Chapter 542: Constantly on the Run! Wang Chong's Harassing Attacks!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

"The Martial General Halo, as seen from its name, is targeted against elite experts at the General level. It
can be overlapped with the Bane of the Battlefield Halo."

The Stone of Destiny's voice resounded in his mind.

Wang Chong frowned and asked, "Does the Martial General Halo have any other halo effects besides the
Bane of Generals? Or is the Martial General Halo only the Bane of Generals Halo?"

"The Martial General Halo is not limited to the Bane of Generals Halo. It can also target other categories,
such as the Arabian Halo and the Charax Spasinu Halo, but user must first obtain these!" the voice once
more replied.

"The Arabian Halo…"

Wang Chong's heart pounded at the mention of this name, and thousands of thoughts ran through his
mind for a second. Wang Chong had vaguely grasped something, but after thinking about it carefully, he
felt like he had grasped nothing at all.

"How do I officially activate the Bane of Generals Halo?" Wang Chong sternly asked.

The Bane of the Battlefield Halo was extremely powerful, its existence on the battlefield almost heaven-
defying. But this halo's flaw was also very obvious: it had absolutely no effect on general-class
individuals. Thus, whether it was Bachicheng, Batunlu, or Fengjiayi and the other elite experts, Wang
Chong's halo was completely useless against them.

But if he had the Bane of Generals Halo, everything would be different.

Although the 'Trial of Destiny' had temporarily stopped Wang Chong from gaining any Destiny Energy
and thus any avenues of gaining strength through the use of Destiny Energy, the other avenues
remained unaffected. If he could activate the Martial General Halo, it would be a great boon to him on
the battlefield.

"The Bane of Generals Halo requires: 1. Killing ten foreign commanders; 2: Killing one Profound Martial
realm expert on the battlefield; 3: Reaching level three in the Bane of the Battlefield Halo! Only once all
three conditions are fulfilled can user officially activate the Bane of Generals Halo!"

Buzz!

Wang Chong's heart immediately sank. The first condition was bearable, but the other two conditions
were very difficult. The requirements to improve the Bane of the Battlefield rose exponentially with
each level. In the last battle, Wang Chong had led the Annan Protectorate army in killing more than fifty
thousand of Fengjiayi and Jiaosiluo's soldiers.

But Wang Chong's Bane of the Battlefield Halo still had not reached level three.

Wang Chong could only feel that he wasn't far off from reaching level three, but as for exactly how far?
Wang Chong had no idea.

And even so, he still needed to defeat a Profound Martial realm expert, and the Stone of Destiny had
also specified that it had to be on the battlefield. In other words, this condition required Wang Chong to
rely on his own strength to defeat a Profound Martial realm expert. It wasn't like Wang Chong hadn't
killed such experts before, but he had killed the majority of them when they couldn't resist, stabbing
them with the Little Yinyang Sword to absorb the last bit of Stellar Energy in their bodies.

This was clearly different from the condition that the Stone of Destiny had specified.

There's plenty of time. As long as this war goes well, I can definitely fulfill the conditions to activate the
Bane of Generals Halo!

With this thought, Wang Chong calmed down.

In normal circumstances, the Stone of Destiny's conditions would have been impossible to fulfill, but in
this large-scale war involving three countries, everything was possible. And if he could succeed, the Bane
of Generals could play a pivotal role in altering the course of this war.

Wang Chong returned to his senses and ordered with a wave of his hand, "Get ready and prepare to
depart! The Tibetans could realize at any moment that something has gone wrong. We have to start the
next phase as quickly as possible!"

Around him, the battle in the rain was already dying down. For this ambush, Wang Chong had prepared
twenty thousand soldiers. Twenty thousand elites of the Annan Protectorate army and four to five
thousand cavalry was a force completely capable of dealing with six or seven thousand Tibetan cavalry.
It had been far too easy.

The battle concluded much faster than he had imagined.

Under Wang Chong's command, the warriors of the Annan Protectorate army stripped the deceased
Tibetan cavalrymen of their armor. The highland steeds were excellent mounts, and the surviving horses
were given to the infantry to ride. With these Tibetan suits of armor and highland steeds, Wang Chong's
four thousand 'Tibetan cavalry' swelled to eight thousand.

"That's enough!"

Wang Chong gazed at these energetic 'Tibetans' who clearly did not have faces belonging to the people
of the plateau, and nodded his head. The art of war emphasized the need for the proper time,
geography, and the unity of the people. In normal circumstances, Wang Chong's tactic would have been
very difficult to utilize, but this downpour had allowed for the possibility of success.

As long as his soldiers kept their bodies pressed to their horses, they could achieve the 'perfect disguise'.

The greatest flaw was the language. The inability to speak Tibetan would easily expose the scheme, but
Wang Chong himself could resolve this problem.
It was impossible to proficiently learn Tibetan in a short time, but it was a simple matter to pick out a
few of the more intelligent soldiers and teach them a few simple phrases to reply with when being
questioned.

"Time is short. Let's go!"

After picking out a few leaders and splitting the army in two, Wang Chong quickly led the army forward
once more.

Rumble! The Annan Protectorate army split into two, one group of cavalry riding south and the other
riding north. In a few short moments, they had vanished into the rain. The entire process was as smooth
as flowing water, and it felt like they had never appeared.

……

Gallop!

Warhorses could be heard in the distance as black silhouettes approached through the rain.

"Who goes there?"

At the base of a mountain, a five-man Tibetan commander emerged from the army and led his horse out
to meet this approaching group, his voice harsh.

"It's us! We didn't manage to catch those Tang. They were too fast, damn it!" the leader of the 'Tibetans'
yelled back, his fist clenched in the air, a look of rage and helplessness on his face.

"They escaped?"

The five-man commander frowned, apparently a little unwilling to accept the result.
"But wasn't your position over there? Why did you come over to our side?"

"Eh! The wrong place?"

The Tibetan commander seemed shocked, only now realizing that he had gotten 'lost'. He lowered his
head and began to mutter to himself.

"What did you say?" the five-man commander asked, approaching closer.

"I said 'gula'…"

The Tibetan commander's voice was a little garbled.

"What did you say?"

"I said that we…"

The storm was truly too loud, and that Tibetan commander's voice became harder and harder to catch.
The five-man commander's brow furrowed, so he stopped asking and rode his horse forward.

"Hmph!"

At this moment, no one noticed a scornful look flash through the Tibetan commander's eyes as he
inwardly sneered.

His Tibetan had its limits, as he only knew what Wang Chong had taught him. The rest had been random
muttering. However, this distance was enough.

"Brothers, charge!"
With a shout, the Tibetan commander shed his disguise, his right hand suddenly raised over his head as
he gave the order to attack. Rumble! As if receiving a great shock, the dejected 'Tibetan cavalry'
suddenly raised their heads and began to explode with an astonishing aura.

"Kiiiill!"

The horse flew forward, sending rain splashing everywhere. The several thousand Annan Protectorate
soldiers instantly smashed into the unprepared Tibetan army.

……

At the same time, in another place…

"Who?"

"On the Great General's orders, we have come to reinforce the northwest!"

Under the thunder clouds, a Tibetan rode his stalwart horse forward, a banner held high as he led
thousands of cavalry through the rain.

Boom!

And then, under countless stupefied gazes, those thousands of soldiers charged into the army…

To the southeast, southwest, northeast… several places were suddenly attacked by their 'own side'.

These people were as unpredictable as ghosts, all of them dressed in Tibetan armor, making it
impossible to distinguish between Tang and Tibetan. Moreover, they appeared with all kinds of reasons,
leading the Tibetans to be completely defenseless. Their way of fighting was also fast and decisive.

