Tales of Herding Gods

Chapter 166: Woodcutter Imparting Technique

Translator: Ninetales Editor: Fish_Creek

Capital city, Imperial Preceptor’s Manor.

The official registrar immediately rushed over and reported, ”Imperial Preceptor, there are unusual changes in Harmony Prefecture City. The higher ups of Heavenly Devil Cult have all gathered in Harmony Prefecture City and there are countless of bandits there. Suddenly the city lord’s manor in Harmony Prefecture City vanished into thin air and left a plot of white land.”

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor was reading the memorials the emperor sent to him and replied without even raising his head, ”Got it.”

The official registrar hesitated and said, ”Imperial Preceptor, this is Heavenly Devil Cult, the number one sect of the devil path. Now such an event happened under our eyes, we can’t let our guard down…”

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor raised his head and asked, ”Yun Yang, do you know who is the patriarch of Heavenly Devil Cult?”

Official Registrar Yun Yang shook his head.

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor told him calmly, ”If you knew who he was, you wouldn’t be so panicky. He’s none other than the grand chancellor of our Imperial College.”

Official Registrar Yun Yang’s heart trembled violently and he cried out, ”It’s him? Imperial Preceptor, the patriarch of Heavenly Devil Cult actually has worked as the grand chancellor of Imperial College for so many years, this is a rebellion! How many officials and generals has he taught over so many years? His power would probably have infiltrated the imperial courts and even into the army! Imperial Preceptor, this matter can’t go uninvestigated, our army might already be filled with all his people!”

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor was speechless and shook his head, ”You’re thinking too much. Heavenly Devil Patriarch teaches scholars so these scholars are people of Heavenly Devil Cult? If that’s the case, are you going to catch and execute me as well?”

He stood up and took slow strides with his sharp gaze, ”Back then when I was traveling around the world and learning all kinds of stuff, I saw each sect in the world do things each in its own way and only valued what was his own. This restricted the advancement of the divine arts, paths, and skills. Therefore, I decided to visit the big sects, hoping to break the barriers of them. The first person I met was Heavenly Devil Patriarch. He was the first person who threw away the sectarian bias and taught me wholeheartedly. He was also the one who pointed out a clear path for me.”

His eyes gave off a highly esteemed expression as he continued, ”After that, he personally recommended me and let me bring his letter to meet Dao Master of Dao Sect. It was also because of his letter, Dao Master saw me in a different light and showed interest in me, allowing me to browse the Fourteen Writings of Dao Sword. It was also him who made me go forward to Great Thunderclap Monastery to meet Rulai and attain Rulai’s teachings. Even though he had never revealed his identity, he still couldn’t hide it from me nor did he try to.”

Official Registrar Yu Yang couldn’t be more stunned.

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor said, ”I had invited him out of the mountain to help me take charge of Imperial College so what was it for? It was not his ability nor his identity of the patriarch of Heavenly Devil Cult. It was because he had this broad-mindedness. It was the first time I had seen such a broad-minded person, someone who was so pure. Therefore he was the only one who could take charge of Imperial College! Now that he had left, he should be busy with the next cult master of Heavenly Devil Cult.”

”The next cult master of the devil cult?”

Official Registrar Yun Yang composed himself and said, ”It’s already been over forty years since Heavenly Devil Cult has no cult master and they’re actually choosing one now? Imperial Preceptor, this matter is of utmost importance, should we report it to the emperor?”

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor said, ”Write a memorial and report this matter to the emperor. As for the background of Heavenly Devil Patriarch, there’s no need for you to say anything.”

Official Registrar acknowledged and reported once more, ”There’s news from Imperial College that the emperor has given the decree for Gu Linuan to succeed the position of the grand chancellor.”

”Got it.”

