The Scum Is A ***

Meanwhile, on Xie Lan's side. 

"Shifu…" Li Tian called out to Fan Wen who is giving him his qi after he had set up the first seal. He then glanced at Xie Lan who wore an arrogant look and fought the enemies, his sleeves billowing as if he is performing an elegant dance. 

"Don't worry about your founder." Fan Wen told Li Tian. "That old man that we met who told us about the Wuran Kingdom… he actually tried to kill us." He said, reminiscing the past. "He also has braided hair with beads at the tip, and used a curved sword. Lan fought with him, so, Lan knows how to deal with these demonic cultivators. They must be from the Wuran Kingdom." He explained. "Just concentrate." 

Li Tian nodded. "Yes, shifu." He answered as he closed his eyes and started to concentrate on placing the seals on the Ni Lai Gate.

Fan Wen smiled when he felt Li Tian's qi is becoming stronger. He withdrew his hand on Li Tian's shoulder before he raised his head. His and Xie Lan's gaze met. He drew his sword and joined the fight! 

Shashan Pass. 

Ming Ye, or Wu Ran, scowled when the demonic qi he shot at the barrier surrounding the Sand Sea Mountain rebounded and hit the area near their feet. "Tch!" he clicked his tongue in annoyance. He was confident that he could defeat Cheng Sheng, and so he thought he could break the barrier Cheng Sheng made. 

There's also an array in the Youxiwang Sect that was made by Cheng Sheng. Since he isn't familiar with the arrays, and that the array is beneficial to him because someone from the Xinfaxian Sect might deliver themselves to him to be killed, he didn't destroy the array. 

Now, he realized that he couldn't break even a barrier made by Cheng Sheng, that puny mage! If Cheng Sheng is just outside his barrier, he could kill him. However, even he, a strong demonic cultivator, couldn't break Cheng Sheng's barrier, so he couldn't enter and kill Cheng Sheng who is hiding inside his barrier. He should've known how calculative this puny mage is! 

"Your Majesty." His subordinate called and bowed. "What should we do next?" he asked. 

Wu Ran gnashed his teeth in anger. "Continue breaking that barrier!" he said. 

"Huh?" his subordinate was surprised. "There are other Ni Lai Gates – " he said. 

"It's too late!" Wu Ran said as he clenched his fists. It was too late for him to kill Cheng Sheng! He never expected for Cheng Sheng to be so fast! "The remaining Ni Lai Gates were now being sealed." He told him. 

"Then, we can interrupt them – " his subordinate said. 

"Are you stupid?!" Wu Ran asked. "

"Your Majesty, please enlighten me!" his subordinate said. 

"Even an ant can kill an elephant. What would happen if there are more of them?!" Wu Ran asked. "Although Xie Lan, Fan Wen, Jing Rui, Fei Lin and Xi Ling, individually, is weaker than me. But, what if they'll band together?!" he asked. 

His subordinate's eyes widened in shock. "Your Majesty…" 

Wu Ran flung his sleeves. "Furthermore, that creepy aura…" he muttered when he remembered an oppressive gaze watching him as they left the West Region. He could still feel his scalp becoming numb and all his hair stood on end. He is matchless with the owner of that gaze. The only one who could defeat that person is – His eyes narrowed. "Heilong emperor." He muttered. 

"Your Majesty, did you say something?" his subordinate asked. 

Wu Ran ignored him and sat back to his chair. "We'll stay here and block them!" he said. 

"Yes!" his subordinate answered.

"Also – " Wu Ran smiled evilly when he remembered something. He turned and looked at the cage where Chen Han is sitting inside. 

Chen Han's eyes are blank and his face looked bleak, just like the future of everyone that opposes him, Wu Ran. He still didn't kill Chen Han, not because of his sentiments as Chen Han's former shifu. But, because Chen Han still has some other use. 

He vows he would crush each and every one of them! 

  Heilong Realm. 

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan looked around the trees and immediately swatted the mosquitoes that flew towards them. The night is silent except from the hooting of the owl. 

"Sheng…" Fei Yin called Cheng Sheng. "Why are we in the forest?" he asked. "Why did we stop here?" 

Wu Yuan nodded as he lit up the fire. He looked at Cheng Sheng, waiting for his answer. 

