Chapter 131: Harvest

Wen Ying, inhabiting Yang Rixi's body, gazed closely at Hell Orange's face, his heartbeat quickening not just from the fear of being discovered, but also from the excitement of seeing his former idol up close.

He had once been an immense fan of Hell Orange. Before he became accustomed to the handsome and beautiful demons in Mo Jun's world, he considered Hell Orange to be the epitome of handsomeness.

"I'm not from the scriptwriting industry," Wen Ying said bashfully, "I just came here out of curiosity to see what the head of the Devil Mobile Game looks like."

Hell Orange gave off a laid-back vibe, appearing as someone unserious and casual. He sized up Wen Ying with his eyes, which seemed to have a natural smile etched into their curvature, and his eyelids slightly raised.

However, when he was cosplaying as the Three-Headed Hellhound, his aura was entirely different—cold, ruthless, and tyrannical, as if a completely different personality emerged. This was well-known within the industry.

"You're a fan of the mobile game, huh?" Hell Orange stroked his chin. "Although it might sound a bit thick-skinned, I feel like you really like me?"

As he spoke, Hell Orange took out a colored paper from the shoulder bag carried by his assistant. It was a photo of him cosplaying as the Three-Headed Hellhound. He then fetched a golden signature pen and signed his name on it with flourish, handing it over to Wen Ying with a bright smile.

Wen Ying's eyes lit up instantly. The moment Hell Orange finished signing, he stretched out both hands obediently, waiting for the photo to be passed to him.

Hell Orange chuckled as he handed it over. "Seems like it's not just me being thick-skinned. You really do seem to like me."

Wen Ying nodded repeatedly while holding the signed fan art, "I really like your Cosplay of the Cerberus from Hell."

Staring at the sketch of Hell Orange as the three-headed hound, Wen Ying thought of Beros. An odd idea popped into his mind – it seemed that one of them, either Hell Orange or Beros, was an impostor.

He had first fallen for Hell Orange and then Beros, suggesting that Beros was the substitute.

But if he were to be honest with himself, he liked the Cerberus itself, not the unmasked Hell Orange, which made Hell Orange the substitute.

Wen Ying found himself trapped in a peculiar logic of substitution.

"By the way," Hell Orange pulled out a thick sketchbook from his assistant's bag, "this is a sample the company gave me today. If you like it..."

Lost in his thoughts, Wen Ying jumped at the mention of a sample, "I like it! I like it!" He would love anything extra.

Hell Orange chuckled, and the staff around them smiled warmly at Wen Ying's sparkling puppy-like eyes. No one would suspect the young man of pretending, as no acting could appear this genuine.

Wen Qinxue explained, "This child loves these things. So when he heard I was coming over today, he begged me to bring him along."

"One of our employees who accompanied us in said you must have been disappointed," another staff member commented, "Our office interior doesn't have much of a demon mobile game vibe. Those merchandise are mainly kept in the product department and the PR department."

"Wen Ying asked eagerly, "Can I come over and take a look later?"

"It's not a problem. Many people have visited," the person replied. "But you can't enter the room where the unreleased products are kept in the R&D department."

A flicker of excitement sparked in Wen Ying's overheated mind as he picked up on a potential clue. He disguised his curiosity and asked, "Unreleased products? Is there any sign on that room? I'll make sure not to go inside."

A female employee nearby said, "No need to be so nervous. That room is always locked, and only a few people from the R&D department have the key. Relax, just treat it like a casual visit."

Yang Rixi had a pleasant appearance. Though not exceptionally handsome, his youthfulness and cleanliness gave off an innocent vibe, making him easy to get along with. Thus, everyone grew fond of "Yang Rixi."

"Huh?" Hell Orange turned his head. "Why didn't I know about this secret product in the R&D department that's locked up? It makes me so curious."

"In fact, we're not very clear about it either, since our department only deals with film and television production," the person explained.

"Is that so?" Hell Orange pondered.

Wen Ying had a hidden agenda for this visit. With his suspicious mindset, he saw ulterior motives everywhere. He felt that Hell Orange was up to something secretive.