Before soldiers could arrive from elsewhere, they had already retreated.
In this chaos, there were even cases where actual Tibetans attacked actual Tibetans. This continuous
turmoil caused the soldiers to panic like easily startled birds. The chain of command began to fall apart,
as nobody knew if the ones giving the orders were their officers or the Tang officers.

"Damn it! Just how many Tang are there?"

"How can we defend against it? They're even wearing our armor!"

"It's impossible to see anything clearly in this rain! And it's getting darker and darker, making the task
even more difficult!"

……

The Tibetan commanders clenched their fists in irritation.

At any other time, this tactic would be suicidal. But right now, the army was attempting to exterminate
Xianyu Zhongtong's army on the summit. There were no troops available to hunt down the enemy at
their rear. Moreover, there was also an inescapable and objective fact: although the army had set out at
dawn, with all the chasing, fighting, and getting lost, it was now approaching dusk. Even if the thunder
clouds dispersed, it was no longer the right period to do any searching.

More importantly, despite all the times the Tang army had attacked, the Tibetans still didn't know how
many soldiers they had.

At the start, the Tibetans had believed that there was only one group. Even though multiples place were
being attacked, their opponents were just using the rain to deceive the Tibetans. But this wasn't the
case later on, because there were times when three places were under simultaneous and large-scale
assaults.

Coupled with the fact that these people left as quickly as they came, not even the valorous generals of
the Ngari Royal Lineage could determine how many people were hidden in this dark night, much less the
ordinary soldier.
……

"What are these Tibetans doing?"

At the same time, on the peak of a high mountain, a fully-armored general of the Annan Protectorate
looked down the mountain, his brows furrowed in thought. He had a scar on his left brow and gave off
an aura as thick and heavy as a mountain.

"Or are they playing a ruse so as to bait us out?" proposed another general, tall and thin. His armor was
spattered with blood and covered in scars left behind by scimitars. It was obvious that he had
experienced many fierce battles. In the southwest, veterans like these were fierce and courageous
generals.

"They're not!"

The general with the scar on his left brow shook his head and said profoundly, "Although I also thought
that the Tibetans were trying to bait us out or make us put down our guard, it's clearly not the case!
Huoshu Huicang has a very high opinion of himself, and given his personality, he would never lower
himself to use such tactics while he holds the upper hand. It would be like drawing legs on a snake. And
besides… this certainly doesn't look like any play!"

Chapter Notes:

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Chapter 543: The Fierce Tiger Leaves the Gate! Huoshu Huicang's Strike
Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

"But right now, who in the southwestern territory can help us? Could it be the Wang Clan father and
son? But shouldn't they be far away by now? Did they come back to help us?"

The tall and thin general grew increasingly doubtful. Subconsciously, he turned to look at his Protector-
General, Xianyu Zhongtong.

Xianyu Zhongtong had been appointed by the previous protector-general, Zhangchou Jianqiong. If it
wasn't for this incident, even though he lacked the qualifications to completely command the obedience
of these soldiers, even though the soldiers still held some objections, all of them would have accepted
this result for the sake of Zhangchou Jianqiong. But right now…

Everyone knew that the Annan Protectorate army was only united on the surface while internally a
complete mess. Otherwise, a large portion of its soldiers wouldn't have left with the Wang Clan father
and son.

However, despite this, there were still many people in the protectorate army who were willing to follow
Xianyu Zhongtong, the successor appointed by Zhangchou Jianqiong.

Victory and defeat were both commonplace for a soldier, and a defeat in battle was not necessarily the
fault of a soldier. In the view of a general, the mobilization of both Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang, a total of
over five hundred thousand soldiers, was not something the Annan Protectorate army could ever have
dealt with.

Mengshe Zhao had never before worked with Ü-Tsang. Even if Protector-General Zhangchou Jianqiong
were here, he would probably be similarly helpless.

"I don't know…"

Xianyu Zhongtong looked down the mountain in silence. To tell the truth, he had rather complicated
feelings about the Wang Clan father and son, but these feelings were far from anything that could be
described as hatred. On the contrary, he felt some gratitude. If the youngest son of the Wang Clan
hadn't built Lion City, and if the Wang Clan father and son hadn't brought soldiers and rallied the morale
of his own troops, the southwest army would have probably already been wiped out.

Xianyu Zhongtong had always understood that while his talent and understanding of the art of war was
more than enough to be a general, it was also far from enough to be an influential Imperial Protector-
General whose words could shake the world.

But everything had been decided by Lord Zhangchou Jianqiong, and even Xianyu Zhongtong could only
accept it.

However, no matter what, he was solely responsible for the current plight of the Annan Protectorate
army.

"Although I don't know what's going on, there's one thing that I can be sure of. The one commanding
the troops below isn't Wang Yan or his son!"

Xianyu Zhongtong took in a deep breath as he broke free of his stupor. Even if these generals might only
be loyal to him on the surface, as the commander-in-chief, Xianyu Zhongtong still had the duty of
leading his soldiers out of this predicament.

"…Wang Yan's style is clean and excessively cautious. Given his temperament, he would never use this
sort of surprise-attack strategy. As for Wang Fu, his intelligence and flexibility surpass his father's, as
well as mine, but… he still wouldn't be able to pull off such a feat!"

Xianyu Zhongtong had followed the Lord Protector-General for many years, and though his strength
hadn't reached that level, his insight had.

"But if it isn't the Wang Clan father and son, who else could it be?" the southwest general with the scar
on his left brow asked in surprise.
Of all the generals of the southwest at present, those who could match or exceed Xianyu Zhongtong's
level in strategy and tactics were only the Wang Clan father and son. But if not even they could pull off
this sort of strategy, just who was it that was leading these attacks against the Tibetans?

The general with the scar on his left brow was stupefied, this answer completely catching him by
surprise.

"Could it be that another formidable figure has appeared in the southwest? Could it be Li Zhengyi? But
didn't he die in battle?"

This general's mind was in turmoil.

"There's no need to overthink it. No matter where he comes from, there's one thing we can be sure of:
he's a friend, not an enemy! Pass on my order! All soldiers should do their utmost to hold the Tibetans
down."

Xianyu Zhongtong's eyes flashed as he raised his right arm and gave the order.

And with Xianyu Zhongtong's order, the entire army rumbled to life.

Although he was no master of reckless offensives and proactive assaults, he was a mighty general when
it came to infantry defense. Thus, even though Huoshu Huicang had double Xianyu Zhongtong's number
of troops, he was still unable to break down Xianyu Zhongtong's forces.

"Kiiiill!"

War drums thundered as cries of battle filled the sky. The army once more plunged into an intense
battle.

……

"Milord, we've been attacked in the southwest!"

"The enemy disguised as our own forces and we've been dealt heavy casualties!"

"If this continues, the army will collapse!"

"Milord, the southeast has been attacked again!"

……

At the base of the mountain, Huoshu Huicang was seated on a highland steed that was taller than a
man. Around him, messenger after messenger was riding forward. At the start, Huoshu Huicang had not
really cared about these irritating attacks. If battles could be won through these troublemaking
methods, battles wouldn't need to be fought. Everyone would just use these strategies.

As the personal commander of one hundred thousand soldiers and the commander-in-chief of the more
than two hundred thousand elites of the Ngari Royal Lineage, Huoshu Huicang thought of these
methods as childish tricks, or to describe it more accurately, self-destruction.

But what happened next was completely beyond his expectations.

