Only Human Here 7

History always has astonishing similarities.

Who would have thought that, after ten years, Wei Huan and Yun Yongzhuo would meet again in a scene that remained unchanged, exactly the same as before? The only difference this time was that Yun Yongzhuo was wearing the uniform of Shanhai's instructor, and he looked so handsome that Wei Huan couldn't take his eyes off him.

Leaving aside everything else, just because of this uniform, Wei Huan had always wanted to stay at Shanhai as an instructor after graduation. The school uniforms of the four institutes at Shanhai were different in both color and style.

Teachers also had their own uniforms. The academic instructors wore white suits with silver embroidery, while the combat instructors were unique in their all-black work suits, adorned with the shoulder patches, institute emblems, and military ranks of their respective academies. In design, it was quite similar to military attire, and wearing it made them look incredibly handsome.

The outfit that Xiao had been thinking about for so long was now worn by his nemesis. But surprisingly, it looked good on him.

With his dark, short, and neatly styled hair, a belt cinched at his waist, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and well-defined muscles, Yun Yongzhuo was even more impressive than seven years ago. Wei Huan couldn't help but sigh inwardly; no wonder so many people had uniform fetishes—it really did look good.

Wei Huan's eyes never left him. Seven years had passed, and Yun Yongzhuo's appearance hadn't changed much; he still had that handsome face that had amazed Wei Huan the first time they met.

Especially those amber-colored pupils, they were like gemstones in the sunlight. However, his personality back then was truly melancholic, wasting the beauty of his eyes that Heaven had granted him. Now, after all these years, Wei Huan could faintly sense that the hostility in him had diminished somewhat, and he seemed much more reserved.

He was so engrossed in admiring the handsome guy that his arms were starting to ache. Seeing the flames approaching, Wei Huan began to plead, "Um… I wasn't the one who started this, sir…"

He deliberately feigned ignorance, saying, "I don't know your name, handsome stranger, but that's not important. What's important is that he was the one who struck first!"

Yun Yongzhuo's cold eyes were fixed on him, a gaze that felt all too familiar, reminiscent of a time he hadn't experienced in almost half his life. It was oddly nostalgic.

In truth, he was afraid of those eyes from the very beginning because Yun Yongzhuo was his nemesis.

Wei Huan was also afraid that Yun Yongzhuo, just like in the past, would recognize him at first sight. But he was also well aware that the Eye of Xihuo only worked on demons, and now his demon heart and soul were entirely extinguished, without a trace of demonic aura.

Yun Yongzhuo definitely wouldn't recognize him.

"How did you get in?" Yun Yongzhuo finally spoke, his voice cold and deep, reinforcing Wei Huan's suspicions.

The illusionary blade slowly approached Wei Huan's neck, its sharp tip like a lover's fingertip, about to touch the warm blood beneath his thin skin. It moved upward, inch by inch, towards his trembling Adam's apple.

An ambiguous yet dangerous light.

Under the overwhelming pressure, Wei Huan tried not to be too nervous. "I followed a Red-Tailed Bird in here. He just went in not long ago. Who knows, you two might have crossed paths. I was actually planning to follow him inside, but this Tiger Demon Big Brother came up and gave me trouble, almost trying to devour me alive."

He put on a pitiful expression, attempting to win Yun Yongzhuo's sympathy. "I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Please, sir, forgive me."

Yun Yongzhuo remained silent. He flew to Wei Huan's front, raised his hand, and with a wave, all the flames between them disappeared.

The next moment, he conjured a light tether in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the other end of the light tether wrapped around Wei Huan's waist. As he applied force to his fingertips, pulling the light tether, Wei Huan was pulled close to Yun Yongzhuo, almost pressed against him.

Before Wei Huan could react, Yun Yongzhuo's hand gripped his chin. As his wings gradually vanished behind him, his body descended, and both feet touched the ground. It was only then that Wei Huan realized that this human body he now occupied was considerably shorter than his original form from years ago.

Could it be that Yun Yongzhuo had grown taller? They used to be just a few centimeters apart in height, but now he was nearly half a head taller, which looked awkward, and Wei Huan had to tilt his head to look up at him.

While Wei Huan was absorbed in this irrelevant height issue, Yun Yongzhuo carefully scrutinized his face. After a long time, he finally let go.

"Human."

No, didn't you just figure that out now, big brother? Wei Huan couldn't help but snark internally. With his extraordinary abilities as a formidable demon, couldn't he smell the alluring scent of human flesh on me?

