"Look at him—he still has the nerve to show his face here!"
"Yeah. 'Well-read in a hundred books of the human race, able to see through cultivators' schemes'—how did he ever have the gall to say something like that?"
"As they say, a tree without bark is not far from death; a person—no, a demon—without shame is invincible beneath the heavens."
Yan Chihuo, transformed into Gui Shu, listened to the whispers of the Mystic Tortoise demons around him and could only smile bitterly to himself. Gui Shu's reputation among the Mystic Tortoise clan was truly abysmal.
After killing Gui Shu, he had searched Gui Shu's memories and learned the full story. Aside from Gui Xing pinning the blame for this defeat entirely on Gui Shu, Gui Shu had always relied on his lofty status and superior cunning, looking down on Turtle Demons of the same rank. These Turtle Demons had long found him an eyesore.
Yan Chihuo had originally feared that, after becoming Gui Shu, any differences in his behavior might arouse the Turtle Demons' suspicions. But now, he was instead put at ease. Anyone subjected to everyone's condemnation would surely be under immense pressure; acting somewhat abnormally was only natural.
Yan Chihuo arrived at Gui Xing's residence and was about to enter when two Turtle Demons blocked his path and shouted sharply, "Gui Shu, the Elder is tending to his wounds and does not wish to see you. Leave at once!"
Yan Chihuo had anticipated this. He immediately said, "I have urgent business with the Elder. Can you afford to delay me?"
One of the Turtle Demons sneered. "Gui Shu, stop spouting such shameless nonsense. The fewer 'urgent matters' you have, the faster the Elder's wounds will heal."
The other Turtle Demon said, "And our Mystic Tortoise clan will