High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1019: Chapter 81 Post-lesson

The discussion about the final exam scores didn’t cease with the departure of Professor Yao. On the contrary, as the professor left the room, the debate over grades grew louder and more intense.

The focal point of discussion was precisely what the professor had just mentioned: the disparity between credit grade point averages and exam grade point averages, and whether students of Jiuyou Academy should abandon the former and only use exam GPAs as the basis for ranking.

Due to Zheng Qing’s somewhat awkward grades—his exam GPA was not ideal, but his credit GPA was high, atypical for a Jiuyou student—he could only maintain a silent smile during the discussion.

As the saying goes, the truth becomes clearer as one argues, but in real life, arguments often become more convoluted the more they are disputed.

In the course of debating, many people tend to twist perspectives, resort to emotional appeals, equivocate, or use leading questions and authoritative figures’ snippets to layer straightforward arguments with a colorful, muddled paste.

Zheng Qing only listened for a while until the discussion shifted from ’the impracticality of credit GPAs’ to ’the righteousness of the Sacred Will’s war with the Blood Comrades.’ He then decisively abandoned his forced smile and turned his attention to the final exam papers at hand.

During the winter break, Xiao Xiao had reminded him—never to touch three things at First University: experiments that go against ethics, conflicts between clubs, and exclusive interviews with the Beta Town Post.

He had already encountered an exclusive interview with the Beta Town Post, and although the negative effects had not yet manifested, the young warlock was fully prepared. In such times, staying away from the internal struggles between school societies was a wise decision.

Just like him, Xin Fat Man, who initially took part in the debate with enthusiasm, also returned to his seat, less interested, once the discussion moved to the conflicts between societies.

”I thought you would be interested in these things,” Zheng Qing said, sorting his papers while casting a surprised glance at the fat man, ”Aren’t conflicts related to societies good material for news?”

”It’s only good if it can be published!” Xin Fat Man retorted with a roll of his eyes, his hefty palm vigorously rubbing the cover of his notebook, he said in a sulky tone: ”College and society conflicts and the like are always forbidden topics for the Campus Newspaper... We are not the Beta Town Post, which pursues sensationalism for economic benefits. We’re a newspaper with standards.”

Short bursts of laughter from Zhang Ji Xin came from nearby, seeming to find the fat man’s response amusing.

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Zheng Qing hurriedly spoke up and asked a question he had just thought of, ”You remember that journalist named Pulitzer who interviewed me awhile back when we were in the North District, right?”

”Ms. Pulitzer,” Xin Fat Man waved his stubby fingers, correcting him, ”Ms. Pulitzer from the Beta Town Post. Her surname is Pulitzer, not that she’s called Pulitzer.”

”Right, right, right,” Zheng Qing pulled at the corner of his mouth, not wanting to dwell on such details with the fat man, and continued, ”Do you know when that interview with Ms. Pulitzer might be published?”

Hearing this question, Xin Fat Man was momentarily at a loss for words.

With one arm crossed over his chest and the other hand struggling to curl, he pinched his thick chin, his cheek fat trembling several times before he slowly answered, ”Generally speaking, a simple interview can be published within a week... If she needs to polish the material a bit, it takes at most a month. That means, within these two weeks, the newspaper you’re anticipating should be in front of you.”

Zheng Qing sighed deeply.

”I’m not looking forward to that interview,” he muttered under his breath, ”After thinking it over, I realized I was a little careless in some of my responses... Now that the school is in such chaos... Relatively speaking, I’m more hopeful that the editor of the Beta Town Post will kill the piece.”

”Hah, kill it? That’s impossible,” Xin Fat Man said with an exaggerated grin, ”Do you know who you are? You’re a publicly funded student of Jiuyou Academy, a Merlin Medal recipient, and Mr. ’World’ of the Great Arcana... What better sensational headline could a media journalist ask for?”

Zheng Qing’s face was overcast as he folded the papers he had gathered twice and stuffed them into a grey cloth bag before standing up.

”You guys continue talking, I’m off to the cafeteria for a meal,” he patted his belly, squeezed past a few classmates in the aisle, and planned to leave the classroom.

Seeing him stand up to leave, the other boys of the Absolution Hunting Team also began to pack their things and followed him out.

Since today was the first day of school, and the first class at that, there were many long-missed classmates with idle talk to catch up on. Moreover, when Old Yao had left the classroom, he’d left behind a highly debatable topic, so even ten minutes after class ended, the classroom was still bustling with numerous figures moving about, and the air was filled with the buzz of conversation.

The witches sitting in the front rows hadn’t left either.

Unlike during class, Nicholas had slipped from the back corner to the front row and was now sitting beside Liu Fei Fei, the two of them chatting closely about the final papers. It was clear that a term had passed and he’d loosened up quite a bit, now having the courage to sit by Liu Fei Fei’s side, undaunted by gossip.

Of course, it was more likely because Nicholas got good grades on his final exams, with an average grade point above three and a comprehensive ranking of B+. With such a ranking, there would absolutely be no issue for him to advance to the second year.

Zheng Qing felt that these results gave Nicholas the confidence to sit by Liu Fei Fei’s side.

And then there was Jiang Yu, who was tilting her head, her expression sternly focusing on Li Meng as the younger girl revised her test paper.

Seeing Li Meng pouting and reluctantly copying the content of the paper, Zheng Qing felt amused and wanted to go up and tease her a bit. But then he caught sight of Jiang Da Headmaster sitting beside Li Meng and suddenly remembered what Su Shijun had said earlier. A shiver went down his spine and he quickly bowed his head, intending to slip quietly past the group of witches.

But reality always has a way of playing a joke on you at such times.

While he planned to sneak quietly past the group of witches, the others didn’t share his plan.

Especially Xin Fat Man and Zhang Ji Xin, who always had a snarky comment whenever they saw Li Meng.

”Hey Meng Meng, still revising your paper? Need me to bring you lunch?” Xin Fat Man, who followed behind Zheng Qing, couldn’t wait to squeeze up to Li Meng, wearing a lascivious grin on his face.

The feather pen in Li Meng’s hand snapped with a ’crack,’ the nib breaking on the notebook from her pressure.

Even Zheng Qing could feel the thick, pitch-black cloud of gloom forming over the little witch’s head.

”Stop blocking the way with your fat body, you’re blocking the light for Meng Meng to see her test question!” Zhang Ji Xin pushed the fat man hard from behind, complaining, ”As if she needs you to bring her lunch... You eat all that greasy, meaty food, could Meng Meng even digest that?”

Li Meng placed both hands on the desk without looking up, but her hair behind her started to float without any wind, and frightening magical fluctuations began to surge around her.

At the same time, her gloomy voice rose in everyone’s ears:

”How many times have I told you not to call me by that name!!”