Cheng Sheng's face darkened as he turned to his fellow disciples. "You guys… where's the resilient as a bamboo?" he asked. "You easily give up." He sighed as he walked towards their table and began to eat. "What's with this luxurious escort?" he asked as he looked at the usually empty dining hall of Yunxiao Inn became full. "Zunjingde Sect, Shanliangde Sect, Qianxu Sect… only the Nanshu Sect an Huakai Sect are missing and everybody'd be here." He said as he chewed the beef.

"We're here." Shu Mu said as he stood behind Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng's eyes widened and he almost choked. Fei Yin immediately gave him water. "WHA – " he said as he turned and saw Shu Mu and Tang Zhe standing behind him. "Why are you also here?!" he exclaimed.

"The truth is, this set up is not only to aid you when the demonic cultivators show up, but also to develop camaraderie earlier than scheduled." Tang Zhe answered. "It is already late, but thank you for helping Shan-shidi." He said. He's referring to Shan Lu who looked at him and nodded before he and his fellow disciples looked for their seat.

"… then why here?" Cheng Sheng asked.

"Since you're already here." Tang Zhe answered. "The elders are afraid you'll be ambushed by the demonic cultivators if you'll move places, so they let us all stay here." He explained. Shu Mu waved at his fellow disciples to go ahead while he sat in their table. Tang Zhe did the same.

"… too luxurious." Cheng Sheng said. His face is covered in dark lines. "I never knew I'm this highly valued." He added. His tone sarcastic.

"You're the one who doesn't understand your value." Shu Mu said as he started to eat after the servant of the Yunxiao Inn served him and Tang Zhe food. "You can fool around as you want, but you should know the danger of what you are doing." He told him.

"It's only for self-improvement." Cheng Sheng said. He's not lying.

As Xie Lan said, he studied alchemy and swordsmanship to make up for him being inept in cultivation. However, the matter had gotten big ever since the appearance of the strange corpse, and when they went to Youxiwang Sect to help them.

"We believe you. However, you should be more self-aware of your situation now." Shu Mu said. Tang Zhe's not that close to Cheng Sheng so he's just silently listening. Ever since Cheng Sheng helped him, Shu Mu had considered Cheng Sheng as his friend thus he can speak to him like this. "You're already eye-catching as both a sword and mage cultivator. Now that you're promoted, and then defeated the demonic cultivators one after another…" he said and looked at him.

Cheng Sheng really understood. Thus, he hated it. His peace that he protected for a decade was gone. He should've known. The moment he'd step a foot outside of Xinfaxian, he should have prepared to lose this peace. "I understand." He said in a low voice as he resumed eating. However, he had lost his appetite. He felt the food is tasteless.

"Cheng Sheng…?" Shu Mu called when he noticed the change in Cheng Sheng's mood. The Xinfaxian Sect disciple suddenly fell silent and ate quietly. "What… happened?" he said as he looked at them. His face puzzled.

Tang Zhe is not as obtuse as Shu Mu. He grabbed his plate, as well as the back of Shu Mu's collar and then rose from his seat. "Please excuse us." He told them and dragged Shu Mu with him.

"Wha – hey! I'm not done eating yet - !" Shu Mu said as they walked away from the Xinfaxian Sect and Youxiwang Sect's table that had gone silent.

"You're such an idiot." Tang Zhe sighed when they reached their table. Since the tables are limited, their sect shared a table.

"What?" Shu Mu said.

"Insensitive." Tang Zhe added and pulled Shu Mu down to sit. "You've gone too far back there." He told him.

"… huh?" Shu Mu said and was about to turn to the Xinfaxian Sect when Tang Zhe grabbed his head and turned it back to face their table.

"Do you think Cheng Sheng isn't aware?" Tang Zhe asked. "He's the one who's the most aware of us all, since he's the one who's in the dangerous situation." He explained.

"…" Shu Mu fell silent.

"Don't feel bad. Cheng Sheng also knows you only said it for his own good." Tang Zhe told him. "You know… Cheng Sheng isn't only physically strong. But mentally and emotionally, too." He said. "He cared for others more than he cares for himself, which was what he shows to us." He smiled. "Acting carefree… acting like the usual is his only way to not worry his fellow disciples. His situation is already dire. If he'd feel depressed, his fellow disciples – who are weaker than him, would feel worse since they don't know how to protect Cheng Sheng in their own way." He explained. "In short, instead of protecting him, but they're the ones who were being protected. All of them had been ignoring this fact, avoiding it... but because of you, you not only reminded them, but also slapped it on their face!" he sighed as he looked at Shu Mu whose face looked vacant after realizing his mistake. He patted his back before he resumed eating. "It's not only you, though." He said and looked around the dining hall that had become silent.