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor gestured with his hand and said, ”My power is too strong and it’s natural for the emperor to worry, else I would not be at ease. It’s just that Gu Linuan’s talent and virtue are not suitable to take up the position of Imperial College’s Grand Chancellor. He is still okay being a junior protector of the crown prince but he is too unfit to perform a grand chancellor’s task. However, I can’t speak much about this matter.”

Official Registrar pondered for a moment and said, ”How should we deal with the new cult master that Heavenly Devil Cult has chosen?”

Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor said indifferent, ”Flourish if he goes along, die if he goes against. There’s no need for you to bother yourself over this matter. I’ll meet this new cult master personally.”

Official Registrar Yun Yang moved out from the room.

Dao Sect, Dao Mountain.

Dan Yangzi went up the mountain in quick steps and came to Dao Saint Hall. A white-haired and white eyebrows elder was sitting there on the ground and gazing at a pool of bluish green water in front of him.

Dan Yangzi immediately said, ”Dao Master, unusually changes have happened in the nest of Heavenly Devil Cult. The experts of Heavenly Devil Cult all gathered in Harmony Prefecture and unfurled their huge flags, vanishing entirely with the city lord’s manor.

The white-haired and white eyebrows elder opened his eyes and said slowly, ”It seems like Heavenly Devil Cult has a new cult master. Heavenly Devil Cult had fabricated the history and imparted the false path under the pretense of a fake saint to bring calamity to all people. Internal conflicts arose in their cult. The saintess killed the cult master in cold blood; this violated the general principles. And the cult master married his disciple; this violated the human relationship. The cult cultivated evil skills and there is quite a majority of them using human lives to cultivate, giving no regards to their backgrounds. They had no cult master for the past forty years and now a new one is chosen today, I’m afraid it ain’t going to be the good fortune of the common people.”

Dan Yangzi asked, ”What should our Dao Sect do?”

”Find out the identity of this devil cult master and wait for an opportunity to get rid of him.”

”I received your decree.”

Dan Yangzi asked again, ”Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor sets the doctrine of Heavenly Devil Cult as a goal thus Eternal Peace Empire is practically a large scaled Heavenly Devil Cult, teaching irrespective of one’s background. What should our Dao Sect do then?”

Dao Master had a deep gaze and quietly looked at the pool of bluish green water in front of him while saying neither too fast not too slow, ”Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor has a thriving ambition but his ability can’t withstand his ambition. There were larger empires than Eternal Peace Empire in the history and even outstanding talents than Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor yet they had all turned into dust, into Great Ruins. This world is much more complicated than he thinks. He would know when he runs into a stone wall and gets badly battered.”

Dan Yangzi didn’t dare to say anything else and bowed to retreat.

”Reporting to Rulai, Heavenly Devil Cult’s followers have disappeared without a trace in Harmony Prefecture, along with the city lord’s manor.”

Great Thunderclap Monastery, an old monk came to the throne hall seeking for Rulai to report, ”The magistrate of Harmony Prefecture belongs to Elder Yu Lin of Heavenly Devil Cult who is a terrifying figure. Harmony Prefecture has already become an iron fortress for Heavenly Devil Cult. There are also people who saw the girl who had defeated Fozi in Harmony Prefecture. We guess she should be from Heavenly Devil Cult.”

Rulai opened his eyes and asked in astonishment, ”Isn’t that girl a scholar of Imperial College? How come she’s from Heavenly Devil Cult?”

The old monk replied, ”That girl is called Si Yunxiang and only entered Imperial College this year. There was absolutely no time for Imperial College to teach her anything so how could she have the ability to defeat Fozi? This girl comes from the Si Family, which is the same family as the previous cult mistress, Si Youyou. Si Family is also a prestigious family in Eternal Peace Empire.”

Rulai asked, ”In that case, is the new cult master of Heavenly Devil Cult from the Si Family?”

”It’s not known. There’s still no news of it.”

Rulai nodded his head and said, ”Imperial College made use of the saintess of Heavenly Devil Cult to defeat the holy son of our Great Thunderclap Monastery. We can’t leave this matter at that. You can move down, continue to make each and every monastery scout out more information.”

