High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1091: Chapter 153: Old Acquaintance

This Black Mountain Goat was very familiar to Zheng Qing; it was the very one raised by Lin Guo, the youngest enrollee in First University, currently studying at Alpha Academy and the manager of the Absolution Hunting Team.

On normal days, one could occasionally see Lin Guo riding the Black Mountain Goat on Pedestrian Street.

However, it was the first time Zheng Qing had heard the Black Mountain Goat speak. But looking at the goat’s expression and manner while it was ”speaking,” it did not seem like it truly could talk, rather it seemed to be the result of some magic Lin Guo had used.

Zheng Qing’s gaze swept over the goat’s head to look behind, but he did not see Lin Guo’s figure.

Just as he was puzzled, the Black Mountain Goat spoke up again, bleating twice before Lin Guo’s anxious shout came from its mouth, ”Quick, close the gates and shut the shop! The patrol team from Alpha Fortress is heading your way!! Hurry and close the door!”

Zheng Qing stared doubtfully at the Black Mountain Goat, then turned to glance at Xin Fat Man, tentatively asking, ”He’s not just teasing us, right...? I’ve not seen him indulge in such bad taste on normal days.”

As today was April 1st, Zheng Qing had already been pranked more than once since morning. Thus, his initial reaction to this abnormality was that Lin Guo was playing a joke on him.

Sharing his skepticism, Xin Fat Man and Zhang Ji Xin, who were also in the shop, held reservations about the Black Mountain Goat’s message.

”Maybe it’s real,” Xin Fat Man mumbled with a Feather Pen in one hand and holding a piece of Parchment with the other, lifting his head to look at the Black Mountain Goat stuck in the doorway, smacking his lips, ”Or it could be fake.”

”No kidding,” Zhang Ji Xin muttered a curse under his breath and set the Fat Cat down from his arms, stood up, and walked towards the doorway, ”Real or fake, this goat has damaged our door... and is now stuck in the doorway. Is this how you run a business?”

Brought to his senses by Zhang Ji Xin’s outcry, Zheng Qing shouted and sprang up, running towards the doorway as well.

The Fat Cat that had just left Zhang Ji Xin’s embrace was startled by the warlock’s shout, its tail shot up, and it arched its back high, hissing a threatening sound.

The Black Mountain Goat also got a fright from Zheng Qing’s movement, instinctively tilting its head back.

This only made it more firmly wedged in place.

Zheng Qing and Zhang Ji Xin, while helping the Black Goat to get free, intermittently heard the goat repeating the same words it had said earlier, like a broken record—making the warlocks increasingly feel as though this was a poorly executed prank.

Most importantly, the patrol team from Alpha Fortress had no reason to come looking for trouble in this small shop. Zheng Qing asked himself, as his shop operated legally and paid taxes according to law, and hadn’t engaged in any illegal activities. Even though relations between Jiuyou and Alpha had been somewhat tense lately, surely it hadn’t escalated to this extent.

All these speculations and guesses came to an end when Zheng Qing helped the Black Mountain Goat out of its predicament and led it onto the street.

Because not far from D&K, several students from Alpha clad in white robes and wearing the patrol team insignia were inquiring about something at the corner. Hearing the clatter of the goat’s hooves, one of the white-robed students turned around and happened to see Zheng Qing standing at the shop’s entrance. A look of considerable joy appeared on his face as he shouted, ”There he is!!”

The other white-robed ones, upon hearing this, turned around, spotted Zheng Qing, and with a shout, rushed toward him like the wind.

Zheng Qing had not yet collected his wits when a white figure ’swooshed’ up to his face.

”Zheng Qing?” the white-robed one looked at the warlock in front of him through his nostrils, using an interrogative tone, but his voice was very sure.

Zheng Qing cocked his head sideways, eyeing the familiar, pallid face in front of him, and with a tug of his lips, said, ”Isn’t that a rhetorical question... What, looking for another fight?”

While speaking, his fingers already reached into the grey cloth bag at his waist, ready to pull out a gun at the slightest provocation.

Standing before him was Arthur Ness, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time. Since the brawl at the beginning of last semester that Zheng Qing and others had with Arthur, Mr. Ness had seemingly vanished, rumored to have been sidelined by the Blood Comrades.

Somehow he had gotten involved with the Alpha Academy’s enforcement squad, looking every part the high-ranking officer with a few subordinates at hand. Piecing together the earlier message from Black Mountain Goat, Zheng Qing felt a sinking feeling in his heart, knowing the other party bore ill-will.

Upon hearing the commotion outside the store, Zhang Season Letter, who had already retreated indoors, stepped back out. Accompanying him were Xin Fat Man, the accountant Hank the Fox Five, and Doctor Xiao, who had remained in the back storehouse making notes.

”What’s the matter? What’s going on?” As soon as Zhang Ji Xin caught sight of Arthur Ness, he didn’t utter another word, quickly putting on his knuckle-dusters and raising his voice, ”Are you here to settle a personal vendetta, looking for trouble?”

Amid his clamor, the windows of shops number 97 left and right on Pedestrian Street opened one after another, with onlookers sticking out their heads to gossip. The sparse passersby also paused, showing keen interest in the confrontation between those in the red and white robes.

Even the owner of the Wandering Bar across the way, the elder wizard in grey robes, had brought out a small stool to squat at his storefront, ready to enjoy the show.

In the face of the chaotic scene, Arthur Ness turned his head with remarkable calm and said to a witch holding a notepad beside him:

”Zheng Qing has threatened a member of the enforcement squad with a ’fight,’ deduct ten points; Zhang Season Letter has also made a threatening gesture, counting as provocation, another deduction. And...”

As he spoke, he turned to glance at the shop’s doorway.

The members of Ding Ding Finance and Pest Control Company glared furiously at him but kept silent. Arthur Ness sighed slightly in disappointment, then noticed the damaged shop door and added, ”Also, the shop door is damaged and not promptly repaired, affecting the image of Beta Town, which does not comply with the ’Beta Town Management Regulations’ established by Alpha Fortress, so let’s take off ten points for that as well. Hmm, deduct them from the shop’s owner... Who is the owner of this establishment?”

The last question was directed at Zheng Qing, who was standing a few paces away.

Zheng Qing clenched his teeth, squeezing out a cold sneer: ”Hmph, playing dumb are we... I am the owner.”

”Oh,” Arthur Ness feigned a look of understanding, then waved his hand, indicating for the witch to take note, ”Since that’s the case, those ten points will be deducted from Zheng Qing. Given that he is a state-supported student of Jiuyou Academy, recipient of the Merlin Medal, and bearer of the Great Arcana ’World’ title, he wouldn’t mind such a trivial deduction, right?”

With each title of Zheng Qing’s that he mentioned, he deliberately paused, giving Zheng Qing a perfectly timed questioning look.

Precisely ten points worth of punchable.

Zheng Qing took a deep breath, slowly exhaling.

Then he inhaled deeply again, exhaling once more.

After a few repetitions, he finally reined in the raging anger deep inside and, gritting his teeth, said sarcastically, ”So, is Mr. Ness visiting our humble shop today just to check if the store’s door is intact?”