Tales of Herding Gods

Chapter 354: Little Demon Fox

Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem

“Those gods from High Heavens didn’t hide their auras, and it seems like they went to Granny Si’s place.”

Butcher and Blind were staying in Relax Prefecture that was a thousand miles away, but Blind still seemed to be able to see what he wanted. He had a weird expression when he said, “It’s night time now, Old Devil Li has come out again.”

“Meeting Old Devil Li with the appearance of Granny Si, they are probably going to die,” Butcher said in astonishment.

Blind’s expression became weirder and weirder. “Old Devil Li is chatting with them.”

“Then they really are going to die. When Old Devil Li was in the village, who wasn’t smitten? Even Village Chief didn’t dare to look at him and only you could disregard granny’s beauty. When do you think those four sovereigns will fall out with one another and start fighting?” Butcher said.

Blind shook his head. “They are gods after all, how would they fight over a woman? I think… Eh, they have really started fighting!”

Blind ‘looked’ for a moment and let out a sigh of relief. He said, “They are just competing with one another, but their competitive spirits are very strong, they are not far from fighting. Granny Si really is a troublemaker!”

Butcher shook his head. “Granny is not a troublemaker, but Cult Master Li is Granny Si is very kind and would never harm us. Yet once Cult Master Li came out, the village was almost separated. That’s right, have you seen Deaf and Mute during your journey? They are usually never away from each other.”

“I haven’t seen them.” Blind smiled, “Mute ran away chasing a ship and Deaf went to chase him, but he was most likely unable to catch up. Mute’s speed is very fast, only slightly inferior to that of Cripple. When do you think these four gods will become enemies?”

Butcher chuckled. “That would depend on how long Cult Master Li wants to play with them. There’s no need to worry about these four gods from High Heavens now. We don’t need to go too close. We can check out the situation after Cult Master Li has had his fun.”

On the dragon qilin’s back, Qin Mu suddenly recalled something and asked Hermit Qing You about it. “Hermit Qing You, when Xu Shenghua entered Hall of Three Aeons, what breakthrough did he choose?”

“He didn’t say but Three Aeons Elders knew and told me about it, it was Heaven Aeon Breakthrough. He had an easy time breaking through and said that he regretted not choosing Three Aeons Breakthrough,” Hermit Qing You said.

“What breakthrough did he choose in Hall of Five Elements then?” asked Qin Mu again.

“Earth Element Breakthrough in Hall of Five Element. Among the five elements, the earth element is the strongest.”

Qin Mu nodded. Xu Shenghua was indeed very strong. His abilities in the past were no weaker than his own, and even though his cultivation had been slightly weaker, his divine art was much more intricate.

Since Xu Shenghua had broken through Hall of Three Aeons and Hall of Five Qi, his shortcomings in cultivation should have been patched. Qin Mu achieving Three Aeons Breakthrough had patched the foundation of his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure. He also had gotten both Heaven Aeon Breakthrough and Earth Element Breakthrough whose element was the foundation of Five Elements Divine Treasure.

Yet it was still hard to say if Qin Mu’s magic power could suppress the other.

‘Before, I didn’t know he was a disciple of High Heavens and even asked some tea from him. I even owe him a drink.’

Qin Mu pondered it for a moment. Xu Shenghua was still quite a nice person and had a nice bearing. He was a rare opponent, and Qin Mu very much wanted to meet him again. However, he also didn’t want to meet him.

“Village Chief, what kind of place is High Heavens?”

“It’s the place of hounds, the place where the real gods rear dogs,” Village Chief said. “It’s at West Earth and is very mysterious, but I have never gone there, so I don’t know where it is exactly. I only know that some people can scale the divine mountain in West Earth and offer incense to reach High Heavens. However, I don’t have the right kind of incense, since it should be a specially made one. If I had it, I would have long fought my way up.”

Qin Mu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Village Chief and the strong practitioners of High Heavens had probably fought their entire lives, so he didn’t really like that sacred ground.

“Has Palace Master heard of High Heavens before?” Qin Mu asked Xiong Xiyu.

