Morning Rage

Shen Gui nodded in deep agreement, then asked, "Fellow Daoist Qing Luan, do I really look like a bad person?"

Qingluan shook her head. "Not exactly. It was just that you had been rather vague before. Since this concerned the Empress, I had to get to the bottom of it."

After a pause, Qingluan continued, "Now that things are clear, I understand what you mean. If you still wish to join Great Sage Fuxi, I can indeed recommend you on his behalf. Consider it compensation for having misunderstood you earlier."

Hearing Qingluan say this, Shen Gui's expression brightened. "Then I must trouble you, Fellow Daoist."

"It is nothing. However, I was ordered by the Empress to protect this city for a hundred years, and there are still several years left before that term ends. Would you be willing to wait?"

Shen Gui nodded. "A few years are no matter. I have been traveling for quite some time and have gained some insights. I can use this time to enter seclusion and sort them out."

"That works as well. There are six years left until the hundred-year term ends. Come find me here again in six years."

"Then I shall not disturb your cultivation any longer."

After leaving Qingluan City, Shen Gui smacked his lips. This time, misfortune had turned into a blessing.

If he could join Fuxi's ranks, he would undoubtedly have more opportunities to learn about Nuwa. That would be of some help in figuring out how to help the Mysterious Black Tortoise of the Northern Darkness's incarnation escape its fatal calamity.

Although he had already taken form using Mysterious Yellow Qi, if there was a chance, he still had to save the body of the Mysterious Black Tortoise of the Northern Darkness.

With his thoughts wandering in every direction, Shen Gui found a small mountain near Qingluan City with fairly abundant spiritual qi. He carved out a cave abode there and settled down.

According to Qingluan, they would have to wait another six years before heading to Heavenly Demon City. He needed to use this time to sort out his thoughts.

Joining Heavenly Demon City and approaching Nuwa were only the first steps. As for what came next, he would have to adapt to the situation.

As he imagined all sorts of possibilities for the future, Shen Gui gradually fell asleep.

For him, sleep was cultivation.

However, Shen Gui had planned to sleep for six years before seeking out Qingluan again, but unexpected events always arose. This time, he had slept for less than a month before being awakened by the commotion outside.

Thunderous rumbling continuously came from outside. Shen Gui even felt the mountain he was on shaking with it.

This made Shen Gui extremely unhappy.

Life as a tortoise was already hard enough, and now someone was even disturbing his sleep. Did they really think an honest man had no temper?

Thus, Shen Gui, awakened from his sleep, immediately stopped cultivating and stormed out, his belly full of anger.

By the time Shen Gui emerged from seclusion, the rumbling had already stopped.

Shen Gui swept the area with his divine sense and quickly found the culprit.

On the southern side of the small mountain, a burly man was dragging a giant beast southward.

The giant beast stood dozens of zhang tall. Its fur was jet-black, and at a glance, it resembled a huge bear, yet it possessed tiger-like claws and a ferocious appearance.

However, the giant beast was already thoroughly dead.

The burly man held one of the giant beast's claws in one hand, dragging its corpse along.

Now that he had seen both The Man and the giant beast, Shen Gui roughly understood what had happened earlier—the previous noise had most likely been caused by The Man hunting this giant beast.

Having figured it out, Shen Gui, with a hint of morning rage, directly chased after him. "You there, stop!"

Hearing Shen Gui's voice, the burly man dragging the giant beast slowed his steps and turned around in confusion. "Who are you?"

A flash of yellow light streaked by, and Shen Gui appeared before The Man.

Looking at The Man before him, Shen Gui directly demanded, "You there, tell me—were you the one hunting this big fellow on that mountain earlier and making all that noise?"

The Man looked Shen Gui up and down. "That was me. So what?"

"So what?" Seeing The Man's puzzled expression, Shen Gui grew even angrier. "Do you know that making such a huge commotion disturbs others' cultivation?"

Hearing this, The Man curled his lips. "So what if I know? By your reasoning, if this big fellow ran that way, was I supposed to not chase it?"

"Couldn't you have made less noise?"

Shen Gui felt a headache coming on.

Although the giant beast was dead beyond all doubt, Shen Gui could tell that it had possessed, at most, the cultivation of a True Immortal while alive.

Yet the burly man before him had a deep, unfathomable aura. Shen Gui estimated that he was at least a Golden Immortal. Did a Golden Immortal really need to make such a huge commotion to hunt a Demonic Beast at the True Immortal realm?

However, upon hearing Shen Gui's words, The Man looked thoroughly impatient. "Why are you being so fussy? What business is it of yours how much noise I make when hunting Demonic Beasts? Move aside, or I'll beat you up. Believe that?"

Hearing this, Shen Gui immediately felt his morning rage completely explode.