The southeast, the southwest, the northwest… his army was being attacked from every angle, and the
order of attack had been completely disrupted.

The army in four places was in absolute turmoil, and there was no way to order them to attack.

Through these harassing attacks, a mere few thousand cavalry had managed to throw an army of one
hundred thousand into utter mayhem. Even someone with Huoshu Huicang's insight could have never
conceived this sort of plan.

"When did such a formidable figure appear in the Annan Protectorate army?!"

Huoshu Huicang's eyes shone with almost physical rays of chilling light.
After all these harassing attacks, Huoshu Huicang finally began to realize that he had made a mistake.
His enemy's abilities in the art of war were stupendous and not something any normal general could
possess. To put it more accurately, before this, Huoshu Huicang had never believed that anyone could
make harassing attacks produce this much of an effect.

"Milord, what should we do? What if your subordinate takes some soldiers and focuses on dealing with
them?"

Longqinba's familiar voice rang out by his ear. This Tiger General was already furious at the chaos caused
by these raids, but he didn’t feel that there was anything to be afraid of. If he could catch them once, he
could immediately slay them all.

But for some reason, he had not managed to catch them even once.

It was like he was snatching at air. He had laid down many ambushes, but none of them had managed to
seize the enemy. Longqinba had begun to wonder if his own luck was absolutely awful or if there was
some other reason behind his failures.

"There's no need!"

Huoshu Huicang waved his hands.

"A large-scale mobilization can't be hidden from the enemy's eyes and ears. Moreover, this will result in
a scattering of our forces. Most importantly… someone is already keeping a watch on you. It doesn't
matter where you go; you won't be able to do anything!"

With these final words, Huoshu Huicang looked at this trusted general with a profound gaze.

"!!!"

The dissatisfied Longqinba was instantly dumbfounded.

Huoshu Huicang coldly snorted and indifferently said, "Hmph, did you really think that you still haven't
been able to encounter the enemy once just because your luck was bad?"

He had never believed in coincidence, only in his own eyes. Longqinba was definitely being watched.

"But how could that be possible?" Longqinba said, his face covered in shock. There were a hundred
thousand Tibetan warriors here, the base of the mountain range dense with their ranks. How could the
enemy pin down his position? In truth, if he were in the enemy's position, even Longqinba would have
found it difficult to keep track of where he was.

In truth, this was simply impossible.

This answer was too shocking, and it was far more important than the fact that Longqinba wasn't able to
catch the raiders and give them a harsh lesson.

"There is nothing in this world that is impossible," Huoshu Huicang lightly said. Ignoring Longqinba, he
slowly raised his chin, seeming to unintentionally look up to the sky. Longqinba was left alone with his
thoughts.

"No! It's not impossible!"

Longqinba had a flash of insight, and his entire body trembled in shock. He suddenly raised his head,
following Huoshu Huicang's to look up at the sky. Above him, the dark clouds hung low, lightning snaking
through them and the pouring rain pounding against his face.

But there was nothing else in those dark clouds.

"No, there must be something!"

Longqinba clenched his fists, an indescribable feeling in his heart. Although he couldn't see anything, he
felt certain that there was something behind those clouds.
"It seems like your reaction isn't that slow!" Huoshu Huicang indifferently said, his voice much calmer
now. Although Longqinba had been a little slow, he had finally responded. In this rainy weather and the
vast number of Tibetans around them, accurately keeping an eye on one person's movements was
almost impossible. But 'almost impossible' was not the same as 'impossible'.

At the very least, if one looked down from the skies, Longqinba's movements were no secret.

"The enemy has most likely concluded that as commander-in-chief, I have to remain in the middle of the
army to oversee the troops, and there are only a few people that I can send. Bachicheng is guarding the
passes, and Jiaosiluo is with the Mengshe Zhao Crown Prince, so only you few are left. Of the Five Tiger
Generals, you are the strongest, so they only need to keep an eye on you."

Huoshu Huicang's eyes glowed like torches, seeming to see the truth. If Wang Chong were here and
heard these words, he would definitely be stunned, because this really was the truth. Huoshu Huicang
was praised in the southwest as someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Zhangchou
Jianqiong. It now seemed that this really was the case and that he could not be underestimated.

"Longqinba, go to the southeast and lure them over. As for me… this farce has gone on long enough. It's
time for me to step out as well!"

Huoshu Huicang waved his hand and pressed on the flanks of his horse, galloping to the southwest with
several dozen of his personal guards.

"No matter who you are, as long as you continue this game, you'll definitely come over… I will be
waiting!"

Huoshu Huicang closed his eyes. His face was cold and emotionless, but his mind was a hive of activity.

Although he had remained in the middle of the army this entire time, he had not come away empty-
handed. The Tang attacks seemed random and disorderly, but Huoshu Huicang had already caught on to
their pattern. If everything went as expected, their next assault would be on the southwest.

And no matter who his enemy was, this time… he would wipe them all out!
As this thought flashed through his mind, Huoshu Huicang drew back his aura, becoming like a ghost as
he swiftly vanished into the storm.

Chapter 544: Confrontation! The Invisible Contest!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

"Young Master, where should we attack next?"

Under the cover of the dark rainstorm, Wang Chong and Old Eagle gathered up their soaked soldiers.
Wang Chong's strategy had already shown its effectiveness. The Tibetan army surrounding the mountain
range was in chaos and could no longer wholeheartedly attack the Annan Protectorate army.

In all of his career, Old Eagle had never fought in such a carefree and contented manner.

It had felt like dancing on the edge of a blade. They had been fighting more than one hundred thousand
Tibetan cavalry, and the slightest mistake would have resulted in instant death. But under Wang Chong's
arrangements, each strike was more frightening than risky. It had felt like they had the Tibetans in the
palms of their hands, stirring them into complete turmoil.

This was completely different from what Old Eagle had imagined, the cold-blooded and cruel battlefield
where one could die at any moment!

For a moment, Old Eagle even had to admit that he had become intoxicated by this feeling.

"We can no longer attack!"

To Old Eagle's surprise, Wang Chong completely rejected the notion.

"Don't forget that the Tibetans have Huoshu Huicang. Our success was partially because we had the
right plan, but another part was that Huoshu Huicang underestimated us. He might have ignored us
earlier, but now that things have reached this point, if Huoshu Huicang doesn't come out, he'll truly be
letting down his title of Great General!"

"Ah!"

Old Eagle was dumbfounded.

That feeling of playing around with the one hundred thousand Tibetan soldiers, of having a powerful
opponent in the palm of one's hand, had been so intoxicating that they had momentarily forgotten that
the Tibetan army had still not moved. Huoshu Huicang, as the Great General presiding over the center of
the Tibetan army, had never budged from his position.

As if a bucket of water had been poured over his head, Old Eagle shivered and came back to his senses.

Individuals on the level of Imperial Great General were all influential people. Though their strength
couldn't completely reverse the tides of a battle, they could still decide between victory and defeat. In
their current status, they were fine if they didn't run into Huoshu Huicang, but if they did, their four or
five thousand cavalry were truly useless against someone of his level.

At the very least, it was an easy task for him to deal them a heavy blow.

They could get lucky for a moment, but they couldn't be lucky forever!

"After playing so long, it's about time to put away the toys!"

Wang Chong glanced at Old Eagle and paused.

"Moreover, did you forget what our goal was?"

"Young Master's lesson is correct. I was being careless."

Bzzt! Old Eagle shivered, his body breaking out into a cold sweat. Indeed, from the very start, Wang
Chong had clearly stated that the goal of these constant harassing attacks was not pure slaughter. With
their army alone, it was simply impossible to rout Huoshu Huicang's army.

