Chapter 23: Betting

Chapter 23: A Bet

Beros’s gaze turned peculiar when a country bumpkin, who had never seen a mobile phone, used the advanced term “scan to pay.”

Wen Ying promptly explained, "I heard it from someone else."

"That won't work. The Demon Lord plans to promote its usage within the next five years."

Beros paused for a moment, but for some reason, he continued, “There are also savings cards.”

Savings cards… Wen Ying held his breath as a new question arose. He wondered if his grandfather had entrusted Aruda with giving him an allowance. Hopefully, his great-grandfather was reliable.

Wen Dingjue sneezed, feeling that he had forgotten something. With age came a decline in memory. After much contemplation, he decided to let it be.

After Feng Luo collected most of the demons’ visible mobile phones, everyone’s attention shifted away from Muershi. They noticed the books that Wen Ying and Beros had brought back and engaged in heated discussions.

"I've heard that our school has a brilliant potion master who will teach us how to make potions. I saw a potion recipe in one of those books!"

"Hey, I saw that book mentioning the weaknesses of exorcists!"

"It's good to learn how to disguise as humans. That way, when you have the chance to visit the Human Realm, exorcists won't spot you so easily."

Poor demons. Wen Ying cast them a sympathetic glance, seeing their novelty and excitement. They should enjoy this moment while it lasts; in time, they might end up weeping bitterly.

The Demon King had banned mobile phones on campus, so Wen Ying imagined Feng Luo suffering through quizzes, monthly exams, midterms, and finals without respite. He almost chuckled at the image of Feng Luo, mentally drained and disoriented by the tests.

Feng Luo came over and glanced at the books in the trolleys. He picked one up, skimmed through it, then told Wen Ying and Beros, “Sort these books out and pass them down to your classmates.”

Beros wasn’t keen on the task, but a casual glance from Feng Luo made him pause. Eventually, he went ahead with it.

The two of them separated the books into categories and passed them down according to the number of students in each row. Feng Luo also lent a hand, carrying a few books himself.

Once the books were distributed, Feng Luo instructed them to return to their seats. He then handed out the school's schedule cards and announced that he would be teaching practical combat training. After reminding the demon students about the rules they needed to follow, he concluded, "That's all. You can leave now. There's no afternoon session; classes will officially start tomorrow.

"I've already contacted your parents, and they won't intervene if you get punished for being late or disrupting class. So, if anyone dares to—"

A fierce gust of wind swept through the classroom as Feng Luo's sharp, icy gaze swept across the demons. His unspoken threat was clear.

Even the well-behaved Wen Ying, who had no intention of causing trouble, shuddered. He had no idea what Feng Luo's practical combat training entailed, and he hoped it was just an advanced version of physical education.

Feng Luo left the classroom, and the oppressive atmosphere immediately dissipated.

"Sigh... I didn't expect the school days here to be so different from what I imagined."

"I wonder if all our teachers are like Feng Luo."

"Not all of them can be devils like that. There aren't enough devils for so many classes. I wonder who'll teach Potions."

"Feng Luo seems like someone who pulls no punches. Tomorrow's practical combat lesson might be tricky."

"Why are there so many rules in this school? All these restrictions are annoying. Human children have it tough."

"I've heard that in the human world, they have parent-teacher meetings, and human kids can easily get scolded or even beaten by their parents."

"Why is that?"

"Seems like it's because of poor exam scores."

"Well, in that case, we should be fine. In terms of strength, we're all top-notch."

Wen Ying cast a sympathetic glance at the demon who thought himself secure, an acquaintance, the tiger demon, whose face was radiant with delight. Letting out a sigh on his behalf, Wen Ying began to tidy up the books.

Muershi seemed to have some business to attend to. Not long after Feng Luo left, he also exited with a book in hand. The moment he departed, more than half of the demons in the classroom followed him, streaming out one after another, all eager to see the spectacle. They were curious to witness the reaction of ordinary demons when they saw the Extreme Evil Bird with a patch of missing feathers.

Wen Ying stacked the books in descending order and carried them away with haste. Levimo and Lilith, who had intended to approach Wen Ying, paused in their steps. They weren't in a rush, as they would meet again tomorrow anyway.

"Second Highness," Levimo addressed the handsome young demon prince beside him, "I sense that the demon of the enchanted mirror is quite exceptional. There may be great utility in recruiting him."

The demon youth, who was none other than the Demon King's recently reclaimed half-blooded second son, was currently flipping through a geography textbook in utter despair, his face buried in his hands. Upon hearing Levimo's words, he spoke despondently, "I still wish to return to the Human Realm. There, I may be nothing more than a fresh-out-of-school corporate drone, but at least I won't have to relive the hell of senior year in high school."

Wen Ying hurried back to check if Wen Dingjue had left him any money, his steps hastening as he exited the gates of Lucifer Academy. Before long, Scarlet and a few unfamiliar demons blocked his path.

