Chapter 1279: Wunu Shibi and the Blackwater Shaman!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Two bells glimmered like jewels from the girl’s ears, and they pleasantly jingled in the wind.
This girl was none other than the one who had previously appeared at Li Junxian’s side.
“There’s no need to worry. I’ve already sent Elder Song to take care of the matter. In just a little while, we can completely squeeze him out of the Imperial Court. At that point, he will cease to be a threat to us in the Imperial Court!” Li Junxian said.
With these words, all three people vanished from the Imperial Palace.
……
“How was it?”
The moment Wang Chong stepped onto the carriage, a voice rang out in his ear. King Song was seated in a corner, apparently having waited a long time. Next to him was Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong, and both of them were staring at Wang Chong.
This was the first time the Confucian Sect leader had appeared in the Imperial Court, and many people had probably been watching his meeting with Wang Chong just now.
“The Confucian Sect will begin moving soon. Tell the generals that they need to be careful,” Wang Chong immediately said as he seated himself next to King Song.
Hearing this, the others in the carriage grimaced.
“…In addition, though the surrounding countries can’t be trusted, since the treaties have been signed, we need to ensure that the other countries carry out their promise to reduce their armies. Lord Zhangchou, I leave this matter to you,” Wang Chong said, turning to Zhangchou Jianqiong.
“Mm!”
Zhangchou Jianqiong solemnly nodded.
“As for Li Junxian, leave him to me!”
Wang Chong peered out the window, a profound light in his eyes.
Rumble!
The carriage rolled forward, vanishing into the streets.
Just a few hours later, countless soldiers rode out of the Imperial Palace and various government offices and began to post notices throughout the capital. Countless messenger pigeons took to the skies to deliver messages to the various parts of the Central Plains. Ü-Tsang, Arabia, the Eastern and Western Turks, the Goguryeo Empire, Mengshe Zhao… all the countries were reducing their armies for a grand total of nearly one million soldiers. This news rapidly spread throughout the realm.
Rumble! In a flash, all the people of the Central Plains were left stunned by this news.
“How could this be!”
“Wonderful! Wonderful! The Great Tang has finally realized peace with all its surrounding countries!”
All the people throughout the Central Plains began to excitedly celebrate. This was certainly the best news the Central Plains had ever heard, and countless people ran around to tell their friends and even let off firecrackers. And all this news was associated with a name: Secretariat Advisor Li Junxian.
This was the first time the common people had ever heard this name. Although this was the first time, his miraculous and bloodless feat had branded this name deeply in their minds.
“Li Junxian!”
“Li Junxian!”
……
Adults and children ran about the streets of the Great Tang, their faces red with excitement.
“Young Master, listen!”
As the crowds surged through the streets of Chang’an, a simple carriage rode together with all the others. Its curtain was raised to reveal the excited face of a young man.
“This time, Young Master’s name has been made known to the entire world! We truly managed to win this round!”
But the white-robed and handsome young master within the carriage remained calm and unmoved.
“It was not we who won, but the world and the desire of the people for peace!” Li Junxian softly said.
The youth was left dumbstruck.
A gentle breeze blew a large wutong tree leaf through the window and into the carriage. Li Junxian extended a palm, allowing the leaf to fall into his palm, where it shifted colors in the mottled sunlight. This seemed to throw Li Junxian into a long daze, and it was only after some time that he managed to break out of his stupor.
“Master, we’re on the verge of succeeding! All of this… are you watching from the heavens?” Li Junxian mumbled to himself, a hint of sorrow in his eyes.
The carriage rolled forward, quickly vanishing into the crowd.
……
The capital of the Great Tang was the center of the eastern world, home to countless elite soldiers and generals and the fearsome existence that was the King of Foreign Lands, so countless pieces of information were being sent out from it at every moment. Not long after the end of the court session, only a few people noticed a few peculiar birds mixing in with the birds of the capital and dispersing in various directions.
To the distant north, in the Western Turkic Khaganate, at the peak of Mount Sanmi, a golden ‘sun’ shone brightly in the sky, together with the larger sun high above. At that moment, Mount Sanmi seemed like a paradise on earth, divine and beautiful. And if one peered through the golden radiance bathing the summit, one would see a figure wearing golden armor in the light, his martial visage making him appear like a war god who had descended from the heavens. He was seated on a large rock, silently thinking.
