Tales of Herding Gods
Page 339Chapter 339: General Bian
Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem
If Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor knew the backgrounds of the nine elders, he would know why Qin Mu had the gaze and breadth of mind that others of his age did not.
The nine 'elders' of Disabled Elderly Village were Qin Mu's closest kin and also his teachers.
Among these nine, there was the current rulai, the spear god of the past, the number one in forging treasures with a penchant for mischievousness Mute, the once incomparably handsome yet ruthless Jade Face Poison King Apothecary, and the saintess of Heavenly Devil Cult that charmed both the gods and devils in the world.
There was also Deaf who was honored as Art Saint by Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor, Cripple who had never slipped up and could escape from his grasp despite having a leg severed, and Butcher who was acclaimed as Heaven Knife, brandishing his knives to fight with the gods.
There was also the glorious human emperor of his generation, Village Chief.
All of them were broad-minded and open. Some were emotional, some merciful, some steady, some crafty, some good at keeping to themselves, some filled with heroic spirit and hot-bloodedness, some good at scheming, and some were ruthless. However, what all of them had was utter sincerity, the heart of a newborn.
It was because of such a village and such people that Qin Mu had been groomed into a person that he was, one that even the saint that appears once every five hundred years admired.
Qin Mu didn't feel anything special about himself, however. After walking out of Disabled Elderly Village, he didn't think he was very powerful. After all, since he was the Overlord Body, it was natural for him to get some accomplishments, so there was no need to make a fuss out of nothing.
However, in the eyes of others, he was simply a monster. No matter if it was poisoning or saving people, or even forging, stealing, painting, and calligraphy, he was one of the professionals in this world.
Only Qin Mu's battle prowess wasn't caught in the eyes of others. He had cultivated diligently to raise his abilities, but this point wasn't as eye-catching in Eternal Peace where the stars were bright.
Yet even this most unremarkable battle prowess could cause Pangong Tso to suffer over and over again after having swept through his peers.
Qin Mu didn't have high attainments in algebra when he had left Disabled Elderly Village, but he had improved by leaps and bounds afterward. Even people from Dao Sect might not have comprehended Computational Canon of Supreme Mystery as well as he did. Even though Qin Mu wasn't a person from Dao Sect, he had thoroughly studied Computation Canon of Supreme Mystery in detail.
He had started late yet he had reached the end first. There were not many people who could surpass him in algebra in this world.
The more Imperial Preceptor got into contact with him, the more he felt that this youth was extraordinary.
"If we want to transform the content in the golden book into algebra models, we will need people who are proficient in algebra to assist."
Qin Mu put away the golden book and continued, "This first technique, Secrets of Magpie Bridge, I can finish the measurements in one month and construct the algebra model. However, the second technique, Secrets of Mysterious Guide, and the third technique, Secrets of Divine Crossing, have too many things which need to be calculated. If there's only me to sort them out, I will probably take a year. That's way too long."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor, Village Chief, and Cripple revealed grim looks. To construct the algebra mode, they would need to measure every angle in the space of the golden book, using numerals to reconstruct the coordinates of the three techniques in space. This point was of utmost importance!
After having the algebra model, using the ratio of the divine bridge in the golden book on one's own divine bridge for measurement, one could calculate the coordinates and determine how to circulate the techniques in their own divine treasures.
Only then could one manage to learn the Secrets of Magpie Bridge and construct the magpie bridge. Once when it patched the divine bridge and extended it could the next step be taken, which was Secrets of Mysterious Guide, refining a mysterious guide bridge from the celestial heavens on the other side.
After Secrets of Mysterious Guide were cultivated, they could then learn Secrets of Divine Crossing.
"In Dao Sect, the one with the best algebra is Old Dao Master. However, he retired and went god knows where. The next one would be the current Dao Master, who was before Daozi Lin Xuan."
Qin Mu continued measuring while saying, "His attainments in algebra are extremely high. I saw him execute Dao sword before; his algebra is very strong."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's head started aching as he said slowly, "Dao Sect and Eternal Peace Empire don't have a good relationship, but we need to invite them over. Besides the golden book, we also need them for Sunshot Divine Cannon! That weapon is extremely important and we definitely need to make it. With just Dao Sect's manpower alone, it won't be enough to complete these two things, so I'll still need to go to Little Jade Capital as well. However…"
He looked in the direction of the prairie and his head ached even more.
