High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1123: Chapter 185: The White Cat on the Left, the Fox on the Right

Some people faint when faced with immense pressure, some remain silent, some break down and scream, and still, others like to change the subject and deflect attention as a means to alleviate their own stress.

For example, right now in the pavilion, facing the big shots of the Alpha Academy’s clubs, Li Meng chose to use the latter method.

”Hmm, you must be that guy from Alpha Academy called Lano,” the Little Witch puffed up her cheeks, pensively stroking the little white cat in her arms, ”Caught red-handed in the dead of night, yet you dare to threaten us... This is just what a bad guy would do, right?”

The little white cat shook its tail, a face of helplessness—it was fortunate that Li Meng didn’t faint today, which seemed to make everyone else overly nervous. Noticing this, Zheng Qing quickly glanced at the Little Witch, sighed, and took over the conversation:

”The things in this world aren’t so simple... Only children distinguish between good and bad, adults just weigh the pros and cons,” he said.

”Wow, I’m surprised you can see things so clearly,” Xiao Xiao raised an eyebrow, sounding somewhat astonished.

Zheng Qing felt his old face blushing a bit.

”Cough, it wasn’t me who said that, it was either Dickens or Ruschrenn, or some other great author,” the young cost student said, not minding others’ compliments but very much minding being mistaken for someone else, so he immediately made things clear: ”I just made a slight change and then borrowed it.”

Although he and Xiao Xiao were exchanging banter, there was not a hint of relaxation in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Zhang Ji Xin, with his hands behind his back, signaled a few gestures. The hunters from the Atonement Hunting Team silently changed their formation, with the Elders and Xin Fat Man on the flanks, Zheng Qing in the center, Xiao Xiao covering the rear, Blue Bird hiding in the darkness, and Lin Guo dragging Li Meng and Su Ya to take shelter in the very heart of the formation.

The two small animals, as if by mutual agreement, sprang onto Zheng Qing’s shoulders.

The little white cat on the left, Poseidon on the right.

One tail on each side hooked around the young cost student’s neck, unexpectedly giving a warm feeling. Nevertheless, Zheng Qing could still feel the subtle tremor coming from Poseidon’s large tail.

Mike Gold Cypress Plano watched leisurely as the first-year newcomers transformed their hunting team formation, as they took out Law books, pulled out stacks of Talisman papers, watched Blue Bird disappear into the darkness with her sword, watched Zhang Ji Xin put on his gauntlets, Zheng Qing raise his Charm Gun, Xiao Xiao take out a tortoise shell, watched Xin Fat Man’s round face gradually turn blue under the dim lantern light, his body slowly enlarging.

”Belief is a terrible thing; it always gives the weak the wrong impression... making them think they can defeat Destiny. In reality, Destiny, that bitch’s offspring, loves to toy with people’s hearts the most,” said Sepulano slowly, lamenting as though he were in pain without illness.

This was exactly what Zheng Qing thought in his heart—he found that figures like Sepulano, or Victor Tang Corleone, or Raymond Reddington always liked to discuss quasi-philosophical topics in front of others, especially strangers.

It was as if in doing so, they could elevate their status from mere hoodlums involved in petty fights to that of cultured bosses who are contemplative and learned.

But Zheng Qing believed that the reason these big shots told stories and talked philosophy was primarily because beyond fighting, they possessed no other more interesting life skills. They could only resort to discussing empty topics and dispensing half-baked wisdom to appear cultured.

Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a reference, this belonged to their pursuit of self-actualization after their esteem needs had been met.

Sepulano, of course, had no clue about Zheng Qing’s internal scoffing and continued to drone on with his nonsense.

”...That hardly seems like a wise move,” Sepulano narrowed his eyes, a dangerous air seeping through his gaze. ”Or do you really think a clunky novice hunting team can pose any hindrance to me?”

”Hiss!!”

The white cat crouched on Zheng Qing’s left shoulder let out a fierce hiss at Sepulano.

This low hiss cut through the tiresome rambling of the club big shot, broke the oppressive mood hanging in the air, made the little fox clinging to Zheng Qing’s left shoulder prick up its ears, and also caused Zheng Qing, who had been grimacing all this time, to snort out a laugh.

”Not even as good as a cat!” The young public-funded student raised the charm gun in his hand, speaking no further, and with a snap of the trigger, a roaring Fu Bullet with a pale blue trail headed straight for Sepulano, accompanied by the long-suppressed roar of Zheng Qing, ”Attack!”

The pale blue Fu Bullet struck Sepulano’s chest and in the blink of an eye turned into a mass of vines that shot out in all directions, like a ferocious Big Mouth Gulu, swallowing the Fat Wizard whole.

”Peach and tender, splendid is its bloom!”

Sepulano’s deep spell echoed from within the mass of vines as a burst of orange-yellow sparks bloomed, and simultaneously, his short and stocky body, like a slippery fish, wriggled free of the vines and reappeared on the Atonement Hunting Team’s flank.

”Eight o’clock direction! Double ’My Horse’, release!”

Zheng Qing didn’t even turn his head, shouting sharply.

Responding to him came the coordinated chanting of Xiao Xiao and Lin Guo, ”I Ma Hui Tui!” ”I’m a Dark Yellow Horse!”

Two earthy yellow spells brushed past Zheng Qing’s side, kicking up the corner of his robe as they pounced towards Sepulano’s landing spot like hungry tigers.

Sepulano, holding a Law book in each hand, also replied with two spells, one to counter the Xuanhuang Curse, maintaining clear vision; the other to block the Huitui Curse, stabilizing his condition:

”Clearly Visible in all directions!”

”Unshaken, unstartled, unswayed, unalarmed!”

Seeing Sepulano’s hands both occupied with Law books and without waiting for Zheng Qing to speak, a ready Zhang Ji Xin bellowed a single word, ”Go!”

Then he and Xin Fat Man, one to the left and the other to the right, charged at Sepulano with fists swinging.

All members of the Absolution Hunting Team knew that in terms of the sheer number and strength of spells mastered, they, as first-year novices, could not possibly outdo the higher-grade Sepulano even if they fought to the death.

The only glimmer of hope was to play to their strengths against his weaknesses—such as the fists of Zhang Ji Xin and Xin Fat Man, the sword of Blue Bird, and Zheng Qing’s Talisman—striking him down up close before Sepulano could set up his formation to release more powerful spells.

Admittedly, this tactic wasn’t much more sophisticated than a brawl, but for the current group of first-year newcomers, it seemed to be their only chance at victory.

Sepulano, indeed worthy of being a high-grade public-funded student and founder of the Auspicious Hunting Team, faced the continuous onslaught of the Absolution Hunting Team without the slightest hint of panic. Instead, he smoothly cast a series of Harlequin spells, easily escaping once more from the encirclement of the wizards.