High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1331: Chapter 78 Prophecy

The tent was shrouded in smoke.

After placing the octopus skull on Xiao Xiao’s head, the Old Fishman returned to his sickly demeanor and leaned once more on his beast bone crutch.

He stroked the dragon skin cloak hanging from the crutch and sang an eerie song in a language that no one else could understand. He shuffled his feet in tiny steps, seemingly performing a prayer dance.

Zheng Qing had already visualized his Colt Python, with the magazine fully loaded.

Should anything go awry, he was ready to fire an anti-evil charm bullet at any moment to subdue the strange Fishman Elder Priest.

”Evil.”

Beneath the octopus skull, Xiao Xiao suddenly spoke a word.

His voice was strange, hoarse, and harsh, resembling that of an uncivilized Fishman; yet from the tone, Zheng Qing and the others could clearly discern that Xiao Xiao was the speaker.

”Evil gazes upon the earth, the cloak of malice spread everywhere,” hissed Xiao Xiao in the voice of a Fishman, ”Massive chunks of flesh, numerous tentacles, and a large mouth dripping with slime.”

”Light engulfs the land,” he continued, ”but it cannot prevent the evil surveillance.”

”There is no place safer yet more dangerous than here. Evil’s tentacles stretch from the heavens to the earth, seizing one innocent after another. If you all do nothing, more and more innocents will fall.”

At this point, the octopus skull ceased to make a noise.

The Old Fishman looked towards the young wizards, who in turn gazed back at him in confusion—especially Zheng Qing. He had just heard something crucial and felt he had grasped at some clue.

But just then, Xiao Xiao, or rather the octopus on his head, closed its mouth.

There was nothing more frustrating than this.

”The divination is very complex,” the Elder Priest coughed dryly and pointed at the octopus skull, ”Lord Yagneg is exhausted and needs the guests to confirm whether they wish to continue listening.”

Of course they wanted to, Zheng Qing thought, somewhat confused, just about to speak up when Korma suddenly tugged at his arm.

”How much?” the witch asked bluntly.

The Old Fishman’s face creased into a wrinkled smile, ”For the favor, one gold bean.”

”Ah! Yagneg! Yagneg!”

”Our God! Yagneg!”

On one side of the tent, the Fishman choir began singing again with their ethereal, melodious voices. Only this time, Zheng Qing noticed that their beautiful little heads had grown horns, and long demon tails extended behind their translucent fins.

Indeed, there was a reason they wandered everywhere.

The warlock muttered internally; if he were a market manager, encountering such a merchant extorting travelers midway, he would also be infuriated enough not to grant them permanent residency!

After receiving the gold bean, the Fishman Elder Priest replenished the two plates on the stone chair arms with dried grass and bone powder, reviving the previously subdued flames. The smoke inside the tent grew denser.

Then, he brought out a small bowl of vibrant fish eggs—Zheng Qing felt relieved for Xiao Xiao, for this time, it was not Yagneg’s essence being served.

The eight limp tentacles below the octopus skull seemed to see fishy cats upon seeing the fish eggs, instantly reviving, dexterously sweeping up the offering and stuffing it into the skull’s gaping mouth.

The young wizards faintly heard rustling chewing sounds from within the skull.

After a while.

The bowl emptied, and the chewing sounds gradually ceased.

A satisfied sigh came from the skull’s gaping mouth again:

”Ah...”

”Who is the evil you speak of? Does it have a name?” Zheng Qing, impatient, interrupted Yagneg’s sigh and pressed for answers, ”Why do people like drinking goat’s milk? Does it have anything to do with the evil you mentioned?”

The octopus-skull turned to look at the young cost student, and a flash of red suddenly appeared in its two pitch-black eye sockets.

”Witness,” It addressed Zheng Qing, but did not answer his question, instead continuing with cloudy and misty words, ”...you have confronted the evil shadow, repelled the evil invasion, your soul is the root of restoring order.”

Zheng Qing’s heart tightened upon hearing this.

Immediately, he felt someone grab his arm, and turning around, it was Jiang Yu.

The witch looked at him in shock, her lips slightly twitching as if she wanted to say something, but seemed somewhat worried.

Korma’s reaction answered Zheng Qing’s confusion.

”Does that mean the Outer God apparition you saw that night was the root of the sheep milk incident?” murmured the newly appointed Big Wizard of the North District, thoughtfully nodding, ”...I see.”

Having said that, she glanced at the two anxious young people beside her and raised her hand to pat their heads, her tone slightly dissatisfied, ”I was there that day, too. You all ducking and dodging around hurts my feelings!”

Jiang Yu gave her an embarrassed smile, then lowered her head again, scratching Poseidon’s itch.

On the stone chair, Yagneg’s divination was still ongoing.

”...The danger does not come from the island, but from the deeps of Starry Sky. Your Law Books and Spells cannot protect you. The walls cannot protect you. The castles cannot protect you.”

”The rivers dry under the starlight, the forests burn under the moonlight, evil shadows roam everywhere, thunderous sounds echo over the lakes, shattering the white tower! The entire world is trembling!”

”Run, get far away from here!”

”Run...”

Beneath the octopus-skull, Xiao Xiao’s voice became hoarse with effort, the Fishman Elder Priest looked on in fear and trepidation, shivering. Then, at this critical moment, the voice beneath the octopus-skull once again fell silent.

After a few seconds, Zheng Qing realized what had happened and, rolling his eyes, he reached into the grey cloth bag intending to pull out another gold bean.

”That’s enough.”

Jiang Yu suddenly extended her hand, stopping Zheng Qing’s intention to continue inquiring. She glanced at the Warlock and explained softly, ”Every séance comes at a price. The more powerful the entity, the greater the spiritual burden on the medium. The more severe the situation, the higher the cost required.”

Zheng Qing immediately came to his senses.

”Let’s leave it at that,” he nodded, signaling the Fishman Elder Priest to stop the séance.

”Don’t you need another bowl of fish roe?” The Old Fishman stopped trembling, his voice somewhat reluctant as he inquired, ”Perhaps all your doubts could be fully answered in the next round.”

”Next time,” Zheng Qing vaguely replied.

”It’s a matter of life and death!” the Old Fishman stressed the point sternly.

”Uh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” the Warlock waved his hand, resigning to fate, ”That’s enough.”

Seeing the Warlock’s firm attitude, the Old Fishman finally sighed and slowly walked to the stone chair, taking the octopus-skull off Xiao Xiao’s head.

”You will regret this,” it muttered, ”Not everyone is brave enough to face their own destiny.”

”You really are a qualified Diviner,” Korma stated, her tone ambiguous between sarcasm and compliment, which the Old Fishman accepted with a smile.

Zheng Qing, ignoring the Old Fishman’s prattle, looked anxiously towards the stone chair.

Xiao Xiaolian sat there, his face pale and his gaze somewhat dazed, it took him a while to regain clarity.

”Is it over?” he asked softly.

Clearly, he had no memory of the previous questions and divination process.

”It’s over,” Zheng Qing nodded, glanced around, and the witches shook their heads indicating no need for further divination, then he said to Xiao Xiao, ”Let’s talk about the rest when we get back.”

With that, he walked forward and helped the Doctor down.