The Scum Is A ***

Feng Hua Palace, underground, north side.

"We don't have the Cleansing Stone now, so we have to locate the Cleansing Spring of in the Cave of Retribution by ourselves." Jing Cheng said as they descended the stone staircase and was led to a wide hall with marbled floor.

They looked around in the darkness, their eyes squinting, trying make out the figures that they can see as possible.

"If we didn't discard them, are you willing to be chased by those illustrious impostors?" Cheng Sheng asked.

The Zunjingde Sect didn't answer. The Shanliangde Sect tried to ease the rising tension. "Either way, finding the cave and the spring goes down with our luck." Xi Ming said.

Cheng Sheng turned to him. "If that's so, the Huakai Sect would either be the last to find it, or be trapped in this place forever." he said.

Xi Ming. "…" I just made it worse, didn't I?

Jing Cheng. "…" told you to just remain silent.

Kang Ce. "…" fortunately, the Huakai Sect isn't here.

Chen Han. "…" is it too late to disciple my younger brother's mouth?

Sun Yi. "…" it's too late.

Li Tian. "…" I am partly to blame, as the Good Manners and Right Conduct Teacher of the Xinfaxian Sect.

Feng Mo. "…" I am partly to blame, as the Enforcement Officer of the Xinfaxian Sect.

Fei Yin. "…" I am partly to blame, as the Discipline Officer of the Xinfaxian Sect, but I like Sheng however he is.

Jing Kang, Jing Bai, Jing Hei and Qian Lin turned to Fei Yin as if sensing his thoughts. "…"

Xi Xing. "…" do I still need to speak, or just continue to be a part of the background?

Gong Xian. "…" zzzzzzzz….

Cheng Sheng felt the change in the atmosphere and he cleared his throat. "Shall we light some fire?" he asked as they walked forward.

"Will there be some creatures that'll pop out?" Qian Lin asked.

Nobody answered, since they know that anything can happen in this strange place.

"… do you feel it suddenly felt cold?" Li Tian asked as he rubbed his arm to create some heat.

"Ah Tian, scoot closer." Chen Han said as he pulled Li Tian. "Hm? Ah Tian, you're this cold?" he asked when he felt Li Tian's skin is ice-cold.

At the same time, Xi Ming felt his sleeve was tugged. "Xiao Xing? What's wrong?" he asked and turned to Xi Xing.

"En?" Xi Xing muttered as he turned to Xi Ming.

"You tugged my sleeve." Xi Ming said.

"… I didn't." Xi Xing said.

"… huh?" Xi Ming muttered, then felt his sleeve was being tugged again. "…" it can't be Gong Xian, since Gong Xian doesn't like to be touched.

… who is tugging his sleeve?

….

"Ow!" Jing Hei cried when his back was hit. He turned to his back. "Ah Lin, why did you hit me? Are you mad I bit you earlier? I'm sorry, okay? I didn't hold back. I can't hold myself back earlier, so I – mmph!" he said when Qian Lin, who was deeply embarrassed, covered his mouth.

"I didn't! And I am not!" Qian Lin hissed. In the darkness, his face is beet red.

Even though he didn't hit Jing Hei, but Jing Hei's mouth is the water in the river that was flowing non-stop. Even though he had covered Jing Hei's mouth, but the words he had said is too late to take back.

Qian Lin's face, even though can't be seen by the others, became even redder. "AH HEI!" he yelled.

However, Jing Hei's attention has already shifted to what he answered. "You didn't hit me?" he asked.

"No!" Qian Lin answered. His face is still indignant.

Yet Jing Hei can't see it. Instead, he was puzzled. "Eh? Oh. You're right. Both your hands, I'm holding now." he said as he felt Qian Lin's warm hands. "Ow…" he uttered when he felt his back was now touched by a palm.

A cold palm.

"Ah Hei? What's wrong?" Jing Bai asked when he heard Jing Hei and Qian Lin's ruckus.

"Hm? Jing Bai, why do you sound different?" Jing Hei said. "Why do you sound far…" his voice faded.

He can't hear Jing Bai's voice anymore, nor can he hear Jing Cheng, and Jing Kang –

…

"Jing Cheng? Jing Bai? Jing Hei?" Jing Kang called when he didn't hear his brothers' voices. "Qian Lin?" he added.

"Eh?" it was Feng Mo. "Fourth young master Jing, why are you on our side?" he asked when he heard Jing Kang was close.

