Chapter 229: Tickets

Chapter 229: Tickets

On the way back to the dormitory, Wen Ying tried his best to dispel Beros' stereotype about human TV dramas. He didn't continue the conversation until they reached the door.

It was still early, so Wen Ying took out his phone to play a mobile game. Although the demon game was filled with intrigue, it didn't hinder Wen Ying from playing it with mixed feelings.

As he played, he received a notification from his browser. With a displeased frown, he pulled down the screen, intending to go to the settings and turn off the browser notifications. However, as he glanced at the content of the notification, he paused and tapped on it.

"Ordinary people allowed on the island! Exorcist Academy announces tickets overnight!"

It was an eye-catching and sensational headline. Curious and puzzled, Wen Ying clicked in, initially assuming it was clickbait. But after reading the content, his relaxed expression gradually faded.

The friendly match between Azefa and the local Exorcist Academy was set to begin the following day, expected to take place in the massive open-air stadium on the island. Initially, there had been no mention of spectators, but to his surprise, the academy had just announced that they would be selling tickets for on-site viewing.

Sales would commence at eleven o'clock tonight.

Wen Ying's first reaction was that it was a bit absurd, and his second was that something was amiss. Suddenly selling tickets the night before the event didn't seem like a casual decision.

Thoughtfully considering the academy's intention behind selling tickets, Wen Ying opened various platforms to observe the public's reaction while pondering.

Several hashtags related to the tickets appeared on the Wibo platform, and other platforms' trending searches also displayed entries about the friendly match tickets. Even though it had only been fifteen minutes since the official announcement from the academy, the heat had already exploded.

While scrolling through short videos, four out of ten were related to the tickets. Many new posts appeared on second-hand trading platforms, requesting ticket purchases.

Wen Ying browsed for a while but didn't find any discussions about the purpose of selling the tickets. Instead, there were many criticizing the official for being inhumane, as the short notice made it difficult for them to ask for leave from their bosses, especially since tomorrow wasn't a weekend.

"Boros, stop your cultivation for now. There's something important tonight," Wen Ying said to Boros, who was closing his eyes to practice magic on his bed.

Boros opened his eyes and got up to approach him.

"Look, the academy is selling tickets for tomorrow's friendly match," Wen Ying mused. "What's your first reaction?"

After a moment of thought, Boros replied with four words: "To attract attention."

Seeing Wen Ying's slightly surprised gaze, Boros' eyelid twitched. He walked over, placed his hand heavily on Wen Ying's head, and gritted his teeth. "Do I look as brainless as Scarlet? Is Muershi the only one with brains?"

Feeling the weight on his head, Wen Ying sensed that Boros was showing great restraint. He keenly detected a hint of jealousy.

"I never thought you were brainless," Wen Ying raised his hands, holding onto Boros' wrists around his head, and skillfully soothed him. "You're much better than Scarlet."

Boros often showed little interest in conversations, and sometimes Wen Ying's subconscious would lump him together with Scarlet.

Now, Boros was indeed becoming more talkative. When Wen Ying first met him, he appeared exceptionally gloomy and cold, not only keeping people at arm's length but also exuding an intimidating aura that seemed to warn others to stay away.

"Well said," Boros remarked sarcastically.

Wen Ying wanted to retort with a question about whether Boros had been acting possessively and jealous too often lately, but his survival instinct prevented him from doing so.

"Sitting looks good too," Wen Ying said resignedly, reaching out to pull Boros down to sit beside him. He then expertly straddled Boros's lap and kissed his ear affectionately.

Expecting only a peck on the lips or cheek as usual, Boros exclaimed, "!" The electric tingling sensation was back again.

"Bang!"

Lowering his head, Wen Ying saw Boros's tail had struck the leg of the sofa, leaving a faint dent.

"Try to control your strength. This isn't our furniture, after all."

Wen Ying took one of Boros's hands, lost in thought as he absentmindedly played with his well-defined fingers, caressing the black nails.

This time, a tingling sensation spread from his fingertips, causing Beros' crimson eyes to lose focus. His spine tensed, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Beros' tail tip swished gently, not out of concern for the furniture but rather to avoid catching Wen Ying's attention.

He actually wanted to wag his tail at Wen Ying!

Beros was both enraged and terrified. A mighty Hellhound like him actually had the urge to wag his tail at another demon? !

Normally, Wen Ying would have noticed, but now, fully absorbed in uncovering the motive behind the academy's ticket sales, he was oblivious to Beros' twitching tail or the tension in his straightened back.

In contrast to his taut spine, Beros' fingers were almost completely relaxed, representing his last vestige of defiance.

At eleven o'clock, the phone alarm rang, and Wen Ying switched to the ticketing page, which showed that it was sold out.

Although he had anticipated this, Wen Ying still couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The academy could have snatched up all the tickets themselves, yet they still offered one to him.

The seats in the outermost row cost five thousand yuan, while the front row tickets were audaciously priced at a hundred thousand!

Reading the flood of lamentations online from those who failed to secure tickets, Wen Ying felt a small, secret thrill. He didn't need to scramble for a ticket to get in, and even more so, someone else was inviting him.

"Time for sleep, time for sleep."

The next day, while Wen Ying was still in bed, he heard unusual commotion outside, with numerous signs of life.

Wen Ying gently disentangled himself from Bellerophon's arm around his waist and sat up slowly.

