5 Day 4: The Scum Is A Cannon Fodder (1/2)
Chen Sheng 101: Life Story of A Scum
If you all still haven't noticed, even though I'm like this, I'm a young master. Right. The second young master of Chen family.
The Chen family is located in the Promising Land, where the Promising Sect is, where Chen Han is a disciple of. This was stated in the previous chapter, if you paid an attention.
I am a young master, though I'm like this. But, it's not because that I'm a young master, that's why I'm like this – a scum. In fact, the Chen family raised me well and with high moral value. That's why, like in the Newfound Sect, I am a big disgrace and disappointment.
But, instead of loathing me, the Chen family actually cherished me more. More and more that's why when I'm at my limit and on the verge of suffocation, I ran away from home, leading me to the Newfound Sect.
Even with the fact that Chen Han entered the Promising Sect, on the contrary and in everyone's expectations, the biggest disappointment is that Chen Sheng didn't enter the said sect and instead went away as far as possible from the Promising Land, thus leading him to the Newfound Land, and Newfound Sect. Coincidentally, the Newfound Sect is just starting and recruiting for disciples, so he immediately signed up.
All of these events began 15 years ago, when the said young man – Chen Sheng, is just starting his youth. As to how the pure and innocent bright boy turned to a delinquent, thus now living the life of a scum... that's to everyone's puzzlement.
To Chen Sheng, he only has one and only simple explanation to all this: he bumped his head too hard that rigged his brain and he underwent a big transformation just as he's about to start his adolescence. If you won't accept this reason, he still has another one: it's puberty. This makes everyone wants to choke him to death.
Tonight, a man wearing a black robe is walking towards an inn. Just as he walked in, everybody's gaze landed on him. After a second, they all looked away and continued with what they're doing.
He sat on the stool on the counter and ordered a jar of liquor. The bartender immediately served him. After gulping three jars, the man finally heard what he wants to hear for a while.
”A weird shadow?” a man said.
”Yes. It looks like a ball.” Another man answered.
”That just might be a malevolent energy. Get away from it.” the man told him.
”But, I really saw a ball of shadow – ” the other man insisted.
”You said it's night when you see it. Then it must be just the moon – ”
”The moon is white. How can you be so stupid - ?”
”What did you say - ?!”
”I said what I said. It really is a ball of shadow and not the moon – ”
”You - !”
The man raised his fist to punch the other man. The other man also raised his fist. Just when their fists are an inch apart from their face, the man wearing a black robe caught their fist.
The two looked shocked and turned at the man, wide – eyed. The other customers of the inn also looked at the man, awed.
”Gentlemen.” The man in a black robe said, his voice low but has an authority everyone stopped with what they're doing. ”You're drunk. Why don't you two calmly talk with words, not with fists?” the man asked and smiled, his voice magnetic and alluring.
The two men that's about to fight looked at each other. Like obedient dogs, they immediately sat down across each other.
The man in a black robe smiled, pleased. He sat beside the two and poured them drink. Everybody now, their attention caught, watched the three – the man in a black robe as the highlight.
”S – sir...” the two called, with fear in their voice, they quivered.
”Where were you just talking then?” the man in the black robe asked and poured himself a drink.
Everybody's eyes are on his every actions, their eyes can't look away with his graceful motions.
”T – the... the ball of shadow – ” the other man answered truthfully.
”Was it really the moon?” the man in a black robe asked again, played the wine in his cup.
”No.” the other man answered. The man across him just went silent, didn't dare to say anything since he now realized he really were just drunk.
”Where did you last see it?” the man in a black robe asked and looked at him, his eyes piercing.
The man gulped, his lips trembling. ”At... at the farthest house in the west of the next town – ” he answered truthfully.
The man paused, then looked at his cup that's now as still as the mirror's surface. ”... was there anyone who saw it other than you?” he asked after a while, resuming to play the wine in his cup.
”No.” the man answered.
”... very well.” The man in a black robe said, then gulped down the jar. ”Ah!” he exclaimed. He then put down the jar and the money on the table, then went straight to the door.
That made everyone blink and looked at the man.
The first to react is the man the other man had a quarrel with. ”Wait!” he called.
The man in black robe stopped on the door.
”Who the hell are you?” he asked and eyed the black robe the man is wearing. ”A demon cultivator...?” he asked, disgust in his eyes as he looked at him.
Everyone exclaimed and ran at the back, away from the man in a black robe.
But, the man laughed. ”If I am, I would've long gone killed all of you so that I could not pay for my tab.” He said and looked at the five jars on the table where he left.
Their mouth fell open, shocked. With that, the man in a black robe laughed again, then left. His long hair fluttering in the wind is as dark as the moonless night tonight.
The next day, a news about a man sucked out of his life traveled across the continent. The said man died after encountering a ball of shadow every night, which is actually the missing and escaped head of the corpse Chen Han defeated.
Promising Land – Promising Sect.
”Aia. That Promising Sect is gonna hoard the fame again...” the Newfound Sect disciples muttered, their voices low.
But I could hear you from here, you know? Chen Sheng sighed. He's standing three pillars away from his fellow sect disciples.
”En!” one answered.
Chen Sheng sighed and looked at Fei Yin. Like always, Fei Yin's face is blank. Chen Sheng turned to Li Tian and Feng Mo. Feng Mo's face is serious as he looked around the building. Li Tian, on the contrary, is frowning.
Chen Sheng looked at the old guy that's walking to the center of the stage.
His name is Ming Ye, an elder of the Promising Sect. ”Today, I deeply thank everyone for giving us their presence to be here this day.” He said. He clasped his hands, then bowed.
Everybody followed suit.
”The reason we are gathered here today is about the fierce corpses that appears even in broad daylight...” he said and continued.
Chen Sheng is not interested in listening. He blew out his hair that fell on his forehead, pushing them back by blowing it to his hair tied in bun.
”Brother Li. What are your thoughts in this matter?” Feng Mo asked Li Tian.
The scowl on Li Tian's face lessened a little. He glared one more time to Chen Han, who is standing on the stage not far from Ming Ye. There're two other men beside Chen Han.
Li Tian didn't mind the two and turned to Feng Mo. ”They're going to oppress other sects, ours included, and fully take the glory of bringing down that head of the corpse all to themselves.” he hissed, but his voice low as for the others could not hear him.
”I think not.” Fei Yin spoke for the first time they arrived in this place – the Promising Sect.
”To what reason Brother Fei said it?” Li Tian, his expression still ugly because Chen Han glanced our way. But it again lessened when his fellow brother spoke.
”Even though the Promising Sect has many outstanding disciples, but they can't take that head down.” Fei Yin answered, referring to the head of the corpse.
”Why?” Feng Mo asked, curious.
”Senior Brother Chen personally, aside from visiting Brother Chen, came here to scout the fierce corpses.” Fei Yin answered, referring to Chen Han. ”Coincidentally, they found what they're looking for.” He said.
”'coincidentally'?” Li Tian asked.
Fei Yin nodded, not turning to him and continue listening Ming Ye speak. ”The fierce corpse appeared in front of his brother, giving him an excuse to bluntly show up before the fierce corpse.” Fei Yin answered.
Silence fell on their group when the thought came down on them.
”You're saying... you're saying – ” Feng Mo said, stammering because of shock. ” – he really... came for – ” he said, didn't continue. He's referring to Chen Han.