High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 314: Chapter 238 - The Slandered Newspaper_1

Under normal circumstances, the First University holds its opening ceremony on the weekend of the first week of the new students’ arrival.

Most times, the school would even invite some non-famous performance groups from outside the school to join in the welcome party, adding a bit of lively atmosphere to the ceremony.

But the freshmen of 2008 obviously received an irregular treatment.

Their opening ceremony was delayed for almost a month—until the last day of September did this group of freshmen truly become members of First University.

The school did not offer any explanation for this unusual delay.

But this fact did not prevent a variety of rumors and speculations from flying across the campus.

Some said that the banshee Nikita was the culprit, her behavior of sneaking into the school’s special plane and murdering an air hostess shocked the entire wizarding world and caused tremendous stress for First University. The Wizard Alliance even deployed a special investigation team on the campus. Thus, for the entire month, most of the school’s efforts were focused on checking the school’s protection array and uncovering all sorts of security hazards. Naturally, the opening ceremony was politely postponed for some time.

Others said that this year’s Silence backlash came earlier than usual, causing the school’s original response plan to falter; even a lot of small things that escaped from the Silent Forest managed to sneak into the school. The school committee was frantic over this, with the majority of manpower stationed along the banks of Silent River, naturally they had no energy to hold the opening ceremony.

Still others said, the postponement of the opening ceremony was due to the school’s highest leaders, including the principal and vice-principal, not being present at the school. Other professors did not have the ability to initiate the ’Soul Baptism’ in First Hall - according to the explanation of the seniors, only freshmen who have undergone baptism will be considered true students of First University - this is the most widely circulated and credible explanation.

Zheng Qing couldn’t understand how a soul could be baptized.

He also had no interest in pondering over these baseless conjectures.

The young state-sponsored student was entirely preoccupied with thoughts of how to deliver that vexing gift to Elena, to the point that he wandered off in his thoughts periodically while flipping through the campus newspaper.

”What are you looking at?” Xin Fat Man rested a hand on Zheng Qing’s shoulder, squeezing his head over.

A sudden strong force, transmitted down the arm, pushed on Zheng Qing’s spine, he even heard an ominous creaking sound from his own bones.

Simultaneously, a strong smell of sweat filled Zheng Qing’s range of breath.

”Get off...” Zheng Qing forcefully shook off the fat man’s hand, staggered to one side, his face still held traces of fear, ”Do you realize how much you weigh? You could crush somebody, you jerk!”

”Really?” Xin Fat Man was taken aback, a remorseful expression on his face, ”Sorry...I didn’t realize you were so fragile...”

He looked at Zheng Qing with a sympathetic expression from head to toe.

Zheng Qing felt a throbbing pain in his forehead.

”What are you two doing?” Li Meng called from not far away, ”The professor said, those little imps will also be attending the opening ceremony in a while, we have to keep an eye on them.”

”Little imps?” a confused Zheng Qing replied.

”That’s your pet,” Jiang Yu moved the small witch to the back of the queue, a weary smile on his face. ”You two shouldn’t stand outside the queue... freshmen need to line up in advance.”

”The pets will be here in a minute... let them find their owners, keep the queues orderly!” Tang Dun, right hand clutching a golden pocket watch, was waving it forcefully in mid-air, a restless look on his face. ”Is everyone here? Who hasn’t arrived? Look around you!”

Zheng Qing, looking at the bustling crowd, sighed, held onto the newspaper, and quietly squeezed into the queue.

There was still more than an hour until the opening ceremony officially began.

In addition to the freshmen, many grey-robed school workers who were decorating the venue were also present in the spacious First Hall.

They flipped through their law books, illuminating each of the big light clusters above the hall one by one, gradually turning the originally dim hall bright, as if into daylight.

On the grey iron floor of the hall, those interlocked silver lines, seemingly not at any known time, also started to glimmer faintly, the hollow characters interspersed amongst them even more so subtly emitting five-colored radiances.

On the hundreds of dark pillars surrounding the hall, those exaggerated and ferocious-looking beasts quietly opened their eyes, occasionally stretched their bodies and legs, circled around and caused intermittent clouds and fog.

