The next day, morning.
"Senior!" Ling Yun called as he ran towards Cheng Sheng when he saw Cheng Sheng is coming out of the Yunxiao Inn, yawning, when he arrived.
Cheng Sheng turned and saw him. "So early in the morning… what are you doing here?" he asked.
"I… I - !" Ling Yun stammered and blushed when he saw Cheng Sheng's clean and handsome face. "I want to see senior…" he answered.
"Oh. Now, you see me." Cheng Sheng said. Before Ling Yun could speak, he continued. "Perfect timing. You will be my disciple's sparring partner." He said as he pulled Fei Yinzi who is standing behind him with a gloomy face. "I see that you are in the middle-level of Golden Core Stage. My disciple is just in the low-level." He said. "Spar with him, and I'll give you a bottle of Blood Nourishing Magic Pills." He told Ling Yun.
Ling Yun's eyes widened. "No, senior. I don't need compensation – " he said.
"I haven't given it to you yet. You spar with him for a month." Cheng Sheng cut him off. "If my disciple reaches the middle-level of the Golden Core Stage, then I'll give you the Blood Nourishing Magic Pills. If not, then let's forget it." He explained. He looked at Ling Yun. "I already agreed with you yesterday to not give you a compensation for helping me place a Tracking Talisman on that demon. Do you want me to still take advantage of you? Then, you'll make this elder lose his face." He said.
Ling Yun's face paled. "T-that's… that's not my intention, senior…" he said and lowered his head in shame.
"Then, just agree with me this time." Cheng Sheng said. "Er Zi." He called.
Fei Yinzi silently stood beside Cheng Sheng. "Shizun…" he called in a low voice.
"Shut up. And call me 'shifu'." Cheng Sheng told him.
Ling Yun enviously looked at Fei Yinzi. Actually, he wanted to join the Xinfaxian Sect for Cheng Sheng. But, not only his uncle forbade him from leaving Zhongyang. He also heard that Cheng Sheng is not taking any disciples. But, this Fei Yinzi is very lucky.
"Ling Yun. Go with us to the Zunjingde Sect first." Cheng Sheng spoke.
"Yes, senior!" Ling Yun answered.
"Shizun. When are you leaving to catch that demon?" Fei Yinzi asked. "Who will go with you to catch it?" he added.
"Shu Mu and Xiao Le. And, I'll be borrowing some people from the Zunjingde Sect." Cheng Sheng answered.
Fei Yinzi didn't speak again. He has no place, it seems.
Zunjingde Sect.
"Elder Cheng!" the disciples of the Zunjingde Sect exclaimed when they saw him arrive.
"Hello, kids. Where's Jing Cheng? Or Jing Bai? Or Jing Hei?" Cheng Sheng asked.
"We'll immediately call them!" the Zunjingde Sect disciples answered.
"Oh. Then, you might also call elder Pai, as well as Zheng Yi. Tell them I need them for something." Cheng Sheng told them.
"Yes!" the disciples answered and immediately ran away to call the people named.
Only Cheng Sheng receives this kind of treatment. Not only they see him as a hero, but the Zunjingde Sect and the Righteous Alliance are indebted to him because of Jing Rui. Cheng Sheng also didn't ask for any excessive demands and sometimes he would ask for something trivial. Thus, it increased their favorable impression of him. They didn't look down on his weakened cultivation as they know that it was exchanged for the peace they are receiving today.
Cheng Sheng went inside and Fei Yinzi and Ling Yun followed behind him. The disciples behind treated the two with respect as it was Cheng Sheng who brought them.
"Cheng Sheng." Jing Cheng called as he catches his breath. He hurriedly left when he heard that Cheng Sheng arrived.
Cheng Sheng turned and frowned when he saw Jing Cheng's appearance. "Did you give sect leader Jing your spiritual energy again?" he sharply asked. He didn't even sit and immediately berated Jing Cheng.
Jing Bai, Jing Hei, Zheng Yi, Pai Lie and Zheng Fu Gong who were following behind Jing Cheng heard Cheng Sheng's stern voice and they stopped.
"I don't care what your Zunjingde Sect will become. But – " Cheng Sheng spoke. " – I will say this today. If sect leader Jing or any of you will come to me in the future to ask me to fix Jing Cheng's meridians that have been broken, then I will have to refuse you." He told them.
