The Scum Is A

"'to fulfill what he lacks'?" Jing Kang, Lei Ling and You Rou asked. Then, they suddenly remembered the man that Cheng Sheng found, who is the owner of the mother carnivorous worm.

The man's eyes are sunken and his face pale… in the end, the man's eyes were gun, and so is his tongue, and brain… his skull became empty… so, the man wanted his targets to replace his eyes, his brain… etc.?!

Their faces turned green in disgust and alternated to pale because of horror. They can't help but cover their mouths to prevent themselves from vomiting. "Ugh…" they grunted and felt their stomach churn in disgust. Fortunately, they haven't eaten their breakfast yet.

"I should also add – " Cheng Sheng spoke as he watched their faces turned green and pale with his eyes shining in amusement. " – how did that man has his skull emptied?" he asked with a smile. He didn't wait for them to react nor answer. "It's because he also has a carnivorous worm inside his brain. Only – " his eyes turned into crescents. " – this worm would eat the mother carnivorous worm while the 'father' carnivorous worm would provide their owner what the mother carnivorous worm has eaten, thus filling their owner what their owner lacks." He explained. "But, unfortunately for him, he failed in his task and thus he has his own eyes, brain, tongue, etc. eaten instead. That is the punishment of the worms." He told them.

A long and deafening silence fell as horror with a mix of disgust can be seen in Jing Kang's, Lei Ling's and You Rou's faces.

"Oh? Xiao Sheng. Thankfully you are still here. So you aren't escaping anymore?" Xie Lan teased when he saw Cheng Sheng as he and Fan Wen approached him.

"Huh? Xiao Kang, xiao Ling and xiao Rou are also here." Fan Wen spoke when he saw the other three. "It's so early in the morning… fortunately, xiao Ling and xiao Rou have returned." He smild. "But… why do they look like that?" he asked when he saw their expressions.

"Founder. Shifu." Cheng Sheng smiled as he greeted them.

"Oh? Xiao Sheng, you seem to be in a good mood?" Xie Lan asked when he saw the other is smiling brightly. Obviously, he looks so happy.

Xie Lan and Fan Wen can't help but smile and feel warm and relieved. When was the last time that they saw Cheng Sheng smile, and this happy? They looked at each other and saw relief in each other's eyes.

"Yes." Cheng Sheng nodded. He saw that Jing Kang, Lei Ling and You Rou has finally recovered from their shock but they still felt uncomfortable. Seeing their reactions, he resumed talking to Xie Lan. "Founder. Shifu. Have you two eaten breakfast yet?" he asked them.

"Aiyo, xiao Sheng is finally being considerate?" Fan Wen asked, looking touched.

"Yes, well…" Cheng Sheng glanced at the three and the three froze.

They want to tell Xie Lan and Fan Wen but they still feel terrified of what they heard. They also saw Cheng Sheng's sharp gaze, telling them to not breathe a word. How could they? They thought and shivered in horror.

"What's wrong with them?" Xie Lan asked. He finally noticed that there is something off with the three people.

"Well, founder…" Cheng Sheng grinned.

Xie Lan's eyes flashed. Seeing Cheng Sheng grinning, he immediately pulled Fan Wen back who exclaimed, startled. He is very familiar with that grin! It reeks of evil! How can he not know it? Cheng Sheng is grinning that way every time he wanted to pit them! And Xie Lan has experienced being pitted by Cheng Sheng countless times!

"What… what's wrong?" Fan Wen asked, confused.

But, it was too late for Xie Lan as Cheng Sheng spoke everything that he told the three to Fan Wen and Xie Lan. It was said that cultivators are very amazing since even if one spoke very fast, but they can still discern, even the minor details, of what the other has spoken. They can even bring up an image of what was said.

So, it was only a matter of few minutes before Xie Lan's and Fan Wen's faces to also turn green.

"… fortunately, we still haven't eaten our breakfast…" Xie Lan spoke with the color of his face alternating between white and green while Fan Wen dry heaved on the side. He felt that Fan Wen looked pitiful and he rubbed the other's back to comfort him. "Xiao Sheng… you're insidious!" he said as he gnashed his teeth while he glared at Cheng Sheng who just laughed at him.

