The Scum Is A ***

Secret realm, Feng Hua Palace.

"Elder brother." Cheng Sheng called as he woke Chen Han. "Are you alright?" he asked when he saw Chen Han finally came to. However, he didn't expect for Chen Han to suddenly hug him fiercely. "… elder brother?" he called. 

"Ah Sheng. Don't leave me again." Chen Han called. 

Cheng Sheng was surprised, but he didn't argue. He nodded and patted Chen Han's head. "I won't." he told him. He was about to stand when Chen Han grabbed his arm. "…" this brocon is so sticky! "I won't leave you. But, we have to find the others." He told him. "Li-shixiong, too." He added. 

As expected, mentioning Li Tian has worked. "Ah Tian!" Chen Han exclaimed and finally loosened his hold of Cheng Sheng. 

Cheng Sheng sighed in relief at Chen Han's insecurity. He turned to Gong Xian. "Hey. You alright?" he called. 

"Yeah…" Gong Xian coughed as he held his stomach where Chen Han had kicked him earlier. He felt like he has been kicked by a horse. "Thanks for your help." He told Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng just patted his shoulder. "We have to find the others and regroup." He said. "There's no time to fight amongst ourselves. This secret realm is strange." He told them. 

"Yes." Chen Han answered. Gong Xian nodded, too. 

"After we regroup, let's find the Cleansing Stone immediately." Cheng Sheng said as he frowned. "I have a bad feeling…" he muttered as he held his chest. His heart is thumping wildly. "Let's go!" he told them. 

They mounted their sword and flew away.

"So… are you calm now?" Yu Sheng asked as he looked at Fei Yin. 

Fei Yin's face is dark. "Yeah." He answered. When he arrived in the secret realm, he felt his head being muddled. All in his mind is Cheng Sheng. Fortunately, Cheng Sheng's impostor didn't appear for some reason, thus, Cheng Sheng didn't have to suffer any injuries. "Is this Sheng's world?" he asked. 

"Yes." Yu Sheng honestly answered. "The reason why any of His Highness and I's impostors didn't appear is because this world still recognizes us." He explained. They can freely speak now since they're out of the Cleansing Stone's monitoring, and Kang Ce – who is carried by him, is unconscious due to blood loss. 

"Can you… tell be about Sheng?" Fei Yin asked. "And his world." He added. 

Yu Sheng looked at Fei Yin before he began telling him Cheng Sheng's past. "His Highness was born with the three gods' blessings." He said. "His Highness' mother can't bear a child so they prayed for Hui Shen. Hui Shen blessed His Highness' life. Bai Shen blessed His Highness strength. And Hei Shen blessed His Highness his protection for His Highness to be away from harm. But – " he frowned. " – everything changed when His Highness' royal uncle killed His Highness' parents." He said. 

"Who is he?" Fei Yin asked. 

"Cheng Shu – " Yu Sheng answered. " – the current king of Bailong." He said. 

Back to the Righteous Alliance, Zheng Fu Gong walked towards Su Yuan and Pai Lie who are hugging the Cleansing stone while panting. "Go and hide the Cleansing Stone." He told them after they killed a wave of demonic cultivators.

Pai Lie gritted his teeth. "The capital's barrier has been tampered with." He told Zheng Fu Gong. "That's how they slipped inside the capital!" he added and hatefully glared at the demonic cultivators. 

"Only someone who's very familiar with arrays can do that." Su Yuan said. 

"There's only Cheng Sheng who knows about arrays!" Pai Lie said. 

"Then…" Su Yuan said. 

"Don't you dare start accusing my disciple again!" Xie Lan is mad. 

Su Yuan turned to him. "But, it's after he cut off their communication from us did the demonic cultivators appeared." he explained. 

Xie Lan's face is dark. "You ungrateful - !" he said but Wu Yuan cut him off. 

"I understand you're only being rational." Wu Yuan said as he faced Su Yuan. "However, I hope you would be responsible for your accusations after we proved Cheng Sheng is innocent." He told him before he turned to the Xinfaxian Sect disciples glaring at the Alliance elders. 

"Founder." Lei Qing called. "I'm so done with them. Let's go back to Xinfaxian." She told Xie Lan. 

"We will when your shixiongs return." Xie Lan answered as he, Wu Yuan and the Xinfaxian Sect disciples left.

Zheng Fu Gong, Pai Lie and Su Yuan who saw no one was left to protect the Alliance's headquarters. "…" 

Zheng Fu Gong and Pai Lie glared at Su Yuan. "Elder Su." They called. 

