Chapter 53: Blood

Chapter 53: Blood

Feng Luo hovered in mid-air, counting the students. As he announced, "We're about to begin," he launched a fireworks-like spell into the sky. A corresponding burst of light appeared in the northern sky, and he looked down, saying, "Alright, let's go."

Wen Ying's lips twitched as he watched Feng Luo flying above, somewhat speechless. The way he spoke made it seem like they were up to some illicit activity instead of a practical exercise.

Following Feng Luo's declaration, a large number of demons marched northward. Some flew while others walked, at various speeds, creating an intimidating spectacle. The demons seemed excited, and Wen Ying, fueled by the atmosphere, felt a surge of adrenaline. However, with the thought of his and Muershi's impending plan, that adrenaline turned into excitement.

Muershi had been hiding in a concealed spot, avoiding detection by the other demons. Among the main group, some demons were cautious, advancing slowly, remaining within Wen Ying's line of sight. Muershi poked his head out, asking, "Are they gone yet?"

Looking ahead, Wen Ying purposely kept his voice low, "Wait a bit longer."

Feng Luo kept an eye on the two youngsters below. He knew that whenever Muershi was around, they were likely planning some mischief against demons.

As a supervisor, he wouldn't intervene unless necessary. Other demon teachers, like him, were scattered throughout the Northern Mist Mountain, ready to blow their whistles for rule violations or if the combat became too intense and endangered lives.

On the other side, a majestic and imposing castle stood atop a cliff. It seemed to blend seamlessly with the steep cliffs, situated at a high altitude, surrounded by thick fog. The crimson hue of the castle even tinted the fog red, giving the entire structure an evil appearance, as if it were inhabited by devils.

Not far from the truth, for this was the Castle of the Demon King. Unlike the decorative landmark in the capital city, the true residence of the Demon King was located on this steep mountain outside the capital. Enormous in scale, its construction seemed almost supernatural. Looking up from below, the mountain upon which the castle rested seemed to stretch towards the heavens.

In one of the spacious conference rooms, numerous powerful demons were seated around a long table. The chair at the head was adorned with dragon claws, piled high with golden decorations and encrusted with jewels, including ten purple pearls worth a million each, along with others in various colors. Despite its ostentatious appearance, the demon sitting on it managed to exude an air of sophisticated luxury instead of vulgarity.

On the opposite wall of the room hung a giant screen that filled the entire space. It was divided into multiple sections, each displaying live surveillance footage of the Northern Mist Mountains.

A male demon with a graduated blue, thick fish tail observed the screen and said, "Your Majesty, these surveillance cameras seem impressive. They can even disguise themselves. Who did you commission for this?"

The aged-looking Demon King, despite his advanced age, radiated the vitality of a young adult. He was stylishly dressed, with his long black hair slicked back, shining handsomely. His physique didn't resemble that of an elder either; he had the healthy, muscular build of a middle-aged individual.

The Demon King held up a flower-like object and laughed heartily. "Cangyuan, these are surveillance cameras I picked up in the Human Realm recently. They're disguised as flowers and plants. Impressive, right? They look incredibly realistic. Human inventions are truly remarkable."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room, filled with speechlessness.

Cangyuan, the merman who had spoken earlier, seemed to have an expression of disbelief for a few seconds. His face twitched slightly as he said, "Your Majesty, you shouldn't frequently venture into the Human Realm. It's been quite unsettled lately. I sense something lurking beneath the surface."

"A radical group has been highly active recently. Something doesn't feel right. It's as if they're intentionally drawing our attention," commented a female demon seated by the table, her blue-purple feathers reminiscent of Muershi's. "Has your clan's demon foreseen anything unusual?"

All the demons turned their attention to the female demon wearing a robe, her long black hair almost reaching her calves. She was the leader of the Demon Witch Fairy clan. Her black eyes, hidden beneath her hood, seemed to contain galaxies, shimmering with stars yet profound, like black holes that could pull one's spirit in upon contact.

She extended her hand from her wide sleeves, and a black crystal ball levitated in her palm. Murmuring incantations, the demons waited as she kept her gaze fixed on the crystal ball before slowly saying, "For now, I haven't detected any significant issues. Everything indicates that the Demon Realm won't face a major crisis. However, that Demon Mirror is intriguing."

She said, glancing at the surveillance screen with Wen Ying on it, her lips barely moving. "That Demon Mirror should be extraordinary, but my crystal ball tells me he's normal."

"That's not strange at all," the old demon with the green, smiling eyes spoke up. "I've been using a lot of my stored treasures and rare resources lately to nurture my great-grandson into such a fine state."

