Tales of Herding Gods
Chapter 1627: Hidden Murder

The next day, Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu woke up early and washed up. Ling Yuxiu tied up the woman's hair bun, and Qin Mu helped her put in the hairpin. After the couple had breakfast, the servants in the manor had already arranged all kinds of congratulatory gifts and compiled them into a book for Qin Mu.

Qin Mu and Ling Yuxiu drank their tea as they flipped open the booklet and read through it.

Other than treasures, there were also many strange things that the guests had sent over. For example, Lan Yutian had given him the insights he had comprehended under the World Tree over the years. Xu Shenghua had given him a jar of tea leaves and a pot of fragrant orchids. Zhe Huali had given him the Hundred Sons of Jade Scenery that he had carved with his knife.

Dao Master Lin Xuan copied down a copy of the algebra equations he had researched over the years and sent it over. Zhan Kong Rulai sent a prayer bead over, and Wang Muran sent a letter of challenge, inviting Qin Mu to fight on the same realm as Little Jade Capital.

Emperor Yanfeng gave them a thick stack of small booklets. On them were Qin Mu's name, and below them were lines of 'Zheng'.

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor Jiang Baigui sent over a branch which contained his sword path. It was unknown if he was challenging Qin Mu or hoping that he could comprehend his own sword path to take another step forward.

Saint Woodcutter had given him a booklet compiled by three hundred and sixty Postcelestial Great Daos, indicating that he had given his mantle to Qin Mu. Yan Yunxi had also sent him a carrot that had been bitten. It should have been the donkey Lü Zheng who couldn't resist taking a bite when he came to give Qin Mu a gift.

What Di Yiyue gave Ling Yuxiu was a hairpin, so it should still be useful. Tian Shu gave her a jar of wine that he had treasured for many years and couldn't bear to drink.

Sakra Buddha Li Youran personally copied down a copy of the 'Heavenly Works Hundred Crafts Records' that he had comprehended. The old farmer, Zhuo Cha, sent the rice he had personally planted over. Niu Sanduo also gave them a load of rice, and Heavenly Teacher Fisherman, Han Tang, gave them two little red kun. They were still young, so they should be the remaining children of his red fish.

Ling Yuxiu immediately rummaged through the pile of gifts and saw two little red fish swimming around with a pacifier in each of their mouths.

"Don't touch it."

Qin Mu immediately stopped her and said, "This is a kun that can eat people."

The two little red kun wrapped around their pacifiers and looked at them innocently.

The two of them continued to flip through it, and Ling Yuxiu said with a smile, "Celestial Venerable Ling gave you a knot that will never end. The thing Celestial Venerable Ling gave you is indeed different from the rest."

Qin Mu dug out the knot that Celestial Venerable Ling had given him and saw that it was a knot that was tied with a red string. There were all kinds of marvels in the utilization of the Dao markings of Miluo Palace, which made him unknowingly entranced.

"Celestial Venerable Yue gave you a lantern!"

Ling Yuxiu found a lantern with two hearts embroidered on it. She said with a smile that was yet not a smile, "The things that Celestial Venerable Yue gave me are truly unique."

"It's a gift for both of us. It means to wish us to be united forever."

Qin Mu remained calm. "This lantern is very powerful for traveling."

Ling Yuxiu took out Divine King Lang Wo's gift and said, "Sister Lang gave you a flower."

Qin Mu looked at it, and his heart jumped slightly. This flower was a match between the two of them when he was in the void of the Paramita World and was guided by Lang Lang. During the final strike, Qin Mu didn't retaliate. Instead, he visualized a bright fresh flower and gave it to Lang Wo.

Lang Wo had planted that flower in the primordial liquid pool, and this flower had actually survived until now.

Qin Mu laughed and said, "The gift Lang Wo sent is also very unique… Hmm, very unique."

Ling Yuxiu said with a smile that was yet not a smile, "Poison Master Mu Yingxue sent her family's geographical map over."

Qin Mu immediately said, "Be careful of being poisoned! You should burn it quickly!"

"Formation Master He Yiyi sent over a picture of a white horse, and you rode on it with her. Your painting is very good, as expected of someone who learned it from Grandpa Deaf for two years."

