High School of Demon Hunting-Chapter 2397 - 618: Days Pretending Nothing Happened
The spacious hall was crowded with people, with warlocks all dressed in neat black robes and wearing pointed wizard hats, and witches competing for beauty in colorful, extravagant gowns.
This was a ball. ππππ¦ππππππ·ππ.πΈπ°π
Mistletoe branches reached out from the corner of the walls, densely covering the entire ceiling, but instead of its yellow flowers or pearl-like fruits, it bore clusters of purplish-red flowers resembling upside-down pyramids. Zheng Qing looked up, gazing at the layers of glimmering petals, and after close observation, he finally recognized them as butterfly peas, commonly known as rugosa roses, though he couldnβt understand why such plants were growing from the mistletoe branches.
Elegant and light music wafted through the ears, while milky white mist rolled beneath the feet, and the cold moonlight, from unknown origins, spread through the mist, rendering it hazy, causing guestsβ shadows to overlap and twist, creating a bizarre and eerie atmosphere accompanied by the sound of tapping dance steps.
"...Graduating early benefits you, me, and Dong Dong."
Su Shijunβs voice gradually became clear in Zheng Qingβs ears, pulling him back to reality, realizing he was dancing hand in hand with a witch, twirling underneath the mistletoe. The Moon Councilβs upper house member wasnβt wearing glasses; her charming face appeared even paler under the cold moonlight. She seemingly didnβt notice the warlockβs momentary distraction and continued speaking self-assuredly:
"...Ever since Dong Dong was born, she has lacked sufficient love from the family. Iβm too busy with work, and you have to focus on your studies... Itβs essentially as though sheβs been left to her own devices... It was fine when she was younger, but now sheβs capable of going out on her own. This cannot continue... Graduating early will allow you to spend more time caring for her..."
"But Dong Dong isnβt even two years old yet!" Zheng Qing, not knowing where the courage came from, finally voiced his long-standing concern: "Isnβt it better to let her grow up freely and happily?"
"Childhood happiness comes at the cost of longer sorrow in adulthood." The witch stared sternly at him, appearing as though she wanted to say more, but the music by the ear suddenly became urgent.
The short music mingled with intense drumbeats, causing the entire ballroom to become restless. Zheng Qing looked around and found everyoneβs dance steps seemed fast-forwarded, the witchesβ wide skirts fluttering like butterfly wings, while warlocks, like bees performing a figure-eight dance, rapidly spun around witches. In the chaos, Su Shijunβs voice too became somewhat broken: "...Todayβs... Hard work... When you grow up... If you donβt mind..."
"...If you donβt mind..."
"...Donβt mind..."
The music abruptly stopped, and the witchβs voice by the ear suddenly turned icily clear, causing the warlock to shiver as he stared intensely. The witch he was dancing with had unknowingly transformed into Jiang Yu.
"Nothing matters!"
She stared at the young man expressionlessly, stiffly raising her head and puffing her chest with eyes full of pride and disdain: "Moving anywhere doesnβt matter! Where I reside is the main house... I wonβt escape... Why do you need to escape? The escapeβs endpoint isnβt a paradise."
"Ah! Youβre dancing with other witches behind the upper house memberβs back!" A female voice screamed by the ear, full of incredulousness and anger.
The entire dance floor ceased due to this scream.
Everyone turned their heads in unison, looking at the warlock.
Pa!
The lights disappeared, leaving only a dim yet mottled spot of light engulfing the young man, as incantation whispers emerged in the darkness like thousands of insect beasts crawling toward him. Frightened, Zheng Qing reached for the grey cloth bag at his waist, but instead of pulling out a charm gun, he drew out a sticky, enormous tentacle, laden with suckers slowly wriggling, revealing rows of sharp teeth. At the tentacleβs tip, a black and white eyeball abruptly opened, staring intently at the dumbfounded young man.
Zheng Qing clearly saw that the reflection in the eyeball wasnβt his own image but a narrow raven face.
Whoosh!
He abruptly opened his eyes amidst his own scream and sat bolt upright, fearfully scanning around, his dazed expression slowly dissipating, and consciousness gradually becoming clear again.
There werenβt any witches and balls.
Nor were there tentacles with sharp teeth and eyeballs.
And certainly no ravens.
He was presently seated on the living room sofa, supervising Poseidon studying.
The sunshine outside the window was just right, with a small garden filled with colorful flowers and a faint sound of elves giggling among the blossoms, alongside fox maidsβ cheerful conversations.
The warlock fearfully touched his forehead, feeling a hand of cold sweat.
Thankfully, thankfully, it was merely a normal nightmare, with the nightmare dollβs head still hanging from the neck in his pocket, seemingly no one had been hexing him, purely self-frightening.
"Did you commit something unethical in your dream?" An eerie voice suddenly sounded by the warlockβs ear, securing his recently calmed heart back into a tense knot.
Zheng Qing turned his head, discovering Su Ya, clutching a rag. She must have been wiping down chairs earlier, yet he knew not how long she had been standing there beside him.
The heart, knotted tightly, began to unfold, contract, and pulse, pumping fresh plasma to repaint his previously pallid face to normal hues.
"Mind your own business!" The warlock exhaled, feeling humiliated and speaking carelessly.
Su Ya βswishedβ forward, her face almost on Zheng Qingβs nose tip, smirking, muttering in a very low voice: "I donβt care whether you dreamt of stepping into a warm pile of Furry Bean poop while sleeping; I merely warn you, donβt annoy Miss! Otherwise, next time, the thing I hold wonβt be just a rag!"
She threateningly stretched out the clean rag in her hand.
Zheng Qing was momentarily stunned, extended his hand to seize the little fox ladyβs collar, rising, and tossed her out of the living room.
"Go and wipe the stairway floor!" He commanded as the owner of Greenhill Mansion while carefully observing several outer rooms from the hall.
Everything was intact; the house was still here.
Ultimately, the witches still knew their limits.
Greenhill Mansion hadnβt fallen to catastrophe in a cheerful and peaceful festival atmosphere, and Poseidon was spared the tragic destiny of being forced to wander the streets during the grand occasion.
The world was completely serene and harmonious.
One could easily write todayβs diary entry: Nothing happened today.
Zheng Qing thought as such, tiptoeing, sneaking back to the living room, nudging Poseidon awake along the way, who was napping on the math exercise book, and reminding: "Beware of your drool!... Truly not even as good as a Furry Bean!"
Meow!
Gouzi, responding to the call, emerged from under the table leg, merrily twisting around the warlockβs feet, and not far above it, the little fox cluelessly lifted her head, wiped the drool from her mouth corner, then changed posture to lie back down to sleep.
