Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem
âThose gods from High Heavens didnât hide their auras, and it seems like they went to Granny Siâs place.â
Butcher and Blind were staying in Relax Prefecture that was a thousand miles away, but Blind still seemed to be able to see what he wanted. He had a weird expression when he said, âItâs night time now, Old Devil Li has come out again.â
âMeeting Old Devil Li with the appearance of Granny Si, they are probably going to die,â Butcher said in astonishment.
Blindâs expression became weirder and weirder. âOld Devil Li is chatting with them.â
âThen they really are going to die. When Old Devil Li was in the village, who wasnât smitten? Even Village Chief didnât dare to look at him and only you could disregard grannyâs beauty. When do you think those four sovereigns will fall out with one another and start fighting?â Butcher said.
Blind shook his head. âThey are gods after all, how would they fight over a woman? I think⦠Eh, they have really started fighting!â
Blind âlookedâ for a moment and let out a sigh of relief. He said, âThey are just competing with one another, but their competitive spirits are very strong, they are not far from fighting. Granny Si really is a troublemaker!â
Butcher shook his head. âGranny is not a troublemaker, but Cult Master Li is Granny Si is very kind and would never harm us. Yet once Cult Master Li came out, the village was almost separated. Thatâs right, have you seen Deaf and Mute during your journey? They are usually never away from each other.â
âI havenât seen them.â Blind smiled, âMute ran away chasing a ship and Deaf went to chase him, but he was most likely unable to catch up. Muteâs speed is very fast, only slightly inferior to that of Cripple. When do you think these four gods will become enemies?â
Butcher chuckled. âThat would depend on how long Cult Master Li wants to play with them. Thereâs no need to worry about these four gods from High Heavens now. We donât need to go too close. We can check out the situation after Cult Master Li has had his fun.â
On the dragon qilinâs back, Qin Mu suddenly recalled something and asked Hermit Qing You about it. âHermit Qing You, when Xu Shenghua entered Hall of Three Aeons, what breakthrough did he choose?â
âHe didnât say but Three Aeons Elders knew and told me about it, it was Heaven Aeon Breakthrough. He had an easy time breaking through and said that he regretted not choosing Three Aeons Breakthrough,â Hermit Qing You said.
âWhat breakthrough did he choose in Hall of Five Elements then?â asked Qin Mu again.
âEarth Element Breakthrough in Hall of Five Element. Among the five elements, the earth element is the strongest.â
Qin Mu nodded. Xu Shenghua was indeed very strong. His abilities in the past were no weaker than his own, and even though his cultivation had been slightly weaker, his divine art was much more intricate.
Since Xu Shenghua had broken through Hall of Three Aeons and Hall of Five Qi, his shortcomings in cultivation should have been patched. Qin Mu achieving Three Aeons Breakthrough had patched the foundation of his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure. He also had gotten both Heaven Aeon Breakthrough and Earth Element Breakthrough whose element was the foundation of Five Elements Divine Treasure.
Yet it was still hard to say if Qin Muâs magic power could suppress the other.
âBefore, I didnât know he was a disciple of High Heavens and even asked some tea from him. I even owe him a drink.â
Qin Mu pondered it for a moment. Xu Shenghua was still quite a nice person and had a nice bearing. He was a rare opponent, and Qin Mu very much wanted to meet him again. However, he also didnât want to meet him.
âVillage Chief, what kind of place is High Heavens?â
âItâs the place of hounds, the place where the real gods rear dogs,â Village Chief said. âItâs at West Earth and is very mysterious, but I have never gone there, so I donât know where it is exactly. I only know that some people can scale the divine mountain in West Earth and offer incense to reach High Heavens. However, I donât have the right kind of incense, since it should be a specially made one. If I had it, I would have long fought my way up.â
Qin Mu didnât know whether to laugh or cry. Village Chief and the strong practitioners of High Heavens had probably fought their entire lives, so he didnât really like that sacred ground.
âHas Palace Master heard of High Heavens before?â Qin Mu asked Xiong Xiyu.
