The Scum Is A

"Cheers." Cheng Sheng spoke as he raised his cup to Sun Rong before he down his drink.

Sun Rong just shook his head and adjusted the sleeping Qie Shi in his arms. Fei Lin and Xi Ling just left. Xi Ming and Xi Xing, as well as Shu Mu and Xiao Le must be already sleeping in their rooms now.

"Thank you for the map." He spoke, referring to the map that Qie Shi gave him before.

Cheng Sheng dropped by the Yunxiao Inn earlier to return the map that they have updated before he went to the Righteous Alliance with Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Shu Mu, Xiao Le, Xi Ming and Xi Xing who can be trusted and would never spill the beans no matter what they have seen or heard from their trip to the Abyss that lasted for five months.

"No problem." Cheng Sheng spoke, clearly drunk.

Sun Rong helplessly sighed seeing his appearance. "Won't you still not come out?" he called out.

"Geez, elder brother." Sun Yi spoke as he and Chen Han come out of their hiding. Chen Han immediately caught Cheng Sheng who fainted while Sun Yi glared at Sun Rong. "Why did you make him drunk?" he asked his older brother.

"It was his own choice." Sun Rong answered and looked at Wu Yuan who arrived and nodded at them before he draped a blanket on Sun Yi's shoulder.

"They are already there." Wu Yuan spoke.

Silence fell. Sun Rong chuckled after and picked up Qie Shi. "Then, I'll leave it in your hands." He said and then left to sleep.

Chen Han, Wu Yuan and Sun Yi looked at each other before Chen Han picked up the unconscious Cheng Sheng. Then, they went to Cheng Sheng's room to meet with their elders.

…

"Damn it… we didn't notice it because we were too busy with the battle against Wu Ran…" Xie Lan sighed. "And also…" his voice stopped.

Nobody spoke. They all know that because they were also hurt of what happened to Fei Yin, they didn't bother with his corpse.

"But… how did this happen?" Chen Jing asked as they looked at Fei Yin's corpse lying on the bed. "It… it looked like that he is really still alive." He said.

Wu Fan's eyes narrowed. Thinking about it, no one really touched Fei Yin's corpse aside from Cheng Sheng before. If they didn't know of Cheng Sheng's character, they would think that Cheng Sheng has been plotting about this for a long time. But, why would Cheng Sheng harm Fei Yin, making him seem dead but his 'corpse' isn't actually a corpse? So, they know that Cheng Sheng couldn't have done this.

"Right… that's right…" Fan Wen spoke when he remembered something. "Wasn't it only xiao Sheng who have seen how xiao Yin died?" he asked. "We also didn't ask him about the details of xiao Yin's death out of consideration of his feelings, so we didn't know how exactly xiao Yin died…" his voice faded.

Silence fell once again.

"Then… is Fei Yin actually still alive?" Chen Jing asked the question that has been bugging them ever since earlier when they received Fei Lin's message about finding Fei Yin's 'corpse'. "But, he isn't breathing..." he said when he looked at Fei Yin's chest that isn't moving. 

They all turned to look at Fei Yin's 'corpse'. Now that they look at it more closely, aside from being paler in complexion, Fei Yin actually looked like he was just sleeping.

The door opened and Wu Yuan, Sun Yi and Chen Han came inside with Chen Han carrying Cheng Sheng. "Hm? What's wrong?" Chen Han asked when they saw the elders are looking at Cheng Sheng.

Xie Lan, Fan Wen, Chen Jing and Wu Fan. "…" did Cheng Sheng already foresee that they would ask him about Fei Yin's situation so he passed himself out drunk? They thought as their faces darkened.

Xie Lan coughed. He looked at Chen Han. "That time…" he spoke. "That time when you struck xiao Sheng… did you see how xiao Yin is at that time?" he asked him.

Chen Han gently placed Cheng Sheng down on a couch. "Answering sect leader Xie... I only saw Fei Yin lying on the ground." He spoke.

Silence fell. Wu Yuan and Sun Yi finally noticed the strangeness. "… da shixiong only saw junior Fei lying on the ground?" Sun Yi asked.

