Chapter 70: Collaboration

Chapter 70: Collaboration

As the demonic banquet on Demon Birth Day concluded, the demons gradually left the grand hall. Wen Ying waited for Aruda, who was engaged in conversation with the Devil King and thus emerged later than others.

When Aruda finally approached, the banquet hall was nearly empty of guests, with only the castle staff busy cleaning up.

Wen Ying had consumed an abundance of nourishing dishes tonight. True to its host, the Devil King's banquet offered premium fare. Although he couldn't identify the ingredients, he felt his magical powers surge after the meal.

"Wen Ying, what were you discussing with Grandmother earlier?" he asked as they walked along.

Aruda replied, "Mainly about those extremist factions in the Nine-Tailed Fox territory."

Recalling Muershi's assurance that their targets were not dangerous, Wen Ying inquired, "Were there any particularly perilous individuals among the tasks assigned to us?"

"Rest assured, there will be supervising teachers," Aruda assured him.

However, Aruda's words left Wen Ying uncertain. Her grandmother had a penchant for surprises that were more startling than delightful. Pondering her response, it seemed to contradict Muershi's claim of "no danger."

Given the Devil King's nature, Wen Ying suspected they wouldn't have it easy.

On the way, after much deliberation, Wen Ying asked one of the two questions he had in mind, which was about the green-haired demon.

"Grandma Aruda, there was a Mandala Clan demon who approached me during the banquet just now," Wen Ying paused, observing Aruda's reaction.

Aruda maintained her calm tone. "What did he say to you?"

"Just that I'm not as good as he imagined?"

Aruda chuckled softly and nonchalantly replied, "Ignore them."

Wen Ying probed, "So it's fine if I encounter him again next time?"

"You can do as you please," said Aruda. "Don't worry."

Wen Ying inferred that this meant he could deal with it however he wanted. He thought about asking his other question, regarding why he was different from the other Mirror Demons, but he hesitated and ultimately didn't ask.

He would wait until after the mid-term exams, and if he still found no new clues from Wu Fei or Lan Jiaying, he would come back and ask.

When they returned to the academy for classes, Feng Luo announced the details of the upcoming mid-term exams on the first day. Some students, who already knew about the groups, were unfazed, while others who were unaware felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation.

Essence patted Wen Ying's shoulder, "I heard you're paired with the two princes?"

Wen Ying turned his head, "If you want to laugh, just laugh. There's no need to hide it."

Essence put down his hand, his rosy eyes filled with gloating amusement, his smile reaching up towards the heavens.

Scarlet also laughed at Muershi in a similar manner, "Muershi, I heard your group isn't ideal either?"

Muershi replied coolly, "My group is fine. I can coast to victory. There are two battle maniacs, so I won't even have to lift a finger."

Scarlet chuckled, speaking leisurely, "If only it could be like that."

Muershi looked at him with a dark expression and asked, "How about your group?"

"I don't know yet," Scarlet waved his hand, "I'm not too interested in the results. It'll be revealed eventually, and besides, I'm not afraid. Even if there are weak links, I can still score high."

Despite his words, when the group assignments were announced, Muershi and Wen Ying burst into laughter at Scarlet's miserable expression.

Scarlet was grouped with Wu Shaluo and a Snow Demon, unfortunately, the Snow Demon was on good terms with Wu Shaluo, which meant Scarlet was paired with two adversaries.

"Ahahaha, no way, this is hilarious!" Muershi slapped the table repeatedly.

Wen Ying wiped away tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes. "That certain demon didn't have that expression just now."

Essence comforted with a mix of sympathy and obvious amusement, "Don't worry, it's just a week of midterm exams together, right?"

Still laughing maniacally, Muershi added, "Yes, yes, we'll be eating together, staying in the same hotel, fighting together... Hahaha, karma!"

Scarlet's face twisted. "Why does 'karma' sound so awkward when you say it?"

Curious, Wen Ying glanced at the group assignment in Essence's hand and asked, "Who are your teammates?"

The corners of Essence's lips fell slightly as he composedly replied, "Two pretty girls."

A name flashed through Wen Ying's mind, causing him to burst into laughter. He teased, "Hey, hey, hey, could it be that one of those pretty girls is Miss Ghost Mask Puppet?"

