Chen Jing and the others just rolled their eyes at Mu Jun who they knew was just provoking them by trying to scare them using Cheng Sheng. They don't know how Fei Huang did it, but he had tamed the beast Mu Jun. Mu Jun had killed his fellow demonic cultivators to protect the righteous cultivator Cheng Sheng.
Ah, no… Cheng Sheng is not that righteous, since he's a scum. "You okay?" Xie Lan asked Cheng Sheng as he checked for his wounds.
"Mu Jun's with me, so I can fare with the situation." Cheng Sheng said. "I'll let Wu Xi stay for tonight. The demonic cultivators might mistake him as an ally of ours." He explained.
Xie Lan nodded. "Got it. We'll watch him tonight." He said.
Cheng Sheng then turned to Fei Lin and Xi Ling. "Greetings, elder Fei. Elder Xi." He said as he saluted.
Fei Lin kindly smiled. "We should also bow to you. Congratulations for being promoted." He told Cheng Sheng.
"We should?!" Xi Ling exclaimed and was about to bow when Xie Lan stopped him.
"There's no need. You're all my seniors." Cheng Sheng said before he took a deep breath.
"Sheng-er. What's wrong?" Chen Jing asked when he saw Cheng Sheng's slightly pale complexion.
"Did you do something to him?" Xi Ling asked Mu Jun.
"I can't." Mu Jun said as he raised his burnt palm.
"Not him." Cheng Sheng said and clutched his chest. He immediately took a Cleansing Meridian Pill. After a second and his complexion turned better. "Well, it's also him…" he coughed. "I was exposed to demonic qi since earlier. My spirit is keeping up, so…" he said and fell on his knee.
"Xiao Sheng!"
"Sheng-er!" Chen Jing called and helped him up. "You'll be exposed to demonic qi in the third stage. If that happens – " he said, his face is filled with worry.
"No. Just let me rest first. This happened since my soul escaped from my body earlier. Even my Spiritual Sense permanently opened…" Cheng Sheng explained.
Xie Lan's face paled. "S-sorry… I didn't know." He said and balled his fists. "So that's why you sealed your qi…" he gritted his teeth.
"It's my fault in the first place for keeping it from you." Cheng Sheng sighed. "Let's go inside first. There might be more who will come." He told them.
"Yes." they answered and carried him inside the inn.
"Cheng-shidi?!" they exclaimed when they saw Cheng Sheng looked weak. "Didn't you already sleep… why are you with founder and the others?!" they asked.
"Brother." Fei Yin called to Fei Lin. "What happened to Cheng-shidi?" he demanded an answer.
"He was exposed to demonic qi." Fei Lin answered. "But, he's alright now." he immediately added when he saw their horrified expression.
"Elder Fei. Elder Xi." Chen Han called.
"Yuan. Why are they here?" Sun Yi asked Wu Yuan.
"I was ambushed earlier. They came to my rescue." Wu Yuan answered.
"You were attacked?!" Sun Yi's face paled.
"I'm alright. I wasn't hurt. They arrived on time." Wu Yuan told Sun Yi to comfort him. Only then did Sun Yi calm down.
"That's not only it." Xi Ling spoke. "We're on our way here and passed by sect leader Wu." He said.
"On your way… what does that mean?" Chen Han asked.
"You're going here?" Li Tian asked.
Xi Ling nodded. "Yes." he answered, then looked at Cheng Sheng. "We were told to lend a hand to your group." He explained. "Since the Alliance and the Zunjingde Sect has finally confirmed that the demonic cultivators' target isn't only the Cleansing Stone, but also Cheng Sheng." He told them.
"WHAT?!" they said. "Why would they…?" they asked.
"Do you really not know?" Xi Ling sharply asked. "He created a talisman that, not only can purify demonic qi, but can also be upgraded." He explained and looked at Cheng Sheng whom Chen Jing placed on a chair for him to lean his back. "You must have already heard of the Cleansing Stone." He continued. "The Cleansing Talisman has the same use as the Cleansing Stone." He told them.
They looked at Cheng Sheng in shock. He's really that amazing?! They thought. You Rou and Lei Ling, who were holding Cheng Sheng's mage belt, immediately wore it around Cheng Sheng's waist. "All hail, Cheng-shixiong!" the two said as they worshipped before Cheng Sheng who was sitting on the chair and sleeping.
