"Xiao Sheng…" Xie Lan and Fan Wen muttered. "You have finished your task?" they asked.
Cheng Sheng nodded. "Elder Fei and elder Xi are so generous with spiritual energy. They even wanted for xiao Ling to manifest." He answered, then paused. "Xiao Bao requested it from them. And father and brother might also go later to my room, so I left since it will be crowded." He added.
Xie Lan and Fan Wen. "…" these doting people… they thought, then helplessly smiled. As if we were ones to talk. They looked at Fei Yinzi who stared at Cheng Sheng in shock.
"Shizun…" Fei Yinzi muttered under his breath. "… you're real?" he asked as he raised his hand and touched the tip of Cheng Sheng's snow-white hair, only for his fingers to curl up and his whole hand to tremble when he felt that soft hair.
"Or else?" Cheng Sheng's brow raised.
"SHIZUN!" Fei Yinzi cried and jumped on Cheng Sheng to hug him tight.
Cheng Sheng sighed and patted the back of Fei Yinzi's head before he raised his head and glared at the people crowding by the door to watch them. They have already noticed Fei Yinzi's gloominess. When they all saw Cheng Sheng looking at them, they all immediately retreated. Xie Lan and Fan Wen returned since Cheng Sheng is now here.
"Ai… crybaby, still has not weaned off of your mother?" Cheng Sheng asked when he felt Fei Yinzi's whole body is shaking while his clothes became damp because of the other's tears. "Well, it is reasonable. You don't have a mother anymore…" he muttered and sighed.
"Shizun…" Fei Yinzi called.
"I am busy." Cheng Sheng cut him off. "It is your bad luck to have a busy master. Do you want to change to another one right now? I recommend Li-shixiong. It's still not too late – " he said.
"NO! I don't want anybody else!" Fei Yinzi cut him off and held him tighter, doesn't want to let him go. "Don't push me away, shizun… please…" he sobbed.
Cheng Sheng had the urge to sigh again. Really a crybaby… he thought. "Have you already eaten?" he asked.
"Yes." Fei Yinzi answered. "… no. Not yet." He immediately changed his words when he noticed Cheng Sheng's silence and remembered that his master hates liars… albeit his master is one.
"Then, you go back and eat." Cheng Sheng said but Fei Yinzi release him. "… I won't leave. I am already done refining spiritual tools and only wanted to rest tonight." He explained. "I'll go watch the Intersect Competition in two days so stop making a fuss and go back." He told him.
"How about shizun? Have you already eaten?" Fei Yinzi asked and finally let go. He then wiped his tears, but his eyes are the tip of his nose are still red.
"Sun Rong and Qie Shi already sent me dinner before they went to rest." Cheng Sheng answered.
Fei Yinzi sighed in relief. "Good…" he muttered.
"Anything else?" Cheng Sheng asked.
"… shizun." Fei Yinzi called.
"Call me 'shifu'." Cheng Sheng spoke.
Fei Yinzi ignored it and smiled. "Can you… place this on me?" he asked and took out the earring that Cheng Sheng wanted to give him.
"No." Cheng Sheng answered.
"Why?" Fei Yinzi flinched when he felt his heart ached.
"I'm not good in adorning others with jewels." Cheng Sheng sighed. He really meant it. "I'm not even also good in trying up my hair, much less your hair when you were still a child." He looked at him.
"… oh. That's right." Fei Yinzi nodded when he finally recalled. "… then, I'll go back, shizun." He said, can't help but feel disappointed.
"Go. You can also just play tomorrow and not train. Don't feel pressured with the competition." Cheng Sheng said and then left. His snow-white hair is like the rays of the moonlight, making him look like a phantom of the night.
Then, he disappeared.
…
"Xiao Ling! Xiao Ling!" xiao Bao's childish voice called when they all saw the spirit of Cheng Sheng's sword.
"He's so small!" they exclaimed.
"Xiao Ling!" xiao Bai called, waking up the finger-sized child, not a baby.
"Uhmn…" xiao Ling grunted and turned over, resuming sleeping.
Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Chen Jing and Chen Han. "…" so lazy… just like its master… they all thought as they looked at that familiar lethargic expression that they see every time they see Cheng Sheng.
Xiao Bao. "QAQ"
The door opened and Cheng Sheng entered wearing the identical lethargic expression on xiao Ling… or it's the opposite. "Oh. You finally made him manifest." He muttered as he closed the door.
