High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1342: Chapter 89 The Leaves of the Mystical Grain

”I don’t know.”

Zheng Qing honestly shook his head in response to Zhu Si’s criticism.

The professor had indeed never mentioned that breaking mirrors in the World in the Mirror was not allowed. The young cost student also didn’t feel that breaking that mirror just now was particularly dangerous.

At most, it was a bit of a nuisance.

”Ignorance is bliss.” The little witch’s comment was very sharp: ”This is what happens when you lack proper family education from a formal wizard lineage... Even if you’ve entered First University, you’ll always have gaps like this when it comes to common knowledge.”

That sounded a bit ’Alpha’.

Zheng Qing slightly shook his head, trying to steer the conversation back to the topic they were discussing before: ”You just said you’ve been here two or three months? ...Do you still remember which year it was when you came in?”

This should be a simple question.

Zhu Si thought so too.

”Is that even a question?” The little witch’s face was full of scorn, and she opened her mouth as if to tell the warlock the answer. But as she did so, confusion and bewilderment clearly appeared on her face, her mouth like a goldfish in a dried-up ditch.

Open, then shut.

Open again, then shut again.

After a moment, the little witch replied stiffly: ”You really ask me such a simple question, are you actually stupid?”

”So, you don’t remember, do you?” The warlock confirmed.

The little witch responded with silence.

From this, Zheng Qing was certain that the timeline in the World in the Mirror must be in chaos. But as to whether it’s ”a day in the mirror equals a year in the world” or ”a year in the mirror equals a day in the world,” or something else entirely, with too few clues currently available, it was not clear.

This loss of control over the situation made the young cost student somewhat restless. And at this moment, from the depths of the Maze in the Mirror, a familiar silvery laughter vaguely echoed.

Zheng Qing gave Zhu Si a doubtful glance.

”How annoying.” The little witch seemed to have also heard the laughter, immediately covering her ears and lamenting.

”That laughter...” Zheng Qing hesitated—he had always thought that the laughter was produced by Zhu Si to attract his attention earlier. But now, it seemed the situation was slightly more complicated.

”Oh, that was my previous laughter.” The girl waved her hand nonchalantly and muttered, ”Mirrors can preserve those fleeting, ethereal memories. They make it so you can’t escape them for your whole life... It sounds wonderful, but in reality, it’s terrible, like an eternal curse... So don’t casually reveal your emotions to mirrors... They can be exploited by the fairies within them.”

Her tone was full of the world-weariness of someone who’s been through it all.

It sounded very difficult.

”Have those laughs always been there?” Zheng Qing asked sympathetically.

”Not always.” Zhu Si reached up and pulled at the red string around her neck, from which hung a withered leaf: ”When it was still effective, I couldn’t hear those sounds...”

Her face couldn’t hide a sorrowful expression as she continued, ”...But after being inside here for a long time, the leaf gradually withered, and those annoying voices have been ceaselessly appearing, over and over again.”

Zheng Qing stared at the leaf, finding it vaguely familiar.

The leaf resembled that of a mulberry, emerald with serrated edges, and black patterns on the surface, along with some withered fluff barely discernible.

”Is this... a leaf from Mystical Grain?” the warlock hesitated for a moment, then asked.

The Little Witch carefully stuffed the withered leaf back inside her collar and lifted her head proudly, ”Genuine! I am the only one in the whole school who has this type of leaf... It can protect you and prevent you from getting lost in the World in the Mirror!”

Zheng Qing couldn’t bear to dent the Little Witch’s pride.

But it wasn’t hard to understand.

Because Mystical Grain was a magical plant that grew in harsh environments, half a century ago, it couldn’t be cultivated on Buji Island, and thus, at that time, every leaf of Mystical Grain was precious.

But now, with advancements in magical plantation technology, many places in the wizard world have this magical plant that emits red light all year round and has versatile uses—last semester when Li Meng fainted in the Hundred Herb Gardens, Professor Li Qihuang used a Mystical Grain leaf to prepare a Medicine Juice Coating and cured her of her nightmare affliction.

The most well-known effect of Mystical Grain leaves wasn’t the relief from dizziness, but rather ’Immune to delusions’—meaning that wearing it could help one resist confusion, an excellent Amulet against illusion and bewitchment spells.

”If you are talking about the leaf of Mystical Grain...” the warlock hesitated slightly, then reached into his Grey Cloth Bag to pull out a paper bag, which held a neatly stacked and tightly bound bundle of Mystical Grain leaves with fine string.

This was the reward Xiao Xiao had received for his ’work-study’ program in the Hundred Herb Gardens, and considering the possibility that Li Meng could faint anywhere, anytime, Zheng Qing had asked the Doctor for some to carry with him just in case.

He didn’t expect to find a use for them here.

Zhu Si’s mouth slowly fell open, her expression one of shock.

”You didn’t even coat it with a Rune Coating!” The Little Witch exclaimed with heartfelt pain, her tone brimming with the heartache of a ’profligate son’ wasting resources: ”With such a rough method of storage, it can’t keep fresh for even a month!”

As she spoke, Zheng Qing’s vision blurred, and the bundle of Mystical Grain leaves in his hand appeared in the Little Witch’s hand.

He hadn’t seen clearly how she took it.

”Wow,” the warlock took a small step backward, covering his Grey Cloth Bag, and tried to console the Little Witch a bit: ”In our era, wizards have found a way to cultivate Mystical Grain on a large scale... The leaves of Mystical Grain are not that precious anymore. Very few people apply Rune Coating to them.”

The so-called ’Rune Coating’ referred to attaching a layer of protective magic on the leaf surface to maintain its freshness and magical potency. Common methods included ’Medicine Juice Coating’ and ’Runes Coating.’

Zhu Si, with practiced Hand Jue, shot a string of Golden Runes at the Mystical Grain leaves. Soon, a thin yet solid ’coating’ appeared on the surface of the leaves that had begun to wilt; the Mystical Grain leaves, which had lost much of their vitality from being stored in a paper bag for so long, once again emitted a misty red light.

”Phew... It will last much longer now!” The Little Witch let out a sigh of relief, wiping her forehead where there was no actual sweat, and joyfully put away the bundle of leaves.

Zheng Qing coughed softly.

The Little Witch’s hand, stuffing the leaves into her pocket, stiffened slightly.

She tilted her head and sneakily glanced at the warlock.

”I will quickly send you out, you won’t need it,” she said, seemingly finding the courage to take the leaves as she vigorously waved her short little arms: ”Consider these leaves... as the fee for sending you on your way!”

That sounded a bit odd.

Zheng Qing wasn’t sure if the Little Witch had noticed the ambiguity in her words.

At the same time, the warlock also felt a bit of a toothache—he didn’t mind giving the leaves to Zhu Si. It was just that he found the Little Witch’s somewhat ’over-familiar’ and ’enthusiastic’ actions very intriguing.