The Scum Is A ***

Back in Zhongyang, the enthusiastic audience who, even though it was already night but they had their dinner on the spot just to watch the competition, saw the Xinfaxian Sect disciples, Zunjingde Sect disciples and Qianxu Sect disciples, after eating the magic pills from Fei Yinzi and regained their strength, jumped down the trees and attacked the wolves before skinning them to cook them.

"Aio, this is nostalgic…" someone from the audience can\'t help but say.

"What makes this nostalgic?" someone asked near him.

"Look. Five years ago during the Intersect Competition, when Cheng Sheng wanted to eat, he has his da shixiong Fei Yin cook for him." That person answered. "And Fei Yin\'s dishes are very delicious!" he said.

"Really?!" the others exclaimed in surprise.

"Really! The disciples from the other sects, who are now elders of their sects, Jing Cheng, Qian Lin, Tang Zhe and the others to name, also have tasted it!" that person said. "But, what\'s more surprising is when there was a time that Cheng Sheng cooked, and everyone almost forgot their names! That\'s how delicious the dishes Cheng Sheng cooked!" he said. His voice and expressions are very animated.

"Really?!" more people heard it and listened. "Then, who cooks better – Cheng Sheng or his da shixiong Fei Yin?!" they curiously and eagerly asked.

"Cheng Sheng, of course!" that person answered. His voice is filled with confidence.

"How do you know?!" the people asked.

"Because Fei Yin admitted defeat! He admitted that his shidi Cheng Sheng cooks better than him!" that person said.

"Isn\'t it because that he is in love with Cheng Sheng that he admitted defeat, relenting the best cook title to Cheng Sheng?" someone asked with a sly smile.

The others who also knew about Fei Yin\'s and Cheng Sheng\'s relationship had a knowing smile. The credits are given to Sun Yi, who published a book about Fei Yin and Cheng Sheng. Their names were changed, of course, but the story is already obvious.

"Well, it is also partly because of that." The person chuckled.

"Then, in this competition, which disciples can cook?" they asked as they watched the ongoing competition where the participants in all arenas momentarily made a truce to cook their dinner and to also rest.

"The mages are guaranteed to know how to cook!" somebody said.

"That isn\'t entirely true." Someone spoke. "Elder Li Tian of the Xinfaxian Sect doesn\'t know how! Chen Han is so pitiful. Fortunately, Li Tian is hardworking and his dishes have tasted better the past years!" he explained.

"That\'s true." Someone nodded.

"Well, Qian Lin also doesn\'t know how to cook!" someone added.

"Ah… it is expected for him not to know how to cook. He is still the second young master of the Qian family!" someone told him.

"Jing Hei is also pitiful. But since he loves Qian Lin so much, it\'s as if his stomach is made of iron since he still ate Qian Lin\'s dishes!" somebody said.

"That\'s true. This is true love!" they all agreed.

Fortunately for these people, Qian Lin wasn\'t here. Jing Hei, too, but Jing Hei would affirm their claims, that he loves Qian Lin and it is true love between them.

Jing Bai\'s lip twitched as he forced himself not to laugh while they all listened to these people\'s gossip. "Ah Hei ah…" he muttered and helplessly smiled. "No wonder he looks unwell every time I see him." He said.

Zheng Yi chuckled. "But that shows that he really loves Qian Lin." He said.

Jing Cheng\'s lip also twitched, but he only smiled. "Tomorrow. It will be our turn to patrol the Zhongyang." He said as he changed the subject.

"Yes." Jing Bai and Zheng Yi agreed.

"You don\'t need to force yourselves." Chen Han spoke. "We understand that you wanted to work hard since it is your responsibility to protect Zhongyang. But, everyone also wanted to help." He said. "Tomorrow will be the Huakai Sect\'s and Huli Sect\'s turn to patrol." He decided.

"Hey! Why is it us?!" Tang Zhe asked but Chen Han just whistled and looked away.

Everyone laughed, feeling nostalgic as they remembered the days when they also have interacted like this. Though, instead of Chen Han, it was always Cheng Sheng – the ringleader. And it is always the Huakai Sect, this unlucky people, who are always targeted by him. It must be due to Shan Lu, this man who has a physique that attracts bad luck.