Su Yuan closed his eyes. "I'm only…" he said and sighed. "Everything is too coincidental." He explained. 

Pai Lie frowned. "It isn't that difficult to guess." He said. "Everyone knows Cheng Sheng is smart thus he would figure out the secret realm's tricks. Then, they waited for him to move before they would coincide their evil plans to frame Cheng Sheng. This is what they expected for us to do – doubt Cheng Sheng!" he yelled at Su Yuan. 

Su Yuan's face twisted in guilt. "… damn it." He cursed. 

Zheng Fu Gong sighed. "It's alright. The words still haven't gotten out. Only the Xinfaxian Sect and the Youxiwang Sect knows we're doubting Cheng Sheng. We can clear up the misunderstanding with them later." He told the two. "You two hide the Cleansing Stone. I'll stop them from here." He said. 

"Yes!" Su Yuan and Pai Lie said. "Zheng Yi!" they exclaimed when they saw Zheng Yi appeared. 

Zheng Fu Gong's eyes narrowed and he immediately turned. "Look out!" he cried as he pushed Pai Lie and Su Yuan to the side after Zheng Yi threw a spell at them. "Zheng Yi!" he called. 

"Grand… father…" Zheng Yi called. "I'm… sor… ry…" he gnashed his teeth as he held his head. "Run… we're… being… controlled – " he told them as he fell on his knees. 

"Zheng Yi!" Zheng Fu Gong called. 

"RUN!" Zheng Yi said as he threw a spell at Zheng Fu Gong again. "He's controlling our mind!" he added as he held his head when he felt it's going to split. 

"Who?!" Zheng Fu Gong asked. 

"It's… look out!" Zheng Yi pushed Zheng Fu Gong when he saw Su Yuan attacked Zheng Fu Gong from behind. 

"Elder Su!" Pai Lie cried when he saw Su Yuan collapsed while holding his head. "Elder Su!" he called again. 

"Damn… it…" Su Yuan cursed. "We have… to get out… of the Alliance!" he told them when he saw the Alliance's disciples walking towards them. "They're all under control!" he added and pulled Pai Lie. 

Zheng Fu Gong and Zheng Yi weren't idle, either. Zheng Fu Gong took the Cleansing Stone and they rushed outside the Alliance. Their disciples are following behind them. 

Cheng Shu watched the chaotic capital from the roof of a building. "Beautiful!" he exclaimed. The beggar Taoist beside him just nodded. "This should be what a 'celebration' looks like!" he added as he looked at the people below. Colored clothes from the sects against the black clothes of the demonic cultivators! "Cheng Sheng can't act glorious again by saving them… if he can come back!" he laughed. 

The beggar Taoist didn't answer and just remained silent when he saw Zheng Fu Gong, and Pai Lie were running away from Su Yuan and Zheng Yi who became controlled again. 

"Elder Zheng!" a Zunjingde Sect disciple exclaimed when he saw Zheng Fu Gong and Pai Lie running towards them. His eyes widened when he saw Su Yuan and Zheng Yi, together with the other Alliance's disciples, were attacking them as they chased them! "Elder Zheng and elder Pai are attacked!" he yelled. 

"What?!" The Zunjingde Sect disciples exclaimed. "Help them!" they said as they blocked Su Yuan and Zheng Yi's way, together with the Alliance's disciples while Zheng Fu Gong and Pai Lie passed through. 

"Where can we go to?!" Pai Lie asked as he prepared to teleport themselves. 

Zheng Fu Gong coldly sweated when he felt the pain in his head. He closed his eyes tight as he tried to block the order that entered his mind. "Pai Lie." He called. "Later, I will also be controlled. You can't since your arrays are protecting your mind." He said. 

"Elder Zheng…" Pai Lie called as his tears formed in his eyes. 

"Only you can protect the Cleansing Stone." Zheng Fu Gong told him. "It's still seven days we have to wait for the contestants to come back. We have to hold on for seven days. Not only are we suffering, but also them." He said as he handed the Cleansing Stone to Pai Lie. "Find Xie Lan." He told him. "His Xinfaxian is safe. If we can't hold on anymore, take everyone to Xinfaxian. Tell Xie Lan my message – " he said as he stopped when there's a demonic cultivator that blocked them. " – everyone has to hold on until the contestants come back. They are our only hope." He said as he pushed Pai Lie. 

Pai Lie who was thrown mid-air. "…" can't you warn me first, you geezer?! He thought as he teleported himself to the ground. He immediately ran to find Xie Lan.