The Scum Is A

"This is…?!" Chen Han and the others exclaimed when they saw xiao Bao who looked like Cheng Sheng. "AH SHENG?!?!" he cried as he squatted before xiao Bao.

"C-Cheng-shidi?!" Li Tian, Feng Mo and Lei Qing exclaimed.

"Cheng-shixiong…?" Lei Ling, You Rou and Xiao Le stared at xiao Bao with widened eyes.

"Cheng… Cheng Sheng…?" Jing Cheng, Jing Kang, Jing Bai, Tang Zhe, Xi Ming and the others were also shocked… and frightened.

"Could it be that something happened to Cheng Sheng?!" Shu Mu's eyes narrowed.

"An enemy?!" Kang Ce looked around as he held the hilt of his sword.

"It can't be…!" Sun Yi gasped while Wu Yuan pulled him beside him in a protective stance.

"My shizun… something happened to my shizun?!" it was Fei Yinzi.

"Er Zi…" Li Tian and the others turned to look at Fei Yinzi with reddened eyes. "Cheng-shidi… Cheng-shidi has…" they said and everyone turned to look at xiao Bao whose face is stiff.

"N – no way! Cheng-shibo?!" Wen Wen exclaimed.

"What?! Elder Cheng… elder Cheng has… turned into a…!" Ling Yun covered his mouth in shock.

"What happened?" Fei Luo asked as they, on the back, tried to look at the front but was blocked by the elders of their respective sects.

"Cheng Sheng? What happened to Cheng Sheng?!" Zheng Fu Gong and Pai Lie asked in panic.

"What? Something happened to Cheng Sheng?!" Tang Teng asked as he and Li Nanzi tried to pull their grand disciple back so they can look at the front.

"What happened to Cheng Sheng?!" Sun Yu asked and frowned. They can't afford it if something happened to Cheng Sheng! "Are there enemies around?! Where are the Chen patriarch, former sect leader Wu? Sect leader Xie should also be here." He said. "Sun Rong! What the hell, this is your inn! Where are you?! Come out this instant for your uncle and explain why this happened to Cheng Sheng!" he yelled.

Everyone fell silent and looked at Sun Yu who has a big frown on his face. "…" so scary! Sect leader is actually this domineering?! They thought, shocked.

Sun Rong who is inside the Yunxiao Inn shivered when he heard his uncle's tyrannical voice. "As expected, even just his voice can give me a nightmare…" he wryly smiled. "My dear Qie, please hug me tight tonight~" he said and kissed Qie Shi's cheek.

Qie Shi chuckled. "Alright." he agreed.

Meanwhile, xiao Bao who heard Sun Rong's and Qie Shi's retreating footsteps. "…" you escape while you leave me here?! He thought with dark lines on his face. This is Sun Rong's idea, for him to 'greet' everyone after Cheng Sheng, who manages him, went back to his room.

"Ah Sheng?" Chen Han called. "Why aren't you saying anything?" he worriedly asked.

Xiao Bao inwardly cried while tried to keep his stiff smile. "H – hello… master Chen Han." He called and coughed to clear his throat. "I am not master Cheng Sheng. I am called 'xiao Bao', my master's, Fei Yin, spirit servant." He explained and gave them a bow.

"… 'spirit servant'?!" they exclaimed.

Xiao Bao nodded. "I am here under master Sun Rong's order to welcome you." He said, not hesitating to sell Sun Rong. "Master Xie Lan, master Fan Wen and the others will personally explain everything to you, including my existence." He told them.

Chen Han's body is still shaking from fright when he thought that something happened to Cheng Sheng. "… so you're not Ah Sheng?" he asked.

"I am not." Xiao Bao answered and immediately changed his face to the second face Fei Yin gave him.

Seeing that his face changed, everyone immediately sighed in relief. "Since he is not, then Cheng Sheng must be safe. Let's go inside." Zheng Fu Gong spoke.

"Yes." Everyone agreed.

Xiao Bao stepped aside and let them all enter. Since Cheng Sheng left him here outside, then he must be acquiescing on letting him 'play'.

"Sun Rong told you to 'welcome' us?" Sun Yu asked when he and the Shanliangde Sect elders and disciples passed.

Xiao Bao could feel the same qi from Sun Yu like Sun Rong's. "Yes, sect leader Sun." He answered and bowed.

"… good." Sun Yu smiled as he picked xiao Bao up.

