High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 298: Chapter 222: Professor Yao’s Private Medical Consultation_1

There was supposed to be a magic potion class on Thursday morning.

However, as a ’patient’, Zheng Qing didn’t need to worry about this at all.

Today, he didn’t need to memorize complex and tongue-twisting potion formulas before class, nor did he have to wear deer-skin gloves to clean off the ants clinging to the aconite on the monkshood. Moreover, he didn’t have to risk being in the building where labs could explode at any time.

This made him particularly cheerful when he woke up in the morning.

The bland breakfast provided by the hospital for the patients even tasted unusually sweet in his mouth.

The breakfast was very simple, a bowl of millet porridge, an egg, two soft slices of bread, and a small dish of appetizers.

The golden grains of corn were round and lustrous, seeping out a thick and smooth rice oil under slow cooking. Stirring the spoon in the bowl, he could clearly feel the tremor of the rice grains sliding past his hand. Taking a mouthful, the rich aroma dispersed on the tip of his tongue, giving him a full sense of satisfaction.

But Zheng Qing didn’t have much mood to enjoy the sweetness on his tongue.

Professor Yao had already arranged an assistant to help him with discharge procedures. After breakfast, he had to immediately go to Professor Yao’s office for a private consultation.

Yes, a private consultation.

When he first heard the news, Zheng Qing felt it was somewhat absurd.

”Why not treat me in the school hospital,” he asked suspiciously as he looked at Zhang Yu, his eyes lingering slightly on the assistant’s white hair and broad forehead, ”I remember all the major therapists of the school work at the school hospital... Does Professor Yao also excel in these fields?”

As he spoke, he subconsciously scanned the ward he was in.

The morning was the time for patients to have their medications changed and receive treatment. Bright light passed through the glass window, making the entire ward seem more lively.

Most of the curtains were rolled up at this time, allowing the patients to enjoy the wonderful moment.

On a bed near the door, a patient with a head full of octopus tentacles was floating in mid-air. Several therapists were turning the pages of their spell books, casting spells of different colors to remove the new octopus tentacles that had grown overnight.

With smooth rhythm, the therapists demonstrated their professionalism to Zheng Qing through their process of cutting, clearing, and healing.

”You don’t need the major therapists to tend to you,” Zhang Yu didn’t show any impatience at Zheng Qing’s skepticism, his voice remained gentle: ”Moreover, even the major therapists wouldn’t do any better than Professor Yao... Any senior professor at the school is proficient in some degree of healing technique.”

Though he was still a bit skeptical, Zheng Qing didn’t voice his objections further.

After swallowing the last spoon of millet porridge, he took off his patient’s uniform, put on a big red student’s gown, and then headed towards the Office Building in the Central Court as per the previously specified address.

Old Yao’s office was at the end of the north corridor on the first floor.

The wooden door was very clean without any Door God images that were hung on other office doors, which made Zheng Qing knock a little harder.

”Knock, knock, knock.”

”Come in.”

Through the wooden door, the voice of Professor Yao sounded a bit dull.

Zheng Qing pushed the door in, and the room did not have the smoky, gloomy feeling he had imagined.

The layout of the room was very straightforward.

The overall red color seemed a bit dazzling under the bright sunlight, like clusters of burning flames.

A large redwood bookcase occupied an entire wall. Besides that, only a red desk was considered large furniture in this office — the furnishings here were even less than what Zheng Qing had seen in student offices or clubhouses.

”Sit first, I’ll quickly deal with the reports from this morning.” Professor Yao sat behind the large desk, wearing small round gold-rimmed glasses, flipping through his files, not looking up.

Zheng Qing didn’t say a word, quietly chose a red leather swivel chair opposite the desk, and gently took a seat.

The professor didn’t make Zheng Qing wait too long.

Soon, he put away the documents on the table, stuffed them into the drawer, then took out another stack of files.

”Do you know why you are here today?” The professor lifted his eyelids, glanced at Zheng Qing from over the brim of his glasses, then immediately lowered his eyelids and carefully started going through the file under the brilliant sun’s light.

”Teacher Zhang mentioned, you wanted to check on my headaches...” Zheng Qing answer awkwardly, shifting slightly.

”Hmm, that’s more or less right...” Professor Yao didn’t dwell too much on the fine details in Zheng Qing’s words. He paused for a moment, then said slowly: ”Before we move towards the actual treatment, tell me about your hallucinations... What do you think about them?”

