Tales of Herding Gods

“How did Mu Ping die?”

His mother still hadn’t come back to her senses, and she was still sad about the death of Aunt Ping’er, so she didn’t hear what Qin Mu had said.

Exactly what had happened during the time Mu Ping had brought Qin Mu out from Youdu and into the Great Ruins, Qin Mu had no idea at all. Granny Si and the rest also didn’t know, and they only knew that the woman had already passed away when she sent Qin Mu to the riverside. She was relying on her remaining willpower to send Qin Mu to a safe place.

When Qin Mu met her again in Secret Waters Pass, she had turned into a female corpse under the water. Only when she heard Qin Mu telling her that he had grown up and that he was well, only then did her perseverance vanish. She sunk to the bottom of the river as she no longer had any worries.

From Youdu to the Great Ruins, Qin Mu was merely a two to three months old baby, and he didn’t have any memory. Even though this journey wasn’t too far, there must have been fights that no one knew and there must be people who had tried to seize or kill Qin Mu in places Earth Count couldn’t see.

It was a pity Mu Ping could no longer describe what she had encountered back then.

“Mother, I will personally find Aunt Ping’er soul, and no matter where her soul is, I will invite her back.”

Qin Mu revealed a smile and consoled his mother. “I have some abilities now, and I know a lot of people. Even if Aunt Ping’er’s soul has dispersed, even if her soul is being suppressed, I can definitely save her. Mother, big brother is also here, he wants to meet you very much.”

“Big brother?”

Princess Consort Zhen was puzzled, and she looked at Qin Mu with worry. Qin Mu said with a smile, “It’s big brother. When we were born, it was big brother protecting mother in Youdu. Let me call him out.”

Qin Mu’s body suddenly stopped moving, and he stood there without moving.

“Fengqing?”

Princess Consort Zhen became worried, and she called out several times. “Fengqing! What happened to you?”

In Qin word land, the big-headed baby crossed his arms in front of his chest, and his head turned to one side while his chubby legs overlapped each other. “I’m not going! Mother is scared of me!”

Qin Mu circled to his face and said with a smile, “As the older brother, you are still throwing a tantrum like a little child. Stop messing around, haven’t you wanted to see mother since a long time ago? This is a rare chance.”

“I won’t go!”

That big-headed baby turned his head to the other side. “Mother likes you more, she doesn’t like me. I’m picked up, and you are her own! I’m not going!”

Crimson Emperor’s consciousness said, “That fat kid, if you don’t want to go you don’t have to go, but can you first get down from my body? You have been sitting on me long enough!”

He was under the big baby’s a**, and he couldn’t move with his face planted in the ground.

Not far away, the clone of Heaven Duke was hidden behind the mountains of Qin word land. He popped his head out to take a look.

Qin Mu said with a smile, “We are one, so why am I mother’s and you are picked up? Stop messing around, go meet mother, she’s worried sick. If you don’t want to go, I’ll be going.”

That big-headed baby hurriedly got up and rushed out of the sky. “Fine!”

The consciousness of Crimson Emperor saw that he left so he hurriedly got up. He patted the dust from his body. There was actually no dust, but he was used to it.

On the other side, the clone of Heaven Duke hurriedly ran over, and he took a glance at Qin Mu. “You are done for, you are done for. You have released the great devil king out, now you can’t reclaim your corporeal body! You are finished!”

Qin Mu said with a smile, “Heaven Duke, that’s my older brother, we are one…”

The white-bearded old man stared with his eyes wide open. “Do you know that big-headed baby has learned bad? Who has he learned from? None other than you! After he goes out, he will definitely seal you inside and trap all of us here!”

Qin Mu’s expression changed slightly. “My brother won’t do that…”

Outside, Princess Consort Zhen was feeling uneasy. Suddenly, Qin Mu let out a shaky breath, and she saw her son’s body popping and expanding. Qin Mu grew taller and taller. However, his age was regressing, and he slowly became a white and plump boy in front of her.

Qin Mu’s clothes were treasures made by Yu Zhaoqing, which could become bigger as the body become bigger. However, when worn on this big fatty, they made him look chubby, and it was truly a funny sight.

Princess Consort Zhen had a blank look as she saw her son’s transformation in a daze. She couldn’t come back to her senses.

“Mother, please wait a moment!”

The fat boy took down the two taotie sacks, excited as he rummaged through them. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he took out a willow leaf to paste it on his head. He beamed and said, “Bad brother, now you can’t come out!”

