The Scum Is A

"You tell me then, was he innocent?!" Nan Pingan asked them again. "Can his ignorance return those hundreds of lives that were lost?! Tell me! Answer me, damn it!!!" he screamed as he dug the soil with his fingers and thrown it at them. 

Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan fell silent. Even if you've asked them for a thousand times more of this question, they could never answer. Since they also don't know the answer. 

"Will he be excused because he is just a child?" Nan Pingan continued. "Then, everyone would want to remain a child, then. Ignorant of everything. Innocent towards everything he did, even if it already harmed others. Tell me, righteous cultivators, what could be done with this?" he asked them. 

Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan remained silent.

"You can't answer, can you?" Nan Pingan laughed. "Everyday, you wave your sword for the sake of the masses. In the name of justice. But – " he said as he looked at them mockingly. " – you can't even answer this question." He told them and laughed. 

Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan lowered their sword and let Nan Pingan laugh. 

"Cheng Sheng." Nan Pingan called. "I know you are smart, so you should already know why I became a demonic cultivator. Why there are demonic cultivators." He said and looked at Cheng Sheng in the eyes. 

"Because the identity of a righteous cultivator restraints you." Cheng Sheng answered. "Because you are a righteous cultivator, you can't kill those who aren't your enemy. But, if this is only the reason, then, there's no need to be a demonic cultivator. You can just become a rogue." He said and stared back at Nan Pingan as he enunciated each following words. "The reason why someone became a demonic cultivator is because not of their perverseness, nor because of their unsatiable killing intent. It's because – " 

Fei Yin held Cheng Sheng's hand. "Cheng-shidi." He called. 

Cheng Sheng could feel the warmth from Fei Yin's hand. He smiled when he heard the familiar address that wasn't uttered for a very long time. "Da shixiong. I'm fine." He said. "I've promised shifu and founder before." He said. 

He promised to not succumb to demonic cultivation and become a demonic cultivator. 

"One becomes a demonic cultivator is mainly of revenge." Cheng Sheng said. "Revenge that can't be carried out because they are a righteous cultivator that wields their sword for the common people's sake. In the name of justice." He said. "Their justice is unacceptable by the common people, thus they can't exact it, and so they can't become a righteous cultivator anymore." He explained. 

"That's right." Nan Pingan said. "You righteous cultivators base what's right and what's wrong only in a general view. You could never understand a single person's view, who has lost his family and his people in a single night, thus, from being part of the general masses, he became a minority." He said. 

Cheng Sheng didn't speak anymore and just sheathed his sword. "You've chased us for two days, not to kill us, but to make us understand your side." He said. 

Two days ago, they were shocked to see Nan Pingan. But, they've got no time to dilly-dally since it looked like Nan Pingan is after them. However, what they were puzzled about is that Nan Pingan didn't alert the other demonic cultivators around. 

It turned out, Nan Pingan's people are his fellow disciples before that turned to demonic cultivators and were taken away to Heilong for some purposes. 

"We've heard it. Your life from hereon is yours. If you'll meet us again, we won't spare you that time." He told him. 

Nan Pingan didn't speak. 

"For the sake of being a previous righteous cultivator, can you do us a favor?" Cheng Sheng asked. 

"Hah." Nan Pingan scoffed, only to spit out blood. "Do you think I'll do it?" he asked. 

Cheng Sheng didn't speak. "Then, just answer one question from us." Fei Yin said. 

"Doable." Nan Pingan said. 

Fei Yin looked at Wu Yuan. Wu Yuan took a deep breath. "Have you seen my father and the Chen patriarch?" he asked. 

"I haven't." Nan Pingan answered. 

Wu Yuan's shoulder fell before he sheathed his sword and walked away. Fei Yin sighed before he patted Cheng Sheng's shoulder. Cheng Sheng looked at Nan Pingan before he and Fei Yin followed Wu Yuan. 

"Wait." Nan Pingan said. "You coming here…" he said and coughed. "Is it to kill the demon emperor?" he asked. 

The three of them turned. "'demon emperor'?" they asked. 

