"Huh?" they muttered, dumbfounded of what they just heard. Didn't you say earlier that you will kill him? They thought as they looked at Cheng Sheng with a doubtful gaze.
"I already told you." Cheng Sheng said. "If he can't kill me or be on a draw with me, I'll kill him." He spoke.
"Let me translate it for you." Fei Yin spoke to intermediate.
They turned to him.
"What my shidi meant is that, in the end, after he taught xiao Huan, if xiao Huan still can't kill my shidi or even end on a draw with him, he will kill him." Fei Yin said. "In short, if my shidi is dissatisfied with the result, then he will kill him." He explained.
"… isn't this just the same as what he said?" xiao San asked and looked at Cheng Sheng in disappointment.
"You are missing the whole point here." Wu Yuan spoke.
The demonic cultivators. "…" isn't it because you're all talking in circles here?
"Talent." Wu Yuan spoke. "If xiao Huan would end up a waste under my junior's hands, then he isn't worth of my junior's efforts and time, so he will kill him since he has no student who is a trash." He explained. Before they could react, he continued. "But, earlier, my junior complimented xiao Huan. My junior's compliments are like gold, since he doesn't compliment just anyone. So – " he looked at xiao Huan whose pale face turned red because he was shy after being praised. " – he has acknowledged xiao Huan." He finished.
A long silence passed. Then, Shang He spoke. "… does he have to scare all of us?" he asked. "Couldn't he have just told us this in the beginning?" he added.
The demonic cultivators. "…"
Fei Yin who conspired with Cheng Sheng. "^_^"
Wu Yuan who felt exasperated. "…" en. I agree with the demonic cultivators. These two are really a pain. He thought, his heart feeling tired.
"Xiao Huan." Cheng Sheng spoke.
"Y-yes?" xiao Huan answered.
"You should have a confidence on yourself. And – " Cheng Sheng turned to xiao San and the rest of the demonic cultivators. " – you all should trust on him more, to boost his confidence." He told them.
They all lowered their head in shame.
Meng Gui smiled. "Then – " he spoke. " – may I know now who is this spell caster? And what are you planning to do?" he asked.
Shang He and the rest of the demonic cultivators. "…" right. We were swept by their rhythm without knowing what this is all about.
Xiao San and xiao Huan. "…" da ge/leader… you asked just now?
Xiao San coughed. "Da ge." He called. "We have already killed the ones that we caught, yet the spell upon the Drunken Moon City still hasn't lifted. So, the spell caster is still alive." He explained. "There are still Ma Wen's people in the city." He told him.
Meng Gui nodded. "I know. Ma Wen is very crafty, and so are his people, so we won't easily catch them." He said and looked at Cheng Sheng. "Two methods were used, but we still haven't caught all of them. For the remaining ones… do you… know another way of catching them?" he asked. "Is it…?" he added and looked at xiao Huan.
"Xiao Huan will just catch the spell caster and not the remaining people of Ma Wen." Cheng Sheng said.
"So…" Meng Gui's brows knotted.
"Don't worry." Cheng Sheng spoke. "You'll catch them all tomorrow morning, aside from the spell caster." He said.
"… huh?" they looked at each other, puzzled.
But, Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan just smiled.
Noon.
Because of what happened this morning, where the food was 'poisoned', everyone's happy mood of eating free three meals was dampened and they became frightened instead to eat the next meal – lunch. But, under Meng Gui's and Shang He's watchful gazes from above the platform, everyone, with pale faces, endured their fear and ate their lunch, thinking that they will be poisoned even after Meng Gui has said that there'll be no poison in their lunch since all of Ma Wen's people have already been caught.
The spell caster sneered along with the other two. The remaining one has a pale face and his hand trembled as he drank the soup.
"What are you scared for?!" the spell caster snapped at him.
Ma Si shivered in fear of Ma Kan, the spell caster. "I… I – " he stammered. Even though Ma Wen has already trained them psychologically but it is still different when you are face-to-face with death.
