The Scum Is A

"You said 'bodies', and also said 'corpses'…" Xi Ming muttered. "There should be a difference between these two, right?" he asked.

Cheng Sheng's lips curled up. "Yes." he answered as he walked on the roof and looked down below the venue where Ling Yun was finally fighting against his opponent. "I think that there should be a difference between the alive master and the dead master of the contract." He said.

"What could it be?" they asked.

"I still have yet to find out, after we catch them." Cheng Sheng shrugged.

"A living body and a dead one…" Shu Mu muttered.. "Cheng Sheng, could it be, something would appear or disappear depending on their state of being alive or dead?" he asked.

Cheng Sheng's eyes narrowed in mirth. "You really guessed." He said.

Shu Mu's brow twitched in annoyance. "You want to hide this even from us?" he asked, doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Cheng Sheng helplessly sighed. "I just don't want for you all too know too much…" he said.

"Don't you think it's too late for us?" Xi Ming smiled. "You didn't want your family and fellow disciples to help you because you don't want them to get involved with this too much." He spoke. "But, you had your father and former sect leader Wu involved since you know that they definitely are harder to deal with against Chen Han and the others." He explained. "What I wanted to say is – " he looked at Cheng Sheng. " – because the two of them have been through life and death before." He said, referring to Chen Jing and Wu Fan disappearing before in the Southmost Region five years ago. "As for elder Fei and elder Xi – "

"You speak too much." Cheng Sheng cut him off and looked away, avoiding his gaze as well as of the others'. "When one makes a contract with the other, either both, or just one of them should bear the mark of it." He spoke, changing the topic.

Xi Ming, Xi Xing, Shu Mu and Xiao Le also know that Cheng Sheng doesn't usually talk about his family so they didn't speak much about it. They listened carefully instead of what he is about to say of the spirit servants contract.

"But, what if the other is a spirit?" Cheng Sheng asked. "Thus, only the living could bear the mark." he continued. "Also, because the spirit is in a disadvantageous position because of its state, thus it will become the servant rather than the living one. And because it was already the servant, only the master would then carry the mark." He explained. "This mark… it's supposed to signify their authority in the contract between them." He said.

They all sharply inhaled when they heard this. "So, that's why they dared let us have the spirit servants' corpses…" they muttered in realization. "Because the spirit servants' corpses are useless." They said.

Cheng Sheng nodded and suddenly thought of something. He looked at them four, then smiled. "I also have another reason for thinking this." He told them. Since these four people are very hardworking as his helpers, he decided to tell them some information he found out lately.

"What is it?" they asked, didn't think much about it.

Cheng Sheng's eyes narrowed into crescents. "Because I saw it." He answered.

The four of them blanked out for a moment before their eyes widened in shock and they gaped at him. "What?!" they exclaimed. He saw it?! When?! Where?! They thought.

Cheng Sheng chuckled. "I can't tell you this, though." He spoke.

Their expressions changed. "You…" they muttered before they grunted in frustration.

Cheng Sheng finally can't hold back his laughter. Then, his gaze fell on two figures in the venue – Wu Tie and Jin Yu.

Jin Yu looked up and met Cheng Sheng's gaze. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Cheng Sheng but Cheng Sheng is indifferent and retracted his gaze before he turned back to Xi Ming, Xi Xing, Shu Mu and Xiao Le and told them they're going back.

Xi Ming and Shu Mu are complaining. But, Xi Xing pacified Xi Ming and Xi Ming stopped since Xi Ming is good-tempered. Xiao Le also decided to help his idol Cheng Sheng thus Shu Mu felt stifled in anger and kissed Xiao Le out of frustration. But, after that, he really shut up.

It was Xiao Le's turn to be in between laughing and crying since he was the one who lost the most with this.

…

"Congratulations!" everyone greeted Ling Yun when Yu Wen booked the Yunxiao Inn for them to have a feast because of Ling Yun winning the match.

Ling Xi was grinning widely because of this and he showed that he was proud of his nephew.

"Elder Cheng." Ling Yun called when he came to Cheng Sheng who was playing with stones again on the side while Fei Yinzi and the other Xinfaxian Sect members are eating but also placing dishes on Cheng Sheng's bowl, urging him to eat rather than play.

"Yes?" Cheng Sheng answered.

"Thank you for earlier." Ling Yun spoke and bowed. If not for Cheng Sheng reminding him to focus, he knows that he definitely would lose because he was distracted.

Cheng Sheng shook his head. "I actually should be thanking you." He spoke. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't notice something is amiss earlier." He smiled. "So, you should have more confidence in yourself. If I didn't see you looking distracted earlier, I wouldn't found out about the enemy." He told him.

Ling Yun's cheeks flushed and he lowered his head, feeling shy. "Y – yes… thank you, elder Cheng." He muttered.

"Why are you thanking me again?" Cheng Sheng tilted his head. "Never mind. Let's drop this, or there won't be end to this." He sighed. "Anyway, congratulations to your victory earlier." He told him.

Ling Yun nodded, uttered an excuse to them all before he returned to his uncle's side, beaming.

Fei Yinzi felt sour in his heart and he looked at his master with grievance in his eyes. "Shizun…" he called.

"What?" Cheng Sheng asked as he finally decided to eat. "Also, you've been calling me 'shizun' lately. Have you forgotten to call me 'shifu'?" he asked.

Fei Yinzi pursed his lips.

"What? You're dissatisfied?" Cheng Sheng asked. "I should be, if you won't perform well later. I'll cut your head off of your neck!" he told him before he ignored his disciple and started eating.

Everyone who heard what he said touched and rubbed their necks when they felt it cold. Meanwhile, the Xinfaxian Sect members felt distressed for Fei Yinzi for having an irresponsible master who only knows how to threat his disciple. The Xinfaxian Sect disciples patted his back to comfort him.

"You don't need to be so exaggerated with your punishment to Er Zi!" Li Tian scolded Cheng Sheng when he saw that Fei Yinzi's eyes turned red.

"Who said that I am exaggerating?" Cheng Sheng asked.

They all gasped and gaped at him. "You aren't?!" they exclaimed and now felt indignant for Fei Yinzi. This master is too much! He's too overbearing towards his disciple! Poor Er Zi! They thought and frowned.

Although Cheng Sheng knows what they are thinking, but will he care? No! He doesn't even care for his disciple, much less to his reputation. So, why should he care for what others are thinking of him? He only has one life, so he naturally should do whatever he wanted. Also, what others think will pass over a period of time.

That's how fickle humans are. Cheng Sheng knows this since he is one – a human, and fickle.

After all the disciples left first and headed to the venue for the afternoon's event, Cheng Sheng spoke when it was only the sect leaders and elders are left in the Yunxiao Inn. "We failed to capture the enemies earlier." He said.

Silence fell and they all waited for him to continue.

"Connecting what happened this morning to what happened last night to the He Shun, the enemies are starting to target the disciples, considering that they have now gone to the venue of the Intersect Competition." Cheng Sheng spoke. "They must want to procure people and turn them against us by being spies." He said.

Everyone sharply inhaled.

He Run's face paled when the idea of his son He Shun being kidnapped, and even would be brainwashed to become a spy of the enemies. He clutched his chest and took another Quick Acting Heart Pills to stabilize his breathing and made his heart calm down when it suddenly sped up beating.

"Everyone should speed up in training their disciples. Do it during their breaks. This is very important." Zheng Fu Gong spoke.

"Yes." everyone agreed. Who would want to lose their people and make them add to the enemy's number instead? Their weakening will make the enemy stronger and they should stop this from happening.

They can't afford to lose and their peace be taken away from them!