Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Winter Excursion

Wen Ying brought his newly acknowledged cousin to his room, where there was a small round table with two wooden chairs beside it – a perfect little spot for entertaining two demons.

As Mirror Demon Jing Yuan entered, he was immediately drawn to a bookshelf, approaching it and remarking, "You like books too? There are so many different kinds..."

Wen Ying, swift as the wind, moved in front of Jing Yuan, blocking his view of the bookshelf, and semi-raised his hands, saying, "These books are placed here by my great-grandma, mostly on magic potions. Some of them might not be suitable for you to read."

Jing Yuan paused, quickly understanding, and walked towards the wooden chairs.

"Sorry, those must be books not meant for sharing."

Wen Ying breathed a sigh of relief internally, swiftly pulling out a few discordant titles and replacing them with others from his spatial bracelet, then nonchalantly turned around and said, "You misunderstood, it's not highly confidential knowledge. It's just that some potion-making processes described are quite brutal. You know, there are some, um, frightening rumors about my great-grandma?"

Jing Yuan paused: "Then perhaps it's best I don't read them. They might give me nightmares."

Seeing Jing Yuan harboring no suspicions, Wen Ying wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead and sat opposite him.

When Belos had come in last time and seen those strange books, Wen Ying had thought about moving some to a less visible spot but never did. If Jing Yuan saw them, his illusion about Wen Ying's magical setting might be shattered.

Wen Ying sized up Jing Yuan, who, like himself, had silver-white hair and eyes. Although Jing Yuan appeared slender, he was slightly taller than Wen Ying.

By demonic standards, he might be considered unattractive, but to Wen Ying, he resembled a popular silver-haired beautiful boy from the Kindred Nation... or perhaps a young man?

Wen Ying, propping his chin, scrutinized Jing Yuan. This white-haired demon seemed too weak to pose any threat. His initial anxiety had mostly dissipated, replaced by a calm demeanor that Wen Ying thought suitable for a managerial position.

Unaware of Wen Ying's true intentions behind his gentle facade, Jing Yuan hesitantly asked, "Um... Wen Ying, would you come back with me?" He doubted it would be easy, having observed the castle's luxurious array of valuable magical plants and materials on his way in.

Even the elite members of their clan's leading lineage couldn't match these resources.

Wen Ying, chin still propped, smiled, "Sure, when do you plan to take me back?" He was ready to seize the opportunity and create a Mirror Demon conglomerate.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Jing Yuan missed the underlying implication in Wen Ying's words, standing up suddenly and blurting out, "You really want to come with me?"

Surprised by Jing Yuan's reaction, Wen Ying reassured, "It's just a visit, right? Of course, it's true."

Jing Yuan sat back down, trying to calm himself, and stammered, "Actually... there have been some issues in the village, it's been quite unsettled lately."

Wen Ying narrowed his eyes slightly, "What do you mean by 'unsettled'?"

"Our clan was powerful once and held much land, but after declining, other demonic races encroached upon it. Now only our village and surrounding areas remain. Recently, the Three-Eyed Demons have been trying to take our magical plant cultivation land. There have been several conflicts, and it's still unresolved."

"Once the Three-Eyed Demons started, the neighboring races also joined in. We're struggling."

Jing Yuan observed Wen Ying, who indignantly exclaimed, "How can they do this? That's outrageous!"

Grasping Jing Yuan's hand earnestly, Wen Ying promised, "Don’t worry, I'll help you get justice. Whatever they've taken, I'll make them return it."

Having lived in the Demon Realm for some time, Wen Ying understood many demonic races. The Three-Eyed Demons might sound formidable but were actually lower-tier demons, giving him confidence to make bold claims.

Reflecting, Wen Ying realized that since arriving in the Demon Realm, he mostly encountered powerful demons, rarely seeing ordinary, weak ones except when shopping or walking on the streets.

Jing Yuan was deeply moved, looking at Wen Ying's face, feeling that this Mirror Demon, rumored to be under Aruda's care, was incredibly gentle and kind, welcoming him without any disdain despite his weakness.

"White-haired, high ponytail, so easy to deceive," Wen Ying thought, looking at Jing Yuan. Noticing Boros standing by the door, he revealed a sly, almost imperceptible smile.

Seeing Wen Ying had noticed him, Boros walked in a few steps and asked, "You're planning to leave the capital at a time like this?"

Hearing Boros's voice, Jing Yuan's body instinctively tensed, his physical senses alerting him to the presence of a powerful demon. Trembling and fear were instinctive responses.

"Tone it down," Wen Ying raised his hand, shielding Jing Yuan from Boros's casually emitted intimidating aura.

Boros uttered disdainfully, "Disgusting." He felt disgusted and his skin crawled. What kind of sunny and kind demon was this, causing him such discomfort?

Jing Yuan, sensing the tension between them, worriedly placed his hand on Wen Ying's arm. Wen Ying patted his arm reassuringly.

Wen Ying approached Boros, tiptoed, and whispered in his ear, "Don't ruin my money-making plan," his voice laden with a heavy warning.

