Chapter 1819: Remorse, Repentance! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”How could it be… how could it be… Why is it like this?!”
Li Junxian had his hands propping up his body against the ground as he muttered to himself and wept. At this moment, he had truly been defeated, but not by Wang Chong. Reality had defeated him! He finally understood that the Confucian Sect's thousand-year dream that they had sacrificed so much to realize, the Harmonious World, had utterly failed.
”Li Junxian, you were truly wrong. Look around you! Look at all these people who trusted you! You've failed all of them!”
Wang Chong's icy voice came from overhead. He looked down on the dejected Li Junxian, but he was in no mood for further taunts and jeers. The militarist-Confucian conflict was the shame of the entire empire!
”I don't have time to argue with you! Li Junxian, just sit there and reflect! If this war goes badly, a hundred deaths won't be enough to redeem you and the Confucian Sect!”
With these last hatred-ridden words, Wang Chong left with his entourage.
The war had begun, so as a commander, he needed to get ready to head to the front lines. As for Li Junxian, he had no time for him.
Wang Chong's words seemed to drain the last vestiges of Li Junxian's strength, and he dropped limply to the ground, his eyes dim.
”Young Master!”
Sword Ghost hastily rushed up to help Li Junxian, but Li Junxian couldn't seem to hear him.
”Was I wrong? Was I really wrong…”
Countless thoughts surged through Li Junxian's mind as he watched Wang Chong leave.
Suddenly, Li Junxian recalled something Wang Chong had once said. 'A country, while vast, is certain to die if it engages in too many wars. A country, while wealthy, is certain to be in peril if it forgets war.' He recalled how Wang Chong had again and again made his view loudly known in the militarist-Confucian conflict, about how he had set up those martial arts schools across the country, about how he had ordered his army to the border in rage to exterminate the eight thousand Hu who had been complicit in the massacre, how he had argued with bloodshot eyes with Li Junxian… Various memories appeared in Li Junxian's mind, and suddenly, he was consumed by remorse and regret.
At that moment, Li Junxian understood that he had truly been wrong!
That youth who was not even properly an adult had seen through everything!
Li Junxian and the members of the Confucian Sect could only wallow in their dejection, staring silently as Wang Chong departed.
……
Rumble!
As the capital of the Great Tang was in an uproar, far to the west, the drums of war thundered. From the Arabian capital of Baghdad all the way past the Cong Mountains to Suiye, the world was shaking. Countless Arab soldiers accompanied by numerous Governors and Deputy Governors were advancing in an endless stream toward the Western Regions.
Neigh!
A horse neighed as an armored Arab horseman raised a barbed whip and cracked it upon the back of a Arab horseman carrying supplies. The massive force of the blow traveled through his armor and caused the horseman to tremble in pain.
As the whip drew back, it revealed the deep mark left on the tough armor.
”Faster, faster! All of you, hurry up! If any of you end up causing a delay in the advance, everyone will be executed!” the officer harshly called out, his eyes as cold and sharp as swords as they looked around at the constantly advancing Arabs.
Amongst these people were elite Arab cavalry drawn from the various provinces of the empire, militia who had just been recruited and were still in basic training, and also massive giants covered in armor and carrying large boxes on their backs. Each step these giants took would cause the earth to shake.
Roooar!
In front of these giants were Arabs who were much larger than ordinary Arabs, and each of them rode an armored Behemoth eight to nine meters tall. These Behemoths were much smaller than those who had appeared at the Battle of Talas, but they had collars around their necks and seemed to share a mutual understanding with the riders on their backs, appearing to have gone through a long period of training. Farther ahead were herds of camels, massive wagons of weapons, herds of cows and sheep… All of them were marching day and night, advancing ever closer to the eastern world.
Pa! Pa! Pa!
The cracks of whips resounded all across the vast convoy. There were numerous officers in charge of overseeing this march.
”Hurry up! To serve the empire is an incredible honor!”
”The True God will protect us! In the future, you and your descendants will all be proud that you participated in the empire's subjugation of the eastern world!”