Tales of Herding Gods

“I’m imagining Founding Emperor to be a great hero, a person who is able to save the people from disasters. I imagined this old ancestor would be able to follow the people who believed in him to their deaths. I thought he would be that person I imagined. But he isn’t.”

Inside Disabled Elderly Village of Great Ruins, Qin Mu sat beside the bonfire and looked at the water boiling in the pot. His expression was calm as he said, “The more history I uncovered, the more I felt he isn’t worthy to become Founding Emperor. He isn’t worthy of being the leader of tens of thousands of heroes. Maybe he is only an old man that has been scared out of his wits and only thinks of living his life peacefully. He doesn’t have the spirit worthy of making those heroes look up to him.”

“Cluck!” a hen dragon beside him said while nodding its head seriously.

“You are right.”

Qin Mu added some firewood, his expression becoming slightly sorrowful. “If he had that kind of aspiration and boldness, why did he suddenly retreat in the final battle? Why did he abandon his old brothers and comrades without a care, leaving the people to suffer from the disaster? If he is truly the hero I have imagined, what has he done over these twenty thousand years? Nothing!”

The hen dragon nodded its head and said solemnly, “Cluck cluck!”

“Hehe, he did nothing. No wonder all those that followed him would feel disappointed.”

Qin Mu burst into laughter. He then shook his head. “How I wish to return to Carefree Village, to turn his comfortable niche upside down, to interrogate him personally. Maybe I can fix Paramita Ark and drive this ship to find him there. I still have a mirror that Village Chief has found from Paramita Ark. The path to Carefree Village is recorded in it. Village Chief said that I can only head to Carefree Village after I can break the seal he placed on the mirror…”

“Cluck?” the hen dragon asked in doubt.

“You are so nice, listening to me talk so much rubbish.”

Qin Mu gradually turned his head over to look at it, slowly pulling out a sword. He said gently, “However, you know too much of my secrets… Don’t struggle. Only a cooked hen dragon is a hen dragon that cannot spew secrets. Don’t be a hen dragon in your next lifetime.”

Disabled Elderly Village was in a panic as the hen dragons all flocked into one bunch. They looked at Qin Mu boiling the chicken in horror.

Not long after, Qin Mu was satisfied after eating his fill—he drank the chicken soup and ate the chicken meat that was cooked to perfection. ‘Grandpa Blind and the rest didn’t return here, so they have gone to Fengdu to visit Village Chief. This place is not far from Border Dragon City, I can go into Between Life and Death to enter Fengdu… But before that, I’ll pay my respects to Village Chief first and let him know I’m coming to visit him.’

He got up and left. Not long after, he came to that little mountain village in his memory. There were originally a few families in this little mountain village, and they had relied on Village Chief’s stone statue.

When Qin Mu arrived, he was slightly stunned. There were a few more stone statues and Village Chief’s stone statue had disappeared!

“You mean that stone statue without any limbs? It got moved away.”

The villagers came to tell him, “Some weird people came here. There was a blacksmith, a butcher, a medicine peddler, a man selling Spring Festival couplets and paintings. They said the stone statue is an old friend of theirs. After they moved a few stone statues over here for us, they took the statue away.”

“The original stone statue is still the best! You only need to give offerings to the original one and it would frequently make its presence felt. These new stone statues don’t really have a presence.”

“That’s right. There’s also an old thief among those weird people and he stole the dried pork I was hanging outside my house!”

Qin Mu was surprised. ‘Grandpa Mute and the rest were here. Why did they move Village Chief’s stone statue away?’

His eyes suddenly shone brightly. ‘That’s right! It must be Grandpa Apothecary trying to summon back the soul of Village Chief. They’re trying to see if Village Chief could be revived!’

He couldn’t help but feel excited as he immediately took his leave, heading straight for Border Dragon City.

…

Border Dragon City.

This city had already become an important sacred ground for business. After a few years since he last came to this place, the level of prosperity had already surpassed Qin Mu’s imagination. Goods from all over the country were gathering right here.

Flying ships sailed to and fro. They were concentrated in numbers and there were ships unloading cargo everywhere.

The merchants of East Earth and West Earth were all trading here. It was very convenient for them as this saved them the trouble of going all the way to Eternal Peace and West Earth. Other than Border Dragon City, the other cities in Great Ruins were also starting to prosper.

The booming trade industry also brought along more schools and academies. Therefore, every city in Great Ruins had a lot of schools. The people of Great Ruins were considered the scholars there and they learned divine arts. There were even all kinds of strange beasts, morphing into their human forms, that enrolled themselves in the schools to seek knowledge.

Qin Mu came to Between Life and Death and saw that this place was still very lively. Many scholars would spend money just to enter Fengdu from here.

The one that guarded Between Life and Death was an incense master of Heavenly Saint Cult, so Qin Mu naturally didn’t need to spend money to enter. He rode the boat and floated into Youdu on the long river. He leaped up when he reached the bottom of the bridge and landed on it. When Qin Mu came down from the bridge, he had already transformed into a skeleton.

“Human Emperor Qin!”

Qin Mu looked towards the source of the voice. He saw the five feet tall Human Emperor Yi Shan squeezing his way over among the ghosts and breaking into a smile. “It is you! When I saw your skeleton, I recognized you immediately!”

Qin Mu hurriedly greeted, “Great grand-master!”

Human Emperor Yi Shan asked in an alert tone, “Why have you come to Fengdu? Are you thinking of beating your ancestors again? Are you going to stand up for Little Su?”

Qin Mu shook his head and said, “I’m here to see Village Chief…”

Human Emperor Yi Shan let out a sigh of relief. He turned his head and waved at the rest who were popping their heads out from the corner of the street. “He’s not here to beat us, come out!”

