Chapter 2005 - War Dance!

But he managed to take Wang Chong’s attack.

“Warning! User’s Destined Foe has received the protection of the Power of the World! Within three hundred feet of the Destined Foe, all of the user’s attacks will be weakened by 30%,” the Stone of Destiny’s voice rang out in Wang Chong’s mind.

A dark cloud passed over Wang Chong’s eyes. The Power of the World again! Since the moment he reincarnated, Wang Chong had been at odds with the world. As a reincarnator, he was constantly dealing with the constraints and expulsion of the Power of the World, which continuously wore away at his Destiny Energy. And now, An Yaluoshan, this person who was clearly so crucial to the world’s destruction, was somehow the ‘Child of the World’ and receiving its support.

No matter how strong Wang Chong was, a thirty percent reduction was an enormous constraint. But Wang Chong simply narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, moving his body as if he were stepping on the stars. He thrust his sword again at An Yaluoshan.

“Ah!” The crowd cried out in alarm, some so frightened that they knocked over their goblets.

“Stop him!”

“King of Foreign Lands, what are you doing?”

The officials turned pale with fright, particularly those on good terms with Wang Chong. Wang Chong was vital to the court, and the consequences would be unimaginable if he were not there to oversee things.

“Wang Chong, what are you doing? You dare to act so impudently in front of His Majesty!?” A dignified voice rang out. On the left side of the ‘U’, seated close to the Sage Emperor, Prime Minister Li Linfu frowned as he stood up and rebuked Wang Chong. As the leader of the officials, he had every reason to stand up and stop Wang Chong, whether for the sake of law and order or for An Yaluoshan’s protection.

“Lord Prime Minister, please hold!” A hand extended and held back Li Linfu.

“Huang Huanzhi?” Li Linfu turned and saw that the one stopping him was the Minister of Rites, Huang Huanzhi.

“Milord, please notice that the King of Foreign Lands is not randomly attacking the Andong Protector-General. He is performing a sword dance, also known as the War Dance!” Minister of Rites Huang Huanzhi shook his head and explained. “According to the ‘Zuozhuan’, two thousand years ago, when King Wu of Zhou overthrew Zhou of Shang, the brave soldiers of the Ba army used their song and dance to convince the Shang people to rebel. Thus, the ancients said, ‘King Wu overthrew Zhou with song and dance.’

“Later on, in the Qin and Han dynasties, this dance was also used in battle. During charges, it was used to heighten morale, and Emperor Wu of Han praised, ‘This is the dance King Wu used to bring down Zhou,’ and decreed that it should be studied. Thus, it became what we now know as the War Dance.

“The War Dance is a traditional martial amusement of our people, a dance of generals. For the King of Foreign Lands to perform it for the Sage Emperor is not a problem. Milord, pay attention to his feet. You will notice that the King of Foreign Lands’ steps are different from how one normally attacks.” Huang Huanzhi paused a moment before continuing. “The dance King Wu used to bring down Zhou was lost sometime in the Han. It was only because I came across related records in my reading that I was able to recognize it. I did not think that the King of Foreign Lands was such an erudite scholar that he even knew the lost War Dance!” Huang Huanzhi sighed in admiration.

Li Linfu was dumbfounded, and when he turned to look back at Wang Chong, he was rendered speechless. But the most shocked by this sight were not the civil officials or Li Linfu, but Cui Qianyou, Gao Shang, and Tian Chengsi, who had returned at some point.

Dragon Qi was invisible, and not even the strongest martial artists were capable of perceiving it. Gao Shang had relied precisely on this point in developing this audacious plan to steal Dragon Qi. They had believed that, since Dragon Qi was invisible, nobody would notice them stealing it. Moreover, with so many foreign emissaries present and the Sage Emperor himself presiding, a single dance should have been enough to draw away everyone’s suspicions. But to their surprise, Wang Chong had directly intervened at this critical juncture. None of them knew if Wang Chong could see the truth, but they could not stop now.