Chen Han nodded. "Yes. He wasn't bleeding, so he didn't have injuries, right?" he said and looked at Fei Yin's 'corpse'.

That strangeness increased. "That's right…" Wu Yuan muttered. "Fei Yin wasn't injured… only Cheng Sheng." He spoke.

Realization dawned on everyone. That's right. When they arrived, they only saw Chen Han stabbed Cheng Sheng while Fei Yin's body was lying on the ground. They were too distracted at that time to notice anything and only thought that Fei Yin is dead and Cheng Sheng is about to die. They were also occupied with the battle to check Fei Yin's 'corpse', and everyone was grieving to even touch Fei Yin's 'corpse'. It was only Cheng Sheng who woke up later that moved Fei Yin's 'corpse' inside the cabin of the Millennium Ship.

The whole point is that they assumed that Fei Yin is dead. Who would bother to check with a 'corpse' when there is a battle ongoing that will determine the fate of the world? They also are wholly focused on Cheng Sheng after, since Cheng Sheng still has the possibility to live, and also that he was a vital asset to them. Fei Yin is already 'dead', so what should they do to him aside to grieve for him?

"… he is still alive." Wu Yuan spoke as he looked at the elders. "Then, what really happened back then?" he asked. "If he is still alive, why is he not waking up?" he added.

No one spoke, since no one knows the answer. Even if they would wake Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Shu Mu, Xiao Le, Xi Ming and Xi Xing now, they doubt that they would know the answer. Why? Because their instinct tells them that Cheng Sheng is the only one who knows the answer. As for why he wouldn't tell the six people who went with him in the Abyss going through life and death, it is because they respect Cheng Sheng's decision and know that this matter is now between Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin. They also trust Cheng Sheng, since they know that if it was necessary, then Cheng Sheng would definitely tell them.

So, when Cheng Sheng didn't tell them anything, they didn't ask him and just left to relax and take some rest after in the Yunxiao Inn. They also didn't show themselves to the people since they don't see the need.

Xie Lan, Fan Wen, Chen Jing and Wu Fan looked at each other. They don't dare touch Fei Yin right now. Not because they are afraid, but because of some strange feeling. Wu Yuan, Sun Yi and Chen Han didn't make any move, either, seeing that their elders didn't move.

"Did Sun Rong say anything?" Chen Jing asked Sun Yi.

Sun Yi shook his head. "I guess he also doesn't know anything. He wouldn't lie to me, no matter what." He answered.

They fell silent. They also know how much Sun Rong loves his younger brother.

"Then, Qie Shi…" they all looked at each other.

"Qie Shi was drunk…" Chen Han spoke when he realized it. "Damn it." He cursed.

Cheng Sheng knows that Sun Rong can't lie to Sun Yi and expected that Sun Yi would ask Sun Rong so Cheng Sheng didn't tell Sun Rong anything and only told Qie Shi. Qie Shi, like Cheng Sheng, also expected that they would interrogate him so he drunk himself to oblivion.

"… shall we wait for tomorrow, then?" Xie Lan suggested as they all looked at Cheng Sheng. Although he said earlier that they should wake up Cheng Sheng, but they don't have the heart to do it after knowing how much Cheng Sheng has been through.

They were about to answer in agreement when they heard a knock on the door. Chen Han went and opened it and they saw Sun Rong.

"Ge!" Sun Yi called.

Sun Rong smiled and patted Sun Yi's head. "I know that you want to ask me." He spoke. "Cheng Sheng must have already expected this, too." He glanced at the sleeping Cheng Sheng. "So, everything that I know must be safe for me to tell you. Or else, he wouldn't have told me all these otherwise." He laughed.

Everyone. "…" that's indeed Cheng Sheng's style. They thought and helplessly smiled.

"This started six months ago, when Shu Mu and Xiao Le arrived and gave us… that." Sun Rong pointed at Xie Lan's tassel by his waistband.

Their eyes widened in shock.

"The Nanshu Sect found Fei Yin's sword tassel from one of the demons they killed." Sun Rong continued. "Qie Shi then sent a message to Cheng Sheng about this." He looked at them. "It was then that Cheng Sheng started his plan." He told them.