High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1076: Chapter 138: The Disgrace of a Cat

Korma spoke so fast and urgently; it was clear she had been brewing these thoughts for a long time.

When it comes to getting things done, everyone likes someone who is decisive, bold, and tough. The Black Cat, hidden in the tall treetops, listened to Korma’s words, feeling greatly relieved and wishing she could get closer to wave her paws in support.

As if hearing the Black Cat’s inner voice, the Gypsy Witch standing under the tree raised her hand and gently clapped, showing appreciation for her partner and satisfaction with her attitude.

But just offering encouragement is not enough for a qualified partner.

Elena paused for a moment, waiting for her companion’s emotions to calm down a bit, before asking, ”Your spirit is certainly high, but spirit alone is far from enough... Do you have a plan?”

”Smart!” Korma snapped her fingers with a triumphant look on her face: ”As one secret move counters another, it is still uncertain who will take the blame! I plan to move the magic ritual to a secret realm near the school...”

”A Secret Realm?” Elena interrupted Korma, doubtfully: ”Without the suppression of the school’s Protection Array, and with just the large array and a secret realm, can it really restrain His revival? Besides, isn’t every secret realm here under the surveillance of the school?”

”I was also troubled by this question, but just now you reminded me,” Korma said with an excited expression: ”Anyway, it was a very correct decision to have you come today.”

”I reminded you?” Elena furrowed her brows, looking a bit lost.

”Mice,” Korma offered a brief explanation and, without waiting for Elena to ask further, quickly changed the subject: ”By the way, I wanted you to help investigate who wrote this note today. You’re a good Diviner, and you have many friends...”

At this point, she stopped, looking eagerly at Elena, hoping for a positive response.

The Gypsy Witch, feeling somewhat troubled, rubbed her forehead and finally sighed: ”You are the vice president of the student council; you are more familiar with the clubs than I am.”

”It’s precisely because I’m too familiar that I can’t find out anything. They’re all acquaintances, and everyone looks like a traitor, yet at the same time they all seem like normal people... Perhaps this is what they call ’In the Dark Under the Lamp’.”

This answer indeed made sense.

After a long silence, Elena finally spoke again: ”I can only help investigate the clubs and the demons. As for the Dark Council or the Mouse Clan, I don’t have the right channels.”

”That’s enough!” Korma hugged Elena excitedly: ”It’s much better than what I had in mind... and definitely better than me asking around cluelessly!”

Perhaps sensing that their closeness was a bit too intimate, the Gypsy Witch twisted uncomfortably and shook off Korma’s arm from her shoulder. She bent down and picked up the bamboo basket at her feet again.

”If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going back,” she began with a bit of discomfort in her voice but quickly regained her usual fluency: ”I took the chance to come out while picking mushrooms... Everyone is still waiting for my mushrooms to go into the pot.”

Korma nodded in disappointment: ”That’s why I’ve always felt that wizards celebrating the Magic Banishment Festival is just posturing, abandoning good magic to live a life like commoners without magic...”

”Don’t contact me for anything other than this recent matter,” Elena interrupted her complaint, speaking in a low voice: ”The school has been a bit chaotic lately, and at this critical juncture, it’s better to do less rather than more... If I get the results of my investigation, I will send a letter directly to Gini Cottage.”

Amidst her words, the elongated silhouette of the witch had already vanished deep into the dimmed depths of the forest.

Korma stood still, gazing in the direction the witch had disappeared, silent for a long time. Eventually, he sighed lightly and, turning, quietly departed in the opposite direction of Elena.

The black cat crouched among the treetops, only daring to heave a breath once both witches had vanished completely.

The news he had just overheard had scrambled his thoughts. It took him a while to collect himself before he slowly slipped down from the tree. Arriving at the spot where the two witches had been, the black cat glanced at the poor mouse half-gnawed to white bones, twitched his ear, and instinctively followed in the direction Korma had disappeared.

As he ran, he couldn’t help but look back over his shoulder, feeling as though he had forgotten something.

Considering a cat’s brain is only the size of a walnut, the black cat ultimately gave up the strenuous effort to think, deciding instead to act on instinct.

The Silent Forest was vast; even this well-trodden patch of developed land was still thick with bushes and abundant in herbs. On an ordinary day, the black cat wouldn’t dare venture alone into the forest. However, due to a recent scourge, the school had cleared out a batch of disobedient magical creatures. Those that were more docile had long since hidden in the deepest parts of the forest.

Furthermore, today was the Magic Banishment Festival. Earlier, the school had arranged to ”clean up” these areas somewhat, reducing the risks in the forest to the minimum.

Besides, Zheng Qing was, after all, a cat now, his senses and movements far more agile than any human’s. If there were any danger, he would certainly be able to sense it in advance and run away swiftly.

With these thoughts at the back of his mind, the black cat was fearless in his pursuit.

Following the faint, pleasant scent left by Korma among the foliage, the black cat moved with brisk steps, neither too quickly nor too slowly. Passing through one thicket, then another, he leapfrogged across a small shrub, then two larger trees, crossed a shallow stream, and wound his way around the forest in circle after circle.

Eventually, the black cat found himself sadly realizing that he was lost.

He had been following Korma’s scent, yes, that was correct. But bizarrely, the scent appeared to have diffused throughout the entire forest. The more he chased after it, the more it spread. In the end, Korma’s scent seemed to emanate from all directions, making the black cat suspect that something odd had been smeared on his nose.

Looking back at the tall bushes and the profound depths of the forest behind him, the black cat grew increasingly despondent.

Because he had run too far, he could no longer find the way back home.

As a black cat naturally blessed with superior hunting skills, Zheng Qing felt like a disgrace to all feline creatures.

He shook the muscles in his back. His once dark and lustrous fur had turned dusty under the combined effect of the dried grass and bushes, and, hidden between his hairs, were several seeds of mugwort, though he had no clue where he had picked them up.

While he wallowed in sorrow, a jarring mix of shouts and screams suddenly echoed from afar. The sounds were sharp and a bit faint, yet overlapped in waves, clearly not coming from a single individual.

Glancing around, the black cat immediately chose a tall oak tree, took a few running steps, and once again sprang into its lofty branches. He intended to repeat his earlier spying on the witches’ conversation and to play the role of a third party observer again.

As the saying goes, ”from a higher vantage point one can see farther.” Standing atop a high place, he would have a clearer view.