High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 384: Chapter 53 Belladonna Juice_1

The news of the postponed school hunting party opening ceremony spread like wildfire on Thursday morning.

There followed all kinds of rumours around the school.

From demons attacking a stronghold of our school in the Mariana Trench, to the natives of the New World launching a massive uprising, or maybe the return tide of the Silent Forest bringing some terrifying creatures, causing the school’s top leaders to suppress the forest unrest.

In short, weird and whimsical speculations were buzzing all around.

So much so that even when Potion class started, people were still whispering and discussing this matter.

Professor Li had to stop his opening remarks and announce the school’s notice to everyone—he originally planned to inform about this after class.

”I know many of you have your own opinions about the postponement of the hunting party... However, that is not a reason for you to not take the class seriously.” Professor Li’s soft-as-a-thread voice wafted around the classroom, his demeanor giving the impression he might keel over at any moment.

This forced many students to abandon their idle chat and strive to capture every word the professor said.

”Due to the recent tense security situation in the school, after careful discussions at the joint professor conference and school worker committee, in order to ensure the personal safety of students, the opening ceremony of the school hunting event has been postponed until mid-October... The exact timing is yet to be determined, but it will definitely be held before the frost,” he informed.

”You should be able to get more detailed information from your advisors at the weekend class meeting.”

”That’s all I have to say.”

”I hope everyone can maintain a positive learning status in the upcoming class, and not to let external factors distract you from what truly matters.”

Saying this, Professor Li picked up his teacup from the table and slowly sipped his tea.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached into his robe, fumbled around for a while, and pulled out a small glass bottle.

Inside was half a bottle of purple-black liquid, shimmering with a mystical hue in the sunlight.

”Does anyone know what this is?” Professor Li elongated his tone, his inquisitive gaze scanning through the young wizards in the classroom: ”If you’re not sure... Oh, it seems everyone knows.”

His last sentence was cut short by the flurry of raised hands from the front rows of the classroom.

Zheng Qing raised his eyebrows in surprise.

There are many deep purple liquids, like grape juice, potassium permanganate, and litmus solution. Just looking at the small bottle held by the professor from a distance, it was impossible to clearly determine what was inside.

Contrary to Zheng Qing’s expectation, almost all the female students in the classroom raised their hands.

Among the boys, only Xiao Xiao had his hand up — which wasn’t surprising, as Doctor Xiao could even describe in detail the fashionable perfume of the year.

”What’s in the bottle?” Zheng Qing nudged Doctor Xiao next to him.

Xin Fat Man and Zhang Ji Xin, sitting in the front row, also tactfully moved to the side, pricking up their ears.

”Deadly nightshade juice.” Xiao Xiao’s lips moved slightly as he quickly explained: ”Deadly nightshade, also known as Beautiful Lady Grass, is a perennial herb of the Solanaceae family, originally from Europa. It likes warm and moist climates, avoids cold and heat, has a slightly bitter taste; mature berries are spherical, smooth, purple-black, and the juice is purple.”

”But there are many kinds of purple liquid!” Xin Fat Man couldn’t hold back, turned his head, and scoffed quietly: ”I don’t need to refer to the encyclopedia to recite a long list for you...”

”But the purple liquid with the highest sales in the school recently is just deadly nightshade juice,” Xiao Xiao looked expressionlessly at the Fat Man: ”This is also why the girls can recognize it, but you guys don’t know.”

”Why?” Zheng Qing asked curiously.

”Because deadly nightshade juice has a beautifying effect,” Xiao Xiao shrugged, and said lightly: ”It’s a very old form of make-up, first popular in the Apennine Peninsula... In medieval Italy, women would drop deadly nightshade juice into their eyes to make them look bigger... actually, deadly nightshade in Italian is written as bella donna, which means beautiful lady.”

”Bella donna?” Zheng Qing, reading this somewhat familiar word, felt a sense of familiarity.

