Chapter 748: Southern Emperor
Although the Kaihuang Emperor was an ancient ancestor, Qin Mu had only truly come to know him over the past few days, and in just that short time, he could already see the man’s character.
A person he had known for only a little over a month, someone who had even opposed him all along—he was still willing to risk his life to save. What about his subordinates who had followed him for twenty thousand years? What about the common people?
Such a man would not hide away in Carefree Village, indulging in pleasure and forgetting his worries.
This was a matter of character.
There was no rationality involved, no political scheming, no consideration of personal gain. It was simply a matter of personal nature.
The reason the Kaihuang Emperor was able to win the people’s support was precisely because he was this kind of person.
This kind of personal charisma was what made him the Kaihuang Emperor.
“If you weren’t hiding in Carefree Village, then you…”
Qin Mu fell silent, using his Creation Art to heal himself. The pressure from that female ancient god’s projection had still injured him. Although the divine arts and techniques of this era were crude and rough, when the disparity in power was too great, no technique could make up for it.
In the Jade Pool, demigods surged toward them in overwhelming numbers. The Kaihuang Emperor frowned. The sheer quantity of demigods was too much.
He was carrying the injured Qin Mu, who could barely keep himself alive at this point, leaving him with no free hands to fight off these demigods.
“Just carry me on your back,” Qin Mu said weakly.
The Kaihuang Emperor hoisted him onto his back. Qin Mu’s arms had already healed, and he wrapped them around the emperor’s shoulders. Now that his hands were free, the Kaihuang Emperor’s divine arts were unleashed at incredible speed. With a flick of his fingers, countless tiny techniques flew out.
To him, these demigods were riddled with flaws all over their bodies. As long as there was a flaw, they could be killed.
But more and more demigods kept coming. In the sky, beneath the sea, on the surface, ahead, behind, left, and right—they were everywhere.
The Kaihuang Emperor had never cultivated the Three Heads and Six Arms technique, and facing such a scene, he was struggling.
“Your sword—lend it to me!” the Kaihuang Emperor said abruptly, cold sweat beading on his forehead as his advance grew more difficult.
Qin Mu had already replaced most of the broken bones in his body and was growing new ones. Hearing this, he immediately asked, “How many swords do you need?”
“One is enough!”
With a thought, Qin Mu summoned the Carefree Sword from his Gluttonous Bag, and it flew into the Kaihuang Emperor’s hand.
The Kaihuang Emperor held the sword and paused for a moment, then praised, “This sword of yours is extraordinary. Holding it feels like it’s grown onto me, as if I can wield it freely and effortlessly. A fine sword, a fine sword. One day, I will forge a divine sword like this!”
He strode forward with the sword in hand. The Carefree Sword let out a crisp ring, as if it were excited, trembling, or even weeping.
Even Qin Mu had never been able to unleash the full power and might of the Carefree Sword, but now, in the Kaihuang Emperor’s hands, its power surged with ever-increasing intensity!
The Kaihuang Emperor’s swordsmanship was extremely profound. He was someone who had attained the Dao through the sword. The Carefree Sword’s power skyrocketed, and streaks of sword light crisscrossed through the air like beams of lightning. In an instant, the sky above the Jade Pool turned pitch black, and the sword light that darted back and forth was like pure white radiance tearing through the darkness!
In the sky, in the sea, on the surface—blood bloomed like brilliant red flowers.
With the Carefree Sword in hand, the Kaihuang Emperor was unstoppable!
Qin Mu watched this scene, somewhat entranced.
The Carefree Sword was originally the Kaihuang Emperor’s sword. In Qin Mu’s hands, it could only rely on its sharpness to kill enemies, but in the Kaihuang Emperor’s hands, it seemed to awaken. With the sword in hand, the Kaihuang Emperor was so peerlessly elegant!
Suddenly, a deafening crash rang out. Qin Mu turned his head and saw Niu Sanduo shatter the female ancient god’s projection into pieces!
The old ox leaped into the air and landed in front of the Kaihuang Emperor in the next moment. With a mighty roar like a booming bell, the sea churned, and the hurricane stirred up by his voice sent ancient gods staggering, tumbling in all directions.
The old ox shrank his body, his face anxious, and said in a low voice, “We’ve stirred up a huge mess. Those ancient gods have already flown over. I can’t hold them off—definitely can’t hold them off!”
Qin Mu exhaled a mouthful of foul air and said, “There’s still a way out. Don’t move. I’ll cast the spell!”
The two stood still. Qin Mu’s upper body had already healed, and he immediately channeled his primal energy. Countless runes swirled around the three of them, interweaving and spinning faster and faster.
In the distance, from one celestial palace after another, ancient deities were rushing toward them.
