All of Them Were Demons

Wu Junji withdrew his fortune, and Chen Yu was free.

He pushed open the carriage door and spread his arms, waiting for a servant to carry him down.

"Choose for yourself."

Several thuds sounded behind him. Wu Junji turned his head, only for Chen Yu to scoop him up before he could leave the carriage.

Chen Yu steadied his breathing.

"This subject thanks Your Highness the Crown Prince for your mercy."

Wu Junji: "...?"

He rolled his eyes and kicked his legs as he ordered,

"Put me down."

Chen Yu obeyed without question.

Wu Junji looked up at the magnificent Academy he had never had the chance to attend in his previous life, an indescribable feeling stirring in his heart.

Never having formally attended an ancient school in his previous life remained a deep regret for Wu Junji.

People had often used that to mock him as a belly stuffed with weeds. When he wrote the Peaceful People's Encyclopedia, he had merely been holding on to a stubborn breath of pride, determined to prove himself.

88 felt this was a new beginning for Wu Junji in this life and clamored for him to make an academic pledge to the Academy.

Wu Junji obligingly made one.

"I shall become Jixia Academy's greatest child prodigy."

"Take first place every month and win twenty-five mountains of gold."

"Find a good teacher and become his foremost senior disciple."

"Then lead my junior disciples through three five-year plans of grinding."

88 nodded repeatedly. "I think that's no problem! Host, you can definitely do it!"

It imagined its three-year-old host sitting in a classroom, the youngest child there, dressed like a great pearl every day, his feet cocked up as he held a book and chattered away.

When he grew tired of chattering, he would find some shade beneath a tree and nap back-to-back with two or three friends. Once he had slept enough, he would walk his tortoise, chase his friends, and romp about, happy as a butterfly among flowers.

Woohoo~

88 spun happily in circles.

Wu Junji, meanwhile, imagined taking first place every month, earning twenty-five mountains of gold, then going home to mock the old bastard mercilessly.

He would build a vast network of connections, conquer Great Fan, Great Meng, and Goryeo, then kick the old bastard off the throne and become emperor himself.

Imagining himself in red-and-black dragon robes, seated on the dragon throne while everyone knelt before him, Wu Junji's lips secretly curled skyward.

He felt indescribably pleased.

With bright eyes and raised brows, the human and his system pushed open the Academy's gates.

That little bit of pleasure vanished instantly, his instincts shrieking in alarm.

Something was wrong.

Bells rang without cease.

Students stopped along the paths, turning toward the gates with varied expressions.

Wu Junji had lived through famine. He recognized it instantly: greed for food.

The towering halls in the distance looked to Wu Junji like savage beasts baring their fangs.

Jixia Academy did not house mortals.

Nanny Wang and Eunuch Qian were both barred at the gates. Of those beside Wu Junji, only Chen Yu could accompany him into the Academy.

Nanny Wang and Eunuch Qian had not left yet. This Jixia Academy did not look like somewhere fit for humans. There was still time to leave.

Wu Junji weighed the gains and losses. Not dying equaled gaining something.

He stepped firmly over the threshold. He was going for it.

The gates slowly closed behind him. Wu Junji bit into the tender flesh inside his mouth, the taste of blood rousing his dormant beastly nature.

He would see just what demons and monsters lurked within Jixia Academy.

Wu Junzheng's hands were trembling. Through his heavenly eye, half of Jixia Academy's inhabitants were demons, vicious beyond measure. How could he not be afraid?

Any demon capable of assuming human form and walking the world possessed powerful demonic energy.

Their vile nature drove them to toy with their prey until it was utterly exhausted, then swallow it in one bite.

Wu Junzheng wanted to run, but seeing the Crown Prince standing immovable as a mountain, his retreating legs suddenly took root.

His competitive streak defeated his fear.

Soon, someone led them to Zhou She. The dormitories stood in rows, neither as spacious, elegant, nor comfortable as the imperial palace.

Each room had two beds, two desks, and four chairs.

Even the quilts were issued by the Academy.

Wu Junji walked along the oppressive, narrow corridor of Zhou She. Every window stood open, each framing a student dressed in identical clothes.

Their dispirited eyes were like evil ghosts lurking in cracks, one glance, two, three... watching him with gazes full of appetite.

Whenever Wu Junji looked back, they discreetly reined themselves in.

Eight rooms to a row, sixteen across two rows, thirty-two people in total.

All of them were demons.

Wu Junzheng's legs were shaking, and so were his hands. This was a demons' den!

He regretted it. He should never have competed with Wu Junji. He wanted to leave.

The scholar guiding them silently slid his hand onto Wu Junzheng's back.

"Your Highness the Second Prince, you seem to have something to say?"

Wu Junzheng broke out in a cold sweat. He felt as though he might vomit up his heart.

He covered his mouth, suppressing the dry heaves brought on by terror.

