High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 216: Chapter 140 The Crying Kappa_1

As it turned out, just as Ferna stated before, both Zheng Qing and Lin Guo had overthought the situation.

Being one of the most powerful centers in the wizarding world, there is no doubt about the security of the number one academy.

This was especially true for core areas such as the Book Mountain Library and Lin Zhong Lake.

On their way, aside from encountering a Tree Elf which fell from a tree branch due to deep sleep, the patrol team haven’t even seen two Kappas, let alone a Dragon Beast or any other monsters in their sleep talking.

It was the old hunting dog named May, lagging behind the team, who occasionally wandered into the bushes, silently bringing back a few glowing Red Chain Snakes.

This made Zheng Qing see the old hunting dog, with more folds than hair on its body, in a new light.

Old man Ferna had some senior students put the Red Chain Snakes in bamboo baskets, then kept urging the team to move on.

While walking, Zheng Qing gradually realized that patrol, perhaps, was more of a physical and mental punishment, rather than actually expecting these students to make any earth-shattering achievements, or save the world.

As one patrol team member complained during a boring moment, if demons appeared deep within the first academy, the entire wizarding world would descend into chaos!

Thrashing the grass on both sides of the path with his wooden wand, Zheng Qing tried to keep his eyes wide open, trying to find some fun in this dry and boring patrol.

His wish was soon granted.

After the team turned a corner past a landscape rockery made of deposited sandstone, there was a bit of commotion in the crowd.

A few tall boys pointed excitedly at the distance.

”It looks like a Kappa climbed up there!” Soon, other people in the team began to exclaim quietly.

Zheng Qing followed the team and ran a few steps closely. Looking carefully, on the shore not far away, there was indeed a skinny shadow crawling by the shore.

Under the moonlight, it was vaguely possible to make out its beak, round head, sharp ears, turtle shell, and the jade disc on its head resembling a green plate, all converging into a watery moon glow.

An ancient book once said: There are strange creatures in the water, like three to four-year-old children, with scale armor like carps, which can’t be harmed by shooting. In July and August, they like to sunbathe on the shore. They have tiger-like knees, their paws are often in the water, exposing their knees; pick their underbelly, you can use them.

Of course, things have no constant shape, water has no constant momentum, and people have no constant state.

The Kappa of ancient times to the modern, has undergone many changes.

Such as the turtle shell, such as the jade disc.

Kappas have backs similar to grass turtles, with rounded shields, flat shells, and three longitudinal ridges on top.

The backs of ancient Kappas were similar to the scale armor on other parts of their bodies, all with a serrated form. But with the increasing variety of aquatic elves, and the continuous evolution of the Fishman race, to enhance defense and resist risks, the serrated scales on the backs of Kappas gradually evolved into thick shield scales, and gradually evolved into today’s turtle shell form.

The origin of the jade disc is even more peculiar.

Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a great wizard named Hugong. After observing the aquatic elves absorb moonlight, he caught thirteen Kappas and created organs for them to absorb moonlight. Either installing mirrors on their backs, inlaying stones on their foreheads, or inserting jade discs on their heads. After nine years, only two Kappas with jade discs on their heads could truly use the moonlight for themselves.

Therefore, this ancient water beast, which only had sharp teeth and claws, like a wild animal, could cast spells and became a true aquatic elf, not disappearing entirely with the passage of time.

It is said that the Kappas that exist today are descendants of those two modified ones.

Maybe because of Hugong’s teaching and modification, or maybe because they opened up their wisdom and understood when to advance or retreat. Modern Kappas are still cunning and cruel, but mostly toward Water Ghosts or Fishman, they rarely dare to attack wizards. They mostly feed on water plants and fruits by the shore; they occasionally eat meat, but prefer to dig for clams in the mud or catch long bugs in the grass.

The reason for the patrol team driving the Kappas ashore was because they often damage the fruits grown by the school, steal the Spirit Eggs of Fireflies and Tree Elves, causing the Insect King and Tree Spirits to complain to the school multiple times.

However, the Kappa that the patrol team saw ashore today was very strange.

It didn’t harm the insect eggs in the tree hole, nor did it relish biting into melons and fruits under the moonlight.

It was crying.

The moonlight was like water, and the moon’s radiance like smoke.

The cool aura was like a waterfall descending from the heavens, slowly pouring into the jade dish atop the Kappa’s head, gradually creating a clear spiritual spring.

This is where the Kappa’s life force resides.

The spells hidden in their bloodlines rely on this spiritual spring for casting, and it also absorbs all their vitality. If the spiritual spring runs dry, Kappa would become feeble and almost lifeless.

If it was an ordinary night, being blessed by the giant full moon, the Kappas would certainly sing and dance, cheerfully celebrating.

Yet now, this Kappa, crawling on the shore, was heaving its shoulders, brimming with tears, and was actually crying up a storm under the moon.

”Is it moved by tonight’s moonlight?” someone in the crowd quietly asked.

”Impossible,” someone immediately retorted, ”Although Kappas are intelligent, they don’t understand gratitude... It’s more likely to say they are crying tears of joy.”

”Even though they don’t understand gratitude, Kappas are still social creatures.” A veteran of Jiuyou Academy with two black stripes on his red robe, slowly said while observing the crying Kappa, ”Seeing its sadness, it seems like a companion met with misfortune.”

A companion met with misfortune? Zheng Qing was startled and quickly looked around.

Lin Zhong Lake is the stronghold of these Kappas at Jiuyou Academy.

Even the Fishmen who considered this place as their territory wouldn’t randomly kill these water elves. After all, the cruelty of Kappas is widely known; no creature in the lake invited trouble from these difficult fellows.

The old man, Ferna, leaning on his cane, walked slowly to the crying Kappa, bowed his head, and his lips moved slightly as if he was asking for the reason.

The Kappa lifted its head, allowing the spiritual fluid from the jade dish atop its head to fall in droplets, it simply opened its sharp mouth and spoke rapidly. Its voice was like a baby’s cry but shorter and shriller, which was irritating and diminished any sympathy.

”Pitiful, detestable.” Zheng Qing muttered to himself.

Not far away, after Ferna finished questioning, he extended his cane and slowly pushed the crying Kappa into the lake.

The Kappa’s head bobbed on the water surface for a moment, before finally disappearing slowly under the old man’s stern gaze.

Faint ripples spread across the lake surface.

After a moment, no trace was left.

When Ferna returned to the group, everyone was eagerly watching him, hoping to know the full story.

”As we initially guessed,” the old man didn’t keep them in suspense, yet his description was very succinct and vague, ”That little fellow and its companion went ashore to play and unexpectedly the companion was dragged into the depths of the forest by a group of insects. It dared not stray too far from the lake, so it could only cry hoping that the patrol team would help.”

As for the appearance, type, and number of insects, the old man didn’t specify.

It wasn’t known whether he was being tactful, or if the naive Kappa’s explanations were unclear.

”These guys, always treating the patrol team like babysitters.” A black-faced male student in the team complained resentfully.

As the owners of the school, the wizards of the first university had a duty to ensure the safety of other creatures living on campus. But no one wanted to search for a lost Kappa deep in the forest in the middle of the night.

The old man gave him a glance and simply instructed the others:

”Hold tight to your canes, move into the forest, search for the missing Kappa... Be careful not to stray and report any unusual phenomena immediately.”