The Scum Is A

Bai Yun craned his neck to look at Ah Ke, then watch the palanquin where Shang He and Meng Gui are leaving. "Hahahaha! This is such an unexpected turn of events for both Shang He and Meng Gui." He said. 

"It is." Mu Jun smiled as he sipped his drink. 

Everything around them are burning after the fire from the Tianyi Brothel has spread to the neighboring brothels. Now, the Peony Plaza is aflame. It will be a matter of time before the whole Plum Blossom City will become a sea of fire! But, both men acted as if there is no fire around and didn't seem to feel the scorching heat around them, nor do they feel worried for their escape. They just continued to drink and talk. 

"But, Ma Wen has now offended both Meng Gui and Shang He." Bai Yun said and frowned after he saw Ah Ke collapsed on the ground and breathed her last breath before her body was eaten by the flames. "Ah Ke has exposed his schemes to them." He said. 

"Ah Ke's plan is to screw the remaining three leaders." Mu Jun said. 

Bai Yun nodded. "But, Ma Wen's group is the weakest among the three of them left. Even Meng Gui's group is stronger than his." He said. "And Shang He's is the strongest. Now, Shang He and Meng Gui are teaming up after Ma Wen just let them both fall into Du Xiang's trap." His brows knitted. "Is Ma Wen not afraid?" he asked. 

Mu Jun sipped his drink before he spoke. "For someone to be unafraid of tigers… either he is a cub, or – " he said and raised his head to look at Bai Yun who is now smiling. 

" – or, he has a powerful backer." Bai Yun said. "But, aside from both of us, there is no one else to support Ma Wen." He paused. "If it is an outsider, then there is only that group of three. But, one of them, and the smartest one at that, was poisoned." He looked at Mu Jun. "Even so, that group of three is in the hands of Meng Gui right now. I can't think of anyone else…" he said. 

Bai Yun didn't say that he won't betray Mu Jun and support Ma Wen. After all, Bai Yun is relying heavily on Mu Jun. It was also him who begged Mu Jun to help him. He needs Mu Jun, but Mu Jun doesn't necessarily need him. So, after he enticed Mu Jun to help him, he loyally served Mu Jun… though, there really is nothing for him to serve Mu Jun about. 

Thus, he would never betray Mu Jun. In fact, it is him who is afraid of Mu Jun betraying him. Of course, he doesn't doubt Mu Jun betraying him for Ma Wen since he knows Mu Jun's objective. Ma Wen is completely unrelated to Mu Jun's objective. In fact, Mu Jun doesn't put in his eyes these demonic leaders at all. 

"Then, let's just sit back and watch things unfold." Mu Jun spoke. "It will be definitely interesting." He said and looked outside the window, watching the mountains of corpses in the plaza burn. 

Some who were still alive chased the escaping groups of Meng Gui and Shang He, wanting to take them down with them, just as Ah Ke, Du Xiang and Ma Wen expected. 

"F*CK! These bastards!" both Shang He's and Meng Gui's subordinates cursed. 

"What happened?" Meng Gui asked from inside the palanquin. 

"Leader! They are chasing us! These bastards are so shameless! Ingrates!" Meng Gui's subordinates said as they sped up when they saw the people chasing them are hurling blood at them. Shang He's subordinates who are helping them carry the palanquin also sped up to keep up with the pace of Meng Gui's subordinates, and also to avoid being hit by the blood, even just a drop. 

They must be the blood in the Peony Plaza. Who knows if these bloods contain the illness? These people really want to take them down with them in Hell!

Meng Gui fell silent, before he sighed. "I'll – " he was about to say to strike them down, even if they are their own people, when suddenly, Shang He raised the curtain of the palanquin and jumped down before he immediately pulled down the curtain, shutting Meng Gui from the outside. 

Meng Gui was taken aback. The palanquin stopped. He listened to the conversation outside. 

"Boss!" Shang He's people cried. 

