High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 2175: Chapter 396: Set Up (Part 1)

November 30, Monday.

The night before the Lower Eighth Festival, 8:50 PM.

Beta Town West District.

The negative effects brought by the red paper crane received two hours ago had not completely dissipated. The young scholarship student from Jiuyou Academy still felt a burning sensation in his ears.

At the same time, the unease brought by another blue paper crane began to spread, becoming stronger as he got closer to the Greenhill Mansion—those four words ’something to discuss’ used by Su Shi Jun in the letter were like an ancient spell, stirring up strong anxiety in the boy’s heart, as if a nine-headed Hydra was lurking at the end of this street, each head representing an unknown and terrifying consequence.

What kind of matter would require a Big Wizard to use the word ’discuss’ in a letter to him?

Forbidden Curse? Sir? Or perhaps the Little Green Snake that resided in his ear hole?

The young warlock did not know, and he absent-mindedly touched his earlobe, soft and cool, completely opposite to the burning sensation he felt, much like the moonlight tonight.

Thinking of the moonlight, he couldn’t help but look up to the sky.

Today was the fourteenth of October on the lunar calendar, the moon was as round as a plate, and the moonlight was particularly bright. Visiting an upper house member of the Moon Council on such a day, he wondered if it was coincidence or fortune.

Or perhaps, tonight’s meeting was related to that vast Moon Council?

With such random thoughts, and several invisibility charms on him, Zheng Qing avoided the pedestrians on the street and silently arrived at the courtyard of number fifty-four in Beta Town West District.

The creek outside the mansion was shallow and clear, with occasional thumping noises among the bubbling water sounds. The young scholarship student suspected it was the clumsy grass spirits making noise while crossing the river.

But he didn’t bother with such trivial matters.

The blue paper crane had just emerged from his sleeve, flapping its wings as it led the way, familiarly passing through layer upon layer of magical barriers. Zheng Qing followed behind it, unimpeded, and arrived at the little garden of the mansion.

From a distance, he saw Little Fox Suya squatting in front of a Flame Begonia with her back to him, doing something unknown, not even caring that her tail was drooping on the ground.

He glanced at the paper crane fluttering before him, a thought crossed his mind, and he slightly veered off course, heading towards Suya to inquire about some news.

The guiding paper crane noticed the warlock deviating and fluttered its wings, hesitated in the air, confusedly looking around for a moment, then hurriedly landed on his shoulder, trying in vain to nibble his ear to remind him of his mistake.

Zheng Qing remained unmoved—for one thing, the ear the crane was nibbling on was still burning and had no sensation, so naturally he couldn’t detect the crane’s small actions.

Upon reaching Suya’s back, the warlock cautiously avoided the fluffy big tail behind the little fox lady, leaned his head over her shoulder, and looked ahead.

The little fox lady was humming a song, holding a small flower hoe, carefully loosening the soil under a seven-color pansy tree, gingerly breaking every clump of dirt bigger than a fingernail. Beside her were a watering copper pot, paper-wrapped fertilizers, and many little trinkets scattered about.

”What are you doing?” the warlock asked very kindly.

In an instant, those fluffy ears on Suya’s head perked up, every thin strand of fluff from the root to the tip of her ears stood distinctively, under the bright moonlight, Zheng Qing could vaguely see the pink outline and bulging capillaries beneath the fluff.

”Ah!” The little fox lady let out a sharp cry and fell to the ground on her bottom, fortunately cushioned by that fluffy big tail, sparing her from injury.

Zheng Qing was also startled by her, taking a step back, he slipped and sat down heavily.

The little fox lady, who was about to burst into tears, saw this scene and burst into laughter. The young scholarship student, however, raised his mud-covered sleeve, his face full of annoyance.

”What happened?”

The head maid of the mansion appeared before them in the blink of an eye, her gaze landing on the embarrassed warlock struggling to get up from the ground, her eyebrows raised slightly, then she sternly scolded Suya: ”How many times have I told you not to rudely lose decorum in front of guests, it’s improper!”

Suya glared fiercely at Zheng Qing.

The young scholarship student cleared his throat: ”Uh, sorry, this was my fault...”

”Put away your tail!” The head maid didn’t immediately respond to the warlock, but instead severely looked at the little fox lady: ”Clean up at once!... All of this!”

She pointed at Suya’s dirty robe and those little trinkets on the ground.

The little fox lady drooped her ears, without retorting, just mumbling, ’Yes, ma’am!’ ’Right away, ma’am!’ while deftly gathering her dangling tail under her skirt.

Only then did the head maid turn to the young scholarship student, bow slightly: ”Greetings, Young Master Zheng Qing. Miss is waiting for you in the study... Please wait a moment.”

She opened the law book in her hand and cast a spell of light:

”Gently wash my filth, lightly cleanse my robe!”

A few sprites quietly emerged from the spell light, swiftly cleaning the warlock’s robe spotless in moments, making Zheng Qing click his tongue in admiration. He could also use this spell, but the sprites he summoned were always overly spirited, causing a colorful mess of soap bubbles every time, far from the neatness of Su Man, the head housemaid.

This reminded him of Old Yao’s words repeatedly said in class—each spell carries the imprint of its caster, and while the spell’s effects may be the same, the spell formula generation process involves countless subtle differences, depending on the caster’s resolve, will, and character.

This scene before him gave him a more profound understanding of those words.

The study at Greenhill Mansion was located deep within. When Zheng Qing followed Su Man into the study, Poseidon was holding a thick book larger than her body, reciting something squeakily, while Su Shi Jun curled up in a wide chair, holding a slender bamboo stick. The young scholarship student noticed the gold-embossed title ”Understanding Devils” on the cover of that thick book.

Upon seeing Zheng Qing’s figure, Little Fox’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. She wanted to drop the thick book in her hands, but upon glancing at the bamboo stick in the mansion master’s hand, her ears timidly drooped again, merely sniffling hard, looking greatly aggrieved.

The warlock couldn’t help but open his mouth.

”Don’t be deceived by her!”

Su Shi Jun seemed to know what Zheng Qing wanted to say and interrupted in a huff before he could speak: ”This little girl used the pocket money I give her to pay someone to do her homework, and couldn’t even recognize that she was signing a demon contract until it was too late! If it weren’t for the special sensitivity of my amulets to Mephistus’s aura, you’d have to go to Hell to find your daughter now!”

Zheng Qing believed, in this case, ’going to Hell’ was meant literally.

Poseidon, however, truly caught his attention, having the audacity to deceive under the eyes of a Big Wizard and hiring someone to write her homework, he wondered where she learned such bad habits!