CHAPTER 1820: CHAPTER 41: WHAT DID I EVER DO TO DESERVE THIS?

The Persian parakeet with three heads was a familiar sight to all the students present.

As an honorary member of the First University’s Student Council Presidium and a ten-term Honorary President of the Student Council, the three-headed parrot was older than many teaching assistants and even lecturers at the First University. After retiring, it stayed on campus like other retired elder wizards, taking on a leisurely role to enjoy its golden years.

However, it was, after all, just a parrot. It had no hands or feet to row boats on Lin Zhong Lake or on the Silent River; it couldn’t take charge of night patrols on campus; and managing the Hundred Herb Gardens or the library was out of the question—if it were the director of the Hundred Herb Gardens, the Earth Dragons in there would surely be the first to revolt, and the vermilion fruits and other herbs grown there would certainly suffer.

Gradually, the big parrot became known as the ’General Manager of Miscellaneous Affairs.’

For example, during Student Council recruitment, the Student Council would invite this old-timer to oversee the event, and sometimes ask it to announce names; similarly, during the school’s hunting party, the hunting art exhibition and hunting concert would also send invites to this big parrot, reserving a special spot for it; and many student clubs on campus took pride in having this big parrot as an honorary member. The wealth of knowledge it accumulated during its lengthy life at the First University was a valuable asset for many young wizards.

This time, after the school reformed the trial meetings, the big parrot was once again invited to serve as the host.

And it did a remarkably good job, organizing everything meticulously.

When Zheng Qing went to the long table at the edge of First Square to submit his talismans, amulets, and magic potions according to the big parrot’s arrangements, he happened to encounter Li Meng, who was looking sullen and rummaging through her small backpack.

"What are you looking for?" The young cost student cheerfully greeted, glancing around: "Are you alone?"

The little witch rolled her eyes and ignored him.

Zheng Qing was not bothered, he chuckled dryly twice, and dutifully went aside to submit his ’contraband.’ Complete talismans, fu bullets, amulets, and even that piece of Merlin Medal were all put into a small wooden box.

"All good?"

A gray parrot screeched hoarsely, then flapped its wings, lifted a claw to its back, and plucked a quill from its tail, dipped it in the cinnabar box on the table, and handed the feather pen to Zheng Qing: "Psst... If everything’s correct, just sign here! Hurry up! How come a wizard with ten fingers is slower than a bird like us?"

Zheng Qing’s eye twitched, choosing not to argue with the gray parrot. After verifying the list was correct, he quickly signed, then watched as the gray parrot swallowed the small wooden box in one gulp.

Such a custody process was indeed reassuring.

Turning back, Li Meng was still standing aside, diligently digging into her small backpack.

"Still haven’t found it?"

Zheng Qing asked kindly: "Do you need help?"

"Get lost!" The little witch said indignantly: "It’s all because of you... if not for you, how could I not find it!"

Zheng Qing felt it was inexplicable; who did he offend!

"Wait a moment," he gestured for her to calm down, and asked again: "What are you looking for? What’s it got to do with me? I’m just offering to help..."

"My ink box!"

Li Meng looked angrily at Zheng Qing, waving the law book in her hand: "In my backpack, I found cinnabar but not the ink box! Clearly, my cousin promised to help me pack my bag, but she came back so late, making me do it myself..."

"Li Meng!" a familiar voice called softly from a distance.

The little witch shivered and immediately shut her mouth, glaring fiercely at Zheng Qing, seemingly warning him not to talk nonsense, then clutched her small backpack tightly to her chest and, with a clatter, ran towards Jiang Yu.

Zheng Qing scratched his head slightly, followed her, and walked towards the formation of Astronomy Class 08-1.

When he returned to the lineup, the classmates had already split into several distinctly separate small groups—the school encouraged this, as the trial meetings, like hunting, favored team over individual combat when the levels were close.

Xiao Xiao and others gathered around the Absolution Hunting Team.

But unlike usual, today this small group not only included warlocks but also two witches—Jiang Yu and Li Meng.

Zheng Qing knew about Jiang Yu joining the Absolution.

As for Li Meng, it’s likely that Jiang Yu brought her along for protection. Although this made the group’s number exceed five, breaking the rules, this was not a standard hunting competition, so no one would care about such details.

When Zheng Qing returned to the team, everyone was gathered around Zhang Ji Xin, listening to his tactical explanations while organizing their own supplies.

He glanced at the small backpack behind Li Meng, intending to ask if she had found the ink box when Xin Fat Man suddenly shouted, clapping his hands:

"Ha! Just remembered!"

The chubby man looked Zheng Qing up and down, a moment of realization in his eyes: "I thought it felt familiar!"

"What?" Everyone looked up, gazing at the startled Xin Fat Man.

"I mean the fur ball," the chubby man pointed at Zheng Qing, with a look of sudden clarity: "That’s the fur ball the cat spit up, right! Tuan Tuan often spits it onto my bed... I said it looked familiar!"

But then, confusion spread across his face: "But why is it black and white? Tuan Tuan doesn’t have black fur..."

Zheng Qing looked down at the law book in his hands, pondering whether if he stuffed it into the chubby man’s mouth forcefully, it would shut his stink mouth.

Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses, glancing at the others.

Zhang Ji Xin had no idea what the chubby man was talking about, scratching his head in confusion; Jiang Yu expressionlessly continued braiding Li Meng’s hair, though judging by the little witch’s grimacing face, the monitor must have used considerable strength.

"You forgot there’s a black cat back in the dorm?" Xiao Xiao quietly reminded.

"But it should have been a pure black fur ball!" The chubby man tilted his head, looking at Zheng Qing with some perplexity: "...but the previous fur ball had white fur, the black pigment couldn’t have been digested, right?"

"Cut the crap!" Zheng Qing slammed the law book down with a low roar: "It’s meeting time now, not your time to chit-chat!"

Zhang Ji Xin nodded frequently in agreement.

"Oh, I get it!" The chubby man exclaimed again, grabbing Zheng Qing’s shoulder: "Tell me, did you lick Tuan Tuan’s fur?!!"

"I know the white... ah!" Li Meng screamed.

Everyone turned to see Jiang Yu raising a hand to apologize while striving to maintain an unsmiling expression: "Sorry... just now I accidentally used a bit too much force."

Her expression showed not a hint of being apologetic.

Li Meng held her head, pouted, and with teary eyes, dared not accuse her cousin of negligence but sent a kick flying towards Xin Fat Man’s leg: "Talkative as always! Let me shut you up!"

The chubby man dodged carefully, feeling rather unlucky.

He had no idea whom he had offended.