Tales of Herding Gods

That “belly band master of creation” stopped, turned around, and smiled. “Why is the great Celestial Venerable Mu wearing children’s clothing? Isn’t that a red belly band inside?”

He was the “Qin Kai” that Qin Mu met in the first year of the Dragon Han Era, Founding Emperor Qin Ye of the older generations, the great emperor who opened the Founding Emperor Era, Celestial Venerable Qin of the Heaven Alliance!

Back then, Celestial Venerable Qin was a tall and handsome youth with a stubborn quality.

Now, he was a middle-aged man that retained that unique quality of his.

The reason that Qin Mu was able to recognize the “belly band master of creation” immediately was due to his qualities, vibe, and aura, not his appearance.

Of course, a clean-shaven man with some green stubble wearing a red belly band would naturally attract Qin Mu’s gaze.

The other masters of creation were large and had a hard time noticing the short “infant’s” appearance, which Qin Mu found easy to do.

Passion erupted from Qin Mu’s chest. He wanted to walk to him, but Founding Emperor was too revealing in his clothing, which prevented Qin Mu from hugging him.

“My clothes are kids’ robes, but at least they cover my butt.”

Qin Mu laughed. “The one I’m wearing inside is a real belly band! Founding Emperor, yours can’t even cover your butt.”

The two of them walked closer to one another.

Founding Emperor removed his belly band, and he seemed like he wasn’t wearing anything. In reality, he was wearing clothes that were of the same color as his skin, which made his butt look naked.

His clothes started to change color, like a chameleon, and soon became a purple-blue robe.

“Clothes of the Heavenly Feather Race?” Qin Mu was shocked.

Founding Emperor replied, “You know them too? They made me some clothes after I became Founding Emperor.”

The clothes beneath Qin Mu’s belly band were made by the Heavenly Feather Race too. They were personally tailored by Yu Zhaoqing and were very fitting.

Currently, the Heavenly Feather World was occupied by a devil race under the celestial heavens, causing the Heavenly Feather Race to pledge allegiance to Eternal Peace. Yu Zhaoqing wanted to take back the Heavenly Feather World, but Eternal Peace lacked the necessary strength to make it doable.

Qin Mu came to the side of Founding Emperor and opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what to say.

For a long time, he wanted to meet this old ancestor of his. He had thousands of questions for him and thousands of things to rant to him about.

Qin Mu had complicated feelings towards this ancestor. He admired him when he learned that he was his descendant, was hurt when he learned that he gave up on everything to hide in Carefree Village, and wanted recognition when he met him in the first year of the Dragon Han Era.

Later on, when the Eternal Peace Calamity occurred, Founding Emperor ordered the four great heavenly teachers and four great heavenly kings to withdraw, which disappointed Qin Mu.

When he reached the celestial heavens, Qin Mu understood Founding Emperor’s decisions again.

Now, meeting Founding Emperor again caused a lot of emotions of his to swell. All sorts of words that he wanted to say seemed unimportant to him now.

Nothing was important, not how much he was impressed with him or how much he wanted to reprimand him, not his admiration or his disappointment towards him, and not how hurt he felt or how sympathetic he felt. None of it was important.

Qin Mu’s gaze was gentle, and his expression was honest as he smiled and asked, “We parted ways for a million years, how are you doing now?”

Founding Emperor’s gaze drooped as if he was touched before it was lifted again to meet Qin Mu’s eyes. He replied, “Its alright. Sometimes it’s tough, sometimes it’s pleasing, sometimes it’s painful, especially when I have to make hard decisions. However, when I hear news from the outside world, I feel gratified.”

Qin Mu understood him. The tough periods were the initial periods of the Founding Emperor Era. The pleasing periods were when they grew up and opened up new lands to make people’s lives better.

The painful and hard decision was when he decided to move to Carefree Village, which meant giving up the lives of the masses he swore to protect.

The gratification from news of the outside world occurred when news of Qin Mu reached him.

Qin Mu knew that Founding Emperor was the secluded Founding Emperor God that controlled the Great Ruins. Although he was in Carefree Village, he cared a lot about the outside world.

Founding Emperor’s voice was like a resonance that went through one’s chest. It was deep and filled with energy. “I wasn’t able to figure out that the Celestial Venerable Mu that broke into the first year of the Dragon Han Era with Niu Sanduo was my descendant.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I called you Brother Mu then, which made you blush. You reprimanded me with a stutter, telling me that I couldn’t do that.”

Qin Mu couldn’t help but laugh as well. “You thought I was arrogant and proud. You didn’t know that you were messing with the family hierarchy by doing that.”

Founding Emperor sank into silence before saying, “I’m here to bring you back to Carefree Village. My arrival here can fool everyone but Divine King Lang Wo. She will notice soon. Follow me before it’s too late.”

Qin Mu looked at him with a complex gaze before shaking his head.

Founding Emperor frowned and patiently said, “Your parents are worried about you. They begged me to rescue you. They will only feel assured if you follow me back.”

Qin Mu shook his head again.

Founding Emperor raised his eyebrows. “You are still as stubborn, active, arrogant, and rash as before! You’re still as immature as before!”

“You didn’t change either.”

Qin Mu laughed. “You’re still as careful as before. You only want to strike when you have certainty of victory to prevent missing out. Yet you fail to realize that enemies will never give you that certainty.”

Their gazes met and collided. Both of them felt uncomfortable, as they both felt the other to be as irritating as they were a million years ago.

Their gazes separated as they looked behind each other.

This sense of dread wasn’t dread between enemies, it was gentle affection between friends and family.

They were family. However, they were intelligent with eternally strong Dao hearts. They wouldn’t change their ideas and opinions no matter how hard the other tried.