It's really convincing! Cheng Sheng really looked like a deity right now! They thought. Xi Ling's brows knit when he noticed the strange atmosphere. They… seemed even festive? He thought as he looked at them with doubt. "That's how this sect is." Fei Lin told him quietly as they watched the Xinfaxian Sect and Chen Han knelt before Cheng Sheng who was resting on the chair.
"… huh?" Xi Ling said as he looked at the disciples his elder brother raised.
"Yuan." They heard Sun Yi called Wu Yuan. "This looked fun. Let's pray on Cheng-shidi, too, for another hundred years for both of us!" he told him and pulled Wu Yuan towards the Xinfaxian Sect.
"Mn." Wu Yuan nodded, his gaze full of doting as they knelt with the Xinfaxian Sect. Fei Yin and Chen Han are, undoubtedly, on the lead. Chen Jing had long already knelt before Cheng Sheng.
"… eh?" Xi Ling said as he looked at Wu Yuan in surprise. Even sect leader Wu joined them?! He thought. However, what happened next greatly stunned him.
"Hmm… should I…? Well, Xiao Sheng seemed to have been lucky the past few days…" Xie Lan muttered as he placed his fingers on his chin. "Maybe I should. Xiao Sheng might really be a god of luck!" he said and also knelt behind his disciples.
"…" Xi Ling's expression is indescribable as he watched his elder brother whom he had been worshipped for so long. "Gege…" he muttered. His expression looked like he was betrayed.
"… they're really a weird bunch." Mu Jun said as he watched everyone worshipped a sick and sleeping person.
Fei Lin laughed as he patted Xi Ling's back to comfort him. "They're just as they are – a bamboo." He said. "However the bamboo is beaten, it'll never break and instead will rise up after." He told him.
Mu Jun looked at Fei Lin before he turned to the Xinfaxian Sect. "… they're really an interesting bunch." He said and smiled. So this is why Huang told me to help them. He thought. This isn't bad. I may get to see another interesting show.
The next day.
"I'm revived!" Cheng Sheng yelled as he jumped off the bed and ran to the dining hall. "I'm revived!" he yelled again.
However, the others weren't startled. They knew he'll be up and about again. He's really resilient as a cockroach. They thought, disregarding the fact that they're eating, and the fact that they worshipped the person, who they're now calling cockroach, last night.
"Huh?" Cheng Sheng said and blinked. "… have I become blind?" he asked when he saw the Zunjingde Sect disciples and the Shanliangde Sect disciples together with the Qianxu Sect disciples were eating. "… why the hell are you all here?" he asked and his brows knit as he walked towards them.
"Cheng-shidi." Fei Yin called as he made the barefooted Cheng Sheng wore his shoes and his outer robe. Then, he took out a comb from his qiankun pouch to comb Cheng Sheng's hair before he took out a wet towel and gently wiped Cheng Sheng's face.
That's right. Cheng Sheng is sloppy every morning and Fei Yin always fixes his hair and dressing him up that this became a habit between the two of them! The Zunjingde Sect, the Shanliangde Sect and the Qianxu Sect disciples were stunned seeing such a scene that the Xinfaxian Sect disciples immediately felt ashamed. Instead, it was the Youxiwang Sect disciples, who had become used to seeing this scene every morning since they stayed with the Xinfaxian Sect disciples in the Yunxiao Inn, who ignored Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin's act and continued eating with gusto.
"Hey. Jing Cheng. Xi Ming. You didn't answer my question." Cheng Sheng said as he walked towards them after Fei Yin pinned his hair. "Why are you here?" he asked again.
"… why didn't you single out Qian Lin…?" Xi Ming muttered and forced a smile after he recovered from his shock. The Xinfaxian Sect disciples are truly a weird bunch. He thought. "We came here to help…" he answered.
Cheng Sheng cut him off by clicking his tongue. "Do you think our sect is weak?" he asked as he crossed his arms and raised his chin as he looked at them smugly.
Jing Cheng, Xi Ming, Jing Hei, Jing Bai, Qian Lin, Xi Xing, Xi Ning, Xi Shi and Gong Xian turned to look at Fei Yin, Feng Mo, Li Tian, Lei Ling, Lei Qing and You Rou.
"Three out of six of them passed the second stage, so yes." It was Jing Kang who answered in a straightforward manner.
Lei Ling, Lei Qing and You Rou blushed in shame. "Well, they're right Cheng-shidi." Lei Qing said and scratched her cheek.