Essence nodded calmly.

Muershi kept slapping the table, laughing. "Karma, karma, hahaha."

Wen Ying now felt that the Demon King's malicious humor wasn't directed solely at him; it targeted all demons. Moreover, he probably spent a lot of time online, gossiping everywhere, otherwise, how could he be so precise?

After the grouping results were announced, the atmosphere in the class wasn't as enthusiastic as at first. Everyone wore grim expressions, each with their own pain. It was as if a dark cloud loomed over the classroom.

Everyone wanted to curse the demon who had done the grouping, but they dared not. After all, it was the Demon King. They could only grit their teeth and accept the outcome. They all felt that before fighting their enemy, they would have to fight among themselves first.

Lan Jiaying no longer had the energy or enthusiasm to challenge Wen Ying for a ranking match. Even a glance at Wen Ying caused discomfort.

Before the results were announced, he thought the matter wasn't settled yet. But now, with the results out, the inevitable truth couldn't be altered. On one side was the Demon King's anticipation, on the other, the despised Mirror Demon and Wu Fei. Lan Jiaying's elegant demeanor vanished, replaced by a gloomy aura.

Wu Shaluo walked over and slapped Essence's desk, looking at Scarlet.

Essence, observing the demon with a sullen face and a volatile mood, said softly, "Wu Shaluo, why are you slapping my desk? Go slap Scarlet's."

Wu Shaluo glared at him. "How can I slap against the wall?"

Scarlet huffed coldly, "I advise you not to act impulsively and hinder me."

Wu Shaluo met his gaze sternly. "The same goes for you."

Wen Ying was observing the snow demon not far away. Normally, when humans imagined snow demons, they would picture them as white. However, in the Demon Realm, these snow demons had black and white streaks in their hair, and their eyes were heterochromatic, with one black and one white.

Wen Ying thought to himself that the snow demon race had truly gone through a lot to evolve black colors to avoid discrimination.

Only Essence knew if he appeared as nonchalant as he seemed on the surface. He looked at the two demons who were ready to clash and suggested, "If you want to fight, head to the arena. You won't have enough space to do so here."

Scarlet stood up, and Wu Shaluo's magical power was simmering with energy. "Let's go."

"Who's afraid of whom?"

"Movers," Muershi commented. Then, he asked Essence, "Will the Empress beat you up again?"

Essence replied irritably, "I've seen her plenty of times in the past three months. We're even in the same classroom. Besides, isn't that how all succubi are? I thought every demon in the Demon Realm knew that relationships with succubi tend to be short-lived."

Wen Ying teased, "Other succubi's short-term relationships usually last at least a month, but your shortest record is only a day."

Muershi chuckled. "I heard she seems to have developed feelings for another demon. You can relax now."

Essence did indeed feel much more at ease.

"A chaotic scene," Wen Ying muttered to herself as she observed the pandemonium in the classroom filled with demons.

A week later.

Aluda had prepared numerous items for Wen Ying, filling the spatial bracelet he had given her to the brim. Most of the cards were transferred to the bracelet's end ring by Wen Ying.

It was her first time leaving the capital since arriving in the demon realm. Standing before the magical teleportation array, Wen Ying's heart raced with excitement.

Behind her stood the young demons from Lucifer Demon Academy. Unlike the joy of a journey or the thrill or fear of facing enemies, their expressions were gloomy, as if dark clouds hung over them.

Wen Ying and Muershi had learned that the midterm exams would not take place in a single location. Although the venue was within the territory of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the area was vast, with many towns and secluded forests.

To ensure an even distribution of combat power, each location would have groups of varying strengths. The demons from each class were dispersed accordingly. Thankfully, Wen Ying and Muershi were not separated. They were headed to a place called Windy City.

It was a bustling metropolis in the demon realm, with numerous subordinate towns and a vast territory. Two groups from Class One and two from Class Two were assigned there, along with several other groups from different classes.

In one of the Class Two groups, Wen Ying spotted the male demon from the Mandrake clan. He ignored her completely, not even sparing her a glance. She chuckled softly. Unlike Lan Jiaying's arrogance, this guy seemed to be someone with modest abilities but an inflated ego.

