Chapter 354: Little Demon Fox

Those gods from the High Heavens didn't hide their aura. It seems they went to Granny Si's place.

The Butcher and the Blind Man lived in Shuzhou, a thousand miles apart. The Blind Man seemed to have seen these individuals, his expression peculiar. He said, "It's nighttime now, and Old Demon Li is out."

The Butcher asked in surprise, "They met Old Demon Li, who looks like Granny Si. Aren't they going to die?"

The Blind Man's expression grew even stranger. He said, "Old Demon Li was chatting and laughing with them."

The Butcher replied, "Then they are truly going to die. When Old Demon Li was in the village, wasn't everyone completely infatuated? Even the Village Chief didn't dare look at him. Only you ignore Granny's beauty. When do you think these four gods from the High Heavens will turn against each other and kill each other?"

The Blind Man shook his head. "They are gods, after all. Would they fight over a woman? I think... wait, they're fighting!"

The Blind Man 'watched' for a moment, then sighed in relief. He said, "It's just a small contest, but their competitive spirits are strong. It won't be long before a real fight breaks out. Granny Si truly is a calamity for the nation!"

The Butcher shook his head. "Granny never brings disaster to the nation; it's Cult Master Li who does. Granny is very kind; she never harms us. As soon as Grand Cult Master Li appeared, he almost caused the village to fall apart. By the way, have you seen the Deaf Man or the Mute Man on your journey? Those two are always inseparable."

"I haven't seen them."

The Blind Man said, "The Mute Man ran off chasing a boat. As for the Deaf Man chasing him, he probably won't catch up; the Mute Man is very fast, only slightly slower than the Cripple. When do you think these four gods will turn against each other?"

The Butcher chuckled. "That depends on how long Grand Cult Master Li wants to play. These four gods from the High Heavens are no longer a concern. We don't need to get too close; we'll see what happens after Cult Master Li gets bored."

On the back of the Dragon Qilin, Qin Mu suddenly remembered something and asked Immortal Qingyou, "Immortal Qingyou, when Xu Shenghua entered the Three Primordials Hall, what kind of breakthrough did he choose?"

Immortal Qingyou replied, "He didn't say himself, but Old Man Three Primordials knew and told me it was the Heavenly Primordial breakthrough. He broke through very easily and said he regretted not choosing the Three Primordials breakthrough."

"Then in the Five Qi Hall, what kind of breakthrough did he make?" Qin Mu asked again.

"The Earthly Star breakthrough in the Five Qi Hall. Among the Five Stars, the Earthly Star is the strongest."

Qin Mu nodded. Xu Shenghua was indeed very strong; his past abilities were no less than Qin Mu's. Although his cultivation was slightly weaker, his divine arts were more refined.

With Xu Shenghua's breakthroughs in the Three Primordials Hall and the Five Qi Hall this time, his cultivation shortcomings were likely fully addressed. Qin Mu's Three Primordials breakthrough supplemented the foundation of his Spirit Embryo Divine Treasure, while Xu Shenghua had both the Heavenly Primordial breakthrough and the Earthly Star breakthrough, the latter being a foundation for the Five Stars Divine Treasure.

It was still difficult to say whether Qin Mu's own magic power cultivation could surpass his by a margin.

"I didn't know he was a disciple of the High Heavens before. I asked him for some tea; I still owe him a drink."

Qin Mu pondered. Xu Shenghua was a decent person, very magnanimous, and a rare opponent. He really wanted to meet him again, yet also didn't.

"Village Chief, what exactly is the High Heavens?"

"The High Heavens is a place of lackeys, where true gods raise their dogs."

The Village Chief said, "This place is in the Western Earth, very mysterious. However, I haven't been there myself, so I don't know its exact location. I only know that some people can ascend the divine mountains of the Western Earth and burn incense to reach the High Heavens. But I don't have that kind of incense; it must be a special type. If I had it, I would have long since made my way to the High Heavens to kill them."

Qin Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The Village Chief had probably been fighting with the powerhouses of the High Heavens his entire life and clearly held no fondness for this sacred land.

"Palace Mistress, have you heard of the High Heavens?" Qin Mu asked Xiong Xiyu.

