Chapter 214: The Passage

Chapter 214: The Passage

Wen Ying caught sight of Muershi and was about to wave in greeting when he suddenly saw the latter turn around with a hunched back, his figure looking weathered.

Wen Ying’s halfway-raised hand fell back down as he looked at Essence, a puzzled expression on his face.

Essence shrugged at him before turning away as well.

Confused, Wen Ying turned to Beros and asked, "What's going on with them?"

Beros replied nonchalantly, "Who knows." Muershi had wisely decided to keep his distance from Wen Ying, lest they caused trouble together again.

When these two demons got together, the trouble they stirred up was far from a simple addition of one plus one. It was unpredictable too.

"Oh, right," Beros suddenly remembered and casually asked, "Where do you ship those cards from? Do you handle it yourself or have a human assist you?"

Beros was slightly wary. Wen Ying wouldn’t drag him along to help pack deliveries for humans. If such a thing were to get back to the demon realm, the demons would label him as being love-struck.

Seeing Beros' tense expression, Wen Ying teased, "Relax, it's not me, and it's not you. I'm not—"

Wen Ying glanced around and, tiptoeing, whispered into Beros's collar, "Didn't I have an internship at the Human Realm Judiciary? I can ask them to take care of the deliveries for me."

Ye Wang looked at the pile of tracking numbers with a numb expression. If the Devil King didn't intervene, their Human Realm Judiciary would soon turn into that Demon Mirror's company.

"Quickly, these all need to be sent out within a few days. Otherwise, your pay will be docked," Ye Wang grumbled.

With tens of thousands of magic cards and thousands of orders, that Demon Mirror wasn't even considering a raise for them!

The summoned judiciary demons dared not complain. What capitalism! What a heartless boss!

Wen Ying hadn't planned on shipping so soon. He needed to retrieve the goods from the Devil Realm. However, Mu City had established a fixed spatial portal, which came just in time, delighting him.

Many spatial portals were now unstable, opening and closing at random. Presumably due to the influence of the two-headed serpent, Mu City had developed a relatively stable small-scale portal, allowing lower-ranking demons passage.

As soon as it was confirmed as a permanent fixture, the Disaster Response Department immediately set up a small structure nearby, seemingly determined to seal off the area and monitor the portal around the clock.

Seeing the portal being used by the Demon Mirror for transportation, the Disaster Response Department members, on high alert, were at a loss for words. It felt as if their potential sacrifices were being wasted on a dog.

A low-ranking demon from the Realm of Devils, with feeble power, was assigned the task to pull several dozen carts connected by chains, carrying the magical cards of the Devil of Mirrors.

As a few native demons from the Human Realm accepted them with blank expressions, the onlookers felt a sense of peculiarity.

"One would think this world isn't scientific to begin with, but now it feels even more surreal," a solemn exorcist commented.

"Indeed."

The demonic employees of the Judgment Bureau carried box after box of the magic cards into a temporarily rented warehouse. There, they started packing and shipping according to orders.

"I miss the days when we could still get paid without having much to do," one demon said to another demon who was packing beside him. The second demon nodded in agreement. "I'm starting to think that the weakening barrier between the Realm of Devils and the Human Realm isn't such a good thing."

A third demon chimed in with a melancholic tone, "I have a feeling our lives will soon be filled with the term 'free labor'."

"Ding-dong—"

After reading a group message, the fourth demon's tone suddenly brimmed with enthusiasm. "That Devil Skinner promised overtime pay! Piecework wages!"

"Really?!"

The fourth demon gasped upon reading the second message, "Holy moly! He's actually letting us choose between human world currency and demon world currency!"

"Of course we'd want demon world currency! It's filled with magical power!"

"At this point, I think the Magic Mirror Demon isn't so bad after all. Neither Ye Wang nor Kirishino would give us demon world currency."

Many of the demons from the Judgment Bureau immediately changed their tune as if they hadn't been cursing Wen Ying just moments ago. Now, only praise remained on the ground.

Regardless of whether it was in the human or demon world, Wen Ying had wealthy parents. In the demon world, he was even rich himself, having made a fortune from selling magic cards.

Now that he could pay out some demon world currency to earn even more human world currency, Wen Ying was more than willing.

With the carrot of demon world currency dangled in front of them, the native demons worked enthusiastically, staying up late into the night to pack deliveries. Orders numbering in the tens of thousands were dispatched one after another, and soon, the first person to showcase their received magic card online appeared.

It was Yang Shiming, Yang Rixi's younger brother, and an old acquaintance of Wen Ying.

As a rich second-generation, Yang Shiming had quite a following on his Wibo account, where he often posted about his daily life, attracting many fans. His unboxing video was the first to be uploaded across the internet.

In the video, everyone was puzzled by the enormous delivery box that came first.

He must have opened a Magic Card package, but why was the delivery box as large as an electronic appliance's? When Yang Shiming sliced open the box with a small knife, a flurry of elegant comments flooded the screen.

"Damn, it's you! You snatched my card during the first batch when there were no purchase limits!"

"There must be hundreds of these. Gosh... some big shots overseas have already sold theirs for two thousand per card, and they originally cost only twenty."

"This account probably belongs to a wealthy second-generation heir. They might not even sell them."

After Yang Shiming finished unboxing, everyone saw a series of intact boxes. The design on the boxes resembled many other card products in the human world, with a note on the corner stating "Ten cards per box, one hidden card included."

"I finally know the probability of getting the hidden card. Looks like you're guaranteed to get one if you buy a box."

"That's quite friendly for those who want the hidden card. Unlike those greedy card companies, where you might not get a hidden card even if you buy a box – you have to buy a whole case! That just infuriates me."

