High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 823: Chapter 171: An Invited Guest Usurps the Host’s Role

”Here! And here! Put up the flower baskets!”

”There’s a fruit pit under the table, are you all blind? Why aren’t you clearing it away!”

”And the carpet, the black carpet? Hurry up and spread it out! Do you really want the VIP to walk on mud?”

The little mouse in the green vest paced back and forth in the small shop with authoritative steps, hands clasped behind his back. He occasionally waved his arms, loudly organizing all the reception details.

A group of mice dressed in the same green vests closely surrounded him, and every now and then, a few mice dashed out to adjust the shop’s layout to the green-vested mouse’s liking.

Zheng Qing stood with his arms folded at one side of the counter, coolly observing everything.

Xin Fat Man stood on the other end of the counter, guarding rows of cages against the wall, cautiously watching every move of the uninvited guests. Fatty Cat, having left the hard countertop, now lay atop the fat man’s head, his mouth corners slightly lifted, indifferently watching the domineering mice, a hint of mockery on his plump feline face.

Ever since Ding Dang Ears had explained their purpose a few minutes ago, Zheng Qing and his partners had briefly consulted and then conditionally agreed to all the mice’s reasonable demands—they were guests after all, and they had every reason to request all this.

The distinct understanding finally fell apart after Ding Dang Ears arranged for the mice to spread black carpets inside and outside the shop. The young fund student had to clear his throat, stepping forward to block the path of the mice.

”Ahem,” he tiptoed, squatting on his heels, hands supporting himself on the ground, trying to look into Ding Dang Ears’ eyes from a lower angle, ”I need to remind you all... wizards don’t use black carpets. When they celebrate festivals, if they need carpets, they only use red ones.”

Ding Dang Ears, originally waving his arms and utterly spirited, froze his expression upon hearing this. It took a moment for him to turn his head and look at his companions in astonishment, ”Is that so?”

”It seems so.”

”Correct!”

”Yes, that’s exactly it, the Mouse Clan is different from the wizards.”

The mice around him nodded and muttered in agreement.

This conclusion made Ding Dang Ears’ face look rather displeased—especially when he thought of a particular huge office where the carpet was black, his mood got even worse.

But this wasn’t the underground world of the Rat Clan.

This was the surface, a world with a yellow moon and a red sun, the world of the wizards.

Living in such a world, the frail Rat Clan had to learn to compromise.

”Since that’s the case, let’s change to a red carpet then,” Ding Dang Ears reluctantly nodded, his long tail retracting from midair, wrapping twice around his waist and tying a knot.

Upon hearing this, several mice in green vests quickly rolled up the black carpet they had just laid out a few meters, rolled it into a barrel, and then carried it on their shoulders. They hurriedly left through a one-foot-high black hole expanded along the corner of the room. It wouldn’t take more than a few minutes before a busy group of green vest mice would be rushing back with a roll of red carpet.

After pointing out the aesthetic inconsistencies with the mice, Zheng Qing did not continue to intervene in their subsequent adjustment work. Instead, he stood straight, sighed, and looked around.

In the small shop, on those originally clean walls, there were occasionally one or two mice in red vests scurrying past—whether it was the baseboard at the bottom, the plaster statues at the top, the ceiling lights that twinkled softly, or the surfaces of furniture coated in dark purple lacquer—impressions of those red-vested mice were left everywhere.

When it saw a red-vested mouse kick over a mahogany stool and then leave several strange scratches on it with its tiny claws, the young sponsored student finally couldn’t suppress his curiosity and looked towards Dangdang Ears.

”Excuse me, may I ask what they are doing?” The warlock kindly offered his suggestion, ”Or rather, if they are looking for something, they could tell us... there’s no need to be so rough.”

”Them?” Dangdang Ears stretched its neck to look at the red-vested mouse next to the stool, snorted with its mouth cocked: ”Oh, they’re not part of our system... They belong to the internal guards, responsible for the security of important people.”

”You surely don’t think we wouldn’t conduct any safety checks before arranging for important people to visit your small shop, do you?”

Zheng Qing struggled to suppress the urge to roll his eyes—God knows how hard he had to work to refrain from commenting on the bizarre ideas of these little mice. His half-year career as a wizard had well trained his will, giving him enough patience to accept any seemingly odd routine matter in life.

Yes, it sounded strange.

But that was normal, wasn’t it? After all, this was the Wizard World.

Dangdang Ears paid no mind to the young wizard’s inner turmoil and continued to merrily arrange the welcoming duties for the green vest mice. Suddenly, it raised its head, looked towards Zheng Qing, and curiously asked, ”By the way, I’ve been really curious about how you met Ding Dong Ears. That little muddlehead seldom comes to the Wizard World ... and it seems you know me too? But I don’t recall ever meeting you.”

”It’s your eyes that look very familiar to me.”

Upon hearing this, Zheng Qing was stunned for a good while before he snapped back.

Indeed, whether he was dealing with Dangdang Ears or Ding Dong Ears, he had used the identity of the Black Cat. In particular with Dangdang Ears, at that time he had stealthily tracked it with a pair of bright red eyes, surely leaving a very deep impression.

And now, in the room, he wasn’t wearing sunglasses.

Still, being caught by such a minor detail by a little mouse always gave a peculiar feeling.

”Ah, the ways of a wizard, always this or that,” the young sponsored student mumbled vaguely, quickly shifting the topic: ”Excuse me, when is your important person likely to arrive? We are really pressed for time ...”

As he spoke, he put on an act of retrieving a silver pocket watch from inside his jacket, popped open the case, and stared at the ticking hands on the watch face, his eyebrows slightly furrowed: ”... It’s almost the end of Chen, less than a quarter hour left until Si Time.”

”Right, right, right, Si Time, a good day, Old Almanac!” Dangdang Ears’s attention was easily swayed by the young wizard, bustling with enthusiasm to explain: ”I remember talking about this with one short warlock and a Black Cat from your side before, you’ve chosen a good day ... favorable winds and waters, suitable for house moving, market opening, definitely a good day. But I’ve always wondered how you determine the right time, can you teach me?”

”If there’s still time!” A somewhat irritable voice came from the store entrance.

Doctor Xiao, holding his notebook, stood at the entrance, with his neck stretched long, looking towards Zheng Qing: ”If possible, I suggest you come outside now... some guests have already arrived. In the room, leave Xin and Tuan Tuan.”