“King of Foreign Lands, please hold. How could we miss out on this performance!?”

“Lord Protector-General, let us come and join you in performing for the... Sage... Emperor...”

The two of them nervously sat up, preparing to step over their tables and help An Yaluoshan deal with Wang Chong.

“Where did these nameless soldiers come from? Can’t you see who you are? Is it your place to interfere when the Andong Protector-General and the King of Foreign Lands are performing for the Sage Emperor?”

To Cui Qianyou’s right, a figure stood up and immediately engulfed Cui Qianyou in immense pressure. “Sit down at once!” the cold voice rebuked.

Cui Qianyou turned to see who it was and instantly turned ghastly pale. Minister of War Zhangchou Jianqiong! He had never imagined that this luminary of the Tang military would personally appear to stop him. Cui Qianyou sensed that if he dared to intervene, Zhangchou Jianqiong would attack without hesitation.

Another voice spoke up. “Lord Zhangchou is right. You two don’t have enough status to participate. Return to your seats.”

Nearby, a figure in imperial robes stood up. Although that man had a genial expression, his voice was tough and firm. King Song!

Let alone Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi, even Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang were stunned. One was the Minister of War, and the other was a King of the Great Tang. Both were influential figures in the court. While Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi had high statuses in the Andong Protectorate, and their strengths had reached the Great General level, at an important occasion like the feast of all countries, King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong far outranked them.

What worried Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang the most was that Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi had abruptly decided to intervene, but King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong had been ready and waiting to stop the pair before they could even finish talking. This was not a good sign! These two important officials had clearly predicted their actions.

Silence! A deathly silence!

Tian Chengsi’s and Cui Qianyou’s faces shifted between green and white as they deliberated whether to advance or retreat. No matter how unwilling they were, they were powerless against King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong.

“Sit back down already!” King Song suddenly turned harsh. Wang Chong’s sudden entrance to deal with An Yaluoshan had given Zhangchou Jianqiong and King Song a great fright, and they had instinctively wanted to stop him. But in the end, they had still chosen to believe in Wang Chong. Without a single reason, they ensured that Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi would not interfere.

“Sit.”

As Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi struggled over what to do, an arm reached out to pull them back down. Tian Chengsi and Cui Qianyou turned to see Gao Shang shaking his head at them. The situation was stronger than the man. No matter how unwilling they were, they could not oppose King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong in front of so many other officials.

After a long hesitation, Cui Qianyou and Tian Chengsi finally sat back down.

Meanwhile, in the center of the pavilion, Wang Chong and An Yaluoshan were still ‘battling.’

“Y-Your Highness, what are you doing?” An Yaluoshan backed up in panic as he spoke.

Bang! He thrust forward his short bone knife, barely managing to block Wang Chong’s terrifying sword.

An Yaluoshan was truly panicked. He was not afraid of Wang Chong, as he knew that the Sage Emperor was there to restrain him. In addition, the theft of Dragon Qi was an extremely secretive matter, and Gao Shang had told him that even the strongest would not be able to sense any shift in Dragon Qi. But for some reason, when he saw Wang Chong coming with his sword, he instinctively panicked. Wang Chong’s blazing eyes seemed to see through everything, making him feel like all his secrets were exposed.

This scene inexplicably made An Yaluoshan recall that stormy night from two and a half years ago! But after two and a half years, An Yaluoshan had grown much stronger, become the Child of the World, recruited many subordinates, and even trained a trump card in the Yeluohe. He also had the assistance of wise advisors like Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang, and the support of those men in black.

An Yaluoshan had thought that, with everything that had changed, he no longer feared Wang Chong. But the sight of Wang Chong seething with hatred and killing intent, clearly wanting nothing more than to cleave him in half, made An Yaluoshan’s heart thump madly and cold sweat congeal on his brow. Fear instinctively seized him.

“An Yaluoshan, such audacity! To steal the Great Tang’s Dragon Qi in front of this king!” Wang Chong’s cold voice exploded right in An Yaluoshan’s ear, making him tremble all over in fear.