Chapter 175 - The Scum Is Artistic

They felt their bloating stomach after finishing eating their dinner. "No… can't move…" they muttered as they lie down the ground. Their body felt very heavy.

"We didn't know… Ah Sheng, you can actually cook? And it's so…" Chen Han said, his body motionless on the ground like the others.

"... very delicious…" Xiao Le said as his tears fell. "That juicy and tender meat…" he said.

"The crispy skin…" Sun Yi grinded his teeth as if he could feel the crisp against his teeth.

"The savory bone…" Feng Mo muttered and his lips puckered as if he was sucking the meat bone.

"The umami of the broth…" Li Tian licked his lips as if he could still taste the aftertaste. 

Cheng Sheng blinked before he laughed. "You don't have to sing praises of me. it's the Sundry Fire that – " he said.

Fei Yin cut him off. "It's extremely delicious." He told Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng blushed. "Da shixiong's food is also delicious…" he said and he shyly lowered his head. His heart is beating very fast and he felt his face burning under Fei Yin's gaze.

"How can you cook delicious food?" Qian Lin asked. He tried for so many time to cook, but either the food is all burnt or undercooked.

Cheng Sheng turned to him. "When I ran away from home and reached Xinfaxian, I had not much money or anything valuable on me so I had to feed myself." He answered. "Fortunately, founder and shifu opened the sect and I had somewhere to live in. However, I still had to cook my own food." He explained.

Fei Yin, Li Tian and Feng Mo fell silent while Chen Han balled his fists. Chen Han could remember the pain he felt when Chen Sheng left Xiwang.

Fei Yin, Li Tian and Feng Mo remembered the time their sect started. Xie Lan and Fan Wen doesn't need to eat, but it isn't the same for them. Xie Lan and Fan Wen are only responsible in teaching and training them. The Xinfaxian Sect isn't a charity. Thus, they had to make their own food. They're already lucky to have a place to stay in and they don't need to pay just to learn. They also washed their own clothes, fetch water for them to bathe and built their own house using the bamboos Xinfaxian is rich in.

Xinfaxian, Xinfaxian Sect.

"Shifu! You're here!" the disciples cried in surprise when they saw Fan Wen walking around.

Fan Wen smiled. "I just suddenly felt nostalgic." He answered as he resumed walking while the disciples followed behind him. He helplessly chuckled and let them trail behind him.

"So, shifu suddenly want to reminisce?" one of the disciples teased.

"Nope! Shifu just missed da shixiong, Li-shixiong, Feng-shixiong, Lei-shidi, shimei, shijie and Cheng-shixiong!" they said. "Shifu most especially misses founder!" they said and laughed when they saw Fan Wen blushed.

"You all! Go back to your night self-study!" Fan Wen told them and they immediately ran away. He smiled, then turned to look at the diverse appearances of the bamboo houses. The disciples decide what do they want their house to look like. Thus, he and Xie Lan were surprised to see interesting small houses around the Xinfaxian Sect.

He descended the mountain and saw Fei Yin's minimalistic house. Then, on the side is Li Tian's simple house. There's also Feng Mo's house which is full of many things and then, the most creative is Cheng Sheng's. Cheng Sheng made his house slightly taller than the others, since he has a hammock which is hung by the ceiling where, during the night, before everyone go to sleep, he would play with his panpipe.

Dissonance was created when he first tried to play the panpipe. He didn't give up the music until he created a perfect tune – Moonlight.

Zhongyang, secret realm.

Cheng Sheng took out an alcohol from his qiankun pouch and poured everyone's cup before he took out his panpipe and played.

I am a traveler, wandered through many worlds

Yet I found a place where I can call my home

Family, friendship, these bonds that I keep

I will never be lost in the sea of life again

Cheng Sheng's soft voice sang, ringing around the surrounding, like their mother softly whispering against their ears, comforting them. The panpipe was played using qi. 

Sadness? Pain? Betrayal? Survival? 

I'll pass them all and make myself strong

Happiness, joy, trust and camaraderie

I have them all with me, never shall I lose

Cheng Sheng lowered his panpipe and saw everyone was asleep. He stared at the fire crackling keeping them warm and dry.

"Are you planning to sneak out again?" Fei Yin asked. A hint of teasing in his voice. Cheng Sheng would use Moonlight to make them sleep before he'd sneak out of the sect.

