As soon as the night fell in Zhongyang, the people smelled a grassy scent. Those who smelled it felt their heads is spinning, then hurt like it is about to split into two. They can hear a ringing noise and, before they knew it, they are bleeding in their orifices.
THUD. One by one, they fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Hehehehe." Someone laughed sinisterly as he hopped around the bodies of those who have fallen in the cold and damp ground.
As soon as his foot touch the ground, his body uncontrollably shake which made him fall to the ground, caught off-guard. But, since he was already used to it, he lifted his other foot to make another hop.
"So, that's the plant demon?" Jing Cheng asked in a low voice as they watched the demon leave the area.
"Yes." Cheng Sheng nodded as he crushed the powder and scattered it in the air while Pai Lie jumped down the ground and created an array to heal the people.
The Zunjingde Sect and Yuling Sect disciples helped move the people inside Pai Lie's array for them to not be disturbed.
"Follow it." Cheng Sheng spoke as he jumped to another roof.
Jing Cheng, Jing Bai, Jing Hei and Zheng Yi followed him.
"Ah! Wait for me, too!" Pai Lie cried and ran after them.
They all leapt on one roof after another as they maintained a certain distance from the demon.
"So, it's actually his smell that makes the people feel headache." Jing Hei spoke.
"It is severe to those in a coma, though, as they will feel very sensitive to the smell after being 'asleep' for so long." Cheng Sheng spoke. "The longer they are 'asleep', the more sensitive they will be to the smell. It's because their sense of smell has to adjust, and would become greedy to smell around it. Thus, their nose would inhale more than enough, and so the smell becomes detrimental to them." He explained.
Jing Cheng's expression became ugly and turned to the disciples that are following them. "Stop him if he goes towards the direction of the Jing Manor. Don't let him come near. Stop him at all costs!" he said.
"Yes!" the disciples answered as they flew ahead of them.
Fortunately, they have already evacuated the people who have comatose patients with them. But, they didn't tell the people around the area that there will be a demon since they can't have the demon become suspicious if it founds no one is around.
"When shall we start the plan?" Jing Bai asked.
"Let me observe for a while more." Cheng Sheng spoke. "After that, you can kill it." He told them.
"'kill' - ?!" they exclaimed and almost slipped off of the roofs. "This isn't a part of our plan! We thought that you want to keep the plant demon alive?!" they asked.
"Demons are good in deception. Why would I keep it alive if I will ask and then it will lie?" Cheng Sheng asked. "So, after I've observed it and get enough information, it will be of no use to me. Then, why keep it alive?" he looked at them.
"You have a point." Zheng Yi said.
"After I go back to Xinfaxian and made a potion using the Shaking Four-Leaf Plant, I'll give it to sect leader Jing." Cheng Sheng said. "You ask Qie Shi to find more of this plant, since I don't know how much of the potion I will make will sect leader Jing have to consume enough for him to wake up." He explained.
"Okay!" they answered.
Cheng Sheng watched the demon for a while. Suddenly, he jumped down the ground, just a road ahead of the demon.
"Wha…! Cheng Sheng?! What are you doing?!" they asked and then were forced to hide to avoid the demon from noticing them. They can only helplessly watch Cheng Sheng take off his hat, then his long, white hair fall on his back like a waterfall.
The plant demon didn't know that there is another demon in the shape of a human that is waiting for him. Then, when he saw him, his eyes shone with such glee.
A human! The plant demon thought when he saw a white-haired person walking towards him. His steps are uneven, making his figure sway. "Hehehe…" he laughed before he raised his hand, and his hand with only two fingers suddenly turned into a forked leaf!
The others who are hiding saw that the demon's hand that turned into a leaf slowly approached Cheng Sheng. Their hearts loudly thumped, afraid that the demon might kill Cheng Sheng.
"Ugh…" Cheng Sheng grunted as he held his head.
"Oh, no! The smell got stronger!" they exclaimed.
"Senior…" Ling Yun called as he bit his lower lip when they saw Cheng Sheng has collapsed!
