The Scum Is A ***

Heilong Realm. 

Meanwhile, the trio, Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan, returned to where they came from. Since Nan Pingan didn't alert the demonic cultivators around, no one recognized them and made trouble with them or tried to kill them. 

"Nan Pingan's objective…" Wu Yuan spoke as they boarded an empty boat. 

Fei Yin doesn't want for Cheng Sheng to row the boat, much less carry the bamboo pole. He also felt that it felt wrong if Wu Yuan would do row the boat by himself while Cheng Sheng and himself just watch Wu Yuan holds the bamboo pole and row the boat. 

Thus, he took up the task as the boatman voluntarily that made Wu Yuan and Cheng Sheng stare at him for a while before they settled themselves inside the cabin and talked. 

"His objective is to find a listener." Cheng Sheng said. "A righteous cultivator listener." He corrected himself. 

Wu Yuan stared at him while Fei Yin, outside, doesn't speak to not expose himself. 

"Nan Pingan grew up in a single environment." Cheng Sheng started. "The people of the Southmost Region can't carelessly travel to the South Region because there's the City of Rocks blocking their way. Thus, they stayed in the Southmost Region as they could unless they found someone strong enough to fight against the monstrous creatures living in the City of Rocks." He explained. 

"In short, their world is almost secluded." Wu Yuan said. 

Cheng Sheng nodded. "'almost'." He said. 

"There are still travelers from the main regions – North, West, Central, East and South Regions, traveling to Southmost Region. Thus, the people of the Southmost Region could see new faces from time to time." Wu Yuan said. 

"That's right." Cheng Sheng nodded. "The Southmost Region isn't that really secluded." He said. "Just that, they have a sense of inclusion. In short, they are xenophobic." he explained. 

"This must be also one of the reasons why Nan Pingan was very mad at Nan Lang." Wu Yuan said. "Just bringing an outsider in their place is already a sort of taboo. And it just happened that stranger brought disaster upon them, massacring them all…" he shook his head in pity. 

"Ah." Cheng Sheng and Wu Yuan heard Fei Yin muttered from outside the boat. 

"What's wrong?" Cheng Sheng asked as he parted the curtain to see Fei Yin. 

Fei Yin didn't answer and just stared at an area on one side of the river. He saw something, or someone, familiar again. 

Wu Yuan and Cheng Sheng followed his gaze and they were also surprised by what their saw. In an another populated area, they saw a group of beggars lined up sitting on the side of the street, and are leaning on the wall wearing their dirty clothes. 

There's a beggar that looked slightly different from them, as that beggar is wearing a wide, conical hat that obscures his face. "Isn't he…" Wu Yuan said. 

Cheng Sheng's eyes narrowed as he stared at the beggar afar while they are still on board of the boat that is floating in the river. "Why do I feel there's a conspiracy going on here…?" he muttered. 

"Hm?" Fei Yin muttered as he and Wu Yuan turned to look at Cheng Sheng. 

Cheng Sheng recovered his expression and he cleared his throat. "I just feel that the beggar is very familiar." He said. 

"Wasn't he that beggar we saw in the Stop By Town, as well as a few days ago?" Fei Yin asked. 

"He's the one who told us about the Shashan Pass, Sand Sea Mountain and the Ni Lai Gate." Wu Yuan reminded. "As well as about the Heilong being the Wuran Kingdom, and hinted about the ruler of the Heilong." He added. 

Cheng Sheng didn't answer and just stared at the beggar as their boat slowly approaches the beggar's spot as their boat floated with the river stream. Then, after a while, he looked away and had Fei Yin continue rowing the boat for them. 

When they reached the dock, Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan got off the boat and walked to the place where they have seen the beggar. 

Cheng Sheng has already some suspicions towards the beggar. "Da shixiong." He called Fei Yin. 

"Hm?" Fei Yin answered. 

"Do you remember that time when I exchanged a few meat buns for the Recollection Bell?" he asked. 

"Hmm… I do." Fei Yin answered as he nodded after he recalled the past event. 

"How about that time when I got the Shapeshifting Blanket after I paid it with a few meat buns?" Cheng Sheng asked again. 

Wu Yuan just silently listening to them while vigilantly looking around the surroundings. 