Their goal had only been to hold them down!

But this was not their ultimate goal.

"Milord, what should we do next?" Old Eagle sternly said.

"Hmph! After harassing them for so long, it's time for us to move to the next step! Pass on my order and
tell them to begin to move! In addition, send a message to Protector-General Xianyu on the summit.
Without their cooperation, we won't be able to do this."

Wang Chong's gaze crossed through the vast distances to rest on the summit of that mountain.

The Great Tang would engage in a decisive battle with Ü-Tsang, but that day was not today, not now.
The task at hand was to lead Xianyu Zhongtong and the tens of thousands of troops under him safely out
of this area. This was the true goal of this undertaking!

"Yes, Young Master!" Old Eagle firmly replied, his attitude one of absolute respect. He paused and then
remembered something.

"Then, Young Master, I'll also call back the others."

"No!"
Wang Chong shook his head, a profound look in his eyes. As he looked up at the thick thunder clouds
overhead, an astonishing light flashed through his eyes.

"They have to continue. If they don't continue, how can we succeed?"

Old Eagle was flabbergasted, looking in confusion at Wang Chong, clueless as to what he was thinking.
Wang Chong had just rejected his suggestion, but now he was saying that the attacks had to continue.

These were two completely different decisions, leaving Old Eagle utterly perplexed as to what Wang
Chong was thinking.

“Hah!”

Wang Chong knew what Old Eagle was thinking, but he only chuckled, giving no further explanation.
Slowly turning his head, Wang Chong peered into the gloom, looking toward the southwestern region of
the mountain range.

Huoshu Huicang, if everything goes as planned, you should be there, right? With your intelligence,
you've definitely noticed! But unfortunately…

Wang Chong's eyes shone with a fiery light as he ended this line of thought.

In this world, Huoshu Huicang was definitely one of the most elite existences. Individuals on the level of
Imperial Great Generals were on a completely different from ordinary renowned and valorous generals,
both in intelligence and in martial arts.

A normal general would truly be no match for Huoshu Huicang. Alas, Huoshu Huicang was facing Wang
Chong. Not even this Great General of the Ü-Tsang Empire could have imagined that his opponent had
been praised by the entire world as 'War Saint' in his last life!

I didn't think that we would finally contend against each other, even if it's only through this method for
now… Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
In his last life, one of Wang Chong's greatest regrets was that he had missed out on that generation of
greats, lost out on the chance to match wits with those dazzling Imperial Great Generals and Marshals
whose reputations had been known throughout the world.

This was the generation where the stars of generals shone brilliantly in the night sky, but in his last life,
when he had become the most renowned War Saint, there were no more brilliant generals to contend
with.

This had always been one of Wang Chong's profound regrets.

And now, his wish had been fulfilled.

…Despite the fact that this confrontation between generals would decide the fate of the Great Tang and
Ü-Tsang for the next several decades and the almost one million civilians of the southwest!

This war was one that Wang Chong couldn't lose.

"Old Eagle, come over. In a little while, I'll have an order for you to carry out!"

Wang Chong came back to his senses, his eyes regaining their focus.

"Yes, Young Master!"

Old Eagle's eyes brightened as Wang Chong whispered into his ear. In the end, he gave a deferential
'yes' and swiftly left to carry out the order.

……

The darkness at the base of the mountains seemed still, especially when compared to that earth-shaking
battle taking place around the mountains, where thundering war drums resounded through the
heavens.
Those Tang soldiers wearing Tibetan armor and riding highland steeds had affected the disposition of
the Tibetan army, drawing away a large number of their soldiers. At the base of the mountain, all the
soldiers were standing on guard, their primary mission not to deal with Xianyu Zhongtong and the
Annan Protectorate army, but to deal with the phantom-like Tang army.

The skies continued to darken as the day grew late.

To the southwest, a group of people were warily peering through the gloomy storm.

Rumble!

Thunder pealed as the sound of horse hooves could be heard in the distance. It had been almost
inaudible first, but the sound was gradually growing louder. The Tibetans instantly grew tense.

"Who goes there? Halt! No one is permitted to approach!"

A Tibetan officer placed his hands on his scimitar as he shouted in Tibetan into the rain.

"Take off your helmet and state your name and rank!"

Behind the officer, more and more Tibetans rode forward, their eyes fixed on the distance as they pulled
out their scimitars. However, this was all they did. None of them acted recklessly, as they had made the
mistake several times of attacking their own people.

Their minds were in panic at the moment. On one hand, they had to doubt the identity of these visitors,
but on the other hand, they had to worry about mistakenly killing their own people. Until they had
determined the identity of these visitors, all the Tibetans were stuck in a dilemma.

Gallop!

The horses continued to gallop closer, and finally, black and malevolent figures emerged out of the rain
as if emerging from the netherworld.
"Don't do anything. We're on your side!"

A Tibetan voice emerged out of the dark night. As those people spoke, they quickly approached.

Bzzt!

Not only did the atmosphere not lighten up, it grew even tenser. Fifty Tibetan cavalrymen pressed their
hands against their scimitars, the veins bulging on their arms.

"Take off your helmets!"

"Stop! Don't get any closer!"

"Just who in the world are you?"

"Bastard, didn't we say to not get any closer?"

……

Everyone began to get nervous, because as they were speaking, those horsemen continued to approach,
not stopping at all.

"We're not enemies!"

That voice came out from the darkness as it continued to get closer.

"Everyone, be careful. There's something off about these fellows!"

Even the slowest among them could tell how tense the atmosphere was now. After all that they had
experienced, everyone was extremely careful.

But none of them dared to strike, as they still could not be sure who the horsemen were.

The rain continued to pour down, drowning out all noise. No one could be sure that these horsemen had
heard them. After all, such things had happened before.

“Hmph!”

Someone coldly snorted. No one noticed that one of the people in the crowd had clenched their fists as
they watched those black silhouettes slowly approach, and begun to laugh the grim laugh of death.

When everyone else was worried about the oncoming horsemen, that person looked at them like they
were ants walking to their deaths.

"Come!"

Huoshu Huicang looked at the approaching horsemen like they were corpses.

At this moment, Huoshu Huicang was dressed in the armor of an ordinary soldier and had withdrawn his
aura. He had concealed any sign that he was an Imperial Great General.

Even Longqinba probably wouldn't be able to recognize him, not even if he was standing right next to
him. However, this ordinary soldier still contained that strength that could annihilate an entire unit of
soldiers.

Six hundred zhang!

Five hundred zhang!

Four hundred zhang!

As the horsemen got closer and closer, Huoshu Huicang remained hidden and unmoved, but the killing
intent in his eyes thickened.

Three hundred zhang!

This distance was already quite dangerous. If they continued… if they went forward just a little more,
these people would enter his range. And as long as they were less than one hundred zhang from him,
not a single one of them would be able to escape.

The strength of a single Imperial Great General could easily annihilate them.

Bzzt!

The horse hooves suddenly stopped. Without any warning, this unit of horsemen had suddenly stopped
moving.

Twangtwangtwang!

Before anyone could react, bows twanged, and a sky-covering volley of arrows landed on the Tibetan
army.

"Aaaaah!"

Screams filled the air as this sudden assault stupefied everyone. Even Huoshu Huicang was left
astonished. Not even he had expected these people to change their plans and use arrows to attack.

And even more shocking was what happened after that!

Rumble! Warhorses neighed as these strange black silhouettes immediately turned around and fled as
soon as they fired their volley of arrows.

Before anyone else could react, this army was already at a distance of five hundred zhang!

