Asura Emperor Venerable-Chapter 1609: Refuge

Shi Hu is now in a small village.

He sits on a rock, surrounded by a group of children who are playing and laughing.

Here, the mountains and waters are beautiful, full of pastoral charm.

Shi Hu sighs softly, involuntarily falling into memories.

For a thousand years, he has been tempered by various worldly experiences, long since grown from a fledgling youngster.

His fiery passion remains, yet he has become extremely mature.

All these years, he has been concealing his identity, traveling widely, yet before achieving Jade Immortal, he could only mingle within the Phantom Sea Immortal Domain, and once he achieved Jade Immortal, he began exploring other Immortal Domains.

Because he is now a Jade Immortal, the Illusionary Sea Immortal King did not prevent him from leaving; a determined man has his ambitions across the world, and the grandson must certainly forge his own path.

After entering other Immortal Domains, Shi Hu traveled smoothly; being a strong Jade Immortal, few could pose a threat to him.

Until three years ago.

He intervened in a matter.

—He encountered a young man who was being pursued, rescued him, originally intending to mediate, but instead, he got himself into trouble.

This young man was named Xiao Qi, he had killed someone, and that person... was a grandson of an Immortal King!

The situation was simple; the grandson of the Immortal King was a rich playboy who fancied a woman who was already married, and naturally, she paid no attention to him. In the end, this Immortal King’s grandson used forceful means to insult her and even tormented her to death.

And this woman’s husband was Xiao Qi.

He resolved to avenge her after discovering the truth.

He painstakingly prepared for two hundred years and finally set a trap for the Immortal King’s grandson, successfully killing him.

Following that, Xiao Qi began to flee, naturally facing the pursuit of the Immortal King’s forces.

Upon understanding the truth, Shi Hu resolved to protect Xiao Qi.

However, his involvement led the Immortal King’s forces to dispatch batch after batch of masters, with each wave escalating in strength until they sent Jade Immortals who Shi Hu repelled, drawing the Immortal King himself into action.

Fortunately, Shi Hu and Xiao Qi swiftly vanished without traces, hiding in this small village, concealing their cultivation, disguising themselves as fleeing brothers, temporarily escaping the Immortal King’s pursuit.

In a blink, they’ve been hiding in this village for two years now.

Shi Hu couldn’t help but feel dazed.

After cultivating for so many years, this is the first time he’s stayed in one place so long, living such a tranquil life.

His cultivation also reached the Nine Stars realm, and his foundation has been honed by the Primordial Scripture, though he didn’t achieve the monstrous level of his father at Eighteen Stars in each realm, yet he broke through after reaching Fifteen Stars or Sixteen Stars in each realm, which is fearsome nonetheless.

Thus, his combat power as a Nine Stars Jade Immortal has indeed reached Fifteen Stars!

He just needs to break through a few more limits, and he can step into the Immortal King realm.

The Immortal King, nearly the pinnacle of the Immortal Path.

Immortal Venerable?

Heh, even if one possesses the qualifications and potential to ascend, which Immortal Venerable would permit it?

Thus, Immortal King can certainly be deemed an end.

Nearing the peak with nowhere else to advance, combined with the serene life of two years, Shi Hu began contemplating whether he could take a real rest and visit his grandfather, maternal grandfather, and sister. Also, what has become of his father now?

More than a thousand years have passed, is father still well?

He should be fine; after all, father is impressively majestic!

However, a few hundred years ago, everyone said father died in the Forbidden Land, and since then, even mentioning father’s name seemed lost in history, as though Shi Hao had vanished into the long river of history.

Father, are you well?

You must be fine!

"Brother Shi!" At this moment, a voice sounded beside Shi Hu’s ear, carrying seven parts tenderness and three parts shyness.

This woke Shi Hu from his reverie, he turned to look, seeing a charming young girl, with a graceful figure, her dark hair cascading to her waist, indescribably lovely.

Wen Qiu.

She is the daughter of the village’s teacher; since childhood, she has followed her father in reading books, making her different from other village girls, possessing more elegance and intelligence.

Shi Hu smiled slightly: "Miss Wen Qiu."

"Brother Shi, you seemed lost in thought just now, are you thinking of home?" Wen Qiu settled beside Shi Hu, maintaining a proper distance as the village customs are conservative, even though she has deep feelings for Shi Hu.

Shi Hu nodded: "Yes, I was just thinking."

"Are you going to leave?" Wen Qiu asked with wide eyes.

Shi Hu pondered, nodding and then shaking his head: "I’m just a passerby, I will eventually leave, maybe tomorrow, maybe the day after, maybe next year, maybe the year after, it’s all possible."

He knew Wen Qiu liked him, but they belong to completely different worlds, it’s impossible for them to be together, so he was trying to gently convey to her that he can’t stay here and that they couldn’t have a future.

Wen Qiu, being intelligent, naturally understood Shi Hu’s implied meaning, causing her expression to dim.

However, she thought that as long as Shi Hu hasn’t left, there may still be a chance.

No problem, she believed she could eventually touch his heart.

"The Black Guard Army is here! The Black Guard Army is here!" At this time, the noisy sounds echoed through the village.

Suddenly, everyone showed expressions of fear.

The Black Guard Army is not bandits, but rather a military force established by the higher-ups of Anhei Town, responsible for maintaining safety in Anhei Town and the nineteen villages under its jurisdiction, including suppressing bandits and catching thieves.

Then why do villagers turn pale at the mere mention of the Black Guard Army?

Because this army has long been corrupted, using the guise of eliminating bandits to frequently raid villages for valuables and even abduct women, accusing anyone who resists with conspiring with bandits, and dealing them as bandit accomplices.

This army, having committed numerous misdeeds, has accumulated deep resentment among the people.

Yet, the army are all Martial Artists, how could ordinary villagers resist?

Even joining forces would only result in easy suppression; thus, everyone can only be enraged but silent, and when this army arrives, hide young women away, otherwise they’d be subjected to humiliation and then silenced.

"Brother Shi, I need to hide first." Wen Qiu said to Shi Hu, then hurried off.

Given her looks, being seen by the Black Guard Army would spell inevitable trouble.

Shi Hu nodded; he himself is hard-pressed to protect himself right now, naturally he won’t act recklessly.

Before long, more than ten gallant horses charged into the village, each bearing a rider who barged around fearlessly without worry of hitting anyone.

"Everyone, gather at the village entrance!" A rider shouted loudly.

The villagers dared not defy and all headed to the village entrance.

"Listen, we are searching for two fugitives, have you seen them?" A rider said and then took out two portraits to show to the villagers.