianqiong into the royal court, then this could indeed be considered to be the Sage Emperor’s intention as well. No matter how poor Zhangchou Jianqiong’s contributions were, or how strong the opposition against him was, with the backing of the Sage Emperor, he would still be able to get into the central court’s politics.

“Chong-er…” Wang Gen glanced at Wang Chong, and complicated emotions flashed across his eyes. Young though he might be, Wang Chong possessed a great talent for politics that even he had to acknowledge.

If it was in the past, Wang Gen might have still felt a little envious, but now… it was a huge fortune for the Wang Clan that they had found such a strong leader in Wang Chong!

“I know what I should do,” Wang Gen nodded. “I’ll step forward tomorrow and officially declare my support for Zhangchou Jianqiong. Those sly bastards of the royal court are probably just waiting for someone to stand at the forefront to take the brunt of the blow.”

Wang Chong chuckled inwardly at his Big Uncle’s words. The others were indeed harboring such thoughts, but the same could be said about Big Uncle as well.

“Right, Big Uncle, where has Cousin Zhuyan gone?” Wang Chong asked.

“You don’t know?” Wang Gen frowned in surprise, “Zhuyan went to Shenwei Training Camp, she didn’t tell you about it?”

Wang Chong shook his head. He thought that this second sister of his would come to Kunwu as well. He never could have imagined that she would move on to the more awe-inspiring Shenwei Training Camp.

But thinking about it, it was indeed her style to do so!

---

Leaving Big Uncle’s residence, Wang Chong went to the Falling Jade Pavilion. It had been two months since he had liaised with the secret organization of the alchemists.

He currently had six pills available for purchase.

To Wang Chong, the pills from the royal court were indeed the best resource he had to raise his cultivation swiftly. After paying a hefty sum, Wang Chong obtained what he needed from Six-fingered Zhang.

Four pills to raise his cultivation, and two recovery pills!

After accepting them, Wang Chong immediately consumed the cultivation pills.

Hong long!

Consuming four pills consecutively, Wang Chong’s aura surged. In a short moment, it rose to a level comparable to Origin Energy Tier 8.

Hong long!  An earth-shaking explosion sounded, and a crisp sound echoed ceaselessly from Wang Chong’s body. Origin Energy surged through his body, washing his bones and muscles.

All of a sudden, he found the faint voices in the distance becoming clearer and much more distinct. At the same time, his eyesight also grew much sharper.

The darkness before him seemed to have thinned slightly.

“Congratulations, gongzi. You’ve finally reached Origin Energy Tier 8!” Miyasame Ayaka bowed deeply. As soon as she felt the changes Wang Chong had undergone, she immediately understood his plans.

His plan was actually rather simple. He would use the pills here to advance to Origin Energy Tier 8, and with his higher cultivation, it would be easier for him to carry out his ambushes.

“Hehe, indeed. Finally!” Feeling the immense energy flowing through his body, Wang Chong was delighted. Having reached Origin Energy Tier 8, his eyesight and strength would be augmented greatly.

More importantly, with the enhanced concentration of his Origin Energy, he would be able to cultivate a speed-type secret art.

Strength, dexterity, and speed, these were all essential to a martial artist.

With just her Spectre Step itself, Miyasame Ayaka was able to become a top-notch assassin. But Wang Chong’s goal was much higher!

“Only with a sharpened ax can a tree be felled”. If Wang Chong were to raise his speed, strength, and dexterity, dealing with those Goguryeon would be a much easier feat for him.

Weng!

Thus, Wang Chong began immersing his entire self in his training, and in a single breath, he trained his Might of the Barbaric God to 8-dan. With this breakthrough, his burst power was now comparable to a weaker Origin Energy realm 9-dan martial artist.

Even without utilizing the Sword Qi of Massacre, he would be able to be rival an expert of such caliber.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Wang Chong contemplated for a short moment before deciding on a speed-type secret art he should learn.

Phantom Steps!

This secret art was very similar to Miyasame Ayaka’s Spectre Steps in the sense that it was heavily focused on light and inconspicuous, yet swift movements. However, Phantom Steps didn’t possess the huge flaw that Spectre Steps did, and its cultivation would not result in severe injuries or even death.

In comparison to Spectre Steps, this movement technique was much more complete and wholesome.

Weng!

Surge after surge of Origin Energy gushed through Wang Chong’s body, but unlike other cultivation techniques he had practiced, after a circuit around his body, the surges of Origin Energy gushed into the acupoints and meridians in his feet.

The feet were the core to a human’s movements. As such, be it the Spectre Steps or Phantom Steps, the meridians and acupoints required for both techniques were centered in the legs.

This was Wang Chong’s first time cultivating a speed-type secret art, so it wasn’t easy for him, either. However, with the unassimilated, lingering medicinal energy from the four pills he had just consumed, Wang Chong still managed to open up a huge bunch of meridians and acupoints on his feet.

Peng peng peng!

A crisp sound echoed forth, reflecting the paving open of countless meridians and acupoints…

---

Two days later...

Sou!

A shadow suddenly flashed past. Like a phantom, a silhouette slipped across the room and flitted out of the door, disappearing from the room in the blink of an eye.

Before Miyasame Ayaka, who was guarding the door, could process what had happened, she suddenly saw a familiar figure standing before her.

“Go-gongzi!”

Wang Chong’s sudden appearance beneath the moon astonished Miyasame Ayaka. Her eyes were wide with disbelief as she stared at Wang Chong in shock.

As a full-fledged assassin, her senses were far sharper than her peers. But even so, she had failed to notice anything when Wang Chong disappeared from the room and slipped by her.

Even from such a close distance, she actually couldn’t feel Wang Chong’s presence at all. In fact, she found that the figure before her looked a little blurred out and indistinctive in her sight.

“What kind of technique is this?” Miyasame Ayaka was stunned. She could sense that Wang Chong’s footwork technique was even more formidable than her own!