Chapter 742 — Altering One's Appearance

"Kaihuang?

" Shen Mu seemed not to have heard clearly, and laughed: "Which Kaihuang?

" Niu Sanduo had still not fully woken from his shock, and murmured as if in a dream: "There is only one Kaihuang, of course — who else could it be? He is so dazzling that even amid the vast and boundless multitudes, you can see him at a glance. However radiant others may be, your gaze is drawn to him in an instant. He has a natural air of leadership; the rest, no matter how outstanding, are like stars circling around him. . . " Shen Mu came to his senses and at once looked toward that painted barge.

Kaihuang!

The founder of the Kaihuang Era — his own ancestor!

Kaihuang was here too!

Could it be that this was the early days of the Kaihuang Era?

An incomparably intense urge rose in his heart: to go and see Kaihuang!

To see him, to see this ancestor of his, no matter what it took!

Shen Mu sprang up from the painted barge and gave chase toward the barge where Kaihuang was.

Old Ox, seeing this, hurried after him. The woman on the barge was surprised, and laughed: "Little brother, why are you leaving again? " "Sister, I've run into an acquaintance!

" Shen Mu turned in midair and bowed, saying: "That man is of the utmost importance to me.

In my haste I forgot to tell you, sister — forgive me! Where do you live, sister? Once my business is settled, I will call on you to make amends.

" The woman waved a hand and laughed: "If you have urgent business, then go on ahead. My surname is Zhu, and my name is Que'er. I live in the Vermilion Bird Palace — come find me when you have the time.

The Vermilion Bird Palace is in the south of the Heavenly Court!

" Shen Mu assented, turned, and quickened his pace, heading straight for that painted barge.

"Someone actually named Zhuque'er. " Old Ox caught up with Shen Mu and said in a muffled voice: "The Vermilion Bird is one of the Four Emperors. The Heavenly Court of old had Four Emperors, and the Southern Emperor was the Vermilion Bird. This woman calls herself Zhuque'er — she isn't afraid of shortening her own lifespan.

Still, this woman's strength is not weak; she could give the master a run for his money.

" Shen Mu was slightly taken aback: "The Southern Emperor is of the Vermilion Bird god-clan? Isn't the Southern Emperor Qi Xiayu? " Old Ox said: "Qi Xiayu is the Scarlet Emperor of the Southern Heaven, a nine-headed phoenix — not the same person as the Southern Emperor. This Qi Xiayu is rumored to have been a divine sage of the Shanghuang Era who later defected to the enemy. She rides high and wields no small power.

But because the Southern Emperor exists, she cannot be called the Southern Emperor, and so can only be called the Scarlet Emperor.

" Shen Mu's heart stirred slightly, and he looked back at the woman from afar, only to see the painted barge already far away.

"Zhuque'er?

The Vermilion Bird Palace? What connection does Zhuque'er have with the Southern Emperor? " Eager to chase Kaihuang, he set the matter aside for now and pursued Kaihuang's painted barge with all his heart.

Zhuque'er watched Shen Mu recede into the distance.

Several maids came forward and said: "Why are you so kind to that young fellow, Your Highness? He didn't even give his name! " "Though unknown for a hundred years, one day he will be known to all under heaven. I think he is such a man. " Zhuque'er's brows and eyes were long and slender as she smiled: "I can tell he is no ordinary figure, and will surely accomplish something in the future. Besides, the ox he calls his senior brother is strong and terrifying — even in a place like the Heavenly Court, such beings are few. That old ox is so formidable, yet still follows him inseparably; he is certainly no creature to be kept in a pond.

Let us go — set sail for the Heavenly Court. I wonder whether Tubo and Tiangong and the others have arrived yet. We mustn't keep them and His Majesty waiting long.

" On the Heavenly River there were many painted barges, weaving and crossing. Great beasts stirred up wind and waves in the river, towing barge after barge. Shen Mu searched everywhere, but for a time could not find the barge where Kaihuang was.

Suddenly a long, low cry came — low in pitch, yet exceedingly vast, so that it set one's chest humming and buzzing. A great kun over ten li in length quivered its enormous fins and leapt up from beneath the water, raising a huge swell.

Shen Mu dodged aside. The kun flung spray into the sky; its fins were like wings, beating as it flew, and a long cry issued from its mouth.

Though this era lacked Jingping's terrifying creativity, it had all manner of strange and wondrous giant beasts, and they made rather fine mounts.

"The barge has docked! " Shen Mu's eyes lit up. Through the spray he saw a painted barge moored at a jade terrace — but Kaihuang was not on the barge, nor were the several people who had been with him earlier.

Several other painted barges were moored beside the jade terrace as well. Some people dressed in garb full of ancient flavor were disembarking, and there were no other buildings by the terrace; instead, a huge blue-backed fish floated up from beneath the water. The people who had come off the barges stepped onto the fish's back, as though standing upon a small island.

"That's a dock — a place to change mounts!

" Old Ox said hurriedly: "They've switched to a kun!

" Shen Mu shot up into the sky and gave chase to the kun that had just broken the surface.

Behind him Old Ox trod upon the air, making the sky boom and thud with every step, and swiftly caught up; with a gentle nudge of his head, Shen Mu landed on the ox's back. Old Ox put forth his strength, and with a thunderous roar the space ahead all but exploded; a streak of azure light shot straight toward that kun. Carrying Shen Mu, Niu Sanduo drew closer and closer to the kun flying on beating fins.

That kun was no ordinary creature either, flying at great speed — though still considerably inferior to Old Ox. As they drew nearer and nearer, Shen Mu instead gradually calmed, and said in a low voice: "Senior Brother Sanduo, don't chase up to it just yet.

" Old Ox hastily slowed, and asked, puzzled: "Didn't you want to see Kaihuang? " "I certainly do want to see him, but we don't know what era this is. We don't know where we've come, or when.

I suspect. .

.

" His expression turned strange, and he said softly: "I suspect we've come to some point in the past. This era is not the Kaihuang Era.

" Old Ox nodded and said: "It certainly isn't the Kaihuang Era. The Kaihuang Era was magnificent too, but it didn't have this scale, and this place is far too backward.

I suspect it's the Shanghuang Era. . .

" Shen Mu went on analyzing: "It can't be the Shanghuang Era either. I don't know much about the Shanghuang Era, but I do know that its final years were extremely chaotic. Nor is this the Chiming Era — in the Chiming Era most beings had three heads and six arms, whereas the gods and demons here are of every bizarre shape imaginable. " Old Ox's ox-eyes went wide, and he blurted out: "Could we have gone back to the incomparably distant Longhan Era?

" Shen Mu's expression was strange as he said softly: "Senior Brother, calm yourself. The Yong River is exceedingly bizarre.

I once ran into a fog incident on the Yong River, and once, in a desert heaven at the source of the Yong River, I returned to the late Shanghuang Era forty thousand years ago. There's no need to make a fuss over a little thing like this. " Old Ox's ox-mouth hung wide open, and he stammered: "You've encountered the bizarre? " Shen Mu calculated: "I was carrying a chest and a dragon qilin, fleeing the pursuit of Xing'an together with the Great Venerable, when we blundered into forty thousand years ago and met Bai Qu'er and the others, and lived through the war that destroyed the Shanghuang.

But it was only for a single night.