I, the military god of the Tang Dynasty, have risen since I destroyed the Turks

Chapter 769 The Great Hero Guo Jing
As dusk settled, the autumn wind whipped up gusts of yellow sand along the official road ten miles outside Chang'an. Guo Jing and Huang Rong walked side by side, the dust beneath their feet shimmering with a faint golden light in the setting sun.

"Brother Jing, Chang'an is just ahead." Huang Rong brushed her wind-blown hair aside and pointed to the majestic outline of the city walls in the distance. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, yet also carried a hint of barely perceptible worry.

Guo Jing nodded, a simple, honest smile appearing on his rugged face: "Rong'er, it is truly an honor to see the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty in person. I just wonder why His Majesty would specifically summon two people from the martial world like us."

Huang Rong was about to answer when her expression suddenly froze. Her keen hearing detected an unusual tremor in the air.

"Watch out!" She suddenly grabbed Guo Jing's arm.

Almost simultaneously, an arrow pierced the air with a sharp whistling sound, embedding itself firmly in the ground three feet in front of the two men. The white fletching at the end of the arrow was still trembling violently, emitting a buzzing sound.

Guo Jing instinctively shielded Huang Rong behind him, his eyes gleaming as he scanned their surroundings. His muscles were tense, ready to respond to any possible attack. Huang Rong, on the other hand, squinted, carefully examining the arrow—the shaft seemed to be engraved with tiny patterns.

“This arrow,” Huang Rong said softly, “is no ordinary arrow.”

Guo Jing also noticed the anomaly. The arrow's design was unlike any he had ever seen before; the arrowhead was triangular, gleaming with a cold light, clearly crafted with great skill. Even stranger, a thin red thread was wrapped around the shaft, gleaming eerily in the setting sun.

"That person isn't trying to tell us something, is he?" Huang Rong whispered, her fingers lightly touching the patterns on the arrow shaft.

Guo Jing frowned: "This method doesn't seem to be from the Central Plains. Could it be..."

Before he could finish speaking, the sound of orderly hooves echoed in the distance. A troop of cavalrymen clad in gleaming armor charged out from the woods on either side of the road and quickly surrounded the two men. The leading general held a long spear, and his eyes beneath his visor were as sharp as an eagle's.

"Who are you? State your name!" Commander Song Sheng of the Imperial Guards shouted sternly, his voice like the clang of metal.

Guo Jing surveyed his surroundings. The cavalrymen were well-equipped, their armor reflecting a cold gleam in the setting sun. Their horses were tall and strong, clearly well-trained warhorses. What surprised him even more was that each soldier carried a uniquely designed short crossbow at his waist, unlike any weapon he had ever seen before.

"I am Guo Jing, and this is my wife, Huang Rong." Guo Jing clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, his voice steady and powerful. "We have come to pay our respects to His Majesty by imperial decree."

Upon hearing this, Song Sheng raised his hand, signaling the soldiers to lower their weapons. He lifted his visor, revealing a angular face, about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with a faint scar above his right eyebrow.

“So it’s Master Guo and Chief Huang.” Song Sheng’s tone softened slightly, but his eyes remained wary. “His Majesty has been waiting for quite some time. But…” His gaze fell on the arrow. “What’s the story with this arrow?”

Huang Rong keenly noticed a strange glint in Song Sheng's eyes when he saw the arrow: "General Song, do you recognize this arrow?"

Song Sheng did not answer directly. Instead, he dismounted and walked to the arrow to examine it carefully. He carefully avoided the red thread on the shaft, took out a silk handkerchief from his pocket, wrapped it around the arrow, and pulled it out.

“These are not our arrows,” Song Sheng said in a deep voice, “nor are they weapons used by any known enemy.”

Guo Jing and Huang Rong exchanged a glance. Having traveled the martial world for many years, they had developed a deep understanding. Huang Rong nodded slightly, signaling Guo Jing not to ask further questions.

Song Sheng stored the arrow in a specially made leather pouch, then gestured for the two men to follow him: "Please come with me, His Majesty is inspecting the new army at the drill ground."

The group walked along the official road, with imperial guards standing in neat rows on both sides, their eyes fixed straight ahead. Guo Jing noticed that the soldiers' posture and the way they held their weapons were different from ordinary soldiers, and each of them exuded a chilling aura.

“Brother Jing,” Huang Rong whispered, “look at their armor.” Guo Jing followed her gaze and noticed that each soldier’s armor had a round bronze mirror embedded in the chest, gleaming in the sunlight. Even more peculiar was the fact that their wrist guards seemed to have some kind of mechanism, with tiny metal tubes faintly visible protruding from them.

"What kind of equipment is this?" Guo Jing couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

Song Sheng seemed to have overheard their conversation, and without turning his head, said, "This is a new type of armor personally designed by His Majesty, called the 'Bright Light Armor.' As for the other equipment..." He paused, "you will naturally know when you see His Majesty."

After traveling for about half an hour, the view suddenly opened up ahead. A vast training ground appeared before them, with banners waving and war drums thundering. Thousands of soldiers were drilling, their movements perfectly synchronized, their battle cries shaking the heavens and the earth.

On the high platform in the center of the training ground, a figure dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe stood with his hands behind his back. Even from a distance, Guo Jing could feel the majestic aura emanating from that person.

“That is His Majesty,” Song Sheng said in a low voice, his tone filled with awe.

As they approached, Guo Jing recognized the legendary Emperor of the Tang Dynasty—Li Zheng. The emperor was around forty years old, with a resolute face, piercing eyes, and an imposing presence. Standing there, he was like a drawn sword, sharp yet composed and dignified.

Beside Li Zheng stood two generals. The one on the left was burly with a full beard and sharp, piercing eyes; the one on the right was slightly thinner, but his temples were prominent, indicating profound internal strength.

“Those are General Hou Junji and General Li Kan,” Song Sheng introduced. “Both are His Majesty’s most capable generals.”

Huang Rong noticed that there were several people dressed as civil officials standing on both sides of the platform. One of them was holding a strange bronze object and looking up at the sky from time to time; another was quickly writing something on a piece of paper.

When Guo Jing and Huang Rong reached the foot of the platform, Li Zheng's gaze fell upon them. In that instant, Guo Jing felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him, as if he were being stared at by a fierce tiger. He involuntarily tensed his body.

"This humble subject, Guo Jing, pays his respects to Your Majesty!" Guo Jing knelt on one knee and performed a grand salute. Huang Rong also gracefully bowed.

Li Zheng smiled slightly, and his imposing aura dissipated considerably: "Hero Guo, Chief Huang, you've had a long journey."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, demonstrating his profound internal strength.

"Bring me a seat." Li Zheng waved his hand, and immediately a guard brought over two chairs.

Guo Jing and Huang Rong thanked him and sat down. Only then did Guo Jing have the opportunity to carefully examine this legendary emperor. Li Zheng's dragon robe was embroidered with exquisite dragon patterns, but unlike other emperors, he wore a simple and ancient-looking longsword at his waist, the scabbard of which was engraved with strange runes.

"Your Majesty," Guo Jing asked respectfully, "what are your orders in summoning this humble couple?"

Li Zheng did not answer directly, but instead turned to the training ground: "What does Master Guo think of my new army?"

Guo Jing looked towards the training ground and saw soldiers practicing a peculiar formation. They held long spears, the tips of which flickered with faint firelight. Even more astonishingly, the soldiers were divided into three teams, advancing and retreating alternately, their movements as coordinated as if they were one person.

"Exquisite!" Guo Jing exclaimed sincerely. "These soldiers are highly trained, and their formation is unlike anything I've ever seen before."

(End of this chapter)