The Scum Is A ***

It was already late in the night, and the surrounding is very dark. It was a moonless and starless night, giving no light to enlighten the way for the people under this vast and dark sky.

In the ruins of the Fenghua Palace, only the campfire is the source of light. They didn't use their night pearls to reserve them when they finally enter the underground palace where the Spring of Retribution is located.

Suddenly, they heard a soft flapping of wings. They turned to where the sound is coming from and saw a flying paper man coming their way.

Jing Kang raised his hand caught the flying paper man in between his fingers. "… I've found Jing Hei and second young master Qian." He said.

After they heard from Zheng Fu Gong that they, the contestants, will be sent in random places when they enter the secret realm, he had pasted a paper talisman to his cousins before they were sent to the secret realm in order to locate them.

It was the paper man he used to locate them.

"Really?!" Feng Mo said and glanced at the flying paper man before he stared at Jing Kang in awe.

Although he lacked in aptitude in alchemy, that doesn't mean he wasn't interested in the area. Added to the fact that it looked cool, it is very useful in situations like this.

"That's a great news, Ah Kang!" Jing Bai said, his face is bright and he widely grinned. It was obvious he is overjoyed with his twin brother being found, as well as Qian Lin.

"Congratulations to your sect." Xi Ming said and smiled at the Zunjingde Sect. With Jing Hei and Qian Lin now located, the Zunjingde Sect can regroup.

"Thank you." Jing Cheng nodded. Although his face looked serious, but his eyes showed relief and joy. Disregarding his familial relationship with Jing Hei, he felt responsible to each of the member of his group. He wouldn't let them be alone, much less feel alone.

"What's wrong, fourth young master Jing?" Chen Han asked when he saw Jing Kang's expression looked strange. Shouldn't he feel happy since his cousin and their friend was now found? Why is his expression perplexed?

Yu Sheng, who was taking a nap while leaning on a broken wall, looking cool and masculine, opened one of his eyes to look at them. Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin were already sleeping near him, as well as Li Tian and Sun Yi.

"Ah Kang, what's wrong?" Jing Bai, who heard what Chen Han said, asked when he turned to Jing Kang. "Did something happen to Ah Hei and Qian Lin?" he added. His face registered nervousness and anxiety, and his eyes were filled with fear. He felt his heart was clawed out of his chest just thinking something happened to his twin brother Jing Hei.

The same is true with Qian Lin. Although Qian Lin voluntarily joined them in the fourth stage of the competition because of a personal reason, but that doesn't mean they would not care for him, nor have less responsibility towards him.

In fact, it was the opposite. They feel even more responsible to Qian Lin. Not because Qian Lin is from another sect and they feared that the Qianxu Sect would retaliate against them if Qian Lin was put in danger. It was all because they treat Qian Lin as one of their own people. Qian Lin is their childhood friend, and the feelings among them are deep. Well, not as deep as the feelings between Qian Lin and Jing Hei.

The reason why it was only at this time did they – more precisely, Jing Kang, looked for Jing Hei and Qian Lin is because they have been too busy earlier dealing against the enemies – the impostors, to keep their life. Or else, how would they find Jing Hei and Qian Lin and help them survive if they died?

Them, the Zunjingde Sect were still awake very late at night was because they had Jing Kang look for Jing Hei and Qian Lin. In short, they cannot sleep even a wink because they were very worried for their two members. Meanwhile, Chen Han and Feng Mo, as two from the largest group – Xinfaxian Sect and Youxiwang Sect, aka Cheng Sheng's group, among the contestants, volunteered for a night vigil while Xi Ming also volunteered from the Shanliangde Sect's side.

"No…" Jing Kang answered, but his lips were pursed. He stopped talking.

What kind of 'happening'… he thinks it isn't right to say nothing happened to Jing Hei and Qian Lin, since there really is. Something happened between them, but it isn't a dangerous one. More precisely, it is a passionate one. That passionate scene was what the paper man saw and heard.

