High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1491: Chapter 235: Superposition of Two States

Zheng Qing’s tail and Jiang Yu’s ears were both very clear feline characteristics.

This was something the tavern’s proprietor could easily confirm.

”Our establishment does have such rules,” he said, smiling at the young wizards, ”And based on my observations, these two guests indeed have a deep connection with cats. However, I must acknowledge that the two of you differ slightly from our conventional concept of cats... How about this, for both guests, our store can offer a half-price discount...”

”Very good, very good,” Zheng Qing quickly pulled Xiao Xiao behind him, snatching a Gold Coin from his hand, and placed it back on the tray, his face stiff with a forced smile, ”Half-price is very good... Sorry for the trouble.”

Xiao Xiao seemed to want to say something more, but Jiang Yu pricked up her ears and stared at him fiercely.

The slight-statured warlock immediately kept his mouth shut obediently.

After the tavern proprietor, servants, and the other onlooking patrons dispersed, Zheng Qing finally let out a quiet sigh of relief, and the rigid tail behind him relaxed.

”If it happens again next time, you will be beaten to death,” he warned Xiao Xiao through clenched teeth, while picking up a small fish snack from the recently served plate—the tavern’s pet’s treat was always the quickest to be served.

”There won’t be a next time,” Xiao Xiao said, holding up three fingers, very firmly speaking in front of his two companions, ”If such a thing happens again next time, the two of you bite me to death.”

Zheng Qing looked at him suspiciously, always feeling like the Doctor was laying some trap in his words. But the continuous fragrant scent of the small fish snack in his hand made it difficult to concentrate.

He lifted his hand, bringing the small fish snack to his nose and sniffed at it.

Xiao Xiao was staring at him with a very strange look, mixed with a tinge of mockery.

”I’m just smelling what it’s like!”

The young cost student felt somewhat panicked deep down—there was a moment just then where he really wanted to shove that small fish snack into his mouth because it smelled too enticing—he defensively justified himself while pushing the small fish snack into a little hole on the side of the wooden box at the center of the table, forcibly changing the subject and complaining about the earlier incident: ”...This is Dreamland, and we’re not short of those two Gold Coins, why quibble over such a trifling matter?”

Though the Gold Coins of Dreamland were exchanged with gold beans, after leaving Dreamland, the gold beans in the real World would not decrease; they would only become a bit tarnished. Therefore, Zheng Qing didn’t mind playing the role of a tycoon in Dreamland just this once.

”I just wanted to see what the tavern’s proprietor looked like,” Xiao Xiao explained simply, clutching his black-shelled notebook and quickly taking notes, ”It is said that his family has served as the public notary of Wusa City for generations... To have such a mysterious Black Cat, and to hold a hereditary position in Dreamland, such a character is definitely not simple...”

”This small fish snack does indeed smell quite fragrant,” Jiang Yu said, her petite ears stood upright energetically, also picking up a small fish snack. The pale fingers contrasted with the golden body of the fish, looking very tempting.

She too brought the small fish snack to her nose and sniffed it.

Zheng Qing’s face stiffened.

Thinking that the Warlock misunderstood something, Jiang Yu hurriedly waved her hand and explained somewhat embarrassedly, ”I wasn’t thinking of eating it... I just thought it smelled nice, so I picked it up to take a sniff.”

Zheng Qing shook his head.

”Not that,” the young cost student answered with his arms stiff and voice soft, ”I touched it.”

”Huh?” The Witch looked puzzled.

”I, touched it!” Zheng Qing emphasized his tone a bit more.

Xiao Xiao looked up, seemingly uncertain, then glanced at the wooden box and then at Zheng Qing, and upon receiving an affirmative look.

”I touched the cat,” Zheng Qing swallowed quietly, his tone somewhat excited: ”...I bet, this is definitely a live cat!”

The dried fish in his hand was grasped by a small but very determined force and gradually disappeared.

Zheng Qing faintly could perceive a wet little tongue licking off the fish, now patiently lapping at the oily residue on his fingertips. Warm, with a slightly soft abrasion, the vibrations of purring under the fluffy fur were extremely endearing.

Jiang Yu clenched her fists in front of her chest, looking enviously at Zheng Qing’s arm extended into the box.

”Wait a second!” Xiao Xiao suddenly yelled.

”Keep your voice down!” Zheng Qing glared angrily. When the Doctor had shouted just now, he clearly felt the purring of the bundle of fur beneath his hand stop; he could perfectly imagine the kitten inside the box with its ears and pupils erect, vigilantly looking towards the source of the noise through the thin wooden board.

”Wait,” Xiao Xiao took advice from Jian Ruiliu, immediately lowering his voice by seven or eight degrees. He waved his hand, hastily interrupting Zheng Qing’s description, signaling the Young Wizard to turn his head in another direction: ”I just thought of a very interesting experiment...”

With the furball beneath his hand purring again, Zheng Qing finally felt at ease and, complying with the Doctor’s request, looked in the opposite direction of the box.

”What experiment?” His tone was a bit more relaxed.

”Keep touching the cat while describing what it looks like to us,” Xiao Xiao spoke in a hushed voice, rapidly explaining while pulling Jiang Yu to the other side of the box: ”...You can use any words, repeat words, but don’t stop, and don’t turn your head, just keep looking that way.”

Zheng Qing vaguely guessed what the Doctor wanted to do.

”Hmm, this cat is not big, its fur is very soft, very fluffy,” he continued to scratch the cat’s belly, feeling its purring, and slowly described the appearance he could feel: ”Somewhere between a short-haired and a long-haired cat, it seems to be domesticated, very well-behaved. When I scratch it, it will actively expose its belly...”

Xiao Xiao stood on the other side of the box, his hands pressed on the lid, glancing at Jiang Yu.

The Witch nodded.

He inhaled deeply, lifted strongly, and opened the box.

Zheng Qing heard the sound of the box opening behind him, his voice pausing for a moment, but his hand continued to stroke the invisible cat without faltering, and he described his feelings even more carefully: ”When it purrs, just like other cats, it gives off that lazy feeling that radiates from inside out...”

On the other side.

Jiang Yu covered her mouth, shocked at the sight of the opened box.

There was no cat in the box, just a pile of white bones lying quietly beside the empty dish, not a hair in sight.

Zheng Qing’s forearm and hand were indeed inside the box, still making the motions of petting a cat. Only, when his palm stroked over that pile of white bones, they would disappear, turning into glossy, lively black fur, whereas after his palm passed, those pieces of fur vanished like phantoms, turning back into a pile of dry bones.

The two starkly different states of life and death were simultaneously presented before the two Young Wizards.

”This is truly amazing!” the Witch exclaimed.

”Indeed, it’s nothing short of an eye-opener.” Xiao Xiao also rarely expressed such an amazement.