Chapter 31: Formidable

Chapter 31: Fierce

"Focusing on your studies, or what are you all up to?" Feng Luo's voice echoed from the classroom's back door, startling all the demons, who turned their heads in unison.

It was the first time for these demons of the Demon Realm to attend school and experience the phenomenon known as "your homeroom teacher suddenly appearing at the back door." The shock they felt was no ordinary one. Wen Ying and Wu Fei, however, were somewhat prepared and merely felt their hearts skip a beat.

"Damn, when did Feng Luo show up?" the wicked bird muttered, "Scared the hell out of me. Luckily it wasn't me causing trouble this time."

HuPo's ears perked up. "He snuck in so quietly; that's scary."

Wen Ying almost burst into laughter but quickly covered his mouth with his hand. He knew that laughing now would easily draw Feng Luo's attention.

The previously arrogant Wu Shaluo seemed to have toned down a notch. Looking at Feng Luo walking towards him, his rebellious demeanor disappeared bit by bit without his notice, replaced by a faint sense of fear.

"What's the matter?" Wu Shaluo whispered grumpily, "I was just stating facts."

Feng Luo stared at him expressionlessly for a moment, his gaze cold yet sharp. "I don't care about any grudges between you two. This is a place for learning, not for forming cliques. I hope you understand that His Majesty the Devil King has personally stated that bloodline doesn't matter in this academy. Do you have an issue with His Majesty's decision?"

Wen Ying whispered to Muershi, "Does our homeroom teacher seem to hold the Devil King in high regard?"

Muershi muttered under his breath, "The countryside is really isolated from news." Then he said, "Feng Luo is an ardent admirer of His Majesty the Demon King."

"Ardent?" None of the characters in that word seemed to fit Feng Luo. With his icy demeanor akin to an Arctic iceberg and his cold, sharp words, there was no trace of such fervor when he spoke of His Majesty the Demon King.

Muershi scratched his ear, looking as if it was hard to believe. "My elders at home told me that Feng Luo was raised by His Majesty the Demon King. But don't be fooled by his aloof appearance; once things don't go as he expects, he gets upset."

With that, Muershi tilted his chin in that direction, wearing a smug expression.

Wen Ying looked over and saw that Feng Luo still wore that cold expression. He didn't say anything more but simply pulled Wu Shaluo up and dragged him out.

"W-What are you doing? I warn you, my grandmother is the Demon King's sister!" Wu Shaluo shouted, trying to sound fierce but clearly scared.

Without turning back, Feng Luo replied, "All the more reason to teach you, the disrespectful junior, a lesson on behalf of His Majesty the Demon King. As a relative of His Majesty, you should set a better example."

Wen Ying: ...He could now see that Feng Luo was indeed fanatical about the Demon King.

Wu Shaluo was stunned. What logic was that? He couldn't think of a counterargument.

"You have no right to discipline me on behalf of His Majesty the Demon King! It should be my grandmother if anyone!" Wu Shaluo protested, his neck stiff.

Feng Luo said, "It's alright, I'll contact Mrs. Annalina and ask her to visit the school."

Wu Shaluo was utterly dumbfounded.

Essence whispered to Wen Ying, "Mrs. Annalina is the Demon Lord's sister. When I was investigating human schools earlier, this is what they call a parent-teacher conference."

Wen Ying almost burst out laughing, covering his mouth tightly. He had never realized Essence had such a talent for humor. It was too funny, he couldn’t help it.

The little person in Wen Ying's heart was already rolling on the ground with laughter.

Essence tilted his head in confusion. It was amusing that Wu Shaluo was getting a parent-teacher conference, but Wen Ying's expression didn't seem to be one of schadenfreude.

The tense situation was diffused so easily. Lu Qingtao looked at the terrifying demon who had been so arrogant just moments ago. Now, he seemed like a chicken awaiting slaughter, with many feathers falling off as he flew around the classroom ceiling.

The male demon who had entered wasn't very muscular. In terms of height and build, he wasn't particularly tall among the demons Wen Ying had seen. He could be considered average. If you ignored his wings, tail, and horns, this demon could pass for a high-ranking corporate executive – calm, refined, and probably a regular at the gym, with well-toned muscles that filled out his suit nicely.

If not for that, how could he have believed his nonsense and ended up in the demon realm…

Lu Qingtao felt a pang in his heart. Yes, the demon who interviewed him was the same one who had casually dragged away the feather-eared demon with one hand. Back then, he had been dressed neatly and looked presentable, offering double the market salary, social insurance, a housing allowance, only a few classes per week, free room and board, and even a single dormitory with a living room and bedroom, fully furnished.