"There's a killing formation hidden inside, burn it!"

"High Emperor Sword God Bai gave you a set of dolls."

Ling Yuxiu rummaged around and saw that the doll was a chest with four legs. When she opened the chest, there were two small humans with their backs against each other.

She was about to take out the doll to examine it in detail when Qin Mu suddenly said in pleasant surprise, "Grandpa Apothecary gave us a set of dual cultivation techniques, come quickly, madam!"

Ling Yuxiu closed the chest and went forward to take a look. She spat and said with a red face, "Grandpa Apothecary is a hooligan, old and improper!"

"Tai Chu gave me a dragon scale."

Qin Mu took out the dragon scale and looked at it for a moment. He smiled and said, "East Deity Qing Long, how have you been? When Tai Chu sent this dragon scale over, it must have been the green dragon who told him that I owed the green dragon a favor when I revived Heaven Duke. This dragon scale of his is interesting, interesting…"

His gaze flickered, and he said, "Tai Chu suspected that I wasn't really going into seclusion, so he used this dragon scale to test me. If I revived East Deity Qing Long, I wouldn't really be going into seclusion. I would still have great ambitions. He's still wary of me!"

He put away the dragon scales and didn't revive East Deity Qing Long. He said, "The ten Celestial Venerables are the ten Celestial Venerables. Tai Chu and Celestial Venerable Hao are just jackals of the same tribe. Reviving the green dragon is tantamount to be asking for death!"

"Emperor Hao Tian also gave quite a number of treasures."

Ling Yuxiu clicked her tongue in wonder and said, "He sure is generous. Heaven Duke also gave a gift, and it was given in the name of Earth Count and Heaven Duke."

"He's urging me to revive Ah Chou Earth Count."

Qin Mu secretly put away the chest doll that Bai Qu'er had sent over and visualized the mannequins he and Ling Yuxiu had placed on the original spot. "It wasn't good for him to rush me, so he borrowed the gift to remind me."

"Fatty Dragon sent over a set of Human Rearing Scriptures!"

Ling Yuxiu burst into laughter. "Furthermore, it's a new version. Fatty Dragon is really thoughtful. This must be for me!" After she said that, she took a glance at Qin Mu.

Qin Mu laughed and turned his head away with a gloomy expression.

"Tai Shi also gave a gift. It's a small piece of eggshell."

Ling Yuxiu was bewildered. "Why did he send eggshells… Senior Brother Wei sent a bunch of geographical maps over, do you want to see them?"

…

The husband and wife tidied up and finally examined the gifts of the guests. Those that should be left behind would stay, and those that shouldn't be left would be sent directly to Eternal Peace's treasury or sold.

Late in the morning, the couple went to pay their respects to their parents and the eight elders of Disabled Elderly Village. Granny Si prepared a few cows for Qin Mu, and Qin Mu's heart tightened. He secretly looked at the cows and was relieved when he realized they were really cows.

"Mu'er, let's return to the village!" Blind said with a smile.

In Surging River, Disabled Elderly Village, the hen dragon had long occupied this place and became the overlord of the area. Everyone planned to tidy up and chase the hen dragons away. Qin Mu smiled and said, "There's no need for that. I'm a Celestial Venerable that's living in seclusion, and I'm reluctant to leave my power. How can I stay in the small mountain village I was in before?"

He visualized with his consciousness, and after a moment, a dazzling celestial palace appeared in the sky above Disabled Elderly Village. It was beautiful and sumptuous as they walked into the celestial palace hand in hand with Ling Yuxiu.

The celestial palace floated in the clouds, and countless hen dragons looked up at it enviously.

The celestial river flowed through the sky, and Qin Mu used his great magic power to shift another piece of land to the side of the celestial river. He placed the cows by the river bank. The scenery was green, and the white clouds wandered around. It was very poetic.

Ling Yuxiu placed the two little red kun that Fisherman Han Tang had sent into the celestial river. The two little red kun swam around the shore with their pacifiers wrapped around them, unwilling to leave.