Cheng Sheng slowly opened his eyes after he meditated. "One who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions." He said. 

"Huh?" Wu Yuan was confused. 

Fei Yin, however, immediately understood. "You think Bai Yun wants to harm us?" he said. 

Wu Yuan, after hearing Fei Yin's question, finally understood. "He is strange." He said. Even though he finds Bai Yun amiable, but Bai Yun is still a stranger, after all. There are naturally those who are wolf in sheep's clothing. Also, with the current situation the world is in now, they have to be more cautious. 

And between a kind stranger and a scum friend, naturally, Wu Yuan would trust Cheng Sheng more than Bai Yun's words. 

Cheng Sheng nodded. "He's really an ordinary person." He said as he fixed his sleeve. "However, where can you still find a rabbit in the pack of the wolves alive?" he asked. 

Fei Yin's expression changed while Wu Yuan fell silent. 

"Setting the demonic qi corrupting an ordinary person aside – " Cheng Sheng said. " – Bai Yun is acting high-profiled." He said as his expression sank. 

"'high-profiled'?" Wu Yuan asked. 

Cheng Sheng nodded. "His actions are deliberate." He said. 

Fei Yin, who has a tacit understanding with Cheng Sheng, spoke. "He purposefully wants us to suspect him?" he asked. 

Cheng Sheng nodded. "Yes." He answered. 

"Why?" Wu Yuan asked. 

"Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance but his intention was to kill Liu Bang." Cheng Sheng said. "He must have a plan, either to use us or use us and kill us after." He shook his head. "Whether he thinks we didn't notice his hidden intentions and continued to the town he spoke, or he expects us to notice and for us to detour. Either way, the decision is all in our hands." He explained. "Should we go to the city tomorrow to see?" he asked them.

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan looked at each other.

"Overcautiousness can also lead to our downfall." Cheng Sheng said.

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan fell into a deep contemplation, weighing the pros and cons. "Go to the town tomorrow." Wu Yuan spoke.

"I agree." Fei Yin said. "Although we don't know what is Bai Yun's intention, but we might miss something if we won't go." He explained.

"Alright." Cheng Sheng nodded. "I want to ask for your opinion for two reasons – " he said as he raised his index finger. "One: I am not an arrogant and narrow-minded person. Two – " he said as he raised another finger. " – I want you to make a decision, too, since this also involves you." He explained as he looked at Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan nodded, seeming satisfied with Cheng Sheng's decision. After all, he is also a proud person, though not excessively.

Fei Yin smiled. "Sheng." He called. "You actually made a right decision about us staying in the forest tonight." He said.

"Huh? Why?" Cheng Sheng asked.

"Going into an unfamiliar place at night… it looks ominous." Fei Yin answered.

Wu Yuan nodded in agreement. "We might be suddenly attacked." He said.

Cheng Sheng realized it now. At first, he only thought of avoiding going to town. They can rest anyplace else. However, he didn't know they might have saved their lives tonight. One should be prepared to be attacked anytime, anywhere. But, that doesn't mean they would plunge headfirst to the battle even if they are prepared. That's utter foolishness, especially when they are in Heilong – the enemy's land.

"En." Cheng Sheng nodded.

"Let's eat!" Fei Yin said when he saw that their dinner was already cooked.

Wu Yuan. "…" when did he start to cook?! Wasn't I just starting the fire earlier? I didn't notice at all!

Cheng Sheng. "…" da shixiong's getting more and more proficient in cooking…

Huilong Continent, East Region, Xinfaxian Sect.

"What?! Are you crazy?!" Xi Ming said when he slipped out of the Shanliangde Sect and went to the Xinfaxian Sect, only to hear Tang Zhe talking about going to the West Region.

Tang Zhe turned to him, his gaze firm. "Youxiwang Sect was lost. Now that Wu Ran is going to the Southmost Region, he will be preoccupied with them." He said. "We have to reclaim the West Region from the hands of the demonic cultivator. So that, when everyone returns, at least we could give them a good news as a repayment for them risking their life to save the continent." He explained.

"I'm going South." Shu Mu spoke.

"Mu-ge!" Xiao Le cried.

Shu Mu turned to him. "I have to find my fellow disciples I left there… even if their corpse was the only thing left of them." He said.