"The other lesser demons wouldn't bother me so much," the Fairy Demon Clan Chief said, clearly not giving up on her inquiry. "But he's a Demon Mirror, a race that has significant ties to the human world."

Aluda asked the Devil King politely, "What do you think?"

"My second son also has deep connections to the human world," the Devil King sat expansively, his hands spread wide on the armrests. "Witch Yi, could you help me divine this?"

The witch fairy maintained her enigmatic and serious demeanor on the surface, but she rolled her eyes at the devil king in her heart.

"I also have a feeling that there's something about that Mirror Demon. I've heard whispers around the academy that Pelos seems to have a soft spot for him?" Lennach, Pelos's father, mused aloud. His voice was boisterous, much like his appearance—a bold and muscular figure. Only the contours of his brows on his face resembled Pelos; otherwise, they were quite different.

The witch fairy suppressed the urge to retort bluntly, preserving her elegance. "Such matters of the heart don't need to be discussed here."

"I think that child has some of our clan's blood in him," Yan Yujing, the Bird Clan leader known for her less-than-serious demeanor, chuckled as she pointed at a surveillance screen. "Look, they've eliminated Huiguo."

Huiguo was utterly baffled. He had merely witnessed Muershi being chased by Wen Ying and noticed that Muershi seemed severely injured. Seizing the opportunity for revenge, he intended to intercept Wen Ying and teach the wicked birds a lesson. How had he suddenly been called for a foul by the referee?

Feng Luo finally understood what Muershi and Wen Ying were up to. Pointing at Muershi, he said to Huiguo, "Didn't you observe the demons around when you set off? Muershi was there too."

After Feng Luo's words, Huiguo's eyes widened in astonishment. "What the hell? You guys plotted against me?" Overwhelmed with shock, he felt like killing all the demons. His eyes turned bloodshot as he seethed with anger towards Wen Ying and Muershi, both old and new grudges burning within him.

Muershi stood nonchalantly, his lips curving into a smirk. "Actually, we've been quite fair to you. Look, you haven't earned many points yet, right? So, you wouldn't feel too much regret if you lose."

Huiguo flew into a rage. "Nonsense! If our team wins, my high score will naturally put me near the top. Now, with only one point, I can still rank high if our team wins. But if we lose, I'll be dead last!"

Wen Ying mumbled, "This guy isn't stupid after all."

Upon hearing Wen Ying's comment, Huiguo suddenly seemed to realize something and questioned Feng Luo. "He attacked Muershi too. Why isn't he eliminated?"

With pity in his eyes, Wen Ying replied, "Maybe you should go check your eyes at the hospital."

"What do you mean?" Huiguo was confused.

Feng Luo glanced at them, now understanding why Muershi had asked how attacks on teammates were judged. Along the way, Wen Ying had merely been chasing Muershi, with the most aggressive action being the kick to Muershi's leg right in front of Huiguo. It didn't qualify as an attack on a teammate.

Muershi shrugged. "Wen Ying just kicked me." As he spoke, he wiped the "blood" from his forehead. "I drew this blood from myself last night. I was going to buy some magic beast blood, but I was afraid it wouldn't seem authentic without my scent. So, I had to draw my own blood."

Huiguo had no intention of speaking; he only wanted to eliminate these two jerks. He swung his leg and threw a punch.

Feng Luo intercepted Huiguo, who was rushing forward to attack, using a wind spell to lift him up. As he turned and walked away, he said, "You're disqualified. That's it, let's go."

Wrapped in Feng Luo's gust of wind, Huiguo kept cursing, though his voice could still be heard even if he couldn't be seen.

Muershi clapped his hands and turned his head with a smile. "One down. Do you have anyone else you want to eliminate? It's still early, and the other team's demons don't have many points."

Wen Ying glanced at the sky. "For now, I don't have any particular teammates I want to trick into being eliminated. Are you hungry?"

Muershi glanced at the sky as well. "It's still early; we're far from noon."

"Wen Ying said, "Chasing after you just now was quite tiring. Let's have something to eat." They hadn't merely put on a show for Huiguo earlier. Their rehearsal had begun right from their headquarters and continued all the way through. Initially, they hadn't encountered any demons from the opposing camp, so Muershi had concealed their scorecard. However, when they ran into one from the enemy side, they seized the opportunity to use the blue scorecard.

Wen Ying scanned the nearby trees and spotted some fruit-laden branches. He retrieved a large pair of pruning shears from his spatial bracelet, flew up, and snipped off two fruits, tossing one to Muershi.

