"There's a rule saying that, if you want something in return, then something must be given in exchange." Cheng Sheng said. "It is to keep everything fair. So – " he looked at Wu Xi as he crossed his arms on his chest. " – what will you give to me in return of my help?" he asked and grinned. Then, he leaned on his back as he wore a smug smile. However – "Ah – " he muttered when he felt there's nothing on his back. He forgot. He's sitting on a bench.

"Careful." Fei Yin said as he caught Cheng Sheng.

"…" Cheng Sheng suddenly felt guilty. So this is da shixiong's role… to catch me every time I fall1 … he thought.

"…" Wu Xi was puzzled by their group. Is this what Shu Mu meant, to just go with the flow?

Cheng Sheng cleared his throat and looked at Wu Xi who sat motionless across them. "If you want to answer, just write it here." He said as he took out a paper and an ink and brush from his sleeves and placed them on the table. When he saw Wu Xi just stared at the paper, he spoke. "I already knew from Shu Mu's letter you're penniless." He said. "However, I just can't give charity to anybody. They will abuse it." He sighed. "I'll give you time to think about it."

Suddenly, Chen Han spoke. "Ah Sheng. Does he have nothing on him?" he asked as they approached them.

"Yeah." Cheng Sheng answered.

"Then, how about have him help you?" Chen Han asked.

"Huh?" Cheng Sheng said.

"You know, the third stage." Chen Han reminded him. "The fifty contestants will be divided in groups of ten during the third stage. The result may be individualized, but the process is by group." He explained. "There's only four of you in the Xinfaxian Sect – you, Fei Yin, Ah Tian and Feng-shidi. Meanwhile, there's only me and Sun-shidi in the Youxiwang Sect." he said. "That's six of us. We're still lacking four members. If Yu Sheng and Wu Xi will be added, then we'll be lacking only two members." He told him.

"Count me in." Yu Sheng said and smiled as he waved his hand at them.

"Then, there's only two members we're lacking for the third stage." Chen Han said.

"He still hasn't answered…" Fei Yin said when he turned and saw Wu Xi wrote on the paper.

"I agree. – Wu Xi"

"If that's the case, where do we find two more members?" Cheng Sheng asked.

"Don't mind it for now. We'll definitely find our missing two members since each group has to be exactly ten members. There'll be two excess contestants during the third stage." Chen Han explained. "Even if they'll not cooperate with us later, it's better than them sabotaging our group. We only need them to make up for the number of our people, anyway. When the third stage starts, we can also ditch them." he said.

"…" Cheng Sheng stared at him. "You finally acted like what a leader should be…" he muttered. "Huh? Where's founder and father?" he asked as he looked around and found Xie Lan and Chen Jing disappeared.

"Must have went back to the Alliance to fetch Yuan." Sun Yi smiled.

It is, indeed. Since Chen Jing and Xie Lan received a Voice Talisman from Wu Yuan, saying he was attacked. When they arrived, they were relieved to find Wu Yuan was alright and was just pressured. All of his hard work had paid off.

"Were you hurt?" Chen Jing asked as he and Xie Lan immediately covered Wu Yuan from his attackers.

"Demonic cultivators." Xie Lan clicked his tongue.

"Where is Cheng Sheng?" one of the demonic cultivators asked.

"Aio~ so it really is our Xiao Sheng you're after~" Xie Lan grinned. "What? You want to have an appointment with him? State your business first." He told them.

"Our Sheng-er doesn't want to talk with ugly people. Show your face and let us evaluate you." Chen Jing said as he looked at the twelve demonic cultivators surrounding them. "If you're uglier than the three of us, then you're out." he added.

"…" Wu Yuan's face is covered in dark lines and he suddenly felt ashamed. These rascals… he thought and placed a palm on his face. He disregarded in his mind that Chen Jing and Xie Lan are his seniors.

"Sect leader Wu, look out!" Fei Lin said as he and Xi Ling kicked the two demonic cultivators who tried to sneak up behind Wu Yuan.

"Thank you." Wu Yuan said as he turned to them after they killed the demonic cultivators.

"Xiao Ling." Xie Lan called.

"Gege!" Xi Ling called and jumped on Xie Lan's back to hug him.

"…" Fei Lin looked at Xi Ling, feeling speechless. Ling… that's not how an elder of a prestigious sect acts. He thought and sighed as he sent a sword glare to the demonic cultivators.

