High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 773: Chapter 121: The Talent of Mice_1

”So, you’re saying you won’t have any free time next week either?”

Dangdang Ears counted on his slender claws, racking his brain for a while, and eventually realized with disappointment that his scheme to do business with these young wizards was ending even before it had begun.

In the end, he couldn’t resist double-checking: ”You’re telling me you don’t have time on weekends nor on weekdays?”

”Actually, it’s just because we’ve been really busy recently.” The black cat squatted on the ground, shrugged his shoulders, spread his paws amusingly upward, and explained with an awkward tone, ”Didn’t we tell you before that we planned to open a small shop on Beta Town’s Pedestrian Street? The club just rented a place there and we’re setting it up... we estimate it will be open by Christmas Eve. So for these few days, if we have time, it’s spent there.”

”Plus, it’s getting close to the end of the semester, we have to spend our nights studying and doing homework in the library.” Xiao Xiao added, emphasizing, ”This is Jiuyou Academy, academic accomplishments are our only guarantee to stay in school. There’s no flexibility in that.”

As he saw Dangdang Ears’s expression becoming more and more disheartened, even its whiskers drooping, the black cat naturally began to worry. He and Xiao Xiao had merely intended to stall for time, they hadn’t planned to completely block off any chance of trade with the ’clothed mice’.

”Of course, it’s not like we have no free time at all.” The black cat coughed lightly, casting a suggestive look towards Xiao Xiao.

”Yes, time is like water in a sponge, there’ll always be some if you squeeze it.” Doctor Xiao added from the side, agreeing while carefully marking on a calendar. He seemed to be looking for some spare time in the midst of his packed schedule.

Finally unable to remain completely indifferent to his two friends’ scamming of a little mouse, Lin Guo slung his school bag over his shoulder, pulling the black cat away by the little fox and small doll pinned to his sides, intending to keep them away from the bad influence.

The black cat shot a glance at the receding figure of Lin Guo, his tail swished across the ground, staying silent—he approved of Lin Guo whisking away Little Fox, at least he didn’t have to worry about Poseidon spouting nonsense at Greenhill Mansion. Nonetheless, it was indeed embarrassing for him to have to scheme against a little mouse. But thanks to his black fur very conveniently hiding his flush, it made him seem calm and composed, not awkward at all.

Doctor Xiao, on the other hand, managed to keep a straight face throughout, much to Zheng Qing’s admiration.

”What’s the name of the shop you’re planning to open? Are you preparing for an opening ceremony? Have you decided on a specific opening date?” Dangdang Ears seemed to have remembered something and suddenly asked.

”Hmm, we have decided on the date.” The black cat glanced at Xiao Xiao before vaguely replying, ”We’ve set it to be the day before the winter solstice, which is next Saturday afternoon ... As for the name, it’s ’D&K’, we’re not planning on throwing a big opening ceremony, but we will have some flower baskets and set off a few firecrackers.”

”That’s great! Then congratulations!” Dangdang Ears made a stylized bow to the black cat—it was clear it had been longing to do this action for a long time because it kept adjusting and repeating it due to the initial incorrect posture—simultaneously, a series of auspicious words slipped out of his mouth, ”Wishing you great luck for the opening, good fortune, and chicken every day!”

”What’s with the ’chicken every day’?” The black cat was originally pondering over the reason for the little mouse’s inquiry when he heard its blessing, he nearly slapped a paw on Mouse King’s long face.

Dangdang Ears seemed unaware of any flaws in his felicitation, he continued to do his salute passionately while praising without end, ” ... next Saturday is a good day, the almanac says, it’s the right day for opening market, trading business, and earning wealth, it’s such a good day!”

”You understand almanacs!” The black cat was suddenly wide-eyed.

”Just a little, just a little.” The Mouse King totally disregarded Xiao Xiao’s strange look at him, modestly waved his paw and added, ”Since I know you’re opening a shop, I can’t ignore it ... I plan to bring a few friends to your opening ceremony, I wonder ... ”

”Welcome, welcome! You’re most welcome!” The black cat suddenly sprang up, briskly walked forward, disregarding Mouse King’s frightened eyes. He put a paw on its back, and cheerfully said, ”You can actually give us your Flying Crane address, and I’ll send you the invitation ... this is a matter of politeness, absolutely indispensable.”

Of course, Zheng Qing said this, not because of an emphasis on any ghostly politeness—he rarely cares about any such tedious etiquette when dealing with other wizards, let alone a mouse—he just thought this suggestion by Dangdang Ears was ingenious, so he decided to add a twist.

On the one hand, Mouse King had voluntarily postponed the next meeting to over a week later, this was totally ample for the Absolution Hunting Team to accomplish their ’beetle market research’. On the other hand, having other intelligent life forms of different species attending the opening ceremony of their shop was a nice booster for D&K’s popularity.

A lot of businesses holding exclusive rights would typically have such a group of ’unique’ business partners, Zheng Qing had seen countless examples in the business books he’d been reading recently.

Furthermore, those attending the opening ceremony wouldn’t come empty-handed. Although Zheng Qing didn’t expect any marvelous treasures from Mouse King, even just some beetle samples would be amazing—the ’twist’ Zheng Qing had added was naturally the so-called ’Flying Crane address’.

If they could take advantage of Mouse King’s lack of awareness to obtain their Flying Crane address, perhaps the Absolution Hunting Team could locate where these mice were gathered.

However, his perfect plan didn’t entirely pan out in the end.

”Flying Crane address, um,” Dangdang Ears laughed awkwardly, its claws making flapping gestures, ”We don’t use those kinds of things ... well, if you insist on sending invitations, you can send them here.”

With that, Dangdang Ears turned around, extended its paw, and drew a circle on the trunk of the aspen tree behind him—Zheng Qing swore, the mouse truly just merely scratched a circle on the trunk—and then suddenly, there was a deeply dark hole on the trunk.

Mouse King turned around, patted its paw, looking quite accomplished.

”You can stuff the invitation inside here, I’ll take it away when I have time!” It pointed its whiskers in a showing off manner, and confidently said, ”This tree hole can last for a week’s time ... more than ample!”

The black cat moved forward a few steps, cautiously inserting a paw into the tree hole.

It was hollow beneath, without any sign of occupancy. Unlike the holes of the squirrels and owls, it was rather cold inside this hole. The black cat’s paw felt a wisp of almost non-existent cold air blowing from a distance.

This involuntary reminded him of a dressed up mouse he had track long ago that dove into a tree hole—suddenly, he understood. So, these tree holes were created by the mice’s talent abilities, no wonder that tree suddenly got a hole and then inexplicably vanished.

All he could say was, truly worthy of being the mice of the Magic World.