The Scum Is A

A long silence fell.

"… you have arranged all these this far?" they asked as they looked at Cheng Sheng with a complicated expression.

Cheng Sheng nodded. "I apologize for acting such without all your permissions." He sincerely said as he looked at each one of them. Before they could speak, he continued. "It's not that I do not trust you all, nor I trust the Huakai Sect more. If I should have a bias, shouldn't I have arranged for my sect to take action instead of the Huakai Sect?" he asked them.

Xie Lan smiled, as well as Fan Wen and the others. "You know how cautious the enemies are, thus you acted behind the scenes to preempt their actions?" he asked.

"Yes.." Cheng Sheng nodded before he fell silent. "Until now, father, former sect leader Wu, elder Fei and elder Xi haven't caught any spirit servant again." His lips were pulled into a frown.

Their expressions changed. "You mean… the enemies are aware of our actions?" they asked.

Cheng Sheng nodded. "They must have already infiltrated the Zhongyang. And – " he spoke. " – since they have successfully infiltrated it, they have withdrawn the spirit servants. In short – " his brows knitted. " – they are one step ahead of us again." He told them.

They all sucked in a cold breath. None of what Cheng Sheng said looked good for them. Instead, it made their situation worse.

"Ah Sheng!" Chen Han called. "If the enemies are aware of our actions, then, shouldn't they target you?!" he asked as he grabbed Cheng Sheng's arm.

Everyone's eyes widened and they all nodded in agreement.

"I am aware of this the most." Cheng Sheng pulled his arm and then heaved a sigh. "But, can I stop now?" he asked them.

None of them answered.

"If I will stop, then that would put us to more disadvantage." Cheng Sheng told them. "Should I be selfish and sacrifice the entire Zhongyang just to save my life?" he added.

All of them fell silent.

Cheng Sheng frowned. "I, Cheng Sheng, had never been a coward." He spoke. "I won't resign to my fate. You all should know that the most!" he told them.

Of course they know. Even though Wu Ran has been targeting Cheng Sheng, but Cheng Sheng even reversed the table against Wu Ran by sacrificing his cultivation, feigning death, just to lower down his guard. They also know, for the past five years, Cheng Sheng never gave up on Fei Yin whom everyone thought was dead.

This is Cheng Sheng who would fight fate instead of resigning to it, no matter if his chances are slim.

"I didn't mean that…" Chen Han bit his lip as he lowered his head.

"I know, brother." Cheng Sheng nodded. "No matter how scum I am, either, I will never be a despicable person by using someone else's life in exchange of mine." He said.

They all nodded. They know this. No matter how irksome Cheng Sheng is, and his actions, but they are not low. They never violated the morals. They never harmed anyone's life, nor endangered them. Instead, they saved lives, making the ones saved feel suffocated because although they were saved, but Cheng Sheng's methods make them feel irritated.

"Let's not talk about me first." Cheng Sheng spoke.

Everyone. "…" is it not really that important?! Why do you feel like your life is like a mere object?! They thought.

Cheng Sheng acted as if he couldn't see their gazes. "We have the afternoon matches later. Now that you already know about my plan of turning the Zhongyang into a fortress, then you can freely dispatch your free disciples, or also yourselves, to guard the entire Zhongyang." He told them.

"Yes." They agreed.

"That's right… we don't have to worry about our sects back there. We have arrays to protect them to prevent the enemies from stepping into our territories." Li Nanzi spoke.

"That's right." The others agreed.

How can the Xinfaxian Sect not know of this? The arrays surrounding the sects are modeled from Cheng Sheng's arrays, since it was him to made them for them when he was travelling around the continent these past five years.

"So, we can leave our sects out of our worries for the meantime." Tang Teng spoke. "Our main priority right now is the Zhongyang, which were the enemies have their sight on, and – " he looked at Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng ignored him. "Yes. We have to turn Zhongyang into a fortress." He cut him off.

Tang Teng helplessly smiled. Li Nanzi and the other sect leaders patted his shoulder in comfort. They now are all aware that Cheng Sheng doesn't like the topic of protecting his life.

