"Mission accomplished!" Cheng Sheng told Fei Yin and smiled as they looked at the corpses of the demonic cultivators littering in the grounds of Zhongyang.
"En." Fei Yin whispered and smiled back at Cheng Sheng.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!" everyone screamed as they fell on their knees and cried. Although half a month is short for them cultivators who can live for hundreds of years, but these fifteen days are pure hell. Each day that passed felt like pushing them deeper in the abyss.
Zheng Fu Gong collapsed on the ground while Jing Rui leaned on the wall. "Where's Qi Ling?" Xie Lan asked as he walked towards Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin. His pale green robes and his sword was soaked with blood.
"Inside my Shapeshifting Blanket." Cheng Sheng answered and turned when he saw Jing Rui and the others returned after they killed the demonic cultivators that escaped. "How is it?" he asked them.
"It's as you said. There are people they've imprisoned and Qi Ling really experimented on them." Jing Cheng frowned in anger when he remembered those soulless expression of the people they've rescued.
Cheng Sheng nodded. "You've worked hard." He told them. For Qi Ling to masterfully steal a part of Zheng Yi's and Lei Ling's soul, he must have experimented on it for a long time. And the people he's imprisoned are his 'samples'. Even though he has the help of the system, but based on his understanding of Qi Ling's personality, although Qi Ling is inherently bad, but he is hardworking. And, he only trusts himself; even towards the system that brought him in this world, he has his guard up against it.
Cheng Sheng guessed that the system abandoning Qi Ling is because the system must have reached its goal and has no use of Qi Ling anymore. But, what is the system's goal? He thought and looked at Fei Yin.
"Hm?" Fei Yin muttered when he noticed Cheng Sheng looking at him.
Cheng Sheng retracted his gaze. Ever since he found out Fei Yin is the Keeper of the Ten Thousand Dimensions, but as well as the Devourer that devoured all of the worlds except theirs, there's a thought that popped up in his head.
Since Fei Yin and the Devourer is just one entity, but separated in souls, can Fei Yin see everything that Devourer sees, and vice versa? If so, can Fei Yin read the Devourer's mind, then, so they can know what the Devourer is planning to do with their world?
Of course, if Fei Yin could, then the Devourer could, too. And this leaves Cheng Sheng feel torn. Since the Devourer can pry into their daily life, Cheng Sheng definitely wanted to hide his plans. However, to do this, he has to hide his plans from Fei Yin, too. But! He doesn't want to! He wanted to be honest with his lover.
"Sheng?" he heard Fei Yin called. "Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.
Cheng Sheng blinked and was pulled back from his thoughts. "No. Nothing." He answered. "I'm just thinking how to deal with Qi Ling." He said.
"Kill him!" Jing Hei who heard him answered.
"Death is letting him off easy." Jing Bai frowned.
"Then, what should we do?" Jing Cheng asked.
Zheng Fu gong, Jing Rui and Xie Lan. "…" hey. We're still here? Why not leave the punishment to us? We're your seniors?
It was then the silent Jing Kang spoke. "Let me kill him." He said.
"Jing Kang?" Jing Cheng turned and looked at Jing Kang.
It was then Chen Han remembered Jing Kang's declaration before. "Right. You said that you wanted to kill Qi Ling, and then marry Lei-shidi." He said.
Sun Yi whistled. "Better leave Qi Lin in fourth young master Jing's hands, then." He suggested.
Jing Kang, however, fell silent. "It's not only for Lei Ling that's why I'm doing this." He said.
"My elder brother… is his death related to Qi Ling?" Jing Rui asked as he walked towards Jing Kang.
"Yes." Jing Kang nodded.
Jing Rui's eyes widened and he held Jing Kang's shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me?!" he asked. "I've always thought my elder brother's death is suspicious, and I've been trying to find some clues. But, I couldn't find one!" he said as he fell on his knees.
"Uncle!" Jing Cheng, Jing Bai and Jing Hei called as they helped Jing Rui up.
"What did Qi Ling do?" Zheng Fu Gong asked. As the leader of the Righteous Alliance, he felt ashamed to not know these things. "I'm sorry." He said.
Jing Kang shook his head. "It's Qi Ling's crime, not yours." He told him.
"What exactly happened to your father?" Xie Lan asked.
"You all already know that my father is best in talisman making." Jing Kang said. Seeing them nodding, he continued. "He didn't have time for my mother, but my mother doesn't blame him. When I was born, my mother died and he wasn't there. However, before I can even start to hate him, he also died." He said.
Everyone knew this, since Jing Rui personally raised Jing Kang along with Jing Bai and Jing Hei, whose parents also died, and then Jing Cheng, who was also orphaned. Jing Rui's siblings died, leaving Jing Rui behind with their children. Some thought Jing Rui killed his brothers for power, but only the sensible ones knew Jing Rui was the one that's the most unfortunate. He was still very young, still not yet an adult, yet he was forced to inherit their family's position, as well as the sect's. And then, there are his nephews who were left by their parents still very young. He is their uncle, yet he looked just like their elder brother.
"Qi Ling didn't directly kill my father. As uncle said, there has no evidence." Jing Kang said and looked at Jing Rui. "However, the reason why I related his death to Qi Ling is because of Qi Ling's talismans." He said.
Everyone present is smart. They can guess the implication of Jing Kang's words. "It couldn't be…" Zheng Fu Gong's eyes widened.
"En. His talismans are all of my father's." Jing Kang confirmed their guess.
Everyone sucked in a cold breath. "I remember now." Xie Lan said. "Qi Ling arrived just in time your father returned from his long business trip in search for a new talisman technique." He said.
"That's right." Jing Kang nodded. "It was around that time that Qi Ling was known for his talent in talismans, too. Added to the fact with his special talent in Spirit Infiltration, he overshadowed my father and stole my father's position in the Alliance. He became the Alliance's new elder, instead of my father." He explained.
Zheng Fu Gong closed his eyes and lowered his head in self-blame. Jing Rui was silently crying.
"Fortunately, my father hasn't fallen from the family's favor, because he's the only one who has the talent in alchemy in our family." Jing Kang said. "But, after Qi Ling appeared, misfortune after misfortune followed our small family." He said. "Mother fell ill, and since she was pregnant, I have been affected of her illness."
Everyone fell silent. They all know that Jing Kang doesn't go out of his residence, but only some knew that he is actually ill.
"It was then that father started to become busier. He has no time to check on my mother, and so he didn't notice mother is ill." Jing Kang continued. "Even when I was born, he was never there. It was then after I was born that mother died. Not of her illness, but of heartbreak for not seeing my father for the last time." He said as his eyes reddened.
Cheng Sheng felt a warm liquid streamed down his cheeks, followed by a cold skin wiping his tears.
"When father returned, only mother's cold corpse welcomed him back, along with a baby boy who's as silent as his mother's corpse, he thought I also died." Jing Kang smiled bitterly. "Almost." He added.
Jing Rui sobbed while Jing Hei was crying loudly on the side.
"It was true father hasn't fallen out of favor in the family." Jing Kang said. "Well, only when he was there. But, when he's not, no one looked after my pregnant and ill mother. It was like she never existed." He said.
They all felt their heart is very heavy. They could guess what Jing Kang will say next, but they can't stop him from speaking to let him vent his anger, as well as sadness.
"Mother gave birth to me alone. She dragged her ill and exhausted body that had just given birth to boil warm water to clean her newly born child, and then wrapped him with old, tattered thin cloth to keep her child warm and not fall sick than he already is after he inherited his mother's illness." Jing Kang said. "She died alone, and giving birth to me who destined to be alone, since father will also leave me alone."