Faced with Dylan's doubts, Xiao Xiao did not beat around the bush. He closed the booklet in hand and began explaining patiently. "If we approach this with normal reasoning, then naturally it has nothing to do with rats."
"But we're dealing with the school-organized Winter Hunt. You should know about that Winter Hunt in 2003..."
"No, we don't," Zheng Qing immediately cut in.
Xiao Xiao shot him a sidelong glance, his pace unchanged as he continued. "...During that Winter Hunt, the Demonic Energy Hunting Team was responsible for clearing an area upstream from Linzhong Lake. According to the description in the handbook issued by the Hunting Committee, the creatures assigned to the Demonic Energy Hunting Team should have been a group of water foxes... What do you think of when you hear 'water fox'?"
"Foxes in the water," Zheng Qing answered honestly.
Unsurprisingly, his answer earned the unanimous contempt of every hunter present.
"It should be Zhu Nu, right?" Zhang Jixin hesitated. Seeing Zheng Qing's baffled expression, he hurriedly explained, "The Classic of Mountains and Seas: Classic of the Eastern Mountains describes this creature: 'Three hundred li farther south lies Mount Geng. Its vegetation is lush, with much green water and many great snakes. There is a beast there, shaped like a fox but with fish fins. Its name is Zhu Nu. Its cry sounds like its own name, and when it appears, its kingdom will suffer terror.'... Zhu Nu looks very much like a fox, except that it has fish fins. In some southern regions, it is also called a water fox."
"Tsk, tsk." Listening to Zhang Jixin's explanation, Zheng Qing clicked his tongue in admiration. "Who would've thought? Who would've thought that a muscle-brained guy like you could recite such a long passage... Come on, let me check