High School of Demon Hunting

”Although ’Hu Gong’s Four Texts’ covers some of the basic knowledge of Talisman Studies, the most important part of learning talismans is still guidance,” he said. ”Yes, guidance is very important.”

This hint was very obvious.

Elena lifted her head and squinted, her gaze flickering dangerously as she looked at the young sponsored student:

”Guidance? That word sounds like something an Alpha Academy student would say, not a sponsored student from Jiuyou Academy. This isn’t just presumptuous... your actions are already reckless.”

Zheng Qing didn’t look up, still staring at the preface of ”On Origin” without absorbing a single word.

At this moment, he was racking his brains, thinking why he had come here, pondering how to remind Elena where she was wrong, and considering how to respond to the witch’s words wisely and gracefully:

”It’s not reckless.”

He said dryly, denying the witch’s accusation, and whispered a reminder:

”You must admit that your somewhat inappropriate actions led to my presumptiveness.”

His voice lacked confidence.

”Um, regardless, it’s in the past now,” Elena lowered her head again, no longer expecting the boy across from her to be any smarter, and began taking notes: ”My grade point in Talisman Studies for the midterm was 3.9, which is much better compared to when I could only earn one credit, or even none at all.”

”Yes, I noticed that on the leaderboard,” Zheng Qing noticed a slight easing in the atmosphere and was greatly relieved. He flipped the book in his hands casually and emphasized, ”But I have a more reliable training method.”

”More reliable than this?” Elena’s pen tapped sharply against the cover of ’Hu Gong’s Four Texts,’ her tone growing firmer.

Several anthropomorphized runes were vigorously running across the narrow cover, dodging the witch’s pointed provocation.

Zheng Qing looked at those runes with concern, carefully considering his tone as he slowly said:

”Due to some theories and reasons that are difficult to understand, it’s easy to go astray in the study of Talisman Studies without guidance. Of course, the guidance isn’t just the book, it also requires some, just a very small part, human involvement.”

”You mean to continue teaching me Talisman Studies?”

”It can be understood that way,” Zheng Qing sighed in relief internally. As he had spoken those words, he felt as though he had been stuffed inside a rubber tube, almost suffocating.

”You really have a heart of gold,” Elena tried to keep her tone even, but the sarcasm was still heavy.

”I knew you would think so.” The most awkward part was over, and Zheng Qing’s mind cleared up a lot. He tried to scrape together the right words:

”...Considering the Talisman Studies knowledge I possess, I would brazenly say that it is far more extensive than that of most Official Wizards. I don’t mind spending some more time to guide your coursework. Of course, I can also forgive some of your earlier, somewhat inappropriate actions.”

”Inappropriate actions?” Elena’s hands had unknowingly produced a stack of Tarot Cards, which she shuffled loudly.

The edges of the cards gleamed coldly.

”It’s just a figure of speech,” Zheng Qing added somewhat awkwardly: ”Meaning that your actions didn’t quite match the customs. It wasn’t anything truly inappropriate. What I mean is, despite your decent midterm results, there is still a long way to go to meet the academy’s expectations for a sophomore. And I am generously wasting my time to offer you my services for free.”

”That’s a generous response.” Elena kept a straight face, packed away her notes into her Kun Bag, stood up, and strode out.

”Why the rush? I haven’t finished talking yet,” Zheng Qing hurriedly stuffed ”On Origin” into a shelf nearby and chased after Elena’s steps.

Behind him was a faint noise of books fighting —that was because a wrongly placed book had stirred discontent among its shelf mates.

The boy’s steps hesitated just for a moment before he cast aside thoughts of the quarreling books.

”Sorry about that,” he murmured, quickening his pace. Undoubtedly, ”On Origin” was very likely to have its cover knocked off by the surrounding books. But what did that matter?

The librarians would resolve these annoyances.

”Do you have anything else to say?” Elena had already walked out of the library and stood under the large tree at the entrance, asking Zheng Qing politely.

”Wow, I’ve never left the library so easily before.” Zheng Qing wiped his nonexistent sweat from his forehead and diverted the topic, ”The weather today is really nice... it feels warm.”

”Spit it out, I still have to go eat lunch after this.” Elena’s face was full of impatience.

”What I want to say is, despite everything that has happened, I’m still very willing to invite you for lunch. How about the ’Green Sprite Restaurant’ in Beta Town?” Zheng Qing raised his hands earnestly to propose.

”What?”

”Of course, I know you must think I’m a really nice guy. Actually, your perception is correct, I do like your sharpness.”

”Kid.” Elena rolled her eyes, trying to appear calm, ”Although your talisman painting technique is quite exquisite and the lines you draw are very delicate, your flirting skills are just too crude. And some actions are simply too impolite.”

”Because I’ve never trained in that aspect.”

”Of course! It’s rare for anyone to train hundreds of times, isn’t it? Haven’t you had a first love? Isn’t politeness the most basic thing?”

”You are my first love.”

”Use your brain and think for a moment!” Elena, somewhat exasperated, grabbed the tuft of hair on Zheng Qing’s head and started ranting, ”Am I even talking about this? You selfish, old-fashioned, completely unromantic little wizard! Don’t you just want to walk away with peace of mind, without any explanation?”

Several passing witches looked at the young wizard and witch’s playful quarrel, giggling amongst themselves and hurrying past. Not one of them stopped Elena’s rough behavior.

This made Zheng Qing ruefully think about the declining social mores and nostalgic integrity.

”But in fact, I didn’t really walk away.” The boy grabbed the girl’s other hand to prevent scratching, ”And in our old spot at the library, you had saved me a seat.”

”I’m going to eat lunch!” Elena, flustered, shook off Zheng Qing’s hand and turned to leave, ”And I’ve already passed my talisman exam; I don’t need instruction anymore.”

”But what about the final exams?” Zheng Qing hastily caught up with her pace, ”You can’t just rely on reading books to learn those complex runes, let alone the complicated sequence of strokes.”

”I have ’Hu Gong’s Four Texts’; I can completely memorize this book! It’s enough to support me to score full marks! I can even get extra credit in Talisman Class!”

”Those texts are dead and cannot offer you any effective advice! And the extra credits in talisman class could only possibly be mine alone!”

”Oh, only possibly yours? How about I get more extra credit in Divination Class?”

”That’s Divination Class! It’s of no help to your talismans. Do you really want to spend a whole year memorizing that thick, dry theory book?”

”So what do you want me to carry all year? A selfish little wizard? Old-fashioned? Willful? A little wizard who throws tantrums more than a girl?”

”I’m not a little wizard! And I don’t have much of a temper around you!”

”That’s because you are adding weight to your own scales! You think others know what you want! But in fact, apart from yourself, no one knows what’s going on in that little head of yours!”

”Thinking of you,” Zheng Qing said dryly.

”Oh!” Elena slapped her forehead.

After a long while.

Elena hummed weakly, ”Let’s not go to the Green Sprite Restaurant. Let’s eat at the thirty-second shop down the street in Beta Town.”

”Okay!” A bright smile appeared on Zheng Qing’s face.

Then, he asked puzzledly, ”What’s the name of the thirty-second shop?”

”How should I know!” Elena bellowed.