Chapter 665: Lu Wu! (I)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
The world had already changed. At a time like this, Wang Chong required even more the assistance of his relatives, the assistance of Wang Bei.
His second brother had to realize that there were some matters that were even more important than the Berserker Syndrome that he was burdened with!
“Second Brother, don’t fool yourself. You know that Berserker Syndromes can resonate with each other. You probably knew the moment I entered the capital. This is precisely why you wanted to refuse all visitors and hide in the Imperial Palace’s Death Prison.”
Wang Chong sighed. There was no way he couldn’t tell what his second brother was thinking. But his ability to see through his brother’s thoughts did not fill with Wang Chong’s eyes with any pleasure, only bitterness.
“But, Second Brother, there are some things for which hiding is useless.”
As Wang Chong spoke, he leaned his back against the wall of the passage and slowly slid to the ground. Whether or not his second brother was willing to listen, there were some things that Wang Chong had to say. He had to at least try one last time.
Wang Bei was trembling in his cell, apparently lost in his own world, unable to hear anything beyond it. But Wang Chong knew that his brother was listening to his every word.
Because they were brothers, because this was his second brother.
He might not respond, but he would definitely listen and help out.
“Second Brother, did you know? I’ve been made a marquis. His Majesty personally conferred the title of Young Marquis on me, a marquis title personally created by the Sage Emperor. This is probably the first time such a thing has been done in the history of the Great Tang.”
Wang Chong spoke without care, his lips curling into a smile.
“In addition, Father and Big Brother have also been rewarded. They’ve received a large promotion, and in the future, their ranks in the military will only continue to rise, a smooth procession into the heavens. Your Wang Clan is certain to have limitless prospects, to be like the sun at its zenith. Even King Qi wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly to deal with me as he did in the past.”
The cell remained quiet, the only sound being Wang Chong’s voice. But at some point, Wang Bei’s body had ceased its painful tremblings.
Although there was still no response, his brother had at least stopped being so agitated. His entire person had calmed down.
But what Wang Chong said next was clearly outside his expectations.
“But, Second Brother, you know how it is. While everyone in the capital might be envious of our glory, whether it was me, Father, or Big Brother, all of us almost died on Yuanfeng Mountain in the southwest, in which case we would have never been able to come back.”
As he spoke, Wang Chong shot a glance at Wang Bei, noticing that his brother’s body had clearly shuddered for a moment. Wang Chong smiled before continuing.
“I know what you’re thinking. I know that you don’t want to harm us because of your Berserker Syndrome. But don’t you know? Even if you lock yourself up in the Imperial Palace, you won’t be able to change a thing.
“If I, Big Brother, and Father are fated to die, we’ll still die in the end. The only difference is that it won’t be you who will have killed us. But to us, what would be the difference?”
“The southwest… what in the world happened there?”
A voice suddenly emerged from the cell, interrupting Wang Chong. Although Wang Bei still had his back turned to Wang Chong, this was the first time since Wang Chong had entered the prison that he had taken the initiative to ask a question.
Wang Chong gave a bright smile and immediately began to give a detailed recount of the southwestern war. As a descendant of the Wang Clan, his second brother also had the right to know what had happened.
The entire southwestern war, from the initial departure, to the first battle, all the way to the final decisive battle—the recount of this war involving countless people emerged from Wang Chong’s lips. As a primary participant and strategist, Wang Chong could give a far more detailed and far more hair-raising account than any other person.
Outsiders could only see the glory, but under the calm surface was a vicious undercurrent, far more savage and dangerous than any bystander could imagine.
Wang Chong spoke of a great deal. This was probably the most detailed retelling of the southwestern war in the world, and the number of people who had heard this story down to such a detailed level in the Great Tang could be counted on one hand.
In his cell, Wang Bei remained silent, showing no signs of emotion. But Wang Chong understood that he was definitely listening, and listening far more attentively than anyone else ever would.
“Second Brother, when the world is in danger, every man has their duty to save it. Our Wang Clan is a clan of ministers and generals, so we’re naturally born with more responsibility than others. If not even we put in all our energy, what hope can there be for the empire?
“When the entire nest is overturned, no egg will be safe. You’ve also seen the danger the empire is in. The Great Tang is no longer the Great Tang of the past, and the foreign countries are also no longer their former selves.
