High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2143: Chapter 364: Talking Reason

”Where is the Doctor?”

The young student on public scholarship keenly shifted his gaze to the last teammate who hadn’t expressed an opinion, his face eager: ”What does the Doctor think?”

”I agree with the Head Monitor’s view.”

Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses, his face righteous and firm, yet his words were incomprehensible to everyone: ”Actions like revenge intensify negative feedback during the world’s operating process, turning white hearts black and making the black even darker... On the contrary, positive emotions and attitudes can reverse or interrupt this negative feedback. So, regarding this matter, I suggest you maintain ’patience’ to a certain extent.”

”Are you telling me to forgive them for attacking with sacks?” Zheng Qing touched the still sore and bruised areas on his body, taking a sharp breath: ”I heard a saying in middle school that makes a lot of sense... Forgiving them is God’s business, I’m responsible for sending them to meet God.”

”That’s a good saying!” Mister Blood Werewolf’s eyes brightened, applauding with admiration. Such tough, conflict-filled words are indeed the type favored by Starry Sky Academy students.

Xiao Xiao shook his head: ”Patience is not the same as forgiveness. For their wrong actions, you have enough, substantial, correct reasons not to forgive. As a person, if you don’t even know how to be angry, what’s the difference between you and a walking corpse?”

”Even corpses can rage wildly.” Zheng Qing reminded.

Xiao Xiao paused and slightly modified his statement: ”... A person who doesn’t know how to be angry is no different from clay or wood statues. But amidst anger, you should also learn patience. Because the ultimate patience leads to maturity, explosion, lingering taste, and ultimate freedom.”

Xin Fat Man looked at the Doctor with a peculiar expression, his eyes cautiously sweeping over several figures, reminding in a low voice: ”Although I know you’re speaking profound truths... why do I always feel you’re trying to express something strange...”

”Tch.” The Doctor glanced disdainfully at the Fat Wizard and scoffed: ”Mundane thinking.”

The impromptu gathering under the night sky didn’t last long.

As Furry Bean returned empty-handed and the Absolution Diviner repeatedly confirmed they couldn’t trace the attackers’ identities, the meeting ended hastily. Zheng Qing was ’escorted’ back to the dormitory by Xin Fat Man; Xiao Xiao needed to visit the Wandering Bar; Jiang Yu had to rush back to the dormitory to fill out the application materials for the school’s investigation; Zhang Ji Xin went to find his brother to inquire if anyone from Sacred Will was involved in this matter; Dylan had a class to attend; Blue Bird quietly retreated as he had little to offer in this matter.

Of course, the meeting wasn’t entirely fruitless.

First, to prevent this incident from creating a ’copycat effect’ and enticing others with no initial intent to target Zheng Qing, before thoroughly investigating the attackers’ identities, the matter had to be kept sufficiently low-key. Within the Hunting team, a simple unified stance was agreed upon: if outsiders ask about Zheng Qing’s injuries, they can vaguely tie it to the Hunting team’s night training hazards.

Second, from now on, Zheng Qing should not venture out alone—whether it’s the dormitory door, classroom door, or school gate—during this period, he should be accompanied by one or two companions wherever he goes.

Lastly, before the news spreads too wide, the Hunting team should invest in the Wandering Bar to buy some ’chips betting on Zheng Qing being beaten,’ of course within a suitable odds range.

As the saying goes, losing in the east means gaining in the mulberry, somewhat recovering the losses.

Xiao Xiao was responsible for this last task.

For this, the Hunting team allocated him fifty jade coins worth, meaning as long as the odds are appropriate, he could purchase chips up to fifty jade coins without drawing attention.

It’s not that Absolution couldn’t raise more cash—for instance, Jiang Da Headmaster immediately expressed willingness to offer a hundred and eighty jade coins upon hearing the plan—but every game has its internal logic, not to mention that Absolution’s all-in might hammer down the originally high odds, merely dealing with ’insider trading’ is a troublesome affair.

As an underground business, Xiang Qi Club won’t sue the Absolution Hunting Team in Danghag High Court over the matter, or to seek justice from the school, but as the bookmaker, they could blacklist each member of the Absolution Hunting Team from the school’s ’underground market.’

That means not only gambling but also fishman trade, Wandering Bar, illegal smuggling of magic materials in Silent Forest, etc., would be cut off from the Absolution Hunting Team who ’broke the rules,’ which is certainly not a good thing.

Of course, as long as the purchase limit is kept within reasonable boundaries, Absolution can earn some pocket change by skirting the rules, given there’s no disgruntled opposition, Xiang Qi Club typically holds their nose and tacitly agrees.

At over ten o’clock, Xiao Xiao returned to the dormitory with bad news. At that time, Zheng Qing and Xin Fat Man had just returned not long ago.

”The Wandering Bar already stopped the betting, I didn’t get a chance to buy even a Copper!”

Xiao Xiao rushed through his account upon entering the room: ”Because I had to hide my identity, I also wasn’t in a position to seek out the Wandering Wizard, but upon discreet inquiry, a Wizard downstairs mentioned the betting stopped just this afternoon... Reportedly, because the capital settled in the pool had surpassed a hundred jade coins, they needed to draft a new ledger, thus halting overnight to sort accounts... The odds of betting on your beating were nearly one to four when they halted.”

Zheng Qing squinted slightly, not immediately speaking.

”Just this afternoon?”

Xin Fat Man cradled Tuan Tuan, furrowed his brows, glancing once at Zheng Qing, then at Xiao Xiao: ”What a coincidence? Sorting accounts, ha, it’s rare they come up with such a lame excuse... The betting stopped just this afternoon and Mister Zha got beaten this evening? Sepulano and that old man at the Wandering Bar must have meddled in this affair!”

”The possibility can’t be ruled out.”

Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses, cautious, slowing down his speech: ”You should know, the betting pool is merely affiliated with the Wandering Bar; the Wandering Wizard couldn’t possibly grasp every detail within the bar... As for Xiang Qi Club, though they oversee gambling within the school premises, not every betting pool is opened by them.”

”There’s a difference in that?” The Fat Wizard seemed puzzled.

”After adding this clue, I immediately burned a piece of turtle shell, with the hexagrams now much clearer than before.” Xiao Xiao glanced at the Fat Wizard without addressing his inquiry, continuing: ”The first pattern suggested Sepulano orchestrated the action, which typically serves as a false cover; the second pattern pointed to Friedman, with motive, capability, and sufficient suspicion; yet there’s a third pattern indicating Uncle Zhang Zhi... Moreover, this pattern appears the most profound, suggesting the highest likelihood... As I see it, any one of these individuals could be involved, but there’s also a significant chance none of them are related.”

”What a waste of turtle shell... Trying to trace the perpetrator purely based on motive is entirely unlikely.” The Fat Wizard regained composure, sneering: ”The number of potential candidates within the school who might want to thrash Mister Zha is innumerable... If you spotted Jiang Da Headmaster or my silhouette in the turtle shell, it wouldn’t be surprising at all.”