The magical teleportation array activated, and the magical patterns on the ground swiftly outlined a glow. As all the patterns illuminated, a pillar of light shot up into the sky.

Wen Ying felt a bit dizzy, similar to motion sickness from traveling. After around ten seconds, the light beam vanished, and he found himself in an entirely different world.

It was another city. Feng Luo led them to another teleportation array, and after five transfers, Wen Ying's initial excitement turned into near nausea. His face pale, he leaned on Muershi's arm, drained of energy.

This place seemed like a cargo transportation hub, surrounded by large magical beasts and carriages loaded with goods. The flow of magic was abundant.

The architecture of this city resembled that of the Human Realm more than the Demon Realm. Unlike the capital, where every structure embodied demonic style, many buildings here closely resembled human skyscrapers. The demonic essence was well-concealed, and for a moment, Wen Ying thought he had returned to the Human Realm.

Feeling nauseous, he blurted out, "This place seems like the Human Realm."

Muershi replied with a meaningful tone, "Yes, it was modeled after the Human Realm. Windport City is a famous tourist destination. Many demons should have heard of it. Have you forgotten this renowned city?"

Wen Ying's dazed mind snapped back to clarity. His voice still weak, he said, "Of course I forgot. How could I selectively remember or forget places?"

Muershi blinked, "Then how do you know what the Human Realm looks like?"

"There were books about the Human Realm in Aruda's collection, and our textbooks had pictures," Wen Ying looked at Muershi with a 'are-you-serious' expression. "You should pay attention to your memory. Being forgetful at such a young age isn't good."

Beros was annoyed by the two demons whispering closely ahead. He decided to revisit that damned book. His recent symptoms aligned with the behaviors described in it. Beros almost suspected that the demon who wrote the book had issues.

In the dynamics of love, where one is both loved and loving, and in the roles of pursuer and pursued, why was he the one being passive?! Parmax found it incredulous, to the point of wanting to confront the author for a scolding.

It made no sense at all. It was Wen Ying who had always liked him, persistently clinging on with cunning schemes.

He was the one who should be passive...

Parmax strode forward in a few steps, grabbed Muershi's arm, and pulled him away from Wen Ying, saying, "You're not even in the same group as him."

Phaleus threatened, "Muershi, if you leak any exam information to him during midterms, prepare to be severely injured by me."

Lan Jiaying found the remark so amusing that he chuckled in his distinctive, elegant tone, "I believe you've got it backward. I'm the one worried that Wen Ying might tip you off, considering how close he is to both demons in your team."

"Perseus would never resort to such despicable tactics, nor would he deign to," Phaethon shot back with equal arrogance. A storm seemed to brew in the air where their gazes met. "Only those who need to would entertain such thoughts."

Wu Fei stood aside, feeling vulnerable and powerless, as expected. Before they even encountered the enemy, they were already at each other's throats – no, it seemed like the tension wasn't within their own team anymore, but between teams, all without knowing anything about the foe.

Wen Ying and Muershi stood on one side, engaging in a verbal sparring match as if watching a spectacle.

Feng Luo's veins popped on his forehead. The expressionless Greater Demon exerted his forceful dominance, releasing the pressure of his wind magic, which intimidated the surrounding demons into keeping their distance.

"Quarrel after I've assigned the tasks," Feng Luo said irritably. "Follow me to the hotel first."

When the group of demons arrived at the hotel, they found that the city's architecture was indeed very similar to that of the human world, both in appearance and interior decoration. To make it feel even more authentic, the staff here had even tucked away their wings.

Demons could retract their wings, but it consumed a significant amount of magic power and was uncomfortable. As such, few demons would do so. Wen Ying had once tried it and felt it was odd; something just didn't feel right.

The demon employees wore hats to cover their horns, and some had even used illusionary potions to make their faces appear human, without any unusual ears or magical tattoos that resembled body art, or various eye colors. Their entire heads looked completely human.

Having lived in the Demon Realm for over three months now, the human world where he had spent twenty years suddenly seemed like a distant memory. Wen Ying felt a little dazed, contemplating the possibility of frequently visiting this side in the future.