That old monk received his decree and said, ”There’s also one more thing, Ma Wangshen has come out from Great Ruins.”After he said these words, he turned to walk down the mountain.

Old Rulai was stunned.

Saint Arrival Mountain, all kinds of mysterious voices sounded beside Qin Mu’s ears, which were extraordinary marvelous. Suddenly his eyes blurred and he discovered he had become a passerby walking along the mountains where a woodcutting sound came from afar.

Walking towards the sound, he saw a woodcutter chopping firewood under a cypress pine.The axe of the woodcutter had a mysterious trace as it landed on the cypress pine time and time again, enthralling him and making him feel as if he could comprehend something from it.

He stared blankly at the woodcutter’s axe. That axe would create a deep mark whenever it landed on the cypress pine but when the axe was lifted up once again, the wound of the cypress pine would return back to normal and no mark was left behind.

When the woodcutter chopped the tree, every axe gave him a different impression.

”Passer-by, after standing here to look for such a long time, what do you see?”

That woodcutter pulled back his axe and turned his head to look at him, ”Your family has already turned into skeletons buried deep under the ground, your children have been much older than you, your grandchildren have already started their families and have their own children. Passerby, you have stood here and looked for a hundred years.”

…

”May I request teacher to teach me.”

…

Qin Mu saw this woodcutter sit on the rock under the cypress pine, and he started to impart his knowledge to him.

As he listened in intoxication, thousands of marvelous logics came flowing to him. Sitting beside the rock, he listened for dozens of years and the Unity Technique of Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scriptures was imparted to him through this wonderful lecture.

That woodcutter stretched out his hand and touch the top of his head. Qin Mu opened his eyes and saw Granny Si moving back.

He was still in Saint Arrival Mountain, he was still in the present and did not go back to the past.

This was the teaching of the previous cult masters of Heavenly Devil Cult, imbuing what the founding master had encountered back then, passing it down every generation, the fire never extinguishing.

Qin Mu sat on the rock in a daze. The saint touched my head, binding my hair to pass me longevity. The Unity Technique of Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scriptures had no words nor pictures, and it could only be passed down from one cult master to another.

Numerous complicated pieces of information appeared in his mind which couldn’t form a system yet.

This imbue even though had not raised his cultivation, it had brought too many things to him and he needed to sort them out to comprehend.

Now he knew why the founding master had said that this Unity Technique could only be passed down from cult master to cult master.

This was because there was no Unity Technique formed in Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scriptures!

Or one could say that the Unity Technique was not yet formed.

The Unity Technique of Great Educational Heavenly Devil Scriptures was hidden in the lecture by the woodcutter on the rock, however, this required the previous cult masters to comprehend the lecture by themselves. How much they can comprehend and what the can comprehend would have to depend on the comprehension of the sacred cult masters themselves. They will choose their own directions, their own wisdom and their own fortunes.

It could be completely said that Unity Technique comprehended by each sacred cult master of Heavenly Devil Cult was different. Perhaps the concept would be somewhat similar but the Unity Technique of each sacred cult master was definitely different from the others!

Three hundred and sixty cult masters would have three hundred and sixty cultivation methods and ten thousand cult masters would have ten thousand cultivation methods!

Qin Mu’s first thought was fraud.

What a fraud, the legendary Unity Technique actually couldn’t be used just like that and he had to comprehend it.

His second thought was that this was then the true teaching, this was what it meant to be a sacred teacher.

What you comprehended was yous and what you learned was others. Passing down techniques in Heavenly Saint Cult had something that other sects, including Imperial College, couldn’t match.

The young patriarch let out a sigh of relief and looked at Granny Si. Cult Master Li’s voice came out from Granny Si’s mouth, ”Teacher, I’m no longer the sacred cult master. This is my chance to break the devil in my heart. May teacher not get in my way!”