High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 988: Chapter 50: Diplomatic Incident

”They know they stand out, right?”

While fixating on a few Duoni People’s figures, Zheng Qing whispered to Xiao Xiao. Being able to see living aliens from such a close distance was a very novel experience for him.

During the last hunting party, as a cost student, he originally had the chance to interact with those alien guests, but due to various reasons, he ultimately gave up his rights.

This time, those Duoni People approached him on their own, truly satisfying a part of his curiosity.

It felt like watching figures from paintings walking in reality.

Like him, numerous wizards assessed the Duoni People with curious yet somewhat impolite stares. The scenario was akin to the early 1980s when the country had just opened up, and a few black people appeared on the streets of a third-tier small city; not directly grabbing them for photos was already a very restrained behavior.

”With so many brains, they can definitely understand the situation,” Xin Fat Man responded behind him in a whiny voice, making Zheng Qing couldn’t help but chuckle.

”Merlin Above, why are there aliens in the market today? Is someone selling some treasure?” a vendor selling Houdou guessed in astonishment. He, like a few young wizards, noticed those robed and oddly shaped Duoni People not far away and immediately forgot his job, excitedly joining the onlookers in their discussions: ”Old John, have you heard anything?”

The last sentence was asked as he craned his neck to another vendor nearby—more fittingly called an old vendor—who sold live poultry. The poultry vendor had graying hair, a red nose, and looked like he drank excessively.

”I can only hear the Nine-headed Ghost Car flapping its wings,” Old John grumbled, complaining bitterly: ”Next time, next time someone catches a Ghost Car in the Dark Forest, even if it’s cheap, I won’t take it... even if it seems to have a good lineage, I don’t want it! Too temperamental! You should know, the last Chong Ming I got, and that Qi Tu, as tame as kittens!”

Despite saying this, the old vendor still stole glances at the passing Duoni People, while pushing the cage at his side out a bit and poking the Ghost Car in the cage with a small bamboo stick.

The Ghost Car’s two heads let out screechy, chaotic cries, fluttering their wings vigorously. Unsurprisingly, this commotion drew the gaze of the passing Duoni People.

Zheng Qing observed the entire process and was amazed at the vendor’s shrewdness and timing.

Although the bird at Old John’s stall was called a ’Ghost Car’, to Zheng Qing, it was merely a magical creature with a hint of Ghost Car lineage—it even had fewer heads than the honorary president parrot from First University, let alone a Nine-headed Ghost Car—and that didn’t stop the vendor from seizing the opportunity, exaggerating claims to create momentum and attract attention.

Unfortunately, it seemed the Duoni People had more important things to handle. After hearing Old John’s loud ’complaint’, they merely turned to glance at his cage twice before continuing on without hesitation.

This left Old John greatly discouraged, quietly dragging the cage that protruded half a meter from his stall back to its original place.

Zheng Qing also quietly withdrew his gaze with a chuckle.

”Multitasking, innate auxiliary brains,” he looked back at the few Duoni People, admiringly said, ”No matter how you look at it, that’s an enviable talent... truly amazing.”

”That’s not the most amazing part,” Xiao Xiao flipped through his notebook: ”There’s an unconfirmed human species, but various pieces of evidence suggest they’re very likely to exist.”

”Oh?”

”The Nao People could be considered a variant of the Danube people,” Xiao Xiao said while sizing up the group of Duoni People. ”Unlike ordinary humans, the Nao People consist of a single, very powerful brain. They inhabit a very safe world, abundant in nutrients, where, it is said, there is no air, only a fluid similar to amniotic fluid. When they leave their world, they choose stored alien genetic information, then produce a body suited to the external environment...”

”It sounds like a villain from a storybook,” Zheng Qing mused, his left hand cradling his elbow, right hand cupping his chin. His mind quickly filled with countless plots of espionage, conspiracy, and gossip.

”Who knows about these things,” Xiao Xiao tucked away his notebook but didn’t close the topic, ”When people’s attention is drawn to things that are conspicuous, they naturally overlook those that aren’t very conspicuous but are indeed significant.”

He muttered, his gaze sweeping past the Duoni People and settling on two short, plump figures behind them.

Zheng Qing followed Xiao Xiao’s gaze and quickly noticed the two plump figures as well.

Both were acquaintances.

One was Commissioner Andrew of the Trident Sword, and the other was the head of external affairs at Jiuyou Academy, Professor An, who had once taken Zheng Qing and others away from a brawl.

”Do all people with the surname An share this physique?” the young wizard muttered in an almost inaudible tone, then shook his head, dismissing the somewhat absurd idea.

Meanwhile, rumors that had been fermenting in the market followed the Duoni People’s entourage and began to spread.

”A child of the Duoni People has gone missing in Beta Town...”

”I heard someone saw a Black Wizard abduct the Duoni child into the North District...”

”This is alarming... Is there really a Black Wizard in the North District bold enough to do that?”

”It’s said that the Duoni envoy in Buji Island is furious and has formally raised the issue with the Mage Alliance... Claiming such vile acts of child abduction could spark a war!”

”Heh, a bunch of guys with knots on their heads, just bring it on; who’s afraid?”

”Easy for you to say, but if a fight starts, will the Forest Goods Market even be open? Who are we going to sell our stock to then?”

Amid the chatter of market vendors and customers, Zheng Qing tuned in to their conversations, eventually unable to resist pulling Xin Fat Man aside, ”How do these Duoni People know it was a Black Wizard who took their child? Could it just be a case of the child being lost?”

Xin Fat Man strenuously slapped away Zheng Qing’s hand, which was gripping his robe.

”Because there’s precedent,” Fat Man adjusted his robe and sighed, ”From any angle, the Duoni People, with their brain-dominated heads, possess high research value... The Mage Alliance initially interacted with the Duoni People because a Black Wizard stole their children, sparking conflicts.”

”And the laws of the Duoni People, including the joint statement signed when they established diplomatic relations with the Mage Alliance, strictly prohibit such cases,” Xiao Xiao chimed in from beside him, his tone very serious, ”This isn’t a minor issue, if it is true that a child of the Duoni People was abducted in Beta Town, it would be a diplomatic incident that alarms the Alliance.”