Chapter 1030: The Girl from the Western Extreme Heaven
Hong Tianzun chuckled and said, "Grand Emperor? Who is the Grand Emperor?"
Qin Mu smiled without speaking.
Hong Tianzun laughed heartily and said, "Brother Dao has returned from the Great Void, and this young lady is by your side. However, she is not the Empress. There are Creators in the Great Void, so I ventured to guess that this young lady is the Primordial God King. As for the Grand Emperor, that was something Brother Dao himself mentioned."
He sighed with emotion and continued, "Brother Dao said that the Grand Emperor is hidden among us Ten Celestial Venerables, yet you did not reveal who the Grand Emperor truly is, causing us to suspect and doubt one another. Brother Dao wouldn't suspect that I am the Grand Emperor, would you?"
Qin Mu praised, "Hong Tianzun's explanation is flawless, truly admirable."
Hong Tianzun laughed heartily, looked at Lang Wan God King, and said with a grin, "Then is this young lady the Primordial God King?"
Lang Wan God King shook her head and said softly, "I come from the Ancient Epoch, not the Primordial Epoch."
Hong Tianzun said, "The boundary between the Primordial Epoch and the Ancient Epoch is the beginning of the Dragon Han Era. When the Heavenly Court was established in the early Dragon Han Era, it entered the Ancient Epoch civilization. By the time of the Red Emperor, it was the Upper Ancient Era, with the Ancient Epoch lasting five hundred and sixty thousand years and the Upper Ancient Era lasting four hundred thousand years. By the time of the Kai Emperor, it was the Near Ancient Era, also called the Ancient Era, lasting twenty thousand years. From the fall of the Kai Emperor's era to the present, it is the Modern Era, totaling one million years. Could it be that this young lady is a Creator born in the Dragon Han Era?"
Lang Wan God King smiled radiantly, instantly captivating the hearts of everyone in the carriage, and said, "Why does Celestial Venerable insist that I am a Creator?"
Hong Tianzun rubbed the thumb ring on his finger and said with a faint smile, "Because this young lady came from the Great Void. Aside from the Creators, the only other thing in the Great Void is the Land of No Worries. You were born in the Primordial Epoch, while the Kai Emperor's Land of No Worries was established twenty thousand years ago, at the junction of the Near Ancient and Modern Eras. Naturally, you are not from the Land of No Worries."
Western Emperor had been staring intently at Lang Wan God King the entire time, and upon hearing this, she became even more tense.
Qin Mu laughed heartily and said leisurely, "Hong Tianzun, I invited you here this time not to discuss where my sister comes from. Since you are not the Grand Emperor, whether she is a Creator or a God King has nothing to do with you. I invited you to sit and talk only to tell Western Emperor that if she had attacked your Heavenly Fortress City and seized your Divine Artifact, Imperial Celestial Venerable, she would already be a dead tiger by now."
Western Emperor's heart tightened, and she fell silent.
Ever since Hong Tianzun had stepped into the treasure carriage, he had seized the initiative, setting aside Qin Mu's scheme against him and successfully stirring up conflict between Qin Mu and Lang Wan God King.
Now, Qin Mu had skillfully turned the conversation back.
Faced with these two old foxes, Western Emperor felt that it was best to say nothing at all.
The more she said, the more mistakes she would make; the more she did, the faster she would die.
Even Lang Wan God King, who had remained silent and unreadable, made her feel she couldn't see through her.
Among the four people in the carriage, she now realized that she was the most naive one.
Qin Mu stood up and said, "A great calamity has been averted, so Celestial Venerable should return now."
Hong Tianzun also stood up, putting on the air of a good-natured old man, and said with a chuckle, "Brother Dao, you ruined my plans, but since you are my senior, I have no choice but to accept it. In the future, Brother Dao will have to compensate me."
"Easily said, easily said."
Qin Mu saw him off and said, "Since I have ruined your good deed, I will tell you a piece of news as compensation. The Ancient God Heavenly Emperor is among the Ten Celestial Venerables, and Empress and Lady Yuanmu are also among them."
