High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 957: Chapter 19 The Second Plan to North District

By eight in the morning, the sky was already brightly lit, yet Xiao Xiao had still not shown up at the Flying Garden.

This gradually made Zheng Qing and Xin Fat Man, who had been waiting there from the start, grow more and more impatient.

”It’s almost nine o’clock... How come not even a single Paper Crane has flown over?” Zheng Qing leaned against a large bluestone, holding Poseidon in his arms, who was sprawled across a copy of ”Curses, Magic Power Changes, and Magical Might” by Zhang Ji Xin, all the while scratching and grooming the Little Fox and murmuring complaints under his breath, ”Had I known, I would’ve done like Dylan and gone back for a lazy sleep.”

Ever since learning about Zheng Qing’s whereabouts last night and unable to obtain any new information, Dylan had decided to give up early morning studies at the Flying Garden and casually returned to the dorm to sleep. Unlike him, Zhang Season Letter received a message from his brother asking for help at the Hunting Ground, so he did not continue to wait at the Flying Garden either.

Only Xin Fat Man and Zheng Qing remained, one the initiator of the outing, the other, feeling guilty for lying, stayed put honestly. Even breakfast was delivered by sprites in paper bags.

Upon hearing Zheng Qing’s complaints, Xin Fat Man, unusually, did not argue or nitpick but agreed, saying, ”Exactly, exactly, what on earth is the Doctor doing... If we leave too late, it will certainly be dark by the time we return today.”

According to the previous plan, starting from today, Xin Fat Man’s ’Current Status Investigation of North Beta Town’ would officially commence. Following Xiao Xiao’s suggestion, they had forsaken the direct route through the long corridors that connected every corner of the campus via the Beta Town Pedestrian Street to the North District. Instead, they chose a much longer path.

Departing from Lin Zhong Lake by boat, traveling along the river, skirting most of the campus, and landing directly at the North District dock.

The greatest advantage of this was that it allowed the ’investigators’ to adopt a different perspective, to observe Beta Town and the North District from an entirely new viewpoint.

After all, the ’Campus—Pedestrian Street—North District’ route was frequented by many wizards, and Xin Fat Man had also traveled it back and forth numerous times, making it hard to evoke any sense of novelty. Conversely, the ’Lin Zhong Lake—Silent River—North District’ path was less traveled due to the long journey, and it was said that along the way, one could see gatherers on the edge of the Silent Forest, which would greatly benefit Xin Fat Man’s investigative work.

Moreover, since it was the winter break, choosing the second route would not only fulfill Fat Man’s duties but also allow for a leisurely trip along the Silent River and into the Silent Forest, clearly a win-win situation.

”Didn’t you see him this morning? Didn’t he tell you exactly what he was going to do?” Zheng Qing couldn’t help but ask again, with a hint of hope. Poseidon, his ears pressed under that book, ’whoo-whooed’ under Zheng Qing’s hand, reminding him to be mindful of the scratching discipline.

Xin Fat Man, upon hearing this, became a bit irritable.

”This is the fifth time you’ve asked!” he exclaimed, standing on a patch of grass as if a chubby Husky chasing its tail, going round in circles, exclaiming, ”I’ve told you so many times, the Doctor did not tell me what he’s up to! He just said he had some business to take care of first... and told us to wait for him here!”

Zheng Qing shifted the position of ”Curses, Magic Power Changes, and Magical Might”, revealing Poseidon’s small head.

He then continued to scribble notes on the pages of the book while retorting peevishly, ”If you’re so anxious, why not just leave now? Who was it that said they absolutely wouldn’t go to the North District with the Doctor?”

Zheng Qing referred to an internal discussion about winter break plans in room 403 before the holidays, when Xin Fat Man had declared solemnly that he would rather go to the North District with mice and Fishmen than go with the Doctor.

In Zheng Qing’s opinion, that statement was a joke.

Hearing the mockery of the state-funded student, Xin Fat Man’s face showed not a trace of shame.

”How can you take seriously the words spoken in anger?” The fat man solemnly shook his head and wagged his short, stubby finger, adding, ”After all, you’re a recipient of the Merlin Medal, yet you harbor a grudge smaller than a flea... You actually dredge up something said in a huff a month ago to throw it back at someone. That’s truly unbefitting of human dignity.”

”Moreover,” he raised his voice a notch, looking at Zheng Qing, reminding, ”I originally said that if I were going with the mice and the Fishman, I’d not join the Doctor. But now that I’m not going with the mice and the Fishman, I naturally can bring the Doctor along.”

Zheng Qing slapped a palm onto a page of his book and sucked in a cold breath.

This was sophistry from Xin Fat Man!

Absolute sophistry—how could his previous words be twisted like this?!

”One of the functions of language is to serve as the motive and carrier of thought processes, acting as a tool of human cognitive activity,” a familiar voice suddenly rose behind the two men, interrupting the fat man’s lofty argument: ”As the saying goes, ’Examine their words and observe their actions, and their good and evil are revealed therein.’”

This kind of rhetoric was something only Doctor Xiao would say.

Zheng Qing turned his head and, sure enough, Xiao Xiao was hurrying over toward them. He wore a very ordinary dark red robe, with his black notebook tucked under his arm. His neat little suit from yesterday was nowhere to be seen.

”What do you mean by that? Who’s good and who’s evil here?” Xin Fat Man rolled his eyes bizarrely and started to rant at Xiao Xiao.

”Where’s that flamboyant outfit you wore yesterday?” Unlike Fat Man, Zheng Qing’s point of focus was a bit more specific.

Upon arriving next to the two men, Xiao Xiao did not respond to Fat Man’s provocation, nor did he answer Zheng Qing’s teasing. Instead, he furrowed his brows and asked Zheng Qing, ”I heard that during the New Year, you were attacked by a Wild Demon? What happened—was it serious?!”

At this question, Xin Fat Man also stopped his shouting and quieted down.

”To be precise, it merely appeared in front of me,” Zheng Qing corrected Xiao Xiao’s wording, emphasizing, ”Just a piece of scum without even level five strength. It couldn’t withstand a single round before me, how could it possibly attack me...”

”Right, right, I know you’re powerful,” Xiao Xiao placated, continuing to press, ”Where did that demon come from, have you checked? The Mage Alliance should have someone in charge of this kind of thing, right? What was the final word?”

”Nothing definitive,” Zheng Qing shrugged with a helpless expression, then moved past this topic: ”Let’s talk about this in detail when we have time... Speaking of which, where did you go this morning?”

Realizing that Zheng Qing was reluctant to discuss it at the moment, Xiao Xiao did not press the matter.

”I went to do some investigating this morning,” he said, pulling out his notebook and waving it in front of his companions: ”A trip to the Silent River isn’t easy, so I decided to take the opportunity to do something... You know about the school’s bulletin boards, right? I wandered around this morning and found an ’interesting’ bulletin board.”