Chapter 151: A Solution

"The demons will continue their investigation, but we can't slack off on educating the ordinary people," the councilor said. "Xiao Le, you should prepare yourself for shooting the spin-off TV series based on that demon mobile game."

Xiao Le instinctively replied, "Shouldn't we avoid wasting time on shooting a TV series now?"

"Who says no?" the councilor frowned. "This is for educational purposes, so ordinary people can better understand the world of demons and exorcists."

"Wouldn't it be faster to make lecture videos or short clips for education? TV series take a long time to shoot and air," Xiao Le thought the councilor's words were odd. "The public is eager to learn now, and a TV series would be like a distant water that can't put out a nearby fire."

"The narrative of a TV series will leave a stronger impression on the public. They'll quickly forget about short videos or educational lectures," the exorcist sitting across from Xiao Le said. "What you're saying is valid, but fast-food culture won't make a deep impact."

The logic seemed sound, but upon closer inspection, it was absurd. Before Xiao Le could voice his thoughts, the councilor spoke up, "That's settled then. Let's move on to discussing the personnel arrangements."

...

After Wen Ying broke the divine stone, he had little to do. With too many exorcists getting into trouble lately, those who collaborated with the extremist party had become more cautious, halting most of their activities. As a result, they, as demons in Mu City, couldn't find new targets to score points.

The human world, agitated by the emergence of new powers, was in chaos, while they, as demons from the Realm of Devils, were entering a period of relaxation.

Wen Ying stealthily sneaked back to his home, concealing his aura and magical energy. Recently, Mu City was under strict surveillance, with exorcists monitoring for any abnormal magical reactions everywhere.

He had openly gone to other people's homes with his puppet body for them to touch the divine stone, but now he felt like a thief when returning home, not daring to make a sound.

Lin Tianbao wasn't at home; only Wen Qinxue was in the room, scripting. Wen Ying hovered by the door and tapped on it while looking up.

"Mom."

Wen Qinxue turned around in surprise, stood up from her chair, and quickly walked over.

"Exorcists have been patrolling Mu City lately. Are you alright?" Placing Wen Ying in the palm of her hand, she examined him almost from every angle.

Wen Ying spread his arms wide for a clearer view, speaking with confidence, "I'm completely fine, Mom. Don't worry. By the way, has Grandfather visited recently?"

Wen Qinxue fell silent for a few seconds before whispering, "After the black hole appeared in Mu City a few days ago, he called and said he would come over. But the next day, he called again and said he wouldn't. Moreover, he moved even farther away."

Wen Ying: "..." That was something his unreliable great-grandfather would do.

"Mom, be extra cautious these days. It's best to stay at home, and don't trust exorcists too much, especially those from the Church," Wen Ying advised.

The Extremists have more interaction with the Church, but the Exorcist Association's exorcists seem to have little contact with them.

"Be careful as well," Wen Qinxue frowned, her eyes filled with concern. "You haven't traveled far from home much since you were young. Now that you're out on your own, I'm very worried. Your great-grandfather isn't... ahem, reliable. In the Realm of Devils, neither your father nor I can be of much help. You'll have to rely on yourself."

You mean he's unreliable, right? Right?

It seemed that not only he thought Wen Dingjue was unreliable, Wen Ying mused inwardly.

"There shouldn't be anything major happening in Mu City recently," Wen Ying said. "Many people have been keeping an eye on this place lately, and those who have collaborated with the Devil Realm's wanted criminals have gone into hiding."

"Will devils from the Devil Realm frequently appear in the human world from now on?"

Wen Ying pondered for a moment before answering, "I don't think so. At least not in the short term. Mom, you don't need to worry too much, and tell Dad not to be too afraid. Fear might attract devils."

If it weren't for the fear of being detected by exorcists, Wen Ying would have left Wen Qinxue a few of his magic cards for self-defense.