"The High Heavens is indeed in our Western Earth. The True Heaven Palace has also encountered people from the High Heavens, but this sacred land is very mysterious, even more so than Little Jade Capital."

Xiong Xiyu's eyes flickered as she softly said, "The incense the Village Chief just mentioned is called Divine Incense. True Heaven Palace has three sticks. If Cult Master Qin can help me reclaim the position of Palace Mistress, I can give them to you."

Qin Mu blinked, not taking the bait, and pondered, "I wonder if Loulan Golden Palace has this kind of Divine Incense. That boy Ban Gongcuo has lived for so many lives, he must have countless treasures stored away; he might have this item. The Imperial Preceptor still owes me a hundred treasures... Speaking of which, why hasn't Cripple Grandpa shown up yet? Little Jade Capital should have been completely emptied by now, right?"

Xiong Xiyu sighed.

Upon arriving in the capital, Qin Mu led everyone to the Imperial College. There weren't many scholars there, as many had gone to the front lines to join the battlefield.

"This is the Imperial College, the sacred ground of Yankang?" Everyone looked around curiously.

Apart from Qin Mu and the Dragon Qilin, it was everyone else's first time here. Compared to other sacred lands, the Imperial College was quite young, not as majestic as Mount Meru of the Great Thunderclap Temple, not as serene as Mount Kunlun Yuxu of the Dao Sect, nor as mysterious as Mount Holy Descent of the Heavenly Devil Cult. Of course, it couldn't compare to the profound heritage of Little Jade Capital.

Purely judging by appearance, the Imperial College also fell short of the True Heaven Palace in the Western Earth.

Yet, from this very place, renowned generals and esteemed ministers emerged continuously, and countless masters were born!

Though young, the Imperial College had already demonstrated extraordinary qualities, even surpassing other sacred lands in certain aspects!

Qin Mu arrived at the Divine Arts Residence and found his living quarters meticulously tidied. He wondered, "Could Ling'er have come to the Imperial College?"

Suddenly, a voice from outside called out, "Hey cowherd, so you finally decided to come back? You wouldn't believe it, Dean Ba Shan took me and Saintess Si to follow my second brother on the northern expedition, fighting against the Wolf God Nation..."

Qin Mu turned around and saw Ling Yuxiu bursting in from outside. Seeing so many people, Ling Yuxiu was startled. She quickly held her breath, shortened her strides, and walked over very demurely, like a small bird leaning on Qin Mu, whispering, "Cowherd, who are they?"

"This is my Village Chief Grandpa."

Qin Mu moved the rocking chair from the Dragon Qilin's back. The Village Chief, still in the rocking chair, smiled as he appraised Ling Yuxiu.

"These are the old immortals from Little Jade Capital: Immortal Qingyou, Immortal Youyun, and Immortal Youhe."

Qin Mu introduced the three elders from Little Jade Capital, saying, "These three here are senior disciples from Little Jade Capital: Wang Muran, Long Yu, and Mu Qingdai. And this mother and daughter are the mistress of the True Heaven Palace in the Western Earth, Palace Mistress Xiong Xiyu, and Little Princess Xiong Qi'er."

Ling Yuxiu greeted each of them, and everyone quickly returned the courtesy.

Qin Mu said, "My place isn't big enough to accommodate so many people. Do you have any spare rooms, sister?"

Ling Yuxiu smiled. "The girls can stay at my place. I live right next door."

Qin Mu thanked her, "Sister, thank you for taking care of my quarters these past few days while I was away."

Ling Yuxiu shook her head. "It wasn't me; it was your little fox."

"Ling'er really came?" Qin Mu was both surprised and delighted, feeling a deep longing for Fox Ling'er.

"She just ran out to attend a lecture; class isn't over yet."

Ling Yuxiu smiled demurely. "That little girl is quite ambitious. While you were away, she'd excitedly run off to attend lectures. All the Imperial Academy scholars who remained on campus really liked her." In front of the Village Chief, she still didn't dare to laugh too freely.

"Little girl?"

Qin Mu paused, not dwelling on it, and arranged accommodations for Immortal Qingyou and the others. His courtyard was quite large, with many rooms, so everyone had their own separate space. As for Xiong Xiyu and her daughter, and Mu Qingdai, they stayed in Ling Yuxiu's room next door.