“High Heavens is indeed in my West Earth, and the people of True Heaven Palace have seen people of High Heavens before. However, that sacred ground is very mysterious, even more so than Little Jade Capital.”

Xiong Xiyu’s gaze flickered and she said softly, “The incense that Village Chief mentioned is called divine incense, and True Heaven Palace has three sticks. If Cult Master Qin could assist me in taking back the position of the palace master, I could give them to him.”

Qin Mu blinked and didn’t reply to her. He pondered over the matter and said, “I wonder if Rolan’s Golden Palace has any of these divine incense. Pangong Tso, this brat, has lived through so many lifetimes so there must be an extremely large amount of treasures he collected, and one of them might even be this. Imperial Preceptor still owes me a hundred treasures… Come to think of it, why hasn’t Grandpa Cripple returned? Little Jade Capital should be looted clean by now, shouldn’t it?”

Xiong Xiyu sighed.

After coming to the capital, Qin Mu brought everyone to Imperial College where there were few scholars left. Most of them had gone to the frontlines.

“This is Eternal Peace Empire’s sacred ground, Imperial College?” Everyone looked around in curiosity.

Other than Qin Mu and the dragon qilin, the rest of the people had come here for the first time. Compared to the other sacred grounds, Imperial College was still very young. It was not as majestic as Great Thunderclap Monastery’s Mount Meru, not as serene as Dao Sect’s Kunlun Jade Void Mountain, and not as mysterious as Heavenly Devil Cult’s Saint Arrival Mountain. Of course, it couldn’t be compared to Little Jade Capital that had a profound and long-lasting foundation.

Purely on appearance, Imperial College couldn’t be compared even to West Earth’s True Heaven Palace.

Yet such a place had produced countless famed generals and officials, giving birth to countless experts!

Even though Imperial College was young, it had already shown its extraordinariness, surpassing other sects in various places!

Qin Mu came to Divine Arts Residence and found that his residence had been tidied up neatly. He was bewildered. ‘Could Ling’er have come to Imperial College?’

A voice suddenly came from outside. “The one who herds cows, you’re finally willing to come back? Did you know that Chancellor Ba Shan brought me and Saintess Si to follow my second brother to the north, to fight with Wolf Store Country unti—”

Qin Mu turned around and saw Ling Yuxiu rushing in from outside. When she saw the many people behind him, she was startled and didn’t dare to be loud. She immediately held her breath and her footsteps became more dainty. She walked in like a lady and stood beside Qin Mu like a little bird. “The one who herds cows, who are they?”

“This is my Grandpa Village Chief.”

Qin Mu moved the rocking chair down from the dragon qilin’s back. Village Chief didn’t rise from his rocking chair, but looked at Ling Yuxiu with a face full of smiles.

“These are the old immortals from Little Jade Capital: Immortal Qing You, Immortal You Yun, and Immortal You He.”

After introducing the three elders of Little Jade Capital, he said, “The three at the side are the senior brothers of Little Jade Capital: Wang Muran, Long Yu, and Mu Qingdai. Also, this pair of mother and daughter are West Earth’s True Heaven Palace’s Palace Master Xiong Xiyu and Little Princess Xiong Qi’er.”

Ling Yuxiu greeted them one by one and everyone returned her greeting.

“My place is not big enough for so many people to stay. Does sister have extra rooms?” Qin Mu asked.

Ling Yuxiu smiled and said, “The girls can stay at my place. I stay right next door.”

Qin Mu thanked her and said, “Sister, thanks for tidying up my room when I wasn’t around these days.”

Ling Yuxiu shook her head and said, “It’s not me, it was done by your little fox.”

“Ling’er is really here?” Qin Mu was surprised and delighted. He missed Hu Ling’er very much.

“She had run out to listen to lessons not long ago and hasn’t returned yet.” Ling Yuxiu smiled with reservation. “That little girl sure knows how to curry favor. During these days when you weren’t around, she eagerly attended lessons and the directorates all like her very much.”

‘Little girl?’

Qin Mu was stunned, but he didn’t think much about it and arranged accommodations for Immortal Qing You and the rest. His courtyard wasn’t small and there was also quite a number of rooms. Everyone had their own rooms, while as for Xiong Xiyu, Xiong Qi’er, and Mu Qingdai, they would stay in the opposite house.

