Chapter Summaries

Zheng Qing tried several ways to get Fatty Xin’s watch back from Tuantuan, but the cat refused to cooperate. He sent his little elves to negotiate, and they managed to remove the watch while Tuantuan purred contentedly.

• Zheng Qing learned from Fatty Xin that chicken legs and toys would not lure Tuantuan away from its sunny hiding place.
• Zheng Qing refused to use another Transformation Potion because he was still recovering from his last one.
• Fatty Xin praised Zheng Qing’s little elves, giving Zheng Qing the idea to ask them to negotiate with Tuantuan.
• Zheng Qing summoned the little elves, who abandoned their tasks and caused trouble for Xiao Xiao and Dylan as they flew to help.
• The little elves approached Tuantuan and removed Fatty Xin’s watch from its tail while the cat purred.

Zheng Qing and his friends recovered Fatty Xin’s storage watch from Tuantuan, but Xiao Xiao reminded Zheng Qing that the Potions keeping the little elves alive would expire at the end of December. Zheng Qing had less than two weeks to find replacement medicine, and the chapter ended with the elves happily chirping while the dormitory fell silent.

• Zheng Qing and the little elves retrieved Fatty Xin’s storage watch from Fat Cat Tuantuan, prompting Fatty Xin to praise the elves and Dylan to complain about the damage they caused.
• Fatty Xin proposed making Alchemical Products that would let the little elves communicate, while Xiao Xiao asked how long their medicine would last.
• Zheng Qing said Dr. Duzem had estimated the Potions would work for three months, and Xiao Xiao calculated that the deadline would fall at the end of December.
• Zheng Qing admitted he had not found more Sand Hour Royal Jelly despite posting a request on the black market at Wander Bar.
• Fatty Xin suggested modifying the little elves, but Xiao Xiao explained that life modification was beyond the scope of Registered Wizard research and connected it to advancement beyond Archwizard.
• The dormitory fell silent as the little elves chirped and danced around the wizards.

Zheng Qing brought the little sprites to the Institute of Abnormal Life for a routine examination and found Jiang Yu there discussing an illegal potion with Dr. Duzem. Constantine invited Zheng Qing inside just as Dr. Duzem was about to see Jiang Yu out.

• Zheng Qing changed his plans and carried the little sprites to the Institute of Abnormal Life for an examination with Dr. Duzem.
• Zheng Qing reflected on the little sprites’ Thanksgiving gifts and how the wizards in Dormitory 403 had begun seeking them an identity.
• Zheng Qing heard Jiang Yu and Dr. Duzem discussing her use of an illegal potion and Dr. Duzem’s offer to provide one dose each week.
• Constantine opened the gate and welcomed Zheng Qing inside, while Jiang Yu and Dr. Duzem stood in the entry hall.

Zheng Qing told Jiang Yu about his plans to open a shop selling ordinary goods openly while arranging school-approved trades in mice and Corpse Beetles through slips. He planned to open next Saturday, and Dr. Duzem approved of taking calculated risks as the chapter ended.

• Jiang Yu warned Zheng Qing not to sell mice to Li Meng and told him that Lei Zhe had criticized students for focusing on business that might affect Jiuyou Academy's reputation.
• Zheng Qing explained that the shop would openly sell talismans and potions while mice and Corpse Beetles would be handled privately through school-issued tasks.
• Jiang Yu advised Zheng Qing to focus on his studies, and he assured her that his business would stay within the rules.
• Zheng Qing said the shop was scheduled to open next Saturday, before the winter solstice, because later dates would conflict with Christmas, the Winter Hunt, and exams.
• Dr. Duzem praised Zheng Qing's willingness to break from convention and accept appropriate risks.

Zheng Qing and Jiang Yu chatted while Dr. Duzem and Constantine inspected the box Zheng Qing had brought. Zheng Qing described the guests invited to D&K’s opening ceremony, and he and Jiang Yu continued discussing the shop as the inspection went on.

