Meeting Qingluan

Chapter Fifteen: Meeting Qingluan

Leaving the black-armored middle-aged man alone to nurse his lingering fears, Shen Gui casually found a barren mountain, carved out a cave dwelling, and settled down there.

Although he already knew that the Golden Immortal-level Qingluan of Qingluan City was Nuwa's mount, Shen Gui still had to think carefully about how to make use of that information. After all, his current goal was merely to learn something about Nuwa. If he truly alerted Nuwa, he would be courting death.

For all that he was a Golden Immortal who had grasped the power of laws, even Nuwa's mount was a Golden Immortal.

Thus, Shen Gui cultivated while letting his thoughts wander and trying to come up with a plan.

As he thought, Shen Gui suddenly jolted awake. That had been close—he had nearly fallen asleep again.

Still, although a single nap had cost him more than thirty years, his magic power had become considerably more refined, so it had not been a complete waste of time.

More importantly, once awake, Shen Gui had come up with something that barely counted as a plan.

Directly asking Qingluan for information was certainly not an option. Yet even if he intended to proceed slowly, rashly trying to befriend Qingluan without a convincing reason would surely arouse suspicion.

Therefore, Shen Gui needed an excuse—one that would allow him to seek out Qingluan openly without being suspected.

Now, Shen Gui had thought of that excuse.

He would defect to them.

For major powers such as Heavenly Demon City, the Palace of the Demon Master, the Immortal Court, and the Demon Country, it was perfectly normal for people to come seeking allegiance.

Although fewer powerful cultivators sought refuge in Heavenly Demon City than in other major powers due to Nuwa and Fuxi's relatively hands-off nature, it was not as though there were none.

So Shen Gui planned to pose as a cultivator who admired Fuxi and Nuwa for establishing Heavenly Demon City to shelter all living beings, and who wished to join Fuxi. Since he had no connections, he had heard that the Lord of Qingluan City was Empress Nuwa's mount, so he wished to ask Qingluan for an introduction.

As for why he claimed to admire Nuwa and Fuxi, yet wanted to join Fuxi...

Ahem.

After considering it back and forth for a while, Shen Gui felt that there was probably nothing wrong with this excuse. He left the barren mountain where he had been cultivating in seclusion and headed for Qingluan City once more.

This time, since he had come to request an audience with Qingluan, Shen Gui did not enter the city after arriving outside Qingluan City. Instead, he released his aura directly into the sky beyond the city walls.

The aura of a Golden Immortal spread out. At the same time, Shen Gui circulated his magic power and said, "Vast Desolation Wanderer Shen Gui requests an audience with the Lord of Qingluan City."

Sensing the pressure outside the city, countless gazes from within and beyond the city turned toward the sky.

After all, Golden Immortals were still rarely seen.

Moreover, this Golden Immortal was requesting an audience with Qingluan City's mysterious Golden Immortal city lord.

Just as everyone was secretly speculating about Shen Gui's identity and why he sought the Lord of Qingluan City, an emotionless voice of indeterminate gender finally came from Qingluan City. "Who are you? And what business do you have with me?"

Hearing this, Shen Gui smiled faintly.

A response was enough. If Qingluan had remained silent, things would have been difficult for him.

"I am but a wandering cultivator. I have an important matter to discuss with the city lord, and I hope the city lord will grant me an audience."

However, upon hearing Shen Gui's words, the voice from Qingluan City said flatly, "I have been ordered to guard this place. So long as Qingluan City's order is not disturbed, I concern myself with no other matters."

Yet despite Qingluan's words, Shen Gui showed no intention of giving up. "Does the Lord of Qingluan City not concern himself with matters involving Great Sage Fuxi and Empress Nuwa?"

Shen Gui's voice carried outward, leaving everyone inside and outside the city astonished. Meanwhile, within a secluded stone house in Qingluan City, a blue figure seated cross-legged slowly opened his eyes.

A sharp gleam flashed through the blue figure's eyes. At the same time, that emotionless voice rang out again. "In that case, please enter the city so we may speak."

Before the voice had faded, a streak of blue light rose from the city, transforming into an Azure Wind Blade that struck toward Shen Gui.

At the sight, an uproar broke out inside and outside the city.

Back then, two Golden Immortals had caused trouble in Qingluan City. The Lord of Qingluan City had not even shown himself, merely controlling this kind of Azure Wind Blade to blow the two Golden Immortals into dust. Could it be that the man outside the city was about to die as well?

Yet faced with the sudden Azure Wind Blade containing the Law of Wind, Shen Gui had no intention of retreating.

With a wave of his hand, a shimmering earthen-yellow radiance rose before Shen Gui. The Azure Wind Blade struck it like waves crashing against a reef and scattered at once.

As the Azure Wind Blade dispersed, Shen Gui also received a piece of information from it.

Shen Gui shook his head slightly. This Qingluan had quite the bad temper.

Qingluan had verbally invited him into the city to talk, but if he had failed to withstand that Azure Wind Blade containing the Law of Wind, much less enter the city for a conversation, he probably would have lost his life.

Of course, Shen Gui only said such things in his heart and naturally did not reveal them.

Following the coordinates contained in that information, Shen Gui entered the city directly, then vanished underground.

A moment later, Shen Gui appeared outside a secluded stone house within the city.