The Scum Is A

Intersect Competition, third day. Rest day.

"What do you mean I sold you out?!" Xie Lan said after Cheng Sheng accused him for last night. He rose from his seat.

"Didn't you?!" Cheng Sheng said and also rose from his seat. "You even bragged about me!" he said.

"Can't I brag about my disciple?" Xie Lan asked back.

"That's right. Sheng-er, I'm also proud of you – " Chen Jing said.

"Drop it! I don't want to hear it!" Cheng Sheng squatted on the floor, turned his back on them and covered his ears and closed his eyes.

"… for a scum, he's surprisingly thin-skinned." Lei Qing said as they watched Chen Jing and Xie Lan fawn all over Cheng Sheng who kept dodging them. The inn is owned by Sun Yi's elder brother and it was emptied for the Youxiwang Sect and Xinfaxian Sect. The Shanliangde Sect are staying in another inn also owned by Sun Yi's elder brother, but they were being charged.

"Alright. Dropping this farce… let's talk about serious business." Xie Lan said after they had their fill1.

"… I can't believe them…" Feng Mo face-palmed, a suspicious tear hanging in the corner of his eyes. Li Tian just patted his shoulder to comfort him, then he joined Lei Ling and You Rou as they all sat around the table.

"Founder, you really came here and left shifu." Cheng Sheng said.

Xie Lan frowned. "I don't want to. I'd rather be with Wen than with you brats." He told them.

"Then, why did you come here?" You Rou asked.

Xie Lan pointed Chen Jing. "Same reason with him." He answered.

"What is it?" Chen Han asked as he faced Chen Jing. He was really surprised Chen Jing came.

Chen Jing poured his cup with tea. "Sect leader Fei asked me to come." He answered.

"… eh?" they said.

"Uncle summoned you two?" Fei Yin rephrased their words for the others to catch up. "Why?" he asked.

"Shouldn't you directly ask your uncle – " a voice said behind them. " – Xiao Yin?" Fei Huang said.

Fei Yin immediately rose from his seat and was about to fly to the second floor when Fei Huang caught his shoulder and pinned him on the table. The table on his side cracked. "Da shixiong!" the Xinfaxian Sect disciples exclaimed. Sun Yi sweated while Chen Han's eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets. However, Xie Lan, Wu Yuan and Chen Jing, their expression didn't change.

"Children who ran away from home should be punished." Fei Huang said and released Fei Yin whose forehead bled.

"Da shixiong!" Cheng Sheng and the others called. Cheng Sheng immediately fed him a pill.

Fei Huang looked at Cheng Sheng. "Don't you dare." Chen Jing told Fei Huang, seeming to know Fei Huang wanted to punish Cheng Sheng, too. "Our affection is more important than his punishment." Chen Jing added.

"Tolerance." Fei Huang said and sat at the other end of the table. "I summoned you two because I found out the demonic cultivators will be making a big movement." He said.

"Shouldn't the Alliance…" Chen Jing said before his voice trailed off.

Xie Lan raised his head. "You think there's a traitor." He said.

Fei Huang nodded. "Yeah." He answered.

"… you should be discussing it without us here…" Fei Yin, who regained consciousness, said.

"That's why I'm saying this because you're here." Fei Huang said before his gaze turned to Cheng Sheng. "You've attracted too much attention last night." He said. "Be careful." He told him.

"Is it elder Pai?" Cheng Sheng asked. Pai Lie was too enthusiastic last night.

"We can't carelessly guess." Fei Huang said.

"Should we tell sect leader Jing and sect leader Qian?" Xie Lan asked.

"Zunjingde Sect is out of the question." Fei Huang said. "They're just neighbors with the Righteous Alliance. If the enemy would notice their sudden change, they'll just be alerted." He explained.

"What about Qian Shan?" Chen Jing asked.

"We do not know where his loyalty lies." Fei Huang answered and sighed. "The forest is his kingdom. Beyond the forest… he might just be like a lost child." He said.

"What do we do?" Sun Yi asked. "If the enemy realizes Cheng-shidi's value…" he said and looked at Cheng Sheng.

"We can't lose hope." Xie Lan said. "Maybe it's because of the Spiritual Awakening Method, but Xiao Sheng can sense the demonic cultivators." he said.

"Is that true?" Fei Huang asked.

"Yeah." Cheng Sheng answered. "There's one behind you." He said.

They were stunned. They immediately turned, only to see Cheng Sheng's neck was suddenly caught. Fei Yin's sword was raised and pointed at the person holding Cheng Sheng by the neck while Xie Lan, Chen Jing, Wu Yuan, Sun Yi and Chen Han were on alert. The Xinfaxian Sect was ashamed for being so powerless against the enemy.

"Mu Jun!" Fei Huang's eyes narrowed as he looked at the man.

"Don't worry." Cheng Sheng spoke. "If he's an enemy, he would have already snapped my neck before any of you can move." He said, his face deadly calm as he raised it and pinched Mu Jun's hand on his neck. "Wasn't it from him you heard about the demonic cultivators' movements?" he asked Fei Huang.

Fei Huang didn't answer, but they could guess. "Kid…" Mu Jun grinned as he withdrew his hands on Cheng Sheng's neck. They didn't see any bruise on Cheng Sheng's neck. On the contrary, Mu Jun's palms were burned!

"What hap… pened…?" Feng Mo asked when they saw Mu Jun's palms are still smoking.

"Spiritual Awakening Method: Body Configuration." Cheng Sheng spoke. "I increased the temperature of my body." He said. "I can also lower it." He added.

"Ah Sheng!" Chen Han called. "You're experimenting using your body!" he said, anger in his voice.

"Then who do I use this to?" Cheng Sheng asked back. "I only have my body to experiment with. That said – " he said and looked at Mu Jun's burnt palms. " – would you also like to try your hands being… froz… en. Ugh." He groaned as his body fell on the floor when his head became dizzy.

"Ah Sheng!"

"Xiao Sheng!"

"Sheng-er!"

"Cheng-shidi!"

"Cheng-shixiong!"

… I forgot. With my temperature increased, I'd become like a person who has a fever. Cheng Sheng embarrassingly thought before he lost his consciousness.