But Yun Yongzhuo's tone didn't sound like a judgment; it was more like a musing to himself.

Feeling the loosening of the light tether around his waist, Wei Huan watched as Yun Yongzhuo turned his back to him, emotionlessly saying, "Leave this place, go back to your human territory."

"Wait a minute!" Wei Huan wanted to grab Yun Yongzhuo's arm, but he turned away too quickly. All Wei Huan could grab was the light tether. "Don't go."

After finally encountering someone he knew, and it was a formidable demon like Yun Yongzhuo, Wei Huan couldn't just let him go so easily.

Yun Yongzhuo didn't turn around; he simply pulled on the light tether. Unexpectedly, this seemingly delicate and frail human had some strength. He gave it a strong tug, and the light tether didn't fully retract. Turning around, Yun Yongzhuo said coldly, "Let go."

"Not letting go," Wei Huan firmly held onto the light tether. "Unless you help me…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Yun Yongzhuo turned around and tugged on the light tether again. This time, Wei Huan was unprepared, and he was pulled entirely towards Yun Yongzhuo. The light tether disappeared, and Wei Huan found himself nestled in Yun Yongzhuo's arms.

It was incredibly awkward. Wei Huan didn't even dare to lift his head to look at him. He awkwardly clung to Yun Yongzhuo's waist with both arms.

"Let go."

Hearing a hint of irritation in Yun Yongzhuo's voice, Wei Huan's shoulders twitched, and he immediately released his grip, stammering, "I didn't mean to… well, you saw it, your rope moved first, and it's in your hands. So, technically, you pulled me into your arms…"

His voice gradually trailed off, and he glanced at Yun Yongzhuo, wondering about his expression. "You moved first…"

"This isn't where you should be," Yun Yongzhuo said, turning his wrist inward, causing the light tether to vanish into his sleeve. He then cast a cold glance at the other onlooking demon candidates who were eagerly watching the scene. "Anyone causing trouble or fighting will have their exam qualification revoked."

He has indeed changed quite a bit, talking more than before. Wei Huan thought to himself. Now that he was in a regular human's body, whether he could enter Shanhai's gates was an unknown factor. However, right in front of him was an incredibly powerful demon who could surely take him inside. Forget about entering Shanhai, Yun Yongzhuo might even generously offer him the Reversal Fruit he had yearned for.

With these thoughts in mind, Wei Huan couldn't help but contemplate whether he should reveal his true identity to Yun Yongzhuo.

If he did, perhaps Yun Yongzhuo would help him out of nostalgia for their past as classmates. No, not friends—far from it; they were more like arch-enemies back then. But fate had a way of turning things around. If Wei Huan had known what would happen to him today, he wouldn't have dared to tease this cold and unapproachable beauty so relentlessly in the past.

In the short span of time, Wei Huan's mind raced, but he hadn't come up with a plan yet when he saw Yun Yongzhuo's wings spread out again behind him. He turned and flew towards the unattainable red gate. Wei Huan rushed to follow, reaching out to grab him.

"Hey, Yun… ahem, handsome! Immortal big brother! Don't go…"

Yun Yongzhuo disappeared through the gate.

Wei Huan froze, not because he couldn't catch up with Yun Yongzhuo, but because of his own hand.

His human body's hand had actually passed through Shanhai's gate!

"What the heck? How is this possible…" Wei Huan looked utterly astonished as he withdrew his hand, unharmed. He reached out again to confirm it wasn't a trick of the eye. Indeed, his hand had penetrated the red gate and reached the other side of the barrier.

He wasn't the only one in disbelief. The other demons gathered in front of the Shanhai gate were equally astonished by this sight.

"Look at that human!"

"But how is this possible? Shanhai's gates are supposed to be sealed against humans!"

"But then again, Shanhai has never explicitly said that it only admits demon students, right? There have been half-demons before…"

Wei Huan took a deep breath and took a step through the gates he had entered countless times before. However, never before had he felt this exhilarated, with his blood boiling and excitement coursing through his entire body.

Looking up, Shanhai's familiar scenery appeared once again, just as it had when he left on his final mission.

Red lanterns and sky lanterns floated in the night sky, gently swaying and illuminating the main road of Shanhai brightly. On either side of the road, the Glowgrass emitted a soft white glow. The Nightshadow Flowers swayed in the breeze, resembling stars.

The grand central building stood with a black and gold-patterned Shanhai school flag in the middle. On either side of the flag were the red, blue, white, and green banners representing Shanhai University's four institutes: the Flamespark Institute, the Windsurge Institute, the Virtuepeak Institute, and the Blossompeak Institute.