Hong Tianzun's body trembled slightly. He turned around and said with a half-smile, "This news truly shocks me, but it is also within reason. Even Earth Mother Yuanjun was so hard to kill, lingering on and causing trouble repeatedly, let alone the more skilled Heavenly Emperor? However, although this news is valuable, it is hardly enough to compensate for my losses. The Western Extreme Heaven is one of the Four Extreme Heavens, the four poles of the universe—no small matter."
Qin Mu said leisurely, "What if I told you that Gong Yun is also among the Ten Celestial Venerables? Would that be enough?"
"Who is Gong Yun?"
Hong Tianzun asked doubtfully, "Could it be Celestial Venerable Gong?"
Qin Mu watched his face, paying close attention to the slightest expression, but could see no sign of pretense. He said, "Gong Yun, also known as Xin Fu, was one of the three Primordial God Kings and the wife of the Grand Emperor. The Ancient God Heavenly Emperor and Gong Yun gave birth to Lang Xuan Divine Emperor."
Hong Tianzun's mind was greatly shaken, and he chuckled darkly, "There are so many hidden secrets among the Ten Celestial Venerables! How laughable that I have addressed them as fellow Daoists for hundreds of thousands of years without ever knowing their true origins! I am enlightened, truly enlightened!"
Qin Mu still couldn't detect any flaw in his demeanor and silently praised, "This is what Village Chief calls an old hand in the game—leaving no trace, with unfathomable depth."
"Brother Hong, this time I ruined your plans. These two pieces of news are indeed hardly enough to compensate you, but I will repay you in the future."
Qin Mu said with utmost sincerity, "Brother, put aside the Western Extreme Heaven for now. We'll discuss it later."
Hong Tianzun smiled and said, "It's not that I don't trust Brother Dao, but since you owe me a favor, you need to put it in writing."
Qin Mu took out paper and brush and wrote an IOU.
Hong Tianzun accepted the IOU and drifted away.
Qin Mu watched him leave, then returned to the carriage. Inside, Western Emperor was still staring at Lang Wan God King, who remained calm and composed, allowing herself to be scrutinized.
Qin Mu sat down, his expression darkening. Western Emperor said coldly, "So, Celestial Venerable Mu, is this young lady a Creator..."
"Enough!"
Qin Mu erupted in anger and shouted, "If it weren't for Your Majesty Western Emperor's recklessness in trying to seize the Divine Artifact, Imperial Celestial Venerable, how could I have been so passive in front of Hong Tianzun? I even had to write an IOU and hand it over to him, owing him a favor that I don't know how I'll repay in the future! I saved your Western Extreme Heaven for you, and I saved your life for you. What more do you want?"
Western Emperor blushed and laughed, "You, this man, why do you lose your temper so easily? No depth at all. People say Celestial Venerable Mu is as cunning as a fox and as sly as a rabbit, but I think you're more like a male lion, scaring my heart into pounding wildly."
Qin Mu's expression softened, and he said gently, "It's not that I'm losing my temper, but I was worried about Sister Western Emperor's safety. Otherwise, how would I dare to offend Hong Tianzun? How would I dare to ruin his plans? Sister, please don't take offense."
Western Emperor stood up and said solemnly, "This time, it was indeed my recklessness. It was my fault. Fortunately, you arrived in time, or the consequences would have been unimaginable. I apologize to you." With that, she actually bowed to Qin Mu in apology.
Qin Mu was surprised and quickly stood up to support her.
Ancient gods were often proud and arrogant. Even Earth Lord and Heavenly Lord, who had good relations with Qin Mu, carried an inherent pride in their bones, looking down on post-natal beings and rarely admitting their mistakes.
Some, like Eastern Emperor Azure Dragon, not only looked down on post-natal beings but even treated their own children as tools, devoid of any familial affection.
However, Western Emperor White Tiger was an exception among the ancient gods. She was straightforward, daring to speak and act, and willing to admit her mistakes, making her likable.
"The fault is not yours. It's the Ten Celestial Venerables who are too cunning."
