The Scum Is A

Cheng Sheng patted Fei Yin's shoulder as he walked towards the beggar, bypassing the other beggars around. "This friend… we meet again." He said as he squatted in front of the beggar. 

They saw the conical hat slightly moved, indicating the beggar raising his head. However, with how wide the conical hat is, it is still covering the beggar's face, preventing them from seeing his face. "This friend… why do you say we meet 'again'?" he asked, puzzlement in his voice. 

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan arrived, just in time to hear the beggar's words of denial. "Aiyo!" Fei Yin exclaimed. "Still going to deny - ? Ugh." He grunted when Cheng Sheng suddenly hit his shin with his fist. He looked at him. 

Cheng Sheng didn't turn and just continued to stare at the beggar. "I must have mistaken you for someone else. Please pardon my mistake." He told him. 

The beggar just hummed a response. "This friend, you approached me with deliberate intention. I wonder what that is?" he asked. 

"Have you seen two men passed by here?" Cheng Sheng asked. 

"'two men'?" the beggar said. "There are many people coming and going, passing in front of us. I wonder which two men are you referring to? What do they look like?" he asked. 

"Please excuse my boldness, but they are righteous cultivators." Cheng Sheng answered. 

The two words 'righteous cultivators' are a taboo in the Heilong. However, if the righteous cultivators have the guts and power to enter the Heilong, then they can do so. Their presence in the Heilong isn't a threat to the demonic cultivators. Instead, the demonic cultivators welcome them. Since they will have the righteous cultivators as their prey. 

Thus, the beggar doesn't look like surprised by Cheng Sheng's answer. "Righteous cultivators…" he murmured. 

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan, although silently listening, but their inner thoughts are in a turmoil. If this is the same beggar they have met, why would Cheng Sheng ask the beggar about Wu Fan and Chen Jing again, when the beggar has already told them that he hasn't seen the two? 

They've got the answer when the beggar spoke. "Indeed, I have seen them." He answered. 

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan were given a shock, especially Wu Yuan. His emotions that he has calmed for a number of times were shaken once again. "Really?!" he asked as he took a step towards the beggar. "When and where did you see them?!" he asked, his voice filled with anticipation. 

The beggar turned to his direction. "More than two months ago." He answered. "I've met them by the Ni Lai Gate, where I am begging for alms." He explained. 

Wu Yuan took a sharp breath. More than two months ago… it's the same time as when Wu Fan and Chen Jing left the Youxiwang Sect to look for the Wuran Kingdom. The beggar isn't lying. 

However, this also created another problem. Although the beggar didn't lie about Wu Fan's and Chen Jing's appearance, but the fact is, he lied to them before about not seeing the two! Why did he do it? Why did he lie to them, when he's just going to tell them the truth right now? 

Or… was he really telling them the truth? Although it matches Wu Fan's and Chen Jing's departure, and Wu Fan and Chen Jing really entered the Ni Lai Gate, but who knows where he had gotten these facts? As Cheng Sheng said, this beggar has been stalking them since before. This beggar is very suspicious. 

And they trust Cheng Sheng's judgement. Even if this is another beggar, and not the one that they have met before, but how did this beggar know of Wu Fan and Chen Jing's departure to South? Thus, they believe they are the same beggar. 

But, that isn't Cheng Sheng's concern right now. "Where are they now? Do you know?" he asked, wanting to know Wu Fan's and Chen Jing's whereabouts. This is the most important. Not only they have to regroup to increase their survival rate while they stay in Heilong to plan how to kill the main villain, Wu Ran. But, they also have to ensure each other's safety. 

And, Wu Yuan has long been missing his father. When Wu Fan left with Chen Jing to look for the Wuran Kingdom, he was still in the Zhongyang because of the Intersect Competition. Then, the matter with Ming Ye and the demonic cultivators broke out. Since then, he didn't have the chance to see Wu Fan again. 

