Chapter 144 - The Scum Is Harsh

"H-HEY!" Jie Mei exclaimed in shock. "What do you mean, ditching me?!" she asked as she looked at Cheng Sheng in disbelief.

Fei Yin can't help but rejoice in his heart though it didn't show in his face. Meanwhile, Chen Han snickered. "It's as it is. We can't sacrifice the whole team just to follow your whims." He frowned at her. Even if the Youxiwang Sect is benevolent, but not to the point they are saints. This woman is weak but still dared to enter the secret realm. Even if they are men, but they can't just protect her always. They're already kind enough to take her with them. If she can keep up, then that's fortunate. If she doesn't, then that's her problem.

"Xiaojie." Sun Yi called as he slowed his pace to talk to her. "You should've expected this when you decided to enter the secret realm." He said and raised his sword. However, it was not to kill her but to kill the walking corpse that suddenly appeared behind her. "This is how reality is." He told her, but his eyes are cold. "We can protect you if you can catch up with us. You decide." He said and then left her to follow the others who already ran ahead.

"WHA… AAAAHHH!!!" Jie Mei screamed as she cried.

Outside the secret realm, the audience can't help but pity her. "Well, that's how it is. Even the others who are stronger than her back out. She's stupid to still follow them." someone said and sighed in pity.

"But they're so cold-hearted!" someone can't help but say.

"You already heard Sun Yi. They will protect her but they will not stop for her. Her fate's all up to her." someone explained.

"…" Lei Ling, Lei Qing, You Rou and Zuo Zhe are speechless. No, no, no… they thought. Even with just Cheng Sheng, they can take her out of the secret realm alive! But, they just find her annoying! They thought.

Cheng Sheng doesn't like troublesome things. Fei Yin and Chen Han sees her as a threat of their place in Cheng Sheng's heart. Sun Yi and Yu Sheng are just going with the flow. Li Tian and Feng Mo were weighing the situation and its consequences. Wu Xi is mute. And Xiao Le, who's the youngest of the group, can only follow with the group. They're all heartless to leave her!

On the sect leaders' side, they are looking at Xie Lan and Wu Yuan. "What?" Xie Lan said, his face cold as he looked at the sect leaders.

The sect leaders immediately looked away from him and turned to Wu Yuan, only to lower their head when they saw the same cold expression on Wu Yuan's face. Ah, no. He always had that cold expression. They thought. How can they be so shameless? They added.

Xie Lan, of course, knew what they are thinking. "Even if it's merciless to leave a woman behind, but it is right to leave a stupid and naïve woman." he said as he looked at Jie Mei escaping when the walking corpses chased her. "Even the disciples of the other sects, who are stronger than her, chose to stay behind than chase the glory." He said. He's referring to winning the competition. "Yet, she still decided to go. I'd like to think it's bravery, but the fact before us, it's idiocy." He frowned as they watched Jie Mei screaming and crying as she ran. Her mage badge was swinging by her waist.

"A junior apprentice spell caster, huh?" the sect leaders said. Jie Mei is a rogue cultivator, but it seems she has a master. "Why would her master send her to her death?" they asked.

"Even if it is to temper her, but he doesn't have to go this far." Someone said. They all nodded in agreement.

The emcee saw the situation and saw. "It seems that Cheng Sheng's team left their member behind." He said. "It is ruthless, but they also have to take care of their own life, too." His face went serious. "In this competition, there's no time to hesitate. Or else, it'll be you who'd be killed instead of them. This has always been the law of the jungle." He said as they watched the walking corpses finally reached Jie Mei and surrounded her before they pounced on her.

"Ugh!" the audience looked away. They don't want to be ridden with guilt even if it's Cheng Sheng's team's fault she died. Well, partly. The other half lies with her, since she didn't think carefully of her decisions.

"I heard it was her who approached Cheng Sheng's team." Someone from the audience said.

"Yes. She offered herself up to them." someone answered.

"So she only offered herself to death." Somebody sighed.

"Hey. This is a life and death competition. Who will you expect to be a hero?" someone can't help but say. "These contestants don't aim to be a hero, but immortals. If you want to find someone who will save everyone, then look for him!" he said. "Life is cruel. She should learn it and take it to her next life." He added.

