The Scum Is A ***

Jing Cheng, Xi Ming and Qian Lin gulped when they saw the high-quality magic pills and potions in Cheng Sheng\'s hands. They already heard Cheng Sheng is also a mage, and a talented one at that. But, seeing is entirely different from hearing.

Xi Ning also can\'t help but her eyes shone when she saw the potion. She\'s a potion mage, after all. She gulped down her saliva when she felt she\'s going to salivate just from seeing the high-quality potions. 

"So?" Cheng Sheng anxiously woke them from their thoughts. He\'s too worried of Lei Ling\'s condition. Seeing that they\'re still in a daze, he looked past them. He saw Jing Kang was lying on the floor, and Lei Ling\'s on top of him. It was Jing Kang who was hit by Lei Ling. Guilt was written all over Cheng Sheng\'s face. "This is for the trouble my shidi caused to your fellow disciple." He said and gave Jing Cheng the bottles of magic pills and potion, then he ran past them. "Lei-shidi!" he called as he knelt beside Jing Kang and checked Lei Ling\'s qi. He sighed in relief when it was only a physical injury.

Jing Kang saw Cheng Sheng. He was about to push Lei Ling towards him when he felt Lei Ling was tugging at his clothes. He lowered his gaze and saw the tears from Lei Ling\'s eyes when he buried his face on his chest. Lei Ling doesn\'t want to see his fellow disciples – especially Cheng Sheng, whom he respects the most. Not now. It was because he\'s ashamed.

"He\'s fine." He told Cheng Sheng.

"Fourth young master Jing." Cheng Sheng called and nodded at Jing Kang.

"Jing Kang." Jing Cheng called as they walked towards them. Qian Lin, Xi Ming and Xi Ning are following behind him, eyeing the bottles on his hands.

Jing Kang looked at them before he lowered his gaze and looked at Lei Ling. "… I\'m injured." he said.

Cheng Sheng\'s pupils shrank.

Jing Kang sighed as he carefully moved Lei Ling on top of him. "My match has ended earlier. I\'m going to the infirmary." He said and stood, carrying Lei Ling in his arms.

"I apologize, fourth young master Jing." Cheng Sheng said, his expression was shaken as he looked at Lei Ling. "I\'ll be taking my shidi – " he said. 

Jing Kang cut him off. "He was injured." he said and looked at Xi Xing who regrouped with them. "I\'m also injured. I\'ll be taking him with me." he told them. 

"But, your injury – " Jing Hei said.

"I can still carry him. I don\'t want to bother the Alliance." Jing Kang said, his voice unhurried but decisive. Then, he turned and left with Lei Ling.

"… Lei-shidi." Cheng Sheng called as he watched them left.

"Cheng-shidi." Fei Yin called when he caught up with Cheng Sheng.

Jing Cheng watched Jing Kang left, then he turned back to his seat. "We\'re letting him leave?" Qian Lin asked, surprised.

"Jing Kang said he doesn\'t want to bother the Alliance, so let him be." Jing Cheng said.

Jing Kang hates the Alliance, especially his father, since his father let himself be used by the Alliance. He doesn\'t want to join the Intersect Competition, and he made up excuses to his father. However, his father acted deaf and blind. 

"I\'m… really sorry." Xi Ming apologized as he pulled Xi Xing with him. He held the back of his head and pressed it down for him to apologize with him. "I bothered both sects…" he said and looked at Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin.

"It\'s fine." Fei Yin said. "It\'s a competition. We don\'t blame you." He told him and pulled Cheng Sheng with him to leave.

"… second young master Fei – " Xi Ming called. However, Fei Yin already left. He sighed, then turned to Jing Cheng. "Ah Xing didn\'t mean to kick the Xinfaxian\'s mage in your direction." he said, referring to Lei Ling. "He miscalculated his strength after he slept..." he explained. Then, his gaze fell on the bottles in Jing Cheng\'s hands. "… can we have – "

"No." Jing Cheng answered.

"… even just the potion – " Xi Ning said.

"No." Jing Cheng said. "Instead, you should compensate us." He glared at Xi Ming. The twins beside him nodded in agreement.

"… you\'re so greedy." Xi Ming said.

"You\'re one to talk!" Jing Hei laughed.