"Wen Ying? Wen Ying!"

"Hmm?" Wen Ying snapped back to reality, seeing Muershi addressing him. "Sorry, I'm still feeling a bit dizzy. What did you say?"

Muershi observed Wen Ying, seemingly believing his explanation. "Feng Luo was just explaining the midterm exam content."

As he spoke, he handed Wen Ying a sheet of paper. Wen Ying took it, revealing a white piece of paper with a table listing the names, characteristics, abilities, and personalities of various demons. The final column indicated their scores.

Wen Ying's gaze immediately landed on a demon with a score of ninety. This demon was named Freyge, and there were six photos in the photo section, each with distinct features: different hair and eye colors, hairstyles, and ages ranging from childhood to middle age.

"Young and rather pleasing to the eye," Feng Luo commented.

Lan Jiaying chuckled. "No need for Teacher Feng Luo's assistance." He was already eager to give it a try.

Wu Fei studied the information on the paper carefully and found that it wasn't as terrifying as he had imagined. Most of them were ordinary demons, and in his humble opinion, none of them seemed capable of severely injuring him. It appeared... rather easy to catch them?

A few with higher scores didn't possess lethal abilities; their high points were due to their difficulty in capture and unique powers.

Could he trust the information Feng Luo provided? Wu Fei felt a little anxious.

"Wen Ying, what's the deal with this demon that has six pictures?" Wen Ying asked, raising his hand.

Feng Luo looked at him. "The one with ninety points? That's his racial ability. He's a mutated Slime demon who can alter his age and appearance without relying on magic potions. He's very good at hiding and can create illusory clones. Many of the ones we've caught turned out to be his fake clones. The rest of his details are listed above, which is why the academy has given him such a high score."

Lan Jiaying raised an eyebrow. "I've decided to catch this demon."

Wen Ying glanced at Lan Jiaying, who was the type of demon who remained arrogant and confident, regardless of any storm. He said, "You're even setting yourself a flag now."

Lan Jiaying glared at him. "Shut up."

Wen Ying calmly folded his arms. "Okay."

Instead, Lan Jiaying was taken aback, eyeing him suspiciously, unsure what trick this Mirror Demon was up to now.

Wen Ying openly let him look, even offering a friendly smile that sent shivers down Lan Jiaying's spine – this guy definitely had an ulterior motive.

"First one to find it wins," Beros said, his tone casual in contrast to Lan Jiaying's determined one, making the other demons feel that capturing that particular demon wasn't a significant matter to him, not worth mentioning.

Lan Jiaying's lips curled up, and for a fleeting moment, his dark eyes flashed with the vertical pupils of a dragon. "Let's see then."

"Let's go." Lan Jiaying strode towards the hotel exit.

Wen Ying waved at everyone with a smile, his gaze lingering on Muershi before leisurely following behind, with Wu Fei also tagging along.

The Mandrake demon watched Wen Ying's retreating figure, his fists slowly tightening. He was just a low-ranking Mirror Demon, yet he acted so arrogantly due to Aruda's grooming.

"Disperse, you're on your own for the week. Don't bother me unless it's necessary," Feng Luo said before retiring to his room for some rest.

Muershi chuckled nonchalantly. "So, what are we doing next, guys?"

...

Wen Ying followed Lan Jiaying, exploring the area as if they were on a sightseeing tour. He sighed, missing the Human Realm, and Wu Fei did too. The two half-demons from the Human Realm silently agreed to wander around, existing in a different world from the confidently striding Lan Jiaying, who was surveying their surroundings.

Finally, Lan Jiaying couldn't take it anymore and turned back. "Are you two here for mid-term exams or a playdate?!"

Wu Fei averted his gaze awkwardly, but Wen Ying fearlessly met Lan Jiaying's sharp stare with an innocent smile. "Didn't you say everything is up to you? You're in charge."

Lan Jiaying was taken aback. He had said that, but Wen Ying had challenged him at the time. Why the change of heart now? Lan Jiaying didn't think it was because Wen Ying was afraid. With his personality, Wen Ying wouldn't be scared even if another batch of powerful enemies appeared.

