Chapter 145: Photos

Chapter 145: Photos

"Lan Jiaying," he said, "we share the same father but different mothers. Once I recover, I'm going to kill that human who claims to be my father."

Wen Ying: "???"

"Calm down. He Shengliang's father is just an ordinary person, right?" Wen Ying recalled the image of the middle-aged man they met at the banquet two days ago. He was completely ordinary.

For any exorcist, the magical fluctuations on their body would be difficult to conceal from the eyes of a high-ranking demon like them.

Lan Jiaying's expression remained unchanged. "Aren't you curious about my situation? I suspect that it was that man who exposed me, followed by that woman."

Wen Ying sorted out the information. The person Lan Jiaying possessed was He Guodong's illegitimate child with his mistress. Then, He Guodong and his mistress reported Lan Jiaying to the church.

"How were you discovered?" Wen Ying was curious. On his side, Yang Rixi's parents had no idea their child was involved with a demon.

Lan Jiaying fell silent again. After a moment, he casually mentioned, "She must have seen me using magic," before promptly dismissing Wen Ying from the bedroom.

Wen Ying: "..." It was excruciating to only know half of the story. Wen Ying kicked open the door and walked in again. "Where does the human you possess live? I want to check out the situation."

"There's nothing interesting to see." Lan Jiaying had been lying on his back, but when Wen Ying arrived, he rolled over, turning his back to her, and closed his eyes, intending to rest.

Wen Ying dashed to the other side again. Lan Jiaying flipped over, and Wen Ying followed suit. This happened several times until veins popped out on Lan Jiaying's forehead, his expression turning fierce. "What's wrong with you?!"

Wen Ying appeared innocently nonchalant. "I just wanted to ask where the human you possess lives. The Wang Run we dealt with last night was a pawn of the Extreme Faction. I need more information."

Listening to the illogical and forced explanation, not only did Lan Jiaying's temples throb, but he also felt an intense headache coming on. Impatiently, he gave an address, urging Wen Ying to leave.

Were it not for the fact that he currently needed to rest and recover, he would have eagerly engaged in action already.

With the address in hand, Wen Ying left with a tune on his lips. Before he departed, he gently spoke through the bedroom door to Lan Jiaying, "I'll be out for a bit, take good care of yourself."

"Get lost!"

Since Yang Rixi had shown up at the scene yesterday, it would be too coincidental for him to appear again today. Hence, Wen Ying decided to go in his true form.

The human that Lan Jiaying possessed lived in the same neighborhood as last night. Following the house number, Wen Ying quickly located the residence and entered through the balcony.

This house's balcony was equipped with foldable iron railings. Using a vine, Wen Ying retrieved the key hanging on the wall beside the balcony and unlocked the railing's lock. He slipped in effortlessly.

With no one at home and no surveillance cameras, Wen Ying strolled around the house openly, examining every corner without touching anything that might give away his presence. The homeowner wouldn't suspect an intruder had been there.

In what was clearly the room of the human high school student, Wen Ying spotted a framed photograph on the desk. It featured him, a woman, and He Guodong together.

How brazen, Wen Ying mused. Infidelity seemed to be a family tradition for the Hes. He Guodong, He Shengliang's father, had cheated, and so did He Shengliang himself. Fortunately, Wen Xinxin had broken up with him.

Upon seeing He Guodong in the photo, Wen Ying couldn't help but scoff. Then, something flashed across his mind when he saw the woman. Her hair was golden, incredibly smooth, reaching past her waist.

Golden hair...

Feeling peculiar, Wen Ying recalled that Lan Jiaying, as a pure-blooded demon from the Realm of Magic, inherited a formidable bloodline. It was unlikely she would have any special feelings for an ordinary person just because of their golden tresses.

Unfamiliar with Lan Jiaying's affairs, he called Muershi through the puppet clone.

Housekeeper Uncle Lin found it odd that the heir of the Huo family would often visit Yang Rixi. When did they become such good friends?

Huo Jue offered a polite smile to the butler. "Is Rixi in his room?"

The butler nodded. "Young Master already informed me you would be coming. He's in his room now."

Huo Jue made his way familiarly towards Yang Rixi's room.

The butler found it odd. In such a grand villa, why did Huo Jue always head to Yang Rixi's room? There was a small living room specifically for guests, after all.

Huo Jue had been informed that he and Yang Rixi were now a loving couple. When the demon with dark purple hair told him this with a grin, a string of curses ran through Huo Jue's mind.

Meeting Yang Rixi stirred up a mix of emotions in him. The other party was clearly just as awkward, obviously aware of the situation.

Muershi perched on Huo Jue's shoulder and suggested, "Go out for dinner tonight to solidify your relationship. The Church's exorcists will likely investigate you in the next few days – they might send someone to tail you or even come to question you directly. They'll also interview witnesses, so make sure you act the part."