Damn it, if Lu Qingtao could defeat Feng Luo, he would rush over right now and give him a punch.

As Wu Shaluo was dragged out, the classroom fell silent except for his voice, as everyone feared being dragged out by Feng Luo too. Last time, when it was clearly the issue of the Extreme Evil Bird and the Devil Mirror, Feng Luo had also called out Beros. This incident left them with the impression that Feng Luo was prone to transferring his anger onto others.

Wu Shaluo, unwilling to accept this, pointed at Wen Ying and said, "That Devil Mirror and Muershi provoked it too!" He was cunning, choosing to pick on the weaker ones. Surely these two devils had a worse reputation in Feng Luo's eyes.

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingtao immediately felt anxious. The devil who had just spoken up for him was being accused. Fueled by his strong desire to beat Feng Luo up, he summoned his courage and said, "He didn't do anything wrong."

Feng Luo looked at him. Under the gaze of those cold, almost emotionless eyes, Lu Qingtao's voice gradually softened, "He was helping maintain classroom discipline. Only he was causing trouble."

"Do you know what you're saying?" Wu Shaluo's tone was harsh. Did this human understand the implications of these words? Offending him, how could he expect to survive in the Demon Realm?

Feng Luo slapped the back of Wu Shaluo's head, turning the fierce eagle into a timid chick on the ground.

"Well, I understand. Carry on with your lesson, teach well."

Taking a few steps, Feng Luo paused and turned back, "Work hard, there'll be a bonus at the end of the term."

Lu Qingtao wanted to punch this devil again.

Feng Luo left, and for the time being, no demon in the classroom dared to cause trouble. The human teacher, trembling with fear, continued lecturing, while the students listened attentively, maintaining a superficial harmony.

As the bell signaling the end of class rang, Lu Qingtao's hand paused in writing on the blackboard. "That concludes today's lesson. If any of you have questions, feel free to ask me."

Finished speaking, his legs trembled as he clutched his textbook and dashed out of the classroom. Before leaving, he glanced at Wen Ying. For some reason, this demon gave him an intense sense of familiarity. Was it because the demon called Second Prince had lived in the human world, which accounted for the feeling? But why did he feel the same way about this other demon?

Not daring to inquire further, Lu Qingtao hurried back to the safety of the teachers' office.

During the break, everyone finally dared to discuss what had just happened. Nobody had dared to whisper during class, fearing that Feng Luo might return unexpectedly.

Wu Shaluo had yet to reappear, and they all guessed he was in quite a predicament.

Stretching lazily, Essence said, "Little Yin~ Are you interested in humans? You seemed rather fond of that human just now."

Wen Ying turned around. "Don't call me such a cloying nickname."

"I think it's cute," Essence replied with a flirtatious tone and a sultry gaze. "Do you like that human?" As he spoke, a hint of earnest contemplation flickered in his eyes.

Their family also needed to choose sides. One of the three major powers had already declared their allegiance, leaving two more. Muershi and Beros’s attitudes seemed somehow connected to Wen Ying’s. The stance of the three major powers mattered, as each held three votes, while their demon families only had one.

Levimo supported Wu Fei, who already had three definite votes. If Muershi and Beros voted for him as well, the Second Prince Wu Fei would have nine votes in total.

Wu Fei had half human blood, and many demons opposed him because of this. Did Wen Ying like humans?

Beros’s ear with the golden earring twitched at the mention of “liking.”

Wen Ying, upon hearing this, gazed at the smiling Essence and casually replied, "I do like humans. Though they lack the robust physique and immense magical power of demons, humans possess boundless creativity. Have you heard of tanks and cannons? Humans can be powerful with the aid of external tools."

A mysterious emotion flickered in Essence's eyes. Crossing his arms, he propped his chin on them and said in a soft tone, "I didn't expect you to like humans so much. Then, do you like Wu Fei?"

Beros’s ears twitched again.

His voice was low, audible only to the demons in close proximity. Tiger Soul, Li Jie, Scarlet, and Muershi all pricked up their ears to hear Wen Ying's response.

Wen Ying rolled his eyes. "Don't set me up." He had just "invited" Beros to have dinner together moments ago. This demon Essence was always filled with lewd trash in his mind! Anything normal that came out of his mouth sounded like he was trying to seduce someone.

