Chapter 2: Disaster
byChapter 2: Disaster
Upon finishing her words, Wen Qinxue promptly went to make a call. As she left the room, Wen Ying heard her muttering, "Two generations of ordinary people, and now something happens with the third generation?"
Could it be related to that eerie face? Wen Ying, recalling that he had swallowed it, felt a twinge of guilt.
The sudden accumulation of demonic energy that led to an explosive reaction had instantly caught the attention of the group at the entrance of the residential area. The aura of a low-level demon transforming into a high-level one made them disregard their dispute with the security guard. The triangular symbol on the detector was flashing like a computer screen under a virus attack.
The leader turned and ran without further argument with the guard, and the others hastily followed.
"Senior Wei, what should we do now? Should we call the teacher?" asked a terrified young man while running.
"Senior Wei, where are we running to?" another person asked in confusion.
The one addressed as Senior Wei appeared to have an unruly appearance, with a more muscular build compared to the others. He only wore a simple work vest, revealing his well-defined muscles.
"We'll find a place without surveillance cameras and climb over the wall," he said.
Unlike the others, fear wasn't evident on his face. Instead, he tugged at the corner of his lips, exuding a sense of adventurous tension that also had a calming effect on others, causing admiration to sparkle in their eyes.
"No wonder they're the cream of the crop among senior-year students."
"Senior, you're so calm! I'm almost peeing my pants here. It's a high-ranking demon!"
"A mid-ranking demon could squish us with one hand."
As Wei Ranfeng ran, he scanned the expressions of those around him, temporarily soothing these fledgling novices. However... A hint of gravity flickered in his eyes. High-ranking demons were extremely troublesome.
"Exorcists all carry this. Their alarms must have gone off by now. Our task is to protect the ordinary people here before they arrive. Remember," Wei Ranfeng's fearless arrogance vanished, replaced by a solemn tone, "do not engage that high-ranking demon head-on! Run the moment you encounter it."
The freshmen swallowed hard. It was their first time seeing this senior speak with such seriousness.
"Let me see which parts of this neighborhood aren't under surveillance..."
"Uh..."
Wen Ying sneezed, feeling uneasy. Standing before his room's mirror, he still couldn't get used to his current appearance. His originally short male hair now reached his waist, the silver-white strands standing out starkly. Even his eyes had turned silver-white.
Wen Ying felt like he was glowing. He was too pale all over, wearing only a towel around his waist, exposing skin that appeared even whiter than before.
The most incongruous aspects were the horns on his head and the bat-like wings on his back, both of which were also silver-white. The horns were translucent, while the wings were not. Behind him, there was even a tail, its tip in an inverted triangle shape.
This setup, if it were black, would be the epitome of a devil's appearance.
Wen Ying pondered as he gazed at himself in the mirror, feeling like a tragic figure no matter how he looked at it.
Wen Qinxue quickly finished her call and entered the room. Upon entering, she immediately caught sight of the silver-white devilish wings and the swaying tail. Although her grandfather, Wen Ying's great-grandfather, had mentioned this before, this was the first time she was seeing a devil with her own eyes.
Yes, with her own eyes. She had seen her grandfather's devil form before, but only in a paper photograph that he had meticulously locked away in five safes. Back then, watching her elderly relative unlock each safe layer by layer to retrieve the picture had left her speechless, only for him to promptly lock it away again after she had finished looking at it.
"Wen Qinxue, how does it feel to have your wings touched?" Her professional curiosity kicked in, and she reached out to touch the wings.
Wen Ying replied expressionlessly, "Mom, can you please stop thinking about inspiration for your script at a time like this?"
Wen Qinxue sheepishly retracted her hand and said, "Your great-grandfather will be here soon. He said not to let anyone else in besides him."
"Why?"
Wen Qinxue shook her head. "I don't know. He hung up the phone, sounding very anxious."
Wen Ying held out the card for Wen Qinxue to see. "Mom, do you know what this is?"
"A regular card?" Wen Qinxue guessed immediately. "Did you just buy it?"
Wen Ying shook his head slowly, not saying anything more. He had found the item on the floor after returning from that strange state.
It was an unusual card with an 'R' rank, featuring a black foggy ghostly face, and at the bottom, the skill description read 'Fireball'.
The sight of that ghostly face annoyed Wen Ying, who sorrowfully glanced at the severely damaged doll in the cabinet. His luck tonight couldn't have been worse.
Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew outside. Wen Qinxue went over to open the window, taking a deep breath of fresh air and remarking, "Looks like it's going to rain heavily. The air feels so nice."
Should he tell his mom about possibly encountering a cat's corpse earlier? Wen Ying opened his mouth several times but eventually decided against it.
At that moment, Lin Tianbao stirred awake, groaning as he tried to comprehend the situation. He sat up and met Wen Ying's gaze, to which Wen Ying waved. "Hey, Dad."
"Aah—" Lin Tianbao's exclamation was muffled by Wen Qinxue's hand over his mouth.
"Listen to me, this is our son," Wen Qinxue said firmly.
"Hmm?" Son?
Lin Tianbao looked at Wen Ying again. This monster had their son's face. Wen Qinxue released her grip, and Lin Tianbao asked nervously, "What's going on? Has Little Yin been possessed by a monster or some impure entity?"
"Dad, it's still me," Wen Ying said, immediately dispelling all of Lin Tianbao's unrealistic thoughts.