Yang Rixi couldn't help but ask, "What exactly are you guys doing? Last night... you killed someone, didn't you?"

Huo Jue's face paled. Even with privileges, murder was not an easily resolved matter.

"But you said you were doing something righteous," Huo Jue said, immediately feeling ridiculous. A demon talking about righteousness was like a serial killer claiming to have never taken a life.

Wen Ying's delicate puppet hand gently patted Yang Rixi's cheek. "Don't worry. That man deserved death. He was part of the organization we've been tracking down, and a leader at that. He already had many lives on his hands."

Huo Jue's expression turned grim. He couldn't trust the word of a demon. This could be a conflict between two demonic organizations, or perhaps a battle between a demonic group and the exorcists' organization.

Now, he might still have a chance to escape. But as time passed and he became more entangled, it would be increasingly difficult for him to break free. Those exorcists who appeared the night before last seemed to be from Huaxia Nation's official ranks...

Unaware of Huo Jue's thoughts, Muershi spoke cheerfully, "Yesterday, we found a new companion. He has been attached to that human without leaving and is progressing quickly in his cultivation."

A chill ran down Huo Jue's spine. The seemingly harmless puppet on his shoulder now sent shivers up his back, causing goosebumps to erupt all over his body.

Wen Ying spoke casually, "That person is He Guodong's illegitimate child. From what I gathered, it was He Guodong who exposed him. He told me that once he recovers, he plans to kill He Guodong."

Huo Jue felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. Goosebumps crawled up his spine, from his feet all the way to his back.

"The possessed" referred to the human host, and "he" was the demonic entity that inhabited him.

Yang Rixi felt somewhat reassured, as Wen Ying had always treated him with gentleness. His life had improved since meeting Wen Ying, so he wasn't overly frightened at this moment. Although he still held some skepticism about what Wen Ying said, he didn't completely dismiss it.

Observing Huo Jue's deathly pale complexion, Yang Rixi, lacking empathy, inquired, "Are you very cold? I'll close the balcony window."

It was bitterly cold outside that day, with a drizzle accompanied by chilly northerly winds that penetrated every crevice, even making thermal wear seem insufficient.

Closing the balcony door, Yang Rixi also turned on the heating. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have done so, considering it a waste of electricity. Despite now being a wealthy second-generation heir, the frugal habits ingrained from his upbringing didn't change easily.

With the warmth from the heater, Huo Jue finally felt a hint of comfort. As long as the burden on his shoulder remained, the chill in his heart would never dissipate.

The two demons' conversation just now had clearly sensed his intention to seek out an exorcist. Huo Jue tucked away his thoughts, at least hiding them completely on the surface.

Tragic, Wen Ying thought. Even Yang Shiming wasn't as scared as Huo Jue. Apart from Yang Shiming not being as clever and overthinking as Huo Jue, Muershi's actions were also part of the reason for this situation.

But Muershi showed no sign of self-reflection. He let Huo Jue and Yang Rixi leave before asking Wen Ying why he had summoned him.

Wen Ying: "Do you think Lan Jiaying has any special feelings towards someone with golden hair?"

Muershi was obviously taken aback. "Why are you suddenly asking this?" He immediately suspected that Wen Ying had discovered something.

"What did Lan Jiaying tell you?" Muershi was curious. "Did you say he exposed himself because his father reported him? Wait, the golden-haired human you mentioned, is it the mother of the person Lan Jiaying possessed?"

Noticing the change in Muershi's tone, Wen Ying nodded. "That guy Lan Jiaying refused to say why he wanted to go back, so I got his home address out of him and went to take a look. There, I saw a family photo."

Muershi pondered for a moment. "Take me there."

Wen Ying allowed Muershi to fly to the neighborhood on his own. As Wen Ying's original form was already there, he pointed out the location of the house to Muershi. After Muershi went in and took a look, he gasped at the sight of the golden-haired woman in the photograph.

Wen Ying was puzzled. "What's the matter? Is there something wrong with this person?" He had never seen Muershi wear such an expression of astonishment as if his worldview had been shattered.

Muershi's lips moved for a while before he spoke in a strange tone. "Lan Jiaying got what he deserved."

Wen Ying shook Muershi. "Don't just be amazed by yourself. What's the problem with this woman?"

Muershi hesitated. "Well, she looks like Lan Jiaying's late mother. Her hair is golden, and her face resembles hers too. You get the idea, right?"

Wen Ying: "??!" He swore in disbelief, staring intently at the woman in the photo. Now that he looked closely, the blonde woman in the picture did indeed have some resemblance to Lan Jiaying.

