The Scum Is A

Heilong Realm, Drunken Moon City. 

"Alright, everyone. Line up here, please!" xiao San yelled as he waved his hand to the crowd while he glanced at his brothers to organize the people. 

"Free food!" the crowd exclaimed as they looked at the street where the restaurants were lined up on both sides. The steam coming from the freshly-cooked foods displayed at the open counter rose in the air, enticing the onlookers, thus making their stomachs growl. 

"Yes, yes. You can have a free congee and meat bun if you obediently line up." Meng Gui's subordinates explained to the crowd. 

The crowd immediately were in uproar when they heard that. "Me! Me! I want to eat!" somebody shouted and suddenly, there were pushing and pulling. 

Xiao San frowned. "We won't give everyone the foods if you all continue to make a ruckus!" he said. 

The commotion instantly died down and the crowd didn't dare to push each other again. 

Xiao San nodded, looking satisfied while he instructed his brothers before he turned to look at Wu Yuan who stood beside him. "Is the Mirror of Truth ready?" he asked. 

Wu Yuan nodded and raised the mirror. 

Xiao San then turned to his brother. "Let the first person come in." he said before he and Wu Yuan entered the gates. Then, they stood on the side. When they saw the first person arrived, he spoke. "Please face this way, first, before you proceed." He said. 

The person nodded and then looked at the mirror. 

Xiao San saw that the person's face didn't change before he looked at the person and nodded. "You may go." He said. 

The person didn't think much about it before he excitedly ran to the first restaurant to get his food. 

Xiao San turned to Wu Yuan to voice out his thoughts. "If we do it like this, it'll take us a long time to inspect all the citizens." He spoke. "We can have my brothers use the Mirror of Truth alternately so you won't get tired." He suggested, then paused. "Of course, we won't steal the Mirror of Truth from you." He added. 

Wu Yuan didn't react. "You can't steal it." He said. 

Xiao San's lip twitched. 

"The Mirror of Truth needs a constant supply of qi." Wu Yuan explained. 

Xiao San was surprised. "Then, this'll double the weariness…" he said. 

"It's fine." Wu Yuan spoke. "The reward is worth of my effort, right?" he asked. 

Xiao San smiled. "Of course." He answered before they continued what they are doing. 

…

"Boss!" Shang He's subordinates exclaimed in surprise when they met Shang He. "Boss's wife… ehem. Leader Meng!" they immediately corrected and sheepishly grinned at Meng Gui when they saw Meng Gui's face turned red. 

Meng Gui just sneered. "What 'boss'? What 'leader'?" he asked. "Call me 'da ge'!" he snapped at them. 

Everyone's eyes immediately turned red. They were the children who the group of merchants trained along with Meng Gui and Shang He. Later, they were all separated to escape and hide. But, Shang He found them one day and they made their own organization, just like Meng Gui. 

They suggested to Shang He to find Meng Gui. But, who would have known that they would all reunite under such an occasion? Both Shang He and Meng Gui were demonic leaders! 

Their eyes immediately turned red from holding back their tears. Their nose turned sour. Although they were all big men, and even hundreds of years old, but, in their heart, they were still humans. "Da ge…" they called and hung their head like children being scolded. 

Meng Gui scoffed. But, the corners of his lips were pulled up. 

Shang He saw him secretly smiling and he suppressed his chuckle. "How's the Plum Blossom City?" he asked. 

Their faces instantly became serious. "It was now completely sealed off." One of them answered. "All the exit gates were closed, and the fire inside is about to die down. There were no one that remained alive." He said. 

"Good." Shang He nodded, feeling satisfied. He looked at Meng Gui and smiled. 

Meng Gui smiled back at him, before he turned, just in time to see xiao San and Wu Yuan returning. The former's face is dark while latter's face is full of indifference. "Xiao San." He called.

Xiao San was startled when he saw him. "Da ge, you're awake?!" he asked. 

Meng Gui nodded. "I thought you and Ah Si-ge are…" xiao San's voice trailed off and he looked at Shang He standing behind Meng Gui. 

