Chapter 205: Undercurrents

Chapter 205: Undercurrents

Wen Ying's smile froze, and the arms wrapped around Beros' neck tightened gradually. His voice softened even more as he said, "The thing you want to know is related to my origins, involving my... reputation in the Demon Realm? And also the safety of some individuals."

"Therefore, it's not the right time to tell you yet."

Beros: "… Can you stop squeezing my neck?"

Wen Ying's tone and the action of his hands were completely contradictory.

Letting go of his grip, Wen Ying stepped back and returned to his usual tone. "I'm in a hurry. I have to reach Mu City before dinner tonight."

Beros felt that Wen Ying was very fragmented at this moment, like having multiple personalities, which was quite shocking.

Aludra had really raised him well.

"I'll count this as a favor owed to me." Refusing Wen Ying further might provoke him into taking action, and Beros didn't want humans to know that the mighty Three-Headed Hellhound couldn't subdue a Mirror Demon.

At least not for now.

Wen Ying smiled. "Sure."

Without delay, Wen Ying took Bellos to meet his assigned counselor. The counselor was taken aback upon learning their intentions.

Faced with the towering and formidable demon, he chose his words carefully. "This might be a little..."

Standing behind Bellos, Wen Ying playfully poked his waist.

Bellos fixated on the counselor, his demonic aura subtly intensifying, exerting an intimidating pressure upon him.

The counselor almost fainted, not just from fear but also the potential consequences. The mere thought of allowing these two demons to roam free in Mu City filled him with dread, imagining the chaos that might ensue.

If any major incident occurred, as the direct supervisor, he would be scolded ruthlessly by his superiors and might even face a salary deduction or demotion.

"We'll keep a low profile," Wen Ying assured, standing beside the menacing Bellos, making him appear gentle and approachable. His words were like a soothing spring breeze, pleasant to the ear.

The counselor, left with no choice, resorted to calling his superiors for guidance.

Half an hour later, two demons appeared on the island's helipad, surrounded by a squad of exorcists. Among them were two acquaintances – Chang Ningsheng and Lu Rongyu, two of the five representatives who had previously communicated between the Calamity Department and the Demon Realm's Judiciary Bureau.

Wen Ying recognized them, but they didn't recognize her.

Feeling Wen Ying's gaze, Chang Ningsheng and Lu Rongyu turned to look at her.

Wen Ying smiled at them. "Hello."

They nodded in acknowledgment.

Lu Rongyu whispered to Chang Ningsheng, "I feel like his voice sounds familiar."

Chang Ningsheng pondered for a moment. "It does seem so."

The academy's dedicated helicopter arrived promptly, and the group boarded it.

When Wen Xinxin heard Boreas's voice through the contract, she froze, then, upon listening to the content, was struck with horror.

An Meng and the others hadn't left yet. They had just finished visiting Wen Xinxin's aunt's family. A teacher, noticing Wen Xinxin's expression, immediately asked, "What's wrong?"

Wen Xinxin's tone was filled with both shock and anxiety. "Cerberus contacted me through our pact, saying that he's coming to Mu City to find me."

"Wha—" The expletive was hastily swallowed back.

The four teachers exchanged whispers.

After a moment, An Meng inquired, "Did he mention why he's coming?"

Another teacher asked, "Does the rest of the demonic realm know about this?"

Confused, Wen Xinxin replied, "He only said he's coming, but didn't give a reason."

Trying to seek clarification on the other teacher's question through their pact, Wen Xinxin received the answer from Berossus: "He's coming with Wen Jing." She relayed this information.

The quartet of academy teachers continued their hushed discussion. It was likely that Cerberus was using Wen Xinxin's name as an excuse to visit Mu City, out of curiosity about the human realm.

The island where the Exorcist Academy was located was just that – an island – and it was home to a concentration of exceptional exorcist trainees. It was understandable for demons to be interested in assessing the overall capabilities of humans.

As for traveling with the demonic mirror, there were rumors that they were in a romantic relationship, making their joint venture quite normal.

An Meng made a call to confirm that they were indeed on their way and already en route. He promptly contacted the local Disaster Response Department in Mu City.

The exorcist who had earlier declared demons "not good creatures" suggested, "We should also contact the church here."

An Meng replied with a casual yet firm tone, "There's no need. Just contact the Disaster Response Department. They'll get in touch if necessary."

The speaker lowered his eyelids and reached behind his back, clenching his hand tightly.

Wen Xinxin was oblivious to the undercurrents. She was anxious and worried about the impending arrival of the hellhound, that super fierce demon. Was it really alright to let him leave the island where the Exorcist Academy was located and come to Mu City?

The Disaster Response Department in Mu City sprang into action, deploying staff to secretly guard various locations, especially crowded areas. Without the knowledge of ordinary citizens, Mu City was now on high alert.

Some people watched the moving special patrol cars curiously, discussing them with their companions.

When the helicopter arrived in Mu City before four o'clock, Wen Ying stepped out, inwardly sighing that flying was still the best mode of transportation, far more comfortable than trying to fly on his own.

Scanning his surroundings, he quickly spotted Wen Xinxin standing with some exorcists.

Wen Xinxin mustered up the courage to approach, smiling as she asked, "Bellerophon, do you want to explore Mu City on your own or would you like me to show you around?"

Wen Ying took the lead and said, "We're not familiar with this place either. Why don't you show us around?"

Observing Beros's response, Wen Xinxin noticed him nodding.

The exorcists nearby gained a new understanding of the relationship between this demon couple.

Scanning the few individuals who had followed them off the plane, An Meng realized that these were the people arranged by the academy. They would trail behind the two demons.

Wen Xinxin asked, "What are you interested in? Like food, drinks, or trinkets?"