Sun Ri grinned while the other disciples and elders secretly shivered in fear, lighting candles for Sun Rong.

Xiao Bao was carried away by Sun Yu and was placed down before Xie Lan, Fan Wen, Chen Jing and the others. He immediately fixed his clothes and hair before he ran towards Chen Jing and Chen Jing and Chen Han helped him tidied his hair. Fei Lin, on the other hand, fixed the wrinkle on his sleeve while Xi Ling pasted a Cleaning Talisman on his spotless clean clothes.

The other sects who saw their doting behavior on xiao Bao. "…" let them be. They thought in defeat. Since xiao Bao can look like young Cheng Sheng and is also Fei Yin's spirit servant, they can understand these people's behavior.

They can't dote anymore on Fei Yin and Cheng Sheng who are adults, so they can only dote on xiao Bao.

"Ehem. So, this child is a spirit servant?" Sun Yu directly asked after the Yunxiao Inn's servants led the disciples, who didn't hear anything earlier at the entrance since they are following behind, away.

"Yes. Precisely – " Xie Lan spoke. " – he is a sword spirit." He told them.

"… 'sword spirit'?" the newcomers asked.

…

"So that's how it is…" Tang Zhe sighed after Fan Wen led them to Cheng Sheng's room to give the Spirit Tracing bells for Cheng Sheng to adjust its functions.

"I really thought that it was Cheng-shidi…" Li Tian bit his lip.

Feng Mo nodded. "So, that's why Bai Bai disappeared… because there isn't enough spiritual energy?" he asked and looked at his jade pendant on his waist.

"Then, we can also invoke our sword spirits if we desire it, and have enough spiritual energy while following the method?" Jing Cheng said.

"That's it." Fan Wen nodded. "… you didn't take xiao Bao with you?" he asked when he didn't saw the sword spirit.

"Sect leader Sun need him to confront Sun Rong later. For the meantime, Chen Han and the others are doting on him." Wu Yuan explained.

Everyone. "…" lighting up candles for Sun Rong… they thought, though they are laughing in schadenfreude.

…

Of course, Sun Yu isn't really that serious. He just wanted to scare Sun Rong. So, xiao Bao returned to Cheng Sheng's side while the sect leaders and elders, after finished discussing about sword spirits and spirit servants, finally went to the celebratory feast to congratulate their disciples for passing the elimination round and tell them to rest or train tomorrow, whatever they liked.

Everyone is happy, except for Fei Yinzi who was neglected by his master again.

"… shizun is really busy?" Fei Yinzi asked as he sat beside Fan Wen.

Fan Wen nodded. "Xiao Sheng is refining spiritual tools to catch evil spirit servants who wanted to harm the citizens. Fei Lin and xiao Ling are there to help him with the spiritual energy needed." He explained.

Fei Yinzi sighed and forced a smile.

"Er Zi…" Fan Wen called, know that Fei Yinzi feels downcast. "Xiao Sheng told me to tell you, 'congratulations', and he wanted me to give this to you." He said as he took out a spiritual tool. "… what's wrong?" he asked when he didn't see Fei Yinzi smiled. Instead, he looked gloomier.

"I – " Fei Yinzi spoke before he took a deep breath. In the end, he took the spiritual tool that looked like an earring. "Thank you, Fan-shigong." He said and forced a smile.

Fan Wen wanted to say something when Xie Lan spoke. "If you are unhappy, just say it." He said and looked at Fei Yinzi who froze. "There is no harm in telling how you feel. Instead, it's better if you let it all out." He told him.

Fei Yinzi's eyes widened before his eyes reddened. "… I just want to see shizun." He answered as he lowered his head to hide the tears in his eyes. "Did I do something wrong? Does he really hate me?" he asked. His voice sounds broken.

"Er Zi…" Fan Wen called. But, he is afraid that the others might notice so he took him outside. Xie Lan followed after a minute. "Er Zi, I know that I may sound biased but xiao Sheng doesn't really hate you. He really has some things to do to save the people…" he explained before he paused. "Of course, I'm not saying that you are unreasonable, but…" he bit his lip. "It's just you miss each other, so this happens." He sighed.

"… I know that shizun has more important things to do." Fei Yinzi's tears finally fell. "But… but… I just… I just want to see him. Even just once!" he said as he looked at them.

"Then, go look at me now." A voice spoke from behind them.. It is Cheng Sheng.