Chapter 733: Changing One's Appearance
"Kai Huang?"
Qin Mu seemed not to have heard clearly, smiling as he asked, "Which Kai Huang?"
Niu Sanduo still hadn't fully emerged from his shock, muttering dreamily, "There's only one Kai Huang, who else could it be? He was so dazzling that even amidst the vast, boundless sea of mortals, you could spot him at a glance. No matter how brilliant and eye-catching others were, your gaze would be instantly drawn to him. He naturally possessed a kind of leadership aura; even if others were outstanding, they were like stars revolving around him..."
Qin Mu snapped back to reality and immediately looked toward that painted boat.
Kai Huang!
The founder of the Kai Huang Era, his own ancestor!
Kai Huang was here too!
Could this be the early period of the Kai Huang Era?
A fiercely intense thought surged within him—he had to see Kai Huang!
To meet him, to see this ancestor of his, no matter what!
Qin Mu leaped up from the painted boat and chased after the one where Kai Huang was. Old Ox quickly followed him. The woman on the boat was surprised and laughed, "Good little brother, why are you leaving again?"
"Sister, I've run into an acquaintance!"
Qin Mu turned midair and bowed respectfully, saying, "That person is extremely important to me. I left in a hurry without telling you—please forgive me! Where do you live, sister? Once my business is settled, I'll come to your door and apologize."
The woman waved her hand and laughed, "If you have urgent matters, go ahead and take care of them. Your sister's surname is Zhu, given name Que'er. I live in the Vermilion Bird Palace. Come find me when you have time. The Vermilion Bird Palace is in the southern part of the Heavenly Court!"
Qin Mu acknowledged this, turned around, and sped up, heading straight for that painted boat.
"Someone actually named Vermilion Que'er."
Old Ox caught up to Qin Mu and said in a rumbling voice, "The Vermilion Bird is one of the Four Emperors. In the old Heavenly Court, there were Four Emperors, and the Southern Emperor was the Vermilion Bird. This woman calling herself Vermilion Que'er isn't afraid of shortening her lifespan. But her strength is not weak—comparable to you, master."
Qin Mu was startled. "The Southern Emperor is from the Vermilion Bird divine clan? Isn't the Southern Emperor Qi Xiayu?"
Old Ox said, "Qi Xiayu is the Southern Heavenly Red Emperor, a nine-headed phoenix, not the same person as the Southern Emperor. This Qi Xiayu is rumored to be a divine being from the Shang Huang Era who later defected to the enemy. She's quite prominent and holds considerable power. But because the Southern Emperor exists, she can't be called the Southern Emperor, so she's only known as the Red Emperor."
Qin Mu's heart stirred. He turned to look back at that woman, but saw that the painted boat had already gone far.
"Vermilion Que'er? Vermilion Bird Palace? What relation does Vermilion Que'er have to the Southern Emperor?"
His eagerness to catch up to Kai Huang took priority, so he set this matter aside and focused entirely on pursuing Kai Huang's painted boat.
Vermilion Que'er watched Qin Mu leave. Several maids came forward and said, "Your Ladyship, why are you so good to that young man? He didn't even give his name!"
"Even if a hundred years pass without recognition, fame can fill the world in a single morning. I think he's that kind of person."
Vermilion Que'er's brows were long and elegant as she smiled. "I can see he's no ordinary figure; he will surely accomplish great things in the future. Besides, that ox he calls 'senior brother' is incredibly strong and fearsome—even in the Heavenly Court, such beings are rare. For that old ox to be so powerful and still follow him closely, he's certainly not one to be confined to a small pond. Let's go. Set sail for the Heavenly Court. I wonder if Tu Bo, Tian Gong, and the others have arrived yet. We can't keep them and His Majesty waiting."
On the Heavenly River, many painted boats shuttled back and forth. Huge beasts stirred up waves in the river, pulling the boats along. Qin Mu searched everywhere but couldn't immediately find the boat where Kai Huang was.
Suddenly, a long, low cry rang out. Though deep, it was immensely loud, making people's chests buzz. A giant Kun fish, over ten miles long, leaped from the water with its massive fins vibrating, sending up enormous waves.