Just thinking of it made Jing Kang feel embarrassed, but also frustrated. He felt embarrassed since he felt like he had peeked at the two; frustrated since the two still have time to be amorous. Also, he felt wronged. He had just witness a live adulterated scene through the paper talisman. If not for the purpose to find his cousin and their friend, he would rather not send a paper talisman just to witness that adulterated scene.

Xi Ming's eyes narrowed when he thought of something. "Did the impostors come back?" he asked.

This isn't impossible, because the probability is not low since beasts and other monsters are more active at night than the day since the darkness helps them weaken their prey by lowering their sense of sight, thus lessening their ability to protect themselves.

"No." Jing Kang answered as he already regained his calm and fixed his expression. "There were no impostors. I haven't 'seen' them on the way while searching for Jing Kang and Qian Lin." he said as he raised the paper man which lost its vitality after consuming the spiritual energy imbued by Jing Kang to it. "Maybe they only appear during the day." he said.

"Hmm…" they all muttered as they pondered. "Present during the day, but gone during the night… why is that?" they asked as they looked at each other, searching for some clues in each other's face in case someone revealed his thoughts.

However, they don't need to do this, since someone answered their question.

"They must have another condition to appear, aside from embodying our perception of each other." It was none other than Cheng Sheng. "In that case, they might either borrow the energy from the sun to 'solidify' their body, or…" he said as he fixed his sitting posture.

"'or'?" they asked as they turned to him.

"Or, they can only be seen during the day." Cheng Sheng said. "It was because of the light." He told them.

They just stared at him, waiting for more explanation from him.

"Because of the light, everything it reaches can be seen. However, there are also things that can only be seen during the day." Cheng Sheng said. Seeing their blank expression, he helplessly sighed. "The ghosts can only be seen in the night since the night can reveal them by exposing their transparent 'body'. Because of the transparent color, the dark background made one notice it. However, if changed to the light background of the day, the ghost can't be seen at all since its transparent color would blend with the background." He explained.

"Ah!" Xi Ming explained. "So, you mean, it was because of the trick of the light that's why the impostors can be seen?" he said.

Cheng Sheng nodded. "That can only be it." he said and yawned.

Chen Han felt his heart hurt seeing his younger brother's sleepy face. "Ah Sheng. You don't have to wake up just to explain something for us." He told him.

"No…" Cheng Sheng muttered and was about to say he didn't wake up for them, but he held back his words. "Okay. I'll resume sleeping." He said.

"Yes. Good night." Chen Han said.

"Sleep well, Cheng-shidi." Feng Mo told him.

"Good night." Xi Ming said.

Seeing Cheng Sheng fell back asleep, they lowered their voice. "How are Ah Hei and Qian Lin?" Jing Cheng asked Jing Kang.

"Jing Hei and Qian Lin are fine, and safe." Jing Kang answered.

Jing Bai heaved a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Jing Cheng still wanted to ask Jing Kang what did his previous expression meant. However, seeing Jing Kang was evading, that he didn't want to answer, thus he didn't pursue the matter.

He turned to Chen Han and Xi Ming. "We'll go to Ah Hei and Qian Lin." He told them. Jing Bai immediately prepared for them to leave while Jing Kang didn't need to move since he's always dressed up.

"I'll go with you." Xi Ming said.

"No. You have to look after your brothers." Jing Cheng told him and glanced at Xi Xing whose head is resting on Xi Ming's lap.

Xi Ming didn't persuade him. "How about me?" Chen Han asked.

"No. The night is still long, so the three of you have to shift with the night vigil." Jing Cheng said. "Furthermore, we don't know what more dangers will come at us. So, the more the people to keep watch, the better." He explained.

Chen Han nodded and Feng Mo, who's about to volunteer, has to step down. However, unexpectedly, Yu Sheng who was silently listening to them with his one eye open spoke. "I'll go with you." He told them.

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