"Fei Yin and Cheng Sheng…" they all looked at each other before their gaze fell on Cheng Sheng's group: Li Tian, Feng Mo, Chen Han, Sun Yi and Wu Xi.
Li Tian and Feng Mo are worried since among all the contestants, only Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin are missing. Not to mention Yu Sheng… "Cheng-shidi… da shixiong…" they lowered their head as they sighed.
Chen Han and Sun Yi looked at each other, while Wu Xi stood in silence. No one knows what he is thinking, since he's all wrapped up from head to feet.
Chen Han, as Cheng Sheng's brother and the one in the lead, decided. "We'll stay here." He said.
"What?!" they were all surprised aside from Cheng Sheng's group who nodded in agreement to Chen Han's decision.
Everyone knows this is the Cave of Retribution, and the Spring of Life that would take them back to Zhongyang is just somewhere inside, near them.
Chen Han breathed a sigh. "Everyone is a family. No one will be left behind." He said. "We will wait for my brother and Fei Yin." He told them. For Chen Han, who hates Fei Yin, to say he will also wait for Fei Yin, it is surprising. Yet, that shows he finally acknowledges Fei Yin.
The others fell silent. The Zunjingde Sect knows this the most, since their group stayed in place and waited for Jing Kang to arrive even if the Spring of Life is just around the corner. Xi Ming, too, carried Xi Xing, along with Gong Xian, even if Xi Xing was injured and would just drag them behind.
"Wu Xi." Chen Han called as he turned to Wu Xi. "You go." He told him.
Everyone looked at Chen Han before they looked at Wu Xi.
"I'm not saying this because we treat you as an outsider." Chen Han said. "Instead, we believe in your strength. We are hoping you can lend a hand to the Youxiwang Sect and the Xinfaxian Sect." he told him.
Everyone's expression changed. They remember that the Zhongyang is under attack by the demonic cultivators.
"Wu Xi…" Li Tian called, his eyes are filled with yet unshed tears. "Lei-shidi… Lei-shijie… and You-shimei…" he said, calling the names of their fellow disciples. "… as well as Zuo Zhe – " he added when he remembered the missing Yu Sheng whose life and death yet has to be known. "Please… at least bring them to safety, and then you can do what you have to do." He told him. He knows, this is what Cheng Sheng will say if Cheng Sheng was here.
"As well as my brother…" Sun Yi said. His family are all in the Shanliangde Sect in closed-door cultivation. Only Sun Rong is outside.
Wu Xi nodded. "En." He said.
Li Tian, Feng Mo and Sun Yi breathed a sigh of relief and then looked at each other. Chen Han was satisfied and patted Wu Xi's shoulder.
"Hmph." Kang Ce sneered at their act. He turned on his heel and walked inside, further down the cave which was illuminated by the bioluminescent forms of life.
Wu Xi followed after him, then the Zunjingde Sect with Qian Lin, and then the Huakai Sect…
Xi Ming took a deep breath to prepare before he grabbed Xi Xing and Gong Xian, who was itching to go back to Shanliangde Sect, to his shifu Ho Yue. He turned and nodded at Chen Han and Sun Yi, as well as Li Tian and Feng Mo before their group of three left.
"There they go." Feng Mo muttered and sighed as they watched everyone disappear.
"Sun-shidi, are you sure you don't want to go?" Chen Han asked Sun Yi.
Li Tian and Feng Mo looked at Sun Yi.
Sun Yi smiled. "No." he answered.
"Why?" Feng Mo asked.
"Because there's something more interesting to happen." Sun Yi answered as his eyes turned to crescents. "Right – " he turned. " – Cheng-shidi?" he asked.
Chen Han, Li Tian and Feng Mo's eyes widened in shock and they turned to where Sun Yi was looking. 'Cheng-shidi'?! It's Cheng Sheng, right?! When did he appear?! How did Sun Yi know Cheng Sheng was there?!
"Ah Sheng – " Chen Han muttered under his breath when Cheng Sheng appeared along with Fei Yin who was following behind him.
There were no wounds on their body, nor any bloodstains on their clothes.
"Cheng-shidi… da shixiong!" Li Tian and Feng Mo exclaimed.
Sun Yi chuckled as he watched Chen Han ran towards Cheng Sheng and hugged him tight. Meanwhile, Li Tian and Feng Mo hugged Fei Yin, since Chen Han occupied Cheng Sheng.
"How did you know?" Fei Yin asked Sun Yi after he patted Li Tian's and Feng Mo's heads. He and Cheng Sheng were hiding very well, even Jing Cheng and the others didn't notice them. Not even Chen Han.
Chen Han looked at Sun Yi. He also wanted to know, since his cultivation is higher than Sun Yi's, yet he didn't notice his younger brother and Fei Yin hiding.
"Because I am shrewd." Sun Yi answered.
Everyone. "…"
Sun Yi laughed while he held his stomach when he saw their reaction. "Fine, fine. I'll tell you." He said as he wiped the tears off of the corner of his eyes.
"Sun-shixiong." Cheng Sheng felt helpless.
"I am just more observant." Sun Yi said. "When we arrived in the dead-end, I saw the surface was moving." He said. "I thought it was a monster, but when I didn't see any more movements, and didn't feel any hostility or killing intent, I thought it was someone who was camouflaged." He explained before he brightly smiled at Cheng Sheng. "Since the area is fit for two people, I guessed you were with Fei-shidi. And since the surface was smooth and no crevices, it must be – " he pointed Cheng Sheng's qiankun sleeve where his qiankun pouch was hidden. " – the Shapeshifting Blanket?" he finished.
Cheng Sheng. "…" Sun-shixiong, I tip my hat off to you! If you were just born in the modern era, you might beat Sherlock Holmes!