Qin Mu sidestepped as the Kun fish's spray flew into the sky. The Kun fish's fins were like wings, flapping as it flew through the air, its mouth emitting a long call.
Although this era lacked the astonishing creativity of Yan Kang, it had all sorts of bizarre giant beasts, which made for excellent transportation.
"The painted boat has docked!"
Qin Mu's eyes lit up. Through the waves, he spotted a painted boat moored at a jade platform, but Kai Huang was no longer on it, nor were the people who had been with him earlier.
Several other painted boats were also docked nearby. People in ancient-looking attire were disembarking. There were no other buildings by the jade platform, but a huge blue-backed fish surfaced from the water.
People getting off the painted boats stepped onto the fish's back, as if standing on a small island.
"That's a dock—a transfer point!"
Old Ox hurriedly said, "They've switched to riding the Kun fish!"
Qin Mu immediately shot into the sky, chasing after the Kun fish that had just burst from the water. Behind him, Old Ox stomped through the air, making the sky boom as he quickly caught up. With a gentle nudge, Qin Mu landed on the ox's back.
Old Ox exerted his strength, and with a bang, the space ahead almost exploded. A streak of green light shot straight toward that Kun fish.
Niu Sanduo, carrying Qin Mu, drew closer and closer to the Kun fish flying with its fins. The Kun fish was extraordinary, flying very fast, but it was still far inferior to Old Ox.
As they got nearer, Qin Mu gradually calmed down and said softly, "Third Senior Brother, don't catch up just yet."
Old Ox quickly slowed down and asked, puzzled, "Don't you want to see Kai Huang?"
"I definitely want to see him, but I don't know what era this is. We don't know where we've arrived or when."
He had a strange expression on his face and said quietly, "I suspect... we've come to some point in the past. This era isn't the Kai Huang Era."
Old Ox nodded. "Indeed, it's not the Kai Huang Era. The Kai Huang Era was also grand, but not on this scale, and this place is too backward. I suspect it's the Shang Huang Era..."
Qin Mu continued analyzing, "It wouldn't be the Shang Huang Era either. I don't know much about the Shang Huang Era, but I know it was extremely chaotic at the end. This isn't the Chi Ming Era either—in that era, most beings had three heads and six arms, but here the gods and demons are all bizarre and varied."
Old Ox's cow eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Could we have gone back to the extremely ancient Long Han Era?"
Qin Mu's expression was odd as he said softly, "Senior Brother, stay calm. The Yong River is very strange. I've encountered fog incidents there before, and I even went back forty thousand years to the end of the Shang Huang Era through a desert realm at the Yong River's source. This is nothing to get worked up about."
Old Ox's mouth hung open, and he stammered, "You've encountered weirdness before?"
Qin Mu calculated, "I took the box and the Dragon Qilin, fled from Xing Han with Da Zun, and accidentally ended up forty thousand years in the past. I met Bai Qiu'er and the others and experienced the war that destroyed the Shang Huang. But it was only one night. When dawn came, Bai Qiu'er and the entire Shang Huang Era vanished like black sand flowing away. Will this world also disappear when dawn comes, returning to the Great Ruins..."
Old Ox coughed, interrupting his thoughts, and said, "Junior Brother, I'm afraid there's no night here."
Qin Mu was stunned. He looked up at the sky, where multiple suns hung high. This ancient Heavenly Court indeed couldn't have night!
Old Ox said, "Kai Huang once said he also experienced a strange event and disappeared for a few months. I suspect the weird incident we're encountering now is the same one Kai Huang encountered! That means we'll probably be trapped in this era for a few months, just like the young Kai Huang."
Qin Mu pondered, "The time Kai Huang encountered the weirdness should be about thirty to forty thousand years ago. He's not from the same era as us. I don't know if meeting him will cause even stranger events. Third Senior Brother, does Kai Huang recognize you?"
Old Ox was taken aback and said, "Of course he does. Kai Huang was very good to me. He invited me several times to govern a heavenly palace, but I refused because I didn't want the trouble."
"When did you two first meet?" Qin Mu continued.