Qin Mu arranged everything well, and Ling Yuxiu whispered, “A bunch of Daoists came to Imperial College a few days ago in search of you. Gu Linuan is busy attending to them, his face all pale from fright. He hasn’t looked well for a day.”

Qin Mu smiled. “The algebra experts of Dao Sect have arrived.”

“My father sent down a decree to promote you as Supervisor of Divine Weapons. He said to let you be in charge of forging some divine cannon. The imperial decree is kept by your little fox.

“Father dispatched the algebra experts of Imperial College and the imperial court and the five big manufacturing factories to listen to your orders. Also, Heavenly King Yu and Heavenly King Shi of the sacred cult couldn’t find you in Ghost Valley so they almost went mad from searching!”

Qin Mu’s head started to ache. Ever since he returned to the capital, he had to settle so many things that he didn’t have time to rest.

“That’s right, there’s also a person called Xu Shenghua. He brought two girls and came to find you two days ago, saying he’s waiting for you to treat him to a drink.”

Ling Yuxiu gave it some thought before adding, “Imperial Preceptor’s wife has given birth and sent over an invitation. She says she wants to invite Great Cult Master Qin to be the godfather.”

Astonished, Qin Mu asked, “Imperial Preceptor has a child already? Is it a boy or a girl?”

“It’s a boy.”

Qin Mu smiled. “Me to be a godfather? Imperial Preceptor’s wife is playing around. I’m still a child, so how can I be a godfather?”

Village Chief looked at Ling Yuxiu and gave a cough. He said, “Mu’er, you aren’t young, you can give birth to a kid already.”

Qin Mu’s face turned red, and he muttered, “Why do you suddenly talk about giving birth, I’m still not ready… Village Chief, I’m only fifteen this year!”

Ling Yuxiu snickered. “Fifteen isn’t young anymore. My mother and Empress Dowager always hurry me to choose a consort. Furthermore, my father is also easy to talk to, as long as someone talks to him about it, he will agree…”

She was pretty gutsy, blinking her eyes as she waited for Qin Mu’s reply.

“The emperor is so casual?” Qin Mu shook his head. “They are not doing it right. How can marriage be so casual?”

Ling Yuxiu stared at him, for that youth didn’t understand. He rose and went to Hall of Supreme Learning. When Gu Linuan saw him, only then was he relieved of his burden. “Cult Master, come quickly and take the Daoists away from my house. I won’t be able to thank you enough!”

The numerous Daoists of Dao Sect all stayed with him and made him really nervous these few days.

Dao Sect was the head of the righteous path and he was a great master of the devil path. He kept on worrying that the Daoists would get rid of the devil at some point.

Qin Mu was in no hurry to meet the experts of Dao Sect so he sat down with a smile. “How’s Grand Chancellor’s algebra?”

Gu Linuan smiled and said, “I’m an authority in the devil path, so how can my attainments in algebra be weak?”

“Good! With Lord Gu and the experts of Dao Sect, I can take a breather.”

Gu Linuan’s expression turned ashen. “I will still have to be with the people of Dao Sect?”

“The emperor has ordered me to forge Sunshot Divine Cannon to target gods. The people of Dao Sect know their place and won’t lay their hands on you,” he consoled.

Gu Linuan still couldn’t sit at ease. He kept feeling unsafe around those Daoists since his reputation was quite stinky.

Qin Mu went to meet Dao Master Lin Xuan to exchange basic greetings. “Once I’m done with the arrangements, I will need to trouble all of you. Please wait for my news.”

“All’s good.”

Qin Mu left, and as he passed by Hall of Array Element, the school coincidentally ended. Over a dozen scholars came out from the hall, and among them was a seven to eight years old girl. She looked clever and adorable as she hopped about, using a gust of demon wind to carry books which were neatly arranged behind her.

That little girl was short yet there were three long and furry snow white tails swaying at her back.

‘Is that Ling’er? But she was illiterate…’ Qin Mu stopped in his tracks.