Meanwhile, vast tides of Stellar Energy were circulating through his body. Even an existence like Celestial Wolf Great General Duwu Sili appeared dim in comparison to this figure. The tens of thousands of guards around Mount Sanmi, guarding the court of the Khagan, all seemed like insignificant grains of dust.
This was a vast and peerless energy, the strongest existence on Mount Sanmi.
The Solar Great General, Wunu Shibi!
In all of the Western Turkic Khaganate, the only one who could possess such grandiose energy was the War God of the empire, he who stood on equal level with Ü-Tsang’s White Lion Great General and the Great Tang’s Wang Zhongsi: Wunu Shibi!
Just like White Tiger Great General We Tadra Khonglo, Solar Great General Wunu Shibi had also spent a long time in seclusion, leaving all matters to other Western Turkic Great Generals like Duwu Sili. But not long ago, Wunu Shibi had exited seclusion and reappeared to assume military authority over the Western Turkic Khaganate.
Ishbara Khagan’s trust in Wunu Shibi was so great that he had allowed the Western Turkic War God to assume supreme authority over the entire western region of the steppe.
Whoosh!
A gust of wind came from overhead, causing Wunu Shibi to wake from his trance. He extended a hand, and an eagle that was still dozens of feet in the air was pulled toward his palm by an invisible force.
Wunu Shibi opened the letter, glanced at it, and then put it away.
“Heh! Finally time to begin?” A profound smile appeared on his lips.
“Pass on my order! The Three Arrow Troop, the West Bull Troop, the Sharp Wolf Troop, the Black Wolf Troop… they are to immediately disarm! In addition, all soldiers should withdraw three hundred li.”
“Yes, Milord!”
Several voices came from Wunu Shibi’s surroundings, and then several figures mounted horses and rode off in several directions. All fell silent, and then a few moments later, the tapping of footsteps could be heard from behind Wunu Shibi. Wunu Shibi could sense that a powerful aura, dark, bizarre, and incredibly pure, was slowly approaching him.
The renowned Solar Great General only smiled, not even turning his head.
The footsteps stopped several dozen feet from Wunu Shibi, and an elderly voice spoke into his ears.
“Two hundred thousand soldiers to be disarmed… is this price not a little too large?”
“Heh, so even the Blackwater Shaman who can see into the future can feel regret?” Wunu Shibi asked without turning his head.
“Not regret, only hesitation over whether this price is a little too large!” the black-robed Blackwater Shaman clutching his beast-headed staff said.
“And there is one thing that you are wrong about. It has been a long time since I was last able to see the future. The future is constantly changing, and ever since that unprecedentedly ferocious blizzard and freeze from last year, I have lost my connection to the divine spirits. The current me can no longer see the shape of the future!
“I have this feeling that there is some invisible and powerful force constantly disrupting the future, disrupting everything. Right now, I can only rely on the past to formulate strategies for the future!”
The Blackwater Shaman was motionless, his robes blowing in the wind.
At this moment, if there had been any bystanders present, they would have been stunned. The supreme Blackwater Shaman of the Khaganate who was supposed to be able to see into the future had lost this ability. This was enough to throw all the nobles into panic.
Because it was precisely the prophecies of the Blackwater Shaman that guided the entire Khaganate.
“That boy of the Great Tang—you still can’t see his future?” Wunu Shibi suddenly said.
This question had come completely unbidden. A complicated look appeared in the Blackwater Shaman’s eyes.
“He is a variable. He has no past, and for his future, not even the divine spirits can see through it!”
“Is that so?”
The Solar Great General smiled, his voice tinged with scorn.
“One noble scion of the Great Tang, Wang Jiuling’s youngest grandson—everything about him can be investigated by an ordinary spy. But in your eyes, he has no past?”
The Blackwater Shaman had a supreme status and was even revered by Ishbara Khagan. But very few people knew that the Blackwater Shaman actually shared a deep friendship with Solar Great General Wunu Shibi, one that had existed before the Blackwater Shaman had made his name.
“What can be seen can often cause the most confusion. Before the age of sixteen, he was just a complete failure, a hedonistic son who could even be fooled by hoodlums and ruffians. But in just this short period of time, he has grown up to be the most outstanding War God in the world, defeating one million Arab soldiers. Do you really think that things are as simple as they seem?”
The Blackwater Shaman spoke in a calm and composed manner, not at all angered.