Cheng Sheng smiled when he remembered the times Fei Yin catches him in the night market of Xinfaxian. "I would have had if there was a liquor shop." He answered and chuckled when he saw Fei Yin's expression stiffened.

"You…" Fei Yin said before he sighed in defeat. "You made a liquor?" he asked as he looked at his cup filled with wine.

"I have to, or my throat would become dry inside the secret realm." Cheng Sheng answered and downed his cup before he refilled it.

The moonlight shines on me

Like a flower blooming by the pond

We shared a cup and kiss 

Never to part, we vowed

He sang before he turned to Fei Yin and smiled. The clouds hiding the moon parted, illuminating them. "Da shixiong." He called.

Fei Yin hummed the song he has long been familiar to after listening it for three thousand times. "Mn?" he answered.

"I just thought of a song!" Cheng Sheng said.

"What is it?" Fei Yin asked.

Cheng Sheng grinned.

Two travelers had wandered through the worlds

Yet they found a place they can call their home

Family, friendship, these bonds that they kept

They will never be lost in the sea of life again

Sadness? Pain? Betrayal? Survival? 

They'll pass them all as they support each other

Happiness, joy, trust and camaraderie

They have each other, thus never shall they lose

The moonlight shines on them

Like a flower blooming by the pond

They shared a cup and kiss 

Never to part, they vowed

"How is it?" Cheng Sheng asked as he stared at Fei Yin with shining eyes.

"… it's beautiful." Fei Yin answered, his voice hoarse as his gaze deepened while he stared at Cheng Sheng's brightly smiling face. Sheng… he thought as his hand holding his cup shook. He badly wanted to pull him towards him and kiss him so hard until they lost all their reason.

He lowered his gaze to hide his thoughts. He can't scare him. The first time, he was lucky Cheng Sheng accepted his feelings. However, it cannot be more than that. What is this feeling? He thought as he felt his heart wildly beating against his chest. Obsession? He thought and his eyes widened when he finally named it. This feeling that he had long been suppressing… it's itching to escape.

It can't. It shouldn't. He thought as he stared at the liquor in his cup and saw his reflection. He closed his eyes and downed his cup before he gently laid his head on Cheng Sheng's shoulder.

"Da shixiong?" Cheng Sheng called. "Do you feel sleepy?" he asked.

"Mn." Fei Yin answered as he suppressed his instinct. Yes – this is instinct, the obsession I feel towards Sheng. He thought. My feelings shouldn't reach this degree yet. Could it be… this instinct is connected to my lost memories?

His pupils shrank at his realization. This can't be… I'm scared… this is too scary. I don't want to lose Sheng if I'll possess him. He thought and closed his eyes before he smelled Cheng Sheng's scent.

His emotions suddenly calmed...

Yu Sheng slightly opened his eyes and looked at Fei Yin and Cheng Sheng. There's something wrong with Fei Yin.

Outside the secret realm, Zuo Zhe watched Lei Ling and You Rou slept on Lei Qing's lap while Lei Qing leaned on the wall.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked as she hummed Moonlight while gently patting the sleeping Lei Ling and You Rou's head.

"It is." Zuo Zhe honestly answered as he downloaded the original and romantic versions of the song through the system.

System: so idiotic.

Shut up. Zuo Zhe thought. "Have you tasted Cheng Sheng's food?" he asked Lei Qing.

"Yes." she answered. "I almost forgotten Ah Ling's name and that he's my brother." She laughed. "It isn't just the Sundry Branch. Our sect has none of it." She told him. She meant, Cheng Sheng's food is more delicious than Fei Yin's. However, ever since Fei Yin cooked for Cheng Sheng, they had never tasted the delicacies of Cheng Sheng. They asked him why he stopped cooking. 

His answer?

"I am a young master of a big family. You peasants cannot even afford the food served for me, so how can you shamelessly eat this young master's food that he1 personally cooked?" Cheng Sheng asked as he condescendingly looked at them.

A vein popped in their forehead and Xie Lan hit Cheng Sheng's head. "You just have Xiao Yin to cook for you, right?" Xie Lan asked, stating the real reason.

"Owww…" Cheng Sheng cried as he knelt on the ground while holding his head. Damn it! I'll never cook for you all again! He vowed.