"...Isn't that scissor a bit oversized?" Muershi, surprised by the length of the tool that was as long as Wen Ying's arm, took the fruit while eyeing the seemingly sturdy shears.

"It'll come in handy later," Wen Ying stowed away the massive shears and used water magic to clean the fruit before taking a bite. It was quite sweet.

In Muershi's mind, he recalled Wen Ying's words in the classroom, addressing Lan Jiaying and remarking on the considerable magical power contained within her hair.

Muershi's eyelids twitched, and he bit into a fruit to calm himself down. Could this kid be considering that? It was truly outrageous. Muershi's heart raced with excitement.

The high-ranking demons in the conference hall of the Demon King's castle watched them strolling and snacking as if they were on a leisurely tour, not participating in a life-or-death mock exam. They had even managed to avoid their rival demons beforehand.

"What are they up to? Trying to sabotage a teammate and then do nothing?" Cangyuan, the current Mermaid Clan leader and an adult butterfly mermaid, was utterly perplexed.

As Muershi's biological mother, Yan Yujing propped her chin in her hand and smiled, her expression resembling Muershi's but softer and more restrained. Satisfaction gleamed in her eyes as she said, "It's not time for trouble just yet."

Here was also the Demon King's sister and Wu Shaluo's grandmother, Apple Silver. She chuckled at Aruda and said, "I'm unsure who will emerge victorious from our wager, but I believe my chances are greater than yours."

With only three spots available, there were plenty of demons who outperformed Wen Ying in practical exercises. There was the Black Dragon Lan Jiaying, Cerberus Belos, the Nine-Tailed Fox Levimo, and Lilith, to name a few. Even Phileos, whom Wen Ying had once defeated in a ranking match, would not be an easy opponent when on high alert.

Aluda spoke with serene confidence, "I believe Wen Ying from my household will surely emerge victorious."

"It seems you've invested a great deal in his upbringing," Lennach, Beros's father, remarked. "You truly have faith in him."

Aluda was like a proud grandmother boasting about her offspring, her smile radiant and kind: "I always knew he was capable." If not, just steam him again, eventually, he'll make it.

A moment of silence fell upon the scene.

Wen Ying suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He touched the back of his head and cautiously scanned every potential hiding spot for demons behind him. Satisfied that no demon was poised to ambush him, he turned his head back in confusion, wondering why he suddenly had an ominous feeling.

The practical combat exercise concludes at 9 p.m. If neither party succeeds in destroying the opposing stone by then, the outcome shall be declared a draw, with scores calculated based on the number of points accumulated on their respective tally boards.

Wen Ying and Muershi were evading the demons. If it weren't for the constant, perilous clanging and crashing sounds around them, their journey would have seemed like a leisurely tour through the mountains and rivers.

"Should be almost done," Wen Ying swallowed the dry food in his mouth. "Don't they take lunch breaks? Why hasn't there been any quiet moment?"

With a piece of bread in his mouth, Muershi sat cross-legged on the trunk of a tree, peering through a telescope. Upon hearing Wen Ying's words, he continued to observe their surroundings through the lens, replying, "It's quite uncommon for someone like you who sticks to meal times. Skipping a meal or two won't hurt."

Wen Ying, with a human's way of thinking, responded, "…Alright, what did you find?" As he spoke, he leaped onto the tree trunk and took the telescope from Muershi, examining it himself.

Through the lens of the telescope, Wen Ying squinted one eye and slowly moved its direction. The scene before him was a chaotic mix of individual battles and group conflicts. He spotted several familiar faces, but quickly shifted his gaze away. They were searching for someone isolated and out of the way.

"I've found our target. Let's go," Muershi announced, standing up and stretching with a few groans. He then unfurled his wings and took flight, with Wen Ying following closely behind.

The two of them stealthily navigated through the mountains, avoiding all non-targets along the way. Soon enough, Wen Ying caught sight of the target Muershi had mentioned.

The first impression was that of a demonic assassin, swift yet seemingly weak. Wen Ying kneed Muershi in the waist, "Let's begin." With that, he sent Muershi flying with his knee, landing the latter five meters away from the demon. The demon jumped in fright as Muershi lifted his head.

Muershi's face was covered in blood, indicating severe injuries. His clothes were slashed by blades, and there were traces of blood on them.

The demon immediately checked Muershi's score card, which was blue. His gaze shifted to the direction Muershi came from, gripping his short knife tightly. His muscles tensed, ready to strike at any moment.

