Ding Dong Ear

After hearing Little Rat refuse to take them home for a visit, Zheng Qing did not find it strange—this was the normal reaction of a mouse facing a combination of cats and wizards.

If Little Rat had immediately and happily led them to its mouse hole, the young publicly funded student would instead have felt suspicious and assumed the worst of the mouse's intentions.

The black cat twitched his ears, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly into a tolerant smile. "It's all right, no problem. If we can't go this time, we can go next time when there's a chance. The first meeting is unfamiliar, the second familiar; if we visit often, we'll all get to know each other... If it's inconvenient for you to take us to your home, you can come play at our dormitory."

"Our dormitory is on the mountain behind Linzhong Lake. You know Linzhong Lake, right? That big lake beside the little woods where we were earlier... Oh, right, I nearly forgot..."

As he spoke, the black cat raised a paw, signaling the large cat guarding Little Rat to let go.

"Meow!" The large cat gave a low cry and obediently opened the mouth clamped around Little Rat's collar. Little Rat, who had been hanging in midair, lost its support and, under the pull of gravity, landed in the mud with a thump, sprawled on its back.

It had not grown wings, nor had it spun its tail like a propeller, much less chanted a spell to float up—the black cat narrowed his eyes as he studied Little Rat on the ground, weighing its reaction and judging what abilities it possessed.

So far, apart from wearing clothes, speaking human language, and having a little intelligence, he had not noticed anything particularly remarkable about Little