The Scum Is A ***

"CHENG SHENG!" they exclaimed as they rose from their seat. Their eyes are wide in horror as they stared at Cheng Sheng's face as if he's the greatest enemy.

Right now… indeed, he is.

"What is he trying to do?!" Li Nanzi asked as he nervously looked at Xie Lan. "Is he finally going to incapacitate his opponents to secure their rank?" he asked. With Cheng Sheng's skills, it is very possible.

"What are you trying to imply, sect leader Li?" Xie Lan asked.

"The descendants of our sect are no cowards." Wu Yuan said.

Li Nanzi's face reddened in shame. He spoke in the spur of the moment. "That's not…" he said.

But, they knew it was. Remembering how Cheng Sheng saved Shan Lu's life, if he can make a tonic, he can definitely make a poison. Is he going to poison their food? They thought as they anxiously watched what's happening inside the secret realm.

Inside the secret realm.

"Who was it? I'm really hungry now…" Jing Hei said as they ran through the bushes and trees inside the forest.

"Whoever it is, they sure are luxurious." Qian Lin said and grimaced when his stomach growled.

Everyone was like a spent arrow after widening the gap of their scores. That included the Alliance's disciples who were catching up to their speed to count their scores. No one was left to look for their food, nor cook it. Added to the fact that any of them could barely cook…

"Huh? Wait – " Jing Hei said as he suddenly stopped. "We're all exhausted to catch up to the highest score. That goes the same way with the Shanliangde Sect and the Huakai Sect." he said. "The only ones left who can cook…" his voice trailed off.

"And are filled with energy after they rested…" Jing Bai said.

"The Xinfaxian Sect and the Youxiwang Sect." Jing Kang said. "Cheng Sheng's group." He said.

"…" the name is like the thunder from the highest heavens that rang in their ears. Should we go back? They thought.

However, it was too late since two groups arrived at the same time. They all looked at each other. "…" could it be - ? they thought when they saw each other before they looked at the direction where the fragrant aroma of the food is coming from.

They say, a moment of hesitation will lead you to your demise. A bit of inattention will push you to a pit!

"Huh? Someone's out there." They heard a very familiar voice spoke beyond the trees that separate them from the other group.

"Who?" someone asked.

"Can't be sure." The very familiar person answered. "Shu Mu. Lend me the Cleansing Stone. I'll look at the map." He said.

"An enemy?" Shu Mu asked.

"Let's hope they're not." They heard Cheng Sheng answered. "I'm still hungry." he said when they saw many colorful lights gathered near their area.

"Aren't they…?" Xiao Le said as they all turned to them.

"What are you doing there? Stop hiding and come out!" Chen Han said. His voice laced with anger.

They can't hide from the Cleansing Stone like what happened to Jie Mei. Unless, you enter a forbidden area like what Wu Xi did.

"We went here when we smelled food." Xi Ming answered. His voice is gentle like the flowing water, thus the tension in the air suddenly lessened.

"Food?" Sun Yi said and looked at their food. Then, he paused before he turned to them, glaring at them in anger. "Are you hiding to ambush us then rob our food?" he asked, his voice rose.

Their eyes widened in shock. "T-that's not it!" Tang Zhe answered. "We just arrived, so we hadn't prepared ourselves to greet you…" he explained.

"We are here to ask for food." Xi Xing honestly answered.

"'ask for food'?" Yu Sheng said. "Now that's really degrading yourselves. You aren't beggars, right? Why would we give you our food?" he asked as he smirked at them.

"Yu-ge…" Li Tian called and sighed to appease them. He turned to the three groups that arrived and apologetically smiled. "Sorry. Everyone is tired, and are on edge since…" he said and looked at the Cleansing Stone in Zheng Yi's neck before he looked away.

"…" they knew Li Tian meant the rankings. The atmosphere turned tense again. Here they are, stealing the ranks of the group but then suddenly begged them for food. Just how shameless are they? They thought as their face started to turn beet red.

