Chapter 274 - The Scum Is Happy

"Qi Ling!" Pai Lie gnashed his teeth in anger as he glared at Qi Ling. However, it is useless since Qi Ling can't hear their voice. Thus, Qi Ling wouldn't stop running off his mouth. 

"He told him he'd kick him and his pregnant wife out of the clan if your father won't listen to him." Qi Ling continued. "Do you know how much agony he has been through? He's unwelcomed from both sides!" he told Jing Kang whose eyes are bloodshot. "Fortunately, he's highly talented as a mage thus he gained a place in the Alliance. Fortunately, he already died, ne?" he maliciously grinned when he saw Jing Kang's pained expression, both from being physically and emotionally hurt. "He won't feel more pain now after knowing his son even rejected him due to his decisions before - " he added. 

"SHUT UP – " Jing Rui and Lei Ling, whose eyes are bloodshot from crying, were about to speak to stop Qi Ling from speaking. How much emotional torture should Jing Kang go through? He has already been hurt enough! "SHUT UP - !" 

However, they were cut off by Jing Kang's voice. "SHUT UP! AAAAAAAH!!!" he screamed as he fell on his knees and cried in anguish while he held his head. "SHUT UP!" he shouted as he pulled on his hair, making the crown of his hair fall on the ground. 

Qi Ling doesn't care a bit of Jing Kang's opinion. "That Zheng Yi and Lei Ling are fortunate to be saved. However, you are unlucky." He said as he maliciously grinned at Jing Kang. He was drowned by the power of the system that returned to him he didn't think deeply why there was no one around, except for Jing Kang, after he has been captured. 

The named Zheng Yi frowned when he heard his name come out of the villain's lips. Meanwhile, Lei Ling's face paled. However, he fought his fear because of Jing Kang. 

"Now... time for you to die, brat. After I kill you, I'll kill Cheng Sheng next! Hahahahaha!" he said and loudly laughed. 

"STOP!" Lei Ling yelled. "NO!" he cried. 

"Cheng Sheng! Let me through! Let me kill Qi Ling!" it was Jing Rui. However, Cheng Sheng remained immovable like the mount Tai. "CHENG SHENG!" he shouted. 

Qi Ling evilly grinned as he raised his hands that glowed while walking towards Jing Kang. 

"CHENG SHENG!!!" Jing Rui screamed and raised his hand to pull back Cheng Sheng. "He'll die - !" he said. 

"He won't." Cheng Sheng said. His voice is low, but it was filled with conviction. 

"What - ?" they all turned to him. 

Cheng Sheng slowly raised his head and stared hard at Qi Ling and Jing Kang inside the Shapeshifting Blanket. "He won't die." He said as he pressed his lips thin. "The light in his eyes hasn't died yet – " he told them. 

Just as his voice fell, they felt the ground shook. "W-what's happening?!" they all exclaimed as they immediately clutched onto the person next to them. 

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!" they heard a scream from inside the Shapeshifting Blanket that was violently shaking. However, it wasn't Jing Kang's scream. It was Qi Ling who screamed. 

"What happened inside?!" they all asked and turned to look at Cheng Sheng. The Shapeshifting Blanket suddenly turned dark, so they can't see what was happening inside. 

Cheng Sheng could guess what they were thinking. "It wasn't the Shapeshifting Blanket." He said. 

"What?!" they were shocked and squinted their eyes to try and peer through the darkness inside the Shapeshifting Blanket. They could still hear Qi Ling's screams. Suddenly, they had an epiphany. Their eyes widened as they looked at Cheng Sheng. "You don't mean… this is - ?!" they said, referring to the darkness. 

"Not demonic qi." Cheng Sheng relieved their fear. "It was the negative qi of the shikigamis." He told them. 

They were about to speak when they suddenly heard a crunching sound amidst Qi Ling's pained screamed. A chill ran down their spine and they shivered as they stared at the darkness inside the Shapeshifting Blanket with widened eyes in shock. 

"The shikigamis are eating Qi Ling's flesh and bones." Cheng Sheng told them, confirming their thought. 

Their face paled. "They are eating Qi Ling, and they are Jing Kang's shikigami. Then, wouldn't that make Jing Kang a demonic cultivator?" Su Yuan asked. 

Lei Ling also felt fear and sharply turned to Cheng Sheng. However, Cheng Sheng relieved their worry again. "No." he answered. 

"Why… how – " 

"They aren't Jing Kang's shikigamis." Cheng Sheng said. 