• Dr. Duzem praised Jiang Yu, then went with Constantine to inspect the box while telling Zheng Qing to stay behind.
• Jiang Yu asked Zheng Qing about D&K’s opening ceremony, and Zheng Qing invited her to attend.
• Jiang Yu teased Zheng Qing about his business-minded attitude and suggested he might apply for a bank internship during summer break.
• Zheng Qing listed the hunters, classmates, upperclassmen, and other guests he had invited to the opening ceremony.
• Jiang Yu asked whether Ilena would attend, and Zheng Qing said she might be unable to make it.

Zheng Qing told Jiang Yu about the You Zui Hunting Team's new shop and invited Dr. Duzem to its opening, but Jiang Yu reminded him that the Doctor could not appear publicly because of his Silent Contract. The awkward conversation ended when Jiang Yu pointed out that the little sprites in Zheng Qing's paper house had awakened.

• Zheng Qing enthusiastically described the shop's guests, plans, and advantages to Jiang Yu, who listened with a smile.
• Dr. Duzem came out after examining the sprites, and Constantine carried Zheng Qing's cardboard box behind him.
• Zheng Qing invited Dr. Duzem to the shop's opening, explaining how the hunting team had earned money to establish it.
• Dr. Duzem declined because of his experiments, and Jiang Yu reminded Zheng Qing that the Doctor was bound by a Silent Contract and could not appear publicly.
• Jiang Yu pointed out the awakened sprites, and one sprite quickly pulled its arm back inside the paper house.

Zheng Qing showed Jiang Yu the sprites in their paper house, and Jiang Yu remembered that the potion keeping them healthy would soon wear off. Dr. Duzem warned against experiments beyond what theory allowed, and Jiang Yu left before the group could discuss the concern further.

• Zheng Qing opened the paper house so Jiang Yu could inspect the sprites and its furnishings.
• Jiang Yu praised Zheng Qing's care for the sprites and noticed the talismans protecting their home.
• Jiang Yu asked whether the Sand Hour Royal Jelly potion would soon expire, and Zheng Qing confirmed that its effects should end by the close of the month.
• Jiang Yu reassured Zheng Qing that Dr. Duzem could help, while Dr. Duzem warned them not to conduct experiments beyond theoretical limits.
• Jiang Yu made an excuse to leave and went to check whether Li Meng had finished her morning assignments.

Dr. Duzem examined the pixies and found that the potion affecting them had not begun to wear off, despite the time that had passed. He concluded that Zheng Qing might be the only factor capable of influencing their unusually good condition.

• Jiang Yu left, and Zheng Qing gathered the pixies to follow her until Dr. Duzem stopped him.
• Dr. Duzem questioned Zheng Qing about feeding the pixies or casting spells on them, and Zheng Qing denied doing either.
• Dr. Duzem examined Zheng Qing’s spellbook and saw that the sleeping pixies still reacted normally when he tickled one with a Quill Pen.
• Dr. Duzem explained that the pixies showed none of the expected signs of the potion wearing off and identified Zheng Qing as the only likely influence on them.

Dr. Duzem found Zheng Qing’s sprites inexplicably healthy despite lacking matching Life Potions, and suggested they might be affected by Zheng Qing’s own abnormal magic. Zheng Qing recalled several impossible events connected to himself and was left wondering whether a Forbidden Curse had altered the rules governing the sprites.

• Dr. Duzem told Zheng Qing that his sprites were extraordinarily healthy, contrary to the symptoms they should have developed.
• Zheng Qing protested that he had done nothing to the sprites beyond following Dr. Duzem’s instructions.
• Dr. Duzem suggested that Zheng Qing’s unusual eyes and other extraordinary experiences might have affected the sprites.
• Zheng Qing recalled the black cat that emerged from him, the shadow that crossed a two-dimensional barrier, and his abnormal Transformation Spell.
• Zheng Qing connected the sprites’ survival to Old Yao’s claim that a Forbidden Curse could alter magical laws, and considered his own possible link to such a curse.

Zhang Yu and Thomas brought a report to Professor Yao, and Zheng Qing’s invitation to his shop opening prompted a brief argument about the student’s conduct. Professor Yao then ordered Zhang Yu to report on the winter hunt arrangements while Thomas rested.

