High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2710: Chapter 931: You Need a Bit of Rationality

Zheng Qing is not Lord Guan Er.

He doesn’t have the courage to accept the pain of scraping bones to heal poison with an unchanging expression.

So, when he realized Thomas’s intentions, he immediately abandoned his previous passive approach, urging the Gem Cat to hurry out and find help, while frantically calling for the only assistance he could directly contact in his heart.

That being the tenant in his ear.

Honestly, having the Little Green Snake, an entity with a hint of an ancient being’s concept, handle such a trivial matter is like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito. But now that the mosquito had crawled into his cerebral cortex, he couldn’t care less.

However, no matter how he called in his heart,

The Little Green Snake remained unmoved, as if it had fallen into a deep spring laziness.

This lazy attitude had been going on for a long time, just like last time in the North District, even though Zheng Qing fell into the trap of the Sandbox Mini World, he hadn’t expected help from this big shot—on that day, the Little Green Snake had emerged on its own without Zheng Qing’s request or urging, chasing the ravens whose aura rivaled that of a Big Wizard, biting wildly at them.

Perhaps annoyed by the urging, the gigantic figure under the Tree of Forbidden Curse impatiently tossed over a few thoughts—

”Will you die?”

”No, but...”

”Am I your nanny?”

”No, but...”

”Why so many ’but’, ’but’, ’but’! Every time I shed my skin, it hurts like dying, and no one gives me anesthetics! My future is destined to be completely obliterated, have you ever cared? No, you haven’t; you’re only concerned about whether you’re in pain now! If peeling off some flesh could let my future exist, I’m willing to strip all the flesh and blood from my bones... uh, wait, flesh and blood from bones? Hmm... let me think...”

The last thought was heavy and complex, leaving Zheng Qing so chest-tightened that he could hardly stand.

Thomas, however, mistook it for fear.

”Don’t be so nervous, I’m just going to take a bit of flesh and blood from you, a very small piece, just think of it as if you fell.” He comforted, gesturing with a small knife around a peanut-sized area, while his eyes roamed over Zheng Qing, as if contemplating where to cut would be more fitting.

Zheng Qing felt no comfort at all.

”You can’t lose a peanut-sized piece of flesh just from a fall.” He muttered with a gloomy face, glancing towards the direction of the lab door.

”That depends on how you fall.”

Thomas didn’t seem to notice the boy’s glance, continuing to wipe a needle with alcohol nonchalantly: ”Besides, not using anesthetic has its advantages... I remember you’re graduating this semester, right? Then you should start preparing for the registered wizard advancement ceremony, getting used to this kind of pain ahead of time will be very helpful for your advancement. A wizard’s progression is actually akin to the metamorphosis of life, like a silkworm breaking out of its cocoon, or a young dragon hatching; it’s a painful and struggling process... Moreover, without anesthesia, you will remain conscious, feel free to ask me anything out of curiosity, I’ll answer everything I can... Lie down, I’ll take a little blood first... Rest assured, the blood will be used for its exclusive purpose, no need to worry about me playing tricks with your blood...”

”Does worrying help?”

Zheng Qing grumbled, dragging his feet to delay time, but was caught off guard when he suddenly felt weightless underfoot, his whole body floating lightly, like a dry leaf landing on the shiny experiment table he had wiped.

Magic is so annoying.

He turned his face, looking at the snake-like ropes sliding over him, binding him firmly to the experiment table, and sighed heavily.

”How about some music? It’s said to help you relax a bit more emotionally.” Thomas gave a very considerate suggestion as he inserted the needle into Zheng Qing’s arm.

It seems the mere physical defenses are still quite limited.

Zheng Qing watched as the needle silently pierce his tense skin, feeling a tiny, unsurprising twinge of disappointment.

”It sounds more like you just want me to bleed more.” He laughed at himself, recalling a news article he read about how cows produced more milk when listening to music.

A tinge of deep red slowly left Zheng Qing’s body, quietly flowing through the transparent tube.

At the same time.

A beautiful, melodious piece of music began to flow through the air.

Zheng Qing turned his head, listening silently for a moment.

”Is this Beethoven?”

He tried to divert Thomas’s attention, thus strived to dig up his insignificant classical music reserves. Although he knew some musician names, at that moment, with the tune filling the lab, the only things he could think of were Beethoven and his ”Destiny.”

Thomas, keeping his head down while catching the first drop of blood on a glass slide, denied the boy’s guess indifferently: ”It’s by Master Bach. His style is easy to recognize, rational and rigorous, quite different from Master Beethoven’s romantic passion.”

Zheng Qing sniffled.

”You do need some rationality.”

He quietly muttered a sarcastic remark, observing Thomas sliding the glass under the microscope, he swiftly swallowed his words and gave a side glance.

The Gem Cat had quietly sneaked its way close to the lab door.

”He’s always this contradictory, don’t take it to heart.”

A pleasant, husky voice suddenly sounded from behind a white curtain not far away: ”The unique charm of starry men lies in their love for rationality and impulsive actions. Just like Bach, if he were truly rational, he wouldn’t have had twenty children...”

Zheng Qing held his breath instinctively, looking towards the white curtain, filled with wondering if the person behind had noticed his little action.

”... You mentioned Beethoven just now, so I bet you thought of Beethoven’s ’Destiny,’ right?”

The slightly husky voice continued from the white curtain: ”I like the piece ’Destiny’ too... it begins with a short motif and ends with a long one, akin to the lament of every soul struggling desperately after falling. Bewildered, helpless, pained. Until the end. Ultimately, if it ends in death, that long motif serves as a requiem; if it survives, that long motif is a hymn.”

Thomas’s hand slightly paused over the knob he was adjusting.

Zheng Qing also momentarily forgot about his Gem Cat, instinctively opening his mouth: ”Who’s there?... Who’s behind that curtain? This kind of thing you can tell me now, right!”

His last sentence was directed at Thomas, speaking as he raised his arm to reveal the thin red tube. Just now, Thomas had promised to answer his questions.

But in the next second, a sharp and loud cry echoed in his ears.

He turned his head abruptly, trying to raise his neck to see the source of the scream. He saw a little Gem Cat clinging to the shiny doorknob of the lab, its tiny front paws clutching to the slick metal, tail coiled tight, seemingly on the verge of falling.

And below the little cat was a rattlesnake as thick as an arm.

He hadn’t noticed when a snake slithered into the lab!

Hiss, hiss!

The rattlesnake wagged its tail, flicking its tongue, eyes keenly fixed on the terribly frightened Gem Cat. Seeming to sense the gaze behind, its tail gave a pause, head cocked slightly, then shot out like an arrow from a bow, mouth open wide, swallowing the small cat whole.

Ah!

This time, Zheng Qing screamed out in shock.