Chapter 86: Barrier

Chapter 86: Barrier

Wen Ying carried the gift box that was larger than his head, advancing towards the exit of the corridor. He was excited to find an inn to rent a room and open the gift, but he stopped at the door.

He turned his head to the side, peering out from behind the box, staring at the entrance that seemed unobstructed but was actually covered by a barrier. His eyelids twitched several times.

Beros wasn't too surprised. "I told you to leave earlier, yet you insisted on watching the commotion."

Wen Ying sighed, expressing his helplessness as he looked back at the chaotic main hall behind him.

"I can't just stand here without going out," Wen Ying murmured. Ordinary people wouldn't stay at the door indefinitely. The door wasn't closed, nor were there any ropes blocking it. Those who didn't leave must have something to hide, aware of the barrier.

Beros didn't want to bother with this situation. He lay on Wen Ying's shoulder, closing his eyes quietly.

Wen Ying thought to himself, I'll find a room tonight to kiss your bald head. Just you wait.

Standing here for too long would arouse suspicion, so Wen Ying carried the large gift box back inside. Upon entering, he saw that the chaos had not subsided. Ordinary people were being pushed around and scolded.

It seemed that the number of intermediate demons had decreased, but there were still about a dozen darting around. It appeared as if the demons and exorcists had some kind of agreement, not revealing themselves to ordinary folk. From the looks of it, they were only engaging in fistfights and hide-and-seek.

Wen Ying sat down by the wall, with many others also standing or sitting nearby, facing away from it. He seized the opportunity to observe the exorcists' combat techniques. They didn't rely much on magic at the moment; their martial skills seemed adequate, indicating some practice in this area. However, most of them lacked speed and strength, though a few appeared competent.

Hell Orange had also joined the fray. Wen Ying focused on him. With his tall and well-proportioned physique, he moved with remarkable fluidity, executing his moves efficiently without wasted effort. He swiftly dispatched two intermediate demons.

About half an hour later, the chaos subsided. The ordinary people were unaware of what had truly transpired, assuming it was merely a stampede. Still shaken, the organizers promptly stepped in to take control.

Wen Ying watched as they escorted the intermediate demons to the back, recalling his great-grandfather's mention that exorcists would often turn demons into specimens or enchanted items.

Lost in random thoughts, Wen Ying suddenly noticed an exorcist approaching him. A faint shadow flickered in his eyes as he slightly lowered his head. However, it seemed like this person had specifically come for him, stopping right in front of him.

"Hello, do we seem to have met before?" Wei Ranfeng asked casually with a smile, his tall stature and the muscular presence accentuated by his work vest adding to an air of intimidation.

Wen Ying's eyes shifted away when he looked at him, reverting to his introverted nature. "I don't think I've seen you before."

"Indeed," Wei Ranfeng scratched his chin. "I felt that you were somewhat familiar. Where do you live?" He asked, his eyes holding a calm scrutiny that contradicted his casual and amiable tone.

His intuition had saved him numerous times, and now it stirred within him, sensing something peculiar about this seemingly frail young man. He was certain that he had encountered the individual before, somewhere, somehow. His gaze then shifted to the oddly perched little pup nestled upon the stranger's shoulder.

The puppy remained asleep, giving no indication of suspicion so far.

Wen Ying hesitated for a moment before saying, "We're not that familiar."

Wei Ranfeng choked on his words. A normal person would indeed respond that way, let alone someone who seemed to have social anxiety.

He truly didn't seem threatening. Wei Ranfeng found himself puzzled. Could it be that the problem wasn't with this young man but with someone he had encountered previously?

"Um, I apologize for being abrupt, but I'm not a bad person. I saw that you won a rare doll, and I'd like to buy it from you."

Wen Ying immediately replied, "Not for sale!"

"…Alright then." Wei Ranfeng left with an air of disappointment.

In Wen Ying's mind, he felt that the exorcist's aura was somewhat familiar. Where had he encountered it? Apart from seeing an exorcist for the first time when Lu Qingyuan summoned him previously, there had been...

Wait, on the day he became a demon, there seemed to have been an exorcist at the door.

No way! Wen Ying's gaze widened slightly as he looked up at the back of the exorcist he had just met. The aura did seem to match.

Wen Ying, usually fearless, suddenly felt a twinge of unease. He pondered and retraced the events of that day in his mind, certain that he had never actually met Wei Ranfeng, but perhaps only allowed him to sense his aura.