The audience fell silent. Lei Qing, Lei Ling and You Rou felt complicated. They feel pity on Jie Mei, and they didn't expect for Cheng Sheng and the others to coldly leave her behind. If they won the matches, would they…? They thought.

"Don't overthink it." Zuo Zhe said. "You should believe on your shixiongs." He told them. "You've seen that even if Cheng Sheng is a scum, but he still helped Shu Mu who acted as a villain before. Even if Xiao Le is a total stranger to them, but he still reached out to him and helped him." He looked at them. "Don't waver. Cheng Sheng definitely has a reason to do it." He said.

"Young master Zuo…" they called.

Zuo Zhe smiled before his smile froze when he heard their address. "Don't call me that!" he said and turned his back to them.

"…" Lei Ling, Lei Qing and You Rou were speechless. There goes the touching scene… they thought.

Inside the secret realm, Jing Cheng, Xi Ming, Jing Hei, Jing Bai, Jing Kang, Qian Lin, Xi Xing, Gong Xian, Tang Zhe, Tang Yun, Guo Cheng, Shan Lu and their fellow disciples heard Jie Mei's scream. "Wasn't that…?" they said and looked at each other.

Their two groups had crossed paths outside the forest. Both sides had a fair share of walking corpses. "Did Cheng Sheng and the others ditched her?!" Jing Hei can't help but exclaim in disbelief.

"They seemed to have." Qian Lin answered.

Jing Bai frowned. "What are they doing?" he asked. "That's a life. Even if this is a competition, but with their strength – especially Cheng Sheng's, they can help her." he explained.

"It was her seeking her own death." Jing Kang spoke. He has a different view of the matter. "She should clearly understand the rules of the competition, and its ruthlessness. She's weak, so she shouldn't have entered the secret realm." He explained and looked at them. "Cheng Sheng and the others didn't force her. Thus, they don't have the obligation to protect her." he said.

Their eyes widened in shock. "Jing Kang, you - !" Xi Ming exclaimed as he stared at Jing Kang.

Tang Zhe frowned. This is an unexpected move from Cheng Sheng. And an out of character for Jing Kang. "Fourth young master Jing – " he called.

They were surprised when Jing Cheng raised his hand to protect Jing Kang. "Enough." Jing Cheng said. "Ah Kang has his own opinion, and so do we. Let's just respect each other." He said.

"Da ge!" Jing Bai and Jing Hei exclaimed.

Jing Cheng turned to them. "As I've said, let's respect each other. Cheng Sheng and his team has their own situation to consider." He told them. "We're not in the place to butt in their problems." He explained.

Qian Lin sighed while Tang Zhe smiled. "But – " Xi Ming said. He still can't move on from the fact Cheng Sheng indirectly killed someone.

"Young master Xi." It was Tang Zhe who spoke. "If you were to choose between your siblings and friend or a complete stranger, who will you choose?" he asked.

Xi Ming's eyes widened. "That's - !" he said and pressed his lips tight. "Still! Cheng Sheng and the others can protect her! They're powerful!" he explained.

"Who knows what they are thinking?" Tang Zhe said and shrugged. "We're not them. Maybe they encountered a situation that they had to leave her?" he asked. He didn't know what he said will come true.

Due to disagreement, the Zunjingde Sect and the Shanliangde Sect split up. Qian Lin remained with the Zunjingde Sect, of course. Meanwhile, the Huakai Sect also left to kill more walking corpses.

In Kang Ce's team, another completely different disagreement sprang up. "Kang Ce! That was my prey!" A disciple said as he glared at Kang Ce.

"It ran towards me. How can I not kill it?" Kang Ce lazily asked.

"You could've ran away!" the disciple said.

Kang Ce frowned. "Don't be unreasonable. Shall I wait for it to chase me again and kill me?!" he asked.

"Enough!" another one said. "We've had enough of you! It's better to split up!" he said. He took his two fellow disciples and they left.

Kang Ce was left with two more disciples and two rogue cultivators. "Tch!" he clicked his tongue and kicked the corpse's head. It rolled away into the bushes. "Stupid people! You'll die!" he said through his gritted teeth.

The two disciples who were weaker than Kang Ce looked at each other but they didn't speak in fear of him. Meanwhile, the other two rogue cultivators just shrugged. It's better to group than to separate.