Xie Lian was about to explain that the beggars were mainly helping out of chivalry, not just for the food, when Hua Cheng said slowly, "No, they’re not doing it for the food but to save all mankind."
Xie Lian felt a bit strange and wondered why Hua Cheng would say this. Then he heard someone snort from afar, "Saving mankind? What nonsense are you talking about? Just focus on keeping your own lives!"
"Right! Beggars should stay out of this; go back home and be quiet!"
Hua Cheng said slowly, "Oh? So beggars can’t save mankind either? Is it because they can’t or because they’re not worthy?"
This caused the beggars to stir. Tian Yan Kai said, "We didn’t say that."
Master Qingxuan immediately came out and pointed at him, saying, "Come on! Look, we don't look like that; you just said earlier that we're causing a commotion, right? You sound so disapproving, everyone!"
"Exactly! What does that mean? Why are we not worthy?"
"We have food no matter if we come or not. Do you think we’re here for the food? Stop looking down on us!"
Xie Lian turned to one side and Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow at him, as if saying "Easy-peasy." Xie Lian thought: Now I understand. Although there were still many people left, they weren’t very confident. Thanks to Tian Yan Kai’s unintentional show of disdain toward them—“You dirty beggars causing a commotion”—Hua Cheng drew this out, awakening the beggars’ rebellious spirit: Do you think we can’t do it? We’re not the ones playing outside the cage; we are its bars!
The beggars finally realized they were trapped. They were like beasts burning in cages and these two hundred people weren’t visitors but the cage’s bars.
Seeing this, the vengeful spirits grew furious and screamed at the beggars blocking their way with fangs bared as if to swallow humans whole, their faces twisted. A few were so scared they took a step back; quickly, someone pulled them back: "Don't move!"
Xie Lian said, "Don’t move! They can’t hurt you until the formation breaks."
Hearing this, everyone felt slightly reassured. Beggars spat at those screaming vengeful spirits and said, "Yuck! You’re so dirty! Get lost!" Perhaps they had heard that ghosts fear dirt, Xie Lian chuckled and said, "This won't work; they don’t mind."
Suddenly, he noticed that a part of the human formation was in danger. He looked up to see a skinny beggar staring ahead with wide eyes, his breathing rapid as if about to faint.
Many vengeful spirits also sensed this weakening aura and rushed toward him. Xie Lian went over, whipped out a silk scarf, and hit the group so they howled and scattered. Quickly, he got that person out of harm's way and had two others take their place. Just as he was about to relax, another hole appeared six feet southwest. Before he could go there, he noticed another one appear right next to Master Qingxuan!