If there was a group within the Exorcist Association collaborating with the extremist faction, there would undoubtedly be another group investigating them.

"Let this sister take you there to have a look," Wen Qinxue suggested at the right moment. "I'll head to the meeting room later, and there won't be anything interesting for you there."

Wen Ying nodded, deeply touched. His mom was far more reliable than his great-grandfather.

The female employee who had spoken earlier led Wen Ying to the product department. Hell Orange watched their departing backs with narrowed eyes.

This shy and innocent boy was a bit peculiar, but not in a bad way. He simply aroused an unusual level of interest in Hell Orange, whose real name was Xiao Le. However, he didn't spend much time pondering over Wen Ying, as he had more pressing matters to attend to, such as that locked research room.

Wen Ying was brought to the product department by the employee, where he greeted the staff and eagerly checked out the merchandise on display. There was so much! It was his paradise of joy.

After admiring the items for a while, Wen Ying left his colleagues behind and moved to a corner where a wall blocked the view from the outside office.

He took out his doll body from his backpack, closed his eyes, and returned to his consciousness.

Yang Rixi was conscious. Since entering the company building, Wen Ying had stopped suppressing Yang Rixi's awareness. He hadn't informed Yang Rixi about his relationship with Wen Qinxue, only mentioning that he had a way to get her to bring him here.

"Do you want to go into that room?" Yang Rixi whispered. "How do you plan to get there?"

Before returning to his doll body, Wen Ying cast a spell to conceal his aura. As he moved around to reacquaint himself with the body, he instructed, "You leave and continue wandering in front of the shelves displaying the merchandise, pretending to be very interested. I shared my senses with you just now, so you understand what I mean, right?"

Yang Rixi nodded. "I see. But how do you plan to get in? The door is locked, and the window might be too."

"I'll check things out first," Wen Ying instructed Yang Rixi to help him divert attention while he, using his puppet body, sneaked over to the window stealthily.

Although ordinary people couldn't see demons, Wen Ying wasn't sure if the security cameras would capture his demonic form. Therefore, he cautiously avoided the surveillance, his small size facilitating his movements.

Flying out of the office window, Wen Ying reached the outside of the locked room's window.

The glass was privacy-protected, so Wen Ying extended his hand to sense that an enchantment seemed to envelop the building's exterior. He couldn't enter from the outside, and his plan to unlock the glass with thin vines had fallen through.

Since he could only enter but not exit, Wen Ying couldn't directly return to the building through the previous window. He sent a telepathic message to Yang Rixi, asking him to use the excuse of buying milk tea to meet up with him before re-entering together.

Assuming Yang Rixi's body once again, Wen Ying returned to the building and, after reaching the product department's office, separated from Yang Rixi at their usual spot. He asked Yang Rixi to go back with Wen Qinxue later, as he intended to stay overnight here.

Yang Rixi fretted, "Will everything be alright?"

"Relax, I've told you that this body isn't my true form. Even if something goes wrong, it won't affect me."

After finishing her discussion with the person in charge of the film and television segment, Wen Qinxue found Yang Rixi sitting on a chair sipping milk tea. Relying on her years of understanding of her son, she immediately realized that the current Yang Rixi was indeed her son, no longer Wen Ying.

She was slightly worried, unsure if Wen Ying had encountered trouble or taken the initiative to do this. However, she couldn't show her concern, feeling anxious inwardly.

Yang Rixi said, "Aunt Wen, I have plans with a friend today. Thank you for bringing me here. I'll take my leave now."

Plans with a friend? Wen Qinxue felt that Yang Rixi's words were meant to imply that Wen Ying was fine. Her smile relaxed a little. "Alright, come find Auntie again next time if you want to visit. Auntie still has some clout to bring someone in for a stroll."

To avoid suspicion, Yang Rixi called a friend to hang out and treat them to dinner as soon as he left the building.

Inside his office, Wen Ying hid patiently, awaiting nightfall.

The Product Department staff stayed for an additional half hour after work hours before finally leaving. Darkness quickly descended, and without anyone working overtime, the office remained unlit, shrouded in gloom.