They immediately backed off to avoid being hit. Such power! They thought and glared at Fei Lin.

"How's Cheng Sheng?" Xi Ling asked as he finally jumped off of Xie Lan's back. "He attracted more attention earlier. It's reasonable this bunch would look for him and settle scores with him." He said as he raised his sword.

"Don't worry. He has lots of helpers there." Xie Lan answered. "Also, Xiao Sheng is very careful. He knows what to do." He added as he, Chen Jing, Wu Yuan, Fei Lin and Xi Ling rushed to the demonic cultivators for a counterattack.

Back to the Yunxiao Inn, Mu Jun kicked off a demonic cultivator that was creeping on the roof. "Geez…" he muttered as he scratched his head. "It'd only be a matter of time the other sect leaders would arrive here." He said as he dodged when another one appeared. "This kid is really smart, though." He said as he grabbed a demonic cultivator's head and pressed his face on a talisman that was stuck on the tree's trunk.

"AAAAAHHH!!!" the demonic cultivator cried when his face was burned.

"Oh~" Mu Jun smiled as he watched the demonic qi come out of the demonic cultivator's skin after it was burned. "A transformation, huh?" he said when he saw the demonic cultivator grew fangs. Then, he crushed his head with his bare hands. "Aio~" he muttered when the demonic cultivator's blood soaked his hand. He's a demonic cultivator, anyway, so the demonic qi wouldn't affect him. Instead, it'd just increase his strength. Also, he can help the Xinfaxian Sect sweep up its enemies. "Two birds with one stone, huh? Huang is really smart." He said as his eyes narrowed and he grinned as he watched the demonic cultivators rushed up to him.

"Hm?" Cheng Sheng muttered and looked up the ceiling. His pupils immediately turned silver and he saw the demonic qi dancing above the roof.

"What's wrong?" Lei Qing asked.

Cheng Sheng blinked and the color of his eyes returned to normal. He had erected a sound-blocking barrier for his friends to not hear what is happening outside. Thus, they also didn't hear Wu Xi arrived earlier. Had it not for the servant who was cleaning up the floor and saw Wu Xi, the others wouldn't know Wu Xi was here.

"Nothing. A fly had touched the talismans I pasted around the Yunxiao Inn. It's fine now." he told them as he rose from his seat. He then turned to Wu Xi. "You can stay for the night here. You then leave tomorrow." he told him and then climbed upstairs.

"Huh? What happened to Cheng-shixiong?" Lei Ling asked.

"His mood suddenly was dampened…" You Rou said as they watched Cheng Sheng disappeared from the stairs.

Cheng Sheng appeared on the roof just behind Mu Jun and kicked down the demonic cultivator behind him.

"Yo, kid~" Mu Jun called. "You're not afraid I'll abduct you and renege on Fei Huang?" he asked Cheng Sheng, though he was killing each demonic cultivator on the roof.

Cheng Sheng raised his hand and his jade pendant turned to a sword. "You would've done so since earlier." He said, referring to when he let Wu Xi came in. His words also included Mu Jun who was sitting on the roof. "You're too dedicated of your work, you can't even sit and have a cup of tea." He told him as he cut the demonic cultivators that approached him.

"It's Cheng Sheng!" the demonic cultivators exclaimed and they all gathered.

"Why use your sword? You can clean these bugs with just your spells and magic pills." Mu Jun told him.

"Alchemy is more taxing in using qi than the sword." Cheng Sheng explained. "Of course, you wouldn't know that since you're a demonic cultivator." He added.

A vein popped in Mu Jun's forehead as he clawed the heart of a demonic cultivator before he kicked him off the roof. "Brat. You're not that powerful at all." He told him.

"Who said I am?" Cheng Sheng asked as he cut down the last demonic cultivator. Then, the Cleansing Talismans flew out of his sleeves and burned the demonic cultivators' corpse, including the ones on the ground. "Whew." He breathed.

"Sheng-er!" Chen Jing called as he, Xie Lan, Wu Yuan, Fei Lin and Xi Ling descended on the roof. "Oh. You're with the helper." He said and looked at Mu Jun who grabbed Cheng Sheng's neck.

"Tch." Mu Jun hissed when his palm was burned again. "What is your skin made of?" he asked as he looked at Cheng Sheng.

"My flesh." Cheng Sheng answered.

can it have another meaning? *winks