Chapter 188: New Year’s Eve

Chapter 188: New Year's Eve

In a certain sense, Wen Ying had used Beros to obtain a great deal of demonic blood, which he poured onto the Blood Tree all at once.

The Blood Tree, having been nurtured by Aruda with frequent fertilization, had grown into a towering tree. Its hanging branches resembled colorful lights strung up during festive seasons, beautiful and dazzling.

The tree bore abundant fruit resembling infants, but only one contained Wen Ying's "regeneration material."

The Blood Tree was equivalent to his get-out-of-jail-free card. Gazing at this mystical tree before him, Wen Ying felt invincible, no longer fearing anything or holding back from taking risks.

After causing chaos in the Demon Realm for several days, Wen Ying requested Lu Qingyuan to summon him to the Human Realm on New Year's Eve.

Lu Qingyuan was not in Mu City, so after being summoned, Wen Ying took a train there and arrived at his home around six in the evening.

He suppressed his demonic aura entirely. Even if exorcists were equipped with devices to detect demonic auras, they would not be able to sense him nearby.

During his time at the Judgment Bureau earlier, he had specifically instructed his subordinates to acquire the equipment exorcists used to detect demonic auras. He had experimented multiple times to confirm the extent of its concealment.

Lin Tianbao and Wen Qinxue were pleasantly surprised to see Wen Ying. Wen Qinxue put down her remote control and hurried to the front door with a delighted expression. "I thought you wouldn't be spending New Year's Eve with us this year."

"This year marks the most extraordinary one since my birth, and I feel that I can't spend it away from home," Wen Ying removed his mask and hat. "Mom, where is Great-grandfather right now?"

Wen Qinxue seemed hesitant to speak.

In the end, it was Lin Tianbao who said, "Great-grandfather isn't coming back for New Year's this year. He joined an international elderly travel group last week and has gone abroad on a trip."

The corners of Wen Ying's mouth twitched. It was supposed to be a travel group, but it sounded more like a getaway from trouble.

How did Wen Dingjue, with such a timid nature, ever associate with Aruda? A century ago, he was the main character being hunted down by extremist factions – a thrilling tale. Now, he was overly cautious, like a startled bird at the slightest sound.

The policies towards demons were relatively chaotic overseas, less strict than in their country. It could be a disaster for ordinary people, but for an old demon like Wen Dingjue, it was a perfect place to hide. No one would suspect an old man in a senior travel group.

However, this was too much. Wen Ying was speechless. He exchanged a look with Lin Tianbao before saying solemnly, "Dad, Great-grandfather is even more timid than you. Mom isn't really his biological child, right? You must be his real offspring."

"How dare you talk about your father like that!" Lin Tianbao protested. "Hurry up and change your clothes. Your second uncle says we're the only ones who haven't arrived yet."

Ever since Wen Ying's second aunt's parents passed away, they had spent New Year's Eve with the Wens.

Coincidentally, Wen Ying's second uncle owned a hotel, so the entire family would gather in one of the hotel's private rooms for New Year's Eve dinner, similar to having it at home.

Wen Ying's maternal uncle's family of three would either spend New Year's Eve with them or at Wen Ying's maternal uncle's place each year.

Wen Ying's father, Lin Tianbao, had married into the family. In the past, they had celebrated New Year's Eve at Lin Tianbao's parents' home, but the experience was too complicated to describe; even Lin Tianbao himself didn't mention visiting his parents for the holiday, let alone the Wens.

Wen Ying changed clothes, and Lin Tianbao drove them to the hotel.

They always reserved the same private room for New Year's Eve. Wen Ying walked confidently to the familiar room, where everyone was already assembled: their uncle's family of three, their aunt's family of four, and Wen Ying's grandparents.

Normally, it would be the maternal grandparents in such situations, but since Lin Tianbao had married into the family, Wen Ying addressed them as grandparents.

Wen Ying's grandparents had three daughters. When it came to inheriting the family business, those three daughters fled faster than anyone else. Thus, they reluctantly opted for a capable man to marry into the family, and that capable man was Lin Tianbao.

Under his management, the Wen's catering business saw profits soar year after year.

Although Lin Tianbao appeared weak and easily bullied at home, in the company, he packed a powerful punch. When employees heard that President Lin was afraid of ghosts and timid, not a single one of them believed it.

"Little Ying is here."

Uncle Ou Yangcheng approached with a smile. He examined Wen Ying for a moment before patting his shoulder. "You look much better this year. With more care, I suppose you should be able to return to school next semester, right?"

Wen Ying equivocated, "Something like that."

In the entire private room, only Ou Yangcheng was unaware of Wen Ying's "condition," which made the expressions of those present a mix of complexity and awkwardness upon hearing his words.

It had been agreed upon by everyone that since Wen Xinxin had enrolled in the Exorcist Academy, Ou Yangcheng would represent the family for any future home visits or parent-teacher meetings.

They hadn't disclosed the Wen family's secret to Ou Yangcheng, ensuring that he wouldn't be detected as an issue when facing exorcists. His own bloodline was strong enough to withstand scrutiny, so there would be no problem.

Aside from Ou Yangcheng, everyone knew that Wen Ying hadn't attended university due to the high concentration of his demonic bloodline, fearing discovery. To avoid suspicion, he had refrained from going.

This resulted in the current situation where Ou Yangcheng genuinely inquired about Wen Ying's health, while others reluctantly echoed his concern. The atmosphere was slightly peculiar, but fortunately, Ou Yangcheng didn't notice. He called the manager to proceed with serving the dishes.

