“Attention, students.”
The flight attendant’s graceful voice resonated once again throughout the cabin.
“I am Su Qijun, the flight attendant for this flight. This flight was attacked by an unidentified dangerous creature during its journey. It has now been confirmed that no students were injured, except for some who were startled. On behalf of all the crew members of this flight and Wizard Union-Lunar Airlines, I extend our sincerest apologies to you.”
“The journey will continue as normal. If any student feels unwell or discovers any other unusual circumstances, please contact our cabin crew promptly.”
“Thank you very much for your active cooperation with the crew’s work.”
“Thank you!”
Amidst the lingering echoes of the cabin announcement, Zheng Qing signed his name on the roster, then was helped by Xiao Xiao and Shi Yuan as he walked towards the passenger cabin.
The corridor outside the restaurant was very deep, with a small, round arched carved door every few meters, each leading to a different passenger cabin. At this moment, many curious heads crowded the doorways of these carved doors. Those who hadn’t gone to the restaurant, or had returned early after lunch, were peeking through the doors, carefully observing the new students returning from the restaurant.
The special plane was small, and the news of demons appearing on it had spread quickly, though these reports were varied and of uncertain veracity.
The flight attendant’s vaguely worded announcement made many people doubt these rumors even more.
At the carved doorway of each cabin, there were wizards claiming to have first-hand information, gesticulating and speaking voluminously about strange inside stories.
Some vividly described how the Little Elves in the restaurant rioted, and how the leading Little Elves were green-faced with fangs, ten feet tall, with gaping bloody mouths, devouring the pets. In these descriptions, the normally gentle little creatures, unable to bear the wizards' enslavement, rose in revolt, smashing all the working pots and pans, overturning all the tables and chairs, shattering the chandeliers, and tearing down the curtains. It was as if they were heroes from an epic story, bearing a halo of justice, rebelling against the tyranny of evil wizards!
Strangely, many young wizards listened with great relish and excitement, seemingly oblivious to the countless logical contradictions in the story.
Others solemnly interpreted the announcement issued by the flight attendant. For example, a dangerous creature was a demon; an unidentified dangerous creature was an unregistered demon; if some students were startled, then surely some were scared to tears, fainted, or even had their magic riot due to fear; no students injured meant that non-students were injured. Those who interpreted the announcement even patiently analyzed where Flight Attendant Su Qijun paused, where her emphasis was, and which words were expressed unusually, and so on.
It must be said that, compared to the Little Elves' riot, the conclusions reached by those who analyzed the announcement were more reliable.
Still others were secretive, whispering to their companions that the demon on the special plane hadn't actually escaped, but had slipped among the new students, and that those returning from the restaurant were most likely to have been replaced by the demon. The flight attendant’s instruction for everyone to watch for unusual circumstances was to avoid alerting the enemy and to catch them in a trap.
This theory added a few hints of scrutiny to the curious gazes at the door.
Zhang Jixin and Liu Feifei were in different cabins. Because of those scrutinizing glances, the group didn’t continue walking together, parting ways at the restaurant entrance and agreeing to meet again after arriving at school.
Li Meng walked at the very front, holding three small pets. She held her head high, her small leather shoes clacked, holding a fox and a pigeon, looking left and right, full of spirit.
But what angered her was that no new student asked her about what happened in the restaurant.
Most of the curious glances fell upon Zheng Qing, who was being supported.
These bored new students watched them curiously, whispering and cautiously inquiring if Zheng Qing had been injured in a fight with a demon.
Zheng Qing’s face flushed red.
He hated being stared at.
It was like watching a monkey show.
He even wished for the headache to come on more intensely, preferably to make him completely pass out and escape these rude stares.
Unlike him, some new students treated this public attention as a stage for showing off.
“I knew there was something wrong with that red-eyed flight attendant before!” In the corridor, a boy excitedly told his companion, “If I wasn’t worried about people calling me discriminatory, I would have thrown my donkey’s hoof at her.”
Saying this, the boy held up a dark, shriveled little trinket hanging from his chest and, with a serious expression, demonstrated to his companions how to subdue a demon with a black donkey’s hoof.
The surrounding new students listened with great interest.
Zheng Qing rolled his eyes, trying to block out the unpleasant sight.
He even felt embarrassed for the boy.
Only by truly standing within a demon’s aura could one understand the meaning of courage.
It wasn’t until the group returned to their seats that the lingering gazes slowly dispersed.
“Are you really okay?” The Little Monk asked, somewhat worried, as he settled Zheng Qing into his seat.
“Uh, I’m fine, just need some rest.” Zheng Qing endured the throbbing pain in his head, mumbling a response, while lowering the back of his seat.
The beautiful woman with the wine-red wavy hair opposite the Little Monk was still sound asleep with her eye mask on.
Zheng Qing felt a strange disappointment in his heart.
“He was probably stimulated by what just happened, triggering some symptoms. From what he said, it’s an old problem. In this situation, it’s generally safer to follow his lead.” Beside him, Xiao Xiao was quietly explaining what happened in the restaurant to Lan Que.
Li Meng leaned forward, squeezing in beside them, also quietly adding to the story and arguing about something.
Zheng Qing couldn’t hear clearly, nor did he want to.
He curled up in the spacious seat, feeling his entire mind in a dazed state, and soon fell into a dream.
...
His body swayed back and forth, and the near and far images gave him a sense of weightlessness.
He craned his neck, peering forward, wanting to see why he was swaying.
A pair of dull, wooden eyes appeared in his field of vision.
Then a stiff neck.
Straight, rigid legs.
Then two creaking rocking boards.
He suddenly understood.
It turned out he was on a wooden horse.
Dog barks approached from a distance.
He turned his head; a large wolfdog, with a wet tongue hanging out and crimson eyes, was chasing behind the wooden horse. The dog had a thorn collar around its neck, and its fur was matted with scabs and dirt, looking dirty. It opened its mouth, revealing yellowish fangs, and cloudy drool seeped from between its teeth, dripping onto the muddy ground.
He couldn't let the dog bite him.
He hardened his heart, kicking the horse’s belly with all his might.
Run faster! he shouted.
The dog barks grew more distant.
He looked back and could no longer see the large dog; only deep twilight filled his vision.
The sunset clouds spread out in the distance, like a sea rolling in.
The sunset clouds grew closer, and their color deepened.
Until they were as deep red as blood.
Behind the clouds, the desolate roar of that wild dog seemed to come through.
The blood-red sunset clouds swept over the wooden horse, like a tide surging onto a beach, engulfing everything.
...
Li Meng was chattering away, recounting the details of the restaurant incident to Lan Que.
Zheng Qing, who was sleeping nearby, suddenly lunged forward, startling her.
“What are you doing!” The little girl looked at Zheng Qing, pouting.
Zheng Qing mumbled something, then turned over and continued to sleep.
Li Meng looked blankly at Xiao Xiao.
“Nightmare?” Xiao Xiao shook his head, picked up his pen, and scribbled something in his seemingly never-ending notebook.