Tales of Herding Gods

Apothecary stared at him through his bronze mask faintly.

Qin Mu was unnerved since, after all, his request was slightly shameless.

“Some time ago, Cripple raided tombs and sent me many of the demon corpses he got here. Through them and the body structure of gods, I have a full understanding of medicine already. I have finished researching divine treasure too, which is why I could guide others in opening the divine treasure. However, I haven’t found a medicine path.”

Apothecary lazily said, “I can change a brain or a heart, break the secrets behind the passing down of divine treasures and celestial palaces, and transplant divine treasures or celestial palaces. However, I never found the medicine path. Perhaps, there’s no such thing at all.”

Qin Mu righteously said, “Isn’t being a benevolent doctor who saves people from plagues and reduces their sicknesses the medicine path?”

Apothecary was so mad that he laughed. “You b*stard, you make it sound so easy. You expect me to perfect it, but I’m pinning my hopes on you! Why don’t you save me first! I raised you in such a bitter fashion, so you can repay me in the future when I’m old by opening some 180 Emperor’s Throne techniques for me to choose from. Instead of working hard to cultivate to be filial, you expect us to prepare techniques for you!”

Qin Ye blushed and mumbled, “Grandpa Apothecary isn’t old at all. Compared to gods and devils, you’re still in your youth. As one says, every profession has a direction of research. Your medicine skills and poisoning skills are the best. Your title of Jade Face Poison King isn’t for nothing. I’m barely at number two, and I don’t dare fight with you for this chance to make my mark on history.”

Apothecary heard what he said about making a mark on history and was touched. He conceded, saying, “Although I have deciphered corporeal body structures to the extreme, I haven’t solved the primordial spirit, which involves the circulation of vital qi. Vital qi flows in both the corporeal body and primordial spirit, and understanding its secrets will allow one to understand the existence of the medicine path.”

Qin Mu’s words were filled with the power to inspire people. “Grandpa Apothecary, a path is created by humans! There was no painting path, but Grandpa Deaf forced one out and became its master! There was no sword path, but Founding Emperor created one and fought for glory with the Celestial Venerables! Grandpa Apothecary can create a medicine path, too, becoming the best in it. Your story will become that of legends!”

Apothecary became passionate because of him, but after some thought, he said, “However, outside of understanding the primordial spirit and vital qi, I need to understand consciousness too. It’s too difficult, way too difficult. Cripple gave me many demon corpses, and I can understand corporeal bodies and divine treasures from them, but they lack primordial spirits and consciousnesses…”

“Do you need a test subject that can never die even when tortured?” Qin Mu probed.

Apothecary nodded. “I thought about it. The best candidate is Xing An since he can withstand torture, but his consciousness attainment is low…”

He looked at Shu Jun.

Qin Mu looked at Shu Jun too.

Shu Jun shrunk his head while holding his tea in the rocking chair like a bored vulture.

“His soul is too weak.”

Apothecary shook his head. “He was poisoned to death twice by me. His soul flew away too.”

Shu Jun shed tears of gratitude that landed in his tea.

Qin Mu smiled. “You can relax, Grandpa Apothecary, my Heavenly Devil Creation Technique was taught by Granny. With Granny here, his soul can’t fly anywhere.”

Shu Jun stared at him furiously.

Qin Mu ignored it and tempted him. “Think about it, Grandpa Apothecary, where else can you find such a strong master of creation who is just beginning to cultivate his divine treasures and primordial spirit? He’s a primordial divine king too! His consciousness is just as strong as mine, and he has a stronger corporeal body that is filled with a strong lifeforce. A soul grows from a weak stage slowly.”

The eyes behind Apothecary’s mask grew brighter and brighter as he nodded while looking at Shu Jun.

Shu Jun trembled as he hoarsely said, “My corporeal body still isn’t strong enough, did you forget about that? You poisoned me to death twice!”

Apothecary plainly said, “Divine King, you may have opened the Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, but you haven’t opened the other six. You can only dream about opening them without me softening your corporeal body. Even if you left with Mu’er today, you would still come back to beg me for help.”

Shu Jun was visibly bothered. After a while, he suppressed his frustration and nodded.

Apothecary was happy, and he looked at Qin Mu. “Best in the medicine path, a legend in history?”

“Yes!” Qin Mu nodded.

Apothecary gave a long sigh of relief as he glanced at Shu Jun. It was as if he was looking at livestock. He was satisfied.

Qin Mu found Granny Si and said, “There’s an apt proverb. If one doesn’t work hard when one’s young, it will be useless to mourn when one’s old…”

Qin Mu was beaten up by Granny Si. She was likely triggered by the word old, so she beat him up while tugging on his ear.

Apothecary and Deaf laughed for a long time at this.

When Qin Mu left, Granny Si’s eyes were still red. She took a long time to return to Heavenly Saint Academy even after the carriage left her line of sight.

When the carriage reached River Tomb City, Qin Mu tried to find Emperor Yanfeng and Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor, Jiang Baigui, but to no avail. Knowing nothing about their whereabouts, he had to head to the capital.

At the capital, he went to see Village Chief. Blind and Mute awaited him at the Imperial College. Although Village Chief said he wanted to teach him a lesson, he clearly forgot about it as he sighed continuously after hearing what Qin Mu said about what he saw and heard in the celestial heavens.

“Founding Emperor passed by here already?”

Qin Mu was shocked as he asked, “I didn’t meet him on the road, where is he now?”

“I don’t know. He imparted the twentieth sword form to me, likely because of how he learned the fifteenth to nineteenth sword form here in Eternal Peace.”