"Feng Mo?" Jing Kang was surprised.

…

"Hm?" Sun Yi muttered when he noticed someone approaching him.

"That voice… second young master Sun?" it was Gong Xian.

"Gong Xian." Sun Yi smile when he also recognized Gong Xian's voice. "There's another one – "

"Hmph!" Kang Ce harrumphed.

Sun Yi chuckled. "Are we – "

….

"Sheng?" Fei Yin called.

"I'm here." Cheng Sheng answered as he moved closer to Fei Yin. "We're all separated." He said, his face became serious.

"Yeah." Fei Yin held Cheng Sheng's hand. Feeling the familiar touch and warmth, he sighed in relief. "Your brother… I mean, Chen Han, he isn't here." He said. "Li Tian, Feng Mo… Sun Yi, too." He said.

"Let's hope they're alright." Cheng Sheng said, but his heart was beating fast. They can't hear their voice.

…

"Damn it!" Jing Cheng cursed as he kicked the wall that suddenly appeared before him. "JING BAI! JING HEI! JING KANG!" he shouted. His chest heaved up and down because of fear.

"Da ge?" it was Jing Bai.

Jing Cheng's pupils shrank as his body froze. Then, he sharply turned. "Jing Bai?" he called.

"Da ge!" Jing Bai called when he heard Jing Cheng's voice. He ran towards his voice. "Da ge!" he called again.

"Jing Bai!" Jing Cheng called again and immediately pulled Jing Bai when the other neared him. "Jing Bai, what happened?!" he asked. "Are you alright?"

"Da ge… I can still Ah Hei's and Qian Lin's voices earlier, yet it stopped." Jing Bai said.

"How about Jing Kang?" Jing Cheng asked.

"No. I haven't heard him." Jing Bai answered. "Ah Kang… do you think…" he bit his lip.

"No. Nothing will happen to him. He's strong." Jing Cheng said. "Let's calm down first, then look for them." he told him then he cursed. "Just when we have found those two idiots – " he muttered.

Jing Bai. "…" you're the one that's need to calm down!

…

"Ah Tian, are you sure you're not cold anymore?" Chen Han asked.

"No. Maybe it was water that touched me earlier…" Li Tian said, but his face is pale. He knew it can't be water, since he felt fingers. However, to not alarm Chen Han, he didn't tell him.

"Alright." Chen Han said, then held Li Tian's hand tighter. "Don't go far. We've lost Ah Sheng and the others. We have to immediately find them." he said.

Li Tian nodded. "Okay." He said. "Shall I light a Fire Talisman?" he asked.

"No. It'll be costly in qi." Chen Han said as he touched the walls. "I've found something." He said and pulled it. "Take out a night pearl." He told Li Tian.

"Yes." Li Tian answered. He took out a night pearl, then illuminated the thing Chen Han was holding. "…" it was a bone.

Chen Han. "…" just when I wanted to show off… how can I do it holding a bone?!

Li Tian cleared his throat and hid his smile. How can he not know what his lover is thinking? "Let's just use the night pearl. Let's see if it'll stay lit until we find Cheng-shidi and the others." He told him.

The longer the night pearl was used, the shorter it'll stay lit, and the dimmer its light will be as time passed.

"… en." Chen Han muttered and placed the bone on the ground.

Li Tian then slightly raised the night pearl, illuminating the path before them. They sucked a cold breath when they see what's ahead.

It was a path littered with bones, ranging from the ground, the walls, as well as the ceiling.

…

Qian Lin also noticed the sudden change. "Ah Hei." He called as he moved closer to Jing Hei. "Where are Jing Bai and the others?" he asked as he vigilantly looked around. "The Xinfaxian Sect and the Shanliangde Sect… as well as that – " he said and felt Jing Hei's back.

Jing Hei isn't Jing Rui's nephew for nothing. When he felt a warm hand touched his back, he knew it was Qian Lin. That thing that touched him earlier… "Can you feel anything?" he asked Qian Lin. The playfulness in his voice and face is gone and was replaced by seriousness.

"No. There's nothing at all." Qian Lin answered. He knew, Jing Hei was asking about the thing that touched him earlier.

Jing Hei sighed in relief. "Do you have a night pearl?" he asked.

"Yes." Qian Lin answered and immediately took it out, only to freeze when he saw their surrounding after the bright night pearl illuminated it.

There was a hanging bridge before them, but a deep abyss beneath it. And they were standing at the edge of the abyss, just a one step away from their death.