Old Ox thought for a moment and said, "I've always followed my master. In his early years, my master herded cattle for a wealthy family, and I was one of the cows he raised. I saw him secretly learning martial arts, so I learned along with him. One day, I spoke, which startled my master, and we became friends. When the wealthy family found out their secret techniques had been learned by a cowherd, they wanted to kill him. I carried my master on my back and fled for a long time until we met Kai Huang. He defeated the pursuers, and my master and I followed him. At that time, Kai Huang was just a cultivator at the Seven Stars realm."
"So it was very early. He'll definitely recognize you."
Qin Mu jumped off his back, opened his Taotie Bag, and took out a sheet of yellow paper, saying, "Third Senior Brother, first transform into human form."
Old Ox transformed into a bull-headed, human-bodied deity. Qin Mu stuck the yellow paper on his forehead and said, "This is the Yellow Table Paper of the You Du Prefect. With it on, others won't be able to see your true face. This way, we don't have to worry about Kai Huang recognizing you. I only have this one sheet. When I took it, Tian Qi Ren Sheng Wang chased me for a long time, so it must be a good item."
Old Ox lifted the yellow paper and asked curiously, "Does it work if I stick it somewhere else? Sticking it on my forehead feels strange and blocks my view."
"I haven't tried sticking it elsewhere."
Qin Mu studied him and indeed couldn't see his face. He tentatively said, "Why don't you give it a try?"
Old Ox peeled off the yellow paper, tucked it close to his body, and asked, "Can you see my face now?"
Qin Mu still couldn't see his face, only vaguely making out that he seemed to be an old man. He laughed, "So the Prefect's Yellow Table Paper can be used this way! When he stuck it on my face, I thought it only worked on the face. Now, let's catch up to Kai Huang!"
He activated his Creation Technique, altering his own face until it was completely unrecognizable from his original appearance.
Old Ox channeled his magical power, carrying Qin Mu as they sped along like the wind and lightning. They soon caught up to the Kun fish ahead. With a flash of light, the two landed on the Kun fish's back.
The Kun fish was pressed down sharply by Niu Sanduo's weight, plummeting rapidly from the sky!
"Which exalted god is playing this joke on this humble one?"
The Kun fish cried out in alarm, "Get off, get off quickly! Your divine body is too heavy—this humble one can't bear it!"
Old Ox's face flushed slightly. He quickly activated his magical power, using his primordial energy to lift himself. The Kun fish was about to hit the ground when the pressure suddenly lightened. It hurriedly flapped its fins to pull up, skimming diagonally past a majestic deity with a bird's head, a human body, and wings like clouds.
That deity was surrounded by blazing holy fire, as if standing within a blazing sun. He looked curiously at the people on the fish's back—it was the Great Sun Star Lord Qin Mu had seen earlier.
The Kun fish flew between palaces, dove down, passed under a flying bridge, then pulled up again, soaring into the high clouds before stabilizing. It laughed, "Exalted god, you boarded halfway without paying like the others. You'll need to give me some extra elixirs."
Old Ox's face turned red, and he stammered, "What elixirs?"
The passengers on the fish's back were all staring at the suddenly appearing Qin Mu and Niu Sanduo. One young man laughed, "The Kun fish likes to eat Jade Dragon Pills. The Heavenly Court is too vast, so the Kun fish god carries passengers around the Heavenly Court to collect some Jade Dragon Pills to fill its stomach. If you two don't have any Jade Dragon Pills, I have some here and can cover for you."
Qin Mu thanked him and said, "Then many thanks to you, senior brother. How should I address you?"
The young man was exceptionally handsome and laughed, "My surname is Yin, given name Zhao Jin. And how should I address you, senior brother?"
Qin Mu's gaze flickered. "Yin Zhao Jin? The surname Yin is quite rare. Senior Brother Yin, do you know someone called Yin Tian Zi?"
The handsome young man was surprised and laughed, "Am I that famous? To be honest, in my little corner of the world, I did call myself Yin Tian Zi. But that's just among country folk, joking around with each other. And you, Brother Qin!"
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A reader shared a character illustration of Xu Sheng Hua and compiled some of his character information. This fake overlord body is quite something! Everyone, follow the public account "Zhai Zhu" and reply "Xu Sheng Hua" to see the relevant information.