Ma Liu snickered as he looked at Ma Si. His eyes are filled with disdain. "Leader Ma already has assured us that we won't die. The medicine we ate is stronger than the one those weaklings ate!" he said, referring to the ones that were caught by Meng Gui's subordinate.
Ma Qiu calmly placed the bowl down. "I didn't taste anything added in this soup unlike the one that we ate earlier." He spoke.
They were really caught off-guard earlier. They really didn't think that Meng Gui would put something on the food. Although they didn't come up with anything that Meng Gui might use against them to expose them, but they are confident that they could deal with whatever Meng Gui might throw at them.
Although the citizens of the Drunken Moon City weren't harmed by their breakfast earlier, but there was a psychological shadow it left on the people. Is Meng Gui insane?
Ma Kan scoffed at Ma Si's cowardice. "Are you not confident on leader Ma… or me?" he sharply asked Ma Si.
Ma Si both feared Ma Wen and Ma Kan, so he vehemently shook his head. He doesn't want to die in either's hands. But, he also doesn't want to die in Meng Gui's hands! Life really is very hard for cannon fodders like him! In the first place, he doesn't want to go to the Drunken Moon City. If he were to choose, he'd rather go with the others to Fire Dragon City for a siege. Why didn't he want to stay behind in the Heavenly Eye City? It's as the name suggests!
Heavenly Eye City is a place where everything you do – even just whom did you smile or chatted with, is known. It's the Heaven's eyes can see every move you make. It is like being monitored. And it is very creepy to the point where hairs on the back of your neck raise. Thus, he doesn't want to stay there, either.
"No such thing…" he answered to Ma Kan.
Because Ma Kan is the best spell caster in Ma Wen's faction, Ma Kan is very arrogant. But, because of Ma Wen, he is forced to lower his head. Yes. Ma Kan both respected and hated Ma Wen. He respects Ma Wen because of Ma Wen's ingenious mind. But, he also hates him because he is restraining him. Ma Kan's ambitious personality isn't fit with Ma Wen's cautious faction. So, there are some who hated Ma Kan. But, since they fear Ma Kan's spell casting, they suppressed their anger towards this arrogant young man.
In short, they are just waiting for the time Ma Kan meets his demise. They hope Ma Kan would get it in the Drunken Moon City.
"Hmph!" Ma Kan scoffed before he ate the meat buns. "Since there is no poison, then they definitely are really confident that they have all uprooted us." He laughed.
Ma Si didn't speak, neither Ma Qiu. Only Ma Liu who is close to Ma Kan supported Ma Kan's words. "Yes. They should just wait! Tomorrow, you will definitely kill them all!" he told Ma Kan, which made Ma Kan puff up his chest.
"Of course!" Ma Kan spoke. "They should look forward for my performance tomorrow!" he told them and looked at the citizens of the Drunken Moon City with a mocking gaze.
Ma Si just lowered his head to hide his sneer while Ma Qiu didn't react. It was only Ma Liu who kept praising Ma Kan to the point Ma Kan is about to ascend.
They didn't know that a pair of probing eyes are watching them. "There they are." Shang He spoke. "Shen-daozhang is really a genius. I really can see them four!" he exclaimed and looked at the fruit in his hand.
Meng Gui followed Shang He's gaze.
"Won't we catch them?" xiao Ming asked. Xiao San is with xiao Huan, Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan to ensure xiao Huan's safety that Cheng Sheng wouldn't kill him.
"It's best not to alert them. Let them celebrate for a while." Meng Gui smirked. "The higher they rise, the harder they will fall." He said and took the fruit Shang He is holding. "A Spirit Probing Fruit, huh?" he muttered.
Actually, it isn't the flesh of the fruit, but its juice instead that has an effect of making you see through one's spirit – precisely, their meridians. Thus, it was named as 'Spirit Probing' Fruit.