• Zhang Yu reminded Thomas that he could have rested and tidied up before reporting to Professor Yao.
• Zhang Yu gave Thomas the invitation Zheng Qing had sent him to the D&K shop opening on December 20.
• Zhang Yu and Thomas entered Professor Yao’s office after he shouted at them to stop talking in the corridor.
• Professor Yao complained that Zheng Qing should be studying instead of opening a shop, while Thomas and Zhang Yu defended the student.
• Professor Yao told Zhang Yu to report on the winter hunt arrangements and offered Thomas a chance to nap on the sofa.

Professor Yao reviewed the Winter Hunt arrangements with chief teaching assistant Zhang Yu, approving extra support for graduating students entering the Silent Forest. They also discussed the active Clothed Rats, which the school would monitor but not protect specially during the hunt.

• Zhang Yu read the Winter Hunt plan, outlining three levels of clearing work for students and hunt teams.
• Professor Yao stopped Zhang Yu’s formal report and asked him to summarize the arrangements through questions and answers.
• Zhang Yu explained that the strongest hunt teams would clear dangerous sections of the Silent River basin, while other teams handled the remaining areas.
• Zhang Yu warned that two teaching assistants per graduating class would be stretched thin in the Silent Forest, and Professor Yao approved adding Research Institute staff to help.
• Zhang Yu raised concerns about Clothed Rats on campus, and Professor Yao ordered the school to monitor them but give them no special protection during the Winter Hunt.

Zhang Yu finished reporting to Professor Yao and raised the Student Union’s request to use flying reindeer and sleighs or Pumpkin Carriages for Christmas deliveries. Professor Yao rejected bringing in outside creatures and sent a paper crane to coordinate with Councilwoman Su, while Thomas woke and joined them for tea.

• Zhang Yu finished his report, and Professor Yao summoned elves to clean the smoky office and serve tea.
• Thomas woke from a long nap, accepted tea, and listened as Zhang Yu reported the Student Union’s Christmas delivery plan.
• Professor Yao objected to importing flying reindeer and suggested using creatures already at the school, including long-haired dogs or large foxes.
• Zhang Yu said the plan still required coordination with Councilwoman Su, so Professor Yao wrote a note and transformed it into a paper crane that flew through the closed window.

A paper crane flew from Jiuyou Academy to Number 54 Courtyard, West District of Beta Town, where Su Man was tending Qingqiu Mansion’s garden. It struck the address plaque as Su Man considered waking the young lady.

• The paper crane evaded Two-tailed Squirrels and detoured around Linzhong Lake on its way out of Jiuyou Academy.
• The crane flew to Number 54 Courtyard, a residence owned by the Qingqiu Su Clan in West District of Beta Town.
• Su Man directed Blue Sprites to remove Flower Sprites from the garden before the mansion’s mistress left for the day.
• Su Man considered waking the young lady, then watched the paper crane hit the address plaque.

Su Shijun worried that Duke Milton and Talbot’s continued courtship would draw unwanted attention to the man she loved, while she played with Su Ya and the Seven-Colored Flowers. The chapter ended when Su Man brought Su Shijun a paper crane from the school.

• Su Shijun plucked a petal from the Seven-Colored Flower and wished for fewer troubles as she thought about Duke Milton and Talbot pursuing her.
• Su Ya scolded Su Shijun for plucking a petal, and Su Shijun explained that she had wished for Poseidon to stop fighting with Su Ya.
• Su Shijun taught Su Ya how to make a wish, and Su Ya prayed to a purple petal before Su Man interrupted her.
• Su Shijun reassured the disappointed Su Ya that she could make another wish later.
• Su Man told Su Shijun that a paper crane had arrived from the school.

Su Shijun received a request from Dean Yao to help First University prepare Christmas carriages, and she complained about being assigned the work during her holiday. The chapter ended with Su Ya suggesting that giant rats and oversized pumpkins could be used to make carriages.

• Su Man delivered a paper crane from Jiuyou Academy, and Su Shijun reluctantly read Dean Yao's letter before burning it.
• Su Shijun complained that Dean Yao expected her to arrange carriage-pulling Great Foxes for Christmas and considered ignoring the request or sending him a Howling Letter.
• Su Man reminded Su Shijun that her duties as a councilor and laboratory head included cooperating with First University, and suggested commissioning alchemical puppets.
• Su Shijun rejected the puppet idea because the school would not reimburse the cost.
• Su Ya suggested using the giant rats at First University to pull carriages and offering the school oversized pumpkins to make Pumpkin Carriages.