Wen Ying waited patiently until eleven o'clock. By then, almost no one was left in the building except for the security guards patrolling the area.

Using objects for cover, he flew to the entrance of the office.

Two rooms away from this office was the locked R&D department.

Wen Ying raised his hand, casting a magical mist to envelop the corridor's surveillance camera, disguising the scene. Then, he flew to the locked room's entrance. Wrapping around his arm, vines extended into the lock.

Wen Ying attempted to pick the lock, and after some effort, he successfully unlocked it. He beamed with pride, "Seems like I have a knack for lockpicking."

With the lock open, Wen Ying pushed aside a narrow entrance just big enough for him to squeeze through. After swiftly entering and ensuring there was no danger, he closed the door behind him.

Inside, it was equally dim. The windows were tightly shut, and the glass blocked any external light, resulting in poor visibility for ordinary humans. However, for demons, it was manageable, albeit a bit darker.

Wen Ying scanned the room, confirming the absence of cameras before turning his attention to the items within.

At first glance, the room seemed unremarkable. Along the walls stood numerous shelves filled with merchandise from a demon-themed mobile game. Wen Ying casually inspected a few items, verifying that they were all unreleased products.

As he continued looking, one item inexplicably drew his attention.

It was a thermos cup. There were six of them on the shelf, seemingly part of a collection. The one that captivated Wen Ying had an illustration of a bakeneko, a mythical cat creature.

Observing it closely, Wen Ying couldn't detect anything unusual about the thermos. After a moment's thought, he twisted the cap open. In that instant, a rich vitality escaped, leaving Wen Ying momentarily dazed.

It took a few seconds for Wen Ying to regain his senses. He promptly sealed the thermos again. His instinct urged him to devour the vitality within, causing his eyes to involuntarily transform into a cold, empty hunting state.

A vitality potent enough to entice even a half-demon like Wen Ying must have been abundant. To fit inside the thermos, this vast vitality had likely been compressed and refined, making it even more alluring to demons.

It was merely a small thermos, yet it had caused untold mischief. A cold glint flashed in Wen Ying's eyes as he surveyed the room. He could sense his demonic bloodline stirring with excitement — there was an abundance of life force within this space.

Only by getting close could one confirm the contents of the storage, and only by opening it could one tell that it held life force, not demonic energy. If one wasn't a demon, even an exorcist wouldn't know what was hidden inside without opening it.

Wen Ying no longer worried about receiving a zero on his final exam. Whoever entered and took the life force-containing item would be connected to the extremist faction. At the very least, he'd catch one culprit.

He aimed to secure at least one and hoped for more. It all depended on luck.

In the still of the night, the faint sound of a doorknob turning was as clear to Wen Ying's ears as a key dropping to the ground. Instantly, he hid behind a square cushion.

The person who entered moved quietly. After entering, they seemed to observe their surroundings before the door clicked shut with a soft sound.

Wen Ying stealthily observed, but the person's face was indistinct. Their physique suggested a tall man, someone familiar. Upon closer inspection, Wen Ying realized it was Hell Orange. Why was he acting like a thief on his own turf?

Hell Orange touched this and that, as if searching for something.

Wen Ying felt a sense that Hell Orange was concealing the life force-containing item.

Indeed, humans were unable to detect the contents hidden within these items. As Wen Ying scanned through Hell Orange's merchandise, not even after observing those that piqued his interest did he sense anything amiss.

Hell Orange's luck wasn't on his side. Although he opened a few products, none of them contained the life force he was seeking.

He began tapping on the ground in frustration.

Of course, it was fruitless. With a frown, Hell Orange left the room. Could he have been mistaken? Was it possible that whatever Lin Wenpu had concealed wasn't stored here?

After Hell Orange departed, Wen Ying emerged from behind the square cushion.

He didn't leave but stayed hidden until the following night.

No one entered during the day. At midnight, a person entered with a key.

It was Lin Wenpu.

Wen Ying was thrilled by his stroke of luck, as if he could now draw an SSR in a game. He made sure to suppress his presence even further, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Upon entering, Lin Wenpu started making a phone call.

