High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2683: Chapter 904: Bait

The Fat Cat’s eyes clearly brightened upon hearing that the wound wouldn’t heal until tomorrow morning.

Zheng Qing cautiously glanced at it.

Xiao Xiao also noticed the plump cat’s eagerness and used the feather pen to lift up a hanging end of the bandage, curiously observing: ”This bandage of yours doesn’t look like an ordinary item...”

Zheng Qing clucked his tongue and rewrapped the white bandage around his arm.

The enticing scent to the cat instantly vanished without a trace, and the Fat Cat’s expression visibly drooped. It reluctantly stood on its hind legs and tried to claw off the bandage, but the moment its paws touched the bandage, an uncontrollable look of disgust appeared on its face, as if shocked, and it jumped backward.

”Just like that.”

Zheng Qing nodded in satisfaction, pointing at the Fat Cat still rubbing its paws on the ground: ”I don’t know what magic is infused in this bandage— Thomas told me it’s made by a family that specializes in making shrouds for Egyptian Pharaohs. To protect the Pharaohs’ remains, Egyptian wizards came up with many intricate spells, but I suspect he’s boasting. At most, this bandage uses some principles from the shrouds in its making— but it truly can mask the scent of flesh and blood, as well as relieve pain, dispel curses, and repel those with ill intent... If not for this bandage, I doubt I could have returned safely.”

Meow!~

The Fat Cat shook its paw, growling discontentedly from a distance.

Unfortunately, the three warlocks didn’t pay attention to its fury, including Xin Fat Man.

Compared to the Fat Cat’s howling, the Fat Wizard was more interested in a particular detail in Zheng Qing’s recent description: ”Why didn’t you sign in the office building? Relatively speaking, the office building should be a safer place...”

He flicked the piece of parchment in Zheng Qing’s hand, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity. Under the external stimulus, the parchment once again emitted swirling golden runes.

These runes effectively diverted the Fat Cat’s attention.

Zheng Qing let down his robe sleeve, moved his arm, and answered lightly: ”You noticed that too, right? Thomas said it’s because the office is crowded and people talk a lot... well, or rather, there are too many prying eyes and discussing such secretive matters is inconvenient. Moreover, at that time, everyone was busy due to the incident in Silent Forest, and the timing wasn’t appropriate.”

”Thomas said?” Xiao Xiao keenly noticed the subtle attitude in Zheng Qing’s wording: ”It sounds like you’re not very convinced by his explanation?”

Zheng Qing hesitated for a few seconds.

Emotionally, it felt quite inappropriate to suspect Thomas, who had once saved his life at Great Ming Pavilion, but truth be told, he felt a slight unease at Thomas’s abrupt ’suggestion’ tonight.

Only because this ’unease’ lacked sufficient reasoning to be convincing.

Therefore, he worried that expressing his suspicions would only lead his companions to mock him for being paranoid, reminiscent of the conversations they had after leaving the Korma pub during the prohibition festival.

Surprisingly though, before he could figure out how to answer the question from the doctor, the Fat Wizard next to him spoke up.

”I also think it’s a bit strange.”

Xin Fat Man had finished eating that box of cake babies and, holding a cup of strong tea from who knows where, took a small sip, frowned, and smacked his lips: ”Whether it’s signing the risk contract or carving a small piece of flesh from Mr. Zha, doing it outside always feels a bit off. There are so many offices in the building; I can’t believe there aren’t any empty rooms...”

”It’s indeed a bit suspicious.”

Xiao Xiao nodded slightly, then turned to Zheng Qing: ”Since you found it suspicious, why did you still agree to his suggestion outright? You could have postponed it until tomorrow and submitted that application at a safer time and place.”

Zheng Qing involuntarily touched his bandaged arm.

After a while.

He then chuckled bitterly: ”There’s no way to guard against a thief for a thousand days. The ancients knew ’one must enter the tiger’s den to catch the tiger cub,’ it’s unreasonable for me to just hide all day long... Instead of being anxious every day, it’s better to use bait to lure them out while I’m still at school and can rely on the school’s strength.”

Though he spoke of ’relying on the school’s strength,’ he was internally thinking of whether he could use this potential crisis to get the professor to show up.

Since the start of the year, he had visited San You Bookstore multiple times but never saw the old man, nor even the Yellow Flowered Cat, which made him feel uncertain in whatever he did.

”Guard against a thief for a thousand days? Hiding?”

Xiao Xiao sharply caught Zheng Qing’s unfinished thoughts, raised his eyebrows, and spoke in a more serious tone: ”Who do you want to catch? Do you suspect that Assistant Thomas is related to the crows?”

”Crows?”

Xin Fat Man looked surprised at the empty cake box he had eaten, his expression shifting unpredictably—Zheng Qing thought he’d get furious— but after hesitating for a moment, the Fat Wizard began seriously pinching his own muscles, from biceps to triceps, deltoid, all the way to his round belly.

As he pinched, he muttered: ”Mr. Zha, how long did it take for you to notice changes in your body? Any special reactions? Magic power? My base strength should be higher than yours, right?”

Zheng Qing rubbed his forehead.

”Those experiments with the crows are very dangerous, don’t forget the fate of the Black Wizard Walter we chased during winter break. My situation is quite unique, not something you should reference! Plus, those cake babies were nutrition supplies Thomas provided based on the risk contract, he wouldn’t dare tamper with them at the risk of angering the contract.”

After reminding the Fat Wizard, Zheng Qing turned to Xiao Xiao:

”Also, I never said Thomas is definitely a crow... He might be misled, unknowingly acting as a broker for the crows, or it could be that I’m just imagining things, my paranoia acting up again. After all, it’s catching rabbits while cutting grass situation—any success is a gain... Of course, agreeing to Thomas isn’t entirely to lure those crows either.”

Saying this, he took out a small glass bottle from the grey cloth bag. The bottle was filled with a deep-colored liquid that whirled and leapt along the smooth transparent bottle wall like a living creature.

Zheng Qing tapped the glass bottle with his fingertips, nodding contentedly: ”This will last for a while. I almost missed the Trident Sword mission this month... I hadn’t noticed before, but when I needed it these past days, I found that even drawing a little of my own blood had become increasingly difficult. Using less force couldn’t puncture the skin, using more was quite painful... really painful! Very painful!”

He seemed to recall some terrible memory and shook his head vigorously.

”In any case, tonight’s matter is a win-win for me!” He raised the bottle of the liquid as if seeing a stream of clear jade coins flowing down from the sky.