Yunxiao Inn.
Fei Yinzi feels jittery and paced back and forth. Sun Rong has just finished teaching him in self-defense using the talismans. Tomorrow, he will teach him on how to defend using spells.
"What are you walking around about? You make me feel dizzy…" Sun Rong said, feeling tired watching Fei Yinzi walk back and forth.
"But shizun… shizun might be in danger!" Fei Yinzi said. "I have to find him!" he said and was about to go out when the doors suddenly closed.
"Your master clearly told me to not let you out." Sun Rong said while Qie Shi just watched them on the side.
"But shizun might be in danger!" Fei Yinzi said.
"Do you think that your master is reckless?" Sun Rong asked.
"Yes!" Fei Yinzi answered.
Sun Rong and Qie Shi. "…" well, we can't deny that.
Sun Rong coughed to hide his embarrassment. "I keep my promises. I won't let you out." He said as he took out talismans.
Fei Yinzi's eyes widened before they narrowed as he also took out talismans. As soon as Sun Rong threw talismans at him, he also threw talismans to Sun Rong!
BANG! Smoke filled the entire room. "Sun Rong!" Qie Shi called as he fanned away the smoke to find Sun Rong's figure.
"Ow…" a low voice cried.
"Sun Rong!" Qie Shi cried and ran towards him.
"That brat…" Sun Rong frowned as he held his arm that was hit by a talisman. "I was only provoking him to create a smokescreen and then escape. I didn't think that he would attack me for real!" he said and laughed out of anger and helplessness.
"You - !" Qie Shi felt speechless at Sun Rong's action.
"Cheng Sheng won't bite me for letting his disciple escape. After all, I am just a normal person who happens to know how to throw talismans and cast spells." Sun Rong said. "Completely weak compared to a direct disciple of a great master." He smiled.
While Qie Shi and Sun Rong talk, Fei Yinzi has already jumped to a roof to have a better view of Zhongyang to find his master's figure, or the others who went with his master.
"Shizun…" he called under his breath as he continued looking for Cheng Sheng.
Meanwhile, the others are hesitating whether to kill the demon now or not. Cheng Sheng might still be observing the demon. What if they will interrupt his operation?
"We have to kill it now!" Pai Lie spoke.
"Why?" they asked.
"Any more smell and Cheng Sheng might directly die!" Pai Lie answered. "His cultivation right now is far weaker than his previous cultivation!" he told them.
It's as if they have woken up. They immediately nodded. "Let's start the plan!" they said.
"Ling Yun. You look after Cheng Sheng!" Jing Cheng said.
"Yes!" Ling Yun answered.
Jing Cheng, Jing Bai and Jing Hei immediately jumped down the ground, startling the demon who is poisoning Cheng Sheng.
"Wha – " the plant demon exclaimed and immediately escaped.
"After it!" Jing Cheng yelled.
Jing Bai and Jing Hei, along with Pai Lie, Zheng Yi, and the rest of the disciples from the both sects, followed the demon and Jing Cheng.
Ling Yun jumped down the ground and immediately checked Cheng Sheng's pulse. He held his breath when he felt it was very fast. "Senior – " he called, only to stop when he saw Cheng Sheng's white hair. His eyes widened.
Cheng Sheng has always been wearing a hat which hides his hair, and he doesn't take it off even when he's inside. They thought that it was just his quirk as a doctor. But, Ling Yun never thought that it was because of his white hair.
"Senior – " he called as he reached out to touch Cheng Sheng's hair.
"Shizun!" a voice called, interrupting Ling Yun's action.
Ling Yun turned and saw Fei Yinzi. "You – " he said when he suddenly felt a strong wave of cold air rushing towards him. He was taken aback and was hit. "Ugh!" he grunted when his back hit the wall.
"Shizun!" Fei Yinzi called as he ran towards Cheng Sheng before he knelt beside him. "Shizun…" he called. Sheng – he suddenly called in his mind.