Chapter 1717 - The First Round! (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
“…There are three rounds to the competition. The first round is the competition for the seats of the Marshals. The twelve best Vice Marshals of the Imperial Army will challenge the six current Marshals until only six remain!
“The second round is the Marshal advancement competition. The victors in the first round will fight each other until only three are left, who will take part in the last round against the Grand Marshals.
“The last round is the Grand Marshal competition. The three victors of the second round will challenge the current three Grand Marshals, and the victors will be the new Grand Marshals of the Imperial Army! They will be personally granted a token from the First Prince and receive official certification of the title!
“This Imperial Army martial exhibition is a training exercise. Thus, when one party falls from their horse, they are considered defeated and must immediately withdraw, forbidden from taking part in any other battles. But as swords and sabers have no eyes, injuries are difficult to avoid. In this contest, everyone must remember to be careful!”
The eunuch’s sharp voice resounded across the drilling ground.
“We will comply with His Highness’s decree!” the surrounding soldiers all loudly proclaimed.
On the edge of the drilling ground, Wang Chong wore an emotionless expression, but deep within his eyes, there was a cold gleam.
“Swords and sabers have no eyes… in other words, you’re ready to kill everyone?” Wang Chong muttered, his eyes glancing at the First Prince before quickly settling on those two mysterious Imperial Army Marshals. Though they were covered completely in armor, Wang Chong knew that they were the First Prince’s trump cards.
It was pointless for the First Prince to hide such things from him.
Bong!
With another round of fierce drumming, the competition began.
To the east and west, the soldiers of the Imperial Army began to march in, taking up neat formations.
“Chong-er, those are the twelve Vice Marshals of the Imperial Army. This sort of competition can also be considered a path of promotion within the Imperial Army, and many Grand Marshals have reached their seats by challenging those above them, rank by rank. Normally, the Vice Marshals are no match for the Marshals, but that’s not for certain. The scions of some great clans who join the Imperial Army enjoy many resources that can help them improve. Those Vice Marshals backed by great clans can experience sudden leaps in strength. Bai Hanzhou could be considered one of them,” Li Lin explained to Wang Chong.
Bai Hanzhou was the most brilliant of the three Grand Marshals and the most legendary. Although his talent and intelligence far surpassed his peers, there was no denying that the vast wealth of the capital’s Bai Clan had assisted him in occupying the post of Grand Marshal.
Wang Chong merely nodded in reply.
He was so powerful now that he only needed a glance to determine the cultivation levels of these twelve Vice Marshals. In this first round, none of these twelve was strong enough to shake Zhao Fengchen’s position.
“Let’s wait and see! In addition, Xu Keyi, has there been any news of the three Grand Marshals?” Wang Chong asked without turning his head. He cared more about the three still-absent Grand Marshals than the first round.
He had already learned last night that two of the three had been injured, but which two, and how their injuries were doing, remained a mystery. Wang Chong had sent Zhang Que to investigate, but Zhang Que had learned that the Imperial Palace had been locked down, with gyrfalcons, giant hawks, and golden eagles preventing any news from traveling through the air.
Wang Chong had tried to get in touch with Zhao Fengchen, who had enough status to know what was going on inside, but the Eastern Palace had been one step ahead. On the excuse that all the officers participating needed to be in peak condition, the First Prince had ordered that Zhao Fengchen and his hand-picked escort of five hundred Xuanwu Army elites should isolate themselves, banning any visitors.
The First Prince’s intentions with this were obvious.
Xu Keyi bowed and respectfully said, “Zhang Que has already gone to investigate. While it’s impossible to send messages through the air, Zhang Que has other methods, though they will take a little more time!”
“Have him finish as quickly as possible! This is an extremely important matter!” Wang Chong said.
He had some theories on this competition, but he needed to wait until Zhang Que came back to confirm them.
“The first round! Feng Tieqiong challenges Xuanwu Army Marshal Zhao Fengchen!”
The loud announcement interrupted Wang Chong’s thoughts, and he looked up to see a stalwart and burly general, wielding a halberd, enter the field with five hundred soldiers and charge straight at Zhao Fengchen.
The man radiated waves of frightening killing intent that placed him well above the average generals. He could even somewhat vie with the other Marshals of the Imperial Army.