âHigh Heavens is indeed in my West Earth, and the people of True Heaven Palace have seen people of High Heavens before. However, that sacred ground is very mysterious, even more so than Little Jade Capital.â
Xiong Xiyuâs gaze flickered and she said softly, âThe incense that Village Chief mentioned is called divine incense, and True Heaven Palace has three sticks. If Cult Master Qin could assist me in taking back the position of the palace master, I could give them to him.â
Qin Mu blinked and didnât reply to her. He pondered over the matter and said, âI wonder if Rolanâs Golden Palace has any of these divine incense. Pangong Tso, this brat, has lived through so many lifetimes so there must be an extremely large amount of treasures he collected, and one of them might even be this. Imperial Preceptor still owes me a hundred treasures⦠Come to think of it, why hasnât Grandpa Cripple returned? Little Jade Capital should be looted clean by now, shouldnât it?â
Xiong Xiyu sighed.
After coming to the capital, Qin Mu brought everyone to Imperial College where there were few scholars left. Most of them had gone to the frontlines.
âThis is Eternal Peace Empireâs sacred ground, Imperial College?â Everyone looked around in curiosity.
Other than Qin Mu and the dragon qilin, the rest of the people had come here for the first time. Compared to the other sacred grounds, Imperial College was still very young. It was not as majestic as Great Thunderclap Monasteryâs Mount Meru, not as serene as Dao Sectâs Kunlun Jade Void Mountain, and not as mysterious as Heavenly Devil Cultâs Saint Arrival Mountain. Of course, it couldnât be compared to Little Jade Capital that had a profound and long-lasting foundation.
Purely on appearance, Imperial College couldnât be compared even to West Earthâs True Heaven Palace.
Yet such a place had produced countless famed generals and officials, giving birth to countless experts!
Even though Imperial College was young, it had already shown its extraordinariness, surpassing other sects in various places!
Qin Mu came to Divine Arts Residence and found that his residence had been tidied up neatly. He was bewildered. âCould Lingâer have come to Imperial College?â
A voice suddenly came from outside. âThe one who herds cows, youâre finally willing to come back? Did you know that Chancellor Ba Shan brought me and Saintess Si to follow my second brother to the north, to fight with Wolf Store Country untiââ
Qin Mu turned around and saw Ling Yuxiu rushing in from outside. When she saw the many people behind him, she was startled and didnât dare to be loud. She immediately held her breath and her footsteps became more dainty. She walked in like a lady and stood beside Qin Mu like a little bird. âThe one who herds cows, who are they?â
âThis is my Grandpa Village Chief.â
Qin Mu moved the rocking chair down from the dragon qilinâs back. Village Chief didnât rise from his rocking chair, but looked at Ling Yuxiu with a face full of smiles.
âThese are the old immortals from Little Jade Capital: Immortal Qing You, Immortal You Yun, and Immortal You He.â
After introducing the three elders of Little Jade Capital, he said, âThe three at the side are the senior brothers of Little Jade Capital: Wang Muran, Long Yu, and Mu Qingdai. Also, this pair of mother and daughter are West Earthâs True Heaven Palaceâs Palace Master Xiong Xiyu and Little Princess Xiong Qiâer.â
Ling Yuxiu greeted them one by one and everyone returned her greeting.
âMy place is not big enough for so many people to stay. Does sister have extra rooms?â Qin Mu asked.
Ling Yuxiu smiled and said, âThe girls can stay at my place. I stay right next door.â
Qin Mu thanked her and said, âSister, thanks for tidying up my room when I wasnât around these days.â
Ling Yuxiu shook her head and said, âItâs not me, it was done by your little fox.â
âLingâer is really here?â Qin Mu was surprised and delighted. He missed Hu Lingâer very much.
âShe had run out to listen to lessons not long ago and hasnât returned yet.â Ling Yuxiu smiled with reservation. âThat little girl sure knows how to curry favor. During these days when you werenât around, she eagerly attended lessons and the directorates all like her very much.â
âLittle girl?â
Qin Mu was stunned, but he didnât think much about it and arranged accommodations for Immortal Qing You and the rest. His courtyard wasnât small and there was also quite a number of rooms. Everyone had their own rooms, while as for Xiong Xiyu, Xiong Qiâer, and Mu Qingdai, they would stay in the opposite house.