Beros looked at Wen Ying, a gesture that made the exorcists speculate inwardly that the three-headed hellhound cared more about the Mirror Demon than they had imagined. Upon reflection, ever since their arrival in the human world, it seemed that whenever the two demons appeared together, the hellhound often deferred to the Mirror Demon's opinions.

Quite peculiar for a demon.

After some thought, Wen Ying said, "Let's go to the cinema first." He had actually planned this in advance just to put on a show.

Wen Xinxin was surprised. "The cinema?"

"I heard that the human world made a movie about us demons," Wen Ying said with interest. "Let's watch that one."

Some exorcists nearby broke into a cold sweat.

Wen Xinxin's smile froze. She suppressed her panic, which felt like a free fall inside her, and strongly recommended another comedy movie. She expended a great deal of effort to praise the film to the skies.

Upon hearing this, Perseus remained expressionless, his feelings indiscernible – whether he liked or disliked the suggestion. He turned to Wen Ying, "Which one do you want to watch?"

Perseus never believed that Wen Ying had come all the way to Mu City just to watch a movie. Ever since Wen Ying dragged him out of their dormitory to find his counselor, Perseus knew that most of what Wen Ying said was part of some unknown plan.

It was no different now. Thus, it was more convenient for Perseus to directly seek Wen Ying's opinion, rather than trying to guess his next move.

Under the tense gazes of those around them, Wen Ying pondered for a moment before saying, "Let's watch that comedy."

His sole purpose was to buy time by watching a movie.

As the film began, Wen Ying shifted his focus back to his main body.

In his room, Wen Ying had already voted for the movie option in his classmates' group chat. Later, Zeng Qiyang would post the booked private room number in the group, urging everyone to attend.

Room 12 on the third floor of the Auspicious Hotel, at six-thirty.

As the doppelganger watched the movie's runtime on his phone, it was scheduled to end around 5:45 PM.

Within that timeframe, some patrons had arrived at the cinema, only to be informed that all projectors were malfunctioning and under repair. They were offered free tickets for another showing.

"That's ridiculous. All projectors breaking down at once?"

"Maybe the rival company hired someone to sabotage them?"

"Sounds plausible. A straightforward business rivalry, indeed."

After the movie, Wen Ying requested another screening to prolong the demons' stay in the cinema, giving the exorcists outside a respite from their anxiety.

At 6:00 PM, the real Wen Ying left home, riding his electric scooter to the Auspicious Hotel.

Parking his scooter, he entered the hotel and rode the elevator, where he encountered an acquaintance.

"Wen Ying? Long time no see," a girl greeted him.

Wen Ying studied her face, recognized her, and smiled. "Shi Yuan, it's been a while."

Shi Yuan appraised Wen Ying with a teasing admiration in his tone, "Why do you seem even younger than back in high school? Are you aging backward?"

Wen Ying touched his face, "I'm fine. You've also become more attractive since college. You truly deserve the title of class belle."

"Don't remind me of that embarrassing nickname," Shi Yuan promptly responded, "It makes my toes curl."

As they conversed, the elevator arrived, and they entered booth 12 together. The moment they pushed the door open, the chatter inside instinctively ceased.

Zeng Qiyang's gaze darkened upon seeing the two enter, but he quickly put on a sunny and amiable smile as he approached them.

"The class heartthrob and belle arrive together. How coincidental."

Here it comes again, Wen Ying thought, observing Zeng Qiyang, who appeared more charismatic than in high school. Confidence and pride were written all over his face, distinct from the arrogance he had seen in a few proud demons in the demon world.

The arrogance of those demons seemed innate, like Phileus, whose sense of superiority wasn't merely superficial bravado. Their pride, derived from their strength, was deeply rooted in their souls. Even Scarlet, with his impetuous and arrogant demeanor, appeared much more composed compared to Zeng Qiyang.

Not to mention demons, Wen Ying had recently encountered numerous young exorcists. Their pride either radiated outwardly or was concealed yet still piercing. Even Mu Jingnian, who had questioned Perseus, didn't have the superficial self-aggrandizement that Zeng Qiyang exhibited.

"Don't call us by those playful nicknames, it makes me feel so awkward," Shi Yuan hastily interjected to stop Zeng Qiyang from continuing with the uncomfortable terms, "We just happened to meet in the elevator and came in together."

Zeng Qiyang chuckled and said, "I'm not joking, Shi Yuan. You look even more beautiful since college."

Shi Yuan smiled back. "Wen Ying said the same thing just now. Seems like it's not just flattery; I've genuinely become prettier."

Zeng Qiyang's smile almost distorted. He glanced at Wen Ying, a hint of gloom flickering in his eyes.

Wen Ying, it was always Wen Ying.

Perplexed by Zeng Qiyang's sudden hostility, Wen Ying walked over to the round table and pulled out a chair among the group of boys, sitting down.

"Wen Ying, are you still playing that demon mobile game?"

"Yes, I am."

"But I haven't seen you online much these past six months."

"It's just that my health hasn't been great, so I need to rest. Drawing cards affects my mood too much."

Zeng Qiyang interjected, "Wen Ying, aren't you on a leave of absence from school right now?"

Wen Ying redirected his gaze. "Yes, I'm currently on a leave of absence."

"Thankfully, your family is well-off, so not having a college degree isn't a big deal," Zeng Qiyang said. "But it might be a bit embarrassing to be a freeloader. Have you considered using your allowance to start a business? I find the feeling of financial independence to be truly fantastic."

The other students wore various expressions as an undercurrent of emotions swirled in the private room. For a moment, they all refrained from chatting with one another, instead listening to the conversation between Zeng Qiyang and Wen Ying.