Especially the Zunjingde Sect and the Shanliangde Sect's table. They are looking at Jing Kang. Their eyes are filled with blame. "Somehow… sorry…" Jing Kang said and glanced at the Xinfaxian Sect and Youxiwang Sect's table.

Jing Cheng sighed. "It's not only you, though." He said. "It's the Alliance's elders, too. They're too focused on protecting Cheng Sheng they didn't consider his feelings." He explained. He knew Jing Kang didn't mean harm. He's just a straightforward person. Cheng Sheng is amazing for holding back his temper and controlling his emotions.

Cheng Sheng suddenly rose from his seat. "Ah Sheng-" Chen Han called.

"I'll just go out to breathe fresh air." Cheng Sheng answered as he left his seat. "I won't wander around. Don't worry." He added and then left the dining hall.

A deafening silence fell as they looked at each other. The Xinfaxian Sect lowered their head in shame.

"Raise your head." Fei Yin spoke. "Don't let him see you become weaker than you already are." He told them. His words may be harsh, but it was effective.

Lei Ling, Lei Qing and You Rou raised their head although their tears are about to fall. "… thanks, da shixiong." They said.

Fei Yin didn't answer and just left his seat to follow Cheng Sheng.

"We had this coming." Feng Mo said. "We're always fooling around. We should have faced this sooner." He said and balled his fists.

"That's right." Li Tian said. "We thought we're protecting him, but he's the one protecting us all along…" he said.

"Ah Tian…" Chen Han called.

"We just can't face, much less, accept this fact." Lei Qing said. "And that's why we're always being protected. Cheng-shidi must have known it all along… that we don't want to be seen as weak… don't want to be called weak." She said as her tears finally fell.

"Cheng-shixiong…" You Rou called as she cried.

Lei Ling sniffed. His tears silently ran along his cheeks. "I really feel sorry for Cheng-shixiong…" he said as he choked back a sob. "Now, this… he already has a hard time protecting himself… yet he's still protecting us." He hiccuped because of crying.

"Lei-shidi... Lei-shimei… You-shimei…" Sun Yi called and lowered his head. He didn't know their problems. He always sees them bantering and their usual antics. He didn't notice the meaning behind their actions. He pressed his lips thin. I'm also stupid. He thought and closed his eyes.

The dining hall was suddenly covered in gloom.

"Uh-oh. They snapped." Jing Hei said. His expression serious as he looked at the Xinfaxian Sect and Youxiwang Sect.

The Huakai Sect and the Nanshu Sect kept their mouth shut to not add to the tension.

"Cheng-shidi." Fei Yin called as he walked towards Cheng Sheng who's sitting on top of the roof.

"You found me." Cheng Sheng said. He didn't turn to look at Fei Yin. Then, he felt Fei Yin sat beside him. "Those idiots…" he said as he looked at their fellow disciples crying. "I haven't died, so it's too early to cry. Ah, no – " he said as he lied down the tiles on the roof. " – even if I'd die, they shouldn't cry. Not even a shed of tears!" he said. "That includes you, da shixiong." He told Fei Yin as he looked at him.

Fei Yin stared at Cheng Sheng before he nodded. "Mn." He said. "I won't." he told him. I won't shed a tear, since I'll be following you after. He thought.

Satisfied, Cheng Sheng smiled as he closed his eyes to take a nap. The sunlight hit his face, but he didn't wake up. "Da shixiong~" he called after a while.

"How is your condition?" Fei Yin asked after Cheng Sheng found him out staring at him.

"Thanks to Zuo Zhe, my soul was repaired and won't leave my body for a while." Cheng Sheng answered.

Fei Yin fell silent. After a while and he spoke. "… you won't ask who I am?" he asked. He knew, Cheng Sheng already knew about Yu Sheng and Zuo Zhe. Even if Yu Sheng didn't tell Cheng Sheng anything about him, but Fei Yin wanted to come clean to Cheng Sheng. This is the thing he must face in order to protect Cheng Sheng.

"What?" Cheng Sheng said. "That you transmigrated, too?" he said. Yu Sheng and Zuo Zhe also transmigrated.

"Yes." Fei Yin honestly answered.

Cheng Sheng fell silent. "Then, you know I also transmigrated." He said.

Fei Yin was slightly taken aback since Cheng Sheng didn't address him as 'da shixiong'. "Yes." he answered. "Since I came for you." He told him.