Speaking of Cheng Sheng, he was forced to stay in the Yunxiao Inn again after he \'sneaked out\' today. While Xie Lan, Fan Wen, Sun Yi, Wu Yuan and Sun Yu, along with the Shanliangde Sect elders left to search for the Eating Worms and the spirit servants using the Visual Origin Talisman, Chen Jing, Wu Fan, Fei Lin and Xi Ling returned reporting the result of using the Spirit Tracing Talisman.

The Spirit Tracing Talisman is simpler than the Visual Origin Talisman that uses an array – the Five Elements Formation, and a spell. The Spirit Tracing Talisman only has a spell, which is a command, to locate what it perceived as a spiritual entity – for example, the ghosts and spirit servants. It is simpler to use because the spiritual entities are only made up of qi, which what made the talisman works, which made each other intimate through qi. So, it is easier for the talisman to locate the spiritual entities.

There is no problem with the duration of the talisman\'s function since they can repeatedly feed it with their qi. The only problem is the range. The problem doesn\'t lie with its maker, Cheng Sheng. The problem lies with the talisman since it is made of paper, which is vulnerable, easy to burn and tear. Thus, it limits the amount of qi that can be imbued on it.

"Hmm…" Cheng Sheng muttered as he pondered.

"How about we use jade?" Chen Jing suggested.

"Although it is sturdier than paper, but it easily breaks." Cheng Sheng answered.

"How about wood?" Xi Ling asked.

"I think it also isn\'t possible…" Cheng Sheng considered it.

"Copper?" Wu Fan spoke.

"It is thinner and smaller…" Cheng Sheng muttered as he pondered. "We also don\'t have spiritual tools to use to locate them…" he said when his voice suddenly trailed off.

"Sheng-er?" Chen Jing called.

Cheng Sheng\'s eyes widened when he realized something. "A spiritual tool!" he said as he abruptly rose from his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"A spiritual tool…" they muttered under their breath when they also considered this.

Cheng Sheng smiled. "I\'ll make a spiritual tool!" he decided.

"Hmm… what kind of spiritual tool?" Fei Lin curiously asked.

"Not jade." Cheng Sheng shook his head. "Also not wood." He spoke.

"Why not wood?" they asked.

"It can also break." Cheng Sheng answered as he took a deep breath. "Copper is possible. Although it will be thinner and smaller, but if I carefully thought about the spiritual tool\'s form…" he muttered.

Their eyes widened as they looked at Cheng Sheng in awe. Cheng Sheng is really a genius! They thought and looked at each other.

"As I\'ve said, copper is thinner and smaller… if it would be coins. So, copper coins are out of the question." Cheng Sheng spoke and looked outside the window, only to suddenly freeze when he saw something. "A bell…" he muttered.

"A bell?" they asked and followed his gaze.

"That\'s right. A bell! I can make a bell!" Cheng Sheng spoke with widened eyes.

"A bell… won\'t it make a noise and alert the spirit servant or the enemies?" Wu Fan asked.

Suddenly, they saw Cheng Sheng\'s lips curled up. "Not if the sound isn\'t on the bell." He answered.

"Huh? What does that mean?" they asked.

"I\'ll refine the tool and make the bell soundless no matter how many times its clapper hit its body." Cheng Sheng answered.

Their mouths became as round as their eyes when they realized it.

"But, a bell has to make a sound." Cheng Sheng continued. "Just that, the sound of the bell will be heard only by you." He said.

They were surprised. "Only us will hear the sound of the bell?" they asked.

Cheng Sheng nodded. "But… you will only hear the sound of the bell, since the bell will only ring, when you are near the target." He told them. "This way, you can locate the target, and you also won\'t alert the enemy or your target." He said.

"OH!" they exclaimed as they stared at him in awe.

"Sheng-er, it\'s brilliant! This is brilliant! You are brilliant!" Chen Jing said and hugged Cheng Sheng tight.

"AAAH! Cheng Sheng, you are really a genius!" Xi Ling said and can\'t help but hug Cheng Sheng\'s waist since Chen Jing is already hugging Cheng Sheng\'s shoulder.

Wu Fan smiled. "Should I literally hug your thigh?" he joked.

Cheng Sheng\'s lip twitched. "… your praise has been well-received." He told him. I didn\'t expect for former sect leader Jing to be able to crack a joke… he thought.