The Scum Is A

"To close the third stage, may we have a word to the two leaders of the teams that won in the team category?" the emcee asked as he turned to Jing Cheng and Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng smiled and motioned his hand. "Jing-shixiong can go first." He told Jing Cheng.

Jing Cheng nodded. "Our team's win is because of everyone's joint effort." He said.

They waited for Jing Cheng to speak more, but didn't hear him speak again. "…" will it hurt you to speak more? They thought.

Jing Rui heard what Jing Cheng said and nodded in satisfaction. Jing Cheng had always been someone who speaks less, but his words meant more. If Jing Bai, Jing Hei, Jing Kang and Qian Lin didn't listen to him and didn't cooperate, their team would lose more.

The emcee chuckled. "Indeed, it is everyone's glory!" he said. "Aside from being fellow disciples, they were also brothers. Added to the fact that second young master Qian, although from a different sect but he's been friends with them for a long time." He explained. "In short, they trust each other." He said.

Everyone gave the Zunjingde Sect and Qian Lin a round of applause. Qian Lin shyly smiled before he looked at Qian Shan. Seeing Qian Shan raised his two thumbs, Qian Lin laughed.

"Then, second young master Chen." The emcee said and turned to Cheng Sheng before he lowered his voice. "Second young master Chen has been in the first place. Why did you drop down to the third place?" he curiously asked.

Cheng Sheng smiled. "The place doesn't matter to me. What matters is to share the glory with my friends." He answered.

Everyone felt touched by his answer. Indeed, one would feel bad if his teammates didn't make it to the top ten. It can be seen from Xi Ming and Tang Zhe's expression.

"Also, my brother already has the first place. I know he can do it, as well as Sun-shixiong. Thus, I wanted to secure my fellow disciples' place in the top ten." Cheng Sheng explained. "With that, and we can share this joyous occasion with our shifu and fellow disciples, who hadn't participated in the competition, when we returned to the Xinfaxian – our home." He warmly smiled. "Actually, we're already satisfied to reach the third stage. Everyone did their best, no matter what the result. As long as we can learn from this experience, that's the greatest treasure we've received from the competition." He said.

"Cheng-shixiong…" Lei Ling and You Rou cried as they wring their handkerchief.

"Cheng-shidi…" Lei Qing smiled and sniffed as she silently wiped her tears.

Zuo Zhe felt emotional, too. My Mary Sue protagonist! He thought.

"Xiao Sheng…" Xie Lan said and smiled. He felt happy for his disciples. Wen… look at them now grown up. He thought.

"Congratulations to sect leader Xie." The sect leaders said and smiled.

"Cheng Sheng has grown up decently despite you raising him." Fei Huang said.

Qian Shan heartily laughed and patted Xie Lan's back while Jing Rui nodded and Wu Yuan proudly looked at Chen Han and Sun Yi who stood beside Cheng Sheng together with Fei Yin, Li Tian, Feng Mo, Yu Sheng, Wu Xi and Xiao Le.

The emcee wiped his tears before he continued. "Your team is more diverse compared to the Zunjingde Sect's team with second young master Qian. However, you still managed to lead them all." He said.

"As what you have said earlier, we trust each other." Cheng Sheng said. "The Xinfaxian Sect and the Youxiwang Sect has always been a family, and I'm proud of it. We met Yu Sheng before we reached the Zhongyang when he and young master Zuo helped us book an inn. As for Wu Xi, he asked me for a favor." He explained.

"What favor is it?" the emcee curiously asked. The audience was puzzled, too.

Cheng Sheng smiled as he placed a finger on his lips. "That's a secret." He laughed before he continued. "And Xiao Le…" he said and looked at Xiao Le who was nervously fidgeting as he stood beside Li Tian. "We met him a day before the third stage, and he said he is my fan. I noticed his talent in Talisman Making, so I decided to include him to our team." He explained.

"So young and already this talented!" the emcee exclaimed as the audience looked at Xiao Le in awe. For Cheng Sheng himself to say that, Xiao Le must really be talented!

Li Nanzi who was watching Cheng Sheng's farce balled his fists. Kang Ce also glared at Cheng Sheng. Everything Cheng Sheng says jabs at him. He had lost his teammates. There is no trust between them and most especially, he only cared about himself.