"One of those audacious devils who dared to play tricks on you, the Magic Mirror Devil, right? He looks exactly like a weakling. You don't need to lift a finger, Scarlet; I can take him down with just a few of my fingers," one of the demons fawned over Scarlet.

Scarlet stood proudly, neither nodding nor shaking his head. Instead, he chuckled, his golden eyes curling up. He spoke leisurely, "Do you know what happens to devils who offend me?"

Wen Ying pretended to shake his head in ignorance.

Scarlet lifted his chin. "Tai Lei, tell him."

Tai Lei, the first demon to speak earlier, replied warmly and arrogantly, looking down his nose at Wen Ying. "Anyone who has ever offended Young Master Scarlet in the past had their limbs broken at the very least. A few days ago, there was an outsider demon merchant; his son dared to say that Young Master Scarlet was penniless. How could I tolerate that? Without Young Master Scarlet even asking, I immediately beat that demon up until his own mother wouldn't recognize him."

Wen Ying said in a musing tone, "It's no fun letting other demons do the job. You have to do the beating yourself to feel it. How about we make a bet?"

Scarlet looked down on him disdainfully. "What qualifications do you have?"

"It's not about qualifications," Wen Ying blinked. "It's about strength. Let's attack each other. If I fall, I'll be your servant for three years, working tirelessly and always at your beck and call. But if you fall..."

"Imppossible." Scarlet chuckled. This Magic Mirror Demon truly had wild imagination. In the Eternal Forest, he had carelessly allowed Wen Ying to take his scorecard, but that was just a scorecard, not a reflection of his actual power.

"That's why it's a bet," Wen Ying continued. "If you lose..."

Scarlet burst into laughter, his handsome face filled with arrogance. "If I lose, I'll be your servant for three years."

Initially, Wen Ying only wanted to say a thousand, but then he thought, three years of Scarlet serving him wasn't a bad deal either.

The commotion attracted quite a crowd, and Scarlet didn't bother to hide his voice. Many demons, seeing the excitement, gathered around. The first demon to arrive eagerly explained the situation to the newcomers. It was right at the time when the demons from Lucifer Academy were coming out, so soon, a group had formed around them.

Wen Ying glanced at the number of onlookers and was somewhat surprised. Demons seemed to enjoy spectacles just as much as humans did.

Muershi had also arrived. Demons with a mischievous nature rushed to the front even faster. He squeezed his way to the front row, and it seemed like an illusion that the voices of the demons behind him had momentarily vanished, as if they had been abruptly silenced.

He glanced back and saw Beros standing outside the crowd of demons. Understanding dawned on him, and he continued watching the commotion with nonchalance.

The demons standing behind the Extreme Malice Bird gasped in shock when they noticed the patch of bald feathers on its wings. Who dared to pluck the feathers of the Extreme Malice Bird?

Looking at the bird, which seemed completely unfazed and was still watching the spectacle, they couldn't help but feel a deep respect, especially for those demons who belonged to avian species. The mighty Muershi truly lived up to his renowned reputation; they couldn't muster such intimidation.

Many demons from Class One followed Muershi to watch the chaos unfold. As they joined in, they became aware of the situation and gathered around as well. Their noble status and formidable strength made the surrounding demons divulge the details quickly.

Beros didn't need to push through the crowd. He walked forward expressionlessly, and the congested demons immediately parted to make way for him. As an outstanding young demon in the Realm of Devils, his formidable power was well-known, along with his notorious temper.

Hellhounds were not known for their pleasant dispositions.

Upon hearing the content of the bet, a flicker of emotion appeared on Beros's face. His gaze turned to Scarlet once again, filled with the same look he reserved for the intellectually challenged. A nearby demon, noticing Beros's agitation, tried to engage him in conversation, saying, "Lord Beros, there are indeed many weak and reckless demons nowadays. I heard that guy comes from the countryside, and his mind isn't all there. The rumors were right – this lucky devil mirror who won first place is indeed a fool, hahaha..."

As the demon laughed, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. A terrifying pressure stifled the air around them. He had been too afraid to look at Beros, but when he mustered the courage to sneak a glance, he was instantly petrified by Beros's gaze. Those crimson eyes seemed bottomless, and the icy stare felt like real blades slicing through his heart.

"You're quite noisy," Beros remarked, diverting his gaze. In his heart, he thought, You're the fool, Scarlet is too, for Aruda entrusted that entire messenger bag to Wen Ying.

The bet only stipulated 'falling down,' meaning losing balance after being attacked and not standing back up.

Indeed, a weak demon with little power and too many tricks up his sleeve, Beros muttered softly, furrowing his brow. For some reason, he suddenly recalled the first time he saw Wen Ying, who was holding a cute, miniature version of a Hellhound.