Now that Barbarian Di Empire was defeated, it was the best time to conquer the prairie. He definitely couldn't let go of this chance!
Inviting Dao Sect over, heading to Little Jade Capital, sending the army into the prairie to overthrow Rolan's Golden Palace—all of these things were extremely important yet he didn't know a cloning technique.
Meanwhile in the north, Wolf Store Country was still attacking Eternal Peace. With so many things to handle at once, Imperial Preceptor's head was about to explode.
"I'm very familiar with Dao Master, so I can go to Dao Sect. Maybe Dao Master Lin Xuan can be moved." Qin Mu smiled before continuing, "I can also take a trip to Little Jade Capital. I've met Wang Muran and his master, Wanderer Zhen, before."
"I killed Wanderer Zhen," Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor said. "You're Heavenly Devil Cult Master, so Little Jade Capital might not treat you nicely."
Qin Mu looked at Village Chief and Cripple.
"Since I've nothing to do, it's good to take a walk now that I'm out."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor understood and said, "Alright, you guys shall go to Little Jade Capital while I raze the prairie and eradicate Rolan's Golden Palace!"
"A hundred of its treasures are mine!" Qin Mu immediately said. "You promised to let me choose anything!"
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor replied solemnly, "Don't worry, my promises always count!"
Qin Mu relaxed and smiled. "Village Chief, Grandpa Cripple let's return to Qingmen Pass. We shall bring Xiong Xiyu and her daughter, as well as Fatty Dragon, to Dao Sect and Little Jade Capital."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor immediately walked toward Helan Pass while Qin Mu and the rest returned to Qingmen Pass to fetch Xiong Xiyu and her daughter. The youth then lifted Village Chief up and placed him in the herb basket.
Qin Mu then suddenly came to a realization. "Crap, I've never been to Little Jade Capital!"
Village Chief said indifferently, "I've been there before. There are only bags of old bones there, stinky and tough. Even if you go over there, you might not be able to move them."
Cripple rubbed his palms in excitement. "Little Jade Capital, I've not been there before! Without stealing from this sacred ground, my life won't be complete! A pity Old Ma is not here…"
Xiong Qi'er raised her head and looked at Cripple seriously. "Grandpa Cripple, you will be beaten to death for stealing."
Cripple was rather pleased with this little girl and caressed her head while beaming at her. "Does Qi'er want to be the number three sacred hands in this world?"
In Helan Pass, all the troops were consolidating their armaments, while chief generals came forth to report to Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor about the losses. The casualties weren't too severe and couldn't be compared to the small-scale battle previously. All kinds of spirit weapons and supplies like rations and spirit medicine were mostly untouched.
Sword Hall Master and Yuyuan Chuyun also came forth to report. "Imperial Preceptor, there are no more medicinal stones."
"What?" Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor cried out.
"The medicinal stones for the new army have already been finished," Sword Hall Master said once more.
"Impossible!" Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor suddenly stood up. "The flying ships were stocked with three months worth of medicinal stones, so how can they all be gone in a day?"
Sword Hall Master didn't have many words. "Finished by firing the cannons."
"Imperial Preceptor, the cannons improved by Academician Qin have a huge consumption in regards to energy, and the improved pill furnaces also require more medicinal stones. In that battle earlier, the cannon beam fired from each cannon was a hundred times stronger than in the past! The consumption was also a hundred times greater than in the past! Therefore, the medicinal stones were quickly depleted," explained Yuyuan Chuyun.
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor composed himself and said, "In that case, we can't leave the pursuing to the new army. Let the cavalry and flying units give chase. Your new army shall first rest and reorganize itself. When the medicinal stones are shipped over, I'll have another mission for you guys."
"Imperial Preceptor, our new army doesn't have a name yet. May Imperial Preceptor bestow us a name," Yuyuan Chuyun said.
"I would be breaking the rules by bestowing a name. The emperor has to be the one who does it."