The Great Sun Star Lord flapped his wings and flew the fastest. From afar, he shouted, “It’s you again! Jinwu General Niu Ben! You caused trouble before and made a scene in the Heavenly Court. His Majesty granted you an official position, and you still weren’t satisfied! Let’s see how you clean up this mess. The Execution Platform hasn’t been sharpened or tasted blood yet—you’ll be the first to go!”
He streaked through the air like a fleeting shadow, charging in at lightning speed. His three claws reached down, and flames filled the sky. But at that moment, a flash of light erupted. The teleportation technique activated, and Qin Mu, the Kaihuang Emperor, and Niu Sanduo vanished without a trace.
The Great Sun Star Lord’s three claws grabbed nothing but air. He quickly flapped his wings and rose from the sea, his feathers covering a hundred miles of sky. Twin beams of white light shot from his eyes, sweeping in all directions as he searched for Qin Mu and the others.
More ancient gods arrived, shouting, “Star Lord, where did those rebels go?”
“Those three have some secret technique. They escaped somehow!”
The Great Sun Star Lord said, “Order the star deities and star lords of the All-Heaven Star Division to cast a heavenly net and cover the Jade Pool, leaving them no way to escape!”
The stars in the sky, which had been invisible, suddenly blazed into brilliance. Countless stars grew larger and larger, forming a celestial river. Within the river, stars glittered. The star deities and star lords each deployed their methods, and beams of light rained down from the sky, crisscrossing and sealing off the Jade Pool.
On those stars, the towering ancient gods leaned forward, their ancient faces peering down. Countless gazes fell from the sky, searching everywhere.
After searching for a long time without success, the Great Sun Star Lord was at a loss. He said, “Where are the Heavenly Listener and Earthly Seer? Those three are bold and reckless—wherever they’ve fled, they can’t hide from them!”
After a moment, an ancient god came to report, “The generals Heavenly Listener and Earthly Seer have been ordered by His Majesty to track down the murderer of the Imperial Heavenly Lord. They’ve already descended to the lower realm.”
The Great Sun Star Lord’s eyes widened. “Descended to the lower realm? Those two aren’t searching the Jade Pool for the murderer—what are they doing in the lower realm? Who in the lower realm could have the skill to assassinate the Imperial Heavenly Lord? Unless it’s a demigod… Could it be demigods…”
He suddenly stopped speaking, coughed twice, and said, “Jinwu General Niu Ben has made a scene in the Jade Pool twice and attempted to harm the Heavenly Lord Hao. I must report this to the Heavenly Emperor! I’ll go to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall first. You all wait here and continue searching. Make sure to dig that scoundrel out.”
He hurried away.
At that moment, a flash of light appeared, and Qin Mu, the Kaihuang Emperor, and Niu Sanduo materialized in an extraordinarily grand hall. Qin Mu coughed repeatedly, afraid of alerting others, and quickly suppressed it, his face turning red.
“Where is this?” the old ox and the Kaihuang Emperor asked, each adopting a defensive posture as they cautiously surveyed their surroundings.
The hall was entirely vermilion—the pillars, the floor, the walls, and the ceiling were all red, and even the curtains and screens were the same color.
Vermilion divine birds were carved into the walls, and various peculiar vermilion patterns adorned the floor. The screens and curtains were embroidered with flying vermilion birds.
There were also scenes of vermilion birds devouring demon insects and battling divine dragons.
“This is the Vermilion Palace.”
Qin Mu exhaled another breath of foul air and said, “This is where Vermilion Girl lives. We know her. We can hide here for a while.”
The old ox relaxed and chuckled, “You mean that girl who shares the name of the Southern Emperor Vermilion? That lady is quite pretty, but she’s bold—using the Southern Emperor’s name like that without fearing a shortened lifespan.”
The Kaihuang Emperor’s expression turned strange. He stared at a mural on the wall, silent for a long time, then suddenly said, “Is the woman in this painting Vermilion Girl?”
The old ox stepped forward and, sure enough, saw the woman called Vermilion Girl in the mural. He laughed, “That’s her. A very audacious woman.”
The Kaihuang Emperor’s expression grew even stranger. He warned, “Senior Niu Ben, she is depicted feasting with figures like the Earth Lord and the Heavenly Lord. Her status is no lower than theirs.”
The old ox looked at the mural. It depicted a banquet scene. The Earth Lord and the Heavenly Lord were there, seated in high positions at the front, and the woman Vermilion Girl was sitting right beside them!
“You mean…” the old ox ventured.
The Kaihuang Emperor sighed. “She is the Southern Emperor. We’ve barged into the Southern Emperor’s palace. This is walking right into the trap. And this place…”
He looked at the curtains. Behind them was a vermilion jade couch shaped like a bird’s nest, blazing with sacred flames.