"N-no. Nothing."

The scholar patted him in satisfaction.

Wu Junji asked a question whose answer he already knew.

"Why are they looking at me so strangely?"

The guiding scholar's gaze was drawn to that little finger, flickering in and out of sight. Truly worthy of the strongest nation's Crown Prince.

How much milk had he been soaked in to cultivate such exquisite skin?

If I ate him, would he burst with juices like a cow?

Distracted, the guiding scholar answered perfunctorily,

"You are overthinking things, Your Highness. They are merely curious about you but dare not offend."

Wu Junji raised his head. His young willow-leaf eyes held gleaming black pupils, their cold sharpness striking the scholar head-on and making him marvel once more.

With looks like those, he would be cherished no matter whose household he was born into.

No one could refuse a great pearl glowing with a pink, jewel-like radiance.

"You seem to be brushing me off."

The guiding scholar gave an inscrutable smile and cupped his hands.

"You are overthinking things, Your Highness. You are Great Zhou's Crown Prince and possess human emperor fortune. I can scarcely honor you enough. How could I dare brush you off?"

Wu Junji saw not a trace of respect.

But the man had observed all the outward courtesies. If Wu Junji made an issue of it, he would be the one making an unreasonable fuss.

Wu Junji said nothing more.

"Morning lessons are held daily in Yuesi Pavilion between seven and nine. If you are late, the teacher will punish you."

"Breakfast is between five and seven, lunch between one and three. Miss the allotted time and there will be none left. Students may not cook privately. Anyone discovered doing so will be severely punished."

"Oh, and Zhou She does not serve dinner."

"If you grow hungry, Your Highness, you will simply have to endure it."

"Hot water is supplied in the evening between five and seven. That is the only hot water you get all day."

"Starting tomorrow, Your Highness must wear the Academy's student uniform. Anyone improperly dressed will also be punished."

"The Academy's rules are strict. It is normal to struggle with them at first, Your Highness. After a few punishments, you will get the hang of it."

Wu Junji frowned as he listened to this inhumane schedule.

"Are all the Ninth Residences like this?"

The guiding scholar smiled. "Of course not. Of the nine dormitories, Zhou She ranks last. Only here is it like this. The Academy does not forbid conflict between the Ninth Residences. The headmaster said the Academy does not keep useless people."

"Only the strong deserve preferential treatment."

This was no academy. It was a beast-fighting arena.

The next instant, the guiding scholar clapped his hands. Three men entered from outside and surrounded Chen Yu.

Wu Junji shared his fortune without hesitation. Chen Yu drew his dagger and met them, but a blade flashed in the guiding scholar's hand and came to rest against Wu Junji's neck. He smiled.

"Your Highness, stop. This humble commoner truly has no wish to harm you."

Wu Junji's expression turned frighteningly cold.

Those three were demons.

He could not control Chen Yu well enough to kill them in a single blow. The old bastard had left him a protective talisman, but if he used it now, how would he survive afterward?

The people of Jixia Academy dared put a blade to him. They must have something to rely on. Was the old bastard trying to harm him, or was it the Retired Emperor?

Wu Junji closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. The factions within Jixia Academy were tangled together. It was not a place the old bastard could control, much less somewhere the current him could do as he pleased.

Their aim was to strip away his General Summoning retainer and isolate him.

Chen Yu's expression was grave. The situation had gone beyond either of their expectations.

Yet the signs had been there all along.

No ordinary people, only General Summoning retainers allowed, and one leave day a month.

For this entire month, Wu Junji would be isolated and helpless.

There were plenty of ways to torment someone without killing them.

Wu Junji raised his hand slightly, and Chen Yu gave up resisting.

The guiding scholar seemed somewhat disappointed by his compliance. He pinched Wu Junji's cheek with insulting familiarity and praised him.

"Your Highness is so sensible that I have no opportunity to employ extraordinary measures."

He ordered his men to take Chen Yu away, offering a perfunctory assurance.

"Rest assured, Your Highness. Your General Summoning retainer will be properly treated. The Academy is doing this to temper you."

"You are Great Zhou's Crown Prince, and we are Great Zhou's subjects. Naturally, we hope you will grow ever better."

Wu Junji found it laughable. Had he been an ordinary three-year-old, that display would already have left him bawling helplessly.

The guiding scholar cupped his hands without a shred of respect and swaggered away.

Only belatedly did 88 realize that Jixia Academy was not quite what it had imagined.

"Host... he seems to be bullying you?"

Its stupidity left Wu Junji speechless.

He walked outside on his short legs. There was a pit latrine at the southernmost corner of Zhou She and a kitchen at the northernmost corner.

Inside was where the thirty-two residents of Zhou She ate.

Dong-!

A bell announced the hour. Before Wu Junji could react, a crowd emerged from their rooms, bowls in hand, and headed to the dining hall to line up.

It was lunchtime.