After parting ways with the Rat Immortal and Colmar, the black cat raced all the way toward the Astronomy 08-1 class's outing site, guided by the directional map the Rat Immortal had provided.
He felt he could still be saved.
Not until he neared the outing site, saw the fireworks signal rising into the air in the distance, and heard anxious shouts faintly drifting through the wind did Zheng Qing finally give up completely.
"I'm screwed." He stopped the Transformation Spell behind a patch of bushes and turned back into a wizard. At the same time, he watched the firework in the sky gradually shift from orange to red, his face mournful as though his parents had died.
It seemed the class had noticed his "disappearance" some time ago. Even the Magic Fireworks used for "warning and assembly" had turned red. Not to mention the shouts drawing closer and closer.
The young publicly funded student even turned to glance at the Soul Returning Poplar beside him, wondering whether he should slam his head into it and knock himself out. That way, when facing his classmates and the school investigation, he might still have some room to argue.
But then he recalled the Rat Immortal's warning. After hesitating for a long while, he finally gave up on that somewhat drastic idea and trudged dejectedly toward the others.
"Where did you go?! We've been looking for you for nearly two hours!"
"Brother Qing, you're finished... Dunton already reported your disappearance to the school. People from the School Labor Committee and Student Union will be here any moment."
"Did a water demon from the river lure you away, or did a nymph from the woods lure you away? Got any fresh stories to tell me? I promise I'll keep you anonymous when