Qin Mu arranged everything well, and Ling Yuxiu whispered, âA bunch of Daoists came to Imperial College a few days ago in search of you. Gu Linuan is busy attending to them, his face all pale from fright. He hasnât looked well for a day.â
Qin Mu smiled. âThe algebra experts of Dao Sect have arrived.â
âMy father sent down a decree to promote you as Supervisor of Divine Weapons. He said to let you be in charge of forging some divine cannon. The imperial decree is kept by your little fox.
âFather dispatched the algebra experts of Imperial College and the imperial court and the five big manufacturing factories to listen to your orders. Also, Heavenly King Yu and Heavenly King Shi of the sacred cult couldnât find you in Ghost Valley so they almost went mad from searching!â
Qin Muâs head started to ache. Ever since he returned to the capital, he had to settle so many things that he didnât have time to rest.
âThatâs right, thereâs also a person called Xu Shenghua. He brought two girls and came to find you two days ago, saying heâs waiting for you to treat him to a drink.â
Ling Yuxiu gave it some thought before adding, âImperial Preceptorâs wife has given birth and sent over an invitation. She says she wants to invite Great Cult Master Qin to be the godfather.â
Astonished, Qin Mu asked, âImperial Preceptor has a child already? Is it a boy or a girl?â
âItâs a boy.â
Qin Mu smiled. âMe to be a godfather? Imperial Preceptorâs wife is playing around. Iâm still a child, so how can I be a godfather?â
Village Chief looked at Ling Yuxiu and gave a cough. He said, âMuâer, you arenât young, you can give birth to a kid already.â
Qin Muâs face turned red, and he muttered, âWhy do you suddenly talk about giving birth, Iâm still not ready⦠Village Chief, Iâm only fifteen this year!â
Ling Yuxiu snickered. âFifteen isnât young anymore. My mother and Empress Dowager always hurry me to choose a consort. Furthermore, my father is also easy to talk to, as long as someone talks to him about it, he will agreeâ¦â
She was pretty gutsy, blinking her eyes as she waited for Qin Muâs reply.
âThe emperor is so casual?â Qin Mu shook his head. âThey are not doing it right. How can marriage be so casual?â
Ling Yuxiu stared at him, for that youth didnât understand. He rose and went to Hall of Supreme Learning. When Gu Linuan saw him, only then was he relieved of his burden. âCult Master, come quickly and take the Daoists away from my house. I wonât be able to thank you enough!â
The numerous Daoists of Dao Sect all stayed with him and made him really nervous these few days.
Dao Sect was the head of the righteous path and he was a great master of the devil path. He kept on worrying that the Daoists would get rid of the devil at some point.
Qin Mu was in no hurry to meet the experts of Dao Sect so he sat down with a smile. âHowâs Grand Chancellorâs algebra?â
Gu Linuan smiled and said, âIâm an authority in the devil path, so how can my attainments in algebra be weak?â
âGood! With Lord Gu and the experts of Dao Sect, I can take a breather.â
Gu Linuanâs expression turned ashen. âI will still have to be with the people of Dao Sect?â
âThe emperor has ordered me to forge Sunshot Divine Cannon to target gods. The people of Dao Sect know their place and wonât lay their hands on you,â he consoled.
Gu Linuan still couldnât sit at ease. He kept feeling unsafe around those Daoists since his reputation was quite stinky.
Qin Mu went to meet Dao Master Lin Xuan to exchange basic greetings. âOnce Iâm done with the arrangements, I will need to trouble all of you. Please wait for my news.â
âAllâs good.â
Qin Mu left, and as he passed by Hall of Array Element, the school coincidentally ended. Over a dozen scholars came out from the hall, and among them was a seven to eight years old girl. She looked clever and adorable as she hopped about, using a gust of demon wind to carry books which were neatly arranged behind her.
That little girl was short yet there were three long and furry snow white tails swaying at her back.
âIs that Lingâer? But she was illiterateâ¦â Qin Mu stopped in his tracks.