High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1153: Chapter 215 Hundred Herb Gardens Closed

Hundred Herb Gardens was locked down.

After seeing the bluish-yellow little flower in Zheng Qing’s hand, Professor Li only made a brief investigation on the spot before quickly deciding on the lockdown. However, he did not announce the decision to the young wizards directly. Instead, he told everyone that all punitive work for the day had finished and then chased everyone out of the Hundred Herb Gardens.

Old Man Sitangda also had no objections.

Shortly thereafter, the School Works Committee dispatched a more professional crew and many black-robed wizards to replace Zheng Qing and others. They also activated colorful, multi-layered barriers that completely isolated the garden from the outside world.

This was one of the main reasons Zheng Qing concluded that Hundred Herb Gardens had been locked down.

With the lockdown of Hundred Herb Gardens, the pursuit of investigating the mystery of the disappearing bees naturally dissolved without resolve.

As for the bluish-yellow bud, it was immediately taken by Professor Qi Huang. Furthermore, as the ’flower picker’, Zheng Qing stayed in a temporary office next to the garden under the professor’s arrangements and supervision for a long time and washed his hands with various brightly colored liquids.

Zheng Qing felt as if he had washed off more than just a layer of skin.

The other wizards and school staff who had worked in Hundred Herb Gardens had no easier time, although they didn’t undergo the magic potion cleansing like Zheng Qing. However, they were also disinfected several times before being sent away.

Zheng Qing was the last student to leave.

It was already time for the afternoon class, and Zheng Qing’s hands were still numb and discolored from the potion stimulus. His mood was similarly ’numbed’.

Young wizards always had a sense of misfortune as though they were bitten by a werewolf.

When he arrived in the classroom, the practical lesson was already halfway through. Teaching Assistant Hilda, with an indecipherable look, glanced at the young wizard a few times but did not say much. Instead, she assigned him to start the class exercises.

Because he missed half a class, Zheng Qing behaved very honestly and was active during the remaining time until the class ended, only then was he able to discuss the noon’s events with his classmates.

”So, you also don’t know what kind of flower it was, right?” The cost student shifted his gaze from Doctor Xiao and flung his hands, saying mournfully, ”The hair on my hands was all washed away...”

As soon as class ended, he detailed the incidents of the noon to the few classmates who gathered around him and specifically mentioned the appearance and color of the flower, hoping Xiao Xiao could discover something from it.

Unfortunately for him, Doctor Xiao’s ’doctor’ title was ultimately just a joke among classmates.

”You only told me the color and size of the flower. You couldn’t even describe the shape. How could I possibly determine what kind of flower it is based on such vague information!”

Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses, scoffing at the cost student’s remarks.

”I can only confirm that the flower was not a Penglai Banana,” Zheng Qing thought for a moment and then added, ”And after a closer inspection, there are no plants that grow this kind of flower in there. It was as if the flower appeared out of nowhere.”

”Appeared out of nowhere?” Xiao Xiao, pressing on the notebook in his arms as if in meditation, slowly shook his head after a long pause, but he still couldn’t find an answer.

”I can ask my brother,” Zhang Ji Xin, pinching his fingers, said on the side, ”He has the knack for news, perhaps he knows something.”

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.

Zhang Ji Xin’s brother, Uncle Zhang Zhi, was the vice-captain of the hunting team at First University and also one of the three strongest contenders for the next Lei Zhe title. Given his status, he indeed had access to information that ordinary students could not reach.

”What are you daydreaming about?” Zheng Qing nudged the somewhat distracted Fat Man, raised his hands to his eyes, and signaled, ”I just asked you if you have any leads... What should we do about this?”

The hands that the professor had washed with a magic potion still looked somewhat green and had no hair left on the back. Those fingers looked like thoroughly pickled cucumbers.

Zheng Qing seriously doubted whether his paws would still be green after he turned into a cat.

”Um, a small matter, a small matter,” Xin Fat Man waved his hand dismissively, ”I smelled it carefully before, it’s just some potions to eliminate odors, scents, and magic traces... It will evaporate after a night’s sleep.”

”So what were you thinking about?” Zhang Ji Xin also noticed something was off with Fat Man.

”Um, I was thinking, maybe we should stock up on some herbs in Pedestrian Street in advance?”

Xin Fat Man pinched his chin, looking hesitant, ”According to what Brother Qing said, since Hundred Herb Gardens is sealed, can I assume that the school’s supply of herbs might be affected in the short term? So, I think, stocking up some herbs in D&K for sale might make a little profit... I remember, our business license includes a ’Magic Potion Sales Permit,’ right?”

Zheng Qing stood frozen for a few seconds, then suddenly yelled, and ran towards the direction of Pedestrian Street.

...

...

While the young wizards were thinking about making some ’school crisis fortune,’ Dean Yao, who was in charge of school work affairs at Hundred Herb Gardens during this period, was frowning deeply while contemplating the current dilemma with a small patch of mist in front of him.

Chewing on his newly switched smoking pipe, he squatted on the ridge, smacking his lips like an old farmer.

Wisps of blue-white smoke rose from the smoking pipe, curling into delicate rings, one loop after another, displaying a rhythmic beauty. His eyebrows were tightly furrowed, outlining clear traces. The corners of his eyes drooped slightly, squinting into the distance, as if gazing far away or perhaps dozing off.

”You still have the mood to smoke?” Professor Li, wearing heavy dragon skin work clothes, slowly walked up to Old Yao and unglamorously plopped down on the ridge, stretching out his long legs, letting out a contented sigh, ”I’m dead tired.”

”Did you get it sorted out?” Old Yao clacked his smoking pipe, asking in return.

”Yes,” Professor Li nodded, ”The people at the seal confirmed it was just an accident... That tree was too big, and the environment here in Hundred Herb Gardens is too suitable for trees, too tempting, so it accidentally poked a hole here. We’ve applied a bilateral patch, it won’t be a problem... What about that flower?”

”What else can we do?” Old Yao exhaled a thick puff of smoke, ”Honesty sent it back... There were only a few flowers, and yet they were picked so easily. The old guys guarding it every day were almost driven mad. It was close to being exploited by those outside demons, ghosts, and devils.”

”No worries, no worries, sending it back is fine,” Professor Li comforted him by patting Old Yao’s shoulder, ”It’s not some ordinary peach or plum. When a flower is picked, just reattach it, it’s not that fragile. Don’t fret over this little thing.”

”Am I worrying about this?” Old Yao tapped his smoking pipe, snorting indignantly.

”Then what are you worried about?” Professor Li looked at him blankly.

”I’m worried about Zheng Qing,” the dean of Jiuyou Academy exhaled two long trails of smoke from his nostrils, resembling an angry fire dragon, ”He’s like a bomb... Wherever he is placed, he will explode.”