Chapter 233 – Boarding the Ship

Chapter 233 - Boarding the Ship

Wen Ying turned his head and lifted his gaze to look at Beros, the corners of his lips twitching.

Beros, this demon, was very contradictory. The expression on his face did not match his actions.

"Beros, don't you like it when I tease Lan Jiaying?" Wen Ying's tone rose slightly, genuinely surprised.

If it were a while back, Beros shouldn't have had such a reaction to this kind of situation. It seemed that this had only started happening recently, as if from a certain point in time, Beros' possessiveness towards him had skyrocketed.

When did this start...

Wen Ying pondered for a long time. It seemed to have happened after they returned from Mu City. Beros had become increasingly displeased with him interacting with others.

Digging through his memories, yesterday, due to some students' mistaken reports, Beros had thought that Hai Lige was trying to steal him away. He had spent half the day coaxing Beros, during which he had caressed Beros' ears quite a bit.

A strange thought occurred to Wen Ying. Could it be that for the three-headed hellhound race, the switch for their possessiveness was located in their ears?

He suddenly veered off into a tangent. Demons valued their ears and tails, not allowing them to be touched easily. Could it be that after being touched for a long time, they would develop affection towards the person who touched them?!

"…What's that look for?"

Boros, who was initially in a foul mood, noticed Wen Ying staring at his ears with an odd glint in his eyes. Unconsciously, his ears perked up, and their tips twitched slightly.

"No," Wen Ying replied softly, as if he were afraid of disturbing something. "Boros, let me ask you… about demons' ears… Never mind."

He decided against asking, as it might provoke Boros into an angry outburst.

Boros pressed his lips together, sensing that there was more to Wen Ying's unspoken words than met the eye.

Wen Ying tiptoed and quickly gave Boros' twitching ear a playful rub before acting nonchalant. "Shall we go find Koroy?"

Boros' face remained stern. "I've told you not to touch my ears without permission, especially not now when we're outside."

Wen Ying chuckled. "Alright, let's go find Koroy to confirm what cards those people have up their sleeves."

When Koroy opened the door, he saw that Boros, standing behind Wen Ying, seemed even more aloof than usual.

Using silent mouth movements, Koroy asked Wen Ying, "Did you two have a fight?"

Wen Ying shook his head and stepped in, not surprised to see Muershi and Wei Er already there. He commented with a tinge of nostalgia, "Muershi, you really have become inseparable from Koroy lately, like the second Wei Er."

Wei Er glanced over but didn't say anything; he was never much of a talker.

Muershi neither confirmed nor denied this, simply stating, "Time is running short. The afternoon session starts at two."

Wen Ying immediately left Muershi behind and asked Koroy, "I'd like your help predicting if they've used any enchanted relics from the war these past few days."

"Alright."

Following their usual routine, the demons created an acoustic barrier, and Koroy pulled out her crystal ball. Wen Ying focused intently on the orb, but alas, nothing happened this time – it remained empty.

"Peculiar…" Wen Ying murmured.

Koroy spat out a mouthful of blood, alarming Wen Ying. In a few quick steps, he rushed to the table, grabbed some papers, and offered them to Koroy.

Muershi stood up, "Your condition this time..." It was worse than when she had tried to foresee Beros and had also vomited blood.

Wen Ying instinctively reached out to support Koroy, but she pushed him away. Wei Er came over and supported her from behind.

Wen Ying felt a strange sensation amidst his concern. He had instinctively reached out to help Koroy, but Koroy had reflexively pushed him away just as swiftly, clearly reacting without any thought.

Could it be that Wei Er had been following Koroy because they were a couple? But the atmosphere between them didn't seem like that of lovers.

Wen Ying couldn't figure it out, so he decided not to dwell on it. That wasn't the main issue now.

The crucial matter was that Koroy had vomited a lot of blood.

"Someone with considerable strength is on the other side," Beros murmured.

Koroy, supported by Wei Er, sat down on the sofa and grabbed several tissues to wipe her mouth. Weakly, she said, "It wasn't a power suppression."

As she spoke, she shot a subtle glance at Beros.

"It was a matter of hierarchy," Koroy said, still shaken, "If I hadn't retreated quickly enough, I wouldn't have just been vomiting blood."

Wen Ying offered a vial of potion. "For recovery."

Koroy took it and drank it all in one go.

Wen Ying watched her finish her drink before tentatively asking, "The Law?"

Wei Er's ears flattened in alarm.

The atmosphere in the room grew even more somber.

Wen Ying spoke softly, "Now I'm certain that it wasn't me who made Lan Jiaying show anger."

As he complained, his main body hastily informed Lin Tianbao that he was heading to the Exorcist Academy's island before setting off. Departing at this time, he should arrive before the afternoon competition ended.

"I don't understand," Wei Er said slowly. "There's no war, so why would the Law intervene?"

Wen Ying repeated the speculation he had shared with Lan Jiaying and Wu Shaluo earlier.

Boros: "Since the Church wants an angel reincarnation, they must have researched the Law extensively."

Muershi lifted his gaze to look at Boros. This guy had been unusually talkative lately, even interrupting him on purpose.

Wen Ying seemed to be deep in thought. He now had a hunch why the Devil had entrusted him with the main quest. Due to his mixed blood, the Law might spare him, considering his human heritage... Just kidding, who knew for sure?

Muershi buried his face in his hands, casually complaining, "Don't take it so seriously. Anyway, just don't act alone. Even if they have the aid of the Law, it's only a little. We haven't shown any signs of invading the Human Realm, so the Law won't take the initiative to intervene."