Astonishment! Surprise! Shock!

Countless complicated expressions appeared on the faces of the Tibetans, all of them stunned by this
sight.

"Kill them!"

Rumble! While everyone was still stunned by this sudden turn of events, a person leaped out, pursuing
the fleeing horsemen like a lightning bolt.

"Do you think you can escape?"

Huoshu Huicang's cruel and callous voice resounded like a giant gong. His attacks preceded him, red
lotuses dropping from the sky like meteors onto the soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army and
fiercely exploding!

Chapter 545: Plot! Luring the Tiger From the Mountain!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

"Aaaaah!"

Warhorses neighed as countless figures were thrown into the air by a tyrannical Stellar Energy,
screaming as they were torn into countless pieces while the horses were smashed into pulp. Fierce red
flames filled the sky as a flood of energy, almost like the sun itself, expanded to fill every inch of space
with scorching fire.

Huoshu Huicang's Stellar Energy was so fierce and domineering that it felt like a blazing sun rose in any
place that he covered with his Stellar Energy. These flames were so thick that even the sky seemed to
blaze. Before the rain pouring down from the skies could hit the ground, it evaporated into white trails
of steam.

As flecks of flesh and ash drifted down from the skies, they spread an aura of fear.

Huoshu Huicang's power had already surpassed everyone's expectations. Before him, everyone felt like
insignificant ants.

Huoshu Huicang's vast energy inspired endless fear in all who felt it.

"Run!"

"It's Huoshu Huicang! Only he has a Stellar Energy that can unleash this sort of fiery light!"

"We're no match for him! Run!"

"Only General and the others can deal with him!"

………

The warhorses galloped off as an intense fear gripped everyone's hearts, a Sword of Damocles hanging
over their heads that spurred them to flee. Their faces were all ghastly pale without a single trace of
blood. The Great Tang and Ü-Tsang were mortal enemies in the southwest, so all of these soldiers knew
of Huoshu Huicang's reputation. And in this southwest war, the Annan Protectorate army had battled
the Tibetans for more than a month now.

All of them were extremely familiar with Huoshu Huicang's energy.

Those blazing red lotuses and that sea of flame that burned everything to cinders were nightmares that
haunted the sleep of everyone in Lion City.

And even more shocking was that Wang Chong had spent a great deal of time refining this plan. Three
hundred zhang should have been a safe distance.

But no one had expected Huoshu Huicang's powers to be at this stage.

A distance that would have limited other experts didn't even exist to someone like him. In just a few
moments, their forces had been dealt a heavy blow. Their horses, halos, armor, weapons, and
cultivation were all meaningless before Huoshu Huicang.

With a single move, Huoshu Huicang had shattered the vigorous fighting force of the Tang army.

"Hmph, don't you think it's a little too late to run away now?"

Huoshu Huicang looked at the Annan Protectorate soldiers fleeing like startled birds and inwardly
sneered, a powerful killing aura exploding from his body. As the commander-in-chief, he could not
lightly make a move, but since he had already decided to act, he would not let a single person escape.

And it was about time for this farce that had stirred up so much trouble to end!

In these circumstances, if he let these raiding Tang soldiers escape, he would truly be letting down his
title of Ü-Tsang Great General.

"All soldiers, hear my order! Kill all of these Tang! Don't leave a single one alive!"

As he charged forward, Huoshu Huicang ordered his soldiers to attack.

Awoooo!
"Kill them!"

Excited roars filled the skies, sounding like the rumbling of an avalanche. The momentum was so
astonishing that even Huoshu Huicang couldn't help but arch a brow.

"Kill them!"

"Damn it, we've finally caught them!"

"It really was them, and they still dared to come when the Great General was here! They were truly
seeking their own deaths!"

"Bastards! These Tang men… are dead for sure!"

The collective rage and discontent of the Tibetans were instantly unleashed.

They had fought for so long but had not managed to catch a single Tang soldier. On the contrary, they
had been playing in the palm of the Great Tang's hand, been thrown into disarray and even ended up
killing their own soldiers.

This was an absolute disgrace!

Finally, they had a chance to vent these vile emotions.

Rumble!

Like a river breaking through a dam, the Tibetan cavalry crazily howled, charging with unprecedented
speed as they followed Huoshu Huicang.
Five hundred zhang!

Four hundred zhang!

Three hundred zhang!

………

The Tibetans in their frenzied chase were swiftly closing the distance.

And the Tang soldiers in front of them, perhaps because they had never expected Huoshu Huicang to
show up here, seemed to be in a great panic, their entire formation in chaos.

An excellent chance!

Chaos for the Tang was a superb opportunity for the Tibetans!

Rumble! Like a lightning bolt searing through the void, the dense ranks of the Tibetan cavalry thrust into
the Tang army. Bangbangbang! As scimitars sliced, figures were cut down off their horses like stalks of
wheat.

Yet right when they were most excited and most expectant, all their cries suddenly came to a halt.

It was like some invisible hand had clasped around their necks and seized their throats! All their faces
were stupefied, and even Huoshu Huicang was dumbfounded.

"How, how can this be?"

The army quickly began to slow, and a young general dismounted and looked in complete stupefaction
at the 'Tang soldiers' that they had killed.
The 'Tang soldiers' were certainly dead, but they looked completely different from what the Tibetans
had imagined.

The dead 'Tang soldiers' were completely different from the Tang soldiers these soldiers remembered.
Their faces were all flushed with the sort of plateau red that one would only see if one spent long
periods at high altitudes, battered by the winds. In fact, this was actually the red flush characteristic of
the plateau!

"Damn it! They aren't even Tang! They're Tibetans! These Tang used our Tibetan dead to disguise
themselves!" a Tibetan officer roared in anger.

Those 'Tang soldiers' pressed against the backs of the horses weren't Tang at all, but Tibetans who had
been killed when chasing Wang Chong's initial force, or been killed in battle. This sneak attack seemed
to be quite the large one, but other than a few Tang soldiers at the start, it was completely made up of
slain Tibetans.

"We've been tricked…"

At the head of the army, Huoshu Huicang sat on his massive horse, his eyebrow raised.

He had only predicted the opening, but he had failed to predict the end.

His opponent was far craftier than he had imagined. This sneak attack plan had so thoroughly jumbled
the true and false, the real and illusion, that even he had been fooled by this assault. At this moment,
Huoshu Huicang suddenly had a very bad feeling.

Boom!

At this moment, a burst of heaven-shaking shouts came from the northeast, resounding through the
curtains of rain. The originally quiet northeast suddenly turned into a din of fighting, roaring, and
clanging of weapons. Countless people were charging out of the rain and into the Tibetan defensive line.
"Not good!"

Huoshu Huicang's eyes widened as he realized what had happened.

I've fallen for the Tang's scheme to lure the tiger from the mountain!

“Hyah!”

Huoshu Huicang immediately turned his horse around and took off for the battlefield.

At this stage, the situation was already completely out of his control. Even Huoshu Huicang at his
slowest would have figured out by now that this sneak attack strategy had been a feint, with the true
target now obvious. All the previous sneak attacks had been for the sake of this single moment.

The geography of the southwest was very flat, dotted by a few hills. In these circumstances, it was
extremely difficult to hide an army.

Yet Huoshu Huicang had been completely unaware that an army had been so close. Someone who could
conceal an army so well had an almost perfect grasp of the proper time and distance. This was not
something any ordinary renowned general could have.

For the southwest to still have this sort of character, Huoshu Huicang had to admit that he had truly
underestimated them.

"Retreat, hurry! Do everything you can to stop them!"