Wu Fei appeared more masculine than Lan Jiaying, suggesting that Lan Jiaying's softer side came from his biological mother.

Muershi smacked his lips. "About 50% alike. I've seen a picture of Lan Jiaying's mother in the Devil King's castle. She was a very beautiful female devil, although she was only a low-ranking devil with an ordinary bloodline."

Wen Ying blurted out in shock, "Lan Jiaying's birth mother was a low-ranking devil?!"

Muershi looked at him calmly. "Don't reveal this. Not many devils in the Demon Realm know about it. The Devil King has intentionally concealed the information, so not many devils knew from the beginning. It's been almost a hundred years now, and even fewer devils are aware."

"Did Perseus and the others know?"

Muershi pondered, "I'm not sure. It depends on whether their parents told them. Demons in the Realm of Devils generally believe that Lan Jiaying's birth mother was an Upper Demon, and they take it for granted. If you delve deeper, the golden dragon was actually a golden serpent."

Wen Ying learned another astonishing fact today. Proud as Lan Jiaying was, his birth mother had merely been a Lower Demon? And yet, he despised Lower Demons?

Lan Jiaying shared the same disdain for Lower Demons as Bellos, albeit for different reasons. The latter disliked their weakness, while the former felt an outright aversion, though Lan Jiaying tried to hide it. When Wen Ying first met Lan Jiaying, he keenly sensed the other's rejection of his own Lower Demon status.

Was it like nobles looking down on commoners? But there was something incongruous about it, a complex and conflicting loathing.

What was wrong with Lan Jiaying? Why did he despise Lower Demons when his birth mother was one? Did he blame her bloodline for holding back his strength?

A flurry of thoughts crossed Wen Ying's mind before he asked, "When did she pass away?"

"Childbirth complications," Muershi shrugged. "The Realm of Devils discourages relationships between Upper and Lower Demons because Lower Demons can't withstand the power of Upper Demons. If the female is a Lower Demon, she may easily lose the child during childbirth, or even before that, her magic could be drained, resulting in both her and the fetus perishing."

"If the male is a Lower Demon and the female an Upper Demon, they would have difficulty conceiving offspring."

After saying this, Muershi added with great feeling, "His Majesty the Devil King's power is immense, his bloodline domineering. For that beautiful blonde demon to have successfully given birth to Lan Jiaying before passing away is truly a miracle."

Images of the devil king's flirtatious photos flashed through Wen Ying's mind. It was hard for him to imagine.

Wen Ying: "Speaking of which, I still don't understand why Lan Jiaying came back last night. If he really wanted to protect that blonde woman, shouldn't he have kept his distance?" Or perhaps he disliked the blonde and wanted the exorcist to cause her trouble?

Muershi spoke with a hint of depth: "There's another possibility. That woman might have taken advantage of Lan Jiaying's trust to deceive him into consuming poison."

Wen Ying: "????"

Muershi chuckled. "When I was treating that human's wounds last night, I noticed signs of poisoning. His magic power was being suppressed."

Now Wen Ying understood why Lan Jiaying had fallen silent when discussing the matter last night, with a hint of pain and melancholy in his expression.

"It's not hard to guess," Muershi continued. "The blonde woman resembles his biological mother, and she's been posing as his mother these past few days. After leaving the Old Town last night, Lan Jiaying probably wanted to see her one last time or say something. The woman took advantage of his guard being down to feed him the poison given by the exorcist to suppress his magic power."

As Muershi spoke, he muttered to himself, "I didn't expect Lan Jiaying to be so emotionally attached to his birth mother. You wouldn't have guessed it from his usual demeanor. He's really fallen into a trap because of this..." It was time to update Lan Jiaying's information card.

Lan Jiaying sneezed repeatedly in bed, determined not to reveal what had happened last night. Otherwise, his image would be ruined, and Wen Ying and the others would never let him live it down.

Wen Ying, now more informed, suddenly remembered their main task. He prodded Muershi, who was still studying the photo, and said, "I didn't see any exorcists in this neighborhood today. Shouldn't they still be here? We should thoroughly search this area."

"Mentioning that," Muershi paused and looked out the window, "have you noticed that the magical aura in the air seems strange today, fluctuating up and down with an unusual pattern?"

"It's not the same as usual," Wen Ying observed. "There doesn't seem to be much of an issue..."

No sooner had Wen Ying finished speaking than, in a reversal of the usual 'as you wish' phenomenon, a fierce gale suddenly swept in from outside. The previously clear sky was now shrouded in dark clouds, casting a gloomy veil over everything. Within those clouds, a swirling vortex began to take shape, gradually expanding as it released an aura of demonic energy from the Realm of Devils.

Wen Ying muttered, "...Damn."

Muershi chimed in softly, "Now, the problem is enormous."