As Wen Qinxue was talking with Wen Ying, her phone rang in the room. She walked over to retrieve it and, before answering, told Wen Ying, "It's your great-grandfather."

Seeing Wen Ying's curious expression, Wen Qinxue put the call on speakerphone.

"Grandfather, do you have any new instructions for us?"

Wen Dingjue's voice rang out from the speaker of the phone: "I see Mu City is currently testing the talents of those under 25. Has anyone from our family gone there?"

Starting from nine o'clock this morning, the government, along with church and association members, had arranged talent assessments in the square for the public. Those found to possess a talent would be asked if they wished to attend school or join an "interest class."

Enrollment, as the name suggests, referred to attending a magic academy. After the exorcists agreed to become teachers, the Flower Planting Nation's government promptly established such an academy, which not only included classrooms for exorcists but also cultural courses taught by regular educators.

The nation's top officials keenly sensed that the world was on the brink of change, and the power of exorcists might soon become a new form of military strength that needed to be nurtured in advance.

Graduates of the magic academy would be required to serve in the military after graduation, and even if they left, they would still need to work in government-designated departments. Some found these rules too restrictive and thus opted for interest classes, which were similar to learning piano or painting, with a few lessons per week. The government had no requirements for them, of course, except that they couldn't use magic for criminal purposes.

The notification was issued yesterday, stating that it would begin at nine today. However, if one were to arrive punctually at nine, they would find the square already packed with people, forming dozens of concentric circles, all heads swaying in the crowd.

No one knew when the first person had arrived. Wen Ying had taken a look in the morning and was astounded. It was such a lively scene, truly fitting for magic, with its immense allure.

Wen Qinxue replied to Wen Dingjue, "Not yet. Xin Xin and the others originally planned to go, but they were intimidated by the massive crowd..."

Before Wen Qinxue could finish her sentence, Wen Dingjue raised his voice to interrupt her: "Tell them none of them are allowed to go! No one from our family should attend!"

Wen Dingjue's voice was filled with anxiety and fear, which piqued Wen Ying's curiosity as he interrupted, "Grandfather, why can't Elder Sister Xin Xin and the others go?"

Hearing Wen Ying's voice, Wen Dingjue was taken aback, "Aren't you supposed to be in the Demon Realm? Qinxue, why is Little Ying here?"

"According to them, it's for an end-of-term task," Wen Qinxue glanced at Wen Ying, "Grandfather, why can't we go?"

In truth, she had already guessed that their demonic genes might cause problems during the talent test.

Wen Dingjue's tone couldn't hide his anxiety, "Because you have my bloodline within you. Although it hasn't shown, your magical talents are definitely higher than ordinary people. It's normal for one person to have this, but if many in the family do, then it's not. Only exorcist families would have such a situation, and those exorcists will surely sense something's off and investigate our entire family."

"If they investigate me, then we're all done for." Wen Dingjue fretfully scratched his head. Which damn bastard had triggered this change!

Wen Ying sneezed and rubbed his nose, "Grandfather, don't be so anxious. Your tone made me think that the talent test would reveal us as hybrids."

It had made his heart skip a beat.

"You don't know how paranoid those exorcists are. They'll dig until they uncover every single abnormality," Wen Dingjue grumbled, seemingly from personal experience.

Wen Ying reassured, "You don't need to worry about Mu City, those guys from the Church are too busy to bother with this right now."

"You have no idea," Wen Dingjue immediately countered. "Those guys are as sharp as bloodhounds. You need to be cautious too. If you encounter an exorcist, run as fast as you can. Our powers are restrained in the Human Realm."

Wen Ying remained silent. Was there a possibility that his great-grandson didn't just run away from an exorcist but actually defeated them?

Listening to Wen Dingjue's anxious rambling, though it was out of concern for him, the overall message was clear—be a turtle and hide your head in your shell.

He couldn't help but wonder what Wen Dingjue had gone through when he first arrived in the Human Realm to hold such a deep fear of exorcists.