"What?!" they were stunned. "You don't mean – " 

"En." Cheng Sheng nodded to confirm their thoughts as he watched the darkness inside the Shapeshifting Blanket disappeared. "Those tattoos in Jing Kang's body disappeared after Jing Fu disappeared." He said as their eyes slowly widened when they finally saw Jing Kang standing, his long, black hair floating and his sleeves billowing because of the wind. "As well as the shikigamis disappeared, after they have completed their task." He told them as he beckoned the Shapeshifting Blanket when they saw Qi Ling was gone. 

The shikigamis aren't Jing Kang's, but Jing Fu's. He left them to protect Jing Kang until Jing Kang could kill Qi Ling. 

Lei Ling sobbed before he ran and jumped on Jing Kang's back. "Ah - !" Jing Kung muttered when he felt a weight on his back before he fell back to the ground. 

"AAAAH!" Lei Ling wailed as he hugged Jing Kang tight. "You could've died! You could've died! You're so reckless!" he told him as he cried. 

Everyone was taken aback before they all burst out in laughter after Lei Ling unwittingly broke the tense atmosphere. 

"Lei-shidi. If you continue choking fourth young master Jing, he'll really die!" Feng Mo told Lei Ling. 

"Ah – " Lei Ling muttered before he immediately freed Jing Kang. "A-are you alright?" he worriedly asked as he helped Jing Kang up. 

But, before Jing Kang could answer, Jing Rui hugged him tight. Jing Bai followed, and then Jing Cheng. Jing Kang was stupefied, before a smile bloomed on his face. He looked at Lei Ling, then reached out a hand to Lei Ling. 

Lei Ling's eyes widened and subconsciously held Jing Kang's hand, only to be pulled by Jing Kang and also be hugged by the Jing family. 

Everyone watched them with a smile, except Cheng Sheng, Fei Yin and Yu Sheng. "The system interfered, but recalled its power at the last minute, letting Qi Ling die in Jing Kang's hands." Fei Yin told Cheng Sheng in a low voice. His words meant that the system deceived Qi Ling again. 

Cheng Sheng remained silent as he contemplated. Meanwhile, Yu Sheng was watching Cheng Sheng and Fei Yin, before his eyes fell on Fei Yin. He is a god, and so he could feel all the forces around him, including the forces not from this world. Something interfered with Qi Ling's and Jing Kang's death match, but fortunately, it resulted to Jing Kang's win. 

"What're you crying for? So stupid!" he told Zuo Zhe as he retracted his gaze and turned to his wife. 

Zuo Zhe sniffed while wiping his tears with his sleeve. However, his snot is dripping. "I'm… I'm just… very happy - *sob." He answered. "Don't you feel happy for Jing Kang?" he asked and raised his head to look at Yu Sheng. 

Yu Sheng felt speechless. Then, he smiled. He personally wiped Zuo Zhe's face with his sleeve. "You're really adorable." He said, his voice had a trace of helplessness and indulgence. 

It took Zuo Zhe a while before he realized Yu Sheng didn't answer his question. "Hey!" he called and started to bicker with Yu Sheng again. 

Atop the canyon, a figure stood wearing a conical hat, a beggar's clothes, as well as a pair of wooden sandals. He slowly raised his head and watched the merrymaking afar, consisting of the Jing family, the Righteous Alliance elders, as well as Cheng Sheng's faction. 

"My Lord." Xi Tong called in his mind. "Were you satisfied by your meal?" he respectfully asked. The 'meal' he is referring to is Qi Ling's soul. He purposefully gave Qi Ling power, but only for a short moment before he retracted it. Then, when the time was 'ripe', he pulled Qi Ling's soul to the Ten Thousand Dimensions. 

Then, a voice answered from somewhere. "So-so." The voice answered. This voice is cold, fileld with disdain and indifference. It is emotionless, completely contrary to Fei Yin's cold but with gentleness voice. 

This voice is the Devourer. 

"I failed my Lord again." Xi Tong lowered his head in remorse. "Please punish me, my Lord. I will accept any punishment!" he said. 

"No need." The Devourer answered. "I have already recovered my strength after 'he' broke the restraints I placed upon 'him'." He said. The 'he' it is referring to is Fei Yin. The restraints it is referring to is blocking Fei Yin's memories. "Although my recent meal is so-so, but it 'tastes' good." It said. Its voice surprisingly sounded different, as if it is in a good mood. 

The richer the emotions of the soul, the 'tastier' they taste. No wonder the Devourer feel 'happy'. In case of Qi Ling, Qi Ling felt despair, then hope, before he felt more despair after Xi Tong deceived him. Then, Qi Ling had no time to ponder over his death, since he was immediately sent to a pitch-black space. 

It was the Devourer's 'stomach'.