Tang Zhe saw Kang Ce's expression but he didn't say anything. Kang Ce isn't that much bad since he is still considerate of other people like Xin Xin, the Alliance's disciple assigned to him and them later. However, envy was planted in his heart thus he had become selfish and likes to work alone. This is what he noticed in Kang Ce while inside the secret realm.

A sect leader turned to Li Nanzi and good-naturedly smiled. "Sect leader Li also has a talented mage disciple!" he exclaimed.

"Ah. There's also elder Mu's daughter, right?" someone said.

Li Nanzi gritted his teeth when he remembered that scene years ago. "She's fine." He answered.

Mu Yanshan told him that Xiao Le was just fooling around and has evil intentions to Kang Ce who's their eldest disciple and that Mu Rongrong is better than Xiao Le. Yet what happened? How is his beloved daughter now? She's become a waste after Kang Ce rejected her and she had a heart demon. Mu Yanshan even dared to put the blame on Xiao Le, who is a real talent, and also blamed Kang Ce that he's conspiring with Xiao Le to harm his daughter.

That geezer! He thought and his face darkened. If not for his very good daughter, Xiao Le and Kang Ce would've worked together now and would've performed better in the competition. Yet what had she done? He thought. He clearly remembers Kang Ce and Xiao Le had a very good relationship before. Yet she smeared that relationship by creating false rumors in their sect, affecting Xiao Le's reputation and his growth. If things would have just been different, he could have nurtured Xiao Le instead of wasting his efforts and time on Mu Rongrong. Maybe their sect would be like the Huakai Sect.

"I haven't seen elder Mu and his daughter for a long time." Someone spoke.

How can he show his face? He's gone to seclusion and left his disappointing daughter! Li Nanzi thought and didn't speak.

"Right? I really think Xiao Le has a great potential." Cheng Sheng said and patted Xiao Le's head. Xiao Le shyly smiled.

"That's right! Sect leader Li should have nurtured him, right?" the emcee said and looked at Li Nanzi. Everyone turned to also look at Li Nanzi.

Li Nanzi forced a smile. "Yes…" he answered.

"Must be great to have a thick face." Shu Mu, who returned to his sect, rolled his eyes at Li Nanzi's lie and shamelessness.

"Da shixiong. We really didn't expect you to work for Cheng Sheng." His fellow disciples said.

"This is my apology for being insensitive last time!" Shu Mu righteously said.

"Da shixiong is really a man!" his fellow disciples laughed and massaged his arms.

"I really thought it was true love." one of them joked.

Shu Mu's face turned red. "How could I? Do you want to lose your da shixiong after he's been killed by Fei Yin?! Are you blind of what happened days earlier?!" he asked them.

"…" you don't need to be so defensive. They thought and secretly grinned at each other.

Besides… Shu Mu thought and his gaze landed on Tang Zhe who was laughing with Tang Yun. Tang Zhe seemed to perceive a gaze on him and he turned. He caught him looked at him.

Shu Mu's cheeks reddened and he smiled at Tang Zhe. Tang Zhe was surprised before he smiled back at him. Just like that and their relationship before they fought returned. Besides… he's the one I'm in love with. Shu Mu thought and retracted his gaze.

On the Huakai Sect's side, they saw Tang Zhe was looking somewhere.

"Da shixiong, what's wrong?" Shan Lu asked.

Tang Zhe's smile became wider and he turned to his fellow disciples. "It's nothing." He answered. After all these years, he's still the same shy Shu Mu I know. He thought and chuckled.

"There's something wrong with da shixiong." Shan Lu whispered to Guo Cheng.

Guo Cheng hit his head. "You know too much!" he told him.

Tang Yun, who saw Tang Zhe and Shu Mu's exchange of glanced, frowned. Da ge… he thought. He's referring to Tang Zhe.

"What's wrong, Xiao Yun?" the voice of the man he's thinking of rang in his ears.

Tang Yun gasped because he was startled, and he turned to Tang Zhe. His cheeks burned when he saw Tang Zhe was leaning down to him to check his complexion. "D-da… da ge…" he called, his voice weak.

"Hm? Your face is flushed. Did you catch a cold?" Tang Zhe asked.His voice is filled with worry. 

Guo Cheng and Shan Lu who were watching. "…" it's too hot yet he can catch a cold? They thought.