Wen Ying looked at Koroy, who nodded slightly. "It wasn't the embodiment of the Law itself, or I'd probably be in trouble."

"Well... then?" Wen Ying stood up slowly. "It felt like we discussed many important matters during lunch, but it seems like we didn't achieve much..." Wu Shaluo had mentioned this phrase earlier.

Beros suggested, "If they directly attack, we can use that as an excuse to send our lower-ranking demons to the Human Realm."

"Welp, that might also be what the Church wants," Wen Ying pressed his temples. "I really wish I could time-travel to see their plans."

Or pry open the mouth of the Devil King and force him to spill the answers to his riddles.

Turning to Lan Jiaying, Wen Ying recounted the events in Koroy's dorm and their deductions. With the mention of the Law, Lan Jiaying reluctantly acknowledged the power of humanity.

Meanwhile, Muershi and Wei Er went around to inform the other demons about the situation, emphasizing the need to be cautious against deliberate provocations from humans and to avoid being alone.

At this moment, Wen Ying's original body was flying frantically through the air.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the fifth match began promptly.

The atmosphere in the venue grew even livelier, likely due to the lunch served at the cafeteria. Someone had mixed Elysium Fruits into the food for everyone to consume.

The demons who had eaten Wen Ying's "weight loss pills" felt nauseous from the smell, their expressions resembling those of someone enduring hunger.

The domestic academy triumphed in the fifth match, and with a narrow escape, they won the sixth as well. Finally, the last match arrived, and its outcome would determine the overall result of the friendly competition.

In the gymnasium, everyone was tense and excited.

The last competitor from Azef Academy was Hai Lige, while the domestic exorcist academy sent out Wei Ranfeng.

Wen Ying was somewhat surprised. The Wei Ranfeng who had once made him and Wen Dingjue rush to the Demon Realm was still a top-ranking figure.

Their match was fiercely intense, and the surging magical currents, despite being filtered by the protective barrier, still imposed a tremendous pressure on the spectators.

Wen Ying's main body had finally flown to Nandu City. After landing in the suburbs, he consumed numerous bottles of magic potions to replenish both his physical strength and magical energy.

In the stadium, a deafening explosion echoed, enveloping the entire arena in smoke and obscuring the anxious gazes of the audience.

Wen Ying instinctively leaned forward, eager to know the outcome of the match.

As the smoke dissipated, revealing the figures within, both parties were seen lying on the ground.

"It's a... tie!"

"Who would've thought it would end in a tie? It's quite unexpected."

Someone expressed doubt, "Is it really a tie? Could it be that both sides were just saving face?"

"A tie is better than losing," said a teacher from Azef Academy with a tinge of regret. An Meng, standing beside him, chuckled. "You had the upper hand in the morning, while we did in the afternoon. A tie in the end is good too, indicating that there isn't much disparity in our teaching abilities."

With that, An Meng flew onto the arena to preside over the closing ceremony.

Yang Bofeng sat beside Wu Shaluo, his heartbeat unable to return to its normal pace.

Wu Shaluo glanced at him and asked, "You're very excited?"

Yang Bofeng smiled. "It was an intense match, it stirred my blood."

Wu Shaluo retracted his gaze and turned to meet Lan Jiaying's eyes.

The demons had been on high alert inwardly for half a day, but after the event concluded, the audience gradually left the stadium without any incident.

The evening passed peacefully as well. News of the friendly match flooded the airwaves, and on the Academy Island, non-student visitors had already departed. The only non-academic personnel remaining were a few invited guests from the Calamity Department and those from Alsefar Academy.

All the journalists had left! The demons were filled with confusion.

This wasn't what they had expected.

In a small noodle shop in the outskirts of NanDu City, Wen Ying sat in his physical form, lost in thought as he stared at the noodles in his bowl.

It didn't make sense. Weren't they supposed to show the world the demonic side of the demons – their brutality and savagery?

The next day, the lively Hai Lige, representing Alsefar Academy, invited the demons to have fun on a luxurious cruise ship. There would be a premiere of a demon-themed movie that night, funded by the Church headquarters. The investors and film crew hoped they could attend the live screening.

After discussing it with everyone, Wen Ying decided to go.

It was easier to avoid an obvious trap than a hidden one. Since they knew there was a pit here, they might as well step into it first, so as to avoid unseen pitfalls later on.

The demons decided to board the cruise ship, and before they even showed any signs of nervousness, the members of the Calamity Prevention Department were already on edge.

Yan Liwen made the decision to contact the relevant maritime authorities, requesting that they warn the luxury cruise not to sail freely within the country's waters. During the Friendship Games, it could only dock at the shore.

After lunch, the demons began to depart the island in groups to board the cruise ship.

Wen Ying stepped aboard and walked around for a while, inwardly sighing at how wonderful it was to be rich. The luxuries here were somewhat eroding his sense of vigilance.

Spacious and cozy rooms, an open balcony with a sea view, a bathroom equipped with a bathtub, and even billiards and ping-pong tables for recreational activities – all these amenities were not in public areas but in each individual room.

Not to mention the playgrounds and bright restaurants in the public spaces on the ship, one could simply make a call from their room for someone to come over for a massage or deliver food. On the balcony, there were beach chairs and parasols, allowing one to bask in the sun without being disturbed by others.

Wen Ying didn't bother calling for service. Instead, he sprawled on a beach chair, letting Bellerophon give him a massage. He felt the warm strength and just-right pressure on his body, causing him to close his eyes in comfortable bliss.