In a great hurry, Huoshu Huicang loudly ordered his troops to pull back. However, even this Ü-Tsang
Great General whose name was known throughout the southwest had still miscalculated.

From the very start of this plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain, Wang Chong had never
planned to give him a chance to come back!
"Hurry! Twelfth Unit, loose spears!"

High up on the mountain, Wang Chong had mixed into the army, where he was issuing order after order.

Chapter 546: Breaking the Encirclement! The Transfer of Authority

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

The infantry, axemen, spearmen, cavalry, shieldmen, and master archers all worked together under
Wang Chong's order, steadily advancing up the mountain, piece by piece.

Unlike the previous sneak attacks, Wang Chong's method of attack was completely unexpected: a
frontal assault.

He made no attempts to hide it.

To the complete surprise of the Tibetans, the Tang army of forty to fifty thousand chose to engage in a
frontal assault, and the northeast corner just so happened to be where their defenses were weakest.

Through the constant sneak attacks, Wang Chong had already gained an understanding of the Tibetans'
order of battle and the disposition of their forces.

The Tibetans had no secrets that they could hide from Wang Chong.

"Hurry! Time is short! We've already distracted Huoshu Huicang, so we have to pierce through the
Tibetan formations as quickly as possible and bring the Annan Protectorate army out of here," Wang
Chong said.
Wang Yan, Old Eagle, Chen Shusun, and Commandants Xu Shiping and Xu Andun were gathered around
Wang Chong, carrying out Wang Chong's will and pushing the army forward like an inexorable tide.

Clangclangclang!

The cry of metal against metal was ceaseless as whistling arrows, flying spears, and the clash of scimitar
against sword mixed into a single clamor. To the southeast, the Tibetans were caught between two
armies and had completely crumbled.

Wang Chong's attack was extremely incisive, and the place he had chosen to start his attack was where
the Tibetans were weakest. His soldiers worked in perfect harmony, leaving no gaps in their defense and
completely taking the Tibetans by surprise.

On the summit, Xianyu Zhongtong had already received Wang Chong's letter via pigeon, so his entire
army was cooperating by attacking the northeast.

With armies pressing in from both sides, one could easily imagine the situation in the northeast.

"Flee!"

"How could there be so many?"

"It's the Wang Clan father and son! They've come back!"

"We can't stop them! Where's the Great General? Only the Great General can deal with them; only the
Great General will have a plan!"

……

The Tibetans were never easy to subdue, but the situation was stronger than a man. Simultaneously
confronting the attacks from both Wang Chong and Xianyu Zhongtong and the effects of the Halo of
Dusk Stallion and Bane of the Battlefield had made the Tibetans easy to subdue.
The northeast lines collapsed far faster than anyone could have imagined. Wang Chong had given no
time for Huoshu Huicang to return before piercing through the Tibetan lines.

"Lord Wang, it really was you!"

On the summit, everyone had been drenched by the rain. Xianyu Zhongtong was standing on the
summit, and as he saw Wang Yan approach, he was at first shocked and then elated.

Xianyu Zhongtong had long known who had come to rescue him.

But he was still surprised to see Wang Yan appear at this time, even though he should have retreated a
long time ago. Xianyu Zhongtong felt greatly moved that the troops led by Wang Yan had chosen to not
give up on him.

"Lord Protector-General, you've misunderstood. I was not the commander of this army. It was my son,
Wang Chong," Wang Yan sternly said in response to Xianyu Zhongtong's words. Without any other
words, he took a step to the side to yield the path to Wang Chong.

"Lord Xianyu, long time no see!"

Wang Chong didn't stand on ceremony. With a brush of his sleeve, he stepped forward, passing his
father and appearing before Xianyu Zhongtong.

"Young Master Chong?!"

Xianyu Zhongtong's eyes went wide upon seeing Wang Chong, and an incredulous expression came over
his face.

Xianyu Zhongtong had met Wang Chong before, during Zhangchou Jianqiong's banquet in the capital.
Zhangchou Jianqiong had seemed to treat Wang Chong favorably and with great interest, and for this
reason, Xianyu Zhongtong had a very deep impression of Wang Chong.
Moreover, Xianyu Zhongtong had some understanding of Wang Chong's deeds. What he had done in the
capital, including the storm he had stirred in the court, were not things that any ordinary person could
do.

And this youth seemed to have the regard of the Sage Emperor as well.

It wasn't possible for Xianyu Zhongtong to not know who he was.

Besides, the eighty thousand soldiers of the Annan Protectorate army had been saved by the Lion City
that Wang Chong had constructed.

Xianyu Zhongtong was actually filled with gratitude for that Young Master Chong in the far-away capital,
even though Wang Chong was still a teenager with no official rank or title of nobility.

"Young Master Chong, so it was you!"

Xianyu Zhongtong hurriedly stepped forward and clasped Wang Chong's hands, his expression extremely
moved. For Wang Chong to suddenly descend from the heavens and appear was nothing less than a
miracle.

Xianyu Zhongtong would have never expected this.

Wang Chong was also shocked. He had never expected Xianyu Zhongtong to have this sort of attitude.
After all, he was a Protector-General of the empire, someone who stood on the same level as Geshu Han
and Zhang Shougui.

Though his reputation might not be up to par.

"Lord Protector-General, this isn't the time to talk about such things. I've already lured the tiger, Huoshu
Huicang, from the mountain. However, he could come back at any time. Time is short, and we have to
leave immediately!"
Wang Chong didn't mince words. He opened his palm to reveal the private token that Zhangchou
Jianqiong had given him. The battlefield was changing all the time, and anything could happen. The
smallest moment of negligence could lead the army to its destruction.

Wang Chong didn't dare to make this sort of mistake.

Because no one could bear the consequences.

"This is the token that Lord Zhangchou gave to me, and seeing the token is the same as seeing the
person. Lord Protector-General, before I came here, Lord Zhangchou asked me to tell you that the past
is the past. The urgent task at hand is to preserve strength and maintain the structure of the Annan
Protectorate army. As for the matter of the southwest, all will be done according to my orders, and I
request Lord Protector-General's full protections. This is Lord Zhangchou's order!"

As he spoke, Wang Chong took out a white envelope.

Xianyu Zhongtong was an Imperial Protector-General. No matter what status he had held before, he was
currently the commander-in-chief of the southwest, and one single token couldn't change this.
Zhangchou Jianqiong's personal token and his handwritten letter were both needed to gain Xianyu
Zhongtong's trust.

This had also been the reason for Wang Chong's visit to Zhangchou Jianqiong.

"Chong-er!!"

Upon seeing the letter and token in Wang Chong's hands, Wang Yan, Chen Shusun, Xu Shiping and the
others were all flabbergasted. The token was one thing, but the letter was something that none of them
had known about.

Not even Wang Yan had expected Wang Chong to come with the purpose of taking the reins of
command from Xianyu Zhongtong.
Wang Yan's face hardened as he sternly rebuked, "Chong-er, what are you doing? Messing around! Take
a step back for me!"

But Wang Chong acted like he didn't hear. His eyes remained fixed on Xianyu Zhongtong.

The rain continued to pour down, but Wang Chong was using Stellar Energy to prevent any of it from
falling on the letter. He didn't have much time, and the sounds of fighting filled the air.

Before coming, he had hypothesized that Xianyu Zhongtong wouldn't refuse the order, but if Xianyu
Zhongtong did refuse, Wang Chong really wouldn't be able to do anything.

Hiss!

Xianyu Zhongtong couldn't hear anything, his gaze moving between the black token in one of Wang
Chong's hands and the letter in the other. With a deep breath, he instantly calmed down.