"Hurry with the palanquin. He can't fly." Shang He spoke. The 'he' he is referring to is Meng Gui. 

Meng Gui really can't fly on a sword, much less use it. He only knows how to use the whip. 

"How about you, boss?" Shang He's people asked. 

"I'll immediately follow." Shang He answered. 

"What – " Meng Gui muttered and was about to raise the curtain when he felt the palanquin moved again and this time, the speed increased. "Wait!" he called. 

But, none of them answered and just sped up. Meng Gui's eyes widened in shock. Shang He. What about Shang He?! He thought and was about to raise the curtain when someone pinned the curtain with a dagger, making him unable to lift the curtain. 

"Open the curtain!" Meng Gui yelled. 

"We can't!" it was one of Shang He's people. "Boss' orders." He said. 

"What about your boss?!" Meng Gui asked. 

"We trust our boss!" they answered. 

Meng Gui gnashed his teeth in anger. "Xiao San!" he called his own subordinates. 

"Sorry, leader!" Xiao San apologized. "We have to ensure your safety, for the sake of our brothers who sacrificed their lives for you to escape! We promise them to safely send you back in the Drunken Moon City!" he explained. 

Meng Gui's lips thinned. "ARGH!" he screamed in frustration. Good! His own people are now colluding with Shang He! Great! He thought, sarcastic. 

It's not that he is worried about Shang He. But, if Shang He dies or falls, he will be facing Ma Wen, that old cunning fox, on his own. It's not that he has no confidence in himself, nor trust in his people. It's just he isn't stupid. 

For Ma Wen to openly screw him and Shang he, Ma Wen definitely has an ace up his sleeve. He also trusts the Heilong emperor. The Heilong emperor has no favoritism among them, the four demonic leaders. In fact, he is just waiting for them all to die. So, he definitely won't support Ma Wen, who, in fact, has long been desiring the Heilong emperor's throne. The Heilong emperor won't smash his own foot. 

But, who could be this ace of Ma Wen for him to be very confident in defeating him and Shang He? He was absorbed in his own thoughts when suddenly, they heard a loud explosion afar. 

BOOOOM!!! The palanquin jerked and he almost fell on his back had he not been leaning on the wall of the palanquin. The ground shook because of the explosion. 

"It must be boss!" Shang He's people exclaimed. "BOSS!!!" they all cried when they saw Shang He's figure flew towards them. "Boss! Are you alright?" they asked. 

Shang He's answer is to fall off of his sword and grab the roof of the palanquin to prevent himself from falling before he coughed out blood on the ground. 

The smell of blood reached Meng Gui's nose. He forcefully pulled the curtain, which made a ripping sound. Then, he was greeted by the sight of Shang He's pale face. His full lips were stained with blood. But, aside from his own blood on his lips, there are no any other blood on his clothes or skin. 

"What happened?" he asked as he took out a bottle of magic pills on his sleeve before he threw it on Shang He. 

But, maybe because Shang He felt weak, but he didn't catch the bottle. PLAK. The bottle of the magic pills hit the ground and rolled, making the magic pills inside make a rattling sound. 

Meng Gui frowned. "Why didn't you catch the bottle?" he asked. 

"I feel weak." Shang He answered. 

Meng Gui held back his temper. "What happened to you?" he asked. 

"In order to break the walls of rock to block the entrance of the Plum Blossom City to trap them inside, I overused my power." Shang He answered and coughed. 

"Boss…" his subordinates called and looked at him with their eyes filled with worry. 

"Then pick it up and eat some magic pills to restore your strength." Meng Gui said. 

He was about to lower the torn curtain when he saw Shang He didn't move. 

"What?" he impatiently asked and he frowned. "Are you waiting for me to feed you?" he snapped. 

Shang He stared at Meng Gui for a long time before he lowered his head and slowly picked up the bottle of the magic pills lying on the ground. On the tip of his tongue is the word 'yes'. 

"You weren't like this before." He said.