The Scum Is A ***

It was already dead of the night and the stall owner, finally seeing no one is around the streets anymore, started to tidy up his stall like the other stall owners. Some of them has already left. 

"Aiyo... the night is too cold." He muttered and shivered. His breath released turned into a white fog. "Eh? Am I seeing things?" he asked when he turned, he saw there was no around. The street is very empty. Even a stray cat is nowhere to be seen. He blinked, and turned to look around. "Why is there nobody… just earlier, they were… there…" his voice faded when he finally noticed the dead silence. A cold sweat trickled down the side of his face when he finally realized that something was wrong. 

Suddenly, a sound can be heard. TAP. TAP. TAP. It was the sound of something hitting against something. The sound is echoing all over the surroundings, and the stall owner's heart is starting to be eaten slowly by fear. 

THUNK. THUNK. This time, it was the sound of the footsteps. The stall owner turned and saw a figure emerged at the end of the road and is slowly walking to his direction. The figure is wearing a hooded cloak, thus he couldn't clearly see his face. 

The stall owner sighed in relief when he saw that someone finally appeared. "Hey, boss! It's already so late! You still didn't go home?" he asked with a wide smile on his face. "Don't you think it's too cold tonight? How about joining me for a hot tea? You can also buy some wares in my stall." He told him when the figure finally stopped in front of him. 

"You come…" the figure spoke in a low voice. 

"Huh?" the stall owner didn't clearly hear him. 

"You come…" the figure spoke again. 

"'you come'… what do you mean?" the stall owner asked. 

"You come…. With me…" the figure spoke. 

"Where?" the stall owner was puzzled. 

"You come… with me…" the figure repeated. 

"I said, where – " the stall owner said when the figure spoke again. 

"You come… with me… in – " the figure said and spoke the remaining words in a whisper. 

The stall owner didn't hear his words clearly again and so leaned towards the figure. However, who knows that the figure suddenly took out a knife! Everything was so fast. The knife descended to the stall owner! 

Morning. 

"No… no! Don't take me! Don't take me!" the stall owner spoke in his sleep and his body twitching on the bed, as if avoiding an invisible force trying to overwhelm him. 

"Heh." Cheng Sheng chuckled as he drinks the morning tea prepared by Fei Yin after they had their breakfast. 

"Sheng. Let him be. last night is indeed too scary for him." Fei Yin told Cheng Sheng. But, there is a smile hanging on his lips. 

Wu Yuan who was the one that scared the stall owner last night remained silent and still on his seat. "…" 

"Oh, right. How was that beggar yesterday? Found something on him?" Cheng Sheng asked as he looked at Fei Yin who was left in the room yesterday after they've booked two rooms in the inn. He and Wu Yuan went to look for any information about the 'Ni Lai'. 

"The beggar has left his spot." Fei Yin answered. "No one has seen him yesterday what time did he leave. I guess – " he looked at Cheng Sheng. " – we have scared him away." He said. 

"Could it be that he is really just an ordinary beggar?" Wu Yuan asked. 

Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin fell into contemplation. Fei Yin said that Jing Xian can't find the beggar's identity and that the beggar might just be a side character designed to push the plot forward. 

"I haven't found anything about this 'Ni Lai'." Cheng Sheng said. "Basing from the name, it could be an inn. But, I've checked all the inns, and even asked some people if there is an inn named as such. There's none." He told them. 

"It could also be a mountain." Wu Yuan said. "But, there are only a few mountains around. There is no mountain named as 'Ni Lai'." He said. 

Silence fell and only the sounds made by the frightened stall owner as he is having a nightmare could be heard in the room. With no more clues on hand, and nothing that comes in their mind, they turned to the stall owner. 

"Shashan Pass… Ni Lai… Sand Sea Mountain…" Cheng Sheng muttered before his eyes slowly widened. He turned to Fei Yin and Wu Yuan. "Sand Sea Mountian… 'sha hai shan'… do you think it is related to the Shashan Pass?" he asked. 

