High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 249: Chapter 173: Shadow by the Lake_1

Today is Wednesday.

The time is now twelve twenty in the afternoon.

Although it is lunch time, not everyone eats on time.

Most of the time, in front of the main building of Jiuyou Academy, there are always some students lingering for one reason or another.

But today, there is not a single person on the clean and tidy square.

The scorching sunlight spills from above, falling on the bald marble floor.

The large ferns around the square are wilting and curling up, struggling to resist the increasingly intense sunlight. The wooden benches under the shadows of these plants are empty, and even the campus workers who usually spray water on the tree elves to cool them down in the sun are nowhere to be found.

Although a few new students feel uneasy, they can only keep heading towards the back garden of the academy.

In any case, this option is better than stupidly staying where they are.

It wasn’t until they approached Lin Zhong Lake that they finally discovered another figure.

To be precise, it’s this gray-robed campus worker who deliberately revealed himself and stopped in front of the young wizards - Zheng Qing didn’t notice where this gentleman stood just now; he seemed to pop up out of the air.

”Students?” the grey-robed campus worker sternly looked at the young wizards, his gaze sweeping over their collars and cuffs. ”First-year students? What are you doing by the lake!”

He held tightly in his hands the characteristic patrol staff of the campus workers, his expression somewhat defensive.

”We just finished our class and were planning to go back to the dormitory,” Duan Xiao Jian hastily replied.

”Where have all the people in the school gone?” Zhang Ji Xin quickly asked the question that everyone was most concerned about.

”What’s even stranger is... we walked from the main building here and didn’t see a single person,” Xin Fat Man wiped his oily forehead, his breath short: ”Oh, I’m sorry, what I mean is we didn’t see anyone, except for you.”

”Did something happen to Lin Zhong Lake?” Xiao Xiao craned his neck, looking over the grey-robed campus worker to the depths of the lake.

Zheng Qing could not help but look into the distance along his gaze.

The water of the sparkling Lin Zhong Lake is no different from usual.

If there is one oddity, it would be the atmosphere.

Usually, although the area around the lake is not bustling, it is always busy with people coming and going.

But now, from a distance, Zheng Qing could smell a breath of deathly silence.

The red big birds that loved to dance on the lake disappeared without a trace; the tree elves that often hung among the branches also hid themselves somewhere; not to mention the students who usually sit by the lake reading books, none of them left even a shadow.

Zheng Qing would bet his shiny black donkey’s hoof in his arms that the Water ghosts and Fishmen of the lake must have long been hiding in the depths of the lake.

Otherwise, there would be the inexplicable ripples brought about by their cruising in the water.

”This is really strange,” the young cost student finally realized the seriousness of the situation was beyond imagination and felt somewhat dry-mouthed.

He reached into his Grey Cloth Bag, planning to take a bottle of water to moisten his throat.

”Don’t move!” the Grey Robe Wizard suddenly barked, ”All of you, stay where you are!”

Zheng Qing was startled, and his hand that was stuck in the Grey Cloth Bag instantly froze in place.

The other people were also frightened by the nervous expression of the grey-robed campus worker and stood still in place.

”All of you, stay where you are!” The grey-robed campus worker repeated the command, while simultaneously stomping his wooden staff on the ground.

An invisible ripple spread out from where the foot of the staff fell, spreading all around.

Fine dust rose into the air, fluttering and dancing, as like broken particles of sunlight, particularly clear in the field of view.

Before the dust settled and the group of young wizards could react, a series of faint explosions echoed around them.

”Pop!” ”Pop!” ”Pop!”

Fivesix figures draped in black robes appeared instantaneously around the students.

They are wearing hoods and holding law books in their hands. Colored lights are overflowing through them, emitting an unsettling atmosphere.

This scene seemed familiar.

Zheng Qing couldn’t help but take a step back.

”Who sounded the alarm!” A black-robed wizard stood out from the crowd, lifted his hood, revealing a tired face.

It’s Thomas.

”Zheng Qing? What are you doing here?” He almost immediately noticed the familiar figure among the young wizards and asked in surprise, ”The students are all staying in the first hall... Didn’t you receive the notification?”

”These first-year freshmen appeared by the lake, they were quite suspicious, so I stopped them,” the grey-robed campus worker chimed in.

You are suspicious!

Your whole family is suspicious!

Zheng Qing muttered internally, but his mouth did not show any disrespect:

”We just came out of the main building,” he explained: ”After class, because we had some special arrangements...”

Saying this, the young wizards simultaneously glanced at Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao kept his head down, hugging his notebook, without saying a word.

”...So we stayed behind in the classroom for a few more minutes.” At this point, Zheng Qing paused and added: ”Our class was history, taught by Mister Sima Yangyun...we didn’t receive any notices.”

”There wasn’t anyone since we left the classroom,” Zhang Ji Xin complained loudly: ”We were scared by those ghosts in the building for a while... those Ghouls don’t have any regard for others, can we file a complaint against them?”

”No.” Thomas gave a very definite answer.

”If you disturb the deceased residing in the building, you will receive a warning from the campus workers,” the grey-robed campus worker chimed in, ”This warning will be recorded in your student files.”

The hot-tempered Red Face Wizard muttered discontentedly under his breath.

”Why are a bunch of living people worrying about dead ones,” Thomas stopped the impulsive behaviours of the young wizards, pondered for a moment, then turned to the grey-robed campus worker: ”We will handle this here, you can continue your investigation.”

The grey-robed campus worker gave a slight bow and instantly disappeared from his spot.

Zheng Qing still didn’t notice how he disappeared.

Thomas turned back and looked over the young wizards, as if he was weighing what to do with them.

”Can we move now?” Zheng Qing gave a dry laugh, lifting his arm and swaying it.

His hand was still stuck in the Grey Cloth Bag, looking like he was wearing a ridiculous glove.

”Don’t be nervous, there’s no need,” Thomas shook his head slightly and chuckled: ”The situation is serious, but not dire... not to the point where we have to be cautious of first-year little wizards.”

”What exactly happened?” Zheng Qing pulled out his hand from the Grey Cloth Bag and couldn’t resist asking out of curiosity.

The other young people perked up their ears as well, obviously very curious about the incident.

”Nothing too serious,” Thomas casually remarked: ”Just that the three hundred-year-old tortoise on the edge of the lake turned into a mummy... much like the Kappa that night.”

Zheng Qing’s eyes widened immediately.

The others also took in a sharp breath.