Tales of Herding Gods

On the paper boat, Tian Shu kept examining Qin Mu. He noticed the youth looked cheerful, but his worries and longing for his kin were hidden in his brows.

“He really has a good relationship with Earth Count?”

Tian Shu secretly asked Elder Messenger of Death, whispering, “Official Sovereign, we are also old friends. Why would Earth Count give him face and let me out? I don’t believe Earth Count would let me off just because of his words.”

Elder Messenger of Death took a glance at Qin Mu and whispered, “Of course Earth Count won’t let you off just because of his words. If that were the case, everyone would be coming to chop Earth Count’s horns. Even the horns of nine bends would be shaved to nothing. After you chopped a chunk to make Fengdu, another few worlds were destroyed and only then did Earth Count finally manage to mend his horns. The price he paid wasn’t small. The reason why Earth Count gave him face was because he didn’t want him to return to Youdu.”

Tian Shu stared with his eyes wide open. “He doesn’t want him to return to Youdu? What’s the reason?”

“He was born in Youdu and was the first being born in Youdu after the creation of Youdu; thus, he is referred to as Son of Youdu.”

Elder Messenger of Death sighed and said, “You didn’t see the apparition that appeared when he was born. The entire Youdu was shaken, and countless big shots infiltrated into Youdu to look at the glorious occasion. Three to four months later, he pierced his way through the horns of nine bends…”

Tian Shu had a weird expression and stuttered, “P-pierced his way through?”

Elder Messenger of Death nodded his head and recalled the sight that had happened over twenty years ago. He couldn’t help shivering. “The horns of Earth Count were pierced through, and it affected the benefits of numerous big shots in Youdu. Therefore everyone came together to take him down, and a huge bunch of big shots got eaten up. Look, there are still many places on Earth Count that are in chaos, and the ghosts are still at war with one another. Just by that, you know how powerful the wake of his destruction was.”

Tian Shu was also one of Youdu’s big shots once, and he had very great power, so he understood what he meant.

The big shots of Youdu possessed great power in Youdu, and they could all have a piece of territory on Earth Count’s body. The territory they were in charge of was very vast, and they ruled over billions of ghosts.

Once Qin Mu ate the big shots, there would be no one left to rule over the ghosts. In that way, other big shots would take the chance to enter and fight over the territory.

It could be seen that Qin Mu had eaten too many big shots of Youdu, which was why the war had lasted until then and not stop.

Tian Shu was silent for a moment and said, “In the depths of Youdu, some existences were strong practitioners of Emperor’s Throne before they died, didn’t they make a move?”

“They did.”

Elder Messenger of Death said, “First they fought one on one, but how could they help when their abilities were inferior to when they were alive? Without their corporeal bodies, they were no match for him. After that, they took him on together, but they couldn’t do anything. They could only call Earth Count for help and only then was he sealed and exiled.”

Tian Shu shivered a few times and said with a sigh, “Being trapped inside the Imperial Gate Divine Knife made me miss out so many interesting things…”

Elder Messenger of Death sneered. “Even if you were there, you would be helpless—without sealing him, he’s just a pure devil king. He will eat anything he gets his hands on, and even you would be eaten up! After you go back, never try to touch the seal in the heart of his brows, you will die miserably if you do! It hasn’t been just once that he broke through the seal in recent years, and Earth Count is plagued with headaches.”

Tian Shu laughed dryly. “I’m not a curious person, you know me, I’m very timid.” After he said that, he took a glance at Qin Mu who was spacing out. His gaze fell on the heart of his brows.

Elder Messenger of Death said, “When you don’t drink, you are timid, but after you drink, you dare to chop Earth Count. What else do you not dare to do? You and I are old friends, so I’m warning you now; otherwise, if you release him out, it would be an even greater disaster than chopping off Earth Count’s horn! We are here in the world of the living…”

Everyone on the ship stood up and looked ahead. It was completely black.