They realized that they were such people, which caused dread between them. They believed the other to be stubborn and desired to punch the other out of their stubbornness.

This was the reason that they would constantly fight at the Jade Pool Meeting in the first year of the Dragon Han Era.

“Our match remains undecided from that time at the Jade Pool.”

Founding Emperor sighed, saying, “Your stubbornness makes me want to punch you. A million years have passed, and I have improved a lot. You’re no longer my opponent. You’re only 35 or 36 years old now, right? I’m almost 40,000 years old. I have improved a lot from before.”

Qin Mu extended his palm and his fingers. He looked at him and said, “I can beat you if it’s in the same realm!”

Founding Emperor clenched his fists and stared at his fingers.

After a while, he loosened his fists and smiled. “I won’t hold it against you. You’re the 107th generation descendant of mine. I won’t be provoked by you. It’s dangerous for you to stay here. Although Divine King Lang Wo is a lady, she’s extremely powerful. If she discovers your true identity, she’ll threaten me with it.”

His smile gradually disappeared. “If such a day does come, I won’t be threatened. I’ll watch her kill you.”

Qin Mu extended another hand. Both of his hands had their fingers interlocked as he said, “Perhaps I can beat you up first.”

The veins on Founding Emperor’s forehead rose as he clenched his fists once more.

Qin Mu pulled back his hands and stopped trying to provoke him as he smiled. “I’m now the holy infant of the masters of creation. There’s no need to worry about my safety. You can return.”

Founding Emperor turned around and left, angrily saying, “I really want to press you against the ground and beat you up!”

Qin Mu laughed heartily. “I have already fought many of the ten Celestial Venerables of the celestial heavens. I’m fine with fighting you too!”

Founding Emperor leaped into the sky.

Outside the Green Feather Temple, Divine King Lang Wo’s expression changed, and her figure suddenly disappeared. She soon appeared in the vast Paramita sky above, looking forward quietly.

In front, a middle-aged emperor stood in the sky. His chest violently jiggled as he turned around to look at her.

“Qin Ye.”

Divine King Lang Wo coldly laughed. “Traitorous fellow. Why don’t you run now that you’ve been discovered by me?”

“Divine King, I’m in a bad mood. I hereby seek a fight, please grant me that wish!”

“Thief Qin, you think I’m afraid?”

…

Qin Mu walked to the side of Shu Jun’s head and opened the eye in the heart of his brows. A beam of light shot out and shone on Shu Jun, pulling him back into the Grand Primordium Origin Stone. He said, “If I use my consciousness, essence, and blood to recover your head, can you recover your own corporeal body?”

“It’s a bit difficult, but not impossible. I just need to seal the blood vessels in the skulls to form a self-recycling system to ensure my survival before slowly cultivating to accumulate consciousness. Then, I’ll attempt to visualize my corporeal body.”

Shu Jun’s consciousness became a voice that rang in his head. He asked, “Who was that infant master of creation with stubble that I saw you chasing after?”

Qin Mu didn’t answer him and utilized the Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique to supply consciousness, essence, and blood to him.

Shu Jun questioned no more and quickly absorbed the consciousnesses, essence, and blood. He constructed his own head via the sacrificial altar in the Origin Stone.

At that moment, a loud rumble came from the heavens. Qin Mu looked up and saw the void there becoming extremely bright and hot. Two terrifying waves came like two great emperors fighting with their ultimate strength.

‘Could it be Founding Emperor and Divine King Lang Wo?’

Qin Mu’s heart fluttered. With Founding Emperor’s capabilities, Divine King Lang Wo wouldn’t be able to chase after him. So why did he choose to fight instead of leaving?

‘Could he really be angry?’

Qin Mu shook his head. ‘If we were in another place, he would have beaten me up. However, it’s good that he’s letting his anger out.’

The masters of creation on the landmass were shaken. Xiu Zhong, Can Nü, and the other chiefs led the elders into the air to join up with Divine King Lang Wo to work together to remove “Thief Qin”.

The heavens were filled with action. Qin Mu wanted to jump in and spectate, but he was somewhat unwilling since he was supplying his essence, blood, and consciousness to Shu Jun.

‘Founding Emperor has 33 heavens in one sword and was nicknamed the number one sword path. Meanwhile, I have the number one sword skill. I really want to go up against him!’ He was unexpectedly excited within.

The battle in the heavens lasted for two to three hours before beams of light descended, landing on the ground, one of which circled around in the air before landing in the Green Feather Temple.

‘How’s the battle going?’

Qin Mu was about to head to the temple to ask that when Can Nü saw him and asked, “Are you sick? Why are you so skinny?”

Qin Mu was about to explain when Can Nü quickly retrieved her clan’s holy object, the seven soul grass, saying, “It can heal and revive people. Just bite its stem, and you can recover. Seven soul grass, heal the holy infant.”

The grass wasn’t very happy and slowly extended a stem. It was clearly unwilling to let its stem be bitten.

Qin Mu quickly said, “I was just voluntarily supplying essence, blood, and consciousness to Divine King Shu Jun to help him recover his corporeal body. I’m not sick. I also have concentrated primordial liquid here to quickly recover my own essence and blood. There’s no need for it.”

The grass quickly took back its stem and twirled around. A few leaves on its head fluttered.

Can Nü asked, “Concentrated primordial liquid? What’s that?”

Qin Mu retrieved a jade bottle and opened it. Can Nü smelled it and praised, “So it’s called concentrated primordial liquid. Your knowledge is vast, holy infant!”

Qin Mu was stunned and probed her, “You’ve seen it before?”

“This is the water we used to water the holy objects. We had a lot in the past. Now, not so much, for it’s stored away by the divine king.”