"How can it… ai." They muttered before they heaved a sigh. They wanted to refute what Cheng Sheng said but how can they when they aren't even familiar with spirit servants?
Cheng Sheng knows what they wanted to ask. "At first, I thought that it was a demon." He spoke. "But, when I realized it was actually a spirit servant, I had Zheng Meng investigate the neighborhood of the family where they lived before." He said.
"Ah!" Zheng Yi suddenly exclaimed. "So, that's why I saw xiao Meng hurrying around…" he muttered when he tried to recall. "He actually was doing a task for you." He said and smiled as he looked at Cheng Sheng.
Cheng Sheng nodded, confirming what he said. "He's very convenient." He said. "He is a local here and so he can look for everyone's information." He told them.
Everyone. "…" … 'convenient'?! They thought as they looked at Cheng Sheng with an incredulous gaze before they turned to the Righteous Alliance.
Zheng Fu Gong and Pai Lie grimaced as their faces were covered with dark lines while Zheng Yi awkwardly smiled as he scratched his cheek and looked away. 'convenient'… only Cheng Sheng uses this word to describe the Righteous Alliance. But he isn't wrong, though… the Righteous Alliance is indeed a convenient organization if you wanted to investigate someone.
Jing Rui coughed to break the awkward atmosphere. "So, what did you find out?" he asked, changing the topic. His formerly hoarse voice now sounds clearer. Obviously, he was taken cared of very well by Jing Cheng. His pallid face before now returned to a healthy color.
Cheng Sheng blinked and glanced at the Righteous Alliance who wore complicated expressions while the other sect leaders have indignant expressions. Oh… he thought and scratched his chin. He spoke something he shouldn't have said, right? "I found that someone wants the family dead." He answered Jing Rui's expression.
"Huh?" they muttered as their attention shifted.
"En. Someone wants them dead." Cheng Sheng looked at them. "That family of three really is ordinary and can be even considered poor. It really is surprising that someone wanted them dead." He said.
"Is it because of debt?" Li Nanzi skeptically asked.
Tang Teng nodded in agreement. "They are poor and must have owed the person, not to mention that their daughter is sick so they have to loan for their daughter's medical expenses." He said. "But, they are poor and can't pay their debt so the person must want to kill them?" he tried to guess.
Cheng Sheng turned to the two sect leaders. "Sect leader Li and sect leader Tang are right." He spoke. "That family really owed that person." He said.
"But debt in wealth shouldn't be paid with their life." Sun Yi frowned.
Xie Lan nodded in agreement. "This is unreasonable." He said.
"It really is." Cheng Sheng sighed and can't help but pity the family.
"How did that person know about the spirit servants?" Wu Yuan asked.
"Yes… he owns a spirit servant?" Chen Han asked in surprise.
"Well… yes." Cheng Sheng answered.
"You hesitated." Jing Bai spoke when he noticed Cheng Sheng's expression as he answered.
Everyone stared at Cheng Sheng.
"Everyone already knows that the spirit servants originated from the east, right?" Cheng Sheng spoke.
They all nodded.
"This person…" Cheng Sheng muttered as he glanced at Zheng Fu Gong, Pai Lie and Zheng Yi. "… his ancestors came from the east." He said.
Everyone was surprised and fell silent.
Cheng Sheng looked at them. "Well, it's not that really surprising that there were foreign descendants here?" he said. "But, this person should have a thin line of his ancestors' blood in him." He told them as he sat on his seat. "What is surprising is that his spirit servant… its existence is unintentional." He waved his hand and a tea set appeared. He poured his cup tea and then took a sip.
"'unintentional'?" they asked.
Cheng Sheng nodded as he turned to them. "He didn't know that he has a spirit servant." He spoke. "When I found the spirit servant, it was weak and I easily defeated it, not to mention that I used the light elements from the sun to suppress its power." He told them.
They didn't say anything. They already know how weak Cheng Sheng is right now.
"So… this spirit servant shouldn't have existed?" Qian Shan asked.
"Yes." Cheng Sheng answered.