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor waved his hand to dismiss them while thinking to himself, 'How are they all depleted just like that? The things that Cult Master Qin improves seem to not take our hard-earned capital into consideration, accumulating energy at all costs. It's as if he's scared the firepower wouldn't be enough…'
Right at that moment, a messenger from a flying unit came over to report. With a whoosh, a nine-headed bird landed on the ground and tumbled forward, transforming into a divine arts practitioner. While kneeling on one knee, he said, "Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor, General Bian requests for Divine Physician Qin to head to the frontlines!"
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's heart stirred slightly. All the troops were currently resting and reorganizing, only General Bian had led the army of Qingmen Pass to chase after the enemy. He was prepared to directly wreck havoc at Yellow Dragon Manor, the capital city of Barbarian Di Empire.
Bian Zhenyun guarded Qingmen Pass all year round and was extremely familiar with the prairie. Once he brought the elites to head straight for Yellow Dragon Manor, he could be said to be moving at godspeed, so conquering the capital wasn't impossible.
"Divine Physician Qin has already left for Dao Sect and is no longer here. What happened?"
"Shaman poison!"
The divine arts practitioner opened up his shirt and revealed his chest. Livor mortis could be seen on his body, and there were also extensive ulcerations. The divine arts practitioners hissed out, "Our brothers in the army have all suffered from shaman poison and countless of them have already died! The military doctor from Imperial College says that great shamans have poisoned the water!"
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor looked over with a grim face, then quickly stood up. "Bring me over to have a look!"
The divine arts practitioners cultivated corporeal body divine art and wanted to transform back into a nine-headed bird when Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor circulated his magic power to fix him in place, making his body float up in the air with him. He said solemnly, "Don't use your magic power. Otherwise, the shaman poison will spread even faster. You just need to point me in the right direction."
His speed was extremely fast, and the space under his feet seemed to shrink rapidly. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor crossed a thousand miles, catching up with Bian Zhenyun's troops.
Before Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor even descended from the sky, he was stunned.
The rate at which the corpses were decomposing was simply without equal.
There were many flies in the skies, circling the countless corpses, but none of them dared to land. Any of the brave who landed died!
The corners of Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's eyes twitched. Suddenly, the divine arts practitioner behind him grunted and puked out fresh blood as well as the intestines. He died an unnatural death, and his corpse fell off the sky.
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's heart became heavier and heavier. Even if Qin Mu, this divine physician, was to come here, it would be useless. Rolan's Golden Palace had poisoned the entire prairie, so the scale was simply too great!
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor formed his hands into tight fists as he walked among the seas and mountains of corpses. There were numerous soldiers beside Bian Zhenyun that were still alive, but their bodies were already rapidly decomposing.
The corners of Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's eyes twitched as he looked at Bian Zhenyun. This man's cultivation was dense, so the shaman poison couldn't get close to him. However, this old general had a blank gaze. He sat in a daze beside a young officer which was his son who had already died from the poison.
"General Bian…" Bian Zhenyun lifted up his head in a daze, his eyes lifeless. Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor turned back and left while saying with a solemn face, "You guys shall stay here, don't enter the pass."
Bian Zhenyun looked at his back that was walking away and suddenly shouted, "Imperial Preceptor, we still have many sons of Eternal Peace here, we can't let them all die here—"
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's body trembled, but he didn't stop. He continued to walk toward Helan Pass.
In the pass, Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor looked at the divine arts practitioners of Eternal Peace Empire that were carrying green-colored bottle gourds. No one made a sound.
"Let's begin." Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor closed his eyes and waved his hands. "Flood the prairie and wash away the shaman poison."
The bottle gourds opened up, and dark clouds rose into the air to cover the prairie. Bolts of lightning crackled as they struck down, and heavy rain descended from the sky.
About ten days later, the rain gradually stopped. By then, the prairie had already become a kingdom of water.
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor entered it once again and saw countless people and livestock that had drowned. He found the army of Qingmen Pass of whom only Bian Zhenyun was rest. All the rest had died.
"General Bian, let's return to the pass," Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor said gently.
Bian Zhenyun looked at him in a daze and croaked, "I brought them out, but I couldn't bring them back, I'm ashamed to face them… Imperial Preceptor, bring our corpses back to the empire… I'm ashamed to face you guys!"
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor opened his mouth to speak, but Bian Zhenyun drew his sword to sever his own head. With his two hands, he placed his head in front of him.
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor picked up this head filled with white hair while Bian Zhenyun's corpse collapsed to the ground.