High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 822: Chapter 170: Schrödinger’s Rat Name

”Is it, is it our destination?”

”It should be here, but I feel...”

”It is what it is, if not, it’s not. What’s with all the feelings!”

”I mean...”

”Don’t crowd, let me check again, it should be right here!”

”If it’s right, then get out. What are you doing blocking the entrance?”

”I feel, being new here, maybe we should be a bit more polite...”

”Polite? They’re not mice, why should we be polite to them?”

”Because there’s a big cat outside.”

The sharp, chattering voices came from a hole that had suddenly appeared in the corner of the wall. In just a moment, the previously quiet corner of the shop had turned into a marketplace, with four or five mice heads popping out of the hole like mushrooms after rain.

The group of mice heads, previously pushing and shoving without yielding, were like a blend of saliva and nonsense flying together, as if forever. The commotion finally came under control and quieted down somewhat when one of the mice spotted a big fat cat squatting on the counter glaring at them.

”I’ve heard that cats like to eat mice?” whispered the mouse in the green vest at the front, warning its friends behind, ”Remember, keep your heads down, never look into its eyes.”

”Is that a cat? It’s my first time seeing a living cat!” another mouse with a slightly sharp voice managed to squeeze its head out from underneath its peers. Its whiskers were quivering, and its tiny eyes were wildly excited, ”Can I go over and touch it, or maybe ask it to sign my extracurricular practice sheet?”

”If you want to go home lying down, you can try.” The mouse in front sighed deeply, its whiskers involuntarily drooping.

”So, are we going to just wait here?”

In theory, that’s the idea, if the cat doesn’t leave, who’d want to go out?”

”When will that be! We can’t afford to mess up the old ancestor’s big plan!”

The other mouse heads started chattering all at once, and the recently quiet scene looked like it was about to flare up again.

Zheng Qing, bewildered, watched the mouse in the green vest at the front, his cage ’clang’ suddenly crashed to the floor, instantly drawing the attention of every small creature in the room—including the group of mice in vests, Fatty Cat squatting on the counter, and the row of products pretending to sleep in cages behind the counter.

Dozens upon dozens of differently colored little eyes stared at him, and the young cost student involuntarily shivered.

”Ding Dong Ears?” Finally coming to his senses, Zheng Qing looked at the mouse in the green vest at the hole in the corner, tentatively asking, ”Ding Dong Ears, is that you?”

”Gasp! Little wizard, you actually know Ding Dong Ears?!” The mouse at the very front heard this and burst into laughter, its whiskers trembling uncontrollably as it grinned, ”That’s wonderful, fantastic! But I’m not Ding Dong Ears, I’m Dangdang Ears, make sure to get it right next time you speak.”

Zheng Qing’s mouth twitched, and he blatantly ignored the words of Dangdang Ears. Whether he could see clearly or not, these mice all looked the same to him, indistinguishable— in other words, until these mice introduced themselves by name, he couldn’t tell which one was Dangdang Ears and which one was Ding Dong Ears.

In a sense, the names of these mice were all Schrödinger-style.

The young wizard’s only way to distinguish between Dangdang Ears and Ding Dong Ears was that, in his memory, Ding Dong Ears was a timid mouse that would play dead in front of cats, while Dangdang Ears was bold enough to bristle at a group of cats.

So, when the mouse in front of him warned the other mice behind him with a serious tone, Zheng Qing’s first reaction was that it definitely wasn’t the bristling Dangdang Ears.

While they were speaking, Fatty Cat Tuan Tuan, who had been arching its back and squinting as if ready to attack these uninvited guests, seemed to remember something and laid back down, casually fishing out two pieces of beef from a dish and stuffing them into its mouth. Its chubby face’s whiskers trembled with its leisurely chewing. With its eyes half-closed, it looked profoundly enigmatic.

Meanwhile, the wild mice in the rows of cages behind the counter, after a brief moment of shock, seemed to see a chance for freedom, and one by one, they began to shriek and forcefully slam against the frail cage doors.

”What’s going on, what’s going on? How come I come back with an exhibit and there’s chaos breaking out here?” a flustered voice followed hurried footsteps from the front of the door.

Xin Fat Man, holding a small handkerchief, was wiping the sweat from his forehead and neck as he crossed the threshold and hurried in. Zheng Qing caught a glimpse of the steam rising from the fat man’s head and couldn’t help but admire him—it’s not easy for this fat man, producing such a bustling scene even in this cold weather.

”Excuse me, could you please keep that fat cat away from us a bit?” Dangdang Ears bravely stepped forward, waving its arms and squeaking in a high pitch, ”For the sake of harmony and stability in the wizard society!”

Tuan Tuan snorted disdainfully, too lazy to even lift its eyelids to glance at the mice again.

Before Zheng Qing had figured out how to respond, a shocked voice came from beside him.

”Ding Dong Ears? Damn... How did you guys get into our shop?!” Xin Fat Man said, glancing around as if looking for an open window or some old wizard hiding in a corner, grinning slyly at him.

”I’m not Ding Dong Ears! I’m Dangdang Ears!” The mouse in the green vest couldn’t help but clench its paws and flick its tail, with a few veins popping on its forehead.

Behind it, chuckles emanated from the other mice that had gradually squeezed into the room.

”Hmm, okay, okay, Dangdang Ears... May I ask what brings you here so ’suddenly’ to our shop?” After throwing a Tranquility Talisman to calm down the restless ’merchandise’, the young wizard finally gathered his wits, looked down at the uninvited guests at his feet and voiced his inner question.

”Hm?” Dangdang Ears’s fierce gaze swept over the Tranquility Talisman Zheng Qing had just activated, and after detecting no harmful aura, the short hair on its neck gradually settled down.

Then it coughed twice, its tone becoming very serious, ”Tell the owner of your shop that someone important from the Mouse Clan will attend your opening ceremony, and we need you to do some preparatory work...”

Zheng Qing had no idea what the preparatory work involved.

But he was very clear about who the owner of the shop was.

”If there’s anything, just talk to me, I am the owner of this shop.” Zheng Qing said, supporting his knees with both hands, looking down at a group of clothed mice in front of him, his smile beaming.

Finally, as if to confirm his words, the young wizard stretched out a hand to point at the business license hanging on the wall.