"How… how is the investigation now?" Fan Wen asked as he ate a magic pill which regained the color of his face. But, his eyes still showed his discomfort.

"Oh. Where was I?" Cheng Sheng muttered while Xie Lan and Fan Wen joined them.

Jing Kang, Lei Ling and You Rou moved their seats and You Rou uncontrollably trembled in fear as she sat beside Cheng Sheng. Waaah… Cheng-shixiong is really scary QAQ even the things he tells us are also scary! She thought.

"The… the father carnivorous worm inside the owner of the mother carnivorous worm." Jing Kang answered and coughed to regain his composure.

Cheng Sheng nodded and threw an appreciative gaze at Jing Kang.

(Jing Kang: I don't need your appreciation! Never! I just want you to spare me and Ling Ling of your horror stories!)

"These carnivorous worms are called 'Shi Chong' or 'Eating Worm'." Cheng Sheng spoke. "This worm originated from a tribe in the south. They raise these carnivorous worms, but for medical purposes." He said.

"'medical purposes'?!" they exclaimed and thought that it was ridiculous.

Cheng Sheng nodded. "Everyone has their own ways in healing people." He spoke.

Nobody spoke.

Cheng Sheng heaved a sigh before he continued. "These worms are a pair – a father and a mother worm." He spoke. "The father worm will be places on the patient's head while the children worm from the mother worm will be placed inside the benefactor's head." He said.

"'benefactor'?" they asked.

"The Eating Worms' purpose, as I've said, is to give what the other is lacking." Cheng Sheng spoke. "The mother worm is the carrier of the children worms who will parasitize the benefactor. After they grew, indicating their success in their task – that is, their benefactor's death, the mother worm will eat them." He said. "Then, the owner of the Eating Worms who is being parasitized by the father worm will retrieve the mother worm, have the father worm eat it and then the father worm will finally give the patient what the mother worm ate. Then, the father worm inside the patient's head will die, and later, be expelled from the patient's body." He finished.

Everyone's faces twisted in disgust. They are more disgusted than horrified. "But, the eyes and the brain… the size of the worms…" they spoke.

Cheng Sheng blinked. He knows what they wanted to say. "Oh, that. The Eating Worms' stomachs has a space inside." He answered.

Their faces couldn't be any more colorful.

"But… the 'benefactors'… why would they do this when they know they will die…?" Lei Ling asked.

"Who knows? Maybe it's for their family, or that they were forced?" Cheng Sheng shrugged.

Silence fell.

"Xiao Sheng. How did you know this?" Xie Lan asked.

"I investigated." Cheng Sheng answered. "I asked the family about the person they offended and they said that they once passed by a tribe on their way." He answered.

Everyone felt a chill on their spine. This is why you shouldn't offend whoever it was – even a beggar! They thought. The family is very lucky that they met Cheng Sheng, or else…

"But, how did that man own these Eating Worms?" Jing Kang asked, puzzled. "Does he know the tribe? And that family?" he said.

The corners of Cheng Sheng's lips curled up. "And this is what's interesting." He said as he looked at them. "Clearly, it was someone from the tribe that the family has offended. So, where did this man come from? How did he have the Eating Worms? And – " he said as he sipped his drink. " – why is he targeting that family?" he asked.

A long silence fell. They looked at Cheng Sheng, waiting for him to continue.

Cheng Sheng didn't hang them in suspense. "So, I had the family take me to the tribe. Who knows what we have seen when we arrive?" his eyes curved into crescents. "The whole tribe is dead." He told them.

Their eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" they exclaimed. "'dead'…" they muttered.

"And what's more interesting is that… they didn't die because of the worms." Cheng Sheng added.

Their jaws dropped in shock. "What…?!" they sucked in a sharp breath.

Cheng Sheng nodded. "So, I directed my investigation to the man who died and asked the family if they recognize him." He spoke. "But, the family doesn't recognize him." He told them.