High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 886: Chapter 234 Xiao Xiao’s Guess on Hui Zi Ji

Given the cooperative attitude of the two Atoning Hunters, the wizards of the Assistant Team did not continue to trouble them; instead, they left them where they were, stationed two teaching assistants to guard them, and dispersed to search the surrounding area. Some collected talismans scattered in the snowy forest, while others attempted to track down the Mouse-Wolves.

It was only at this moment that Xiao Xiao spoke softly.

”Regarding the Hui Zi Ji, I have indeed heard some rumors.” This Auxiliary Hunter of the Absolution Hunting Team seemed to have hesitated for a long time, his gaze somewhat evasive and his tone uncertain, ”Of course, it’s only hearsay...”

For the young scholarship student accustomed to the assertive tone of Doctor Xiao, this was exceedingly rare.

He shook his head—the Assistant Team had bombarded them with a series of assistive spells earlier. Although they did not cause physical harm, certain side effects, such as dizziness, were unavoidable.

”Oh, I nearly forgot about you...” Zheng Qing glared at Xiao Xiao, feeling rather annoyed at himself—perhaps this was a case of ’In the Dark Under the Lamp’? He had never confirmed the doubts in his heart with his companions, always feeling that they were private matters, not quite appropriate to tell others. As a result, he had almost overlooked the Doctor by his side.

”Just tell us what you’ve heard,” Zheng Qing said, then added somewhat redundantly, ”I just felt it wouldn’t be right to involve you in these troubles.”

Xiao Xiao hummed lightly, without exposing Zheng Qing’s embarrassment.

Instead of flipping through his black notebook as usual, he continued to hold a crystal ball, slowly rotating it while answering Zheng Qing’s questions.

”You know, wizards can live for quite a long time... Those who can concoct magic potions, or those with powerful mana, tend to live even longer,” Xiao Xiao said, slightly adjusting the position of the crystal ball to change the angle and brightness of the light entering it, while speaking slowly in a contemplative and somewhat poetic tone:

”But even the tortoise with its long life has an end, and even the great Chun tree, though it ages one year every thirty thousand years, cannot withstand the relentless flow of time, and will eventually turn to dust and ashes.”

The two teaching assistants nearby listened with interest to the conversation and did not interrupt Xiao Xiao’s speech.

Zheng Qing patiently listened as Xiao Xiao brought the topic back from some faraway corner, bit by bit.

”...Wizards are never a group to simply accept the dictates of destiny. Where there is death, there will be wizards who defy it... The Philosopher’s Stone, elixirs of immortality, waters of life, and even Horcruxes and the reincarnation techniques of Witch Demons, and so on. Many wizards pursue a prolonged life at the cost of losing themselves,” he said.

”Among them, there is a small group of, um, proud wizards who choose to confront the source of death, which is the river of time itself,” Xiao Xiao said, choosing his words carefully, his speaking pace growing slower:

”It is said that someone has severed a small segment of the river of time from the void, fashioned it into a loop, and manifested it in the world.”

”And the wizard who can enter that loop would possess an eternally cyclical time that never fades away.”

”The Mage Alliance has denied the existence of this loop several times,” one of the teaching assistants listening to Xiao Xiao suddenly interjected, interrupting, ”Besides, as of now, no one has seen what that loop actually looks like.”

”The Mage Alliance has always denied that Forbidden Curses are hidden in First University too,” Xiao Xiao retorted sarcastically.

”Is that not the case?” the other teaching assistant narrowed his eyes and stated confidently, ”First University does not harbor such dangerous magic... It is an institution that spreads knowledge and loves peace.”

”╭(╯^╰)╮” Xiao Xiao snorted, trying hard to control himself from showing a look of utter disdain.

Zheng Qing saw what was happening and quickly laughed it off to prevent Doctor Xiao and the teaching assistant from arguing. He said with a smile, ”So, according to you, Hui Zi Ji is just a loop in the river of time? That’s too ridiculous! If you have time, I’ll take you back there during the winter break. Then you’ll realize it’s really just a small shabby market.”

Before Xiao Xiao could respond, his words were interrupted by a figure that suddenly appeared.

”You all are way too nonchalant, still having the time to chat here,” Thomas and Hilda, bringing a gust of snow, stopped in front of the young wizards. ”Winter break is far away, reality is close... I think you should be more concerned about how to get through today.”

Zheng Qing didn’t grasp the underlying meaning of Thomas’s words.

”Did you catch that mouse? I mean, Fei Rui!” Seeing his interviewer, Zheng Qing’s eyes brightened, and his attention immediately shifted away from Xiao Xiao’s baseless guessing, as he asked with a hint of excitement.

The spell effects previously applied by the Assistant Team hadn’t completely worn off, causing Zheng Qing’s behavior to be slightly abnormal.

”You don’t need to worry about that. Mr. Yu has already sent someone after it,” Thomas calmly stopped the young subsidized student’s actions.

”Is there an insider among you... Why weren’t those Mouse-Wolves affected by the spells just now?” Zheng Qing shook his groggy head and blurted out such a provoking question.

”That’s because the mouse isn’t as ’unremarkable’ as you think it is... And more importantly, most of those spells were aimed at you!” Hilda grabbed the subsidized student’s shoulders, her fingers quickly sliding over his shoulder, armpit, and waist, and plucked off the various trinkets Zheng Qing had on, scolding him at the same time:

”Instead of worrying about trivial matters, you’d better pay more attention to yourself!”

”Goodness, over a thousand Explosion charms?!”

”Is your family in the arms business?!”

”Do you have any idea of the consequences if over a thousand Explosion charms went off here? Your entire Alpha Hunting area would be wiped off Buji Island! And the water level in Lin Zhong Lake would drop by three to five meters as well!”

”Are the young people of today really becoming this reckless?”

”You should have gone to Starry Sky Academy like Thomas... heaven knows why the school arranged for you to go to Jiuyou Academy.”

”Is that prejudice?” Thomas was visibly displeased, casting a glance at Hilda.

”No, it’s wisdom,” Hilda corrected.

Zheng Qing hunched his neck, still smiling awkwardly as he listened to Hilda’s previous lecturing. ”My family doesn’t sell arms; Mr. Thomas knows that—my family are all teachers... I was just trying to scare Fei Rui earlier, I had no real intention of setting off these Talisman papers. Many of these Talisman papers are drawn by me, they’re not that dangerous.”

The teaching assistants’ expressions eased up a little.

”You know Fei Rui, right? I mentioned it to you when you visited my home,” Zheng Qing said, turning his head to look at Thomas, emphasizing, ”Aren’t you curious why it would show up on Buji Island? When I came to the academy, I only brought one pet, Poseidon!”