When a family gathers, even amicable relatives can't resist boasting about their offspring. Slightly tipsy, Ou Yangcheng slurred his words as he asked Wen Xinxin about her life at the Exorcist Academy.

Wen Xinxin replied, "It's fascinating, feels like stepping into another world entirely."

Observing Wen Xinxin's casual demeanor and tone, Wen Ying inferred that she was hiding her worries. The academy was riddled with internal factions and severe discrimination.

Wen Xinxin chuckled nonchalantly. "When I told them that my family runs the Auspicious Hotel, they were all very nice to me."

Wen Ying was contemplating how he could help Wen Xinxin have an easier time when he entered the Exorcist Academy as a demon next semester. His thoughts were interrupted by his sister's words, leaving him speechless.

Apologies for the intrusion, it seems the clown is him.

His uncle-in-law's Auspicious Hotel was well-known for being a high-end establishment, frequented by many prominent figures for their events.

With a face beaming with joy and pride, Ou Yangcheng said, "If there's anything you need to tell Dad, feel free. In the future, whenever anyone has any issues with demons, they can come to Xinxin for help."

"…Okay."

"Xinxin truly is exceptional."

"We won't have to worry about lacking connections in the exorcist community anymore." This statement was genuine.

Ou Yangjinmin, Wen Xinxin's younger brother, watched his father's ecstatic expression and couldn't help but inwardly scoff. Dad, do you want Wen Xinxin to find a powerful exorcist boyfriend to wipe them all out?

Everyone was trying their best to restrain themselves, not letting their expressions reveal too much as they pretended to agree with the uninformed Ou Yangcheng.

Wen Xinxin's lips twitched. "Dad, you should drink less."

"It's New Year's Eve. A few drinks will lift our spirits," he replied.

Aunt Wen Ying discreetly pulled her standing husband, Ou Yangcheng, down to sit, changing the subject. "Why didn't you mention Jinmin's grades?"

Ouyang Jinmin: "?"

Ou Yangcheng immediately frowned. "Jinmin, if you fail any of your retakes next semester, I'll cut your allowance in half!"

Ouyang Jinmin felt like crying. "Dad..." Why did his mom have to use him as a shield?

"Alright, Cheng, it's the new year, let's not talk about such negative things," Grandfather Wen interjected. "I heard that the Demon Exorcist Church is planning to hold a team-building event at your hotel's hot springs next year. Is that true?"

If so, he probably wouldn't be able to come here for most of the year.

Ou Yangcheng nodded, pleased with himself. "That's right, Dad. They claim it's a church gathering, but mostly upper and middle management will attend. The Pope, who's overseas, might visit one of the branches abroad. If he does come here, the reputation and status of my hotel will double."

Grandma Wen Ying gave him a thumbs up. "Your professional skills are truly impressive."

Grandpa Wen Ying shot his wife a subtle glare. Did she have to praise him? Would this encourage him to take on more business with exorcists? They wouldn't be able to come to this hotel next year; they'd have to find an excuse not to arouse suspicion from their second son-in-law.

Grandpa Wen Ying looked at Wen Ying with concern. The child... He had been about to say how pitiful the child was, but then he saw Wen Ying eating with a ruddy complexion and relishing the abalone, swallowing several in one go. Grandpa Wen Ying immediately thought that the child was in great health.

On New Year's Eve in the past, Wen Ying ate slowly. This year, however, he had an unusually good appetite, which brought a sense of relief to Grandpa Wen Ying. Being able to eat meant being healthy.

Aside from Wen Ying's parents and great-grandfather, no one else knew that Wen Ying's demonic bloodline was now concentrated or that he had already become half-demon, let alone that he had spent the past six months in the demon realm.

After a while, the adults continued chatting over drinks, while the younger ones leaned against the plush sofas playing games. It had been a long time since Wen Ying played, so after a few rounds, he earned himself the title of a noob.

Later, Uncle Wen Ying came over, pulling something out of his suit pocket in a secretive manner. As if he were a spy, he glanced behind him before swiftly placing the item in Wen Ying's hand.

Wen Ying said, "Uncle, I'll be turning 21 after this year, so you don't need to give me a red packet anymore."

"No worries, you're still unmarried, so you're still a kid in my eyes."

"Why are you giving red packets again?!" Lin Tianbao rushed over agilely.

Other elders also joined in, and the annual New Year's Eve tradition of the prolonged red envelope battle began. Wen Ying and his cousins pretended disinterest while eagerly awaiting their rewards, eventually happily stashing the thick envelopes into their pockets. Especially Ouyang Jinmin, who, fearing he might actually fail his makeup exams next semester, knew his allowance would be halved by his father.

The lively background noise from the TV's Spring Festival Gala echoed in the room, while the atmosphere among the family was amicable. The younger generation played games, cursing and bickering, occasionally receiving reprimands from their elders.

After losing several rounds, Wen Ying grumbled and quit, sitting down beside Wen Xinxin to inquire about life at the Exorcist Academy.

"I think it's alright," Wen Xinxin said, "It's just that cliques are prevalent. When I first entered, I almost felt like I had been transported into a movie. The environment and people were so similar."

"And there are these exorcists who are absurdly confident, inviting me to join their group as if they're doing me a favor. It's the first time in my life that I've experienced being looked down upon and belittled."

"Wen Xinxin grumbled, 'They look down on me for not coming from a lineage of exorcists, yet they still try to recruit me into their little clique because of my family's wealth. It's utterly absurd.' 'Didn't you see the expressions on their faces? Where do they get their confidence from?'

'Perhaps there's a severe internal prejudice within the exorcist community,' Wen Ying paused. 'Sister, if you could, would you consider making a pact with a demon?' "