Afternoon.
"It's here! It's here!" the audience exclaimed when the afternoon has arrived. The afternoon signified the second round of voting for the small game that Chen Wu proposed to Fei Luo and Wu Tie.
The audience saw Chen Wu, Fei Luo and Wu Tie arrived at the entrance of the forbidden area again.
"Eh? Wait…" someone from the audience spoke. "Wasn't Wu Tie injured from his fight against xiao Ling and xiao Bao earlier?" he asked. "Why does he look like how he did earlier, without any wounds?" he said as he observed Wu Tie.
The others also looked at Wu Tie and also noticed it. The sect leaders, elders and Righteous Alliance also noticed it.
"A Substitute Talisman." Cheng Sheng answered for all of them.
"'Substitute Talisman'?" they asked with a puzzled expression. But, after a few seconds, their puzzled expression was replaced by an excited expression when they realized that this is Cheng Sheng's new invention again.
"A Substitute Talisman is used to create a 'body' for you, whichever appearance you want." Cheng Sheng spoke. "Of course, its real body is a talisman, and the 'body' the others could see is the virtual body. Thus, the Substitute Talisman can also be called a 'Virtual Talisman'." He explained.
Jing Kang, Lei Ling and Xiao Le are staring at him, obviously wanted to learn this talisman from him.
"Somewhat, they are like spirit servants. Just that, they don't have flesh. So, they work like an illusion spell." Cheng Sheng continued. "But, the difference between the Substitute Talisman and an illusion spell is that this Substitute Talisman can be upgraded to be tangible. You just need to inject more qi to it, as well as also to control it." He explained. "It would be like you are just there." He told them.
"So that's it!" they exclaimed in realization.
"When did they have this kind of talisman?" Jing Cheng asked.
"I gave it to xiao Bao through the Bai Tan and have xiao Bao give it to the one who fought them so that their small game would still be fair." Cheng Sheng answered.
Everyone. "…" so he is indulging Chen Wu's plan! They all thought. But, indeed, this continues the fairness of their small game.
If Wu Tie would have arrived wounded, then Chen Wu and Fei Luo would know that Wu Tie got the longest stick, and he played 'dirty' by seizing Chen Wu's turn to fight against xiao Bao and xiao Ling. even if Wu Tie would use medicines to heal his wounds, it would take a long time for his wounds to heal and the scars would disappear. He only got a short time. This is a loophole in Chen Wu's game! Thus, Cheng Sheng has decided to help Wu Tie find a solution to his predicament while covering up his nephew's, Chen Wu, mistake.
This is the love of an uncle!
"Ah Sheng. Who do you think will go next?" Chen Han asked. There are only remaining two people – Fei Luo and Wu Tie, albeit Wu Tie had already gone first.
As soon as this was asked, everyone turned to look at Cheng Sheng.
Cheng Sheng smiled. "How would I do? It is the participants who will decide this themselves, not me." He said.
Everyone. "…" well, they can't refute this.
"How about this? Everyone will make a bet." Cheng Sheng proposed. "After all, the second round of voting will be the last round." He explained.
Everyone pondered over it and think that it was reasonable. "Good!" they answered with a nod, agreeing to his proposal.
"Then, I bet – " Cheng Sheng spoke.
But, they all ruthlessly cut him off. "No! You can't bet!" it was Jing Hei.
"That's right, junior Cheng. You are lucky, and even without your luck, you have your brain to analyze the probability of the game." Sun Yi spoke.
Qian Tan nodded in agreement. "Almost all of them, he is right." He said.
Qian Lin laughed when they saw that Cheng Sheng's face soured.
"Is this okay? After all, it is him who proposed this…" Tang Yun said.
"Tang Zhe, are you joining?" Shu Mu asked.
Tang Zhe grimaced. "Our Huakai Sect won't join." He said.
Everyone roared in laughter. They know that the Huakai Sect has the worst of luck.
"I bet my fifty silver!" Kang Ce decisively said. "It will be Wu Tie!" he said.
"I also bet fifty silver!" Jing Bai spoke. "It will be Fei Luo!" he said.
The others also placed their bets while Cheng Sheng frowned in displeasure on the side. He can only watch them with a bitter gaze. Then, suddenly, he thought of something. "I know who will go next." He told them.