Once Qin Mu had made the arrangements, Ling Yuxiu whispered, "A group of Daoists came to the Imperial College a few days ago, specifically looking for you. Dean Gu Lihuan has been hosting them, and it's made him so pale and uneasy these past few days."

Qin Mu chuckled. "The master arithmeticians from the Dao Sect have arrived."

"My imperial father also issued an edict, promoting you to Supervisor of Divine Weapons, saying he wants you to oversee the forging of some divine cannons. The imperial decree is being kept by your little fox."

Ling Yuxiu continued, "My imperial father said he'd assign arithmetical masters from the Imperial College and the imperial court, along with the five major manufacturing bureaus, to be at your disposal. Also, King Yu and King Shi of our Sacred Cult couldn't find you in the Nether Valley and have been searching frantically!"

Qin Mu had a headache. There were so many matters to deal with after returning to the capital; he would hardly have any peace.

"Oh, and there's someone named Xu Shenghua. He came two days ago with two girls, saying he's waiting for you to invite him for a drink."

Ling Yuxiu thought for a moment, then added, "The Imperial Preceptor's wife gave birth, and she sent an invitation asking Grand Cult Master Qin to be the godfather."

Qin Mu asked in surprise, "The Imperial Preceptor has a child? A boy or a girl?"

"It's a boy."

Qin Mu laughed, "Me, a godfather? The Imperial Preceptor's wife is something else; I'm still a child myself, how can I be a godfather?"

The Village Chief glanced at Ling Yuxiu, coughed, and said, "Mu'er, you're not small anymore; you can have children."

Qin Mu's face suddenly flushed red. He stammered, "Talking about having children so suddenly, I'm not ready yet... Village Chief, I'm only fifteen this year!"

Ling Yuxiu grinned. "Fifteen isn't young anymore. My imperial mother and the Empress Dowager often urge me to choose a consort. And my imperial father is very agreeable; he'll agree if someone just mentions it to him..."

She was quite bold, blinking at Qin Mu, expecting a response.

"The Emperor is that casual?"

Qin Mu shook his head. "That's not right. How can something as important as marriage be taken so lightly?"

Ling Yuxiu glared at him. Qin Mu, bewildered, rose and went to the Imperial College Hall. Dean Gu Lihuan, seeing him arrive, let out a sigh of relief: "Cult Master, please take these Daoists from my home! I would be infinitely grateful!"

Many Daoists from the Dao Sect were staying with him, which had made him restless for days.

The Dao Sect was the leader of the righteous path, while he was a grandmaster of the demonic path. He was always worried that those Daoists might eliminate evil and uphold justice at any moment.

Qin Mu was not in a hurry to meet the Dao Sect's masters. He sat down and asked with a smile, "How are Dean Gu's arithmetical attainments?"

Gu Lihuan chuckled. "I am, after all, a titan of the demonic path. How could my arithmetical attainments be poor?"

"Excellent! With Master Gu and the Dao Sect masters, I can breathe a sigh of relief again."

Gu Lihuan's face turned ashen. "Still with the Dao Sect people?"

Qin Mu reassured him, "The Emperor ordered me to supervise the forging of the Sun-Shooting Divine Cannons, which are cannons designed for gods. The Daoists aren't ignorant; they won't lay a hand on you."

Gu Lihuan remained restless, still feeling it was unsafe to work with those old Daoists, as his reputation was indeed very bad.

Qin Mu went to see Dao Master Lin Xuan, exchanged pleasantries, and said, "Once I've made the proper arrangements, I will trouble all of you. Please wait for my word."

"No problem."

Qin Mu left. As he passed the Array Primordial Hall, classes had just finished. Over a dozen scholars emerged, among them a seven or eight-year-old girl, as lovely as ice and snow, hopping along. Behind her, a gust of demonic wind supported several books, all neatly arranged and perfectly still.

The little girl was short, but three long, fluffy, snowy-white tails emerged from behind her, swishing back and forth.

"Is that Ling'er? But Ling'er doesn't seem to know how to read..." Qin Mu stopped.