Village Chief excitedly said, “It was my lifelong wish to see him! Now that I finally saw him, I can die! Mu’er, I will impart the twentieth sword form to you. Stay in the capital for a little while.”

Qin Mu hesitated before nodding. “Fatty Dragon, take Divine King to stay a couple days in my residence. Dutian can go there too.”

The dragon qilin brought them to the side palace in Eternal Peace’s capital. It had a spectacular looking and verdant Primordial Tree, which had beams of light hanging from it that safeguarded the capital. It was the most glorious sight of the capital.

Emperor Yanxiu titled this place the Imperial Preceptor Residence. She often sent people to clean up the place. There was a lady inside named Gongsun Yan who had close ties with Emperor Yanxiu.

Occasionally, Hu Ling’er and Si Yunxiang stayed there for a couple days.

The dragon qilin came to Qin Mu’s Imperial Preceptor Residence and saw Gongsun Yan drinking tea with three other ladies. He instinctively felt a chill down his spine.

Dutian Devil King also received a shock. One of the four ladies looked exactly the same as Divine King Lang Wo. The only difference between them was their clothes. It was Yun Chuxiu!

Yun Chuxiu held two horse whips and was visibly energetic. The other lady was Lian Huahun!

The dragon qilin thought, ‘Could Mistress Yuanmu have made another Yun Chuxiu?’

“Is Master back?” Gongsun Yan was joyful when she saw the dragon qilin. She stepped forward but didn’t see Qin Mu.

Yan’er became a little green sparrow that flew into the Primordial Tree bushes above to find her nest, and she was cheerful that it was there. She squatted in it as she spat out small flames. Soon, she took a nap leisurely.

Emperor Yanxiu came forward and glanced around. She couldn’t find Qin Mu, so she asked, “Fatty Dragon, where is the Imperial Preceptor?”

“He’s at the Imperial Academy.”

The dragon qilin looked up at the nest and said, “Emperor, Cult Master is learning the twentieth sword form. After he’s done, he will return. Have you seen Yun Jianli?”

Emperor Yanxiu was stunned as she asked, “Do you mean Yun Aiqing? High Official Yun went to the south a couple of days ago to check on the shipyard there. I don’t know whether he has returned.”

The dragon qilin said, “Emperor, could you see whether Yun Jianli has returned and invite him? Yun Jianli is that lady’s brother.”

Emperor Yanxiu glanced at Yun Chuxiu and smiled. “You mean that Sister Chuxiu is High Official Yun’s sister? I even swore to become sisters of different surnames a couple days ago. How coincidental.”

‘You have sworn to become sisters of different surnames with Mistress Yuanmu?’

The dragon qilin felt his head becoming three times as large as usual. That was Mistress Yuanmu, one of the ten Celestial Venerables of the celestial heavens!

‘I can’t settle this, I have to get Cult Master here personally!’

The dragon qilin looked up at Gongsun Yan’s nest. He was envious as he thought, ‘If only I could hide in it.’

Divine King Lang Wo came forward and swept her gaze on the ladies. She smiled. “Emperor, you became sworn sisters with Sister Chuxiu? What about Sister Lian and Sister Yan’er? It’s a day filled with such coincidences, so why don’t all of us become sworn sisters together?”

Her vibe was overwhelming, even more so than Lian Huahun’s, which made Emperor Yanxiu admire her too. She smiled. “I saw that you look exactly the same as Sister Chuxiu, so I was wondering whether you two were twins. Now that you want to become sworn sisters with her, I know that’s not the case. Could there really be two flowers that look exactly the same in this world?”

Divine King Lang Wo’s gaze flashed. “Perhaps. Sisters, what do you all think about my suggestion?”

Yun Chuxiu applauded and said that it was a good idea. Lian Huahun hesitated before nodding.

Gongsun Yan had no opinion of her own, so she nodded upon seeing the others nod.

Divine King Lang Wo looked at Emperor Yanxiu, and she had to nod too. She smiled. “It’s my fortune to become sworn sisters with you all.”

Yan’er cheered and flew down from her nest. She was rambling about becoming sworn sisters with them too.

The dragon qilin called her back hastily and whispered, “Don’t join in the fun, naughty girl, there’s already too much commotion!”

“Why?” Yan’er was perplexed.

She listened to the dragon qilin anyway, standing on his head to watch the five girls become sworn sisters of different surnames with tea instead of wine.

Yun Chuxiu laughed and said, “Let’s make an oath, everyone. We may not have been born on the same day, month, and year, but we shall ask to die on the same day, month, and year instead. Does that sound good?”

The dragon qilin felt his heart aching as he thought, ‘Please return quickly, Cult Master. This scene is becoming more unpredictable. Yun Jianli, it would be great if you came too!’

In the Imperial Academy, Qin Mu learned the twentieth sword form from Village Chief. When he fought Founding Emperor, both of them got injured. Qin Mu left bearing an injury, but all he cared about was looking confident and good, which he had a lot of, so he didn’t ask to learn the twentieth sword form from Founding Emperor.

Village Chief’s cultivation in the sword path was extremely high. Founding Emperor had a hidden motive in imparting it to him. He wanted to use Village Chief to impart it to Qin Mu. After all, Qin Mu was the one who comprehended the eighteenth and nineteenth sword form, so in some ways, he relied on Qin Mu to comprehend the twentieth sword form.

He was serious in his learning and comprehension, so he completely missed out on the incident of the five ladies becoming sworn sisters at his residence. They held hidden motives, except for Gongsun Yan, who was as pure as a sheet of white paper.