Yang Shiming removed the outer plastic wrapping from the box, revealing inner packaging bags featuring a Nine-Tailed Fox cover.

"Just this one! I love the Nine-Tailed Fox! I hope I can draw one. As long as it's a Nine-Tailed Fox, I don't mind if it's male or female."

Wen Ying had placed Lilith and Levimo's cards among the ten. He was confident that the Nine-Tailed Fox siblings would lure people into spending money, and Wei Er, who could resist a cute kitten? There was also Perseus for dog enthusiasts, and Essence the Succubus for those who adored shivers. And for those who appreciated cunning duplicity, there was Muershi.

Mermaid enthusiasts have Phileus, those who favor mature and cute lolita types have the Witch Fairy, and those who adore elegant noblemen have Lan Jiaying. The last one is a hidden version of Lai Yehua.

Wen Ying took everyone's preferences into full consideration. However, when it came to the category of white-haired characters, he didn't include his own card.

After all, it was a joke. "Wen Jing" already resembled Wen Ying quite a bit. If he exposed his devil form magic card for everyone to see up close, there was a risk that someone might uncover his secret identity, causing everything to fall apart.

In the video, Yang Shiming opened all ten packs, revealing a complete set. After showcasing the card illustrations, he activated them in one breath.

—Ten demons with distinct but remarkable personalities materialized around him.

"Holy crap, it's paradise!"

"I think it should be hell, right? They're demons, not angels."

"The hidden version looks like this (nosebleed.jpg). You have one minute to tell me who this demon is."

"He doesn't seem young (compared to those thirty exchange demon students). He appears to be a high-ranking demon with an air of constant authority. Just look at his aura, his gaze, and his attire. I can visualize a novel in my head within seconds."

"That face is truly captivating, like a profound Greek statue. His mature, composed, and fiery presence slaps me in the face."

"Who knows, I love this type the most! They look youthful, but with a hint of crow's feet that add a touch of melancholy and maturity – so handsome! And their physique is fantastic! I wish we could have a quadruple love affair!"

"Did you just reveal something in that previous comment?"

"So who exactly is this demon? We've never seen him before. Why would he appear in a magic card sold by the Demon of the Magic Mirror? There must be some reason, right?"

Indeed, there was a reason. The moment Ye Wang discovered that the rare card was Lai Yehua, he hastily contacted Lai Yehua.

Lai Yehua replied calmly, "I'm aware."

Ye Wang found Lai Yehua's calmness terrifying. He rubbed his arms, feeling a chill for the Demon of the Magic Mirror... but then again, Aruda was the one on top, so perhaps the demon didn't need to be too scared. Instantly, Ye Wang felt sympathy for Lai Yehua.

In the Demon Realm, morals weren't that significant; one just had to get by. Power was what mattered most to everyone.

Lai Yehua's tone was as placid as a volcano on the verge of eruption. His face was dark enough to drip ink, and he quickly dialed Wen Ying's phone number.

The phone, representing Wen Ying's demonic identity, was in the hands of his mirror clone.

Wen Ying's mirror clone saw the incoming call and stared at it for a few seconds before slowly answering.

"Wen Ying, my Lord Lai Yehua..."

Just as Wen Ying finished his obsequious greeting, Lai Yehua's voice, repressed with anger, immediately interrupted him, "What 'my lord'? It seems you don't take me seriously at all!" He gritted his teeth in frustration.

Wen Ying gave a sly smile and hinted, "Perhaps you could ask Teacher Feng Luo."

The pressure of Lai Yehua's magical aura was almost tangible through the phone, making Wen Ying gasp. It was terrifying – he still couldn't defeat Lai Yehua.

"Feng... Luo?" Lai Yehua enunciated each syllable with skepticism, his voice laced with fury. The tension in his tone resembled the turbulent sea after a super typhoon, with waves crashing and winds howling, painting a picture of doomsday.

Lai Yehua, unable to restrain himself, crushed the phone in his hand. On Wen Ying's end, after a series of piercing beeps, all that remained was a continuous "beep... beep... beep..."

Excellent, I witness Lai Yehua seeking out Feng Luo.

Feng Luo had not tipped off any demons in the Human Realm, and it was only when Lai Yehua burst in, seething with anger, that he learned of it. Upon realizing this, Feng Luo immediately unleashed a barrage of sarcastic remarks and veiled insults that he had rehearsed countless times in his mind, delivering them with great relish.

Lai Yehua, in the end, could no longer restrain himself. Casting aside the etiquette and dignity of the Fallen Angel race that he had steadfastly upheld, he emitted a shrill, inhuman cry, his face contorted as he lunged forward to engage Feng Luo in combat.

Upon hearing this, Wen Ying deliberately sought out Lu Qingtao, patting his shoulder with a profound sigh. "You should be grateful to Lai Yehua for your return, and also to Feng Luo. But most importantly, thank Lai Yehua, as he has sacrificed greatly for you."

Lu Qingtao: "???"

Lu Qingtao, confused, tried to ask Wen Ying for clarification, but Wen Ying left without giving him the chance to speak.

As more and more people received their orders and posted reviews or videos, many who missed out pleaded for Wen Ying to restock. It was common knowledge that Mu City had a stable spatial portal through which the Magic Mirror Demon's spell cards were transported into the human realm.

Wen Ying, not one to delay profit-making opportunities, promptly contacted Jing Yuan, a member of the Magic Mirror Demon clan, via his phone. He instructed Jing Yuan to liaise with the packaging factory and arrange for all the newly designed magic cards produced so far to be sent to the human world by their demonic counterparts.