The Human Emperor
chapter-263

Chapter 263: King Sosurim!, Part Two

“Hahaha. Old Eagle, you’re taking it too lightly.”

Wang Chong burst into laughter. Did Old Eagle think that he had instructed him to send a nightingale to follow the old woodsman for fun?

“An operation consisting of a thousand Goguryeon elites. Just the preparation itself spanned over four months, and they even built a monastery in the middle of the mountain for it… Given how much effort was devoted into this matter, did you think that King Sosurim wouldn’t supervise it personally? Since he isn’t in the monastery, there’s no doubt that he would be in the surroundings to view the entire operation!” Wang Chong explained confidently. This was no longer a deduction to him, he bore no doubts whatsoever that the old woodsman before him was the elusive King Sosurim.

Weng!

The old woodsman’s heart jolted. He didn’t expect the young fellow from the Wang Clan to be so sharp. He had always kept his whereabouts a mystery, such that not even his own subordinates were aware of them.

Yet, Wang Chong was able to deduce it from this angle.

“… Also, King Sosurim has always been known to be a wary person. He even swapped all of the monks within the monastery to be Goguryeons as well. Considering that they were planning to kill the influential officials in Great Tang, do you think that he would actually allow an old woodsman of unknown background to come into contact with the monastery?” Wang Chong sneered coldly.

Even the slightest opening can expose the greatest of secrets. Even though the old woodsman was only there for a few seconds each time, there was still a chance he could have seen something that would have made him doubtful, thus compelling him to report it. If that were to happen, their previous efforts would have been in vain.

After much thoughts, Wang Chong felt that the old woodsman who sent lumber to the monastery everyday was the most suspicious of all.

Weng!

Initially, everyone was still skeptical of Wang Chong’s words. However, after hearing his explanation, they began to become doubtful of the old woodsman before them.

Indeed! It was an operation involving a thousand True Martial realm Goguryeon elites, how could King Sosurim possibly stay out of it?

Given that they had searched through the monastery and there were no traces of him, only one possibility remained—King Sosurim must be viewing the entire operation from afar.

Given King Sosurim’s cautious nature, there was no doubt that this was what he would do.

Furthermore, how could a person as wary as him possibly be so careless as to allow an outsider to deliver lumber to them every day?

The more they thought about it, the more suspicious it felt.

“Who in the world are you?” Ma Yinlong reached for the saber by his waist as he stared at King Sosurim with a grim expression.

“Old masters, I’m just a woodsman. I really have no idea what you are all talking about…” the old woodsman waved his hands as he backed away with a frightened expression. “Gongzi, why must you do this to me? I’m just an ordinary person, I really don’t know anything about what King Sosurim you speak of.”

The fearful expression on the old woodsman made everyone hesitant once more… Were they really mistaken? Judging from how unstable his footsteps were, he did seem like an ordinary man.

“Hahaha! King Sosurim, I heard that you are quite a figure yourself, but you are looking rather pathetic now trying to deny it even when cornered. None of us are fools here. Why don’t you change your shoes before talking about it?” From atop his horse, Wang Chong gazed down at the old woodsman and sneered.

Those words immediately brought gazes to the old woodsman’s feet, and vaguely, they could see a pair of cloud embroidered white silk shoes hidden beneath the tattered gray robe.

The old woodsman also noticed his shoes at the moment, and his face immediately darkened. He had always been a careful person, meticulous even with the smallest details.

Thus, when he switched to the appearance of a silk merchant, he changed the shoes and everything else as well. Who could have known that when he was changing back, he would actually forget about the shoes.

How could an old woodsman who had to toil every day to make a living possibly afford a pair of embroidered silk shoes? He had schemed for his entire life, but who knew that he would actually be caught by a pair of shoes?

It was impossible for him to deny it anymore.

“Since you specialize in disguise, there must be more than one costume inside. You few, go inside and search his room. There must be more clothes inside, and I’m certain that most aren’t what an ordinary old woodsman could afford.” Wang Chong chuckled confidently from his seat on his horse.

“King Sosurim, what else do you have to say?”

“Bastard, so you are the one!”

No matter how slow-witted Ma Yinlong was, it was clear that there was something very wrong with this old woodsman. With reddened eyes, a powerful aura gushed forth from him.

A destructive gush of black Stellar Energy rushed forth with incredible momentum toward the old woodsman.

Boom!

A resounding explosion echoed in the air. Ma Yinglong’s attack was dispelled as swiftly as it came. An immense force jolted his entire body backward.

That powerful black Stellar Energy was torn apart in an instant. A powerful wind gushed into the surroundings, drawing dust and grit up into the air. The war steeds neighed uneasily as they retreated in fright.

Boom!

At that very instant when Ma Yinlong was jolted flying, a specially-crafted arrow harnessing ridiculous might instantaneously appeared in the courtyard, its trajectory heading straight for the old woodsman.

Luo Chong, who was hidden at the back of the formation, had made a move!

Luo Chong’s archery surpassed all other master archers he had met. His arrows were as swift as lightning, rendering them impossible for anyone to dodge.