The freshmen, divided by faculty and class, were scattered and gathered in the corridors behind the pillars.

Only after squeezing to the side of Xiao Xiao and Zhang Ji Xin did Zheng Qing finally stop.

”Is that the September campus newspaper?” a crisp voice by his side hollered, tugging at the stack of newspapers in Zheng Qing’s hand, ”Let me have a look!”

Zheng Qing recognized who was speaking without even turning around.

”Miss, I have important things to do...” Zheng Qing sighed, the newspaper in his grasp tightening. ”I’ll give it to you after I finish reading.”

Li Meng didn’t pull back, she violently kicked Zheng Qing.

”Reading the newspaper is important too?” Xin Fat Man, ignoring the complaints of others, persistently squeezed pass others to follow Zheng Qing and continued to question him, ”What exactly are you looking at?”

”What do you actually want, big brother.” Zheng Qing looked helplessly at the fat man, unable to understand his unusual behavior today. ”Do you want to read the newspaper too?”

”Not me,” Xin Fat Man waved his hands continuously. ”Your newspaper is the one from our dorm, right?”

Zheng Qing lifted an eyebrow suspiciously and nodded.

”That’s right!” Xin Fat Man grabbed a corner of the paper, flipped through it, opened up the middle of page five, and put it in front of Zheng Qing, ”Someone has already claimed it... You just can’t casually take the newspaper like that. I have to return it.”

A series of greasy paw marks entered Zheng Qing’s line of sight.

”Is it human?” the young scholarship student couldn’t help but retort. ”Moreover, what does it need the newspaper for?! When did you become that fat cat’s minion?”

”We can’t rule out the possibility that it’s a person.” Xiao Xiao suddenly interjected, ”Actually, I strongly suspect that orange cat is a wizard stuck in his transformation due to Mendel’s law.”

”Ever since one of you snitched on me, I need to do something to stop it from peeing on my bed.” Xin Fat Man fumed as he yanked the paper. ”All I did was tell the truth during Old Yao’s class... What about you guys? Total backstabbers!”

Zheng Qing averted his guilt-ridden gaze.

But he still held tight.

”I will finish reading it soon,” he insisted, ”I’ll give it to you right after.”

”What are you reading?” Xiao Xiao was curious this time, ”I remember you’ve been reading this newspaper non-stop after you woke up from your nap... Any news about Elena?”

Surreptitious glances were immediately thrown his way.

Zheng Qing gloomily explained aloud, ”I’m just looking at the student council’s admission list... Didn’t I participate in the student council revisit before?”

His voice became increasingly low, his later words almost a whisper.

But his roommates all made enlightened expressions.

”Did you find it?” Xin Fat Man curiously flipped through the newspaper, ”I remember the list is on page three. There aren’t many names... why did it take you so long!”

Zheng Qing kept a straight face, grabbed the newspaper back, and hid his head behind the thick pages.

”He mustn’t have found his own name.” Xiao Xiao adjusted his glasses and confidently deduced.

The others immediately showed signs of understanding.

”If his name was there, he would’ve shouted out long ago.” A cunning expression crossed Xin Fat Man’s face. ”Isn’t that right, big scholarship student?”

”There must’ve been some mistake,” Zheng Qing mumbled in a small voice. Finally giving up on his search and shoving the crumpled paper into Xin Fat Man’s arms, a look of disappointment crossed his face: ”There must be some sort of conspiracy... it’s impossible that my name isn’t there... I’ll go ask at the student union office tomorrow.”

”Maybe the school newspaper missed your name.” Zhang Ji Xin consoled him, patting his shoulder.

”This is slander! Pure slander!!” The corner of the newspaper in Xin Fat Man’s hand suddenly flared up, revealing the front-page. Next to the title, a tiny black figure was waving its arms, screaming, ”I personally checked the template, there’s absolutely no mistake... you all stop spreading rumors!!”

Zheng Qing viciously yanked out the newspaper from Fat Man’s arms and compulsively rolled it into a tube.

The voice of the little black figure was buried by the layers upon layers of paper.

Eventually, it was no longer audible.