Chapter 272 - The Scum Is A Master

"Thank the Heavens!" the citizens of Zhongyang cried as they came out of the Yunxiao Inn. They hugged each other as they knelt on the ground, crying loudly. "Thank the Heavens! The calamity has passed!" they cried because of joy. "We have returned to our land! Our land is ours again!" they shouted as they hugged each other tight. "Everything's now alright… everything's alright…" they muttered as they patted each other's back to reassure their family and friends. 

Jing Rui's eyes reddened and his chest felt warm as he watched them. Finally, the Zhongyang's calamity has ended. Qi Ling has been defeated, and the demonic cultivators were all removed in their land. He felt his nose soured and so he lowered his head to hide the tear that escaped his eyes. 

"I am waiting for the liveliness of the Zhongyang to return." He heard Jing Cheng said as the other stood beside him. 

"Don't worry. Everyone will definitely rise again." Jing Rui said as they watched the stream of people walked down the streets of Zhongyang and slowly filled it as they returned to their respective home. Although their home was destroyed, but it still remained there. It was only them who left, and now they returned since they know that someday, they can return to their home. 

And that someday is today. 

"How is Jing Bai?" Jing Rui asked after a while. Now that Qi Ling was defeated, Zheng Yi's soul returned, as well as Lei Ling's. Although there was a problem with Zheng Yi's memories, but Jing Bai, nonetheless, is very happy. 

"Zheng Yi is coaxing him." Jing Cheng answered chuckled. He can't believe that his younger brother, Jing Bai, who acted matured all this time, should be coaxed by Zheng Yi, who they have gotten used to seeing being cold. How their tables turned. 

A smile appeared in Jing Rui's cold face before his smile faded when he remembered something. "Jing Hei…" he said and looked at Jing Cheng. 

Jing Cheng's expression also changed. "I am also worried about him." He sighed. "I am worried about the South." He added. 

After the matter with Qi Ling has been settled, Jing Hei immediately left early in the morning of the next day and flew to South to see Qian Lin. He finally can't hold back of not seeing Qian Lin after the two of them fought in their last meeting. And, there has been no news from the South. Not even from Shu Mu, who is Cheng Sheng's friend. 

"No news is also good news." Jing Rui said and sighed, trying to suppress his worry. Although Qi Ling was already defeated, but he still felt ill at ease. 

"Uncle…" Jing Cheng raised his hand and patted Jing Rui's back to comfort him. Even he also feels ill at ease despite they have already reclaimed the Zhonyang from Qi Ling's hands. 

"Sect leader Jing! Jing Cheng!" Zheng Yi called from behind them. Jing Bai was following behind him with a small smile on his face. 

Jing Rui and Jing Cheng can guess from Jing Bai's expression that Zheng Yi's memories still hasn't fully returned. "En. Is it time?" Jing Rui asked Zheng Yi. 

"Yes!" Zheng Yi answered, his eyes bright. This is the real Zheng Yi: a young man with a bright personality. Completely unlike the gloomy Zheng Yi who they have interacted with before after Qi Ling stole a portion of Zheng Yi's soul. However, they do not know what will happen to Zheng Yi once all his memories returned. 

"Then, let's go." Jing Rui said as Jing Cheng helped him walk because he had broken his leg from the battle last night. "After this, Cheng Sheng and his group will accompany Chen Han, Wu Yuan and Sun Yi to the West to fight Ming Ye, then ask him where is the Chen patriarch Chen Jing, and the former Youxiwang sect leader Wu Fan. They will be facing another large battle, far larger than our battle against Qi Ling." He said with a sigh in his voice. "We have to properly send them off." He told them. 

"Yes!" Jing Cheng, Jing Bai and Zheng Yi answered. 

…

"Sect leader Jing, you've finally arrived." Zheng Fu Gong said. Pai Lie and Su Yuan stood behind them. Even though the two elders have returned to Zhongyang, but they still left the Cleansing Stone in the Xinfaxian Sect for safekeeping. 

"En." Jing Rui nodded as he stood beside Zheng Fu Gong, Pai Lie and Su Yuan while Jing Cheng joined Jing Bai and Zheng Yi. 