"…Hurry up, I'm running out of time. The nosy hounds in the Church have already started to suspect me…"

"…Same old spot. We'll consider a different location for future transactions."

After Lin Wenpu finished his call with an unknown individual, he switched on no lights and deftly approached the display of his enlivening products. He picked up a candy tin, opened it, and verified that its contents were as they should be.

"I was clever to hide them well. No exorcist, no matter how powerful, would detect anything amiss here," Lin Wenpu chuckled slyly.

Wen Ying remained utterly still, his heart racing despite the body he inhabited lacking a physical one.

Lin Wenpu was a kind soul, offering buy-one-get-one-free deals and even more besides.

A soft tapping sound came from the window after a while. Lin Wenpu approached cautiously and asked, "How many do you want?"

"Five."

Relieved to hear the correct code, Lin Wenpu slid open the window.

Wen Ying, ever observant, noticed that the opening of the window also created a gap in the protective enchantment, allowing demons from outside to slip in unnoticed.

Outside, there were two demons, both of intermediate rank, with humanoid forms. They flew in through the window and promptly shut it behind them.

"Did anyone follow you?" Lin Wenpu asked casually.

"No, we're scared too," the long-haired demon replied. "These past few days, several of our comrades have vanished. Everyone's on edge."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wenpu anxiously nibbled on his finger. "Could it be the Association?"

"It could also be Exorcists from the Church."

Lin Wenpu continued, "Most of the upper echelons in the Church are ours, and quite a number of the middle-ranking members as well. If anything were to happen, we'd know. So it's likely unrelated to the Church. They've only noticed something amiss but haven't found concrete evidence yet."

"Xiao Le came by yesterday to investigate and didn't find any issues."

"The perpetrator seems to be rather powerful," the short-haired demon commented. "And it feels like there might be more than one of them."

Wen Ying furrowed his brow slightly. It seemed that he was lagging behind. His classmates seemed to have eliminated quite a few individuals and demons associated with the extremist faction.

The long-haired demon added, "The elders in the Demon Realm seem to be undergoing a cleansing recently. They're requesting us to send more life force over to aid in their recovery."

"I won't be able to venture out on the streets anytime soon," Lin Wenpu shook his head. "I'll have to cut off this connection for now and resume it once the heat dies down."

"Our recent plan is to directly target exorcists. The life force within an exorcist can equal that of many ordinary people."

Lin Wenpu frowned. "Won't that cause too much commotion?"

"It'll be the perfect opportunity to get rid of those exorcists who are doggedly pursuing us."

Lin Wenpu promptly asked, "Can you take care of Xiao Le first? He's already investigating me!"

The two demons seemed hesitant.

"Xiao Le is more powerful. We can't defeat him one-on-one, and a group attack would likely be detected by him beforehand. Our previous ploys, which failed with Wei Ranfeng, are now well-known and can't be used again."

Lin Wenpu handed the candy box, thermos, and some other items to the two demons. "Take these and leave quickly. This is all the life force I have here. I won't be replenishing it in the near future."

The two demons took the life force and flew out through the open window.

Lin Wenpu also opened the door and stepped outside.

Wen Ying waited for him to leave before promptly flying out the window, in pursuit of the two departing mid-level demons.

"Who's there?" The long-haired demon turned warily, only to freeze upon seeing a palm-sized doll. However, it was quickly overwhelmed by the intimidating aura emanating from the figure, causing both demons' faces to turn pale with the suppressive power that originated from their bloodline.

They knew they couldn't win.

Without a second thought, they attempted to flee, but Wen Ying's flight speed was swifter, blocking their path.

"Who are you? We shouldn't have any grudges, right?" The short-haired demon cautiously asked.

The long-haired demon's heart skipped a beat as he thought of the box containing the irate spirit. "Could it be that you want these?" he asked, lifting the objects in his hand.

Wen Ying didn't waste time with them. The puppets only possessed a fraction of their original power, so he dared not be reckless. With the utmost caution, he engaged the two mid-level demons in combat.

With an air of arrogance, Wen Ying said, "Tsk, how weak. How large is your organization? Can you contact the Demon Realm?"

