The Scum Is A

Under Fan Wen's gaze, Xie Lan slowly spoke. "Wasn't it instigated by Fei Huang?" he asked as he stared at Fan Wen's eyes. He didn't wait for Fan Wen to speak before he added. "Now, Fei Huang is in the hands of Mu Jun." he said. "But, was it really a kidnapping case, and not a collusion?" his brows knotted. His face is filled with suspicion. 

Fan Wen stared at Xie Lan for a long time, wide-eyed. His mouth opened to speak, but no words nor voice came out. After some time, he finally spoke, breaking the silence. "You…" he spoke, his voice is hoarse. "How… how can you…" he spoke with broken words. 

"Wen." Xie Lan called. "We've been together for hundreds of years, so I know you should know what kind of person am I." he said. 

Fan Wen coldly stared at him. 

"Wen." Xie Lan spoke. "I am suspecting teacher Fei. But – " he said before he held Fan Wen's hand. " – I don't mean any ill intention by it." He explained. 

Fan Wen's expression broke and turned to a confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked. 

"Think about it, Wen." Xie Lan spoke. "Mu Jun is a demonic cultivator, and he kidnapped teacher Fei. Everyone panicked. We lost our heads before because Mu Jun is a demonic cultivator, and he did such a thing." He looked at Fan Wen. "In short, it is a prejudice." He said. 

Fan Wen was taken aback before his jaw dropped. He gaped at Xie Lan, stunned. 

"Because of prejudice, we didn't think deeper from Mu Jun's act." Xie Lan said before he pulled Fan Wen towards Fei Lin who was standing on the other side of the ship and is gazing in the distance. "But, what if we think about it now?" he asked and stopped behind Fei Lin. 

Xi Ling was the first one to notice them. "Ge. Wen-ge. What's wrong?" he asked when he saw they were Xie Lan and Fan Wen. 

"I have something to ask Fei Lin." Xie Lan spoke before his gaze moved to Fei Lin who turned to face them. His expression somber. 

"What is it?" Fei Lin asked. 

"Is teacher Fei and Mu Jun really lovers?" Xie Lan asked. 

Both Xi Ling and Fei Lin didn't expect this sudden question to be asked to them. They were taken aback and silence fell upon their group at the moment. 

"So?" Xie Lan broke the silence. His eyes looking at Fei Lin's eyes. 

"… I don't know." Fei Lin finally answered. 

Fan Wen was surprised. "You don't know?" he paused. "Wait. They aren't lovers?!" he was shocked. After all that was what is known to everyone. 

Fei Lin shook his head, feeling confused. "Uncle never said anything to us regarding his relationship with uncle Jun." he spoke. "Even if it was a demonic cultivator, as long as he is sincere towards uncle, we will set aside our differences between us as cultivators and accept him as our uncle's lover." He explained. "But, in the end, xiao Yin and I never knew what is the real score between them." He looked at Xie Lan and Fan Wen. "After all, uncle never had any lover before, nor expressed any interest towards anyone… even romance itself." He sighed. "There is only uncle Jun beside him. Xiao Yin and I assumed by ourselves. But, in the end…" his voice trailed off. 

"I guess you are too young." Xie Lan spoke. 

Fei Lin looked at him. Xi Ling just stood on the side, silently listening. 

"Teacher Fei has been our teacher, so we know how he is like as a person." Xie Lan said before he smiled. "So, I can say that he and Mu Jun are really lovers." He said. 

"Really?!" Hope rekindled in Fei Lin's eyes. 

Xie Lan nodded. "I think, even if you have accepted Mu Jun before as your uncle's lover, but – " he looked at Fei Lin. " – your prejudice towards the demonic cultivators has never left your heart, right?" he asked. 

Fei Lin fell silent. Guilt can be seen on his face. 

"It's fine." Xie Lan spoke. "Discarding our prejudice towards them is very difficult since their kind has constantly plaguing all of us. The world." He said. 

Fei Lin didn't speak. 

"This isn't what I wanted to say, though." Xie Lan spoke. 

"What is it?" Fei Lin asked. 