Wu Fei spoke softly, "Shouldn't we be more low-key? If we draw too much attention, our targets will surely hide and escape."

Lan Jiaying looked at him. "I understand that logic, but do you really think the extremist faction, known for their information network, won't know about our grand entrance? It's better to strike while they're not fully prepared, rather than hide and wait for them to disappear."

It was the first time Lan Jiaying had explained himself so "reasonably" to Wu Fei, who was momentarily stunned. He wanted to say something, but Lan Jiaying turned back to Wen Ying. "What's your scheme? Trying to see me in a fit of frustration when I can't find our target?"

Wen Ying blinked, his appearance being extremely misleading. The whiteness was already un-demonic, and combined with his height below the average demon's, it made it hard for other demons to perceive him as a threat.

But Lan Jiaying had already tainted Wen Ying with a sinister lens, making it seem as if he was up to no good in her eyes.

Wen Ying's lips curled up slightly. "Somewhat close?"

He had discussed with Muershi that they needed to first make those who wanted to rely on force to solve the mid-term exams realize the difficulty before bringing up cooperation. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to work together.

However, if they could successfully find the Extremists and obtain points, their plan would become irrelevant.

Wen Ying warned Lan Jiaying, "If you don't hurry, the Extremists will all be gone."

"I don't need your reminder."

Lan Jiaying turned her head and continued searching for suspicious individuals among the demons.

They had no success on the first day, but Muershi sent a message from next door, informing him that they had found a clue to the Slime demon and were currently tracking it.

"How did you discover the clue?" Wen Ying was surprised. Wind Harbor City was too vast, and they hadn't even completed exploring it after spending an entire day, despite having hired horse-like magical beasts.

This was a famous tourist city with an abundance of demons. It was difficult for them to locate their target amidst the crowd, let alone a ninety-point one; they couldn't even find a ten-point demon.

"The opponent is very confident," Muershi's voice turned perilously low, his tone laced with an indistinct hint of amusement that made Wen Ying feel he was angry. "He deliberately created a clone to tell us that you can't catch him."

"He's seen you," Muershi continued. "He transformed into you."

Wen Ying narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? Indeed, quite arrogant."

Muershi's voice suddenly lightened. "I've felt for a long time that Beros has been unhappy with you. You didn't see it, but when Beros saw that demon turn into you, he immediately threw a punch. Then he followed up with several more rapid punches, turning that clone into a puddle of slime - literal slime, Slime slime."

Wen Ying: "..." He had indeed been a bit harsh on Beros lately, but Beros should have only been targeting that Slime demon... right?

It seemed there was still some lingering resentment between Moen and the demon.

"The information said that the Slime's ability only works if it sees its target transforming with its own eyes, and it must be within two hours. Moreover, it has to be the real body, not a clone," Wen Ying explained. "What time did you see him, and where?"

"Sometime around noon, in front of the BaiRun supermarket."

Wen Ying hadn't noticed any suspicious individuals during the two hours before or after that time. He frowned, pressing his finger against his lips.

"He told us he'll be at the amusement park tomorrow, all day long," Muershi sighed. "Isn't that arrogant?"

"His true form can act alongside his avatar, so there's a high chance that what we found was just his avatar," Wen Ying complained. "Ninety points are indeed tough to deal with."

With such an ability in a city densely populated by tourist demons, even a Devil King might have trouble locating him.

Lan Jiaying came out of the bathroom, toweling his hair. This human method of drying hair seemed rather damaging to his locks. He put down the towel and used magic to extract the water from his hair, instantly drying it and leaving it smooth and lustrous.

Wen Ying casually said, "Muershi mentioned that the slime impersonating you at noon provoked Beros and got pounded into slime mud."

Lan Jiaying: "??!"

Anger flared up within him, but he quickly focused on the crucial point – that slime devil had seen them in their true forms without their knowledge.

On the other end of the phone, Muershi chuckled upon hearing Wen Ying's account.

"That bastard," Lan Jiaying said, his bare feet padding on the wooden floor as his expression darkened.

"How about a collaboration?" Wen Ying asked. "With Muershi's team?"

Without hesitation, Lan Jiaying replied, "Impossible."

