High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1961: Chapter 182: Autumn Equinox

As September drew to a close, with the school hunting party looming closer, the school hunting competition reform plan also became increasingly clear and gradually took shape.

Under guidance from various dimensions—including the Beta Town Post, club leaders, and the school—more and more classmates started shifting their focus from whether to reform and why, to more specific issues.

For instance, what’s the plan for the Hunting Committee to select the qualified hunting teams from the possibly hundreds of teams?

And, how can we ensure the fairness and justice of the selection plan? Originally, promotion through a cyclic hunting competition provided each hunting team with a certain margin for error, offering them a chance to make up for any mistakes, does the new plan have such reliable designs?

Moreover, if everyone participates in the hunting competition, what about volunteer services? Should the hunting dance, hunting art exhibition, and other spin-off activities of the school hunting competition still be held? With a significant increase in the number of injured during the hunting competition, can the school hospital prepare enough therapists? Will the large purchase of talismans and potions by many hunting teams disturb Buji Island’s market stability, affecting the normal teaching order? Has there been any change in the school’s policy regarding registered hunting teams?

One question after another was collected and conveyed to the student council and the Hunting Committee. Then, each class monitor and each hunting team leader were called together again and again to discuss answers to these questions. The school rarely participated in the entire process. Even if they were present, it was only a few teaching assistants and members of the School Works Committee, and they never seized the students’ right to speak.

Just three days into the fourth week, Zheng Qing had already attended six meetings.

Once every noon and night.

On Wednesday night, when Zheng Qing once again came out of the large conference room in the student council office building, the young cost student, dazed from exhaustion, finally no longer hesitated. He didn’t go to the library to do homework; instead, he went straight back to his dormitory, hid in his bed, and poured himself a vial of the transformation potion.

He needed peace.

The familiar scent of the potion spread in his mouth.

Within just a few seconds, a black cat leaped down from Zheng Qing’s bed, lightly jumping onto the large desk in the dormitory. Raising its tail, it walked to the resting Tuan Tuan’s side.

”Hey, remember to leave the window open for me tonight. I’ll bring you a drumstick tomorrow,” the black cat adeptly lifted a paw, patting Fat Cat Tuan Tuan on the head to remind him.

The response was a fierce growl from the throat after raising an eyelid.

The black cat felt this was Tuan Tuan’s way of agreeing, so it happily bid farewell to the sprites and set off from the balcony through the window, cheering towards the freedom of the new world.

As soon as the black cat left, the napping Tuan Tuan sneered, suddenly sprang up, rushed to the balcony, locking every openable window tight.

Zheng Qing did not know that the door to go back home behind him had already been closed.

He was strolling around the campus contentedly, with the blue stone slab underneath exuding a pleasant coolness, stepping on it made him feel invigorated. But the greater joy for the black cat was stepping on different fallen leaves with each step and occasionally greeting the squirrels clutching chestnuts scurrying overhead.

Even though the squirrels didn’t pay him any attention, it didn’t affect the black cat’s good mood.

Today, Zheng Qing’s destination was still the Cat Fruit Tree. Under the flattery of a group of cats, he should be able to quickly shake off the recent annoyance and fatigue.

However, today, after transforming into a cat and leaving, he didn’t greet Jiang Yu. On one hand, it was just past eight in the evening, the time when many students are studying hard in the library, so Zheng Qing didn’t want to disturb the witch’s study out of boredom; on the other hand, today was the autumn equinox.

Autumn Equinox, Year of the Yi Chou, Gui You Month, Xin Chou Day.

The fifth day of the eighth lunar month.

Favorable for moving, receiving certificates, and topping a beam.

Unfavorable for travel.

The topping a beam in the old almanac has nothing to do with cats climbing trees, but traveling in the old almanac has very rich meanings. Long trips count as travel, and short trips also count as travel. Although Zheng Qing doesn’t entirely believe in these ancient mystic taboos, in certain circumstances, he is still willing to show them some respect.

For instance, when it involves Jiang Yu, some bad omens are better to believe in.

The autumn equinox has arrived, thunder has ceased, insects burrow, plants turn yellow.

The nighttime temperature dropped very quickly, even before midnight, the chill in the air was already very significant. When Zheng Qing reached the Cat Fruit Tree, amidst the lush canopy, each cat fruit was already hanging on the branches like usual, basking in the increasingly dense moonlight.

The black cat did not disturb its subordinates.

Silently climbing up the tree, reaching its ’throne,’ it swept a few mating autumn bugs off the throne with its tail, letting out a satisfactory sigh and lay down.

The autumn moonlight was cold as water as it watched the Vega and Altair stars.

After a brief nap, hearing the snoring that rose and fell by its ears, watching the dim stars overhead, at a certain moment, when the black cat returned to its senses, it regretted not calling the little white cat out.

Being alone as a cat was indeed a bit boring.

It estimated the time with its paw, roughly half-past nine at night, normally the library’s study rooms should start gradually emptying.

Just as it hesitated about whether to send a paper crane, out of the corner of its eye, it caught sight of two familiar figures scurrying past under a sycamore tree not far away.

Surprised, it flicked its tail, widened its eyes, and moved to the edge of the throne. The advantage of being high up was a very broad view; although many trees in the forest and branches obscured part of the view, Zheng Qing eventually confirmed what he had just glimpsed.

It was Ding Dang Ears and Ding Dong Ears—the subordinates of the Rat Immortal, employees of D&K, currently the only two surviving Mouse People in the Wizard World.

However, the two figures Zheng Qing saw were not the Mouse People he remembered but were in the previous appearances of the Ears Brother, two little mice in green vests.

Zheng Qing never knew that Mouse People could turn back into little mice. But considering the talents of werewolves and vampires, this ability didn’t seem that unacceptable.

While these thoughts flashed through his mind, the black cat propped itself up, eyes locked on the two little mice sneaking along the edge of the shrub, pondering whether to go down and say hello.

Several big cats near the throne—including that Norwegian Forest Cat and the grown-up Ragdoll Cat—noticed their leader’s actions, stopped snoring one after another, turned over and stood up, lazily stretching.

The night is indeed the time when these feline animals are active, especially when they have rested for a long time; any slightest disturbance can pique their full interest.

”You all hang around the tree, don’t move, I’ll go catch a few little mice for you.” The black cat stopped its subordinates’ diligence, talking nonsense, leapt and jumped to the ground.

The several big cats looked at each other.

Although they couldn’t understand what the black cat just said, they grasped its spirit, slowly returning to the branches, turning back into fruit.