"But, it did. How did this spirit servant come to be?" Shu Mu asked in puzzlement.
"This person is very petty." Cheng Sheng unhurriedly spoke. "It happened that he was in a good mood that day so he lent money to the family. This family actually is kind, but that just unfortunate. Then… something happened." He looked at them. "This person saw that family's daughter and wanted them to immediately pay back. He knows that the family can't do it right now, so he wanted their daughter as a repayment." He explained.
Their eyes widened in shock. "So vile!" they exclaimed.
Cheng Sheng nodded in agreement. "Naturally, the family didn't agree." He continued. "It just happened that I advised them to move houses so, although they felt guilty that they can't pay that person, but their daughter's life is more important and their conscience won't let them use their daughter to pay their debt, albeit it was mainly for their daughter that they had their debt to that person. Their love for their daughter weighed their guilt towards their daughter, so they agreed with my suggestion to move houses." He said.
"What they did is right!" Chen Han spoke. "Wealth can be paid later but they can't waste one's life." He righteously said.
The others nodded in agreement. They also feel indignant on behalf of the family.
Cheng Sheng smiled. "So, that person noticed that the family suddenly disappeared." He spoke.
Everyone immediately attentively listened.
"No one in their neighborhood knows where the family has gone to." Cheng Sheng sipped his drink to moisten his throat. "That person thought that the family is ungrateful and fled their debt, and also thought that their neighbors are hiding the family. So…" he paused.
"'so'?" they asked, waiting for him to continue.
"So the spirit servant was made." Cheng Sheng said.
"So suddenly?!" they exclaimed.
"Of course, there is a process." Cheng Sheng said as he placed his elbow on the table and rested his cheek on his knuckles as he tilted his head and faced them. "After I had Zheng Meng capture the person, I interrogated him. Then, I found out how the spirit servant came to be." He said. He can't ask the spirit servant anymore since he had already killed it.
"… when did you interrogate the person?" Fan Wen asked as he looked at Cheng Sheng. They didn't notice Cheng Sheng going out these days.
Cheng Sheng smiled. "Right after I dealt with the spirit servant." He answered. "It just happened that while Zheng Meng, Jing De and Jing Xu were patrolling, they found an injured person." He said.
"… that injured person can't possibly be that spirit servants master?" Sun Yi smiled with his brows raised.
Cheng Sheng chuckled. "Senior Sun is right." He answered. "Since he was injured, the kind-hearted, responsible and righteous disciples took him to a doctor. After I dealt with the spirit servant, I followed its thread of life and found the three disciples." He explained. "There, I asked Zheng Meng a favor, since Jing De and Jing Xu will be participating in the Intersect Competition." He told them.
Everyone. "…" such a coincidence! They thought.
Cheng Sheng ignored their expressions. "Then, I asked that person why did it send its spirit servant to kill that family of three. But, it turned out that he didn't know anything." He continued. "So, I told him about his spirit servant." He looked at them. "As you all have thought before, the spirit servants shouldn't have committed something evil, unless its master told it to and it will obey unconditionally." He said. "Now, here's the question. Since the person didn't know about its existence, and spirit servants should be inherently good, then how did the spirit servant came to be, and why did it turn evil?" he asked.
A long silence passed since no one knows thus they can't answer, and didn't answer. Jing Kang, who's the only one knows about spirit servants aside from Cheng Sheng, isn't here.
Cheng Sheng didn't keep them in suspense. "It is due to one's consciousness." He answered.
"One's consciousness?" they asked.
Cheng Sheng nodded. "If they will it, then it will." He said.
Everyone. "…" why can't they still not understand what Cheng Sheng is saying? They thought.
"If one wanted to, it will appear." Cheng Sheng clarified. "But… spirit servants need a body, or what they call a 'medium', to appear or manifest itself, and also would serve as their house." He said.
"So… what medium did it use?" they asked.
"Usually, it would be talismans like Jing Kang." Cheng Sheng spoke. "But, this person, since he didn't know…" he muttered.