"Even though Zuo Zhe has already told us that Mu Jun isn't our enemy, but with the prejudice still in your heart, you still suspect his intentions and is worried about your uncle." Xie Lan said. "Am I wrong?" he asked. 

Fei Lin shook his head. "You are right." He answered and powerlessly sat on the bench. "Aside from xiao Yin and Ling, uncle is the third important person in my life." He said. "Neither our father nor our mother, much less our grandfather, can compare to uncle Huang." He looked at the horizon. "Uncle has been both the father and mother to xiao Yin and I. If we are given the choice, we would choose our uncle rather than our own parents. Actually, I feel guilty towards uncle." He faintly smiled. "Because of xiao Yin and I, uncle never had any lover. It was I who should raise xiao Yin as xiao Yin's elder brother. But, uncle knows the pressure I have on my shoulders as the eldest child. So, he took care of xiao Yin for me." He explained. 

"Lin…" Xi Ling called as he looked at Fei Lin. His eyes filled with pity. 

Fei Lin shook his head, indicating to not feel pity towards him. "That's why, I accepted uncle Jun as uncle's lover." He continued. "It is my guilt. I thought that if I accepted Mu Jun as uncle's lover, uncle will be happy, and I can repay uncle for everything he has done for xiao Yin and I. I also saw that Mu Jun is sincere… loyal to uncle. So, my guilt became more alleviated. But – " he heaved a sigh. " – how wrong was I. I realized that I never had fully accepted Mu Jun. When I heard that he took our uncle away, I – " he clenched his fists. 

"Ling… we understand. I understand." Xi Ling held Fei Lin's hands to comfort him. 

As expected, Fei Lin's expression eased, and his fists loosened. But, there is still pain in his eyes left. "I know." He spoke. "Young master Zuo and Yu Sheng are very perceptive. They must have noticed… I…" he took a deep breath to calm himself. He closed his eyes. "Thus, they didn't tell us of Mu Jun's real identity." He said. 

Neither Xie Lan, Fan Wen nor Xi Ling spoke. They just let Fei Lin pour out all his emotions. 

Fei Lin's eyes reddened. His tears are threatening to fall. "When I heard what young master Zuo said, that Mu Jun is the Heilong emperor, my hatred grew because he deceived us. But, along it, I also felt my powerlessness." He continued. "The man I wanted to revenge on is very powerful. I can't take back my uncle. Even xiao Yin… he went to the Heilong realm. Whereas I…" his voice trailed off and broke. 

"Lin!" Xi Ling called as he held Fei Lin's hands tight. "You aren't powerless! You are very strong, okay?" he said. "Didn't you protect me? As well as those disciples? You aren't powerless, Fei Lin." He cupped Fei Lin's face as his tears fell while he looked at Fei Lin's eyes. "You are powerful. In my eyes, you are the most powerful. Do you hear me?" he asked before he hugged Fei Lin tight. 

Xie Lan and Fan Wen sighed when they heard another voice that sobbed aside from Xi Ling. It was Fei Lin. Not only did his enemy is very powerful. Nor his uncle was taken away by that powerful enemy. But, even his younger brother – the only family left of him aside from his uncle, is not here. Even though Xi Ling was there, but Xi Ling knows the emptiness in Fei Lin's heart because of his family, he can't fill it. Only Fei Huang and Fei Yin can fill that gap. 

"Fei Lin." Xie Lan called after Fei Lin calmed down. "Mu Jun isn't your enemy." He told him. 

"I know that now." Fei Lin spoke. 

Xie Lan shook his head. "You don't understand my point." He said. 

Fei Lin turned to face him. 

"Mu Jun was never a threat at all." Xie Lan spoke. 

Fei Lin stared at Xie Lan. Suddenly, he remembered something. "Are you saying this because of Cheng Sheng's judgement?" he asked. He is referring to during the Intersect Competition when Mu Jun tried to 'harm' Cheng Sheng but Cheng Sheng said that he trusts Mu Jun. 

"That's not only it." Xie Lan spoke. Before Fei Lin could speak, he continued. "You should trust your uncle more. Because he never treated Mu Jun as his enemy. Not because Mu Jun is his lover, but because, like xiao Sheng, he trusts in his own judgement of people." He explained.