High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 917: Chapter 265 Zheng Qing’s Pocket Watch

Three hours, not particularly long, yet not particularly short either.

When Zheng Qing finished writing a complete set of runes, it was nearing noon. He put down his talisman pen, stretched lazily, and stood up, cracking his fingers, neck, and shoulders. After going through the routines of ”Unarmed,” he finally felt at ease and let out a long sigh.

It had been a long time since he had spent so much energy writing a full set of talismans. He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but after finishing, not only did Zheng Qing not feel too exhausted, he actually felt refreshed and invigorated.

After stretching, he placed his hand on that neither thick nor thin talisman scroll, feeling the slightly slippery texture of the yellow paper surface, and a sense of satisfaction surged in his heart.

”You’re simply amazing!” he quietly praised himself, then immediately looked around cautiously, afraid that someone had noticed his embarrassing act.

Fortunately, he chose a seat tucked between several bookshelves. Besides possibly seeing students passing by near the window, no one else was in sight. Naturally, no one would jump out and mock a young fee-paying student for being narcissistic.

While wandering about, Zheng Qing casually reached into his grey cloth bag and took out the silvery pocket watch.

This was a habit he had recently developed.

These days, while revising his lessons, he would occasionally pull out the watch and prod the face with his finger, hoping that one day his fingers could penetrate the glass like Mr. Wu’s did, allowing him to turn back the hour or minute hands of the watch.

Of course, he knew that this was just wishful thinking. Without strong magic powers and the correct method of use, he could not easily pull back the timeline.

But just like those who bought lottery tickets or gamblers entering casinos, what if he succeeded? Moreover, he had an advantage over those gamblers, as poking a finger on a pocket watch didn’t cost him a copper coin.

Perhaps it was his relentless spirit that moved it.

But more likely, it was simply annoyed.

Today, when Zheng Qing once again took out the silver pocket watch from the grey cloth bag, habitually poking it, the silver cover that had just been opened suddenly snapped back in place.

”Click!”

”Damn it!!!”

The crisp sound of the cover closing, accompanied by the student’s faint scream, broke the tranquility of the library.

Zheng Qing looked around nervously, fearing that the library’s octopuses might leap out from some corner and drag him away, while cautiously withdrawing his finger from beneath the cover.

As expected, a deep imprint of a blood streak appeared on his finger.

Just as if it had been bitten by a toothless mouse.

The warlock kissed his own finger, lifted the watch towards the light, and examined it dubiously.

This had never happened before.

Until now, the cover of this watch had been manually opened and closed, and it wasn’t equipped with any mechanism, or adorned with any magic runes or arrays. Logically, it shouldn’t have closed on its own, much less ”bite.”

Dazed for a few seconds, the pocket watch remained motionless in his palm, as usual.

Zheng Qing hesitated and then tried pressing the button near the loop—this was the switch of the watch, under normal circumstances, a slight press should pop the cover open—but today, no matter how he pressed, the silver cover did not move at all, as if the spring inside was jammed due to rust.

The young fee-paying student raised his eyebrows, pressing harder than before.

Perhaps it was irritated by the constant pressing.

Suddenly, a furious white face appeared on the silvery white cover of the pocket watch.

(▼ᴗ▼#)

”Excuse me!” the white face spoke in a faint voice, ”If you don’t intend to check the time, could you please stop poking my belly?! It’s very ticklish! Poking it too much can disturb my sense of time! It is a great disrespect to time!!!”

The weak roar mixed with the watch’s ticking sound made it particularly strange.

Zheng Qing blinked his eyes.

Having encountered talking mirrors, cursing watering cans, and Crane’s Beak Hoes, and deceitful Stick Figures, the sight of a pocket watch shouting at him did not scare him.

At most, he was just somewhat surprised that his pocket watch had suddenly started speaking.

”You can talk?” the young cost student asked, calm yet somewhat rude.

”How novel!” the face on the watch seemed to roll its eyes—a gesture that needed careful observation to notice, considering its silvery-white face. Zheng Qing guessed this from its rolling eyelids and the downward turn of its mouth.

After rolling its eyes, the pocket watch continued, ”... In the Magical World, is a talking pocket watch such a rarity?”

”Not really rare, but why did you suddenly start talking today?” Zheng Qing ignored the watch’s complaint and continued analyzing calmly—now, he had to try very hard to keep from grinning too broadly.

Regardless, the abrupt change in the pocket watch was a matter for happiness.

”Because I’m usually busy calculating and have no time to talk!” the silver watch continued with a sullen tone.

”Got time today?”

”Must make time.” The watch’s eyes squished into triangles, and its mouth formed an upset expression, ”I must remind you, pocket watches are for watching time, not for poking!”

”If you wanted to poke something, why didn’t you buy a squeaky chicken?”

”A squeaky chicken is for squeezing, not poking.” Zheng Qing kindly reminded.

”Is that the point?!” the watch’s eyes slit angrily (╬￣皿￣), ”This watch seriously reminds the owner, unless for timing purposes, please do not randomly poke the case, otherwise, it will adversely affect the timer, and you will bear the consequence.”

Having said that, the silver-white face on the cover gradually blurred as it started sinking back into the case.

”Wait!” the young cost student suddenly panicked, vigorously shook the pocket watch in his hand, and yelled, ”Don’t go yet!”

Without the slightest pause, the silvery-white face continued to disappear.

In his haste, Zheng Qing could not help but grab his Law book and slammed the pocket watch a few times.

The ’tick-tock’ of the pocket watch momentarily became disordered.

The next second, a tiny silver-white figure, about a centimeter tall, sprung up from the watch, swinging a fist the size of a mung bean, and fiercely smashed onto the young wizard’s face while screaming, ”How! Dare! You!”

”Thud!”

As if struck head-on by a large hammer, Zheng Qing’s vision went dark, and he sat down hard on the floor.

It took a moment for him to recover.

When he came back to his senses, the pocket watch lay motionless by the desk, quiet as if the roaring face and the tiny silvery figure that had swung at him were all illusions.

Zheng Qing shook his head and tapped his ear.

Seemed to have a bit of tinnitus?

His face scrunched up, he tilted his head and tapped his cheek again, doubting whether he was hallucinating due to a concussion. Just then, he thought he’d heard someone shouting his name? This place was a library, a place that valued quiet and atmosphere, so shouting was unlikely.

Not to mention someone shouting his name.

But the next second, Zheng Qing’s expression darkened, and he suddenly turned to look towards the library exit.

Because what he had just heard was not an illusion.

Indeed, a familiar voice was shouting loudly in the library, and it was shouting his name.