Better leave first, Wen Ying glanced back at the passage behind him, unsure if the barrier had been lifted.

"Boros, what are you afraid of?" The creature sensed Wen Ying's rare insecurity and nudged his cheek with its head.

How unusual.

Wen Ying was about to respond immediately but, in the next second, he covered Boros's mouth as if to stroke its head.

"Six An Building? Sure, I'm free right now."

Wei Ranfeng strode past Wen Ying, talking on the phone, heading for the passage they had just come from. Wen Ying could still hear his boisterous voice echoing.

"A simple job, right? A boss, huh? Alright, triple the price. Start by exaggerating the benefits."

Surprise flickered in Wen Ying's eyes as he watched Wei Ranfeng disappear around the corner of the passage.

"Not so coincidental, is it?" Wen Ying murmured, running his hand through Boros's fur. "I was planning to seize the momentum and meet Wu Fei's boss today, but maybe tomorrow."

"Boros, it's up to you," replied Boros with utter disinterest.

Wen Ying waited a little longer. As ordinary people began leaving through the passage, he carried the large gift box and departed. This time, the barrier outside had vanished, allowing Wen Ying to leave with ease.

"When are you returning?" Boros inquired.

With the gift box in his arms, Wen Ying scanned the surrounding hotels as he spoke, "Maybe tomorrow."

Due to Boros' presence, Wen Ying wasn't allowed to purchase any souvenirs. Thus, the ten thousand yuan he had on him was mostly untouched. After entering, he used a simple mind-manipulating spell to hypnotize the hotel receptionist into overlooking his lack of identification and directly gave him a room.

Closing the door with his foot, Wen Ying eagerly placed the gift box on the table and opened it.

Sure enough, it was a pile of rare dolls, and not just any ordinary stock – they were all highly sought-after designs.

Wen Ying's eyes nearly glowed with excitement. Boros, lying on his shoulder, peered into the box with a look of disdain in his sapphire eyes.

"Why would you like such things?"

"Because these are official merchandise," Wen Ying explained, but it was equivalent to not saying anything at all. To enthusiasts, they were priceless treasures, but to those who didn't care, they were merely worth a few dollars.

Boros leapt down, landing right in the midst of the dolls, intending only to show his disdain and mock Wen Ying's peculiar preferences. Unexpectedly, he found himself tightly embraced by Wen Ying, receiving a shower of gentle kisses on his face.

Boros: "??!"

This tiny body was kissed into speechlessness by Wen Ying. He tried to push him away with his paws, but the strength of this small form was no match for Wen Ying.

"Wen Ying!"

"I'm warning you...uh..."

"Stop..."

"Let me speak..."

Satisfied, Wen Ying flipped Boros over, pressing his two front paws against the side of his head while grinning mischievously.

"I think you're becoming more and more perverse," Boros finally managed to gasp out, his voice devoid of any emotion, like that of a robot.

Wen Ying propped himself up on top of Boros, holding his two front paws down with a smile. "I'm not perverse. I've just been imagining what you'd look like in human form."

Wen Ying spoke, burying his face in Beros' belly.

Beros: "Ahhhh!" Insane!

"Hush," Wen Ying mumbled. "We're sneaking around anyway, and there are likely many exorcists nearby. We don't want to be overheard."

Beros slapped Wen Ying's face. This shameless demon mirror – back then, he'd received a slap for just kissing him on the bed. Now, after Wen Ying had kissed him countless times, Beros felt that the initial slap was even more unjustified.

This night was a night of uninhibited joy for Wen Ying, but a horrifying one for Beros, whose worldview had been shattered.

Wen Ying's attention was indeed not on the other demons' merchandise, but he paid a steep price for it.

The next day, after packing away all the souvenirs into his spatial bracelet, Wen Ying left the hotel with the disillusioned Beros in tow.

The hotel bed was soft and comfortable to sleep in.

After leaving the hotel, Wen Ying went straight to the Liuan Tower. Wu Fei's boss had their company located on the sixth floor of this building.

Wei Ranfeng had already taken care of things yesterday. Wen Ying could sense the lingering demonic aura in the air, indicating that a few low-level demons had been dispersed.

Scouting the area first, Wen Ying steps in, only to be stopped immediately upon entry.

"Excuse me, dogs aren't allowed in this area."