Essence emitted a soft chuckle, a laugh that fluttered like feathers against the demon's heart, leaving him dazed and weightless in body.

Scarlet inadvertently fell prey to the trap, and after a few seconds, he shuddered back to reality, wearing a visibly disgusted expression. "Get away, get away, get away."

"You lack self-control," Muershi taunted.

Beros clicked his tongue, and the surrounding demons could sense his displeasure.

Essence rose from his chair, leaned in, and whispered suggestively into Wen Ying's ear, "Beros likes you."

Wen Ying's expression was complicated, as if he found it hard to express his thoughts on someone who seemed mentally challenged. There was no saving this incubus's infatuation.

Unfazed, Essence continued, "After hearing you just now, I suddenly think that humans aren't so bad. That human earlier was quite adorable, clean and fair-skinned. I've never tried a human before." As he spoke, he licked his lips, creating an alluring atmosphere with just that simple gesture.

Beros became unhappy again.

For the third lesson, Wu Shaluo returned, clearly missing a portion of the feathers on the right side of his ear. Judging by his grimace, he had suffered a miserable ordeal.

Soon, the fourth lesson ended, signaling the end of the school day. Wen Ying sighed inwardly and turned to look at Beros beside him. The demon didn't seem to have any intention of starting a conversation, as if the "okay" he had said that morning was just a figment of Wen Ying's imagination.

Deciding to take the initiative, Wen Ying stood up and walked over to Beros. This towering, muscular demon was intimidating just by his physique, though it was indeed the type he found attractive...

"...Would you like to have lunch together?"

Beros lifted his gaze. “Mm.”

Wen Ying pulled Muershi's arm behind him. "He'll come with us too..."

Black demonic aura emerged around Beros, and his crimson eyes seemed to conjure visions of blood. He didn’t look at Wen Ying; his gaze was fixed on the extremely wicked bird that Wen Ying was holding.

Years of experience being beaten told Muershi that it would be better to back out of this deal. Two thousand fewer words wasn't worth getting beaten up for. So he forcefully pried Wen Ying's hand off him and said with righteous indignation, "What did you say? How could I disturb your demonic world?"

Wen Ying: "You didn't say that just now."

"That was then, this is now," the extremely wicked bird shrugged. "Now I remember I reserved a meal of human world blowfish in the third floor restaurant of the cafeteria. Bye!"

Wen Ying stretched out his hand in a dramatic gesture, then let it fall. The oppressive presence behind him was hard to ignore. He turned his head and forced a smile. "Where do you want to eat?"

...

The Lucifer Demon Academy had several small lakes, one of which was situated in the middle of a grove. The lake had a pavilion in its center, and it was far from both the dormitories and the academic buildings. At mealtime, there were no demons to be seen; only the rustling of leaves and the sound of the wind.

Not a single demon was encountered on the way. In such an environment, Wen Ying's heart pounded even more fiercely, and he grew increasingly fearful—the lakeside was a perfect place to commit murder and dispose of a body.

Wen Ying followed Beros with a hesitant heart, carrying a three-tiered food box all the way to the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

To be honest, apart from the fear, the atmosphere here was tranquil and serene, capable of soothing one's restless mind.

Beros sat down on a stone bench in the pavilion with ease, gesturing for Wen Ying to do the same.

Wen Ying tottered over with the food box and took a seat. He suddenly realized that this was a good opportunity to explain himself. He could clarify the misunderstanding with Beros by telling him in detail that he truly lacked knowledge about the Demon Realm.

”Wen Ying, what’s with the doll?” Beros suddenly asked.

Wen Ying pondered over his explanation, trying to make it as logical as possible. Hearing an unfamiliar question, he let out an "Ah" in confusion.

Beros grew even more agitated. "Tsk, don't play dumb. When we first met, didn't you have a three-headed dog doll in your hand?"

That was his first social disaster in the Demon Realm, Wen Ying recalled, and his toes dug into the ground once again. Lowering his head in embarrassment, he said, "That was actually something from the Human Realm. I found it...adorable..."

"Adorable?" Beros sounded peculiar.

"No, no, not adorable," Wen Ying corrected himself promptly, "Mighty! That's why I asked someone to help me purchase it from the Human Realm."

Beros recalled the appearance of the doll and was momentarily at a loss for words to respond to Wen Ying’s description of it as “mighty.”

A moment of silence ensued.

Growing more restless, Beros tapped his fingers impatiently on the stone table. “Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”