The competition was scheduled to start at nine thirty. The academy had sent them a message beforehand, informing them that the contractors of each demon would guide them to their seats in the gymnasium.

Wen Xinxin and Lu Qingyuan arrived at eight thirty to knock on their door.

Together with the two demons, they made their way to the gym. Along the route, there were significantly more people than usual, a mix of those with and without magical abilities. Amongst those without magic, quite a few were foreigners.

Foreigners? Wen Ying observed them. Each seemed to stroll leisurely, with an air of relaxation, much like tourists on vacation.

Luxury cruise.

Four words flashed through Wen Ying's mind.

Seeing Wen Ying constantly looking at the foreigners, Lu Qingyuan couldn't help but recall the multiple reminders from the academy's leaders and his counselor yesterday afternoon, causing him to subconsciously feel nervous.

The higher-ups had repeatedly emphasized that they must not pique the demons' excessive curiosity about foreign lands, especially the desire to venture out and explore.

Lu Qingyuan found it rather unreasonable. Demons weren't puppets who would obediently stay put when told to.

Wen Xinxin tactfully commented, "Perhaps their cologne is too strong? That's why you can't take your eyes off them."

Lu Qingyuan exclaimed, "!" He looked at Wen Xinxin with admiration.

Wen Xinxin smiled. Having grown up in high society, she was no stranger to diplomatic language.

After Wen Xinxin pointed it out, Wen Ying indeed felt a discomfort in his nose.

Beros also instinctively kept his distance from the foreigners.

Hailige and his companions wore cologne too, but theirs was likely specially formulated so as not to offend the demons' sensitive noses. These ordinary foreigners were different; their scent made Wen Ying want to sneeze.

Throughout the journey, Wen Ying and company attracted a hundred percent stare rate. The academy students were used to seeing demons, but the ticket-buying visitors were not. Upon spotting the demons, they were thrilled.

As they approached the sports arena, Wen Ying heard vendors calling out their wares.

"Exorcist-optimized Energy Water! Don't miss out if you're passing by!"

"Custom-made Mini Defense Shield! Feel less pressure facing demons with this on!"

"Milk tea! Milk tea! Healthy and magically enriched ingredients! Thirty coins for one cup, fifty for two!"

"Enchanted stickers, take a look! Enhance your vision temporarily!"

As the two demons and two humans approached, three of them were taken aback. Lu Qingyuan awkwardly explained, "These are all senior students majoring in Enchantment and Alchemy in their third year. These majors can be quite costly, especially when you're just starting out and have no income yet."

Wen Ying asked, "Doesn't the academy's security stop them?"

"The teachers tacitly allow it."

Most of them had moved tables over and displayed their items on them. A few stalls had even used magic to decorate, giving them a superficial makeover from shabby street stalls to unique specialty shops.

Indeed, there were quite a number of people making purchases. Wen Ying's gaze lingered on the foreigners, his expression contemplative.

He seemed to have figured out the academy's motive for selling tickets overnight. It was likely that they were now dispatching people to secretly inspect the luxurious cruise ship for any abnormalities.

At the entrance of the gymnasium, there was a queue, so Lu Qingyuan led them to another door.

"Look, it's the Mirror Demon and the Cerberus!"

"Wen Jing is indeed very handsome. If he didn't have those wings, no one would guess he's a demon."

"His hair is so smooth and shiny."

"How I envy the Cerberus. If Wen Jing doesn't have a partner, I'd surely make a move."

"For the Cerberus, the Mirror Demon really is dainty. It's hard to believe that the Mirror Demon ranks first in overall performance."

"What great fashion sense! The white turtleneck and beige coat complement his figure perfectly."

"He has such adorable little white horns on his head!"

"And his tail is so long."

Beros's ears twitched as he surveyed the chattering crowd, disbelief stirring within him.

Indeed, there was a significant gap between humans and demons when it came to their preferences in partners. Humans seemed to favor Wen Ying over himself!

White demons had never been popular, and Berossus felt a tremendous sense of disappointment. Compared to demons, humans didn't seem to value strength as much. They even found Wen Ying's relatively petite stature among male demons appealing.

Didn't they have their own boyfriends? Why were they coveting his?

Wen Ying paused and waved at the enthusiastic crowd, inciting even more fervent responses from them.

Berossus moved stealthily to Wen Ying's side, blocking his view of the people and theirs of Wen Ying. Here, Berossus, the proud and confident hellhound, felt his ego bruised. The presence of these powerless ordinary humans stirred up a greater sense of insecurity than when Wen Ying was with Muershi.

"You're quite the hit," said Muershi, his flirtatious voice adding to Berossus's already terrible mood, making him even more anxious.

Wen Xinxin sensed the intense emotions emanating from her contracted demon and swallowed hard. "Let's go in first. We can talk inside."

Muershi's gaze shifted to Wen Xinxin, a hint of something deeper flickering in his eyes.

He always felt that this human girl bore a resemblance to Wen Ying. Perhaps thousands of years ago, they were from the same family.

However, the fact that she could enter this academy indicated that she either had no demonic bloodline or one that was almost non-existent. With this thought, Muershi lost interest in Wen Xinxin.

They entered the gymnasium, which had a dedicated entrance for students of their faculty.

The gymnasium was vast, with a central arena comparable in size to a world-class football field, albeit with one being oval-shaped and the other spherical.