They all turned to look at him, only to turn back and resume betting.
Cheng Sheng. "…"
Fei Yin chuckled when he saw his dearly beloved's scrunched up face.
"Xiao Sheng…" Fan Wen called and helplessly smiled. "Come. Tell shifu instead. Don't mind them." he told him.
And so Cheng Sheng scooted closer to Fan Wen while Chen Han, Li Tian, Sun Yi, Feng Mo, Lei Qing, Lei Ling and You Rou went to bet with the others.
"Shifu is so good to Cheng-shidi." Fei Yin spoke as he sat on the other side of Cheng Sheng.
Fan Wen smiled. "I am to all of you. But, this is one of the rare times your fourth shidi was bullied." He said. "Also… he is your shidi yet you, xiao Tian and xiao Mo didn't even help him!" he told Fei Yin.
Fei Yin grimaced. "I didn't. I am here, right?" he said and hugged the back of Cheng Sheng's waist. "To also comfort Cheng-shidi." He smiled and looked at Cheng Sheng.
"You… ai." Fan Wen sighed. "Do you want to bully your shifu by giving me dog food?" he asked, doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Shifu. Listen, listen!" Cheng Sheng excitedly called Fan Wen's attention, about to tell him of his speculations.
Fan Wen turned and smiled at Cheng Sheng. Then, he looked at Fei Yin. Not long after and he saw Li Tian, Feng Mo, Lei Qing, Lei Ling and You Rou sat with them. Fan Wen's heart immediately softened when he saw his disciples. How long has it been since he last sat with them and talked about trivial matters?
"Chen Han pulled me to go with him to bet, but I didn't bet!" Li Tian said.
"Same here! Jing Kang pulled me to watch! I really only watched!" Lei Ling said.
"I only went to watch, too." Feng Mo said.
"Same here." Lei Qing said.
You Rou smiled. "I accompanied elder Qian." She said, referring to Qian Tian.
"So, Cheng-shidi, we didn't join them in bullying you, okay?" Feng Mo said as they all looked at Cheng Sheng.
"Cheng-shixiong, how can I betray you?!" Lei Ling asked.
"Yes, Cheng-shixiong." You Rou nodded.
Cheng Sheng pouted. "Hmph!" he scoffed and looked away indignantly.
They laughed.
"Come on. Tell us your fellow disciples and shifu about your analysis." Fei Yin, the eldest disciple, coaxed Cheng Sheng.
"Just tell us this within our sect! Let them lose to each other!" Lei Qing whispered.
You Rou giggled. Feng Mo grinned while Lei Ling laughed. Li Tian helplessly smiled at their antics.
"Then – " Cheng Sheng muttered and turned to them as they all huddled together.
"Hey!" the other elders called when they saw them.
"Ah Sheng!" Chen Han called, sounding aggrieved as he approached them.
The Xinfaxian Sect elders finished discussing and they sat properly on their seats. But, there is a smile on their faces. The other elders felt a chill on their spine and suddenly hesitated to continue to bet. After all, they can sense that there is something strange with their smiles!
But, just as they were about to withdraw their bets, they saw that Chen Wu, Fei Luo and Wu Tie have finished voting and the talisman showed the result.
"… fck!" everyone cursed when they saw the result. "Why is it the one with neither long nor short stick again?!" they asked as they indignantly glared at the talisman showing the result of the voting.
Two votes for the one with neither long nor short stick, and one vote for the one who got the longest stick. This is unbelievable!
"How can this happen…?!" they asked.
Even the audience was stunned. "This… why did they vote the one with neither long nor short stick again?" they asked each other.
"Well… is that impossible?" someone asked with hesitation in his voice.
Silence fell. The elders were stunned, as well as the sect leaders and the Righteous Alliance. Then, everyone's gazes landed on Cheng Sheng, who triumphantly smiled.
"There are two reasons why this happened." Cheng Sheng spoke with an unhurried voice.
Everyone. "…" here he goes with his 'Two's' again. They all thought. But, they are confused as hell so they need his explanation.
"One, ousting a fellow competitor." Cheng Sheng said as he raised his index finger. "Two, someone wants to buy time after a failure.." He said.