Xi Ming sighed. "It\'ll only be you who\'ll use those pills and that potion. Fourth young master Jing doesn\'t even put it in his eyes." he said.

"If you\'re that envious, why don\'t you let one of the Xinfaxian Sect disciples also hit you so that Cheng Sheng would also compensate you?" Jing Cheng asked.

"… no, thanks." Xi Ming grimaced. "I\'m afraid it\'d be second young master Fei would hit me to avenge his shidi." He sighed and then went back to their seat, dragging Xi Xing with him. Xi Ning reluctantly left, still eyeing the potion.

The seventh match started, and everyone forgotten Lei Ling and Xi Xing\'s match.

"… why do you not want to go to the infirmary?" Jing Kang asked as he carried Lei Ling outside the Righteous Alliance\'s headquarters.

"Cheng-shixiong is too worried of me… he\'ll definitely go to the infirmary to check on me." Lei Ling answered.

… if they won\'t see both of us there, they\'ll think I abducted you. Jing Kang thought, but he didn\'t voice it to not make Lei Ling worry more. He didn\'t know, what he thought really came true. But this was saved for later. "Hmn." he just said and walked towards the back entrance, leading to the Jing Manor.

"I thought you were injured?" Lei Ling asked after a while. "Why can you still carry me?" he asked.

"Why aren\'t you asking where I\'m taking you?" Jing Kang asked back. "You\'re not afraid I\'ll sell you?" he added.

Lei Ling pressed his lips tight and didn\'t answer. He took out two magic pills. He took one and he pressed the other one to Jing Kang\'s mouth for him to take. "These are made by me. I tried…" he said, then lowered his head.

Jing Kang just looked at him, but he didn\'t speak. He just quietly brought Lei Ling in the manor.

"Fourth young master…" the servants quietly called and bowed. The manor is quiet.

"We\'re in my quarters." Jing Kang spoke when they reached inside. "I\'m the only one living here. Father rarely goes home." He said as he placed Lei Ling down the bed.

"How about your mother?" Lei Ling asked as he rested.

"She died while giving birth to me." Jing Kang answered and left.

Lei Ling listened until the footsteps disappear before he opened his eyes. He sat up and saw that Jing Kang was gone. He sighed in relief. He thought he\'d marry early. He\'s suspicious why Jing Kang helped him when there was an enmity1 between them. When Jing Kang brought him to his home, he thought Jing Kang would get his revenge on him.

Yes – he touched his warm cheeks. He really thought Jing Kang would punish him that1 way. Even though Lei Ling doesn\'t like it, but if that\'s the way Jing Kang wants to get even with him…

He lowered his head as he gripped the quilt. He\'s useless and weak. He doesn\'t know much how the world works. Thus, he does what he thinks he can do within his abilities.

"As if…" he muttered and laughed as he lied down on the bed. He\'s just a helpless person. Why would Jing Kang take an interest with him? "Haa…" he sighed and turned, then closed his eyes to sleep. As to the reason why Jing Kang helped him… he\'ll just think about it tomorrow.

Jing Kang, hiding behind the pillar, heard Lei Ling\'s even breathing.

"Fourth young master…" the maid quietly called and looked at the purple bruise on Jing Kang\'s fair abdomen. It\'s a horrifying sight.

"Silence." Jing Kang glared at her and took the quilt from her. He grimaced when he moved and felt pain. Lei Ling is not as light as he looked. The reason why he insisted on carrying him all the way to the manor is to not burden him with more worries. If Lei Ling would know he was really injured and still carried the heavy him, Lei Ling would feel guilty to death.

He helplessly sighed and slowly walked towards Lei Ling. Then, he carefully covered him with quilt when he saw him shivering with cold.

The maid just lowered her head, acting blind to everything. Fourth young master… she thought. He\'s really too soft towards the weak. She sighed. But – she suddenly thought. This is the first time fourth young master brought someone in the manor… not even the first, second and third young master Jing can enter the manor. She thought, referring to Jing Cheng, Jing Bai and Jing Hei respectively. Aside from them servants, only Jing Kang and his father lives in the manor.

He brought someone… what does this mean? The maid was puzzled. Later, she\'ll find the answer when she comes across a certain book.