”Hallucinations?” Zheng Qing hesitated a moment: ”Are you referring to the nightmares?”

”Sunlight, shadows, beaches, strange rocks, mermaids, sirens... everything in the Dreamland is an illusion.” Old Yao lifted his eyelids, an hint of interest evident in his eyes: ”Since you refer to it as a nightmare, you must believe it’s harmful to you.”

Zheng Qing sat uneasily upright, not responding to the question.

”Nightmares.” Old Yao turned his gaze back to the book in front of him, a smile tugged at his lips as he continued to ask: ”So, when did they first start to occur?”

”Um... a week ago?” Zheng Qing hesitated before replying: ”After the first night patrol at Lin Zhong Lake, I had nightmares... but if you’re asking about headaches, the latest significant episode happened on the chartered plane to school.”

”The most recent time.” Old Yao repeated thoughtfully: ”When was the first time?”

”Around six or seven years old? Maybe even earlier.” Zheng Qing wasn’t sure of the exact time, but in his deepest memories, that intense pain seemed to span all of his childhood.

”When was the last episode?”

”Probably when I was around eight or nine,” Zheng Qing felt his face heat up, as it seemed he couldn’t provide a clear answer to any of the Professor’s questions.

”So, almost ten years.” Professor Yao’s smile grew even more evident: ”Ten years, huh.”

He picked up his pipe and knocked it against the edge of the ashtray on the table.

Several small, blue elves flew out from somewhere, placing a glass of water on the desk.

Zheng Qing licked his dry lips.

The liquid in the glass rippled appealingly, colorless, looking just like a glass of plain water.

Professor Yao pulled a blank yellow talisman paper from the drawer, dipped his finger in cinnabar, and rapidly drew a symbol.

Then he lit the talisman paper, dropping it into the glass of water.

The talisman paper sank upon contact with the water, sinking all the way to the bottom.

A faint blue flame slowly burned at the bottom of the glass, producing several wisps of milky white bubbles. It looked like a colorful alka-seltzer tablet.

”Nightmares are a minor problem.” Professor Yao spoke again, his voice gentle: ”Perhaps some friend of yours played a small joke on you, casting a ’Nightmare curse’... It was spotted by the campus hospital in a blink of an eye, right in the palm of your hand.”

Zheng Qing raised his hand, feeling somewhat baffled.

”However,” he couldn’t suppress his curiosity: ”How did I get cursed?”

”This Nightmare curse is mixed with the Gan Lin curse... there aren’t many Talisman Masters in the Wizarding World who can embed a Nightmare curse into the Gan Lin curse.”

Zheng Qing recalled the young master of the Taylor family, and had a sudden realization.

”Drink this.” Old Yao pointed to the glass of water on the desk.

The talisman paper in the glass had already been burnt to ashes, turning the originally clear water somewhat cloudy.

Zheng Qing didn’t hesitate, taking the glass and draining it in one gulp.

Contrary to his expectation of a dry taste, the Talisman Water tasted sweet and delicious.

”What is this?” He only thought to ask this after he finished drinking.

Professor Yao’s wrinkles smoothed out swiftly, revealing a satisfied smile. It wasn’t clear whether he found Zheng Qing’s question amusing, or if he appreciated the young man’s behavior.

”Talisman Water to neutralise the Nightmare curse.”

”Can’t the campus hospital handle it?” Zheng Qing became more confused: ”I thought Doctor Ma had already suppressed the Nightmare curse for me.”

”Nightmares can’t be suppressed, they must be eliminated. And the most authoritative person in the whole University to make this kind of talisman is sitting right in front of you.” His tone shifted, Professor Yao’s expression became a bit more solemn: ”Your situation is rather complicated... and you’re my student. Before contacting your parents, the campus hospital would not dare to act rashly.”

”You need to contact my parents?” Zheng Qing’s voice sharply rose.

”Since I’ve already made the Talisman Water for you, there’s no need.”

”That’s good, that’s good.” Zheng Qing let out a sigh of relief; his expression had noticeably relaxed.

”Nightmares are a minor problem.” Professor Yao repeated: ”Once you drink the Talisman Water, there will be no problem.”

Zheng Qing nodded gratefully.

”But your headaches are a big problem.” The professor lifted his head, speaking gravely: ”You must prepare yourself.”