Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

Liu Rumei?

Was it the Elder Liu Rumei he knew, or just someone with the same name?

Su Han was puzzled. Following the voice, he looked over and saw two figures below.

One of them was a middle-aged woman, around thirty, richly dressed and overbearing. Her strength was not weak—she was at the Supreme Realm Third Layer.

The other was an old crone with crane-white hair and wrinkled skin, wearing coarse cloth garments, hair matted and filthy, her body exuding a foul stench that made one nauseous.

The old crone’s body was hunched, her gray-white hair hanging down in a tangled mess, covering her entire face so that Su Han couldn’t see her clearly for the moment.

But heavy shackles were clasped around the old crone, and fine Formation Patterns were engraved upon them. Clearly, this was a special Formation Artifact.

A so-called Formation Artifact was a weapon crafted by engraving a Great Formation upon it. Such weapons were somewhat stronger than ordinary ones, but much harder to make. After all, the higher the grade of the material, the harder it was to engrave Formation Patterns and assemble a Great Formation.

And although the shackles on the old crone were not a Holy Artifact, they were still a Supreme Grade Dao Artifact with extremely formidable power.

”Sealing Formation!”

Su Han’s Formation Mastery was superb. With a single glance he saw that the Formation Patterns on the shackles formed a Sealing Formation, sealing the energy within the old crone’s body and turning her into an ordinary person.

At this moment the old crone was doing menial work. Because she was too old, her hands and feet were already somewhat clumsy, and coupled with the heaviness of the shackles, her body swayed on the verge of collapse, nearly unable to hold up.

”Useless trash, you can’t even do this kind of work properly!”

The middle-aged woman hurled abuse, holding a leather whip in her hand. She suddenly lashed it across the old crone’s body, ripping open her coarse cloth dress and drawing a bloody gash across her withered back.

”Hmph, if you hadn’t delivered back a certain genius, just the crimes you committed in the past would have been enough for you to die a thousand times over.”

The middle-aged woman kept yakking on, without the slightest shred of pity or compassion, instead full of gloating delight.

”Elder Liu!”

Su Han activated the Nine Heavens Eye. Now, through the curtain of hair, he could see the old crone’s face clearly—it was precisely Elder Liu Rumei as he knew her.

But what was going on?

Wasn’t Elder Liu Rumei a member of the Liu Family? How could she be wearing heavy shackles, looking like a prisoner?

Could this be the reason she had remained in the Seven Stars Sect all this time and was unwilling to return?

What were the crimes she had committed back then? Could it be that Elder Liu Rumei had broken the law and fled to the Eastern Region in the first place?

Su Han’s brows knitted slightly, doubt weighing heavily in his heart, but he had no answers. The only way was to personally question Elder Liu Rumei.

Right now, under the middle-aged woman’s whipping, Liu Rumei clenched her teeth. She neither cried out nor struggled.

She rose shakily to her feet, ignored the middle-aged woman’s venomous words, and continued to do those menial chores meant for servants.

”You old bitch, you dare ignore me? Seems you really won’t cry till you see the coffin!”

Seeing Liu Rumei ignore her, the middle-aged woman flew into a rage. The whip in her hand lashed out again, striking Liu Rumei’s body and flaying her skin and flesh.

But the middle-aged woman did not dare truly kill Liu Rumei, or she would invite a disaster upon herself. Venting with a few lashes was fine; even if someone found out, no one would interfere.

Liu Rumei said nothing, meeting it with silence. She curled up further, trying her best to protect herself.

Looking at such a desolate Liu Rumei, Su Han felt a pang of compassion. No matter what, he simply couldn’t connect this wretched old crone before him with the Elder Liu Rumei of the Seven Stars Sect.

Yet the reality was cruel—the Liu Rumei before him was indeed the one he knew.

Although Su Han didn’t know the reasons behind all this or what crime Elder Liu Rumei had committed back then, to him, Elder Liu Rumei had shown him great kindness.

If Elder Liu Rumei hadn’t taken Lu Yunxian as a disciple back then, Lu Yunxian’s Origin Wound would likely have erupted long ago. And to nurture Lu Yunxian, she had even been willing to return to the Ancient Liu Family.

Su Han had always worried about Fairy Sister Yun Xian’s safety, yet had never once considered Liu Rumei’s situation. Looking at it now, he had indeed been negligent.

”You old bitch, weren’t you mighty back then? Why are you like a dead fish now, huh, ptooey!”

The middle-aged woman kept cursing, even spitting at Liu Rumei and employing every kind of humiliating method she could think of.

Clearly this was not the first time Liu Rumei had endured such humiliation. She remained curled up, meeting it with silence, unwilling to stir up more trouble.

”Useless waste, might as well just die!”

The middle-aged woman, seething with anger, swung her whip out again, striking toward Liu Rumei.

Pa!

A crisp sound rang out, but the whip did not land on Liu Rumei. Instead, it was caught by a suddenly appearing hand.

”Liu Ming?”

The middle-aged woman started, glaring angrily at Su Han, her eyes wide like a man-eating beast.

She recognized the Liu Ming Su Han was impersonating, but her rage outweighed her surprise. Liu Ming was only a collateral disciple, with average innate talent and not particularly strong cultivation, yet he dared block her fun. Clearly he was itching for a beating.

”So you want to meddle in my business? In that case, I’ll properly teach you a lesson today!”

The middle-aged woman was already in a temper, and given that Liu Ming’s status wasn’t high, she immediately decided to teach Su Han a lesson as well.

She suddenly exerted force, trying to yank the whip back, but it didn’t budge in the slightest, surprising her.

In the next instant, however, Su Han abruptly let go. The whip snapped back, and the middle-aged woman staggered, almost falling to the ground.

”Divine Prohibition Heavenly Method!”

Right then, Su Han swiftly cast a Divine Method, binding the middle-aged woman’s body and Divine Sense, freezing her in place.

With Su Han’s current strength, the Divine Prohibition Heavenly Method he unleashed could immobilize the middle-aged woman for three seconds, and three seconds were more than enough for him to deal with her.

”Sword of Slaughter!”

Slaughter Sword Intent burst forth, condensing into an invisible sword that cleaved into the middle-aged woman’s Sea of Consciousness, directly rending it apart and shaking her Divine Sense.

”Divine Method: Vajra Subduing Demons!”

Su Han cast another Divine Method. At once, the middle-aged woman’s pupils shrank as she saw an awe-inspiring Vajra Buddha statue, its Buddha Nature surging, righteous and brilliant.

The middle-aged woman had only Supreme Realm Third Layer strength and was not a heaven’s chosen. Her Divine Sense was ordinary, her Dao Heart unsteady. Very quickly she was affected by the call to return to Buddha Nature, her entire being sinking into it and returning in devotion to Su Han.

From Divine Prohibition Heavenly Method to Vajra Subduing Demons, Su Han used only two seconds, and the middle-aged woman had already completely fallen, returning to Su Han, taking him as Buddha with utmost piety.

This was the Liu Divine’s Void Realm; here, subduing was more effective than killing. However, since this woman treated Elder Liu Rumei in such a way, death would be her final destination.

”Liu... Liu Ming?”

Only now did Liu Rumei react. Her clouded gaze pierced through her pale hair, landing on Su Han, full of doubt and confusion.

”Elder Liu Rumei, long time no see!”

Su Han sent his voice with Divine Sense, taking the initiative to greet her. Hearing Su Han’s voice, Liu Rumei’s pupils shrank abruptly, shock flooding her eyes.

It’s him!

How could that be?