In Qin word land, Qin Mu was currently trying to fly out of this heaven and earth to seize back his body. Suddenly, the vein lines of the willow leaf appeared in the sky, and the rays around the buddha shone brightly. His aura connected with the willow leaf and sealed the heaven and earth.

Qin Mu was in a daze. “I… Brother…”

“You are done for!”

The white-haired elder said angrily, “You have guided him astray, you are done for, and we are done for!”

Qin Mu blinked his eyes, and his eyes were filled with helplessness.

Crimson Emperor grunted and said, “I feel this is better, at least this kid won’t start beating us for no reason.”

“Mother! I’m back!”

That big-headed baby clapped his chubby hands at Princess Consort Zhen and asked for a hug. However, he realized he was too huge and couldn’t hug his mother, so he hurriedly shrunk his size.

Princess Consort Zhen carried this baby that was only two to three months old, and this baby was the age when she had put the jade pendant around Qin Mu’s neck.

However, everything looked so preposterous.

She revealed a warm look on her face, and she felt that this was a blessing from heaven for allowing her to see her son when he was young again.

Right at this moment, Left Assistant Minister who had gone to catch chickens and frogs came back, and they looked at the baby in Princess Consort Zhen’s arms.

The big-headed baby saw them carrying fish and frogs, and he became excited. He jumped down from his mother’s embrace, and his arms and legs moved in unison as he crawled quickly towards them.

“Yummy!”

The baby grew larger and larger before grabbing Left Assistant Minister up. With his mouth open as huge as the sky, he was prepared to send Left Assistant Minister along with the chickens and frogs into his mouth.

Village women came back from outside with fruits and vegetables. They even caught a hen dragon, and they all looked at this sight in a daze.

“Cluck!” The hen dragon fainted.

Just as Left Assistant Minister was about to be eaten, Princess Consort Zhen’s gentle voice rang out. “Fengqing, no.”

The big-headed baby hesitated for a moment, and he looked at Left Assistant Minister who was already dumb as a wood chicken reluctantly. “We haven’t met for over twenty years, uncle has grown to be quite sturdy, you must definitely be very chewy… Aunt Juan’er, hug hug—”

He pounced into the embrace of a village woman. Aunt Juan’er hugged him, and her body was trembling.

The big-headed baby licked Aunt Juan’er face, and he gave a vicious gaze. Aunt Juan’er didn’t dare to move, and at this moment, the big-headed baby felt his body was light as he got carried by Princess Consort Zhen.

Qin Fengqing blinked his eyes cunningly, and he stuck his thumb in his mouth. He swung his short arms and legs around.

Princess Consort Zhen gave him a look of pity, and she kissed him on his head. She smiled at everyone who didn’t dare to move. “Go prepare some dishes, it’s a happy occasion that we, mother and son, are reunited.”

Even though everyone there was a god, they were still fearful of this little overlord of Youdu. They went to cook in trepidation.

Princess Consort Zhen teased the baby in her arms, and they were full of smiles.

Not long later, the dishes were ready, but everyone didn’t dare to sit and eat. They all stood and trembled at the side.

The big-headed baby took a glance, and everyone hurriedly sat down. The baby gave a smile again.

Princess Consort Zhen fed her son, and Qin Fengqing ate obediently. He was very happy. “There’s no taste of soul, it’s not too tasty, but whatever mother feeds me is delicious.”

As they ate this meal, Princess Consort Zhen hugged him and hummed a nursery rhyme to coax him to sleep. This big-headed baby giggled and flailed his arms and legs around. He finally slept after some time passed.

Princess Consort Zhen gently touched her son’s face, and she was entranced.

She hesitated over and over again, but she still placed her fingers on the willow leaf on his third eye.

Right at this moment, the baby in her arms opened his jet black eyes and looked at her.

“Mother, don’t take it off.”

That baby opened his eyes and gave off a pleading expression. He pouted and said with a sobbing tone in his voice, “Don’t take it off. Fengqing misses mother, mother, don’t take it off please…”

Princess Consort Zhen rocked her body and hummed a nursery rhyme. “Fengqing is mother’s good baby, don’t throw a tantrum, go to sleep…”

“Mother, don’t take it off…”

Princess Consort Zhen took down the willow leaf, and that baby closed his eyes. Tears streaked down from the corners of his three eyes, and he turned his head around to say softly, “You don’t like Fengqing, you only like younger brother…”

Princess Consort Zhen kissed him and said, “Mother loves you, I just don’t want you to create more trouble. I hope you can live properly. You can’t control yourself, but your brother can control himself… Mother just wishes both of you can live on…”

She hugged her baby and placed him on a small bed.