“The world has already changed, and an undercurrent has already begun to surge beneath the calm surface. This definitely wasn’t the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last. We managed to luckily beat the Mengshe–Ü-Tsang army this time, but what about the next time, or the time after that? What if all the countries bordering the Great Tang work together?
“Will we still be lucky then?
“Second Brother, my strength alone is too weak. I want to do some things, change some things, but these aren’t things I can do alone.
“In this world, there are some things more important than the Berserker Syndrome.
“Second Brother, I need your help.”
With these words, Wang Chong gave a deep sigh and stood. Whether or not his second brother had listened, he had said everything he wanted to say.
What came next wasn’t for him to decide.
“Second Brother, there are things in this world more important than Berserker Syndrome. Berserker Syndrome is just a curse of the body, not the soul. Don’t let your mind be controlled by your body.”
Wang Chong left his brother with these final words.
The cell behind him fell into a deep silence. Wang Bei sat alone, saying nothing, his thoughts inscrutable.
……
As night fell, the entire capital was peaceful, the only sounds being those of watchmen and Imperial soldiers patrolling the streets. The red lanterns of the Wang Clan Residence were like the stars in the night sky.
Around the Wang Clan Residence, deep in the night, black-robed figures began to appear on the roofs of the surrounding buildings, unnoticed by anyone else.
“It’s about time!”
“We can summon Lu Wu!”
“Remember, don’t let the people of the Wang Clan escape. In addition, if any Imperial soldiers or watchmen arrive, kill them! Don’t let them make trouble!”
……
The black-robed men watched the Wang Clan Residence in the center. It was peaceful there, the red lanterns hanging from its eaves adding to the serenity and warmth.
It was late, and all the servants and maids of the Wang Clan had already fallen into a deep sleep. Most of the guards had also gone to rest, with the few scattered guards left patrolling unable to pose any threat.
This was the best chance to strike.
Buzz!
The black-robed men seated themselves cross-legged on the surrounding rooftops, their fingers beginning to form hand seals. Dim pillars of light suddenly burst out, connecting the black-robed men to each other. In the blink of an eye, a strange and invisible formation shrouded the entire Wang Clan Residence.
Bzzt! No one in the darkness noticed a pitch-black dome begin to rise from the corners of the estate, slowly rising into the air to completely enclose the residence.
From the inside, it appeared like the sky over the Wang Clan Residence had darkened somewhat, but no one at this time noticed anything strange.
As the darkness gradually deepened, a strange air of unease began to permeate through the estate.
Crack!
At a pavilion on the northeast corner of the Wang Clan Residence, the ground suddenly began to open, a large sound coming from within.
“Who?”
“Who goes there?”
……
Sleeves flapping, a pair of Wang Clan guards flew through the air as they rushed toward the sound. But before they could react, bang, bang! Two arms thicker than the thighs of a normal adult exploded out of the ground and snatched at their ankles.
“Ah!”
The pair screamed as their clothes and the Stellar Energy within their bodies instantly ignited, flames pouring out of their eyes, mouths, and ears.
In a flash, these two Wang Clan guards had been burned into ash, tiny particles scattered through the air.
Rumble! The earth sundered apart as the thick and steely arms widened the fissure.
Roooar!
The roar of a beast came from underground as a strange giant rose up. His body was massive, his arms as thick as thighs and his thighs like giant stone pillars. He stood at a height of 2.7 or 2.8 meters, even taller than the Invincible Great General Li Siye.
“Kill!”
As this giant man roared, his entire body exploded with the brutal and vicious aura of some savage beast. Boom! His fist lashed out, but before it even struck, the pavilion several steps away shattered into pieces under the force of some invisible energy. The wood shards ignited into a fierce flame rising several zhang high.
“Kill! Kill everyone!” the giant roared, his eyes shining with a red light. His mouth constantly repeated the same phrases as his killing intent grew so thick that it seemed to take physical form, warping the surrounding space.
Bang! Bang!
The giant swept its eyes over the area and quickly locked onto a distant study, which it quickly began to stride toward. The well-lit study was like a beacon in the dark night.
“Hey!
“Who goes there! You dare to come to the capital’s Wang Clan and run wild!”
The shout of a woman came from out of the gloom. There was a flash of light from a nearby building as a petite figure clothed entirely in black leaped off the roof toward the giant.