High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 1874: Chapter 95: Second-Year First Curse Course

”New student!”

The witch sitting in the first row of the classroom reluctantly stood up and softly reminded the professor, who was speaking energetically on the podium: ”You mentioned earlier that we should welcome the new student before class...”

Old Yao was stunned for a few seconds, his gaze wandered around the classroom, and finally landed on the new witch, suddenly realizing.

”Oh!”

He patted his high forehead, looking as if awakening from a dream: ”Well, due to personal reasons, Ilyana Jones has temporarily suspended her studies with an indefinite return date, so The Gypsy Witch Coven recommended a new student to join our class, everyone welcome, welcome!”

Saying this, he put down the lecture notes, clapping his hands.

The classroom hesitantly erupted into a round of lackluster applause. Zheng Qing easily felt the surrounding gazes that seemed to be watching, some subtle, some not.

He hung his eyelids, appearing oblivious.

”New student, please introduce yourself.” After the applause subsided, the professor signaled the newly arrived Gypsy witch to get acquainted with everyone: ”... Now we are already classmates, don’t be shy.”

The witch stood up, slightly bowing to those around her:

”Hello everyone, my name is Carmen, from The Gypsy Witch Coven. I am skilled in divination skills, herbology, drinking, and not proficient in magic script, talismans, and chatting... I am happy to meet everyone, and I hope we get along well in the upcoming study and life.”

Instantly, the classroom erupted into a burst of good-natured laughter.

Old Yao bit his pipe, examining the gracious witch, and also chuckled: ”You don’t seem like someone who isn’t good at chatting... Jiuyou Academy is First University’s oldest academy, and The Gypsy Witch Coven is also a wizard organization with a long history in Europa. Both have a long history of interaction. I hope Carmen can learn effectively and gain great outcomes at Jiuyou Academy, and I also hope other classmates will actively help the new student to quickly adapt to the environment of First University. The monitors should remember to communicate more with the new student... Sit down, no need to stand anymore.”

He waved his hand, indicating the humbly listening witch to take a seat, then grasped a piece of chalk, throwing it to the blackboard behind him: ”If anyone has other questions for the new student, you can ask after class. Now let’s start the first session of Spell Class this new semester.”

The white chalk squeaked, leaving a flamboyant ’Taboo’ word on the blackboard, then the chalk head pressed down heavily, leaving a small dot, flipping mid-air and jumping back into the chalk box.

”Taboo!”

Old Yao turned, tapped the blackboard with his finger, and the big ”Taboo” word, like a mother hen laying chicks, rapidly spawned a series of crooked phrases behind it:

”Taboo words!”

”Taboo concealment!”

”Forbidden taboo!”

”Taboo for the elder!”

”Taboo for the respected!”

”Speak frankly without taboo!”

”As the ancients said, taboo means to avoid, from speech and Wei. Wei is opposite, and the classics often use violation for it. The ancient character shape is like two people walking opposite, also resembling two feet having distance, thus the original character for violation. The classics often borrow violation for return, probably using rhyme alternation.”

The old man on the podium spoke passionately, fully indulged.

The audience below listened with vacant eyes, thinking they had entered the wrong classroom and heard the wrong lecture. Zheng Qing suddenly had a feeling akin to attending a math class in high school; one moment the teacher was talking about ’one plus one equals two’, and when he looked down for a note, upon lifting his head again, the teacher’s mouth was filled with incomprehensible jargon.

Finally, Old Yao seemed to notice the bewildered faces in the audience, pausing for a few seconds, shaking his head, switching to language everyone could understand:

”You all really need to study more... The ’Taboo’ character is a symbol with immense magical power, even in the common people’s world you can feel its ubiquitous force. Even in environments devoid of magical power, it can enforce careful speaking. So our focus this class is to discuss this character, understand it, and learn multiple spells derived from it.”

”Because the discussion of this character occupies an entire Chapter in the textbook, it has consistently been a key topic in final exams, so take it seriously.”

”Open your ’Standard Spells - University Second Grade’, turn to page eighteen, and we’ll go from back to front.”

”Taboo is Wei speech; consistent speech and action can be Wei conduct.”

”How do we interpret this sentence?”

The professor stuffed the pipe into his mouth, like plugging a gushing spring, allowing many students furiously taking notes to let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Whew.

He took a puff from the pipe, looking around.

Only a few students dared to raise their heads and meet his gaze in such settings. Zheng Qing could guess their names without lifting his head, derived from the innate talents of ’academic slackers.’

”Jiang Yu!” Finally, Old Yao pointed out a particular student.

Zheng Qing clearly heard Doctor Xiao beside him sigh with regret, while Xin Fat Man in front let out a sigh of relief.

He slightly curled his lips into a silent smile, lifting his gaze towards the front row of the classroom.

”... The original meaning of ’Taboo’ is ’to go against one’s own words’; but because language and behavior are consistent, this character can also restrict a person’s actions.” Jiang Yu stood up, her voice clear, like a creek flowing through the mountains.

”Very good!”

Old Yao took the pipe away from his mouth and tapped the lectern encouragingly, simultaneously signaling: ”Sit! ... Because of this character’s immense magical power and broad applicability, we often encounter many simplified spells involving this character in daily life.”

”Who will give an example?”

This time, many students raised their hands.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Ji Xin also raised his hand after a long time, and he was immediately pointed out by Old Yao.

”Taboo words!” The red-faced male wizard said roughly.

”Not bad.”

Old Yao nodded with a smile, lightly brushing the lecture notes under his hand, murmuring: ”Taboo words!”

The entire classroom was suddenly engulfed in inexplicable silence.

Zheng Qing puffed his cheeks, feeling as though he had wanted to say something but suddenly couldn’t remember. Even the sound of wind outside the window, insect chirping, the chair creaking underneath, and the faint snoring of the stick figure behind the door had all vanished in an instant.

”This spell is the most basic application of this character.”

On the podium, Professor Yao’s voice steadily resonated, becoming the sole sound in the classroom:

”Being cautious and not daring to speak directly, holding respect and feeling inconvenient to speak commonly, bound by rules and unable to express freely, this is ’Taboo words’. Heaven has words, nature has words, humanity has words, hence ’Taboo words’ can be grand or minor, grand enough to silence the world, minor enough to silence a room. In everyday life, this spell is widely used to prohibit others from speaking... suitable occasions include auditoriums, press conferences, classrooms, or family meetings.”

Zheng Qing felt he could open his mouth again.