High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 857: Chapter 205: The Store Opening Event Concludes

”Of course, although there are various prejudices, I must still express my admiration for the bravery and decisiveness of you young people,”

”Just like the first gathering you had in my bar after the start of school.”

”In fact, when school started, I was very surprised when the bar manager mentioned that a group of young freshmen wanted to host a small gathering in my establishment. For one reason or another, it’s rare for students to hold events here. For this reason, I made a point of clearing out the bar’s patrons a morning in advance, allowing only the students from the school to stay inside... hoping we could have a good start.”

Perhaps the elderly like to ramble on, and wizards are no exception.

Listening to the wandering wizard’s incessant chatter, Zheng Qing’s gaze became somewhat distant, as if for a moment he had returned to the Wandering Bar six months earlier, back to the time he was writing talismans in public, back to his first effective interaction with the gypsy witches at the bar counter.

”Yes... just hoping for a good start,” the young state-funded student murmured to himself.

The elder wizard seemed to hear the young man’s words followed by his sorrow.

He smiled slightly, his gaze falling on the D&K front window.

”So, this start certainly shouldn’t include mutual wariness, right?” The wandering wizard raised his arm, pointed at the window, and asked with a grin, ”I see you’ve covered that beautiful display window with blinds... it’s not to prevent the big green frog that watches the entrance of the Wandering Bar from coveting the mice in your shop, is it?”

”Of course not... frogs don’t eat mice, right?” Hearing the elder wizard’s half-joking words, Zheng Qing instantly refocused his attention from elsewhere, chuckling a few times.

He certainly couldn’t say that the Absolution Hunting Team installed heavy blinds on the window precisely because they didn’t want to see the façade of the Wandering Bar, nor the dangerous wizards coming and going from it—as D&K’s neighbors had done.

He could only laugh dryly, forcing an explanation, ”The blinds are because of the shop’s Feng Shui issue... its orientation isn’t too good, the sunlight is a bit glaring... we have raised some small mice in our store, and we plan to keep some flesh-eating beetles as well. They are creatures that loathe the sunlight.”

The wandering wizard raised his eyebrows, glanced at the sun that couldn’t be seen even as a shadow outside the window, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. Clearly, he was disappointed with the young wizard’s excuse.

”Indeed, he’s a clever kid,” he responded perfunctorily, stretching out his thin palm to pat the young state-funded student’s shoulder gently a few times, as if in approval, yet also as if in mockery.

Zhang Ji Xin looked on nervously at the elderly man’s thin palm, as if the next moment, the leader of the Absolution Hunting Team was about to be patted into mush.

Unlike the overly tense elder, Doctor Xiao was as composed as ever. He even had the leisure to discuss with the two mice on his shoulder in a low voice about the different qualities of flesh-eating beetle meat, protein content, and other details, causing Li Meng to frown repeatedly, disgustedly hiding behind Jiang Yu.

As for Xin Fat Man, ever since the wandering wizard handed him the box of pastries, including Poseidon, the other cats in the shop had all crowded around as well. A group of foodies staring at the box’s exquisite designs, sniffing the sweet scent that could be detected even through the paper, seemed completely entranced.

During the conversation, Zheng Qing had already taken the wandering wizard for a spin around the shop.

After a brief tour, the elder wizard seemed ready to leave.

Just as he was escorting him out, close to the shop’s entrance, Zheng Qing looked around and, noticing that the others were several paces behind, finally mustered up the courage to ask quietly, ”That is... if I may be so bold, might our shop have the honor of asking you to draw a few talismans for us?”

When opening a shop, wizards often choose renowned wizards to draw talismans and consecrate the shop to ward off evil and avert calamity. It’s a tradition that is neither major nor minor.

Compared to the wandering wizard, Zheng Qing should have had better options.

For instance, the Dean of Jiuyou Academy, Dean Yao, or Su Meiren from the Moon Council, or even that elder school worker from the School Works Committee would do.

But every time the young state-funded wizards thought of a certain secret rumor circulating among the nearby streets and alleys, they felt deeply uneasy. After discussing with his peers, the young state-funded wizard finally mustered his courage and made a request to the Wandering Wizard.

The Wandering Wizard looked the young wizard up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.

He remained silent for a long time.

It wasn’t until Zheng Qing began to feel uneasy and was about to make a joke to gloss over the topic that the Wandering Wizard slowly spoke up, ”I have not set up any Feng Shui arrays in my own shop to damage the wealth of the surrounding shops.”

Clearly, the elder wizard saw through the young wizard’s intentions at a glance, ”So, your idea of ’the bell caller must untie the bell’ is fundamentally flawed from the outset.”

Zheng Qing, still young, had his inner thoughts exposed, and his face immediately flushed red; he couldn’t help but look back, seemingly seeking support from his companions.

Those young wizards behind him, who had previously been all ears to this side’s activity, withdrew their attention like frightened rabbits, returning to chatting, sweeping, or drooling over pastries just as they had been doing.

For a time, the noise in the shop inexplicably grew several degrees louder.

This made the young state-funded wizard even more embarrassed, resolving that next time he certainly would not engage in such forward behavior.

The Wandering Wizard did not let the youth suffer further, instead, he waved his hand and said with a laugh, ”Naturally, I could draw a few talismans for you, as a gesture of goodwill... that would not be a difficult task. However, I cannot do that.”

It’s not that he didn’t want to, but that he couldn’t.

Zheng Qing couldn’t help but glance at the elder wizard, a look of confusion on his face.

He truly didn’t understand what could possibly stop the renowned Wandering Wizard from simply drawing a few talismans in the shop?

The Wandering Wizard didn’t directly respond to the warlock’s confusion, but instead suddenly brought up another matter:

”Earlier today, I saw a Yellow Flowered Cat pass by your door... I haven’t seen it in many years... Its appearance made me realize many things.”

Zheng Qing immediately understood whom the elder was referring to.

His expression became a few degrees more serious.

The Wandering Wizard didn’t pay attention to the young warlock’s expression, but his voice became even fainter, so much so that even though Zheng Qing was less than a step away, he almost couldn’t hear what he was saying.

”...You are big trouble, very big trouble... I am just a simple businessman... Businessmen always dislike trouble. We cannot get too entangled with trouble.”

”Just like the king squids at the bottom of the sea, getting too entangled would drag you into a world where you can never see the sun.”

”I would rather deal with those old folks who are eyeing the Black Prison than get involved in such trouble.”