"Already assured him that I'll come in two days in the second stage of the competition to watch." Cheng Sheng answered as he lied down the bed while everyone surrounded the couch where his sword lies. "Xiao Ling." He called.
Xiao Ling who was sleeping woke up and rubbed his eyes before he slowly floated towards Cheng Sheng.
"Oh!" they all exclaimed, and xiao Bao looked very excited.
Cheng Sheng ignored the others and looked at xiao Bao. "You want to play with xiao Ling?" he asked him.
Xiao Bao immediately nodded. "Yes!" he answered.
"Then, you accompany me in two days and you can play with xiao Ling every night starting tonight." Cheng Sheng said.
Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Chen Jing and Chen Han. "…" really a businessman. He can even sell his sword spirit! They thought.
"Deal!" xiao Bao agreed without hesitation as he immediately took xiao Ling mid-air and poked xiao Ling's chubby cheeks.
Everyone's hearts felt like were poked by xiao Bao, too, when they saw the sight.
"Ehem. Sheng-er, why do you want xiao Bao to accompany you in two days?" Chen Jing asked after he recovered his wits.
Meanwhile, Chen Han, knowing that xiao Ling is his younger brother's sword spirit, gave xiao Ling more spiritual energy, much to xiao Bao's happiness. And seeing xiao Bao looked happy, Fei Lin also gave xiao Ling spiritual energy, making xiao Ling's spirit looked more solid.
"Do you want xiao Bao to protect you in two days? I can protect you!" Chen Han, the bro-con, said. Even though he is fond of xiao Bao, and now also xiao Ling, but his brother is more important.
"Not that." Cheng Sheng answered.
"Then, why?" Xi Ling curiously asked.
But, Cheng Sheng just smiled. Seeing Cheng Sheng's smile, everyone immediately shivered in fear. There is nothing good that will happen if Cheng Sheng smiled! So! Evilly!
Two days later, second stage of the Intersect Competition.
Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Chen Jing and Chen Han, after seeing that nothing happened yesterday, lowered their guards and thought that Cheng Sheng has changed and is not plotting evil. But, today, they finally understood Cheng Sheng's intention.
"Who is that? Cheng Sheng's new disciple? So young!" someone from the audience exclaimed after the Xinfaxian Sect arrived in the venue.
"Didn't think that Cheng Sheng would accept another disciple." Someone said.
"Well, before, we all think that he wouldn't accept any disciple. But look! There's Fei Yinzi! So, I wasn't surprised to see him with a new disciple!" somebody said.
Xie Lan, Fan Wen, Li Tian, Feng Mo, Lei Qing, Lei Ling and You Rou. "…"
Chen Han, Sun Yi and Wu Yuan following behind them. "…"
Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Chen Jing and Wu Fan who went to take a peek today of the competition. "…"
Sun Rong and Qie Shi who are in the audience's seats together with Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Chen Jing and Wu Fan. "^_^"
Xiao Bao who is wearing the Xinfaxian Sect's uniform and didn't expect he will be used like this. "…" endure… just endure… it's all for xiao Ling! He thought as he maintained his stiff expression while he walked beside Cheng Sheng, his 'master'.
"So young… it's expected that he wouldn't participate in this year's competition. We can wait for the next competition in five years to see his performance!" the audience added.
Xiao Bao who is collapsing inside. "…" endure… endure… he chanted in his mind.
Xie Lan, Fan Wen, Li Tian, Feng Mo, Lei Qing, Lei Ling and You Rou. "…"
Chen Han, Sun Yi and Wu Yuan following behind them. "…"
Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Chen Jing and Wu Fan who went to take a peek today of the competition. "…"
Sun Rong and Qie Shi who are in the audience's seats together with Fei Lin, Xi Ling, Chen Jing and Wu Fan. "^_^"
The Shanliangde Sect, Zunjingde Sect, Huakai Sect, Huli Sect and other sects that saw the Xinfaxian Sect with xiao Bao. "…"
Zheng Fu Gong, Pai Lie and Zheng Yi. "…" what is Cheng Sheng planning today?
Fei Yinzi who is sitting with the other participants on the stage and arrived earlier with them in the venue.. "…" why is that person beside shizun?! He thought as he looked at xiao Bao in shock. Did shizun… is he shizun's new disciple?! He suddenly want to cry again…