Black Horse Immortal Venerable

Shen Jingchuan rode Big Black along the official road, flying towards Yuxi Prefecture.

He flew while looking down at the ground.

At first, the people on the official road were sparse. After flying four or five hundred miles, the flow of people became denser and denser, with families in tow, all of them disaster victims heading north.

Many people on earth recognized this immortal who rode a black horse and flew in the sky.

It's unclear who knelt down first, but soon after, a whole row of people knelt down on the official road, a dark mass lying on the ground, looking up at the sky and shouting.

"The Black Horse Immortal Venerable! It's the Black Horse Immortal Venerable!"

"The Immortal Venerable has returned!"

Shouts and kowtows blended together.

Shen Jingchuan had excellent hearing; even high in the sky, he could hear the repeated calls of "Immortal Venerable" clearly.

He was taken aback at first, then his heart skipped a beat and he felt a little panicked.

Immortal Venerable?

He couldn't possibly accept that title. He was just a minor cultivator in the Qi Refinement Realm; calling him "Dark Horse Immortal Master" would be acceptable, but calling him "Immortal Venerable" would be an insult to him.

Shen Jingchuan hesitated for a moment, then found an open space ahead and let Big Black land.

Big Black folded its wings and trod on the ground with its hooves.

The nearby disaster victims, seeing that the immortal had actually descended, were both surprised and delighted, and rushed forward.

When they got within ten steps of him, they dared not approach any closer, and knelt down in unison, crying out for his life-saving grace.

Shen Jingchuan channeled a little Spiritual Power; his voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly and gently.

"Fellow villagers, please don't stand on ceremony."

With a flick of his Spiritual Power, he gently lifted all those kneeling in front to their feet.

Many of these people had seen him before when he distributed grain, and they were not particularly afraid of him; on the contrary, they felt close to him.

Shen Jingchuan looked at them, his expression becoming serious.

"I have something to tell you."

"The imperial Government Army has already set off from the Capital and is just behind you. They'll catch up with you in a few days."

"You're moving too slowly. If you keep going like this, something bad might happen."

As he spoke, he moved his Divine Sense and waved his hand, releasing ten thousand bags of grain from his spatial storage.

The grain sacks landed one by one, neatly stacked like a small mountain.

The disaster victims stared at the pile of grain, their eyes wide with shock and gratitude.

Shen Jingchuan selected four elderly people from the crowd who appeared to be the oldest.

"You four, come here."

Upon hearing the Immortal's summons, the four old men hurried forward and knelt down before him.

"Immortal Lord, what are your orders?" The leading old man's voice trembled. "Even if you want the lives of us old bones, we would die ten thousand times over."

Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, signaling them to get up.

What would I do with your lives?

He pointed to the pile of grain.

"You see this grain? Now, let's get everyone together and set up a pot here to cook porridge."

"If you see anyone without food or who has run out of food, you must help them and share some grain with them, so that no one starves to death."

His expression turned serious, and he made his statement definitive.

You can only stay here for two days.

"Two days later, once the grain has been distributed, immediately retreat to both sides of the main road and scatter to the countryside or mountains to hide. Do not gather on the main road anymore. When the Government Army arrive, they will not only plunder the grain, but also kill people."

"Understood, only two days."

He looked at the four old men, his tone softening.

"The reason I chose you is because you are older, more experienced, and know your limits."

"You are not allowed to embezzle this grain, nor are you allowed to favor your own village. If I find out, you'll have to think twice."

The four old men nodded quickly, patting their chests to assure them.

"Rest assured, Immortal Venerable, it will never happen."

"You have given us food and a way to survive. If we were to do something against our conscience again, would we still be human?"

Shen Jingchuan then turned to the more than one thousand starving people beside him and raised his voice.

"Remember, when you receive your rations, no looting or fighting is allowed. Listen to these elderly folks and keep order."

He paused, then added.

"The most important thing is to protect yourself and your family."

Suddenly, someone in the crowd mustered up their courage and shouted.

"Immortal Lord, those Government Army are even more ruthless than bandits; they rob grain, kill people, and are capable of anything."

"Divine Ability powerful, why can't you just wipe them out?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, staring at him with expectant eyes.

Shen Jingchuan paused for a moment, then shook his head.

"We who cultivate ourselves believe in cause and effect."

"They haven't provoked me. I shouldn't get involved in these worldly grudges."

He said this, then suddenly smiled.

"Otherwise, wouldn't we cultivators be able to make anyone we want the emperor of this world?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback at first, but then they all realized what it meant. They were all thoughtful, and although they felt regret, they understood that it was unreasonable to ask such a question.

Thinking of the safety issue, Shen Jingchuan used his Divine Sense to take out a pile of steel pipes from his spatial storage and threw them on the ground.

The steel pipes were cut neatly, each 3 meters long, and fell to the ground with a thud, piling up in a small heap of more than a hundred.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the piece of shiny black steel, wondering what it was.

Shen Jingchuan waved to the elderly men.

"You should gather some more able-bodied men and sharpen the tip of this steel pipe on a stone."

"Sharpen it and it becomes a weapon; hold it in your hand and you can use it like a gun."

His expression turned serious, and he gave a few more instructions.

"A small number of the Government Army and scouts may come from behind, but don't be afraid."

"A large contingent of the Government Army wouldn't get here in less than three or four days."

"If they don't bother you, don't provoke them; just go your separate ways."

"But if they dare to steal grain or kill people, you must fight back fiercely."

Shen Jingchuan then pointed to the pile of steel pipes.

"These able-bodied young men, when organized, can also maintain order on ordinary days."

"To prevent large groups of refugees from surging in later, flooding the soup kitchens, and disrupting the order."

After hearing this, the four old men nodded emphatically and bowed to him in unison.

"Understood, Immortal Venerable."

"Thank you so much Black Horse Immortal Venerable, for your generous gift. You've given us yet another life-saving talisman."

Shen Jingchuan waved his hand, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

No need for thanks.

"Also, the title 'Immortal Venerable' is too heavy for me to bear. From now on, please don't call me that."

After he finished speaking, he didn't say anything more and turned away.

Shen Jingchuan said no more, and leaped onto the back of the Big Black.

With a flap of its wings and a push off the ground, the Big Black bird soared into the air, transforming into a black shadow as it continued flying along the official road towards Yuxi Prefecture.

The disaster victims below all knelt down in unison, kowtowing and shouting towards the sky.

"Black Horse Immortal Venerable! You deserve this title."

"Respectfully bidding farewell to the Black Horse Immortal Venerable!"

The shouts chased after the dark figure, lingering for a long time.