High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 776: Chapter 124: Shriveled Seed_1

”Hey, here are the seeds you asked for.”

Zhang Ji Xin rummaged around in his jacket for a while before finally pulling out a small paper package and tossing it in front of the black cat. ”There’s not much there, only enough for about two or three uses. Be careful when you record.”

The paper bag was brown and had visible oil stains on it. It was presumably a remnant from Zhang Ji Xin’s breakfast, likely torn from the bag in which his breakfast doughstick was packed.

Smelling the intense fragrance of oil coming from the bag, the black cat recoiled slightly, fearful that the oil stains might tarnish its beautiful black fur.

”I know, I know... With my skills, two times is enough.” The black cat shrank back with its body while reaching forward with a claw. It swiftly opened the paper bag placed in front of it.

Inside the bag laid three shriveled green beans, laying lifelessly on the oil stain, seemingly lifeless.

”Are these live seeds?!” The black cat lifted its head and looked skeptically at the red-faced male wizard. It had doubt written all over its red eyes: ”Why do they look so dry and shriveled...I remember the two seeds we planted in the dormitory before were round and plump. Can these even grow?”

A few weeks ago, Xin Fat Man had gotten two supposedly ’exclusive’ seeds from the school newspaper’s editor office. The seeds grew into images of Miss Su Shi singing in Würzburg - though only her silhouette was shown, it had left a deep impression on Zheng Qing.

The bright, young student vividly remembered the two seeds Xin Fat Man got; they were both greenish-gray and the size of a peanut. Most importantly, they were full and plump, void of any signs of shriveling.

”Can they be the same?” Elder Zhang Da rolled his eyes, snorting slightly, ”The seeds you’re looking for haven’t recorded any sound or preserved any images; they’re the originals. The seeds we planted in the dormitory already had images and sounds recorded, they’re the finished product. It’s like comparing a blank piece of paper to a filled one. Are they the same?”

”Oh, so that’s the difference.” The black cat flicked its tail, putting a paw on one of the shriveled seeds, feeling the tiny reliefs and folds under its paw pads. It wondered how much magical power this small seed could contain.

”I mean, we’re not running a newspaper or a publishing house. Besides, you don’t seem to have this kind of hobby. What do you need these for? If you want to record sound and images, there might be more efficient methods you know.” Seeing the black cat gleefully wrapping the seeds back up in a clean sheet of paper and tucking it into its gray cloth bag around its neck, Zhang Ji Xin couldn’t hold back and expressed his doubt.

Speaker Flowers and Shadow Preserving Herbs have a long history of being used in information gathering and transmission among wizards. However, with the advancements in modern magical technologies, more efficient and convenient methods such as Jade Slips and Crystals that can record images and sounds have been developed. Thus, fewer wizards are using Speaker Flowers and Shadow Preserving Herbs nowadays.

Nowadays, those wizards who still use such tools are, much like those who still use paper cranes for information delivery, using Hand Jue or magic wands to cast spells, driven more by sentimentality.

If we were to draw a comparison, the status of Speaker Flowers and Shadow Preserving Herbs in the wizarding world, would be akin to that of vinyl records, gramophones, and film videos in the twenty-first century. They give off a sense of being old-school, out-of-date, but also somewhat charming.

”Um, I planned to sing a song to Elena as a New Year gift.” The black cat waved a paw, revealing its grand plan, before spinning around and making its way to leave, tail flicking in the air: ”See you... Hey! What are you doing?!”

The black cat hadn’t even gone a foot away before it felt a tug at its tail. It turned around to find the red-faced male wizard grinning at it, holding onto its tail, ”Sing? What song? Do you need an accompaniment? I can play the guitar and whistle...”

”Beat it, let go now!” The black cat’s fur stood on end as it felt its tail being wrenched. Its eyes bulged, rage welling up within it. Its body suddenly grew.

One foot, two feet, three feet, one meter, two meters, three meters.

In the blink of an eye, the adorable little black cat transformed into a frightful beast standing three meters tall at the shoulder. Then the black cat swiped out with a huge paw, pinning the red-faced male wizard to the ground and giving him a beating.

”So, you want a beating, huh?”

”Think I won’t break your dumb guitar?”

”Ever heard of not touching a tiger’s tail?”

The red-faced male wizard was yelping, whilst holding his hand, yet he didn’t dare to make any moves. Wouldn’t touch his Law book or throw a punch at the black cat for fear of escalating the conflict out of control.

In the end, he was partly to blame. He had been careless, forgetting the repeated warnings Zheng Qing had given them.

After a considerable beating, the black cat started to calm down.

Accordingly, its size returned to normal.

”You should be grateful I have a good temper and didn’t need to take it too far... Otherwise you’d be on the operating table in the school hospital by now!” The black cat was panting slightly from the exertion of beating, spat on the grass, and, glaring at the red-faced male wizard, declared with a vicious look: ”You’re screwed! You’re not getting your money’s worth for the seeds!”

”It’s fine, it’s fine. Take it as a token of gratitude.” Zhang Ji Xin grimaced, rubbing his shoulder, but not admitting defeat: ”Also, you’re a cat, not a tiger. And the phrase doesn’t go like that.”

Upon hearing that, the black cat took a deep breath and lifted a paw.

Smack!

Four or five sharp claws sprang out from the spaces between its digits, glinting coldly in the unseasonably cold breeze.

”Any last words? Get them out now.” The black cat said, drooping its eyelids ominously.

”Yikes! Why are you in such a rush?!” The red-faced male wizard hastily grabbed a Law book, holding it in front of him, taking a few steps back, exclaiming in a panic, ”Under broad daylight, you’re not thinking of committing murder, are you? Let me tell you, this is the Hunting Ground, and there are five full hunting teams training five hundred meters away from here! You don’t want to be caught and caged...”

Upon hearing that, the black cat paused, glancing instinctively at the edge of the Hunting Ground.

True to Zhang Ji Xin’s words, the gigantic black cat that stood two to three feet tall just a while ago had attracted the attention of lots of wizards in the Hunting Ground. Four to five senior wizards, their robes adorned with black stripes, were quickly approaching.

The black cat didn’t want to talk to strangers, nor did it want others to know that it could talk. So, after giving the red-faced male wizard one last savage look, and leaving him with a threatening you’re dead look, the cat, angered, jumped over the bushes, disappearing into the far end of the lawn.