"Could it be a group of Great Demons sneaking around..."

Zheng Qing’s speculation hadn’t even finished when Doctor Xiao shook his head in denial: "If a large number of Demons were invading Buji Island, then the only professor missing from the school wouldn’t be just Old Yao..."

"The school also wouldn’t let us stay in the classroom obediently attending classes."

The Fat Wizard picked up Tuan Tuan again, brushing its fur while reminding, "Remember the Potion Making written exam last term? That day, when just one Illegal Laboratory in the Silent Forest had an accident, the School Works Committee and Professor Joint Meeting issued a joint order, and all examinees were locked in the classroom, with the School Guardian Array pushed to its maximum strength..."

The sound of brushing mixed with Tuan Tuan’s comfortable purring intertwined, complementing the Fat Wizard’s gloomy description, immediately evoking Zheng Qing’s seemingly distant memory.

Then he remembered the owner behind that Illegal Laboratory, the Raven.

"...Of course, Mr. Zha’s guess isn’t entirely without merit either."

Xin Fat Man’s chattering analysis came to his ears: "I also think this matter is related to Demons, but not a group, probably just one... Considering the school only dispatched one Legendary Wizard, we have reason to suspect that the entity appearing on Buji Island is also a Legendary Rank Demon, maybe the Sea Demon King who advanced in the Black Prison last year. Perhaps something went wrong after advancing, like going berserk? So Old Yao went to ambush!"

One can only say Fat Man is indeed suited for news, with his divergent thinking.

Zheng Qing extended a finger to dig his ear—Fat Man’s ’speculation’ seemed to disturb a certain resident within his ear, causing an itch—he cleared his throat, interrupting Fat Man’s nonsense: "Stop talking nonsense! Old Yao has just advanced, how dare he provoke the great Sea Demon King..."

The itch in his ear immediately vanished, even leaving a slight chill that dispelled the discomfort from a few seconds ago.

The Warlock rolled his eyes inwardly, yet his words didn’t pause at all: "...Moreover, even if that noble Majesty really encountered a mishap, it wouldn’t be only a newly advanced Legendary confronting it."

"Indeed, I also inquired, when Old Yao disappeared, Vice Principal Ruoyu was in the office having a meeting." Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses, his fingertips sliding along his pale cyan law book bamboo slips, unhurriedly saying: "If it really involves that Sea Demon King, Vice Principal Ruoyu would definitely take action... Similarly, if a Legendary Rank Great Demon visited Buji Island, the school would try to retain it and wouldn’t just dispatch one newly ascended Legendary... But Brother Qing, you reminded me of something just now. Do you think the one capable of attracting someone like Old Yao might be another ’recently advanced’ Legend?"

Rat Immortal?

The name suddenly popped into Zheng Qing’s mind, and it all seemed to make sense.

"Could the Rat Immortal have encountered an anomaly while advancing?"

Xin Fat Man had just said this when he lightly slapped his own mouth a few times: "Watch your foul mouth... spitting nonsense, kids talk recklessly!"

Zheng Qing felt this fellow’s mouth indeed deserved a slap.

Xiao Xiao, however, seemed to have had similar thoughts long ago, and upon hearing this, only slightly nodded: "I mean the same thing. There’s been such a rumor between the school and the outside, saying the Rat Immortal’s place of rest after advancing is deep in the Silent Forest... Upon thinking it over, the presence that can alarm Old Yao without causing panic in the school is probably that."

Tuan Tuan, with paws tucked in, nostalgically watched the young Wizards arguing in the dormitory—what a beautiful youth, gesturing passionately, so uninhibited, so lively, so boring. Unlike it, which had passed the age of being interested in troublesome matters, perhaps only the pretty tabby cats in the academy could slightly stir its gradually dormant instincts.

Thinking of female cats, Tuan Tuan tilted its head to look out the window.

The springtime of March was in full swing, a good time to frolic.

Sadly, the Sun was a bit glaring now.

Zheng Qing, of course, didn’t know the various thoughts floating through the mind of the Fat Cat in the room, nor was he aware if the Rat Immortal had truly encountered an anomaly during advancement, or if the place of its rest after advancing was indeed in the Silent Forest.

This midday release of the self and inconclusive chatter served as a slight distraction in his days filled with heavy learning and work tasks.

Yes, there was also work.

After attending the Assistant Team’s special meeting last week, the extra three hours of ’small task’ every day always exhausted his last bit of energy. For a whole week now, every night after returning to the dormitory, his head would almost immediately sink into the pillow, with his eyelids eagerly sticking together. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

But on this particular night, when he dragged his weary body back to the dormitory, he didn’t immediately throw himself into the drapery.

"What does Zhu Si say?"

He resisted the soft enticement of the bedding behind him, gave a big yawn, squinting at the Fat Wizard revising the draft: "And Ears Brother... you met them this afternoon, didn’t you!"

This was the channel agreed upon by the Warlocks at noon to gather information.

Xin Fat Man first nodded, then shook his head: "I met them, but no news. Ears Brother was busy in the store all day, in good health, without any abnormalities. As for Zhu Si, she didn’t shrink today, always in the form of Big Zhu Si... too strong of a presence, so when talking with her, I dared not mention anything about the Rat Immortal... but from hints, she seemed pretty relaxed, not like she’d received bad news."

"Even if something happened to the Rat Immortal, they wouldn’t let his daughter know." Zheng Qing succinctly commented.

Xiao Xiao had a different view: "There must be some mysterious connection between a Legendary bloodline and a Legendary being. If something happened to the Rat Immortal, Zhu Si would know, so our earlier speculation is likely wrong."

Xin Fat Man paused his feather pen, hesitated for a few seconds.

"I did hear a new rumor," he cautiously glanced outside the window, unintentionally lowering his voice: "The news just reached the editorial department this afternoon... It’s said a Horse-Man tribe in the Silent Forest mysteriously disappeared, with traces of a Great Demon left behind... Could it be that Old Yao went to track those traces in the morning?"

Zheng Qing rubbed his eyes, feeling inexplicably that such incidents in the Silent Forest were quite normal.

"Only rumors are omniscient."

The young Wizard mumbled, letting out another big yawn: "Let’s leave it at that, later I’ll ask those Devils in the Seven Sins meeting... Damn, someone else blocked me at the classroom door again today to challenge me to a duel. Aren’t they tired?"