Suddenly, Elder Messenger of Death pushed Tian Shu off the boat.

Elder Messenger of Death also pushed Qin Mu and Qi Jiuyi off the boat before looking at the dragon qilin. The dragon qilin immediately took the initiative to jump off by himself.

“This big chunk of meat sure has a good eye.”

Elder Messenger of Death chuckled and turned his boat around to return.

On the return journey, paper boats were bustling with activity as they sailed out of Eternal Peace and towards Earth Count’s corporeal body.

Souls of the people of Eternal Peace filled every boat.

With so many ships, it meant several million people suddenly died in a short time!

Elder Messenger of Death was astonished. “The disciples of Mingdu have made their move…”

The small boats stopped and on the bow were elders that looked exactly the same. The elders looked one another in the eye and said in unison, “Son of Youdu has now returned to the world of the living, and he will definitely make a move. If we send these souls over to Earth Count, he will seize them back by force again. Why don’t we wait a few days and see how the situation goes.”

“In that case, how many days should we wait?”

“Give him seven days. If he can tide through this disaster and execute Soul Guide to guide these souls back to the world of the living, let him be. If he can’t, the bodies of these souls would also have decomposed, and there’s no use even if he seized them back.”

“If we give him seven days, would we be denounced by others for being scared of Son of Youdu? We need to think of a cover.”

“In that case, let us call it Return to the Life in the First Seven Days. Souls can return to the world of the living in the first seven days; in that way, tongues wouldn’t waggle.”

“Excellent!”

…

Below God Broken Mountain Range, Qin Mu suddenly opened his eyes and looked around. He saw the dragon qilin and Qi Jiuyi waking up after him, and everyone quickly moved far away from the Imperial Gate Divine Knife so that their primordial spirits didn’t get sucked in again.

“Boss Tian isn’t here.” The dragon qilin looked around and didn’t see Tian Shu.

“He should be in Ghost Valley.”

Qin Mu flew down and came to the palace below the knife. “His corporeal body should be in the underground of Ghost Valley since it seems like half of his body is buried as he got grabbed by Earth Count’s hand. This should likely be the palace that Founding Emperor built for him, and he will come to find us. Let us wait here for a moment.”

Qi Jiuyi hesitated for a moment and also landed outside the palace. “Brother Qin, it’s hard for me to choose a side when both you and the disciples of Mingdu are at war, I’m afraid I can’t remain here anymore. I want to return to Southern Heaven now and not participate in the fights between both side.”

The dragon qilin hurriedly said, “We have made an oath to Earth Count to seek to die together so how could third brother leave? If I die, Earth Count will be coming to take Brother Tian’s life and your life.”

Cold sweat covered Qi Jiuyi’s head. He regretted drinking so much wine. He couldn’t even leave when he wanted to.

“Brother Qi can leave.”

Qin Mu said, “Other than festive occasions which would be slightly more dangerous for Fatty Dragon, he’s usually out of danger.”

“Festive occasions?” The faces of the dragon qilin and Qi Jiuyi turned white.

Qi Jiuyi hesitated for a moment and decided not to leave. What if the dragon qilin ate and became a fatty once again. Wouldn’t he have to give up his life too?

Qin Mu entered the palace and examined his surroundings. He only saw a bunch of wine jars accumulated in the hall, and there was also some murals on the wall. What he drew was the sight of Tian Shu raising his knife to sever Earth Count’s horns.

Tian Shu in the painting was heroic. He carried a wine jar in one hand and his sword in another, it was truly heroic. On the other head, Earth Count was drawn to look very wretched, and the Earth Count in the painting had a look of anger which was remarkably true to life. He didn’t know whose work it was.

“Cult Master, that stone statue seems to be reviving!”

The dragon qilin’s voice came from outside, and Qin Mu hurriedly went out from the palace and saw the stone statue whose head was stuck on the Imperial Gate Divine Knife slowly shedding away his stone characteristics. It was gradually revealing the color of flesh!