Ling Yuxiu had just left when she heard two loud cracking sounds from the celestial river. Two huge red kuns that were dozens of yards long leaped out of the water and opened their mouths to eat the two cows that were eating grass on the shore. The remaining two cows immediately ran away.

Ling Yuxiu was flabbergasted. She saw the two red kuns moving their bodies and slowly retreating into the celestial river. They then transformed back into two little red fishes that swam around with their pacifiers in their mouths.

"Husband still doesn't know about this. Hmm, I'll buy two more cows to supplement it. He won't be able to tell…"

Ling Yuxiu left in a hurry and bought two cows to blend into the herd.

She then planted the flowers sent by Lang Wo beside the celestial river, and Yan Yunxi's radish was also planted. When the radish landed on the ground, it suddenly grew back after being gnawed by Lü Zheng. Soon, it returned to normal, transforming into a baby with a bare bottom that jumped out of the ground and jumped into the river to bathe.

"Be careful of the kun in the river…"

Just as Ling Yuxiu said that, she heard a cracking sound again. Two red kun leaped out of the water and saw the naked baby clenching his fists and beating the two red kun.

Only then did Ling Yuxiu relax.

Qin Mu studied the ancient books in the gift and flipped through them one by one. Ling Yuxiu also brought the results of Eternal Peace's reform, which was very beneficial to him. He couldn't help exclaiming at the development of Eternal Peace's divine arts, paths, and skills over the years.

He took out the three hundred and sixty great path diagrams that Saint Woodcutter had sent over and compared them, frowning slightly.

"Teacher Woodcutter drafted three hundred and sixty kinds of Great Dao, and this is also the embryonic form of the three hundred and sixty halls of Heavenly Saint Cult. However, Eternal Peace has gone through over a hundred years of reform, so how could there be three hundred and sixty kinds of Postcelestial Great Dao?"

Qin Mu covered his scroll and stood up. Eternal Peace's reform was continuously producing new industries. Every new industry represented the birth of a new Postcelestial Great Dao.

There was no end to the path of Dao. It wasn't that there was no end to the path of seeking Dao, but that Postcelestial Great Daos were endless and could never be unearthed.

As he absorbed the results of Eternal Peace's reform, he got married to Ling Yuxiu and enjoyed their love and entertainment. He then walked around with the elders of Disabled Elderly Village, and time flew by.

It was rare for him to calm down. He had been comprehending quietly these few days and tidying up his techniques and divine arts. His Dao heart was becoming more profound. The things Lan Yutian had sent him were very enlightening to him. The reform of Eternal Peace and the three hundred and sixty Postcelestial Great Daos of Saint Woodcutter had also given him deep comprehension.

Emperor Yanfeng and Imperial Preceptor Jiang Baigui handled Eternal Peace's political affairs while Yu Chenzi was in charge of negotiating with the celestial heavens. These trivial matters didn't bother his Dao heart.

Gradually, he felt that his paths, skills, and divine arts were stuck at a bottleneck, on the verge of a huge breakthrough. He felt that he was about to reach a whole new realm, yet he was completely clueless about the path ahead.

Qin Mu walked back and forth and unknowingly came to the side of the celestial river. He saw a bunch of hen dragons that had flown up to this piece of land and were searching for bugs in the forest.

Beside him were a few cows that were lying under the shade of a tree, flicking their tails and thinking about their food leisurely.

Qin Mu sat on the grass and fell into deep thought.

After an unknown period of time, he suddenly heard a voice. "Back then, Celestial Venerable Mu, and now, the cowherd, you have made me… sigh endlessly."

Qin Mu turned his head and saw Celestial Emperor Hao wearing a light robe. He didn't know when he had arrived.

Qin Mu rose and forced a smile. "Your Majesty is mocking me."

Emperor Hao Tian came to his side and examined his surroundings. "Back then, I heard that Celestial Venerable Mu's Dao heart was completely gone, and I didn't dare to believe it. Now that I see you looking so dispirited, I believe it. However, a hint of sorrow welled up in my heart."

He looked up at the sky and muttered, "Without an opponent like Celestial Venerable Mu, what's the use of my martial arts?"

Two streams of tears rolled down the corners of his eyes.