And the first person he had challenged was none other than Zhao Fengchen!
Wang Chong glanced at that man and frowned, an idea taking form in his mind.
But on the drilling ground, the battle had begun!
“General Zhao, forgive me for the offense!”
The Vice Marshal called Feng Tieqiong roared, thrusting his halberd forward as he led his five hundred men in a charge. Clang! As a heavy hoof stomped down, a dazzling halo as tough and heavy as steel erupted from Feng Tieqiong’s galloping horse and enveloped his army.
The power of his halo caused the power of these five hundred men to swell, and they charged at Zhao Fengchen like a moving fortress.
The Mountain Halo!
This was an extremely strong halo used by the Imperial Army that was extremely difficult to master. That he had successfully cultivated this halo to this level, and could reach five hundred men with it, was proof enough that Vice Marshal Feng Tieqiong possessed astonishing talent and strength of his own.
Rumble! Under the charge of Feng Tieqiong’s cavalry, the drilling ground trembled, the reinforced stone slabs on the verge of breaking.
Everyone around the drilling ground nervously watched as Feng Tieqiong charged at Zhao Fengchen.
Unlike Feng Tieqiong, Zhao Fengchen sat motionlessly on his horse like a stolid mountain, and the five hundred Xuanwu Army soldiers were similarly still and disciplined.
One thousand feet, seven hundred feet, five hundred feet… Feng Tieqiong’s soldiers were getting closer and closer, the tension rising.
“This Feng Tieqiong seems quite formidable. I wonder who will win!”
A clan scion clenched his fists in anxiety.
But this first match of the competition ended far differently than they could have imagined.
Clang!
At a distance of five hundred feet, Zhao Fengchen coldly unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Feng Tieqiong.
Boom!
Like a bolt of lightning, the Xuanwu Army soldiers suddenly shot forward, and before anyone could even react, they slammed into Feng Tieqiong’s five hundred soldiers.
It was impossible to describe the intensity of the impact, and it sounded like countless peals of thunder had exploded in one’s ears.
All was chaos and turmoil, screams filling the air. The five hundred Imperial Army soldiers crumpled. Zhao Fengchen and his Xuanwu Army hadn’t even used their renowned Xuanwu Halo, defeating Feng Tieqiong with pure physical strength.
The five hundred Imperial Army soldiers were thrown about like drifting petals, and the crowd of spectators fell silent in awe.
“Too formidable!”
The young clan scions had their eyes wide open in shock. They had heard many hotblooded stories about the battlefield and had talked about them countless times in the tea houses and taverns, but only when they saw that majestic and grandiose clash did they realize how restrained their imaginations had been.
“Withdraw!”
After easily defeating Feng Tieqiong, Zhao Fengchen sheathed his sword and led his five hundred Xuanwu Army soldiers in an orderly and relaxed retreat.
Meeting a gentleman again after three days required one to examine him with new eyes. Feng Tieqiong’s Imperial Army soldiers were powerful, but they were still lacking compared to the Arab elites led by Qutaybah. Moreover, after the Battle of Talas, Zhao Fengchen had sought instruction on the art of war from Wang Chong, and he had been constantly training. The current Xuanwu Army was now much stronger.
The first battle ended surprisingly quickly and simply.
The crowd was shocked, but Wang Chong was quite composed. Zhao Fengchen was a future Grand Marshal of the Imperial Army and someone who had left a dazzling mark on the annals of history, so such capabilities were within Wang Chong’s expectations.
Feng Tieqiong quickly withdrew.
The second match began, and everyone watched as the second force took the field. The Vice Marshal leading this force was bursting with muscle, and he had a scar that extended from the corner of his brow across his temple. He gave off a coarse and brutish aura, and his energy seemed to be on par with Feng Tieqiong’s.
In the first round, the Vice Marshals could challenge the six Marshals, and if they succeeded, they could replace the defeated Marshal and go into the next round.
Everyone watched this second Vice Marshal, who scanned the six Marshals of the Imperial Army. A moment later, he extended his right hand and pointed at the edge of the battlefield, at Zhao Fengchen, who had only just withdrawn.
“For the second match, I challenge Zhao Fengchen!” the Imperial Army Vice Marshal declared without hesitation, his voice resounding over the drilling ground.