"Yet, the truth is before us – that's a mutated Slime Devil. If it were right in front of us, we could easily dispose of it. But hiding within this heavily populated Windmoor City filled with devils, we might eventually capture it given enough time, but catching it within a week seems highly unlikely."

The city was now on high alert, with strict identity checks at every entry and exit. The Slime Devil couldn't escape, but they wouldn't be able to apprehend it anytime soon.

Lan Jiaying's face was dark, his obsidian eyes nearly manifesting tangible red fury. A vortex of demonic energy swirled around him, casting an oppressive atmosphere that startled Wu Fei, who had just entered and was unaware of the situation.

"What's going on?"

Lan Jiaying glanced at Wu Fei before averting his gaze, fixing his intense stare on Wen Ying.

Wen Ying provocatively tempted him, "Don't you want His Majesty the Devil King to commend you? That's a creature that even high-ranking devils find troublesome."

A muscle twitched at the corner of Lan Jiaying's mouth. "Do I look like a devil who would be easily provoked by mere words?"

Didn't he? Wen Ying's gaze seemed to imply exactly that. Lan Jiaying casually grabbed a pillow nearby and tossed it at Wen Ying.

After dodging the pillow, Wen Ying told Muershi on the phone, "We'll talk later."

Lan Jiaying asked Wu Fei nonchalantly, "How have things been for them today?"

Wen Ying recounted what Muershi had told him, then walked over and sat on the bed opposite him. "I think it's necessary for us to cooperate."

"I don't see any benefits in cooperating at the moment," Lan Jiaying rejected coldly. "Three more demons won't increase the chances of catching him."

"From the information we have, he can't be too far from his clone," Wen Ying said. "So his true body will definitely be inside the amusement park tomorrow."

Lan Jiaying raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"As long as it's a clone, I can identify it," Wen Ying curved his lips, lifting his hand to reveal a miniature silver magic mirror floating in his palm. "As long as I feel that it can be replicated, then what I'm seeing is a clone, not the real body."

Lan Jiaying became intrigued, excitedly standing up and approaching Wen Ying, staring at him intently as if he was looking at a precious treasure that would secure their victory. "Then we don't need them even more."

Wen Ying kicked him in the chest to push him away. For some reason, although he used to appreciate Mo Guanyin's physique, after that hot spring incident, he particularly disliked seeing other people's overly perfect naked bodies.

It was irritating, Wen Ying's gaze darkened.

"Dress properly before you talk to me."

Lan Jiaying clicked his tongue. "What's wrong with you? We're going to sleep soon, why bother with clothes?"

Wen Ying also wanted to ask the Devil King what his problem was, insisting that the three demons in their team sleep in the same room, albeit on parallel beds. It was still awkward.

But thinking about it, if he found it uncomfortable, Scarlet's situation must be even more chaotic. This made Wen Ying feel a bit better.

It didn't matter if they were of different genders; as long as they created a wall with wood or earth elemental magic by the bed, it wouldn't be a big deal in the Demon Realm, where gender differences weren't overly emphasized. If there were two males and one female, it would be the girl who needed to be enclosed with magic, but if it were two females and one male, like Essence, it would be his bed that would be surrounded.

Serves them right for Scarlet and Essence to have laughed so gleefully at their misfortune, only for karma to strike back.

Wu Fei approached, curiosity written on his face. "Wen Ying, why do you want to cooperate with Muershi and the others? Based on the reason you just gave, I think other teams would be the ones seeking our help."

"Because the amusement park is too large," Wen Ying said, extending his index finger with a serious expression. "We need bait."

Intrigued, Wu Fei asked, "Can I hear your plan?"

Although Lan Jiaying had returned to sitting on the bed with an air of disdain, he pricked up his ears to listen.

—He wanted the Devil King's praise.

That was the only reason he could tolerate Wen Ying and Wu Fei.

...

Having convinced his two reluctant teammates, Wen Ying called Muershi. It took some time, but Muershi managed to persuade Poros and Phileus as well. After all, Wen Ying's ability to distinguish clones was indeed useful and essential for cooperation.

Wu Fei was genuinely astonished. He had never expected Lan Jiaying and Poros to agree on collaborating with each other. In his mind, they would be lucky not to let their internal conflicts hinder them from dealing with the enemy.