”Nurse Bella?!” Xin Fat Man was flabbergasted: ”Bella means a beautiful woman? ... No offense, but I can’t see where she is beautiful at all.”

”Pff.” Zheng Qing lowered his head, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

Nurse Bella is the head nurse of the school infirmary.

She is a tall and robust female nurse.

As Xin Fat Man said, this name indeed has quite a divergence from the term ”beauty”.

”Everyone’s names are imbued with lovely wishes, but not every lovely wish can come true,” Zhang Ji Xin halted the mockery from a few male students, speaking in a very serious tone. ”A name is a very serious holder of one’s identity. It is extremely impolite to mock other people’s names.”

”Sorry.” Zheng Qing stifled his laughter and expressed his apology in a stern face.

Xin Fat Man humphed twice in his nose, turned quietly, and went back to the front row.

On the podium, Professor Li seemingly ignored the quiet talks among the boys at the corner. After talking to several girls about their answers, he waved his hand to signal the rest to put down their hands.

”I should have expected this outcome.” The professor smiled and slowly began to explain while scanning the faces of the young wizards:

”Just as a few classmates answered earlier...this is a Belladonna juice.”

”A potion concocted mainly from the ripe berry juice of belladonna. It’s frequently used by healers for antispasmodic, analgesic, antiperspirant treatments and is very effective in treating intestinal spasms and gastric acid overproduction...Wolf Poison Potion is made from Belladonna which can suppress a werewolf’s urge to devour food and the pain of transformation to some extent.”

”Of course, the girls here should know another side effect of Belladonna juice--dilation of pupils.”

”The juice of Belladonna can enlarge your pupils to a certain extent and procure the effect of non-physical cosmetic lenses.”

”But I took the liberty of mentioning it separately today, not because I recommend this ancient herbal essence...”

Professor Li’s explanation was amusing and resulted in subdued laughter echoing throughout the classroom.

”Belladonna contains multiple alkaloids—including hyoscyamine, scopolamine, and small amounts of atropine— which can be deadly toxins if reaches to a certain dose.”

”Even with strict dosage control, prolonged dilation of pupils can lead to unfocused vision, deteriorating eyesight, and in severe cases cause intermittent blindness.”

”To my knowledge, no wizard can become a licensed wizard whilst blind,”

”Perhaps because of the school’s hunting party, the transactions of herbs like Belladonna juice which have certain beautifying effects are increasing rapidly on campus... however, Uncle Sistanda of Hundred Herb Gardens is not happy at all.”

”This is not good news,”

”You should focus more on your studies... so that once you actually become registered wizards, you will still have the beauty of youth a hundred years later, and plenty of time to adorn yourself.”

”If you don’t become a registered wizard, you won’t last fifty years and your faces will become old and unrecognizable.”

The classroom was quiet; everyone held their breath, listening to the professor attentively, especially his ominous warnings.

Particularly, the girls seemed even more nervous.

Zheng Qing noticed that Li Meng was clutching her cousin’s robe tightly, her face pale.

Her pupils seemed a bit larger than usual.

Maybe she had used Belladonna juice.

On the podium, Professor Li’s words of education continued unabatedly.

”...You should know that the school’s hunting party is only the beginning of Moon Hunting, and the ball is not the entirety of Moon Hunting... Moon Hunting is a month-long event... There are also many other events like sketch exhibition, song competition, and so forth.”

”Don’t let the preoccupation of a single concern hide the more vast world from your sight.”

”...Of course, last but not least, I would like to remind all... especially to the ladies in the class.”

”You are all young, and both your smooth skin and shining eyes are very beautiful -- youth is the best beautifying agent. You are enchanting even without adding Belladonna juice in your eyes.”

”The beauty maintained by magic potion is as addictive as poppies.”

”And it will slowly kill you just like poppies.”

”Please remember, everyone has an admiration for beauty. But do not regret doing something to keep your beauty and youth.”

”Such a desire can not be eliminated with a drop of poison. You will pay a hefty and heavy cost for it.”