"Hmmm…" Fei Yin muttered. "I do." He answered when he finally remembered. He looked at Cheng Sheng. "What's wrong, Sheng?" he asked. It's unusual for his scum shidi to reminisce the past. 

Cheng Sheng always has his sight onwards in the future, thus he rarely looks back to the past. 

Instead of answering Fei Yin's question, he asked back a question instead. "Did you find something in common with those events?" Cheng Sheng looked at Fei Yin. 

Fei Yin stopped and thought about it. "… the meat buns?" he answered. 

Wu Yuan who was silently listening looked at them two. After knowing more of Cheng Sheng's personality during their travel to the Southmost Region, he knows that Cheng Sheng asking questions isn't a simple matter. Thus, he looked at Fei Yin with a strange gaze. 

"What?" Fei Yin asked when he noticed the two of them are looking at him. "Wasn't it the meat buns the common thing in these two events?" he asked. 

Cheng Sheng didn't answer while Wu Yuan spoke. "The Recollection Bell is a rare artifact." He said. 

"Of course." Fei Yin agreed. "But, that time, Cheng-shidi, Li-shidi and Feng-shidi who were with us, and I thought that it was just an ordinary toy." He said. "We know Cheng-shidi's love for unusual things. Seeing that the bell toy looked harmless, we didn't stop Cheng-shidi from trading the ordinary-looking bell with a few meat buns." He explained. "Who knows it's the Recollection Bell, an ancient artifact that is very harmful, even to its owner?" he asked. 

Wu Yuan didn't say anything to Fei Yin's explanation. Instead, he spoke of the other matter. "The Shapeshifting Blanket is also treacherous. However, like the Recollection Bell, it is also a prized treasure." He said. 

"This one!" Fei Yin exclaimed. "That time, I thought it was just a dirty rag." He said. "But, Cheng-shidi looks like he's determined to have that rag. Since it is very dirty, I know that the clean freak Cheng-shidi wouldn't use it as a blanket." He looked at Cheng Sheng. "I thought, he would use it as a rug. Who knows this blanket is actually a Shapeshifting Blanket?" he said as he shook his head. 

Wu Yuan looked at Fei Yin, feeling speechless. "… junior Fei." He called. "You really didn't notice something weird with these events?" he asked. 

"Well…" Fei Yin thought about it again. "Oh, right! I know." He smiled. "The Recollection Bell and the Shapeshifting Blanket looked very ordinary from the start, but are actually treasures!" he said. 

Wu Yuan released a sigh and looked at Cheng Sheng. Cheng Sheng's expression remained the same as he spoke. "I've bought them from a beggar." he said. "Both things." He added. 

"Eh? Right. Now that I think about it…" Fei Yin muttered as his brows scrunched up. "This beggar… how can he have such treasures on him?" he asked. 

"That's what founder asked before." Cheng Sheng remembered. 

Fei Yin nodded in agreement as he also remembered that happened. "Yes." He said. "So, what's up with these events?" he asked as he looked at Cheng Sheng. Suddenly, he paused. "This beggar… is he that beggar - ?" he asked when he finally realized it. He turned to look at the direction where the beggar is. 

Cheng Sheng nodded. "I remember something now." he said. "That beggar who sold me the Recollection Bell and the Shapeshifting Blanket, is the same beggar that we met in the Stop By Town and also a few days ago." He explained. 

Fei Yin's eyes widened in shock. "No way…!" he exclaimed. "He's a stalker?!" he said. "Why is he following us?" he asked. "Is he Wu Ran's henchman?" 

Cheng Sheng thought about it. "That is possible." He said. Fei Yin was about to say something when he spoke again. "That also might not be necessarily true." 

Fei Yin's expression turned serious. "Sheng." He called. 

Cheng Sheng took a deep breath as he looked at Fei Yin and Wu Yuan. "If he is Wu Ran's henchman, then why did he 'give' me the Recollection Bell and the Shapeshifting Blanket?" he asked. 

Wu Yuan frowned. "His intention is crucial to us." He said. 

"Yes." Cheng Sheng nodded. 

Fei Yin's lips were pressed into a thin line. "I'll beat him up!" he said. He hates being toyed with. Only Cheng Sheng can do that to him! 

Cheng Sheng helplessly looked at Fei Yin. "Not yet, Yin." He said. 

Fei Yin looked at him. 

"I have a feeling…" Cheng Sheng said. "That he's helping us, instead."