Chen Han clenched his fists, but he knows that his younger brother is obstinate. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "We'll dispatch our disciples and elders that came here in Zhongyang." He spoke.

"We, too." Sun Yu spoke. The other sect leaders also agreed.

"So many people wanted to protect Zhongyang… we can't lag behind, right?" Yu Wen nudged Ling Xi with his elbow.

"They are protecting Zhongyang by themselves because you are a trash sect leader!" Ling Xi frowned at him and punched him in the stomach.

"Ugh!" Yu Wen grunted in pain as he keeled over while holding his stomach.

"Uncle!" Ling Yun called as he ran towards him when he saw them.

"Yun-er. Why are you here?" Ling Xi asked Ling Yun as he turned.

"… you are fighting again…" Ling Yun helplessly sighed when he saw Yu Wen was holding his stomach.

"No. This isn't a fight. This is us flirting!" Yu Wen spoke which made Ling Xi hit him again.

"… anyway – " Ling Yun decided to ignore their 'flirting'. " – I have noticed something earlier in the arena." He spoke.

"What is it?" Li Nanzi, who were nearest to them, spoke. His voice was loud and the others also heard him so they also turned to them.

Ling Yun felt conscious with their stares, especially when Cheng Sheng also looked at him.

"Yun-er. Tell them." Ling Xi told his nephew.

"Did something happen during the last match?" Cheng Sheng asked as he walked towards Ling Yun.

Ling Yun nodded, before he shook his head. "During the last match, I sensed some strange presences. Unfortunately, I can't exactly locate them." He hung his head.

"You are already doing good. Continue remaining vigilant to your surroundings." Cheng Sheng told him. "You will be our eyes on the competition." He said.

"What about elder Cheng…" Ling Yun muttered.

"Something came up, so I can't be present on the competition. Tomorrow will be my last day watching." Cheng Sheng answered and turned to Chen Han.

Chen Han's eyes widened before he sadly smiled. He also felt relieved. This is Cheng Sheng's compromise.

"I see…" Ling Yun sighed.

Cheng Sheng patted his shoulder before he turned to Ling Xi and Yu Wen. "You have a good nephew. He has a bright future ahead of him, like the other disciples. So, we will defend the Zhongyang in order to protect not only their young lives, but also their budding dreams and their future ahead." He told them before he walked away.

"Xiao Sheng…" Fan Wen's eyes reddened.

"He has changed so much, and for the better, since he isn't thinking only for himself now." Li Tian spoke. "But why… why do I feel that I want him to return to his old self that is selfish?" his tears fell.

"He is still irksome, but I want him to be selfish and irksome and not selfless and irksome." Lei Qing said.

"Cheng-shixiong…" Lei Ling choked back a sob.

Yu Wen and Ling Xi also fell silent. Although Ling Yun doesn't understand anything, but from the atmosphere, he knows that something bad happened, and Cheng Sheng did something again to warrant everyone's melancholy.

"What happened?" Jing Rui asked as the Zunjingde Sect came out and saw everyone's expressions and noticed the atmosphere.

The Qianxu Sect is still inside and watching over Qian Lin while You Rou is checking Qian Lin's condition. Jing Cheng and Jing Bai are helping Jing Hei redressed his wounds inside.

"Ling Ling?" Jing Kang who came out with Jing Rui called when he saw that Lei Ling was silently crying. Who bullied him? He thought as he gently wiped Lei Ling's tears with his knuckles.

"We'll fill you and sect leader Qian in." Zheng Fu Gong spoke while Pai Lie followed behind him with a heavy expression.

Jing Rui returned inside the infirmary. Ling Xi told Ling Yun to go back since the afternoon matches are about to start.

"Say. Do we really not have to protect Cheng Sheng?" Li Nanzi asked with a sigh.

Everyone also heaved a sigh.

"Why do you think that Cheng Sheng has no protection himself?" Xi Ming, who had been silent the whole time with Xi Xing, Shu Mu and Xiao Le as they stood on the side and are watching, spoke.