“Lou Yunqu, Kui Qingpei, and Fu Yanqi of Mingdu are massacring the lifeforms of Eternal Peace and trying to revive the stone statue!”

Qin Mu was astonished. He saw the stone statue looked more fleshy, and its aura was gradually becoming more powerful.

In the past, Qin Mu guessed the other stone statues that descended from the other worlds were only on the level of true god and true devil. Even though the stone statue had yet to recover completely, its aura and imposing manner had already surpassed true god and true devil!

He had underestimated the stone statues!

He didn’t know what realm the stone statues were, but if they revived, they were enough to destroy Eternal Peace!

Qin Mu took out God Execution Mysterious Knife and opened up the case. Two trails of blood light flew out to circle the neck of the devil god stone statue. Sparks flew in all direction yet there was only a white trace on the stone statue’s neck. The knife didn’t manage to sever the head!

When God Execution Mysterious Knife missed, the two trials of blood light returned to slash at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu was alarmed. ‘This evil knife wants to eat me in return!’

The two trails of blood light were incomparably sharp, and because it couldn’t drink any blood several times, its fierce nature was invoked; it wanted to slay Qin Mu to drink his blood!

Right at that moment, the stone statue suddenly trembled and devil blood came pouring out from the forehead. That was the revival of the stone statue, but because the head was stuck in the Imperial Gate Divine Knife, part of its revived flesh and blood turned back from stone. That caused it to be injured by the Imperial Gate Divine Knife.

Two trails of blood light seemed to be able to sniff the blood scent in the air, and one of them immediately turned to slash the neck of that stone statue. The other trail just kept slashing towards Qin Mu’s neck.

Before the blood light could reach Qin Mu, a sea of blood red color was already in front of his eyes. His vision was blocked entirely, and everything turned blood red!

Qin Mu immediately made a decision and took down the willow leaf on the heart of his brows. The sea of red was instantly sucked into the heart of its brows like a whale swallowing a rainbow.

At that moment, another trail of sword light surrounded the neck of the devil god stone statue to spew out blood. In that small case in Qin Mu’s hand, the head that was like jade flapped the membranes behind its head excitedly.

Next, the Imperial Gate Divine Knife’s expression froze because he realized he couldn’t take back the blood light he had slashed at Qin Mu!

That was something that had never happened!

He was a strange treasure forged in the Crimson Light Era and made with the head and primordial spirit of an Emperor’s Throne. He only knew how to kill, but as long as they were living, it was hard for them to escape his slaughter. If he couldn’t slash through, he would slash the owner; it was equally delicious.

His knife had always slashed through all obstruction, but not only did he not eat Qin Mu’s qi and blood, but he also seemed to be eaten by Qin Mu instead!

Qin Mu’s third eye swept everything in front of him and swallowed the blood light in one gulp. A burp came from the inside of his third eye, and there was the cheerful cry of a toddler.

Boom—

A loud explosion rang out from the devil god stone statue. Next, a massive head fell off its neck, and that head was like a mountain that fell into the depths of the underground. A dull boom rang out and lingered for a long time.

The blood light absorbed all of the qi and blood of the devil god and flew back rapidly into the small case.

Qin Mu was about to close the small case when the small case closed itself with a clack.

“What’s wrong with the God Execution Divine Knife?”

Qin Mu was bewildered and pasted his willow leaf back to block out his brother’s excited cries.

The small case gave off slight tremors, and it was like that head of an Emperor’s Throne shivering. Qin Mu didn’t understand why the little case would tremble and shook his head. He stuffed the case back into his taotie sack and thought to himself, ‘Maybe I could use the God Execution Mysterious Knife to deal with the devil stone statue. However, if I don’t hit it on the first hit, it would come and attack me. That is troublesome…’

‘To even eat me as well…’

In the small case, the head of Emperor’s Throne was completely frightened to meet a natural predator for the first time. ‘He’s even fiercer than me. I can’t provoke him!’