High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1344: Chapter 91: Reflecting the People on Both Sides

A small bowl of white rice, two small side dishes.

The two of them spent more than half an hour eating—most of the time, Zhu Si was teaching Zheng Qing how to eat the chicken head, carefully sucking every bit of bone, and telling the warlock about the taste of each piece of meat.

As for the green vegetable, Zheng Qing meticulously split it into two equal parts, one for each person.

After a while, both of them satiated, lay lazily on the blackish-grey floor, staring at the greyish-white ceiling overhead, lost in a daze.

The gaps between some draped mirrors glimmered with the reflections of those uncovered, somewhat dazzling.

Both the older and the younger wizard ignored this piercing sensation, focusing on the satisfaction right before their eyes.

”It’s really delicious,” Zheng Qing murmured.

”How about that, a feast, right?” the little girl said, brimming with pride in her tone.

”It’s just that the surroundings are a bit rough,” the boy sighed, making a half-joking comment. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately regretted it.

Why puncture the little girl’s beautiful fantasy with the cold reality at a time like this?

Sure enough, the voice next to him suddenly went silent.

Zheng Qing turned his head carefully to glance at Zhu Si, who had already sat up, biting her finger, with a troubled expression on her face.

”Just kidding, just kidding,” the boy scrambled to his feet, waving his hands and looking around: ”Mirrors, mirrors... It’s said, ’Though there’s no fragrant osmanthus in the writing that reflects the moon, the reflection of the sunlight brings out the blossoms of the water chestnut,’ what could be a better environment than being surrounded by a multitude of fragrant flowers?”

This flattery was a bit excessive, but at the moment, Zheng Qing could only blurt out anything to retract the words he had just spoken.

The little witch finally bit her finger hard.

”There is!” she said confidently, as if making a significant decision, pulling out a worn-out matchbox from her pocket—the pattern on the box was barely visible, but the sandpaper on the side was as good as new.

It was a box of matches.

The little witch opened the matchbox, only to find a mere two matches left inside.

Her fingertips lingered between the two matches for a long time, finally choosing the thinner one.

”No, no need, I was just joking,” Zheng Qing, feeling an anxious sense of blunder, tried hard to stop the little witch’s actions.

But Zhu Si was not a little girl whose mind could easily be swayed by others.

”Mom said, don’t let the guests feel disregarded!” She held the match firmly, her eyes filled with piety and reluctance, as though holding a whole world.

Zheng Qing cursed himself thoroughly in his heart.

”Chh...”

The red phosphorus grazed across the sandpaper, and a small orange-yellow flame came to life.

The light extended in all directions, and in the blink of an eye, Zheng Qing found himself sitting in a warm living room.

Soft sofas, a broad coffee table, a fruit platter laden with grapes, oranges, and pineapples, a beautiful lotus leaf chandelier overhead, landscape paintings with snow-capped mountains and forests on the walls, a kitten meowing at his feet, and the distant sounds of beautiful piano music playing his favorite Canon.

Zhu Si lay on the sofa opposite Zheng Qing like a lazy cat, a smile of happiness on her face. Zheng Qing vaguely made out a blurred figure on each side of her, one combing her hair and the other holding a book, as if telling her a story.

There was a red candle on the table, burning unusually fast.

Zheng Qing watched helplessly as the candlewick burned down by centimeters until the last bit of wax was consumed.

Until the final spark sputtered out atop the remaining candle wax, the warm and comfortable environment around Zheng Qing disappeared without a trace.

The cold and drab atmosphere of the World in the Mirror once again enveloped the warlock, causing him to shiver uncontrollably.

Zhu Si sat across from him, still pinching the stick of a burnt-out match in her hand. Subconsciously, she went to touch the last match in the matchbox, but at the last moment, she clenched the hand holding the matchbox tightly.

Her little hand turned pale from the tight grip.

A long while passed.

She sighed contentedly.

”Alright then,” she seemed to be asking the boy, and at the same time answering her own question.

Zheng Qing did not respond.

His eyelids could no longer hide the scalding tears welling up in his eyes, and the acid at the tip of his nose poured into the clear water like ink, quickly spreading out, invading every corner of his body.

The aroma of chicken and rice still lingered in his mouth, but it tasted bitterer than the root of rhubarb.

”Okay,” he answered with a heavy nasal voice.

”Eh? Why are your eyes red?”

”The wind is strong, it blew into them.”

”Mom said that liars’ noses would grow long.”

”Hey, I just thought my nose bridge was a bit flat,” Zheng Qing managed a forced smile: ”What’s next? What are you planning to do next?”

Zhu Si stretched and threw a fist in the air:

”Having eaten to our heart’s content... it’s time for you to set off!”

”Let’s go together,” Zheng Qing tried again—he had considered knocking the little witch out and taking her with him, but on one hand, in this unfamiliar environment, he still needed the little witch to guide him and tell him how to enter and exit the World in the Mirror; on the other hand, he was also scared.

Scared that the little witch in front of him was just a lingering shadow of Zhu Si.

Scared that the huge difference between spending a few months in the Mirror World and a half-century outside would cause the little witch to completely collapse the moment she steps out of the World in the Mirror—this collapse could be mental or physical.

Therefore, Zhu Si must agree to leave on her own.

In the concept of magic, promises and consent have very strong binding power. Zheng Qing could only hope that this ancient power could minimize the risks of Zhu Si stepping out of the Mirror World.

The nostalgia and satisfaction in the little witch’s eyes had disappeared, and her gaze became alert again.

She put away the matchbox and sketchbook, and then struggled to also stuff the box of Double Tang Note ’Candy Lamb’ into her pocket. At the same time, she gave the boy a mischievous glance: ”I’ve said it several times already... I can’t go out yet!”

Zheng Qing decided to seek help from his teacher after going out.

With his teacher’s remarkable abilities, there would surely be a way!

”How can I find you next time I come in?” He had to be sure of this to leave with Assurance.

”You’re so stupid, you won’t be able to find me... But your scent is very nice, I can find you from a long distance. As long as you come in, I should be able to find you!”

”Then what gift would you like? I’ll bring it for you next time!”

”Umm... can it be ice cream? I haven’t had ice cream in a long time... I miss that cold, sweet taste. And Cinnabar, there is some in the Mirror World, but it’s never enough.”

Zheng Qing slapped his head hard.

He took out his Grey Cloth Bag, untied the opening, and dumped everything inside onto the floor: ”Take a look, take whatever you want.”

As he spoke, he pushed a big pack of Cinnabar towards the little witch: ”Authentic Chenzhou Sand, it can be used for talisman painting and concocting potions... Do you want Yellow Paper? I also have some here... Ah, this ink slab can generate water on its own, you just have to rub a Brush on this Little Snake’s head and you’ll get water.”

The little witch’s face was filled with wonder, her eyes shining brightly.