High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 661: Chapter 9 Business After the Story_1

”A month later, the same reporter visited Jiuyou Academy once again, to continue her interview.”

”This time around, having learnt their lesson, the staff in the Student Union office of Jiuyou Academy had grown smarter. They did not organize any special welcome ceremony. The hospitality offered was also simple and plain - ’homely meals with balanced diets, three meals a day and a soup’. No exotic delicacies were provided, nor were extra male fairies invited. Only small elves from the school labor committee served. The student union officials who accompanied the tour answered the reporter’s questions if any were asked, and remained silent if not. From start to finish, they adhered to the principles of ’doing things honestly’, ’providing clean service’ and ’decisively not leaving any handle to fault’.”

”In theory, this behavior should be considered orderly with no flaws.”

”However, after the reporter returned, she quietly published another article, ’The Visit Under Surveillance – Once Again Discussing the Unhealthy Academic Atmosphere of Jiuyou Academy.’ This time, she did not attack the hospitality standards of Jiuyou Academy, but instead focused on the student union officials who accompanied the tour.”

”According to her, from the moment she entered the academy, a few aloof student union officials followed her around. No matter where she went, these officials were always around, monitoring her every move, keeping her artificially separated from the rest of Jiuyou Academy’s students. ’The students who answered my questions would involuntarily cast apprehensive glances at the student union cadre, as if they were afraid of saying something wrong!’ ’And the officials’ answers seemed to be rote responses, monotonous and without original thought. From this, she concluded, ’I see real people, but feel false souls’; ’This is an institution enclosed by walls’; ’Under the shadow of the unhealthy Academy culture, who will save these poor children!’

”After this article was published, Jiuyou Academy became known as a school ruled by secret agents, and faced criticisms in the media. The female reporter transformed into a brave hero who unveiled the darkness of the academy...”

Listening to the Wandering Wizard’s narrative, Zheng Qing was stunned and speechless.

He was already aware that most of the news in newspapers was sensationalized, with each article written from a predefined standpoint and few objectively neutral reviews. But he never imagined that the situation could deteriorate to such an extent!

”The first university actually allows such a newspaper to be circulated outside the school?! ”The young cost student grumbled indignantly: ”If I were the principal, I would have shut this newspaper down long ago!”

”Fake-news!”

”Pure nonsense meant to grab attention!”

The Wandering Wizard looked at him smiling, waited until the young wizard finished his rant then asked, unperturbed: ”By shutting down the newspaper, can you eliminate the negative influence? Haven’t you heard of ’silencing people is harder than damming a river’? Your crude approach seems to precisely prove the journalist’s article, doesn’t it?”

Zheng Qing turned red in the face, apparently wanting to argue.

But the old wizard gently waved his hand, stopping him: ”Let me finish the story first... this matter isn’t over yet!”

”Later on, the reporter made several more visits to Jiuyou Academy, each time creating a new twist — the third time, she wrote an article titled ’Rote Learning – The Academic Atmosphere that Kills Young Wizards’ Creativity’, criticizing Jiuyou Academy’s examination system; the fourth time, she wrote ’Elite Monopoly – Hereditary System Veiled in Commoner’s Clothes’, specifically discussing how the ’aristocracy’ produced by exams is indistinguishable from the ’aristocracy’ passed down by bloodline; and then the fifth time, she wrote ’Initial Collapse – starting with a self-harming retained student’... are you getting what I’m saying?”

Zheng Qing initially listened with anger, which gradually turned into deep thought, and finally, silence. He did not say a word.

Hearing the Wandering Wizard’s question, he hesitated for a second and responded softly: ”Although some of that reporter’s views are worthy of discussion, in reality, she’s just looking for trouble... she was targeting Jiuyou Academy from the start.”

The old wizard, sitting cross-legged on a chair, rubbing the half empty bottle of ’Time of Flowing Gold’, nodded slightly without agreeing or disagreeing. He asked another question: ”Anything else?”

”That reporter is too infuriating,” the young cost student muttered, ”I initially thought that there was no deep hatred between Jiuyou Academy and Alpha Academy.”

”Just a few days ago, you were both hurling curses at each other on the Hunting Ground viewing platform, and you’ve already forgotten?! ” The old wizard raised his eyebrows in surprise, paused and continued: ”So, having heard that short story, is there any lesson you draw from it?”

Zheng Qing pondered for a moment, and finally sighed: ”’Confucius was right when he said, ’Only women and small-minded people are hard to sustain. Be close to them, and they are not respectful; be distant, and they bear resentment.’”

The Wandering Wizard laughed strangely in his throat, shook his head, and finally gave the answer: ”You’re right about everything you said, but none of them are exactly spot-on, or the point of the story...The main gist of the story is that sometimes, no matter what you do, or how you do it, there’s no difference in the eyes of those looking for faults.”

”In their eyes, your mistake is not about your choices, but your existence.”

”Your very existence is the greatest mistake.”

”So, the question comes in.” The old man sat up straight, leaned slightly forward, and looked intently at Zheng Qing: ”Would you eradicate yourself to correct these so-called ’mistakes’ others find in you?”

Zheng Qing blinked, denying resolutely, ”Of course, not!! I’m not stupid ... but what does this have to do with my visit here?”

He immediately raised his own doubt: ”I just came to you to dispel those messy rumors... I have no intention of eliminating anything...”

”The rumors were born because of your existence.” The old man sighed lightly, explaining slowly, ”At this time, no matter what you do or how you do it, in the eyes of the onlookers - mind you, ’gaze’ is itself prejudiced - it seems somewhat forced. Doing nothing is the best way – rumors will gradually fade.”

Zheng Qing looked at the Wandering Wizard with a strange look in his eyes.

After a long time.

He finally sighed: ”I originally thought you were best at combat. I was ignorant of the magic of time. Indeed, in this world, time is one of the greatest magics.”

”So, are you still determined to suppress those rumors?” The Wandering Wizard touched the brim of his hat, without commenting on the young wizard’s words.

Zheng Qing did not hesitate, but nodded quickly.

This was a collective decision of Absolution Hunting Team, and he did not plan to make any changes.

The old wizard tilted his head, then gave his own opinion: ”We don’t have the ability to completely eliminate these rumors.”

”Rumors are hard to eliminate, but they can be diverted.”

”In this world, the most capricious thing is not a woman’s mind, but the attention of an audience.”

”’Wandering Bar’ can help you divert everyone’s attention... For example, from your cheating scandal, to the origin and breed of a big black cat, or the scandal of Taylor’s little wolf getting drowned or even the loopholes in the rules of Newcomer competition, etc.”

”As for the charges... If you’re willing to let Wandering Bar sell your loot, I can promise you a fee of only ten jade coins.”

”Ten jade coins.” Zheng Qing mumbled, feeling heartache - that was the tuition fee for a cost student for a year.

”The premise is that you have to give us your loot to sell.” The old wizard immediately reminded him: ”And this is already a special price for gold card customers.”