Su Shijun learned from Su Ya and Su Man about the campus rat infestation and Zheng Qing’s new shop, then decided Su Ya and Su Man could attend its opening in her place. She joked about using rats and pumpkin carriages for a Santa Claus delivery scheme and asked Su Ya to help choose the cast.

• Su Man explained that the Silent Tideback had caused the rat population on Puji Island to grow, prompting cleanup assignments for younger students.
• Su Shijun recalled that Zheng Qing had mentioned his new shop, D&G, and complained that he did not spend enough time caring for Poseidon.
• Su Man reminded Su Shijun that Zheng Qing had invited her to the shop’s opening, but Su Shijun said she would be busy meeting the Relevant Department about the laboratory explosion.
• Su Shijun dismissed the idea of sending an inquiry to the Relevant Department and joked about using rats to pull pumpkin carriages for Santa Claus.
• Su Ya suggested that talking, clothed rats named Ding Dong Ear or Ding Dang Ear could play Santa Claus.

Ding Dong Ear and Ding Dang Ear waited to be called for an audience, discussing how time passed differently for mice and recalling their encounters with cats. Ding Dang Ear showed off the glittering object he had acquired by making a deal with a black cat.

• A Red Vest mouse handed queue slips to two Green Vest mice and called for Number Eleven Green Fur to enter an office.
• Ding Dong Ear and Ding Dang Ear reached the waiting area, where bees left nectar on the Holly Leaves they picked.
• Ding Dang Ear explained that a few days away felt much longer to mice than to long-lived wizards.
• Ding Dang Ear teased Ding Dong Ear about playing dead before a Spirit Cat, while Ding Dong Ear defended himself by citing books and ancestral advice.
• Ding Dang Ear said he had observed things carefully before making a deal with a black cat, then produced a glittering object.

The chapter introduced the Ratfolk, a society of clothed rats that had taken control of the underground world beneath First University. Ding Dang Ear and Ding Dong Ear waited outside the Elders’ office, hoping to report their encounters with a talking black cat to the Old Ancestor.

• Clothed Rats displaced the underground world’s native inhabitants and built their own schools, markets, and social order.
• First University observed the new society, adjusted its protective arrays, and officially named the rats the Ratfolk.
• The Ratfolk organized themselves into a rigid hierarchy led by the Old Ancestor and the Elders, with younger rats assigned different vest colors and duties.
• Green-Vested Rats took monthly exams to qualify for surface assignments and reported their work to the Elders.
• Ding Dang Ear and Ding Dong Ear waited to seek an audience with the Old Ancestor because their encounters with a talking black cat exceeded the Elders’ authority.

Ding Dang Ear and Ding Dong Ear discussed the talking cat and the risks of their deal before a Red Vest summoned them to meet the High Elder. They entered the vast audience hall and found the High Elder seated before a dark window, surrounded by Red Vest attendants.

• Ding Dang Ear argued that mice and cats could deal as two civilizations, while Ding Dong Ear warned that profit and instinct could lead to betrayal.
• A Red Vest told the pair they were next to see the Ancestor and warned Ding Dang Ear that the attendants' office had blacklisted it for eating the holly leaves.
• Ding Dang Ear and Ding Dong Ear followed the Red Vest through a torchlit corridor into the High Elder's grand office.
• The mice entered the hall and saw the High Elder seated in a towering black armchair as Red Vest attendants stood in formation around it.

Ding Dang Ear and Ding Dong Ear reported their encounters with a talking black cat to Rat Immortal, and Ding Dang Ear proposed trading Corpse Beetles for unawakened rats and treasures. Rat Immortal wondered whether someone had chosen the same path again.

• Ding Dang Ear and Ding Dong Ear entered the hall and saw the enormous Rat Immortal.
• Ding Dang Ear recounted its dealings with the black cat and showed Rat Immortal the diamonds it had received.
• Ding Dang Ear proposed trading Corpse Beetles to the black cat and its wizard companion for unawakened rats and treasures.
• Ding Dong Ear told Rat Immortal its less successful story of escaping the cats.
• Rat Immortal reflected on the talking black cat’s red eyes and wondered if someone had chosen this path again.