Cheng Sheng's eyes sharpened and he suddenly raised his fingers. Jing Kang's eyes widened and he, Guo Cheng and Fu An are about to stop him but Cheng Sheng is faster! "Jail Array!" Cheng Sheng yelled and suddenly, the three starving groups were imprisoned.

"Cheng Sheng! What do you mean by this?!" Kang Ce asked as he tried to kick the array.

"We can't blame you for taking the top ten ranks, since this is a competition." Cheng Sheng said. His voice is calm. "We were careless. However, you can't blame us for not lowering our guard towards you. Who knows when will you all suddenly attack our group?" he said. "Even if you're exhausted, but you still outnumber us. This is just a precaution. I will release you later when we leave this place." He told them before he turned his back on them and he and his group resumed eating.

"Cheng Sheng!" they called him, but Cheng Sheng pasted a Silencing Talisman in their cage. He will not hear them, but they will hear Cheng Sheng and his group.

"Don't try to use the excuse that you will hunt for food since we won't give you a share." Cheng Sheng said as he faced them. "Also, you're all exhausted and used up all your strength just to reach us. Going out now means serving yourselves as foods instead to the walking corpses. So, this can be called as 'preventing foolishness'." He told them and pointed at the Jail Array with his finger. 

"…" them who called Cheng Sheng's group earlier as 'fools' now being called 'fools' in their face by Cheng Sheng himself. This is the karma for talking behind people's back.

Cheng Sheng looked at them before he flashed them a kind smile that's filled with sympathy. "You should be thankful of me, instead." He told them before he went back and resumed eating.

"…" his words don't match his actions.

Outside the secret realm, everyone. "…" somehow, this is the most pitiful they have seen of the contestants.

"See?" Xie Lan said and flashed the same kind smile at Fei Huang. "My disciple is a pacifist – " he told them.

Like hell!!!! The sect leaders thought and peeked at Fei Huang's expression as dark as the storm.

Zheng Fu Gong and the Alliance's elders felt speechless as they watched how the Xinfaxian Sect and Youxiwang Sect ate with relish while the other contestants looked so pathetic inside the Jail Array while hungrily looking at the foods and angrily looking at Cheng Sheng's group.

It's as Xie Lan had said. Never underestimate Cheng Sheng. "This is torture." Su Yuan said, his expression serious as they watched the Zunjingde Sect, the Shanliangde Sect and the Huakai Sect tried to break open the Jail Array, only to fail since they are at their weakest after killing the walking corpses all day. They also must have used up all of their magic pills and potions to decrease the gap of their scores and to become the first in the ranking list.

"After physically tiring them today, they've finally reached their limit." Qi Ling said. "With the continuous stress they experienced the past days, this must be the result Cheng Sheng wanted." He said.

"Psychological stress." Jing Xian said and watched the three groups weakly lying inside the array. "Cheng Sheng is now testing their spirit." He added. For a starving person to be made to watch a person eating with gusto in front of them… it's truly maddening.

"Will they develop a heart demon?" Su Yuan asked.

"If they will, we will make Cheng Sheng cough out each magic pills he has." Jing Xian said through his gritted teeth.

"He only has half the blame if it happens." Qi Ling said.

"Hey. This is to test the tenacity of the contestants. Not to give them the blame." Pai Lie told them. Su Yuan just shrugged while Jing Xian and Qi Ling just looked away.

"The contestants aren't that weak to be done in by a mere hunger." Zheng Fu Gong said. "It would be unbefitting for them as disciples from the big sects." He added.

Jing Rui nodded. Fei Huang scoffed. Qian Shan chuckled. Tang Teng just sighed while Li Nanzi frowned. They were about to agree to Zheng Fu Gong's words when they heard Cheng Sheng suddenly spoke.

"Are you that hungry?" Cheng Sheng asked as he turned to them. He removed the Silencing Talisman for them to be heard. "Are you hungry?" he asked them again.

They all nodded. They're too weak to manage an answer. They thought Cheng Sheng's innate kindness came out, only to see him suddenly smile at them.

"…" everyone who saw it. Not good. They thought. Here he comes again – the devil!