Qin Fengqing sighed and returned back to Qin word land in loneliness.

His body gradually grew up, and after a moment, Qin Mu opened his eyes and got up from the bed. He knelt down in front of Princess Consort Zhen’s knees and placed his head gently on her knees.

The mother and son didn’t speak a word.

Two days later, Princess Consort Zhen hurried and said, “Fengqing, you should go, this isn’t a place you should stay long.”

Qin Mu got up and revealed a smile. “Mother, I will be back. The next time I come back, I will bring mother away from here to enjoy life outside.”

Princess Consort Zhen sent him to the village entrance. Qin Mu hesitated for a moment before saying softly, “I’ve seen father, he is still alive.”

Princess Consort Zhen’s body trembled, and she shook her head. “You don’t have to lie to me, with such heavy injuries, it’s impossible for him to be still alive…”

“Father is really still alive.”

Qin Mu said with a firm tone and said solemnly, “I’ve seen him, he is right here in Youdu, he is still in that treasured ship that was carrying us. He is always looking for mother. He has turned into a tree man, and because of Saturn Sovereign, he has sworn to Earth Count. He said if he sees me, he will have to tell Saturn Sovereign the location of Carefree Village. When I reunited with him, he didn’t open his eyes to look at me… However, he is really still alive.”

Princess Consort Zhen was stunned.

“Mother, I want to know how I can go to Carefree Village.”

Qin Mu hesitated for a moment. “I want to meet Founding Emperor.”

Princess Consort Zhen was silent for a moment. “Don’t go back.”

Qin Mu was stunned, and he said loudly, “Why?”

Princess Consort Zhen shook her head. “Don’t go back! I don’t allow you to go back!”

Qin Mu was stunned.

“Mother, please stay.”

At the village entrance, he turned and knelt down on the ground. He kowtowed three times heavily before getting up to leave.

Princess Consort Zhen looked at him walking into the monument forest. Qin Mu looked back, and he still saw her standing there.

Youdu’s Jade Lock Pass Encampment.

At this moment, thousands of soldiers and cavalry were arranged orderly. They had an austere aura, and they were all staring at the Hellfire Virtue Monuments in the monument forest.

After a moment, Qin Mu walked out of the monument forest. Among the very powerful soldiers, Left Soul Guardian Mo Qimi sprinted over and stopped far away. He hugged his fist and greeted.

Qin Mu stopped and returned his greeting. “I didn’t bring my mother out, I didn’t trouble Left Guardian.”

“Qin Fengqing, do you know what is outside the pass?” Left Soul Guardian asked solemnly.

Qin Mu shook his head.

Left Soul Guardian said loudly, “Outside Jade Lock Pass, it is all your enemies, countless gods and devils, countless big shots of Youdu! Some of them are from the celestial heavens, they possess corporeal bodies, divine weapons, and remarkable abilities. Some are primordial spirits that were on the Numinous Sky and Emperor’s Throne when they were alive. They were omnipotent, and after they died, they were also overlords of their territories! Once you go out of this pass, it will be a bloodbath!”

Qin Mu bowed and said, “Many thanks for your guidance.”

Left Soul Guardian revealed a smile and said meaningfully, “Earth Count takes care of you very well, and he also takes care of your mother very well. To repay his favor, do you know what you should do?”

Qin Mu said solemnly, “Justice is to be found everywhere, it doesn’t bend to power, and it doesn’t concern benefits. To not be afraid of death and uphold justice is the bravery of a gentleman!”

Left Soul Guardian said solemnly as he raised his hand, “Open the gates—”

The majestic gates of the incomparably thick Youdu Jade Lock Pass slowly creaked open.

“Righteous One Qin, please—”

Left Soul Guardian shouted, “Beat the drums! Blow the horns! Send the righteous one off!”

Thud, thud, thud!

The drumbeats were like thunder.

Duuuuu, duuuuu—

The bugle horns rang out loudly. Qin Mu walked out of the pass among the beating of the drums and blowing of the horns. Behind him, black monuments stood tall like forest and hellfire was everywhere.