He didn't even need to open Wang Chong's letter to recognize it as being personally written by Lord
Zhangchou Jianqiong.

Wang Chong held both Zhangchou Jianqiong's token and his handwritten letter, putting Wang Chong's
credibility beyond question.

Xianyu Zhongtong had never imagined that the Lord Protector-General would hand over command of
the southwestern army to a mere teenager!

And this was someone who had no relationship with the Annan Protectorate army.

For a moment, a whole host of thoughts surged through Xianyu Zhongtong's mind. As he looked at the
extremely familiar token and letter, and thought about the strange movements taking place around the
base of the mountain, Xianyu Zhongtong suddenly understood.

"There's no need!"
Xianyu Zhongtong pushed away the letter proffered by Wang Chong. There was no need for him to see it
anymore. Since Lord Zhangchou had already given his own token to this youth, the meaning was loud
and clear.

The letter was redundant.

"As Lord Zhangchou has already given the order, then everything will be as Young Master says.
Everyone, hear my order! Gather the army and break the encirclement!"

Xianyu Zhongtong gave his last order for this battle.

Boom!

The army on the mountain range responded, their spirits rallying.

For Xianyu Zhongtong to so happily hand over the reins of command left even Wang Chong surprised,
much less Wang Yan, Chen Shusun, and the others.

"Everyone, hear my order! Break out of the encirclement!"

Inwardly rejoicing, Wang Chong pressed the flanks of his horse and immediately charged down the
mountain, at the same time giving the order for the army to break out.

Rumble! A breakout attempt that would decide the fate of the empire and the course of the southwest
began.

"I didn't think that it would actually be him!"

In the darkness, Wang Chong had no idea that a pair of eyes was silently watching him from the back.
Though he had speculations at the start, Wang Chong's order now made everything clear.
The sneak attacks conducted on the army that had made the Tibetans exhausted from running around
had been commanded by nobody else but that youth currently charging down the mountain.

"No wonder the Lord Protector-General gave him command over the army!"

Xianyu Zhongtong had long ago heard of Wang Chong's ability, but not even he had imagined that he
wasn't just skilled in court politics. He was actually a talented general as well.

Although he was a little surprised, after carefully thinking about it, Xianyu Zhongtong also felt relieved.

A teenager was actually a far better commander than a renowned general of the empire. This sounded
absurd and anyone else would find the fact almost impossible to accept, but if it was referring to Wang
Chong… When Xianyu Zhongtong thought about the Regional Commanders incident, and about that Lion
City that seemed to have miraculously appeared to save the lives of his soldiers, he felt relieved.

It's unexpected, but it still is the Wang Clan father and son!

Xianyu Zhongtong bitterly laughed in his heart as he mounted his horse and urged it through the rain.

At the start, Xianyu Zhongtong had determined that the commander of the sneak attacks down below
hadn't been Wang Yan or his son, Wang Fu. In the end, however, facts had still proved that it was still
the 'Wang Clan father and son'.

Wang Chong was also a son of the Wang Clan!

Chapter 547: Ambush! Alliance Between Wang Yan and Xianyu!

Translated by: Hypersheep325

Edited by: Michyrr

"Cavalry in front, shieldmen on the perimeter, spearmen inside! All soldiers, advance!

"Master archers, prepare to receive my orders at any time!

"Twenty steps forward and to the left, cavalry, charge and scatter them!

"To the right, two hundred and ten steps, archers, concentrated fire!"

……

The two armies merged into an avalanche whose momentum and sharpness swept away everything
before it. In terms of numbers, the Annan Protectorate army was now not that inferior to the Tibetan
army. In the northeast region, in fact, the Great Tang already completely outnumbered the Tibetans.

Wang Chong's orders were always preempting his enemies, and before the Tibetans had even begun to
form a resistance, they were assaulted and intercepted by Wang Chong.

Xianyu Zhongtong and his forces encountered barely any resistance, sweeping down like a flood and
reaching the base of the mountain.

Under the charge of almost one hundred thousand soldiers, the Tibetans in the northeast were
completely routed, the disorder spreading like a wave all the way down to the base of the mountain.

"Bastard!"

In the distance, Longqinba was furious, his eyes red with rage. The moment he had sensed the turmoil,
he had immediately begun riding over, but even after all this time, he had still been unable to reach the
site of battle. All along the way, he had been obstructed by panicked and fleeing Tibetan cavalry.
One or two people fleeing was nothing much, but when thousands of people were fleeing, trying to fight
against it was like trying to swim against the course of a flood. Even a renowned general like Longqinba
could do nothing about it.

By consecutively executing six or seven runaways, he had only barely managed to stop the retreat, but
he was still incapable of halting the chaos in the army, much less getting closer to the site of battle.

Longqinba was so furious that his entire body was shaking.

In this journey down south from the Tibetan Plateau, Longqinba had done as he pleased, but now, his
divine strength was incapable of being exerted, serving no purpose.

"The damned Tang! Flee, then, run! I'd like to see if your one hundred thousand forces can grow wings
and outrun highland steeds!"

The fires of rage seethed in Longqinba's heart, his eyes spitting fire as he stared at the distant Tang
army.

……

"Everyone, hear my order! All soldiers should break out to the north! Do not stop!"

At almost the same time, Wang Chong was hurriedly ordering the army to move north.

"Young Master, in truth, we don't need to be in this much of a rush!"

A voice suddenly came from Wang Chong's side. A forty-some-year-old general of the Annan
Protectorate army with dark skin had ridden up, his gaze occasionally looking around at the broken
Tibetan forces with deep emotion.
"With our armies now united, our numbers are now comparable to the Tibetans. While the Tibetans are
fleeing and the situation is in our favor, perhaps… we could turn around and attack them, dealing the
Tibetans a heavy blow!"

He had not originally had this sort of plan.

But when he saw how Wang Chong had routed the Tibetan army, leaving all of them milling around in
disorder, he couldn't help but consider the idea. Defeating these Tibetans and defeating Huoshu
Huicang would be a massive victory for the Great Tang and would raise the morale of the army.

"You're one of the generals under Lord Xianyu?"

Wang Chong was very familiar with the Annan Protectorate army generals who had followed his father,
knowing their faces even if he hadn't spoken to them. But this general… Wang Chong had never seen
him before.

"This… Yes!"

The dark-skinned general stared blankly for a moment before nodding, confused as to why Wang Chong
had asked this question.

"Ah, then I can't blame you. Let me ask you, the Tibetans have arrayed their soldiers into four regions.
The northeast Tibetans have been routed, but what of the Tibetans in the southwest or the northwest?
And have you seen any of the Tibetan generals like Huoshu Huicang or Longqinba in this battle?" Wang
Chong lightly said.

"No, I can't say that I have!" the general said in shame.

"Since we've only routed one of four sides, Longqinba hasn't appeared, and Huoshu Huicang hasn't
appeared, we shouldn't even talk about defeating them. Moreover, have you forgotten that the more
than three hundred thousand soldiers of Mengshe Zhao are still waiting in the wings? If we get into a
battle with the Tibetans and both of us come away with severe losses, and then Mengshe Zhao appears,
what will we do? What will happen to the civilians of the southwest? Have you forgotten what the true
duty of the Annan Protectorate is?"
Wang Chong's voice grew harsher and harsher as he went on.

Annan! Protect the south!

A protectorate had never existed purely for the sake of war, because wars would never end. The
ultimate goal of these wars was to protect a single direction. This was the purpose of Annan, Anbei,
Andong, and Anxi. But when a warrior spent too long engaged in battle, they would forget the duty that
had been placed on their shoulders.