"You don't know?" Nan Pingan's brows knitted. "Heilong is ruled by a demon emperor. However, I've heard that the demon emperor has been replaced not long ago." He told them. 

This information is too much for them to process. Their mind crashed for a moment. However, they focused on the new information they've received. "What? Who replaced him?" they asked. 

"They said the new emperor's name is Hei Shen." Nan Pingan answered. 

"'Hei Shen'…" they muttered and looked at each other before turning back to Nan Pingan. "What does he look like? Is he very powerful?" they asked. 

"I don't know what he's look like." Nan Pingan said. "If he can rule this place, and even replace a ruler before, then, he must be very powerful." He told them. 

They fell silent. Seeing that Nan Pingan didn't have more information in him, they left. However, right after they left, someone arrived and clutched Nan Pingan's neck. 

"You've done your job. You can now go die and accompany your father and your people." A man said before he crushed Nan Pingan's neck. 

City of Rocks, Southmost Region. 

"We've already closed the Ni Lai Gates in the West and South on our way here." Yu Sheng said. "The ones left are in the North, Central and East." He said and looked at Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Jing Rui, Xie Lan and Fan Wen. "Since you've already sent your sects a message, then the other one left is in the Southmost Region." He said. 

Their expression immediately turned grave. "Yu-ge…" Lei Ling called. "How many were the Ni Lai Gates in the West and South?" he asked. 

Yu Sheng turned to him. "There are three in the West, and one in the South." He answered. 

The expression on the faces of Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Jing Rui, Xie Lan and Fan Wen turned graver. "The Ni Lai Gate in the South is in the Nanshu Sect, right?" Qian Tian asked. 

Yu Sheng didn't answer. Anyone could guess. Qian Tian sighed while Qian Lin pressed his lips into a thin line because of anger. 

"Our sects are there. Let's worry in the Southmost Region first." Xie Lan said as they looked at the gloomy atmosphere before them as they board the Millennium Ship. 

"The Ni Lai Gate that xiao Sheng has closed must be the main Ni Lai Gate." Fan Wen guessed. 

They looked at each other before they nodded in agreement to what Fan Wen said. 

"Cheng-shidi…" Li Tian sighed. 

Feng Mo patted Li Tian's shoulder to comfort him. "He's with da shixiong and senior Wu. Cheng-shidi will be safe." He said.

Lei Qing, Lei Ling and You Rou heard Feng Mo's words and their tense shoulders slightly relaxed. 

"Could there be a Ni Lai Gate in the Nanli Sect, so the Nanli Sect…?" Xi Ling suddenly spoke. 

Their eyes narrowed and sharpened but they didn't speak. They might be just guessing this time, however, in this time, anything can happen. Even guesses can become the truth. Anything is possible. 

"During the Intersect Competition, their sect left first after losing the second stage." Jing Rui said. 

Fei Lin nodded. "We didn't get any news from them after they left." He sighed. "They might have been ambushed on their way home." He said.

Silence fell once again. Since the Nanli Sect is heading south, the only ones who could ambush the Nanli Sect is… 

"Nanshu Sect." Qian Tian said. "Sect leader Shu, Shu Mu's father." He added. 

The Xinfaxian Sect's disciples were shocked, but they didn't speak. Tang Zhe already sent them a message through Message Talisman before they depart detailing about the Nanshu Sect's leader, Shu Mu's father, about him being poisoned by Nuhou Pills, and his condition is already in a severe stage since no one found out about his condition. 

Qian Tian grimly smiled while Qian Lin leaned his head on his elder brother's shoulder, not speaking a word. He and Shu Mu were once enemies. But, with Cheng Sheng's interference by discovering Shu Mu's condition, and with his early treatment, Shu Mu's condition was cured and he and Qian Lin became friends in the end. 

But, Shu Mu's father was beyond salvation. And, because of that, Qian Shan died along with his wife and his sect, the Qianxu Sect. 

Xie Lan, Fei Lin and Xi Ling saw Qian Tian and Qian Lin and they heaved a sigh. Meanwhile, Jing Rui's face remained cold and Fan Wen shook his head in dismay.