Wanting to maintain his image as a good son, Wen Ying glanced at Qinxue. He didn't want her to know that her once gentle and weak son was now involved in fights and brawls. So, he simply acknowledged Wen Dingjue's words with a series of "mm-hmms."

Wen Dingjue droned on for an entire hour, nearly numbing Wen Ying's responses. Just before hanging up, he reiterated the absolute necessity of avoiding any talent tests.

Qinxue let out a sigh of relief after ending the call. There was a mix of frustration from listening to the nagging and worry for her family's future.

In their circle, most were highly attuned to societal changes. Learning magic had now become inevitable, and those with magical abilities would soon become commonplace in society. This was an unstoppable trend. If not a single member of their family could wield magic, they would undoubtedly be looked down upon.

Magic would inevitably bring about new industries, and their family might be pushed aside. How could Qinxue not be worried? It was especially frustrating that they did possess some magical talent, making the situation even more painful.

Wen Qinxue sighed. "Not studying magic isn't that simple, the surroundings won't permit it."

"Worry less, Mom. We'll take one step at a time," Wen Ying reassured. "Besides, aren't I here? Our family has some support."

"Focus on your own safety first," Wen Qinxue said helplessly. "Be extra cautious in the Demon Realm. Your great-grandfather mentioned that there are many powerful demons there. Remember to avoid them and don't provoke conflicts."

Wen Ying replied, "...Okay."

Although he could defeat a bunch of high-bloodline demons in the academy, he was still an inferior Bloodline Demon Mirror.

"Still, Mom, we can't fully believe everything great-grandfather says. At least go and check out the magic academy to see its development."

"I'll discuss this with them at an appropriate time. Focus on your end-of-term mission for now, and don't fail."

Wen Ying declared proudly, "Not just passing, I might even come in first place."

Wen Qinxue chuckled and shook her head, dismissing his boast as a child's vanity. "Remember to stay safe."

Wen Ying stayed until evening, met his father, then left. He went to the square and found that at six o'clock, the line of people waiting was so long that it couldn't be seen from one end.

Wen Ying sighed. "Truly outrageous."

Back at the Yang residence, Yang Rixi noticed his return and immediately asked, "Mr. Demon, do you think we should test our talents?"

Yang Shiming was also present, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Wen Ying had left early in the morning, leaving the Yang brothers pent up with questions all day. Asking the aloof black-haired demon was useless; he had spent the entire day resting with his eyes closed. So they told Wen Ying to ask the other demon instead.

Upon returning and meeting their eager gazes, Wen Ying nearly thought they had developed feelings for him. Upon hearing their question, he replied, "A talent test is fine, but you can't attend the magic academy."

Yang Shiming's heart shattered. He asked reluctantly, "Why not?"

Wen Ying looked at him in surprise. "You've already been practicing, so it'll be impossible to hide that at the magic academy. A talent test only checks for magical potential, but if you go there, the teachers will conduct a more thorough examination. Would you really think a middle schooler attending kindergarten could hide their abnormal height from teachers who aren't blind?"

Yang Shiming visibly deflated before their eyes. He slumped down, hugging himself, a gloomy despair surrounding him. His original reason for making a pact with Boreas was his desire to learn magic. Now, because he had learned it prematurely, he couldn't receive systematic instruction. It was a huge loss.

Yang Rixi, on the other hand, wasn't too disheartened. If he hadn't made a pact with a demon, he would still be trapped under Yang Shize's oppressive rule.

Seeing Yang Shiming on the verge of tears, Wen Ying alighted on his shoulder and patted him, saying, "But you two can enroll in an extracurricular club. Pretend to be learning magic cultivation techniques there. You don't have to attend frequently. After some time, use your family connections to get yourselves into a magic academy."

Yang Shiming's expression was one of disbelief. "We can do that?"

"We'll be leaving eventually. Once we're gone, act as if you've never met us before," Wen Ying chuckled. "As long as you don't mention it, the exorcists won't find out."