The tone was genuine. He quickly stood up and cautiously approached, just like Wen Qinxue, to touch Wen Ying's wings first.
The silver-white wings fluttered and spread wider. Lin Tianbao muttered, "Why do these resemble devil wings?"
Wen Qinxue pulled Lin Tianbao closer and cleared her throat before saying seriously, "Lin Tianbao, there's something I need to tell you about our family."
"You're also a monster?!" Lin Tianbao exclaimed in shock.
Wen Qinxue replied, "…I wish, but don't worry, I'm just an ordinary person."
Lin Tianbao instantly felt relieved.
Wen Ying's great-grandfather arrived unbelievably fast. A journey that usually took fifteen minutes by car only took him five, and he appeared at Wen Ying's doorstep, where Wen Qinxue opened the door for him.
The elderly man, who claimed to be ninety years old with his white hair and beard, was full of vigor, defying his supposed age. Upon entering, he didn't exchange words with Wen Qinxue but hurriedly rushed to Wen Ying's room.
"Great-grandfather," Wen Ying felt reassured upon seeing Wen Dingjue, "Do you know what's going on?"
Wen Dingjue's eyes sparkled with excitement, and the corners of his lips couldn't help but curve up as he appraised Wen Ying, making the latter's scalp tingle. He suddenly placed both hands on Wen Ying's shoulders, causing the young man to jolt.
"Great-grandfather, am I a genius?" Wen Ying asked tentatively.
Overwhelmed with joy, Wen Dingjue found nothing but perfection in Wen Ying, "No, you're the only one in three generations to awaken the demonic bloodline. It's a miracle in the human world."
"...Can you teach me how to look like an ordinary person first?"
Seemingly deaf to Wen Ying's request, Wen Dingjue enthusiastically patted his shoulder, "There will be an heir! The long-standing wish of the Mirror Clan is to be carried on!"
Wen Ying: "Er..."
"The hope of the entire clan! Strive to become a Demon King and fulfill the clan's aspiration. I'll send you to the Realm of Demons right away."
Wen Ying, Wen Qinxue, and Lin Tianbao: "????"
With too much information to process, Wen Ying forcefully interrupted his excited great-grandfather, raising his voice. "Great-Grandfather!"
"Hmm?"
Wen Ying pointed at his slender arm. "Don't you think I look like I wouldn't fit in the Demon Realm?"
Lin Tianbao nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Grandfather. How could Little Yin go to the Demon Realm? It sounds so dangerous, and demons eat people! Not only would he not have enough to eat there, but he'd also have to worry about being eaten."
Wen Ying nodded in agreement.
Wen Dingjue glared. "Don't underestimate the demons of the Mirror Clan. How could they be eaten? Our Mirror Clan used to be one of the three major powers in the Demon Realm a long time ago."
Lin Tianbao sheepishly hid behind Wen Qinxue. No wonder he was always afraid of this elder from his wife's family – turns out he was a big demon. His intuition had always been spot on.
"But Little Yin grew up in human society. He has no idea about demons," Wen Qinxue said. "He wouldn't know anyone or the place when he goes there, and his health isn't the best..."
Wen Dingjue cut her off, stroking his beard with a smile. "His health is fine now."
The trio looked at each other in confusion.
"Initially, I suspected that Little Yin's frail health might be linked to his demonic heritage, but I found no abnormalities. Now, there's evidence. Demon offspring need to be in an environment rich in demonic aura until they reach adulthood, or else they'll suffer from malnutrition and become weak. Therefore, sending him to the Demon Realm is, in fact, the most appropriate decision."
Wen Dingjue stroked his beard, his face radiant with a warm smile.
Wen Ying firmly refused, "Grandfather, I don't want to go to the Demon Realm." His great-grandfather had mentioned that a long time ago, the current Mirror Clan was probably... just weaklings.
Noticing the subtle meaning in Wen Dingjue's gaze, he coughed guiltily and directed his gaze towards the horrifying doll cabinet. "Aren't you fond of demons? In the Demon Realm, you can see the hellhound Cerberus and even a Nekomata."
Wen Ying's gaze was as lifeless as a dead fish's: "Great-grandfather, here I can hug my three-headed dog doll. But in the Realm of Magic, I think the three-headed dog would be chewing on my bones."
Do I look like a fool to you? Wen Ying asked silently with his gaze.
Wen Dingjue wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead. How did this boy know that the Cerberus was currently at the pinnacle of the demonic hierarchy?
"Cough, cough, well, it seems you're also vulnerable to being preyed upon here," Wen Dingjue sighed wistfully. Despite being nearly a century old, he had just acted like a child; now, he exuded the weight of the passing years.
Lin Tianbao immediately grew alarmed. "Who in human society would come to gnaw on Little Yin's bones?!"
Wen Ying crossed his arms and rubbed them, dispelling the goosebumps that had risen on his skin.
"Chime."
In the midst of a brief silence, the doorbell rang unexpectedly, causing Lin Tianbao to jump up in fright and startling Wen Qinxue. She grabbed her husband's collar irritably, "Can't you be just a little braver? Where did that confident and energetic demeanor from your office go?"
Lin Tianbao whispered his defense, "The people under me at work are... humans..."
"Hello, is anyone home?" came the voice of a young man from outside the door, "I'm here for the routine gas pipeline inspection."
"Worse comes to worst!" Wen Dingjue frantically unfurled a scroll, "Little Yin, if we don't leave now, we're done for."
Grandpa is taking advantage of the opportunity.