Tales of Herding Gods — Zhai Zhu's novel
At a glanceover 1,900 chapters · completed
Tales of Herding Gods adapts Mu Shen Ji (牧神记), Zhai Zhu's (宅猪) novel serialized on Qidian from 20 June 2017 to 31 August 2019. In the Great Ruins (大墟), a land abandoned by the gods where the night teems with creatures, young Qin Mu is raised by nine old men with mysterious pasts: a blind man, a mute, a butcher, a doctor and more. Each passes on his knowledge before Qin Mu sets out to discover the world.
Origins and publication
Zhai Zhu, whose pen name means "the homebody pig", is among Qidian's most respected authors. With Mu Shen Ji he starts from an intimate situation, a child surrounded by eccentric mentors, and broadens it into a challenge to the whole divine order. The novel mixes humour, mystery and real reflection on the place of mortals before the gods. The past of the nine elders, and of Qin Mu himself, is gradually revealed and drives the plot.
The novel, which runs to over 1,800 chapters, was published in Taiwan in a 95-volume edition, and in mainland China by Anhui Literature and Art from 2022.
How it differs from the donghua
Sparkly Key's donghua, launched in October 2024 on Bilibili, carefully adapts Qin Mu's childhood in the Great Ruins and his nine mentors, a favourite arc for many readers. It keeps the novel's strange, poetic atmosphere. The novel takes more time to develop each of the elders and the secrets of the Great Ruins. It also goes much further, all the way to the war against the gods of the Netherworld Capital (幽都).
Reception and success
Mu Shen Ji is often cited among the best xuanhuan of its generation, with a 7.1 rating on Bangumi. Readers praise its originality, humour and richly built world. Critics point to a more confusing second half. The well-received donghua introduced it to a wide audience.
Trivia
- The title Mu Shen Ji means "chronicles of the shepherd of gods".
- Qin Mu is the young master of the Heavenly Demon Cult (天魔教), something he discovers over the course of the story.
- The nine elders of Can Lao village are all former grandmasters, each in a different field.
- The Taiwanese edition of the novel runs to 95 volumes.
My take
The opening chapters of Mu Shen Ji are among the most charming in the genre: a child raised by nine slightly mad legends is a brilliant idea. The world is rich, original and full of humour. The second half loses clarity, with many gods and planes to keep track of. But the novel remains one of the most inventive I have read.
Who is it for?Readers who love original worlds, eccentric mentors and stories that defy the gods.
— Spidermas, for Donghua Fan
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The authorZhai Zhu 宅猪The "homebody pig" turned grand master