The other two also realized it. "It definitely should." Fei Yin said as his eyes narrowed. 

"The Shashan Pass… is in the Sand Sea Mountain?" Wu Yuan said. 

Fei Yin and Cheng Sheng looked at him. Their eyes brightened. "That's it!" they exclaimed. 

"Shashan Pass is can be found in the Sand Sea Mountain." Cheng Sheng said as he paced around the room. "If this is true, then the things we have to search narrows down." He said and turned to the two. "Now, we only have to look for 'Ni Lai'. What it is, or what does it mean." He looked at the stall owner. 

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan nodded in agreement to what he said and they also looked at the stall owner. Since they can't find the beggar, then they could only ask this stall owner that is seemingly ordinary but actually knows more. "'Ni Lai'… if it isn't an inn, or a mountain, then what is it?" they asked. 

"Ah… aaaaah!" the stall owner screamed and sat up from the bed, his face pale and is filled with sweat. His chest heaved up and down as he catches his breath. He wildly looked around before his eyes fell on Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan. "You…" he breathed. "You are righteous cultivators!" he exclaimed in disbelief as he looked at them with widened eyes. 

"That's right." Cheng Sheng crossed his arms. "Will you tell us now what you know?" he asked. "What is 'Ni Lai'?" he asked him. 

The stall owner's eyes widened as he stared at Cheng Sheng. Yesterday, Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan ate a magic pill that could change their face's appearance. Thus, he didn't recognize Cheng Sheng at first. However, when he heard the familiar voice and the familiar question, his jaw dropped. 

Who is that ugly duckling yesterday? He turned into a prince today! "I – I don't know what you're talking about." He answered as he averted their gaze. 

"Are you sure of your answer?" Cheng Sheng asked as he stared at the stall owner. 

Suddenly, the stall owner saw Wu Yuan and Fei Yin drew their sword and walked towards him. His face paled further and he drilled into the bed to hide. "Y-you're righteous cultivators! Why are you acting like the demonic cultivators?!" he asked. 

Cheng Sheng yawned and walked back to his seat, then poured himself tea. Meanwhile, Wu Yuan and Fei Yin held the stall owner's arms, one each. "This land is being ruled by the demonic cultivators now. I might as well add to the chaos. What's wrong with that?" he asked. 

The stall owner. "…" it is wrong since you are a righteous cultivator! He cursed in his mind. "Why do you want to ask about Ni Lai?" he asked. 

"Oh? It seems you really know what is Ni Lai?" Cheng Sheng smiled. 

The stall owner. "…" wasn't that why you abducted me? He suddenly felt tired. 

"Speak." Cheng Sheng said when he saw the stall owner is finally willing to speak. Wu Yuan and Fei Yin released him. 

"Ni Lai… it is a place." The stall owner began. 

"Where?" Cheng Sheng asked. 

"In the Sand Sea Mountain. At its heart." The stall owner answered. "You can reach it through the Shashan Pass." He told them. 

Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan fell silent. Their guess is right. "Where is the Shashan Pass located?" he asked. 

"Three mountains away from this town." The stall owner answered. 

"How did you know all of these?" Cheng Sheng asked. 

The stall owner wryly smiled. "Because I've been there before." He answered. 

They are surprised. "You?" they said. 

The stall owner shook his head. "Not me alone." He answered. "I've been with my friends." He explained. 

"Have you seen two gentlemen?" Wu Yuan asked. "Two righteous cultivators? One with a cold temperament, while the other one with a gentle one." He said. He is referring to Wu Fan and Chen Jing. 

"Righteous cultivators… right! I did!" the stall owner said. "They went with us to Ni Lai." He said. 

Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan looked at each other. Wu Fan and Chen Jing have been here! "What exactly is this Ni Lai? So mysterious?" Cheng Sheng asked. 

"Ni Lai is actually a part of the sentence." The stall owner said. 

"A sentence?" 

The stall owner nodded. "Yes. The full sentence is, 'ni lai Heilong'." He said.