"We're protecting his real body, not his avatar."
Old Man Ernest glanced dispassionately in the direction where Black Cat had vanished. His lips barely moved, but his voice rang clearly in the ears of the other four gray-robed wizards. "Even if that black cat gets dragged to the bottom of Linzhong Lake by a kappa, or beaten up by other stray cats, his real body will suffer no more than a slight scare. No real harm done. But if we take unnecessary measures and spare people to protect Black Cat, only to leave a gap in the protection of his real body, we'll lose more than we gain."
Here, the old wizard paused for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled. "Besides, young people need at least a little privacy. Being under our noses all day makes him uncomfortable and puts us under pressure too. Letting him out for some fresh air now and then helps him clear his head, and lets us relax a little."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
In Dormitory 403, the soundly sleeping Zheng Qing naturally knew nothing of these discussions inside and outside his room.
Outside the dormitory, Black Gemstone Cat, who had vanished into the night, was equally unaware of all the chatter behind him.
Moonlight filtered through the treetops onto the ground, leaving patches of dappled shadow. It fell over Black Gemstone Cat, casting clear, luminous halos across him and making him feel pleasantly refreshed and wonderfully cheerful.
He could even laugh off the Two-Tailed Squirrels that pelted him with pinecones along the way.
It had been a long time since he last visited the Cat Fruit Tree.
There seemed to be a few more "fruits" on its branches.
Black Gemstone Cat crouched on the ground, head tilted back, counting for ages without managing to