And the frightening might behind his arrows ensured a one shot one kill, pinning his enemy firmly onto the ground. Even the strongest True Martial realm expert was no exception to the rule.

Weng!

A hand reminiscent of a steel claw grabbed the shaft of the arrow, stopping this sure-kill arrow with sheer brute force.

Weng!

The surroundings instantly fell silent. Even Steel Arms, Old Eagle, and Solitary Wolf who wanted to rush forward to assist Ma Yinlong halted in their footsteps.

At 800 meters away, Luo Chong gripped onto his bow with an incomparably grim expression.

To think that he would be so strong!, Wang Chong sighed deeply as coldness welled in his heart.

Currently, Ma Yinlong and Luo Chong were the two strongest men by his side. The incredible black Stellar Energy that tore apart everything in its path that Wang Chong first saw back at the Bureau of Personnel yamen branch had left him with a deep impression.

On the other hand, the master archer which King Song assigned him with had refreshed Wang Chong’s understanding of master archers with the incredible might of his arrows. To those beneath Profound Martial realm, he was no different from a God of Death.

With that archer standing behind him, Wang Chong felt extremely safe.

And yet, the both of them actually weren’t able to stop this old woodsman. In fact, the latter even grabbed Luo Chong’s arrow with his bare hand.

This situation was unprecedented!

With a strong sense of danger overwhelming him, Wang Chong immediately drove his war steed back. It seemed like he had severely underestimated this chief spy of Goguryeo.

“Hehehe!”

Grabbing the shaft of the arrow, the old woodsman released a sinister laughter.

“To think that a pair of shoes would be my undoing. Young man, I really have underestimated you. I intended to kill you a little later, but who knew that you would come seeking your death so anxiously.”

Shua! Kacha!

He threw the bamboo hat onto the ground with his left hand while breaking the thick metal arrow in two with his right.

Then, the old woodsman slowly lifted up his head and tore off the mask tattered by the collision of Stellar Energy just a moment ago.

A foreign middle-aged man with narrow eyes reminiscent of a wary and cunning fox appeared before everyone’s eyes.

The callousness projected through his distinctive facial features sent warning bells chiming in everyone’s hearts.

Only with the viciousness of a wolf could one maintain an ironclad grip over an organization,

Only with the cunning of a fox was one able to escape from whatever dangerous position one was in.

Wang Chong had never seen King Sosurim before, but the features of the old man made him ever more certain that he wasn’t mistaken.

The dangerous and vicious disposition he carried far surpassed any assassin or murderer. Even the three Goguryeon heads would pale before him.

“Gongzi, be careful!”

Sensing the hostility from the other party, Miyasame Ayaka’s crouching figure immediately rushed forward to protect Wang Chong.

“King Sosurim, I’ll kill you!”

The revelation of the other party’s face smashed any remaining doubts the crowd had of his identity. With reddened eyes, Ma Yinlong, Old Eagle, Solitary Wolf, and Steel Arms dashed forward.

Roar!

Peng peng peng peng, powerful auras exploded from the four. Solitary Wolf with his massive saber, Steel Arms with his one-handed sword, Ma Yinlong with his fearsome Stellar Energy, and Old Eagle with his iron fists; the four of them charged forward.

“Hah, four losers actually dare to challenge me!”

The old woodsman, or rather, King Sosurim, crushed the lumber before him with his left hand, and three cold gleaming Goguryeon sabers immediately fell into his hands.

Boom!

A powerful surge of Stellar Energy mixed with sharp saber qi burst forth like a huge storm. In an instant, Ma Yinlong, Steel Arms, Solitary Wolf, and Old Eagle were all knocked back.

King Sosurim was too strong!

With his full strength raging out, he looked nothing like that weak old woodsman from before.

Other than Old Eagle, the other three were at Profound Martial realm 1-dan or 2-dan. Yet, even when collaborating with one another, they weren’t King Sosurim’s opponent at all.

Not only that, they even felt a fatal threat from the three sabers in King Sosurim’s hands.

“Lad, you have foiled my plans too many times. Let me start with you!”

After pushing back Ma Yinlong and the others, King Sosurim dashed forward, his movement directed straight at Wang Chong.

Of everyone here, Wang Chong was the easiest target, as well as the target whose life he wanted to claim the most now.

This young lad from the Wang Clan had made him feel restricted no matter what he did. If he didn’t kill the other party now, he wouldn’t be able to continue on with his plans confidently.

This young lad was simply too smart!

Furthermore, King Sosurim had a feeling that if he were to allow this young lad to grow, he would eventually become a huge danger to the empire. By then, it would be too late!

Cornered as he was, he was confident in breaking out of this encirclement with his superior cultivation. By then, he could choose to either conceal himself within the capital or escape through the secret tunnel.

Even if there was someone standing guard at the tunnel, he was confident of getting past them to escape.

“Die!”

Three cold saber qi rushed straight for Wang Chong, who was galloping away on the back of his horse.