Noticing Wu Fei's shock, Wen Ying patted his shoulder and said, "There's no need to be so surprised. They're simply taking what they need."

With a score of ninety, after a day of "patrolling," they had fully realized how difficult it was to locate those weak, extremist individuals hiding in this tourist city. They lacked experience and had only the information provided. In this vast city of Fubai, even finding a mere ten-point extremist would take a long time. And they only had seven days.

Failing to reach sixty points within seven days would be considered a failure, something that the proud offspring of high-ranking demons could not tolerate.

Once the core of the matter was understood, the truth became simple.

Aside from the political undercurrents, the Demon Lord had probably set up this midterm exam to dampen their spirits. But... Wen Ying curved his lips into a cunning smile.

—He himself was a cheat.

Wen Ying turned off the lights, pulled the covers over himself, and tried to sleep... but he couldn't.

Tonight, all three demons found themselves sleepless, surrounded by mistrustful entities that kept them from truly dozing off. They could only manage a shallow slumber before their instincts jolted them awake. Wen Ying detested such demonic instincts; humans didn't have to deal with such hassles!

Not just them, many students in the academy were also unable to sleep that night, resulting in varying degrees of dark circles under their eyes the following day.

Outside the amusement park, Lan Jiaying and Beros stood at a considerable distance apart, appearing to others as if they weren't even part of the same group.

"Are you sure this method will work?" Phileas's voice was barely audible, squeezed out through his throat.

"Of course," Wen Ying replied cheerfully, "It's not like I'm asking you to dress up as a woman. There's no need to be so particular about it. This method has a higher chance of luring him out."

Departing, Wen Ying administered to Phileas a transformative potion crafted by Alruda. This potion temporarily shrinks the skeletal structure, resulting in Phileas now appearing even more delicate and dainty than Wen Ying, resembling a slender and beautiful youth.

Yesterday, Wen Ying used this very excuse to persuade Lan Jiaying, who, upon hearing it, concurred that Phileas was in for a tough time. Alright!

"It's shameful to look like that," Phileas growled under his breath, his cheeks flushing. "You'd better pray you catch him, or don't blame me for being ruthless!" It wasn't just the pitiful appearance that grated on him; more importantly, it was what lay behind it...

Muershi said with a grin, "The information says that the Slime Demon has a fondness for petite mermaid youths~ If it were for a small bird demon, I wouldn't hesitate to drink the magic potion either."

Wen Ying unfolds a sheet of white paper and reads the information aloud: "This demon has a penchant for transforming into the appearance of his merman lover. He is also a demon who rather delightfully places green caps on other demons."

Suddenly, Wu Fei had a question flash across his mind. He asked straightforwardly, "Then who's going to be this boyfriend?"

There was a moment of silence.

Phelios snorted coldly, "Who." It would be excruciating for him, no matter who he pretended to be in a relationship with! He'd be the weaker party and have to feign intimacy to avoid arousing suspicion from the Slime demon.

If his gaze could materialize, it would have stabbed Wen Ying by now.

For Lord Belos's score, and for his own, he must endure!

Yesterday, Belos was the first to discover that Wen Ying was a disguised Slime demon. The Slime demon only knew that Belos could see through its disguise, but not if other demons could do the same.

It was possible that the rumor between Wen Ying and Belos at the academy might be known to the Slime demon. Thus, they were the first candidates to be eliminated.

Scanning the remaining three demons, Wen Ying's gaze finally landed on Phelios and suggested, "Why don't you choose yourself?"

Phelios: "..."

Looking at Muershi, Muershi waved at him playfully while diverting his gaze to Wu Fei, who shyly looked away. Lastly, his eyes fell on Lan Jiaying, who haughtily lifted his chin, folded his arms, and looked down at the much shorter Phelios with mocking disdain.

Phelios's hand moved slowly, pointing at Lan Jiaying.

Lan Jiaying: "??!" Are both of you insane?

Wen Ying picked him, yet why did Phelios also choose him? Wen Ying's choice was between two, but now it's among three!

Lan Jiaying was so astonished that his chest heaved visibly. "You chose me too?"