The beggar shook his head. "I don't." he answered. 

Cheng Sheng's shoulder fell. "Then, how were they when you met them?" he asked. 

"Can't remember." The beggar answered. 

Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan fell into silence as they contemplated. Each has their own thoughts after they listened to the beggar's answers. 

Finally, Cheng Sheng made a smile and flicked a gold coin on the tin can of the beggar. "Thanks." He said before he rose and pulled Fei Yin and Wu Yuan away. 

"That's it?" Fei Yin said when they made their way back to the boat they used earlier. 

Cheng Sheng didn't answer, neither Wu Yuan. 

"Alright." Fei Yin said as he unknotted the rope of the boat tied on the post to keep it from being drifted away. "I'll summarize what I have learned." He said as he faced Cheng Sheng and Wu Yuan who are standing behind him. 

"Please do tell." Wu Yuan said as he still hasn't reorganized his thoughts. 

"First – " Fei Yin said as he raised his index finger. " – this beggar knows Sheng and I, and maybe even senior Wu, even before the war against the demonic cultivators breaks out." He said. "Two. This beggar knows many, many things. He even knows former sect leader Wu and the Chen patriarch, and also met them by the Ni Lai Gate more than two months ago. Who knows, like us, he might even be stalking them, too?" he asked. "Three. This beggar is definitely a liar. His words can't be trusted, as he mixes lie with truths, as well as truth with lies." He crossed his arms. "Before when we met him, he told us he didn't see former sect leader Wu and the Chen patriarch. Excluding whether he really knows them or not, he told us just earlier he has actually seen them. The time he has seen them even matches with the time former sect leader Wu and the Chen patriarch left to travel further South. So – " he looked at Wu Yuan before he turned to Cheng Sheng. " – this time, should we believe him when he said that he doesn't know the state former sect leader Wu and Chen patriarch are in when he met them in the Ni Lai Gate before?" he asked them. 

Cheng Sheng and Wu Yuan didn't answer. No one spoke for a while before Cheng Sheng took a deep breath. "I don't know." He honestly answered. 

Wu Yuan looked at him. 

Cheng Sheng closed his eyes, before he opened them after he had calmed his thoughts. "Right now, what we can only wait." He said. 

"'wait'?" they said. 

Cheng Sheng nodded. "I have a feeling we won't be seeing that beggar for a while." He said. 

"Why?" they asked. 

Cheng Sheng looked at them. "He's definitely hanging our appetite." He answered. 

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan were surprised. They looked at each other before they nodded. Now that Cheng Sheng pointed it out to them, they finally had a faint guess of the beggar's intention. Lying to them before, and now telling them the truth… this is surely hanging one's appetite. Now, he lied again. So, next time, the beggar will definitely tell them the truth. 

The question is, why do something so roundabout? He could just directly tell them what he knows. He even gives them bits of clues to follow. What is his real intention? Why is he helping them? Is he really an ally? Who is he, really? 

"Waiting…" Wu Yuan muttered. 

Cheng Sheng looked at him while Fei Yin patted his shoulder. Although Wu Yuan looked domineering, but what he doesn't lack is patience. Wasn't this how he caught Sun Yi? He waited upon Sun Yi everyday until, finally, Sun Yi had had enough and decided to marry him. 

Although there was such a past between them, and this is how their love story started, but the result is that they are very happily married now. 

"Don't worry, senior Wu." Cheng Sheng said. "Although we have to wait, that doesn't mean we are doing nothing." He told him. 

"What are we going to do next?" Fei Yin asked. 

"Gather more information." Cheng Sheng answered. "Familiarize ourselves more in the enemy's territory." He said. "Not only Wu Ran is our enemy. But, there's also that other ruler that ruled Heilong for five hundred years." He reminded them. 

Hearing his words, Fei Yin's and Wu Yuan's expression changed. That's right. They're facing not only one enemy, that is already powerful, but two! And this other one might be stronger than the first one.