Boros sneered dismissively, his gaze lingering on Jing Yuan's back. He couldn't fathom what Wen Ying's money-making scheme was.

Sensing Wen Ying's struggle to reach his ear, Boros stood erect, arms crossed.

Wen Ying: "......"

Wen Ying, still on tiptoes, whispered fiercely to Boros, "If Jing Yuan weren't here, I would have pulled out a magical potion."

Annoyed, Wen Ying thought, "Jing Yuan is taller than me. It must be my great-grandfather's bad genes."

Boros felt amused, a slight smile curling at his lips.

Downstairs in the small parlor, Feng Lu and Lai Yehua emerged pale-faced. Lai Yehua locked eyes with Langa Yeying, still seated outside. Langa Yeying's eyes conveyed unspoken words, but his good upbringing kept him from saying anything that would embarrass Lai Yehua.

"The content for the final exams is roughly decided," Feng Lu announced. Though pale, his posture was upright, much stronger in presence than the slightly stooped Lai Yehua.

As soon as he began speaking, the students in the living room instantly shifted their focus from his pale complexion to his words.

Lai Yehua's eyes were shadowed with gloom. Despite having similar bloodline and strength to Feng Lu, Aruda seemed to favor exploiting him, which he couldn't fathom.

Everyone intently watched Feng Lu as he walked to a chair and sat down, speaking slowly and evenly, "I can't disclose details now, but I can reveal that it will be quite interesting."

Ushara's mouth twitched, "Professor Feng Lu, that's as good as saying nothing. You might as well have not mentioned it at all."

Feng Lu glanced at him, prompting Ushara to automatically fall silent.

Langa Yeying pondered, realizing that anything Feng Lu found interesting was unlikely to be simple or ordinary.

Feng Lu announced, "It will be a point-based system, a rather exciting hunting activity."

Jun asked, "Is the hunting activity targeting magical beasts?"

Feng Lu remained silent, his expression suggesting she should figure it out herself.

As Aruda emerged from the small parlor and Wen Ying descended the stairs, he quickly approached her and whispered in her ear, "Great-grandma, I want to go to the Mirror Demon's village to establish a conglomerate!"

After a moment of thought, Aruda affectionately patted Wen Ying's head, then gestured to Feng Lu to follow her back into the small parlor.

Lai Yehua, noticing Feng Lu's somewhat troubled expression, struggled to suppress a smirk.

"What did you tell her?" Ushara curiously asked.

Wen Ying pondered for a moment and replied, "I said I want to visit the Mirror Demon's village."

The demons looked slightly tense, and Langa Yeying said, "If I'm not mistaken, you just confirmed that the extremist party has been covertly watching you."

"I can't stay in the capital forever," Wen Ying shrugged, "So if the extremist party wants to hunt me, I'd like to hunt them too. I feel guilty using other demons' blood, but not theirs."

After pondering, Langa Yeying said, "I'll go with you."

The other demons looked at him, with Ushara initially shocked but then quickly understanding, muttering, "Almost thought you changed... "

Langa Yeying simply wanted to slay a few members of the extremist party to please his father.

Wen Ying blinked, his smile bright, "You're very welcome."

Langa Yeying ignored Wen Ying's enthusiasm. As long as he could achieve his goal, Wen Ying's motives were irrelevant.

That evening, Aruda arranged a guest room for Jing Yuan on the second floor, instructing him not to leave his room at night or open any other doors.

Wen Ying visited Jing Yuan's room that night to discuss their Mirror Demon lineage, formulating a rough plan.

The chief of Jing Yuan's Mirror Demon lineage was eager to revitalize their clan, reminiscent of Wen Ying's unreliable great-grandfather.

The next day, Feng Lu announced a class outing for the weekend, emulating the "spring outing" activity from the human world.

Wen Ying raised his hand, "But it's winter now, isn't it?"

The winter in the Demon Realm was quite cold, and according to Aruda, it hadn't even reached its coldest point yet.

Feng Lu turned his gaze towards Wen Ying, his voice flat, "Then it's a winter outing. I've picked the location – Jing Lake Town in the countryside. We'll also enjoy outdoor cooking, so remember to bring tents."

Wen Ying paused, realizing now why Feng Lu had decided on a "winter outing" – it was related to his conversation about visiting Jing Yuan's village in the Mirror Demon's area, located near Jing Lake Town.

"By the way," Feng Lu continued, ignoring Wen Ying, "The area near Jing Lake Town has been unstable recently due to conflicts between different demonic races. Be vigilant at all times, especially at night, and be prepared to act if necessary."

The entire class of demons: "?"

Mu O, resting his chin on his hand, wondered, "I recall the human world's spring outing as a peaceful event, right? Just a class of humans bringing food and drinks, then sitting together in a location to eat."

Sika hesitated, "Sounds like we're gearing up for a fight?"

Li Jie turned around, "Shouldn't we focus on the fact that Jing Lake Town is quite far, requiring several teleportation circles? And from what I know, there aren't many high-ranking demonic races in Jing Lake Town. We shouldn't need to be on guard all the time. I suspect Feng Lu is hiding something; there must be a plot."