Qin Mu invited her to sit down and said, "I was too anxious about Sister's safety, so I resorted to provocation and scheming without considering your feelings. I also apologize to you."
Western Emperor did not sit down and said with a laugh, "Your seat was crushed by me. This throne is no longer usable." As she spoke, the seat she had been sitting on instantly turned to dust.
Western Emperor's face flushed slightly, and she said, "I will compensate you. Celestial Venerable, don't leave just yet. My Western Extreme Heaven has many skilled craftsmen. I will have the palace's celestial artisans come to repair it, ensuring it is even more magnificent than before."
Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Sister. I still need to hurry to the Southern Extreme Heaven to see if Sister Vermilion Bird has safely passed this calamity."
"Zhu Zhu is much more clever than I am. If I couldn't see through it, she definitely can. Don't worry about her."
Western Emperor walked out of the carriage and glanced down, only to see that the wheels of the carriage had been flattened into two straight lines by her weight. She stuck out her tongue.
Inside the carriage, Qin Mu extended his hand to Lang Wan God King, who remained seated and unmoving. She did not reach out, her expression displeased. Qin Mu kept his hand extended. Lang Wan God King closed her eyes, and after a moment, she opened them and placed her soft hand in his palm.
Qin Mu exerted a little force to pull her up. Lang Wan God King withdrew her hand and walked toward the carriage exit, saying, "Qin Lang, should I call you Holy Infant or Celestial Venerable Mu?"
Qin Mu lifted the beaded curtain and said with a smile, "Sister is angry. When you're angry, you actually have a bit of humanity."
Lang Wan God King sighed and stepped out of the carriage, saying, "You still haven't answered my question."
Western Emperor was directing the divine beings of the White Tiger Heavenly Palace to pull the Southern Heavenly Gate, which had been pressed into the ground, back out. Many soldiers of the Western Extreme Heaven activated their primordial spirits and exerted force together, finally lifting the heavenly palace.
The heavenly palace rose slowly. Western Emperor took the lead and walked toward the palace, removing her armor as she went, and said, "Brother Mu, and that little sister, come in first. I'll go change clothes. I was too nervous earlier, and my clothes are torn... You few, come over and invite my brother and sister to the Jade Pool!"
She quickly disappeared into the distance. Qin Mu and Lang Wan God King, along with Dragon Qilin and Yan'er, entered the White Tiger Heavenly Palace, led by several female generals.
Those female divine generals of the Western Extreme Heaven also removed their divine armor as they walked, revealing colorful dresses beneath, their figures alluring.
It was only then that Qin Mu noticed that the heavenly palace was mostly filled with women, with few men. Even the generals leading troops were mostly women—truly an army of heroic women!
"Sister, Celestial Venerable Mu is me, and Holy Infant is also me."
Qin Mu admired the scenery of the White Tiger Heavenly Palace. It felt like entering a young lady's boudoir. The palace was decorated in a riot of colors, every corner revealing a girl's delicate thoughts. Fresh flowers were placed everywhere, and vines climbed the palace walls.
"I know that Creators and Ancient Gods have deep-seated hatred, but for now, we have no choice but to cooperate. I am not only seeking a way out for the Creator race but also a way out for humanity and the Eternal Peace civilization."
A pure smile appeared on Qin Mu's face: "I am the Holy Infant of the Creators, but I am also the Celestial Venerable Mu of humanity."
They arrived at the Jade Pool, where many artisans were rushing out, presumably to repair the Celestial Dragon Treasure Carriage. Qin Mu was surprised to find that the celestial artisans of the Western Extreme Heaven were also all women, each carrying a furnace on their backs and holding boxes, very similar to the attire of Grandpa Mute.
"Grandpa Mute would definitely like these sturdy girls! He taught me from a young age that sturdy girls are the most beautiful!"
Qin Mu was overjoyed: "I wonder if Western Emperor would be willing to give me some celestial artisans from the Western Extreme Heaven?"
Just as he was thinking, Western Emperor had already changed her clothes and walked over. Qin Mu looked closely, his eyes lighting up, and silently praised, "How can there be such an adorable ancient god?"