Meng Gui's face instantly flushed red while Shang He snickered. Meng Gui's eyes narrowed and he turned to glare at Shang He. "Xiao San." He called as he turned to xiao San. "I heard you used your money to feed the citizens of the Drunken Moon City?" he asked. 

Xiao San nodded. "It is, da ge." He answered. "I asked the righteous cultivators if they have a way to uproot Ma Wen's people that are remaining hiding in our midst. They have a treasure called the Mirror of Truth, so we used it." He explained and gave Meng Gui the account of what happened earlier. "But…" he turned to Wu Yuan. 

"No one was found." Wu Yuan spoke. 

The smiles on their face disappeared. "How can this be…" Meng Gui muttered. He trusts the righteous cultivators that they won't trick them, so they will offer to them to use their treasures. They wouldn't dare let them use something shoddy. 

So, the problem lies on the people they tested and not on the instrument. 

Xiao San saw Meng Gui's troubled face and he spoke. "Don't worry, da ge. The righteous cultivators have another method to present." He told him. 

"What method?" Shang He asked and he looked at Wu Yuan. 

But, Wu Yuan didn't answer. Before they could speak, they saw Fei Yin came out of his room, together with Cheng Sheng. None of them were surprised of Cheng Sheng's wakening, since xiao San has already told them that he gave them the antidote. 

"Poisoning." Cheng Sheng spoke as an answer to Shang He's question. 

"What?!" they all exclaimed as they stared at Cheng Sheng in horror, as if he is a monster. 

"Are you really a righteous cultivator?!" one of Shang He's subordinates asked as he looked at Cheng Sheng. His eyes are filled with disbelief. 

"I am." Cheng Sheng calmly replied. 

"Then, how could you poison them?!" another one asked. 

Fei Yin frowned when he saw the hostile gazes of the demonic cultivators on Cheng Sheng. "Are you misunderstanding something?" he asked. 

"'misunderstanding'?" Meng Gui asked. After he and Shang He made up, he became sensitive to the word 'misunderstanding'. 

"Yes." Cheng Sheng nodded. 

"What could we misunderstand?" Shang He's subordinate wouldn't let go. "You yourself already said that you would poison them!" he pointed at Cheng Sheng. 

Shang He and Meng Gui looked at Cheng Sheng. 

"My shidi indeed has said that he would use poisoning." Fei Yin spoke. "But – " he looked at them. " – he would only poison a certain group of people." He explained. 

How can Meng Gui and Shang He not understand this? The 'certain group of people' Fei Yin is referring to are Ma Wen's people. Shang He's subordinates who hastily jumped to conclusion immediately flushed red in shame. 

"Sorry, bro, ah…" they apologized to Cheng Sheng. 

"It's fine." Cheng Sheng spoke. "My words are easily misunderstood." He said. 

They smiled in relief. They were about to laugh when Cheng Sheng spoke again. 

"More especially to those who are assuming." Cheng Sheng added. 

Meng Gui, Shang He, and the demonic cultivators. "…" what enmity do you have against us? 

Wu Yuan. "…" here the scum goes again… he thought, feeling tired. He now thinks that Cheng Sheng being asleep makes the world more peaceful, but when he is awake, it is less peaceful. Now, he missed the asleep Cheng Sheng. 

Fei Yin forced a smile while his brow twitched. Sheng ah… Wu Yuan and I have just finished befriending the demonic cultivators with painstaking efforts… but, just a few words from you and it easily broke. Have you slept so long or was it because of the poison that you forgot we are still in their territory? 

A long silence passed. Fortunately, Shang He and Meng Gui have dealt with a lot of people so they have seen ninety nine percent of people. Although Cheng Sheng is that remaining one percent, but their patience in dealing with those ninety nine percent of people made themselves hold back from murdering Cheng Sheng. 

"May we know how will you poison Ma Wen's people?" Meng Gui calmly asked. 

Everyone looked at Meng Gui with worship in their eyes. How great he is in managing to hold himself back! As expected of da ge! They thought. 

Cheng Sheng, after blowing off some steam, fortunately returned to his senses and spoke politely now. "I am a mage. I can concoct a Form Revealing powder for you to sprinkle on the food you'll feed them tomorrow." he answered.