Wen Ying emerged from behind a tree, stunning the demon. It glanced at Muershi again, having heard about the Mirror Demon's prowess. But how could it have inflicted such damage on Muershi?

Struggling to stand up, Muershi gasped for air, barely able to speak. "Block for me while I prepare an advanced spell."

Without hesitation, the young demon turned his back completely to Muershi. A faint smile tugged at the corner of Muershi's lips, a hint of triumph in his eyes. He swiftly approached the demon and snatched the score card hanging from his sleeve.

Caught off guard by the sudden theft, the demon stared blankly at Muershi, "What are you doing?" Team score cards did not count towards individual scores.

"Too bad," Muershi shook the blue score card in his hand, "I'm on the green team."

The demon's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him, "There's...such a move?"

Seeing the score card snatched, the referee teacher swooped down and told the demon, "You're out. Hand over your score card."

When a Devil is eliminated after having their score tokens stolen, they must hand over all the tokens they've collected to the victor, but their own score is still calculated based on the number of tokens they had. This Devil held six tokens, so he would be scored as six points, even if Muershi and the others took them away.

"Sir," the Devil dared not express his anger, "aren't they breaking the rules? They actually changed the color of the tokens on their arms."

The Devil shook his head. "No, they aren't." However, only the Evil Bird and the Demon Mirror were doing this, and his expression was strange and complicated, probably expecting more Devils to fall for it in the future.

Wen Ying waved at him. "Leave with peace of mind. We'll cherish your tokens."

"..." He really wanted to hit him.

Muershi looked at the two departing Devils and gave them a thumbs up. "Not bad, you've grasped the essence of our Evil Birds."

"Thank you for the compliment," Wen Ying stowed away the tokens he'd obtained into his spatial bracelet. "Since the scores aren't equal, I'll let you take them next time, and we'll split the final total 4:6."

"Alright."

Following that, the two Devils repeated their trick, duping numerous other Devils. The teachers in the sky and the high-ranking Devils in the meeting room of the Devil King's Castle could only watch with twitching lips. The acting skills of these two Devils were becoming more and more convincing, and they even managed to deceive Feres from the opposing team.

Grandma Wu Shaluo, who previously thought Wen Ying might not win against Feres, fell silent as she watched the screen, seeing Feres's noble composure completely vanish in a fit of rage.

Aluda chuckled. "I told you, Wen Ying is quite capable."

Cangyuan grumbled, "My son was tricked."

How could this silly son... actually, he wasn't that silly after all. Who knew that Muershi would change the color of his score card and smear his own blood on it? They had just confirmed with the referee on site that the blood on Muershi's body was indeed his own, but there were no wounds on him. This made Cangyuan even more aware of how cunning this little bastard Muershi was.

The pitiful Butterfly Scale Mermaid also trustedfully left his back completely open to Muershi, never suspecting when or how the blood had appeared on Muershi.

As Phelous prepared to engage in a serious battle with Wen Ying again, determined not to be careless this time, he was stabbed from behind by Muershi.

"You?!" Phelous covered his arm, which had lost its score card, and looked at Muershi in shock and confusion. The corner of his eye caught sight of Wen Ying standing in front of him – the two devils flanking him.

With the score card in hand, Phelous was out of the game. Muershi threw the freshly acquired score card around brazenly and raised an eyebrow. "Exciting, isn't it?"

Phelous shot an ice blade over, and Muershi shouted, "Teacher up there, hurry and take Phelous away! He's already out!"

They had been so smooth in their exploits that a referee had been following them the whole time. This referee swooped down and skillfully comforted the victim. "This isn't your first time, so don't be too upset. They've already tricked more than thirty devils, and there'll be more to come."

Phelous: "..."

Wen Ying gazed at the merman whose cheeks had flushed with anger and leaned in, kindly suggesting, "Do you have a demon you want to scam? Let's go find them."

Felius swished his tail, but Wen Ying quickly dodged out of the way. The former left with a cold demeanor.

"Wonderful-looking creatures tend to have big egos," Wen Ying muttered under his breath.

Muershi glanced sideways. "I don't have a bad temper."

Wen Ying looked at him with a subtle expression, remaining silent.

"Hey, hey, what do you mean by that? Despite my bad reputation, my looks are definitely in the top tier in the capital," Muershi protested, spreading his indigo-purple wings behind him. The beautiful wings shimmered in the sunlight like a flowing rainbow.

Wen Ying flew up into a tree, took out his telescope to continue searching for a target, and casually said, "You're not on my list of preferences anyway, so why are you getting involved?"