Cheng Sheng's faction: Xie Lan, Yu Sheng, Zuo Zhe, Chen Han, Sun Yi, Sun Rong, Qie Shi, Fei Yin, Lei Ling, Li Tian and Feng Mo stood on the other side. They all are watching Cheng Sheng and Jing Kang at the center, with the Shapeshifting Blanket hovering above them. 

Cheng Sheng looked at Jing Kang. "Are you really sure you want to kill Qi Ling on your own?" he asked for the last time. 

"Yes." Jing Kang nodded, his eyes are filled with resolve. "I have to avenge my father, as well as my mother whom he indirectly killed." He said. Because Qi Ling stole the skill of Jing Kang's father, Jing Kang's father's position in the Jing Clan dwindled. It led to his mother's death later, and left Jing Kang orphaned in the end. 

Cheng Sheng looked at Jing Kang's eyes before he raised his hand. The Shapeshifting Blanket above them moved and slowly descended. "Then, I wish you a success in your revenge, and then for you to live." He told Jing Kang before he lowered his hand. 

The Shapeshifting Blanket slowly unfurled, revealing Qi Ling who has a crazed look in his eyes. The Shapeshifting Blanket then enlarged, wrapping Qi Ling and Jing Kang in a circle. Cheng Sheng watched Qi Ling and Jing Kang disappear from their sight because of the Shapeshifting Blanket that assumed a dome with the two inside. Then, after a while, the white dome disappeared from their sight, revealing Qi Ling and Jing Kang who stood across each other. 

"Jing Kang!" Lei Ling called as he took a step forward, only to gasp when he was suddenly pushed back by an invisible barrier. 

"The Shapeshifting Blanket doesn't permit anyone inside. Stand back." Cheng Sheng told Lei Ling who was pulled back by Li Tian and Feng Mo. 

"Ah Kang…" Jing Bai sighed as they watched Qi Ling and Jing Kang started to fight inside. 

BOOM! The Shapeshifting Blanket shook after Qi Ling's and Jing Kang's blows met. 

"This is the fight of the masters!" Zuo Zhe, a spectator, exclaimed. 

Zheng Fu Gong and Su Yuan nodded. "There's no need for reevaluation. After fourth young master Jing's duel with Qi Ling, he will replace Qi Ling as one of the elders of the Alliance." Su Yuan said with a smile as he was impressed by Jing Kang. 

"That is if he will agree." Pai Lie said, referring to Jing Kang. 

Su Yuan's smile skewed. "Right…" he said. 

Meanwhile, the fight inside the Shapeshifting Blanket is getting intense! 

Jing Kang saw Qi Ling's eyes are evasive. "Do you really have time to be distracted?" he asked him as he threw Exploding Talismans towards Qi Ling. 

Qi Ling immediately made a thick wall of talismans in front of him. BOOM! Even though the wall of talismans is thick, but he still was sent flying because of the impact. "You brat! You're as strong as me?!" Qi Ling was shocked as he looked at Jing Kang with eyes that are bloodshot. First, it was Cheng Sheng. Now, it was Jing Kang getting in his way! 

Jing Kang lowered his hand, his sleeve billowing because of the wind. "Don't think you can escape." He said. "We're inside the Shapeshifting Blanket. No one can enter nor exit here." He told him. "Qi Ling. You will die here." He said as his eyes sharpened and he raised his hand. Paper talismans appeared between his fingers. 

Qi Ling sneered. "I won't die if I killed you first!" he said, enraged, as he took out his own talismans. Even without the system, he learned Talisman Making on his own, which saves his life right now. "DIE!" he yelled as he threw the talismans to Jing Kang. 

Lei Ling's pupils constricted. "Jing Kang!" he called when they saw Jing Kang calmly threw his talismans, but they were burned when they met Qi Ling's talismans. 

Everyone held their breath as they watched the large wave of Qi Ling's talisman approach Jing Kang. However, what they expected for the talismans to engulf Jing Kang didn't happen. Instead, they saw the giant wave of talisman crashed into an invisible barrier. 

Their eyes widened in shock and they rubbed their eyes, trying to see if they have seen it correctly. It wasn't a barrier that stopped the giant wave of Qi Ling's talismans. It was a transparent figure, that slowly began to solidify and take shape! 

"Wait – " Qi Ling sucked in a cold breath when he saw a spirit of a monster appeared in place of a paper. " – a shikigami?!"