Wu Fei whispered softly, "Maybe because you're tall and handsome, elegant yet wild..." As he spoke, he himself began to doubt this reason, and his voice faded away.

Phelios curled the corners of his lips, a hint of cunning flickering in his eyes. He said coolly, "Just as he said. This way, the Slime Devil will be more motivated. Wearing the green hat on the First Prince of the Demon Realm will definitely provoke that self-confident Slime Devil into action."

Lan Jiaying stared at Phelios darkly. Phelios wasn't as angry anymore, for seeing Lan Jiaying being put in an awkward position was worth it. He could endure it, barely.

Muershi said regretfully, "I wanted to give it a try. I'm a great actor."

"Then go ahead," Lan Jiaying's voice was low.

Muershi shrugged. "But they didn't choose me. I'm not tall or intimidating. I have a slender build."

Lan Jiaying took a deep breath, reminding himself that it was mid-term exams, and he needed to present outstanding results to his father. After repeating this in his mind several times, he barely managed to suppress his urge to lash out.

With a mindset of sacrificing one thousand to wound eight hundred, Phileas restrained his impulse to assault Lan Jiaying and Wen Ying, stepping forward to link arms with Lan Jiaying, saying in measured tones, "Let's go."

"Fine, you win," Lan Jiaying replied through gritted teeth, each word spat out individually.

Both demons, while longing to pummel each other, also harbored the same desire for Wen Ying and the seemingly complicit Muershi.

Wu Fei was bewildered, sensing a conspiracy lurking around them.

"Ready?" Muershi asked.

Neither demon spoke.

Wen Ying said, "I'm ready. Set your phones on vibrate. Once we're inside, I'll use the Magic Mirror to create a duplicate of myself, then I'll slip away to the Ferris wheel. Try to walk in open areas, and I'll message you if I find anything."

Addressing Boreas, Wen Ying continued, "For now, I can't maintain my spiritual energy in both the puppet and my original body simultaneously. You'll need to support the puppet later."

Boreas whistled. "Complicated."

Preparations complete, the six demons entered the amusement park. Phileas held Lan Jiaying's hand, but their expressions didn't resemble those of a couple at all. Wen Ying pondered for a moment and bought them hats to wear, hoping to tone down their menacing aura. They were pretending to be a couple, not sworn enemies seeking revenge.

"Lan Jiaying echoed Phileas's earlier words, "You'd better pray you catch that demon."

Wen Ying wore an innocent smile. After secretly creating a one-minute puppet, he had Beros carry it out while he slipped away.

Beros held the puppet resembling Wen Ying, feeling odd. It had the same touch and weight, but it was completely lifeless with empty eyes that could be moved around freely.

From his spatial bracelet, Wen Ying took out a baseball cap, rolled up his silver-white hair, and tucked it under the hat. He hurried towards the Ferris wheel.

After waiting in line for a while, Wen Ying successfully stepped into the gondola, which began to ascend slowly. He sat by the window and pulled out a telescope to observe below through the glass.

Soon, he spotted Lan Jiaying and the others, who had agreed to meet at the carousel. He quickly located them.

With a calm gaze, Wen Ying observed the demons around them attentively.

The slime demon was arrogant and conceited. With Lan Jiaying, the perfect green-eyed trap, Wen Ying believed there was a fifty-fifty chance he would make a move. Not to boast, but a merman like Phileas with such looks was a rare sight to come across again.

If not for Beros, a demon who hit all his attraction spots, he would have definitely taken a liking to Phileas. But since he encountered Beros first, his feelings toward Phileas didn't hold any romantic interest, resulting in minimal emotional fluctuations.

With his frame reduced, Lan Jiaying's masculine hormones waned, giving him an androgynous appearance that could be mistaken for a woman. His ethereal butterfly wings and exquisite fish tail drew envious glances from surrounding demons.

Phalecs clung tightly to Lan Jiaying's arm, who in turn seemed to embrace his waist with equal warmth. Their intimacy was such that they appeared inseparable, as if merged into one entity.

Wen Ying fell silent. Didn't their arms and waists hurt? It was a battle of attrition where both sides suffered. He couldn't fathom the demons' stubbornness.