The Kaihuang Emperor’s forehead bulged with veins as he muttered, “And this is the Southern Emperor’s bedchamber. I think we should start considering how we’re going to die…”
The old ox shuddered several times and looked pleadingly at Qin Mu. “You have a way, don’t you? You always have a way…”
Before Qin Mu could speak, voices came from outside. Vermilion Girl’s voice reached their ears as she laughed, “This Heavenly Court gathering has been quite a rollercoaster. On the surface, it’s about deciding the Heavenly Court’s name, but really, it’s those old fossils squabbling over their own interests. The Earth Lord and the Heavenly Lord are bold—they don’t want to split the interests of the Nether Capital and the Mystic Capital. The demigod leaders are also clamoring for more benefits. As for the Heavenly Court’s name, that’s a minor matter…”
“Your Highness, while you were at the Heavenly Court, you don’t know how lively things were at the Jade Pool.”
“Oh?”
“Your Highness, the Jade Pool is almost wrecked. First, the Heavenly Lord Mu and the Heavenly Lord Qin were fighting, then Niu Ben made a scene. Then the Imperial Heavenly Lord was assassinated, came back to life, and fought with the demigods and the Heavenly Lord Hao. The Empress’s sister’s projection descended, and Jinwu General Niu Ben smashed it to pieces…”
“So much excitement? I should have skipped the Heavenly Court gathering and stayed here to watch!”
“It’s even more exciting now. The All-Heaven Star Deities have all come out…”
The women’s voices grew closer as they talked about the Jade Pool gathering. Vermilion Girl said, “I’m a bit tired. I need to rest. You may leave.”
“Yes.”
The maids withdrew.
Footsteps approached, and a woman in a great red gown entered the hall, laughing, “How bold of you to hide in my palace. Do you really think I have no means to capture you…”
“Sister!”
Qin Mu limped out, his face shifting back to its original appearance. He bowed and said, “Your little brother has come to seek refuge. Please take me in, sister!”
Vermilion Girl was startled and exclaimed, “You are… the newly appointed Heavenly Lord Mu? No, you’re clearly the little brother I met on the Heavenly River. How were you wearing the face of the Imperial Heavenly Lord just now?”
The Kaihuang Emperor looked at Qin Mu, momentarily stunned. Qin Mu’s current face was not that of Mu Qing but another, younger, somewhat naive face.
“His face looks familiar…”
The Kaihuang Emperor was puzzled. “A bit like me…”
Qin Mu revealed his true appearance and said hoarsely, “The Imperial Heavenly Lord is dead. The murderers are the Heavenly Lord Hao and Yin Chaojin. I took revenge by taking on the Imperial Heavenly Lord’s form. Now I’ve offended the mother of the Heavenly Lord Hao and had to come to you, sister, to hide.”
Vermilion Girl suddenly burst into laughter, flames swirling around her. She laughed, “You’ve offended that little wretch? You’re dead! All of you are dead! But don’t be afraid. She wouldn’t dare come here. Stay here for a few days, and I’ll send you back to the lower realm later.”
She suddenly grew excited and said with a grin, “The mother of the Heavenly Lord Hao is the Empress’s sister. You probably don’t know the Heavenly Lord Hao’s origins, do you? The Empress and her sister are twin lotuses, two sisters who look identical. The Heavenly Emperor married the elder sister and wanted to marry the younger one too, but the Empress disagreed. Guess what happened next?”
The Kaihuang Emperor’s expression grew even stranger. “The Southern Emperor is not what I imagined. She likes prying into the Heavenly Emperor’s private affairs?”
Qin Mu healed himself while asking curiously, “Sister, what happened next?”
The Kaihuang Emperor’s expression grew even more peculiar. “This Mu Qing is also very curious!”
Beside him, the old ox’s ears stretched out long, clearly just as curious.
“Later, the Imperial Heavenly Lord opened the Spiritual Embryo Divine Treasury, allowing mortals to cultivate. The Heavenly Emperor said, ‘The descendants of ancient gods cannot cultivate. In the future, they may be oppressed by humans. Let’s think of a way to create a half-god, half-human being to find a path for the demigods.’ That half-god, half-human being was the later Heavenly Lord Hao.”
Vermilion laughed. “And the one who gave birth to this half-god was the Empress’s sister. Guess who the Heavenly Lord Hao’s biological father is?”
Qin Mu’s eyes flickered as he urged, “Sister, tell me quickly! I’m dying of curiosity!”
Vermilion’s voice was light and cheerful as she laughed, “The Heavenly Emperor reincarnated, descended into the mortal world, and finally got what he wanted—a passionate romance with his beloved.”
———— La la la, begging for subscriptions, begging for monthly votes~