Human Emperor Qi Kang, Human Emperor Lan Po, and the rest of the people walked out from the corner of the street. Human Emperor Qi Kang asked in a loud voice, “Human Emperor Qin, did that Little Brat Su Muzhe complain to you?”

Qin Mu asked bewilderedly, “Village Chief complaining to me?”

Everyone looked at each other, revealing a strange smile. They snickered and didn’t mention it.

Qin Mu asked suspiciously, “What happened? Why is Village Chief beaten? How did he provoke seniors?”

Fifth Ancestor Human Emperor snickered and said with a smile, “Su Muzhe, that brat, is not in Fengdu. He’s all smug now since he got revived by Bronze Face. He said he was going to Supreme Emperor Heaven to find you. A few months ago, some weird people came to find him and they chitter-chattered for quite a while. One of the weird people with a bronze face said he still could be saved. Bird God Chi Xiu also said that Brat Su was a half-alive and half-dead person that still has the smell of a living person. That’s why Bronze Face allowed Brat Su to return to his body and revived him.”

Qin Mu blinked and said with a smile, “So I see. Bronze Face is Grandpa Apothecary of our village. His medical expertise is number one in the world. His medical expertise is even higher than mine. If he treated him personally, Village Chief will definitely be fine. That being said, why did ancestors want to beat up Village Chief?”

Human Emperor Qi Kang quickly went over the topic. “This rascal lied to us and made you beat us up, throwing our faces. He then came running back nonchalantly, saying how he discovered records of the overlord body. If we don’t beat him, who do we beat? What a disciple I have taken in, to even scheme at me. Beating him once was too light for him, so we beat him every day—”

“Every day?”

Qin Mu’s face darkened and said gently, “Ancestors, junior has learned more abilities outside. I would like ancestors to give me pointers.”

The expressions of all the human emperors changed and they started finding excuses.

“A few days ago, someone had burned and offered a set of clothes for me. The craftsmanship is not bad. I forgot to wear it today and flaunt it to everyone.”

“There are some people who heard I’m a human emperor and gave me offerings!”

“Someone burned a few paper maidens for me. Someone must have remembered us in the world of the living.”

“Old Ling, I heard Emperor Yanfeng had scaled up the Temple of Heaven to worship the ancestors. He continued the family register, making a connection to you and saying he’s your descendant. Those maidens might be from the emperor’s offerings for you.”

…

Qin Mu also didn’t really want to beat them. He said with a smile, “Ancestors, I’m here this time to find Village Chief. Since Village Chief is not here—”

Before he even finished speaking, his aura trembled violently when he saw what was at the end of the street.

The human emperors around him also detected the change in his aura. They looked towards the end of the street as well. They only saw a young human emperor standing there and looking at Qin Mu silently.

Second Ancestor Human Emperor’s heart tightened and he hurriedly said with a smile, “Human Emperor Qin haven’t met First Ancestor before, right? Let me introduce you to him. First Ancestor, this is Human Emperor Qin, the current human emperor. He specially came over to visit us! Your Between Life and Death is set up by him to connect the world of the dead and the world of the living! He’s very creative, right? Human Emperor Qin, come quickly and pay your respects to First Ancestor—”

“There’s no need!”

Qin Mu raised his hand as he said indifferently, “Second Ancestor, your skeleton was crushed by him and your grave was pushed down by him. You wouldn’t have not known. You know what he had done clearer than me.”

Second Ancestor was slightly stunned and he opened his mouth. However, he was speechless.

First Ancestor Human Emperor walked over and said indifferently, “Since you are here—”

“That’s right, since you are already here!”

Qin Mu gently raised his hand and took down the golden willow leaf on his forehead. He was originally a skeleton in Fengdu, but now his flesh and blood were actually returning to his body at a speed which the naked eye could see. His body was quickly recovered!

Qin Mu’s hands and legs trembled. “I shall beat you to death before I go!”

All of the human emperors were stunned. At the moment, Qin Mu was not at Between Life and Death, but he had recovered his corporeal body and he wasn’t restricted by Fengdu’s rules. This was something that was impossible!

They didn’t know Qin Mu was born in Youdu, and Fengdu was a part of Youdu. In the past, he was restricted by Fengdu’s rules and would transform into a skeleton whenever he entered.

Now with his third eye opened, his identity and bloodline as Son of Youdu were partially awakened. When the third eye appeared, he could have a body of flesh and blood!

Qin Mu’s gaze focused on First Ancestor Human Emperor who was walking over. Waves were surging in his heart. Outside Hall of Human Emperor, he was defeated by First Ancestor Human Emperor’s hands, and he looked at him destroy the blood and sweat of all the past human emperors. He saw him crush Second Ancestor’s skeleton and shatter his tombstone!

Qin Mu had suffered his greatest setback in his life. This setback made him depressed for several months. He had no choice but to risk entering Supreme Emperor Heaven, seeking cultivation methods of a higher level, to comprehend techniques that could defeat First Ancestor Human Emperor!

His Calamity Sword, his technique entering the path… They had all undergone breakthroughs from the pressure of this person!

The strongest enemy in his heart wasn’t the devil race of Supreme Emperor Heaven or the celestial heavens that was high above. It was this man in front of him, the founder of Hall of Human Emperors—the person who he respected and had shattered his dreams!

First Ancestor’s expression was calm. “Here? This place isn’t good. You will damage Fengdu and it won’t be easy to answer to King Yama. Go to Hall of Human Emperors. After I defeat you, I shall destroy the skeleton of another human emperor!”

Qin Mu turned around and walked out of Fengdu with a dark face. “Wait for me in Hall of Human Emperors!”