Wei Huan stared at the blue and white banner of the Windsurge Institute, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Several wind-attribute demons flew by, creating a fierce gust of wind as they soared into the sky. They collided with the floating lanterns, disrupting their positions. Before the lanterns could return to their original places, a group of white birds descended rapidly, and upon landing, they transformed into three or four beautiful silver-haired girls wearing deep blue uniforms.

"Wei Heng? Wei Heng!"

Wei Huan didn't react at first, until a hand was placed on his right shoulder. Reflexively, Wei Huan extended his left hand to grab the wrist and flip the hand over. To his surprise, when he turned his head, he saw the familiar Jinyun.

"I called you for a while," Jingyun smiled somewhat sheepishly and pushed up her glasses. "You never turned around."

Wei Huan had to quickly get used to this new name. He released her wrist and changed the subject, "Wait, why are you still here?"

"I-I was waiting for you," Jingyun pointed to a small bench near the entrance. "I was sitting there, watching the gate, so I could greet you when you came in."

"How did you know I could come in?" Wei Huan couldn't help but chuckle. This Jinyun was quite innocent. "I'm a human, have you ever heard of a human entering Shanhai?"

"I've never heard of a human entering Kunlun Void, but you still managed to get in," Jingyun replied earnestly. "Even though you're human, your knowledge and abilities surpass mine. My mother always said we shouldn't underestimate others because of their race."

This was said with such sincerity, clearly the upbringing of a well-mannered child. There weren't many demons with biases against humans these days. Wei Huan's impression of Jingyun improved even more. He affectionately put his arm around Jingyun's shoulder, and the two of them walked toward the main building. "You make a good point, but what if I couldn't get in?"

"I'll wait until the school gates are completely closed. If you haven't entered by then, I'll find you in the Shadow District when I have the chance," Jingyun said with a slight push of his glasses. "I owe you a big thank you."

"Thank you for what? With your talent and lineage, it's strange if you can't get in."

At first, Wei Huan was engrossed in his conversation with Jingyun and didn't notice anything unusual. However, as they walked a bit farther, he sensed a strange atmosphere. His eyes glanced at the demons passing by—both exam candidates and those already wearing school uniforms. They were all intentionally or unintentionally looking at them, their gazes converging for a moment. Jingyun felt immense pressure and whispered to Wei Huan, "Why do I feel like everyone is staring at us?"

It's not "us," they were just staring at the unique human. Even though Shanhai was a neutral territory, it was still inhabited by demons, and they watched him like ants.

Wei Huan patted Jingyun's shoulder reassuringly. "Let them look. Good-looking people are meant to be watched."

Just at that moment, a projection appeared in front of the main building, and the familiar face of Lin Zhengze, the director in charge of combat enrollment exams, appeared on it.

"Tsk, Old Lin has been here for so many years, and he still hasn't been promoted…" Wei Huan muttered quietly, not expecting Jingyun to hear him. "What did you say?" Jingyun asked.

"Huh? I didn't say anything. Maybe you're just nervous and hearing things." Wei Huan made up a few words and quickly pointed to the projection. "It looks like they're going to announce something about the exam."

Jingyun immediately turned his attention to the projection, focusing on it entirely.

"Welcome, candidates from all over the demon realm. First, I want to congratulate all of you for entering Shanhai. This means you've had a successful start. But it's only the beginning."

Lin Zhengze's expression was serious. "As you all should know, the entrance exam for Shanhai consists of a written exam and a practical exam. The written exam will be tonight, for two hours. Tomorrow morning, we will announce the results on the main building's screen. The top 50% of students in the written exam will be eligible to participate in tomorrow afternoon's practical exam, using a knockout system. Similarly, the top 50% will officially enroll in the school and become Shanhai's new students."

The face on the screen disappeared, and the text began to appear.

"Now, everyone, please find your respective exam room locations according to the information on the screen. You have fifteen minutes. Those who exceed the time limit will lose their qualification for the exam."

With hundreds of candidates crowded together, it was impossible to see anything clearly. Wei Huan grabbed Jingyun's arm. "Can you fly? Going up will give us a better view. We can't see anything here."

"I… I…" Jingyun was too nervous to speak.

"Fly, right now," Wei Huan urged, supporting him by the shoulders and looking into his eyes. "Listen to me, don't be afraid. You're a Jinyun Bird."

"You were born to belong in the sky."