The dark-skinned Annan Protectorate army general instantly paled, unable to speak for a few moments.

"Let's go! The Great Tang will have to fight with Ü-Tsang and Mengshe Zhao one day, but it's not now!
And they will pay the price for their actions! And it won't be this small!"

With these words, Wang Chong urged his horse forward. He had many more tasks to handle.

"Young Master, what should we do about Longqinba?"

Chen Shusun only glanced at the dark-skinned general before immediately following. He had been
slightly too far away to hear exactly what Wang Chong had been talking about with the general. He had
other concerns.

"We might have lured away Huoshu Huicang, but Longqinba and the other generals aren't easy to deal
with. Although Longqinba isn't as powerful as Huoshu Huicang, the discrepancy isn't that large. He or
the other Tibetan generals could show up at any moment."

"There's no need to worry. He won't be able to get here!"

Wang Chong grinned and leisurely waved his hand.

"Ah?"
Chen Shusun was left speechless, looking in shock and confusion at Wang Chong.

"You still haven't realized it? I'm already controlling the Tibetans to our left and right. As long as these
two sides remain in turmoil, Longqinba won't be able to come no matter how much of a rush he's in.
Moreover, with Huoshu Huicang heading to the southwest, someone had to replace him in presiding
over the center of the army, and that person can only be Longqinba. Given his distance from us… I've
already arranged a 'shield' for him. As long as I wish it, this shield will continue to hold him back," Wang
Chong indifferently said.

Buzz!

Chen Shusun's shocked gaze moved back and forth between Wang Chong and the disordered Tibetan
ranks, his jaw agape.

I didn't think… that he's even able to do this sort of thing!

Chen Shusun had long ago noticed that Wang Chong's orders were specifically targeted and timed, but
he hadn't expected Wang Chong to be using these orders to control the movements of the Tibetan
army. Huoshu Huicang was a Great General of Ü-Tsang who had made his name through his astounding
strength. He was one of the great authorities of the southwest, and Longqinba, as one of the Five Tiger
Generals under Huoshu Huicang, was also a most terrifying existence.

Yet Wang Chong had succeeded in rendering both of them powerless.

In this battle, this pair was too late in coming and incapable of approaching. Strategy and tactics at this
level could be described as an art.

This made Chen Shusun take a whole new look at his impression of the battlefield as a cold-blooded,
cruel, and ruthless place.

Chen Shusun had never imagined that one person's ability to command could reach this stage.
"Let's go. We don't have that much time," Wang Chong said.

With this order, all the infantry began to charge through the rain, with those who could seize any horse
doing their utmost to seize one. Meanwhile, the mobile cavalry remained behind to cover the rear.

"Move out!"

Once the last wave had left, Wang Chong and his officers quickly departed while the Tibetans were still
in too much chaos to form any sort of effective counterattack. Wang Chong had expanded the Halo of
Dusk Stallion to its greatest extent, and this war halo was playing a critical role, allowing Wang Chong's
forces to vanish into the night before the Tibetans from the other areas could arrive.

Boom!

It wasn't long after Wang Chong left that a massive explosion of blazing Stellar Energy burst through the
rain, sending more than twenty Tibetan cavalry flying. Longqinba charged out of the rear, his face livid.

"Out of my way!"

Longqinba's furious roar resounded through the skies. Woosh! As he looked in the direction that Wang
Chong's forces had fled, Longqinba immediately jumped forward and seized a horse from a nearby
Tibetan, easily pushing its former rider ten-some zhang away.

"Everyone, follow me! Anyone who dares to defy my order will be handled according to military law!
Let's see how far these damn Tang can run!"

With this order, Longqinba charged out with a killing intent that surged to the heavens, mud and dirt
flying in his wake.

Several thousand Tibetan cavalry followed closely behind, the pounding of their hooves resounding
through the dark night.
"After them! I want all those bastards dead!"

Longqinba reached his right hand to his back and grabbed a massive scimitar, its hilt as wide as an
average human palm. This was no ordinary Tibetan scimitar, but seemed in certain aspects rather similar
to the horse-slaying sabers of the Central Plains.

"Follow General!"

"Anyone who dares to fall behind will be handled according to military law!"

"Charge! Ü-Tsang needs no cowards! Everyone, follow me!"

……

The officers under Longqinba's command hollered their orders, their faces drenched by the rain. Under
their command, Longqinba quickly gathered seven to eight thousand men, and even more were
gathering behind him. The air was filled with tension.

The warhorses continued to rumble forward, the Tibetans gathering to Longqinba's summons. The
Annan Protectorate army had still not escaped its predicament.

"General, we've come to help you!"

An army of four to five thousand fully-equipped soldiers galloped out from the rear, its commander
shouting. They seemed to be from the southeast region.

Longqinba clenched his teeth and bellowed, "Bastards, faster! Don't let them escape!"

"Yes, Milord."

The commander's whispered voice came out of the darkness.

The moment this person spoke, Longqinba felt the hairs on his body stand on end as an ill foreboding
took root in his heart. The first words had been fine, but the tone of the second set of words had been
mumbled and strange. Tibetans did not speak like this or use this sort of tone.

But before Longqinba could continue on this line of thought, that group of soldiers had already come up
from the rear and was now rapidly approaching him. He felt like there was a sharpness in his back, as if
some object had locked onto him from afar.

Longqinba's mind trembled as he realized.

Damn it, it's the Tang!

As if struck by a lightning bolt, Longqinba suddenly understood what was happening.

The Tang!

This 'Tibetan' with the strange tone of voice was a Tang man!

The Tang had been disguising themselves as Tibetans to launch surprise attacks not too long ago, but
Longqinba hadn't expected them to be so cunning and daring as to leave a disguised army as they left.
And this army was rapidly getting closer.

"This lot of bastards!"

Longqinba's face was twisted into a savage expression, his teeth clenched so hard that they seemed on
the verge of breaking. His opponents' cunning and arrogance had already surpassed his imagination, and
they seemed intent on resorting to any possible method.

However, if they thought that these methods could work against him, they were being far too naive,
only fooling themselves.
"You things that don't even know your own strength, die for me!"

Longqinba gave a furious roar and immediately slashed out with his massive scimitar. Rumble! The
world quaked as a massive dragon of black and gold manifested behind Longqinba. With a flick of its tail,
it transformed into a majestic stream of saber energy.

Boom!

As the saber energy descended, the horses did not rear up as Longqinba expected. Instead, there was a
boom as the saber energy was blocked.

"An excellent saber energy from General Long. Come, take my fist!"

A vortex began to form in the air, expanding like a storm as it swept toward Longqinba.

"Wang Yan?!!"

Longqinba paled upon hearing this voice. But before he could react, another vigorous voice came from
another direction.

"General Long, I am here as well!"

This voice was… Xianyu Zhongtong's!

It was an ambush!

In an instant, Longqinba's face became as white as a sheet of paper.

He had clearly seen Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong leave, so he had never expected that they would
remain behind to ambush him!
Boom!

There was an earth-shaking boom. Longqinba barely managed to bring up his saber energy in defense
before he was sent flying by Wang Yan and Xianyu Zhongtong!

And Longqinba's saber energy was not weak!

As one of the Five Tiger Generals, Longqinba had absolute confidence in his strength. If it were only
Wang Yan or Xianyu Zhongtong, Longqinba would have remained fearless. But two of these veteran
Tang generals completely dominated him.

Bang!

Ten-some zhang away, Longqinba crashed into a rocky outcrop, smashing it into pieces.