Upon hearing this, the two mid-level demons, who had believed they were doomed, exchanged glances, each seeing the surprise in the other's eyes.

The long-haired demon replied respectfully, "We have many companions, though not as powerful as Your Excellency, but together, we're a force to be reckoned with in the human world."

"We have means to communicate with demons from the Realm of Devils. Through transactions with them, we can acquire even greater strength."

Wen Ying's expression remained calm. "Where is your main base?"

"…Longle Mountain."

So it was that scenic spot, Wen Ying nodded slightly, indicating understanding, then furrowed his brow. "Shouldn't your main base be within the church?"

The two demons were utterly horrified.

"Lord, who told you this?"

Although they were indeed conducting business with exorcists, only a select few demons were privy to this information, which was kept strictly confidential. Ordinary demons were completely in the dark. If this were to get out, the Church's exorcists would undoubtedly eliminate them without mercy.

It would also be disastrous for their cause.

"Wen Ying," he said, exerting an even more formidable aura, "take me there."

The two demons hesitated for a moment before leading Wen Ying along.

Such a powerful and arrogant demon didn't seem like someone who would be controlled by an exorcist.

Most of the demons in the human world were on their side, and there weren't many who supported the extremist faction.

Upon arriving at Longle Mountain, Wen Ying untied them directly. The two demons, perceptive as they were, stopped their companions from rushing forward and introduced themselves to him.

Wen Ying's gaze swept over these mid- to low-level demons as he spoke with a hint of arrogance, "I've recently advanced in rank and am looking for subordinates. I think you're quite good, and your connection to the Demon Realm is also excellent. It can help me rise even further."

The group began to chatter, extolling the benefits of their organization to Wen Ying. He decided to join them without hesitation.

"One of our targets is an exorcist," the long-haired demon ventured cautiously. "He isn't weak, but his anger is abundant. What do you think?"

Wen Ying scoffed. "What's there to think about? Tell me his name and appearance."

"Of course, of course, Lord! With your power, it won't be a problem at all!"

Wen Ying put on a show, studying the photo of Hell Orange. He then strolled out of their headquarters with great fanfare, saying before leaving, "I have something to attend to tonight, but I'll come back tomorrow night. If you want me to take action, you'll need to prepare an offering of anger that satisfies me."

"Certainly, Your Excellency. We will prepare the offerings accordingly."

As Wen Ying left Longle Mountain, his arrogant demeanor shifted. He touched his face and muttered to himself, "Joining was that effortless. It seems those demons here hold average positions within their organization."

Wen Ying sighed. The magic within this body was dwindling, and he had just expended half of it during that encounter. Had he possessed more, he would have eradicated those demons on the spot.

He could only possess Yang Rixi's body to deal with the situation.

The following day, Wen Ying, using Yang Rixi's body, headed to Longle Mountain early in the morning, masquerading as an ordinary tourist, wandering near the demons' hideout.

As evening approached and the crowd thinned, Wen Ying scoped the area, confirming no spies were present. He then leaped onto a large tree, silently lying in wait.

The Longle Mountain scenic area closed at six o'clock. When only staff remained, Wen Ying spotted a familiar figure – the young man they'd encountered in the bar on the night of their contract with Yang Rixi.

But his aura was different from that night. Back then, he was an ordinary man under the spell of a bewitching enchantment; today, he exuded a grounded presence with barely any vulnerabilities.

This person's name seemed to be Huo Jue, Wen Ying recalled from his memories.

As expected, "Huo Jue" moved like a hunter who had scouted his prey, storming into the demons' stronghold from the previous night and reaping them with deadly efficiency.

Wen Ying found the situation amusing. Playing the game of the mantis catching the cicada while the oriole is behind, this fellow was undoubtedly Muershi. As "Huo Jue" was almost done with his cleanup, Wen Ying made a swift flying kick, sending the person crashing to the ground.

"Sss..." "Huo Jue" knelt on the floor, rubbing his scraped elbow pitifully. "You already saw through my plan, so why did you still strike so fiercely?" What a waste of effort; Muershi was genuinely frustrated and felt wronged.