A deafening silence fell. No one dared breathed loudly. Even though Cheng Sheng is the weakest in the room, but his momentum has never diminished. No one dared to look down on him. They even value his medical skills, so even if Jing Cheng was being scolded, no one became angry. They know that, despite Cheng Sheng's harsh words, he deeply cares of other people. He spoke it because he is concerned of Jing Cheng as a former comrade. He only said it to warn them.
"I…" Jing Cheng sighed.
"Hmph. I know you are impatient, so I came today." Cheng Sheng said as he sat on his seat.
Everyone inwardly sighed in relief and the disciples fled after serving the foods and drinks.
"Cheng Sheng. When have you arrived?" Jing Hei, the talkative one, asked.
"Jing Kang must have not told you to surprise you." Cheng Sheng said as he received the tea served by Fei Yinzi.
"You met Jing Kang?!" Jing Hei exclaimed.
Jing Bai coughed. "He must have gone to see Lei Ling first…" he said. His voice is filled with helplessness.
"Oh. In that case, I want to go to see Qian Lin!" Jing Hei said and looked at Jing Cheng with pleading in his gaze.
"Cheng Sheng came here, so he must have something to tell us." Jing Cheng told Jing Hei.
Everyone immediately turned to Cheng Sheng.
But, Cheng Sheng didn't immediately answer them. "Elder Pai. Have you already taught Zheng Yi about the Entrapping Array?" he asked. Since he can't do it, then he'll teach others on how to do it.
"I did!" Pai Lie said.
Zheng Yi shyly smiled. "I can do it only in a small-scale." He said.
"You're already doing good." Jing Bai comforted him.
"What does this have something to do with the array?" Zheng Fu Gong asked.
Cheng Sheng frowned. "'small-scale'… we can only do it this way…" he said.
"Huh?" they were puzzled.
Cheng Sheng looked at them all. "I came here because I've found that demon who can raise the Shaking Forked-Leaf Plant." He said. "And this one saw helped me track it." He added and looked at Ling Yun.
They all turned to look at Ling Yun. "Aren't you elder Ling Xi's nephew?" Jing Cheng spoke.
Ling Yun nodded and smiled. "I am. My name is Ling Yun." He answered.
"I already had him place a Tracking Talisman on that demon. I am just waiting for him to arrive." Cheng Sheng explained.
"Oh. Why is he with you, then…?" they asked as they looked at Ling Yun.
"I have him to spar with my disciple." Cheng Sheng answered.
Fei Yinzi's expression became gloomier.
"Right. Your disciple looks stronger than the last time we saw him." Jing Hei said as he looked at Fei Yinzi.
"I'll go with you to catch that demon." Jing Cheng spoke.
"Of course I'll be bringing you with me. Who knows when you'll exhaust your spiritual energy again and Jing Bai and Jing Hei can't stop you?" Cheng Sheng asked.
Jing Cheng froze, and so did Jing Bai and Jing Hei who felt ashamed.
Fortunately, Cheng Sheng changed the topic. "That demon is good in disguises, so I had the Tracking Talisman on him. Once we found him, we will trap him." He said. "The entrapment depends on Zheng Yi." He told them.
Zheng Yi immediately felt tense. "I'll give him more spiritual energy to ensure the success." Jing Bai assured as he held Zheng Yi's hand.
"Then, Jing Cheng and Jing Hei will chase the demon, leading it to our trap." Cheng Sheng spoke. "Elder Pai, you create some arrays to deceive it." He said.
"Okay! I'm in!" Pai Lie said.
"Then, elder Zheng will be left to look after sect leader Jing." Cheng Sheng spoke and looked at Zheng Fu Gong.
"What?" Zheng Fu Gong asked when he saw that Cheng Sheng's gaze meant something.
"From Qie Shi's information that he sent to me…" Cheng Sheng spoke as he placed down his cup. "That demon, if near a comatose patient, may affect the patient within a certain range." He said.
Jing Cheng's eyes widened in shock.
"Ling Yun also verified this information after he lured the demon to a patient according to my instruction." Cheng Sheng continued. "When I checked the patient, its mind really was affected. Fortunately, it was only for a short moment. Or else…" he looked at them. "I am guessing that this demon is the Shaking Forked-Leaf Plant that gained sentience." He told them.